The moment that God opened my eyes to the anti-Christian nature of classical education was when I noticed that the classical "Christian" history curriculum I intended to use spent a whole year on the ancient Greeks and Romans, including the time of Christ's life and the beginnings of the apostolic church, during which year it had at least 8 books of classical mythology and only two books about the church (the Bible and another on architecture of bascilicas). How foolish and sinful to steep our children in man-made religion and the imaginations of wicked God-hating civilizations, while largely ignoring the history of the people of God! I was disgusted, and went off in search of a thoroughly-Christian, elementary, history curriculum.
My search was not fruitful, however. There were a few curricula created by people and publishers that I had reason to trust, but they focused, almost exclusively, on American history. This is very disappointing to me. It is important for our children to learn American history, and that in detail, but to spend 6 - 8 years exclusively on American history does our children a great disservice. America does not exist in a vacuum. Furthermore, God does not govern His creation through isolated acts of Providence that interrupt the normal flow of history. On the contrary, the Sovereign Creator, who does not let a single hair of our head fall without His permission, has controlled the entirety of history throughout the whole earth. Thus, if we are to praise the mighty acts of God to the next generation, we must teach them the history of the world, not just the United States.
The mandate to teach all of world history does not mean that we learn about every battle and every leader in every civilization that ever existed. In the teaching of history, as in all things, we look to the Bible for our model. The Bible contains much history, and it all focuses on the people of God. We meet other civilizations and peoples and learn something about them, but only when they intersect with the people of God. Such must be our approach to history. We are to teach the history of God's people in this world. This will necessitate learning about unbelievers, so we might understand how they affect the church, but our focus should always be on the church and God's providential care of her.
That brings us to the Greeks and Romans. The Roman civilization was dominant during the time of Christ's incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection. It was also dominant during the early days of the apostolic church. Many aspects of the Roman culture (one language, good roads, and even the cruelty of the colosseums) were used of God to advance the gospel. The Romans took much of their philosophy and culture directly from the Greeks, and Greek philosophy contributed to the heresies that plagued the early church and were addressed in church councils. Further, the triumph of the Greek and Roman civilizations were prophesied by Daniel, as well as their ultimate fall. For these reasons the Christian should learn about the Greeks and Romans, but should always place more emphasis on learning about the church.
Since I could not find a thoroughly Christian text to tell the story of the Greeks and Romans to elementary school children I went back to The Story of the Greeks and The Story of the Romans, both by H. A. Grueber and published by Nothing New Press. These were the books that the classical curriculum advertised were written back when "academic standards were more rigorous and the acquiring of a biblical worldview was considered just as important as the acquiring of reading, writing, and arithmetic skills". I bought these texts and was quite disappointed. They most certainly did not contain a biblical worldview. The views expressed in them were less blatantly humanistic and evolutionary than modern, secular school books, but that only makes them more dangerous. The unsuspecting mother could be lulled by some Christian-sounding phrases into missing heresy such as the books' claim that Socrates was the wisest man and greatest philosopher that ever lived. We know from the Bible that Solomon, not Socrates, was the wisest man that ever lived. The whole of The Story of the Greeks was peppered with the claim that the Greek civilization was the greatest the world has ever known. This is a terrible thing to teach a child, for how can pagans create the greatest civilization ever? Such a claim is to deny the beautifulness of God's laws (which the Greeks trampled), to deny the power of the gospel (by claiming that unbelievers can be good) and to call God a liar when He says, "Blessed in the nation whose God is Jehovah, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance." (Psalm 33:12)
However, since I know of no other text that tells the story, for children, with such thoroughness, I am forced to use this text. I will tell in my next post what parts I cut out and what parts I changed to make the text acceptable. I will also give an outline of the lessons I intend to teach, which should cover approximately six weeks (down from 18 weeks or so devoted to the Greeks in the classical curriculum outline). If you know of another text I can use, please tell me. I will be exceedingly grateful.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
On to the 2nd Grade....Art again.
So, I think the previous posts cover the first year of school thoroughly, now on to the second year...
I will start with art again. We will continue with our study of great artists and their works. Here is my tentative outline:
Albrecht Durer (Self Portrait at 28, Stag Beetle)
Michelangelo (The Creation of Adam, The Last Judgment, The Pieta, The Sistine Chapel, David, Moses). I will be covering up the genitals on the statue of David when I show it to my kids. I don't want to condone nudity in art, since the Bible repeatedly equates nakedness with shame (outside of the marriage bed, of course), but David is such a beautiful and iconic work that we cannot pass over it. I should also mention that later in his life Michelangelo regretted his early use of nudity in his art (God and the History of Art by Barry Stebbing).
Titian (David and Goliath, Allegory of Time Governed by Prudence, Flora, St. John the Baptist)
Raphael (Sistine Madonna, The Visitation, the Marriage of the Virgin, Madonna and Child with Book, The School of Athens, Pope Julius II)
Tintoretto (Christ at the Sea of Galilee, The Paradise, The Maundy, St. George and the Dragon, Wedding Feast at Cana)
Peter Brueghel (The Painter and the Buyer, The Blind Leading the Blind, Hunters in the Snow, Children's Games)
El Greco (St. John the Baptist, Madonna and Child with St. Martina and St. Agnes, View of Toledo, St. Paul, The Burial of Count Orgasz)
Peter Paul Rubens (Head of a Girl, Entombment, Daniel in the Lion's Den).
Since I am not sure if I will have too many or too few pieces when I am done deciding which pieces to study, this outline and the one for the first year art history may change later.
As always, I would love to hear from you if you think I missed a piece or an artist that is important (or if you think I included ones I shouldn't).
God bless.
I will start with art again. We will continue with our study of great artists and their works. Here is my tentative outline:
Albrecht Durer (Self Portrait at 28, Stag Beetle)
Michelangelo (The Creation of Adam, The Last Judgment, The Pieta, The Sistine Chapel, David, Moses). I will be covering up the genitals on the statue of David when I show it to my kids. I don't want to condone nudity in art, since the Bible repeatedly equates nakedness with shame (outside of the marriage bed, of course), but David is such a beautiful and iconic work that we cannot pass over it. I should also mention that later in his life Michelangelo regretted his early use of nudity in his art (God and the History of Art by Barry Stebbing).
Titian (David and Goliath, Allegory of Time Governed by Prudence, Flora, St. John the Baptist)
Raphael (Sistine Madonna, The Visitation, the Marriage of the Virgin, Madonna and Child with Book, The School of Athens, Pope Julius II)
Tintoretto (Christ at the Sea of Galilee, The Paradise, The Maundy, St. George and the Dragon, Wedding Feast at Cana)
Peter Brueghel (The Painter and the Buyer, The Blind Leading the Blind, Hunters in the Snow, Children's Games)
El Greco (St. John the Baptist, Madonna and Child with St. Martina and St. Agnes, View of Toledo, St. Paul, The Burial of Count Orgasz)
Peter Paul Rubens (Head of a Girl, Entombment, Daniel in the Lion's Den).
Since I am not sure if I will have too many or too few pieces when I am done deciding which pieces to study, this outline and the one for the first year art history may change later.
As always, I would love to hear from you if you think I missed a piece or an artist that is important (or if you think I included ones I shouldn't).
God bless.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Elementary Science
Even before Rushdoony turned me away from Classical Education I was not satisfied with the approach to science taken by the author of the Classical curriculum I planned on using. She thought that the study of science in any rigorous sense should be left entirely to college students, and that younger students could be sufficiently educated by only observing nature, learning the history of science and learning to counter evolutionary arguments.
Such an approach is normal for classical education. Science was not one of the subjects taught in the traditional classical curriculum, because science was only pursued by aristocrats with a lot of time on their hands. In today's world most jobs involve some kind of technology, so in order to properly equip our children for a calling, they must have a knowledge of basic science. Further, science education should be systemmatic and orderly because that reflects God's created order. Studying bees, then clouds, then volcanoes, then whatever else suits your fancy reflects the evolutionary humanist worldview that all we have are random, isolated facts, plus it runs the risk of missing important areas.
Rigorous study of the traditional areas of science (biology, chemisty and physics) involves higher math, so it will necessarily be left for high school or middle school. In grades 1 - 6, I can teach my students about different areas of science, to give them a framework on which to place future learning, and also to whet their appetites for study of science. I believe that such an objective can be accomplished in 2 days a week, instead of the 5 days per weeks assigned to most subjects.
Science is, at its most basic, a systemmatic study of God's creation. Studying God's creation should lead us to praise Him for His wisdom and power. It should also enable us to more effectively take dominion over the earth for the glory of God.
To build observation skills and cultivate a love of and interest in the creation we live in I will take the elementary school students out to a park or to our backyard on the first pleasant day of each term to make observations in their nature journals. Each student will choose three living things to record. The older students will draw the organisms on the spot. I will take pictures of the organisms chosen by the younger students (for the students to draw from later). All students will record the time of day, the place, the weather, and any observations they can make about the organisms that they chose. The next day the students will look up each of their organisms in a guidebook and write down facts about the organism in their notebooks. The next day we will go to the library to pick out books on the organisms. The next three days each student will read (or be read) the books about his organism. The following lesson we will continue with our regular science curriculm. In this manner the students will learn the skills of observation which are necessary for science. It will, I hope, encourage them to enjoy being outside, which is healthy. They will also learn about the area we live in, so that they can begin, even now, to take dominion over their area of the earth, to the glory of God. Finally, I hope that, knowing details about the life around them, when my children see that life again they will be more easily moved to praise God for His wise and marvelous Creation.
For the elementary science curriculm, I have chosen the Answers in Genesis-distributed curriculm called God's Design for Science. It is written for elementary school, but it is done in an organized way, always stressing the role of God the Creator. It includes lessons to be read, hands-on projects, quizzes and tests. It has 11 units, which I calculate, can be completed in grades 1 - 7. Look for this curriculum at www.answersingenesis.com
Such an approach is normal for classical education. Science was not one of the subjects taught in the traditional classical curriculum, because science was only pursued by aristocrats with a lot of time on their hands. In today's world most jobs involve some kind of technology, so in order to properly equip our children for a calling, they must have a knowledge of basic science. Further, science education should be systemmatic and orderly because that reflects God's created order. Studying bees, then clouds, then volcanoes, then whatever else suits your fancy reflects the evolutionary humanist worldview that all we have are random, isolated facts, plus it runs the risk of missing important areas.
Rigorous study of the traditional areas of science (biology, chemisty and physics) involves higher math, so it will necessarily be left for high school or middle school. In grades 1 - 6, I can teach my students about different areas of science, to give them a framework on which to place future learning, and also to whet their appetites for study of science. I believe that such an objective can be accomplished in 2 days a week, instead of the 5 days per weeks assigned to most subjects.
Science is, at its most basic, a systemmatic study of God's creation. Studying God's creation should lead us to praise Him for His wisdom and power. It should also enable us to more effectively take dominion over the earth for the glory of God.
To build observation skills and cultivate a love of and interest in the creation we live in I will take the elementary school students out to a park or to our backyard on the first pleasant day of each term to make observations in their nature journals. Each student will choose three living things to record. The older students will draw the organisms on the spot. I will take pictures of the organisms chosen by the younger students (for the students to draw from later). All students will record the time of day, the place, the weather, and any observations they can make about the organisms that they chose. The next day the students will look up each of their organisms in a guidebook and write down facts about the organism in their notebooks. The next day we will go to the library to pick out books on the organisms. The next three days each student will read (or be read) the books about his organism. The following lesson we will continue with our regular science curriculm. In this manner the students will learn the skills of observation which are necessary for science. It will, I hope, encourage them to enjoy being outside, which is healthy. They will also learn about the area we live in, so that they can begin, even now, to take dominion over their area of the earth, to the glory of God. Finally, I hope that, knowing details about the life around them, when my children see that life again they will be more easily moved to praise God for His wise and marvelous Creation.
For the elementary science curriculm, I have chosen the Answers in Genesis-distributed curriculm called God's Design for Science. It is written for elementary school, but it is done in an organized way, always stressing the role of God the Creator. It includes lessons to be read, hands-on projects, quizzes and tests. It has 11 units, which I calculate, can be completed in grades 1 - 7. Look for this curriculum at www.answersingenesis.com
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
More About Music
While I have been absent from this blog I was packing, moving and unpacking. Thankfully, that is all over now and life can get back to (ab)normal. :-)
Now...on to some specifics about music history. I intend to teach this class to all my 1st - 6th graders at once. We will cycle through 6 years of lessons (1 per week), so every student will eventually learn all of the composers in the series. We will learn biographical information for each composer, as well as learning to identify, by sound, several of the composer's works. We will start the lesson by reading or listening to biographies of the composer or drilling biographical information. The readings will be taken from Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers by Patrick Kavanaugh, The Gift of Music by Jane Stuart Smith and Betty Carlson, the Vox CDs of great composers, and other sources that I will mention later. Then we will listen to the piece for the week (or a portion of it, if it is really long). Throughout the weeks that we are studying a composer we will listen to his music during homework time and other times.
Here is my list of composers to study (and pieces) for the first year (36 weeks):
1. - 3. Heinrich Schutz: I had never heard of this composer before reading The Gift of Music. He was one who took church music from monastic chanting into the kinds of harmonies we are familiar with today. His music is all choral settings of Biblical texts. I have chose Psalm
100, Seven Last Words From the Cross, and Deutches Magnificat (Mary's song of praise).
4. - 6. Archangelo Corelli: This baroque composer wrote many Concerti Grossi, early versions of the symphony that had less instruments than our modern symphony. I have chosen to highlight Concerto Grosso in F Major, Op. 6, No. 9; Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 8 the
"Christmas Concerto", and Sonata de Chiesa, Op. 3, No. 5.
7. - 10. Antonio Vivaldi: We all know Vivaldi's Four Seasons, but he also wrote concertos for many different instruments and even some choral music. The first piece the student will learn, will of course be the Four Seasons. Since it is such a long work, we will listen to it in the evening, or on a Saturday, in order to be able to hear it all at once. Other pieces to study are: Gloria in D, Bassoon Concerto in E Minor, and Concerto for Piccolo in C Major.
11. - 20. Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach was a devout Christian man and made some of the best music ever, to the glory of God. The most difficult thing about studying Bach is choosing which of his many masterpieces to focus on. These are my choices: Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor (S 1043), St. Matthew's Passion, Mass in B Minor, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, Cantata No. 80, Well-Tempered Clavier No. 1, Magnificat, BrandenburgConcerto No. 2., and Musical Offering. For studying Bach, in addition to the sources cited above, I plan on reading them Sebastian Bach: The Boy from Thuringia by Opal Wheeler and Sybill Duecher.
21. - 26. George Frederic Handel:
It is reported that Handel openly wept while working on his famous Hallelujah Chorus, a song in praise of Christ. Here again is another composer who dedicated his work to the glory of God. Water Music, Messiah, Largo from Xerxes, Organ Concerto in B-flat Major, Op. 7, No. 6; Concerto for Harp in B-flat Major, and Music for Royal Fireworks. In addition to the sources cited above, I plan on reading Handel at the Court of Kings by Opal Wheeler.
26. - 32. Joseph Haydn: Cello Concerto in D Major, No. 2; The Creation; Symphony No. 45; Mass No. 9 in D Minor, "The Lord Nelson Mass"; Symphony No. 104, "London"; Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major; String Quartet in C "Emporer". In addition to the sources cited above, I plan on reading Joseph Haydn: the Merry Little Peasant by Opal Wheeler and Sybil Duecher.
33. - 36. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: I really don't need to say anything about Mozart's worth as a composer. I was heartened to learn through Christian authors that Mozart was not the hedonist that he was portrayed as in the movie "Amadeus". He was a bit of a reckless teenager (which is what they base their slander on) and not the wisest of money managers, but he showed in many letters to family and friends his faith in God and desire to please Him. We will continue with many more pieces by Mozart in the second year of Music History. The three for this year will be: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Requiem, and Clarinet Concerto in A Major.
I will continue with the schedule for the second year later.
Now...on to some specifics about music history. I intend to teach this class to all my 1st - 6th graders at once. We will cycle through 6 years of lessons (1 per week), so every student will eventually learn all of the composers in the series. We will learn biographical information for each composer, as well as learning to identify, by sound, several of the composer's works. We will start the lesson by reading or listening to biographies of the composer or drilling biographical information. The readings will be taken from Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers by Patrick Kavanaugh, The Gift of Music by Jane Stuart Smith and Betty Carlson, the Vox CDs of great composers, and other sources that I will mention later. Then we will listen to the piece for the week (or a portion of it, if it is really long). Throughout the weeks that we are studying a composer we will listen to his music during homework time and other times.
Here is my list of composers to study (and pieces) for the first year (36 weeks):
1. - 3. Heinrich Schutz: I had never heard of this composer before reading The Gift of Music. He was one who took church music from monastic chanting into the kinds of harmonies we are familiar with today. His music is all choral settings of Biblical texts. I have chose Psalm
100, Seven Last Words From the Cross, and Deutches Magnificat (Mary's song of praise).
4. - 6. Archangelo Corelli: This baroque composer wrote many Concerti Grossi, early versions of the symphony that had less instruments than our modern symphony. I have chosen to highlight Concerto Grosso in F Major, Op. 6, No. 9; Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 8 the
"Christmas Concerto", and Sonata de Chiesa, Op. 3, No. 5.
7. - 10. Antonio Vivaldi: We all know Vivaldi's Four Seasons, but he also wrote concertos for many different instruments and even some choral music. The first piece the student will learn, will of course be the Four Seasons. Since it is such a long work, we will listen to it in the evening, or on a Saturday, in order to be able to hear it all at once. Other pieces to study are: Gloria in D, Bassoon Concerto in E Minor, and Concerto for Piccolo in C Major.
11. - 20. Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach was a devout Christian man and made some of the best music ever, to the glory of God. The most difficult thing about studying Bach is choosing which of his many masterpieces to focus on. These are my choices: Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor (S 1043), St. Matthew's Passion, Mass in B Minor, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, Cantata No. 80, Well-Tempered Clavier No. 1, Magnificat, BrandenburgConcerto No. 2., and Musical Offering. For studying Bach, in addition to the sources cited above, I plan on reading them Sebastian Bach: The Boy from Thuringia by Opal Wheeler and Sybill Duecher.
21. - 26. George Frederic Handel:
It is reported that Handel openly wept while working on his famous Hallelujah Chorus, a song in praise of Christ. Here again is another composer who dedicated his work to the glory of God. Water Music, Messiah, Largo from Xerxes, Organ Concerto in B-flat Major, Op. 7, No. 6; Concerto for Harp in B-flat Major, and Music for Royal Fireworks. In addition to the sources cited above, I plan on reading Handel at the Court of Kings by Opal Wheeler.
26. - 32. Joseph Haydn: Cello Concerto in D Major, No. 2; The Creation; Symphony No. 45; Mass No. 9 in D Minor, "The Lord Nelson Mass"; Symphony No. 104, "London"; Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major; String Quartet in C "Emporer". In addition to the sources cited above, I plan on reading Joseph Haydn: the Merry Little Peasant by Opal Wheeler and Sybil Duecher.
33. - 36. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: I really don't need to say anything about Mozart's worth as a composer. I was heartened to learn through Christian authors that Mozart was not the hedonist that he was portrayed as in the movie "Amadeus". He was a bit of a reckless teenager (which is what they base their slander on) and not the wisest of money managers, but he showed in many letters to family and friends his faith in God and desire to please Him. We will continue with many more pieces by Mozart in the second year of Music History. The three for this year will be: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Requiem, and Clarinet Concerto in A Major.
I will continue with the schedule for the second year later.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Choosing a Musical Instrument
As I stated in the last post, my husband and I will choose an instrument for my children to start with. This choice is just based on what we think they might be suited for. Right now, we plan on having Timothy start with the cello and Emanuela start with the violin.
However, after a year or two of instruction I would like to give my children the option to stick with the instrument we picked or choose another. God has given the human race a wide variety of abilities and affinities, and I want my children to find the perfect instrument with which to praise God. To that end, and in order to increase their enjoyment in hearing music, in the year before we begin the main curriculum I intend to teach my children about different instruments. I will not try to introduce all instruments; that would be nearly impossible. We will learn the most often used instruments in an orchestra.
I want the student to be able to recognize the instrument by sight and by sound, be able to identify the parts of the instrument, and know by what mechanism the instrument produces different notes (i.e. pressing keys, plucking strings, bowing, fingering strings, striking with a mallet, etc.) I will also give them a brief background of when the instrument was developed. There are two websites that I have found particularly useful www.dsokids.com/2001/instrumentchart.htm, and www.nyphilkids.org/lockerroom.phtml Both of these sites have information on different instrument as well as pictures and sound clips.
I plan on introducing the following instruments, one per week: violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, English Horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, French Horn, saxaphone, tympani, snare, cymbals, xylophone, glockenspiel, harpsichord, piano, organ, and harp.
The remaining weeks of the year the child will have the opportunity to further investigate instruments that intrigue him. I will try to find a person who plays that instrument, books on the instrument, and music featuring that instrument. At the end of the year he can choose which instrument to play, with the knowledge that he can change his mind later, if he wants.
This freedom to choose could be abused, and it will be up to Denis and myself to discern whether a student repeatedly switching instruments is still searching for the right one, or merely avoiding the hard work of progressing beyond the beginning stage. If we believe that the student would benefit from the discipline of sticking with an instrument they don't like for awhile more we may require it.
However, after a year or two of instruction I would like to give my children the option to stick with the instrument we picked or choose another. God has given the human race a wide variety of abilities and affinities, and I want my children to find the perfect instrument with which to praise God. To that end, and in order to increase their enjoyment in hearing music, in the year before we begin the main curriculum I intend to teach my children about different instruments. I will not try to introduce all instruments; that would be nearly impossible. We will learn the most often used instruments in an orchestra.
I want the student to be able to recognize the instrument by sight and by sound, be able to identify the parts of the instrument, and know by what mechanism the instrument produces different notes (i.e. pressing keys, plucking strings, bowing, fingering strings, striking with a mallet, etc.) I will also give them a brief background of when the instrument was developed. There are two websites that I have found particularly useful www.dsokids.com/2001/instrumentchart.htm, and www.nyphilkids.org/lockerroom.phtml Both of these sites have information on different instrument as well as pictures and sound clips.
I plan on introducing the following instruments, one per week: violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, English Horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, French Horn, saxaphone, tympani, snare, cymbals, xylophone, glockenspiel, harpsichord, piano, organ, and harp.
The remaining weeks of the year the child will have the opportunity to further investigate instruments that intrigue him. I will try to find a person who plays that instrument, books on the instrument, and music featuring that instrument. At the end of the year he can choose which instrument to play, with the knowledge that he can change his mind later, if he wants.
This freedom to choose could be abused, and it will be up to Denis and myself to discern whether a student repeatedly switching instruments is still searching for the right one, or merely avoiding the hard work of progressing beyond the beginning stage. If we believe that the student would benefit from the discipline of sticking with an instrument they don't like for awhile more we may require it.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
"Praise ye Jehovah. Praise God in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: Praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with trumpet sound: Praise him with psaltery and harp. Praise him with timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise him with loud cymbals: Praise him with high sounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah."
- Psalm 150
Over and over throughout the Scriptures we are commanded to praise God with music, thus music instruction is never optional for the Christian. At the very least, all Christians should know how to sing with a hymnal. Now, I understand that God has blessed people with differing natural talent for music, but our music abilities can be strengthened with practice just as our math or linguistic abilites are. Similarly, our musical abilities can atrophy with lack of use, like any other skill. Thus, with practice, anyone should be able to sing hymns without causing major ear trauma to the surrounding listeners. I plan on teaching "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" (Eph. 5:19) to my children. We will draw our songs from the Trinity Hymnal, Judy Rogers CDs, and Psalms for Singing, by Vic Lockman. If they are able, we can introduce harmony. We will work on basic breathing techniques, matching the proper pitch, and ennunciating. Our little chorus will work on each piece until it is respectable, and perform it (even if it is only for papi), then move onto the next piece.
Besides singing, praising God with an instrument is also commanded repeatedly in Scripture. Thus, each of my children will learn an instrument. Parents I have talked to prefer the Suzuki method. It produces the best pitch and does not require the ability to read, so the child can start in pre-school. Further, it relies on active involvement by the parent, which should make learning more fun, and keep the child accountable to practice. I am told that it is wise, after a few years, to have the student learn to sight-read as well though. I plan on choosing an instrument for my child to start with, since it is difficult for a three- or four-year old to make an informed choice. However, the student can choose to change instruments later, or add another instrument if he so chooses. In high school I will give the student the option to discontinue music training, if he chooses, but I pray that he will get so much joy and blessing out of praising the Lord with music that he will not want to stop.
During my post on art I mentioned that one way to learn that is encouraged in the Bible is to study the "great cloud of witnesses" that proceeded us. As we study great musicians (or artitst) of the past, and their God-honoring works, we learn how to create our own music that honors God. My husband reminded me that God, as God, causes all things to glorify Him. They either glorify His goodness, mercy and grace, or are judged by Him to the glorifying of His justice. So, I was wrong to say that we should not study works that do not glorify God...since that is impossible. What I should have said, is that we want to study men and music that are worthy of emmulation, that are good witnesses. Now, none of these men or pieces will be perfect, but their needs to be something that we can learn from them that will assist us in serving God with our music.
The philosophy of humanists, buddhists and other anti-Christians is reflected in their music. Eastern music (made in a Buddhist culture) and Buddhist western musicians create music that seldom, if ever, resolves; this reflects their views that time is cyclical and meaningless, which is antithetical to reality of time as the progression and working out of God's plan, ever moving forward, through periods of tension and periods of resolution, toward the ultimate resolution at the Last Judgment. Humanist, who believe man is his own god and authority rebel against God's laws for music, especially laws of tonality. God made us to appreciate, and find beautiful, sets of notes, called keys; humanists try to create music that is not confined to keys, but it is ugly and chaotic. Some might say that we should study this music anyway in order to understand our times, and perhaps we should mention to our children that it exist, and explain the philosophy behind it, however, we must never forget that "bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Cor. 15:33); if we keep company with music that is in rebellion against God by studying and analyzing it at length, He promises that it will corrupt our music.
Thanks be to God for His common grace, not all anti-Christian composers make music that is consistent with their presuppositions. For instance, Wagner was a notorious God-hater, but some of his music is quite beautiful. One of my husband's favorites, Mussorgsky, was a drunk, but his music is beautiful and stirring, as well. Also, it is impossible for us to judge the intentions of men's hearts and thus study only those who sought to honor God; instead we must try and study music that is beautiful and creative, musicians that use the gifts God has given to create in a manner that reflects God's own Creation. This will be a rather subjective exercise. As Christians seek to redifine the classics, there will need to be a thoughtful dialogue. This is just the beginning, so with prayer that I would be thinking God's thoughts after Him, and not just echoing man's praise, I will begin to gather musicians and pieces to teach my children.
More on this in my next post. As always, your comments and suggestions are most welcome.
Besides singing, praising God with an instrument is also commanded repeatedly in Scripture. Thus, each of my children will learn an instrument. Parents I have talked to prefer the Suzuki method. It produces the best pitch and does not require the ability to read, so the child can start in pre-school. Further, it relies on active involvement by the parent, which should make learning more fun, and keep the child accountable to practice. I am told that it is wise, after a few years, to have the student learn to sight-read as well though. I plan on choosing an instrument for my child to start with, since it is difficult for a three- or four-year old to make an informed choice. However, the student can choose to change instruments later, or add another instrument if he so chooses. In high school I will give the student the option to discontinue music training, if he chooses, but I pray that he will get so much joy and blessing out of praising the Lord with music that he will not want to stop.
During my post on art I mentioned that one way to learn that is encouraged in the Bible is to study the "great cloud of witnesses" that proceeded us. As we study great musicians (or artitst) of the past, and their God-honoring works, we learn how to create our own music that honors God. My husband reminded me that God, as God, causes all things to glorify Him. They either glorify His goodness, mercy and grace, or are judged by Him to the glorifying of His justice. So, I was wrong to say that we should not study works that do not glorify God...since that is impossible. What I should have said, is that we want to study men and music that are worthy of emmulation, that are good witnesses. Now, none of these men or pieces will be perfect, but their needs to be something that we can learn from them that will assist us in serving God with our music.
The philosophy of humanists, buddhists and other anti-Christians is reflected in their music. Eastern music (made in a Buddhist culture) and Buddhist western musicians create music that seldom, if ever, resolves; this reflects their views that time is cyclical and meaningless, which is antithetical to reality of time as the progression and working out of God's plan, ever moving forward, through periods of tension and periods of resolution, toward the ultimate resolution at the Last Judgment. Humanist, who believe man is his own god and authority rebel against God's laws for music, especially laws of tonality. God made us to appreciate, and find beautiful, sets of notes, called keys; humanists try to create music that is not confined to keys, but it is ugly and chaotic. Some might say that we should study this music anyway in order to understand our times, and perhaps we should mention to our children that it exist, and explain the philosophy behind it, however, we must never forget that "bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Cor. 15:33); if we keep company with music that is in rebellion against God by studying and analyzing it at length, He promises that it will corrupt our music.
Thanks be to God for His common grace, not all anti-Christian composers make music that is consistent with their presuppositions. For instance, Wagner was a notorious God-hater, but some of his music is quite beautiful. One of my husband's favorites, Mussorgsky, was a drunk, but his music is beautiful and stirring, as well. Also, it is impossible for us to judge the intentions of men's hearts and thus study only those who sought to honor God; instead we must try and study music that is beautiful and creative, musicians that use the gifts God has given to create in a manner that reflects God's own Creation. This will be a rather subjective exercise. As Christians seek to redifine the classics, there will need to be a thoughtful dialogue. This is just the beginning, so with prayer that I would be thinking God's thoughts after Him, and not just echoing man's praise, I will begin to gather musicians and pieces to teach my children.
More on this in my next post. As always, your comments and suggestions are most welcome.
Elementary Math
In order to effectively fulfill our calling in the Kingdom of God, we all must learn math. One of the most important reasons is that we are charged to be good stewards of our money, and arithmetic skills allow us to make a budget, calculate unit prices, interest, returns on investments, our tithe, etc. Very basic math is also needed to wisely schedule and efficiently utilize our time, for cooking, and for simple home repairs. These and other everyday uses of math require our students to learn arthimetic, very basic geometry and pre-algebra. It is these skills that I want my children to learn by the end of 6th grade.
During middle and high school (7 - 12th grade) when the child is begining to specialize with a view to his calling, different kinds of math will be needed. All students will need to learn some economics, in order to be well-informed voters (part of taking dominion for God). Those who are going into business, law or politics will need to know more economics. Those going into business should learn math for accounting and management. Architects and carpenters need to know geometry. Computer scientists need to know mathematical logic. Researchers need to know statistics. Engineers and scientists need to know calculus. And other callings will have their own math requirements.
I would like to take a small sidebar and say that, while I will begin specializing my children's educations in 7th grade, it is not necessary that the child know what his calling is at that time. Part of discovering one's calling is prayerfully considering one's abilities and affininties. If the child is confident that he knows his calling, we can choose a course of study that fits that calling. If the child does not know his calling yet, the child can choose the path of study that most interests him (or he is best at). As he progresses in his studies his calling should be easier to discern.
Now, back to elementary math. The situations in which we all use arithmetic rarely involve a pencil and paper. For our arithmetic skills to be useful, most of the time we have to be able to do the calculations in our head. Thus, the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts need to be drilled until they come naturally to the student, almost automatically. Also, math, created by God, is orderly, systemmatic, and full of patterns. In order to teach math well, a text must be arranged in a manner that reflects that order and those patterns. I like the Rod & Staff math curriculum. It has tons of drills and practice worksheets (how many of them we use will depend on how much practice the student needs). It is arranged in an orderly manner, with no silliness. It is 8 years of study to learn arithmetic, basic geometry and beginning algebra. I intend to teach those 8 texts by the time the student completes 6th grade.
During middle and high school (7 - 12th grade) when the child is begining to specialize with a view to his calling, different kinds of math will be needed. All students will need to learn some economics, in order to be well-informed voters (part of taking dominion for God). Those who are going into business, law or politics will need to know more economics. Those going into business should learn math for accounting and management. Architects and carpenters need to know geometry. Computer scientists need to know mathematical logic. Researchers need to know statistics. Engineers and scientists need to know calculus. And other callings will have their own math requirements.
I would like to take a small sidebar and say that, while I will begin specializing my children's educations in 7th grade, it is not necessary that the child know what his calling is at that time. Part of discovering one's calling is prayerfully considering one's abilities and affininties. If the child is confident that he knows his calling, we can choose a course of study that fits that calling. If the child does not know his calling yet, the child can choose the path of study that most interests him (or he is best at). As he progresses in his studies his calling should be easier to discern.
Now, back to elementary math. The situations in which we all use arithmetic rarely involve a pencil and paper. For our arithmetic skills to be useful, most of the time we have to be able to do the calculations in our head. Thus, the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts need to be drilled until they come naturally to the student, almost automatically. Also, math, created by God, is orderly, systemmatic, and full of patterns. In order to teach math well, a text must be arranged in a manner that reflects that order and those patterns. I like the Rod & Staff math curriculum. It has tons of drills and practice worksheets (how many of them we use will depend on how much practice the student needs). It is arranged in an orderly manner, with no silliness. It is 8 years of study to learn arithmetic, basic geometry and beginning algebra. I intend to teach those 8 texts by the time the student completes 6th grade.
Literature
We teach our children to read, primarily that they might read the Scriptures, but there are many other things that the student may read and derive benefit from. Non-fiction works are also important, but in this post I shall discuss fiction works. Fiction can be encouraging, cautionary, uplifting or otherwise beneficial. Fiction can also, righteously, be read purely for fun, as long as our enjoyment of the entertainment does not interfere with our duties. Of course, if we can combine entertainment and edification in one piece of literature, all the better.
Young readers need lots of practice to increase their abilities. The books that they use to practice must, of necessity, have a small vocabulary and simple sentence structure, however, they need not, and should not, be boring! The McGuffey Readers, the Little Bear series of books and the Frog and Toad series of books are all perfect for those learning to read. They have simple words and sentences, but still contain interesting, whimsical stories, edifying lessons or both. The Early Reader Books by Dr. Suess are also largely good.
These early readers, in order that they become familiar with good literature, should be read to often. I plan on having my children in 1st and 2nd grade read to me Monday through Thursday; I will read to the child on Friday. I should read books to them that they could not read themselves, books that contain well-written and God-honoring prose and poetry. The classical curriculum that I was planning on using before I read Rushdoony's The Philosophy of Christian Curriculum, suggested reading historical fiction and fiction written during the period being studied to supplement the non-fiction history readings. I think this is a great idea. It helps the history come alive for the child and makes for a more cohesive school day. For 1st grade, Old Testament History, I could not find many such books, but I did find three:
The Cat of Bubastes by G. A. Henty
Pillar of Fire by J. H. Ingrahm
Cyrus the Persian by Sherman Nagel
I located all three books at www.graceandtruthbooks.com They have a wide selection of historical fiction for children, although I am not crazy about the way it is organized on their website.
Here are some other books that I am planning on reading to my students or having them read to me during first grade:
Three Billy Goats Gruff, Stone Soup: An Old Tale, Once a Mouse, and Dick Whittington and His Cat by Marcia Brown
A Child's Treasury of Poems by Mark Daniel (beautifully illustrated!)
A Child's Garden of Verses by R. L. Stevenson
Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter
The Babar stories by Brunhoff
The Frances stories by Russell Hoban
I welcome suggestions from you, the reader.
Young readers need lots of practice to increase their abilities. The books that they use to practice must, of necessity, have a small vocabulary and simple sentence structure, however, they need not, and should not, be boring! The McGuffey Readers, the Little Bear series of books and the Frog and Toad series of books are all perfect for those learning to read. They have simple words and sentences, but still contain interesting, whimsical stories, edifying lessons or both. The Early Reader Books by Dr. Suess are also largely good.
These early readers, in order that they become familiar with good literature, should be read to often. I plan on having my children in 1st and 2nd grade read to me Monday through Thursday; I will read to the child on Friday. I should read books to them that they could not read themselves, books that contain well-written and God-honoring prose and poetry. The classical curriculum that I was planning on using before I read Rushdoony's The Philosophy of Christian Curriculum, suggested reading historical fiction and fiction written during the period being studied to supplement the non-fiction history readings. I think this is a great idea. It helps the history come alive for the child and makes for a more cohesive school day. For 1st grade, Old Testament History, I could not find many such books, but I did find three:
The Cat of Bubastes by G. A. Henty
Pillar of Fire by J. H. Ingrahm
Cyrus the Persian by Sherman Nagel
I located all three books at www.graceandtruthbooks.com They have a wide selection of historical fiction for children, although I am not crazy about the way it is organized on their website.
Here are some other books that I am planning on reading to my students or having them read to me during first grade:
Three Billy Goats Gruff, Stone Soup: An Old Tale, Once a Mouse, and Dick Whittington and His Cat by Marcia Brown
A Child's Treasury of Poems by Mark Daniel (beautifully illustrated!)
A Child's Garden of Verses by R. L. Stevenson
Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter
The Babar stories by Brunhoff
The Frances stories by Russell Hoban
I welcome suggestions from you, the reader.
Foreign Language in Elementary School
Good morning!
Once again, we must start with the question, does the study of foreign language equip a student for service in the Kingdom of God?
The answer to that question depends on the language being studied and the calling of the student. The two most widely useful languages for study today are Biblical Greek and Spanish. Biblical Greek enables the student to study the New Testament in its original language, and Spanish allows the student to effectively witness to the growing number of Spanish speakers in this country, and not just the English speakers.
Elementary school is the best time to introduce a foreign language, since ability to learn a new language declines exponentially as we age. Since an elementary school child usually does not know his calling yet, I plan on teaching my young students Biblical Greek. Biblical Greek is only essential for those who wish to be preachers, evangelists or theologians, but is undoubtedly very useful for everyone who wishes to study the word of God (and we all should). Thus, studying Biblical Greek provides the most advantage for whatever calling my children pursue. Hey Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek is a nice text, and the one I plan to use. It is designed to start in Kindergarten, a rare thing for foreign language texts, and builds slowly to a thorough knowledge of the language. It also employs a copybook of the Gospel of John, so the text of the Bible is used to learn the language.
When the child reaches middle school or high school and is beginning to discover his calling, we will add a foreign language that serves this calling. Biblical Hebrew is useful for those going into the ministry, Japanese for businessmen and engineers, German (perhaps) for engineers, Russian/Arabic for military, Italian for musicians, Latin for the medical profession or for biologists, etc.
If a child has a calling that does not benefit from knowing a foreign language (shopkeeper? plumber? I am having a hard time thinking of any) he does not have to study a foreign language, and should not if it is taking time away from necessary studies. Most states and colleges require two years of foreign language for every student, no matter their vocation. To satisfy that requirement I would suggest Spanish, for the evangelism opportunities it affords. Our children will already know Spanish, having been taught it from birth by their father, who is half Cuban.
Classical Greek and Latin used to be the languages of scholarship and religion, but since that is no longer true, they are of little use and should not be focused on. English grammar and vocabulary can be learned without spending years studying Latin. The only exception to this would be those who are called to the medical or biological fields which have their own large vocabulary of words lifted directly from Latin.
We should always remeber that we are studying foreign language, not to be superior to the monolingual, or to be multi-cultural, but as a tool for subduing the earth to the glory of Almighty God.
Once again, we must start with the question, does the study of foreign language equip a student for service in the Kingdom of God?
The answer to that question depends on the language being studied and the calling of the student. The two most widely useful languages for study today are Biblical Greek and Spanish. Biblical Greek enables the student to study the New Testament in its original language, and Spanish allows the student to effectively witness to the growing number of Spanish speakers in this country, and not just the English speakers.
Elementary school is the best time to introduce a foreign language, since ability to learn a new language declines exponentially as we age. Since an elementary school child usually does not know his calling yet, I plan on teaching my young students Biblical Greek. Biblical Greek is only essential for those who wish to be preachers, evangelists or theologians, but is undoubtedly very useful for everyone who wishes to study the word of God (and we all should). Thus, studying Biblical Greek provides the most advantage for whatever calling my children pursue. Hey Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek is a nice text, and the one I plan to use. It is designed to start in Kindergarten, a rare thing for foreign language texts, and builds slowly to a thorough knowledge of the language. It also employs a copybook of the Gospel of John, so the text of the Bible is used to learn the language.
When the child reaches middle school or high school and is beginning to discover his calling, we will add a foreign language that serves this calling. Biblical Hebrew is useful for those going into the ministry, Japanese for businessmen and engineers, German (perhaps) for engineers, Russian/Arabic for military, Italian for musicians, Latin for the medical profession or for biologists, etc.
If a child has a calling that does not benefit from knowing a foreign language (shopkeeper? plumber? I am having a hard time thinking of any) he does not have to study a foreign language, and should not if it is taking time away from necessary studies. Most states and colleges require two years of foreign language for every student, no matter their vocation. To satisfy that requirement I would suggest Spanish, for the evangelism opportunities it affords. Our children will already know Spanish, having been taught it from birth by their father, who is half Cuban.
Classical Greek and Latin used to be the languages of scholarship and religion, but since that is no longer true, they are of little use and should not be focused on. English grammar and vocabulary can be learned without spending years studying Latin. The only exception to this would be those who are called to the medical or biological fields which have their own large vocabulary of words lifted directly from Latin.
We should always remeber that we are studying foreign language, not to be superior to the monolingual, or to be multi-cultural, but as a tool for subduing the earth to the glory of Almighty God.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Phonics
It is vital that a child learn to read so that he might read the Bible. We are commanded over and over to meditate on the Word of God, an activity which is much easier to do when we can actually read it on our own. Of course, there are many othre things that a child will want and need to read throughout his life, but the Bible is the most important.
Along with learning to read, a child must learn how to spell. Spelling is essential for taking notes, which improves understand of any subject. It is also vital for all written communication, and written communication helps one spread the gospel and fulfill duties as a family member, church member, citizen, friend, etc.
Now that we have easily ascertained that teaching a child how to read and spell is important, it only remains to chose the teaching method that is most effective.
Whether reading instruction should use phonics or a sight reading method is hotly debated today. I believe that the phonics method is the best way.
The sight-reading method relies on the child memorizing each individual word and internalizing phonics rules subconsciously. They argue that most adults read by sight, not sounding out each word, and that phonics rules are too confusing for children and have too many exceptions, thus the child's progress is hindered.
Now, it is true, that no matter how we learned to read, we eventually read familiar words by sight. However, it is when we encounter new words that our method of learning to read becomes important. I sight-reader can only guess at a new word based on whatever bits of phonics rules he has internalized through exposure. A phonics reader, however, will be able to sound out almost all new words easily. It is true that the sight reader will make more rapid progress initially, but once the phonics reader learns the rules, he will make much faster and easier progress than the sight reader.
Further, phonics reader has an immense advantage over the sight reader in spelling. The sight reader must memorize every word he wants to spell, while the phonics reader can just sound it out.
But what of the difficulty of learning all the exceptions to English phonics rules? Well, first of all, because of the minimal phonics education in America, most people think there are more exceptions than there actually are. For instance, I was watching a TV show on PBS designed to teach kids to read. It presented the word give as an exception to the rule that a silent e at the end of a word causes the previous vowel to use its long sound. Most people know this rule, but few know that there are actually 5 rules governing a final e in a word. One of the other 5 rules is that a silent e follows all words that would otherwise end in v, since no English word can end in a v. This is the rule that is applied to give, that is why we use the short i sound. I admit that there are many phonics rules in English, much more than in Spanish, for instance, but this is because English is a mix of Latin, French and Germanic words, and thus a mixture of their different phonics rules. However, it is still a lot easier, in the long run, to learn all the phonics rules than to learn one rule and many, many "exceptions" to that rule.
Besides, people who claim phonics is too difficult for children underestimate them. God has given children, especially young children, a marvelous capacity for learning. Children, like adults, are sinners, and as such, can be lazy, but laziness or lack of enthusiasm should not be confused with lack of ability. If we teach with enthusiasm and consistenly challenge our children there is much that they can achieve, by God's grace. If we "train a child up in the way he should go, when he is old he will not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6); he will live a life of hard work pursuing and achieving goals. However, if we do not challenge him, he will grow up to live a life of laziness and low expectations.
I intend to use The Writing Road to Reading to teach phonics, spelling and penmanship simultaneously. This makes sense to me because all three are aspects of communication and thus each will reinforce the other. The method described in this book is systematic, with drills to cement learning and lots of practice. The phonics rules in The Writing Road to Reading are not always the clearest and best, however, so I recommend The ABCs and All Their Tricks. Use this book's phonics rules whenever the two books disagree. The ABCs is also a good source of spelling lists, since it collects lists of words that demonstrate each phonics rule.
Along with learning to read, a child must learn how to spell. Spelling is essential for taking notes, which improves understand of any subject. It is also vital for all written communication, and written communication helps one spread the gospel and fulfill duties as a family member, church member, citizen, friend, etc.
Now that we have easily ascertained that teaching a child how to read and spell is important, it only remains to chose the teaching method that is most effective.
Whether reading instruction should use phonics or a sight reading method is hotly debated today. I believe that the phonics method is the best way.
The sight-reading method relies on the child memorizing each individual word and internalizing phonics rules subconsciously. They argue that most adults read by sight, not sounding out each word, and that phonics rules are too confusing for children and have too many exceptions, thus the child's progress is hindered.
Now, it is true, that no matter how we learned to read, we eventually read familiar words by sight. However, it is when we encounter new words that our method of learning to read becomes important. I sight-reader can only guess at a new word based on whatever bits of phonics rules he has internalized through exposure. A phonics reader, however, will be able to sound out almost all new words easily. It is true that the sight reader will make more rapid progress initially, but once the phonics reader learns the rules, he will make much faster and easier progress than the sight reader.
Further, phonics reader has an immense advantage over the sight reader in spelling. The sight reader must memorize every word he wants to spell, while the phonics reader can just sound it out.
But what of the difficulty of learning all the exceptions to English phonics rules? Well, first of all, because of the minimal phonics education in America, most people think there are more exceptions than there actually are. For instance, I was watching a TV show on PBS designed to teach kids to read. It presented the word give as an exception to the rule that a silent e at the end of a word causes the previous vowel to use its long sound. Most people know this rule, but few know that there are actually 5 rules governing a final e in a word. One of the other 5 rules is that a silent e follows all words that would otherwise end in v, since no English word can end in a v. This is the rule that is applied to give, that is why we use the short i sound. I admit that there are many phonics rules in English, much more than in Spanish, for instance, but this is because English is a mix of Latin, French and Germanic words, and thus a mixture of their different phonics rules. However, it is still a lot easier, in the long run, to learn all the phonics rules than to learn one rule and many, many "exceptions" to that rule.
Besides, people who claim phonics is too difficult for children underestimate them. God has given children, especially young children, a marvelous capacity for learning. Children, like adults, are sinners, and as such, can be lazy, but laziness or lack of enthusiasm should not be confused with lack of ability. If we teach with enthusiasm and consistenly challenge our children there is much that they can achieve, by God's grace. If we "train a child up in the way he should go, when he is old he will not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6); he will live a life of hard work pursuing and achieving goals. However, if we do not challenge him, he will grow up to live a life of laziness and low expectations.
I intend to use The Writing Road to Reading to teach phonics, spelling and penmanship simultaneously. This makes sense to me because all three are aspects of communication and thus each will reinforce the other. The method described in this book is systematic, with drills to cement learning and lots of practice. The phonics rules in The Writing Road to Reading are not always the clearest and best, however, so I recommend The ABCs and All Their Tricks. Use this book's phonics rules whenever the two books disagree. The ABCs is also a good source of spelling lists, since it collects lists of words that demonstrate each phonics rule.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
History in Elementary School
"Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall laud thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts." Psalm 145: 3, 4.
The reason we teach history is that we are commanded to, and should delight in, rehearsing the mighty acts of our God to the next generation. The glory and praise of God should always be formost in our minds as we teach history. This will affect the way in which stories are told.
In Deuteronomy 6, the young son asks his father, "What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which Jehovah our God hath commanded you?" the father replies by giving the history of the Israelites deliverance from the Egyptians (notice how understanding God's Law and understand God's Providence go hand in hand). In telling this history, the father places the emphasis on God's power, providence and purpose, not on the actions of men. The Epyptians were important to the history only because of their intersection with the people of God. We should strive to teach history in this way. Our focus should be upon the mighty works of the Lord, which necessarily means that our focus will be on His Church. We study non-Christian civilizations, men, movements, and trends because they interacted with the Church, not because of any innate greatness in them; they are deemphisized and the Church is emphasized.
Speaking of a wicked man, the psalmist prays, "Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out. ... Let them be before Jehovah continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth." Psalm 109: 13, 15. We are to honor what God honors, so why would we want to spend a lot of time studying wicked men (and cultures) that the psalmist prays would be not be remembered anymore?
The curriculum that I was planning on using before I read Rushdoony's Philosophy of the Christian Curriculum has a faithful survey of Old Testament History. It uses the Bible as the main narrative, adding supplemental books at certain points. These supplemental books discuss the Creation, Joseph, the Exodus and Esther, and also the Egyptians, Sumerians, Phoenicians, Babylonians and Persians. However, it is always clear, that learning about ungodly civilizations is for the purpose of understanding more fully God's mighty acts with respect to His people.
Unfortunately, this curriculum's second year leaves much to be desired. It focuses on the Greeks and Romans, spending significant time on Homer, Aesop and Greek myths. During this year there are only two books that focus on the early church, one of which is the Bible. In her second year curriculum this sister in Christ demonstrates a significantly skewed perspective. We do need to study Ancient Greece and Rome, since the Lord Christ was incarnate in a small town in the Roman Empire (which was heavily influenced by the Greeks), and the early church grew within the Roman Empire, despite every effort by the Romans to suppress it. However, the focus should be on the early church, not on the Greeks and Romans. The Roman Empire was only the feet of clay, but the Church, with Christ as its Head, is the mountain to which all the nations of the earth shall stream (Daniel 6).
The classical curriculm spends much time studying ancient mythology, saying that one cannot be culturally literate without knowing these things. I admit that this argument was quite persuasive to me, until I read Rushdoony. I now realize that it is foolish to try to make our children literate in a culture that hates God. We must be about building a Christian culture, a Christendom, and part of any culture is its heroes and classics. We must choose godly heroes and God-honoring classics of literature, music and art, and make our children literate in those things. Once they are steeped in truth and surrounded by a cloud of witnesses to God's faithfulness, they will have no trouble counteracting falsehood in this culture. The one who spots counterfeits, does not so much need an understanding of the history of counterfeiting or an in-depth knowledge of counterfeiting technology, as he needs a flawless knowledge of the real thing. With such a thorough knowledge of what is right, it is easy to spot even the subtlest deviation from that standard.
So, with a prayer that I would glorify God, I would like to propose a new outline of history.
This is the outline of history that I learned in state school:
1. Ancient history, meaning before Egypt, was barely mentioned, except to say that people lived a hunter-gatherer, uncivilized, near-animal existence.
2. Egypt is slightly empasized, mostly their pyramids and mummies, and then we move on to Greece and Rome. Much is made of these great empires. They are portrayed as lands where freedom and rationality reigned, and where great art, literature, and technology were created.
3. The time after the fall of Rome is know as the Dark Ages or Middle Ages. This time is not studied in terms of events, but rather a picture of life during that time is given. It is all cold, dark castles, hidden monks, savage Vikings, ignorant, squalid peasants, hunger, disease and superstition. The only light ever mentioned during this time is the Muslims, who are described as having cities full of light, art and learning.
4. Out of the dark, Europe proceeds to the Renaissance, a rediscovery of the glory of the Greeks and Romans. Much is made of the flourishing of arts and learning when Europe returned to the ways of these Ancients. Very little is said about the Reformation. The motivation for the split is not given. I was taught in one class that the main reason that England is Protestant and not Catholic is that Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife and the pope wouldn't let him. The effects of the Reformation, except the printing press, are largely ignored. Human spirit and ingenuity are showcased in the explorers
5. In describing colonial America, history classes are double-minded; the founding fathers are simultaneously portrayed as men seeking human freedom and equality, and slave-owners, indian-killers and oppressors of women. The Enlightenment is praised as a time when men threw off the shackles of religion and set people free. The bloody, horrible French Revolution is equated with the American Revolution. The North winning the Civil War is shown as another example of freedom overcoming oppression.
6. Except for Hitler and the Holocaust, World Wars I and II are largely ignored. Instead Women's Suffrage and the Industrial Revolution are highlighted. The war in Vietnam is decried, as is the development of nuclear technology, and the Civil Rights and Women's movements are praised. The Hippie culture is explored, but almost nothing is said about the rise of Communism.
Now, the classical curriculm is more God-honoring than my state-school curriculum, but it still follows the humanist timeline of the state school. It lumps the Reformation in with the Middle Ages, but spends a long time on the Enlightenment. And then there is that whole year on the Greeks and the Romans.
I would like to propose the following outline instead:
1.) Creation to the close of the Old Testament: The time when the church was confined mostly to ethnic Israel. This will studied directly from the Bible, with a few supplemental books and a lot of illustrations (since it will be for first grade).
2.) History of the Early Church: Study the Greeks and Romans only to set the stage. Study the life of Jesus and the lives of the apostles. Describe the persecution of the church by the Romans and the lives of great martyrs. Learn about Augustine and the early church councils. Describe the fall of Rome.
3.) The Church before the Reformation: Starting after the fall of Rome, learn about the development of the Eastern and Western churches, the rise of monasticism and scholasticism. Civilization in Europe during this time was largely Christian. It was not perfect, and not every individual was Christian, but the countries acknowledged the lordship of Christ. Because of this Christian basis, there are many heroes of the faith to study. Learn about the Vikings and the Muslims only in order to better understand how the Christian Europeans interacted with them. Include in this study the Renaissance. Although the Renaissance overlapped with the Reformation in time, it was the outflow of the ideas of medieval scholasticism, which attempted to mix Christianity with Greek philosophy. Thus, the Renaissance can be logically studied at this time.
4.) The Reformation and its initial effects: The Reformation is the greatest event in the history of the world since the Ressurection of Christ and the fall of Jerusalem. It is an example of God's rich grace and mighty hand reviving his church from the apostasy that it fell into through its love of pagan Greece and Rome. It is full of thrilling stories and inspiring heroes. It also was the impetus for the Age of Exploration and the founding of this country. The explorers were self-conciously attempting to fulfill the Great Commission, and the founders of this country were largely reformed Puritans, trying to build a Christian civilization. The colonists will be saved for next year, but the explorers will be covered this year.
5.) Early America: This year will cover Jamestown and the Pilgrims, the causes of the American War for Independence, the events of that War, the founding documents of this country. The War of 1812. The westward expansion. The Gold Rush. The rise of humanism and unitarianism in the US, and its effects on the country. The "Endarkenment" in Europe will be studied mainly to show its spread to and effect on the United States. The Great Awakenings, when God sent revival to this country, will be studied, as well as the Industrial Revolution.
6.) The War Between the States and the Rise of Tyranny: Before the War Between the States, we were the United StateS, a group of united, but distinct states. After the Civil War we have become a large country under an increasingly tyrannical civil government. We will learn the causes of the War Between the States (not slavery) and the major events thereof. We will follow the decline of the church in the U.S. and the subsequent effects on the policy and culture of this country. The World Wars, Cold War, and Muslim terrorist will be studied. The Civil Rights and Womens Movements, the rise of Communism, Socialism and Imperialism will be studied, always with an eye to their theological foundations.
This is a very broad outline. I hope to flesh it out and refine it as I learn more about history, myself, and collect materials to teach history to my children.
Stay tuned. :-)
The reason we teach history is that we are commanded to, and should delight in, rehearsing the mighty acts of our God to the next generation. The glory and praise of God should always be formost in our minds as we teach history. This will affect the way in which stories are told.
In Deuteronomy 6, the young son asks his father, "What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which Jehovah our God hath commanded you?" the father replies by giving the history of the Israelites deliverance from the Egyptians (notice how understanding God's Law and understand God's Providence go hand in hand). In telling this history, the father places the emphasis on God's power, providence and purpose, not on the actions of men. The Epyptians were important to the history only because of their intersection with the people of God. We should strive to teach history in this way. Our focus should be upon the mighty works of the Lord, which necessarily means that our focus will be on His Church. We study non-Christian civilizations, men, movements, and trends because they interacted with the Church, not because of any innate greatness in them; they are deemphisized and the Church is emphasized.
Speaking of a wicked man, the psalmist prays, "Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out. ... Let them be before Jehovah continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth." Psalm 109: 13, 15. We are to honor what God honors, so why would we want to spend a lot of time studying wicked men (and cultures) that the psalmist prays would be not be remembered anymore?
The curriculum that I was planning on using before I read Rushdoony's Philosophy of the Christian Curriculum has a faithful survey of Old Testament History. It uses the Bible as the main narrative, adding supplemental books at certain points. These supplemental books discuss the Creation, Joseph, the Exodus and Esther, and also the Egyptians, Sumerians, Phoenicians, Babylonians and Persians. However, it is always clear, that learning about ungodly civilizations is for the purpose of understanding more fully God's mighty acts with respect to His people.
Unfortunately, this curriculum's second year leaves much to be desired. It focuses on the Greeks and Romans, spending significant time on Homer, Aesop and Greek myths. During this year there are only two books that focus on the early church, one of which is the Bible. In her second year curriculum this sister in Christ demonstrates a significantly skewed perspective. We do need to study Ancient Greece and Rome, since the Lord Christ was incarnate in a small town in the Roman Empire (which was heavily influenced by the Greeks), and the early church grew within the Roman Empire, despite every effort by the Romans to suppress it. However, the focus should be on the early church, not on the Greeks and Romans. The Roman Empire was only the feet of clay, but the Church, with Christ as its Head, is the mountain to which all the nations of the earth shall stream (Daniel 6).
The classical curriculm spends much time studying ancient mythology, saying that one cannot be culturally literate without knowing these things. I admit that this argument was quite persuasive to me, until I read Rushdoony. I now realize that it is foolish to try to make our children literate in a culture that hates God. We must be about building a Christian culture, a Christendom, and part of any culture is its heroes and classics. We must choose godly heroes and God-honoring classics of literature, music and art, and make our children literate in those things. Once they are steeped in truth and surrounded by a cloud of witnesses to God's faithfulness, they will have no trouble counteracting falsehood in this culture. The one who spots counterfeits, does not so much need an understanding of the history of counterfeiting or an in-depth knowledge of counterfeiting technology, as he needs a flawless knowledge of the real thing. With such a thorough knowledge of what is right, it is easy to spot even the subtlest deviation from that standard.
So, with a prayer that I would glorify God, I would like to propose a new outline of history.
This is the outline of history that I learned in state school:
1. Ancient history, meaning before Egypt, was barely mentioned, except to say that people lived a hunter-gatherer, uncivilized, near-animal existence.
2. Egypt is slightly empasized, mostly their pyramids and mummies, and then we move on to Greece and Rome. Much is made of these great empires. They are portrayed as lands where freedom and rationality reigned, and where great art, literature, and technology were created.
3. The time after the fall of Rome is know as the Dark Ages or Middle Ages. This time is not studied in terms of events, but rather a picture of life during that time is given. It is all cold, dark castles, hidden monks, savage Vikings, ignorant, squalid peasants, hunger, disease and superstition. The only light ever mentioned during this time is the Muslims, who are described as having cities full of light, art and learning.
4. Out of the dark, Europe proceeds to the Renaissance, a rediscovery of the glory of the Greeks and Romans. Much is made of the flourishing of arts and learning when Europe returned to the ways of these Ancients. Very little is said about the Reformation. The motivation for the split is not given. I was taught in one class that the main reason that England is Protestant and not Catholic is that Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife and the pope wouldn't let him. The effects of the Reformation, except the printing press, are largely ignored. Human spirit and ingenuity are showcased in the explorers
5. In describing colonial America, history classes are double-minded; the founding fathers are simultaneously portrayed as men seeking human freedom and equality, and slave-owners, indian-killers and oppressors of women. The Enlightenment is praised as a time when men threw off the shackles of religion and set people free. The bloody, horrible French Revolution is equated with the American Revolution. The North winning the Civil War is shown as another example of freedom overcoming oppression.
6. Except for Hitler and the Holocaust, World Wars I and II are largely ignored. Instead Women's Suffrage and the Industrial Revolution are highlighted. The war in Vietnam is decried, as is the development of nuclear technology, and the Civil Rights and Women's movements are praised. The Hippie culture is explored, but almost nothing is said about the rise of Communism.
Now, the classical curriculm is more God-honoring than my state-school curriculum, but it still follows the humanist timeline of the state school. It lumps the Reformation in with the Middle Ages, but spends a long time on the Enlightenment. And then there is that whole year on the Greeks and the Romans.
I would like to propose the following outline instead:
1.) Creation to the close of the Old Testament: The time when the church was confined mostly to ethnic Israel. This will studied directly from the Bible, with a few supplemental books and a lot of illustrations (since it will be for first grade).
2.) History of the Early Church: Study the Greeks and Romans only to set the stage. Study the life of Jesus and the lives of the apostles. Describe the persecution of the church by the Romans and the lives of great martyrs. Learn about Augustine and the early church councils. Describe the fall of Rome.
3.) The Church before the Reformation: Starting after the fall of Rome, learn about the development of the Eastern and Western churches, the rise of monasticism and scholasticism. Civilization in Europe during this time was largely Christian. It was not perfect, and not every individual was Christian, but the countries acknowledged the lordship of Christ. Because of this Christian basis, there are many heroes of the faith to study. Learn about the Vikings and the Muslims only in order to better understand how the Christian Europeans interacted with them. Include in this study the Renaissance. Although the Renaissance overlapped with the Reformation in time, it was the outflow of the ideas of medieval scholasticism, which attempted to mix Christianity with Greek philosophy. Thus, the Renaissance can be logically studied at this time.
4.) The Reformation and its initial effects: The Reformation is the greatest event in the history of the world since the Ressurection of Christ and the fall of Jerusalem. It is an example of God's rich grace and mighty hand reviving his church from the apostasy that it fell into through its love of pagan Greece and Rome. It is full of thrilling stories and inspiring heroes. It also was the impetus for the Age of Exploration and the founding of this country. The explorers were self-conciously attempting to fulfill the Great Commission, and the founders of this country were largely reformed Puritans, trying to build a Christian civilization. The colonists will be saved for next year, but the explorers will be covered this year.
5.) Early America: This year will cover Jamestown and the Pilgrims, the causes of the American War for Independence, the events of that War, the founding documents of this country. The War of 1812. The westward expansion. The Gold Rush. The rise of humanism and unitarianism in the US, and its effects on the country. The "Endarkenment" in Europe will be studied mainly to show its spread to and effect on the United States. The Great Awakenings, when God sent revival to this country, will be studied, as well as the Industrial Revolution.
6.) The War Between the States and the Rise of Tyranny: Before the War Between the States, we were the United StateS, a group of united, but distinct states. After the Civil War we have become a large country under an increasingly tyrannical civil government. We will learn the causes of the War Between the States (not slavery) and the major events thereof. We will follow the decline of the church in the U.S. and the subsequent effects on the policy and culture of this country. The World Wars, Cold War, and Muslim terrorist will be studied. The Civil Rights and Womens Movements, the rise of Communism, Socialism and Imperialism will be studied, always with an eye to their theological foundations.
This is a very broad outline. I hope to flesh it out and refine it as I learn more about history, myself, and collect materials to teach history to my children.
Stay tuned. :-)
Geography
Geography sets the stage for the study of history, current events and for missionary work. If we desire to spread the Kingdom of God throughout all the earth, it is essential that we know what the earth looks like, and some basic cultural traits of the tribes of the earth. Knowing georgraphy adds understanding and interest when we hear current events, when we pray for missionaries and when we study history. Further, knowing how to read a map is a necessary tool in many life situations.
Students can, and should, learn the basic facts of world geography in elementary school. This will allow them to put all of their historic and current events learning into a spatial context. There are 6 inhabited continents; I intend to teach one per year in grades 1 - 6. The Geography Coloring Book is the method I prefer. It is fun, since kids love to color. It requires them to spend a long time looking at the maps, in order to color them, which should aid them in memorizing the look of the world. It includes political and topographical maps, maps of large and small areas and many facts that can be used for drill.
I intend to start with North America, because that is home to my students. South America will be next, because it has the least to memorize of any continent. Next will be Europe since we will be studying European history that year. Next will be Australia and the Oceania. The last two years will be Africa and then Asia, which I chose to be last since they have the most countries, and thus the most information to learn.
Young children need an introduction to the abstract concept of maps, so I intend to use Me on the Map as the first part of the first year of geography. It goes outward from a map of a little girl's room, up to a map of the whole world.
This systemmatic study of geography will be interrupted in order to serve the needs of history class. When I introduce a new map in history, the student will trace that map in the corresponding geography time in order to thoroughly familiarize himself with the area we are studying.
Students can, and should, learn the basic facts of world geography in elementary school. This will allow them to put all of their historic and current events learning into a spatial context. There are 6 inhabited continents; I intend to teach one per year in grades 1 - 6. The Geography Coloring Book is the method I prefer. It is fun, since kids love to color. It requires them to spend a long time looking at the maps, in order to color them, which should aid them in memorizing the look of the world. It includes political and topographical maps, maps of large and small areas and many facts that can be used for drill.
I intend to start with North America, because that is home to my students. South America will be next, because it has the least to memorize of any continent. Next will be Europe since we will be studying European history that year. Next will be Australia and the Oceania. The last two years will be Africa and then Asia, which I chose to be last since they have the most countries, and thus the most information to learn.
Young children need an introduction to the abstract concept of maps, so I intend to use Me on the Map as the first part of the first year of geography. It goes outward from a map of a little girl's room, up to a map of the whole world.
This systemmatic study of geography will be interrupted in order to serve the needs of history class. When I introduce a new map in history, the student will trace that map in the corresponding geography time in order to thoroughly familiarize himself with the area we are studying.
Monday, September 04, 2006
My Beginnings with Art History
So...I have been working on selecting artists and pieces for my elementary school children to learn. I want them to be able to recall biographical facts about the artists and to be able to identify the pieces (and interesting facts about some of the pieces) on sight. We will mostly study Christian artists, to observe what God enabled them to achieve and how their faith affected their work. We also learn about art techniques by studying the artist who developed them and important pieces that showcase them. Some of the artist we study will not be Christians, but in those cases, there must be a compelling reason to showcase art that wasn't created to honor God. Care needs to be taken with these artist to show the results of their presuppositions.
Thus far I have only outlined a year's worth of study. Here is what I have so far:
Byzantine and Romanesque (illustrated manuscripts, Bayeux tapestry, mosaic)
Gothic Art (stained glass, cathedrals)
Cimabue
Giotto de Bondone (Lamentation, Death of St. Francis, Adoration of the Magi)
Donatello (St. Mark, David in marble, The Penitent Magdalene (I really like this sculpture; I can really empathize with her need for a Savior), the Feast of Herod)
Fra Angelico (Annunciation, Madonna and Child with Angels, Christ Resurrected and Maries at the Tomb, Crucified Christ with St. John the Evangelist, etc.)
Jan van Eyck (Arnolfini, Rolin, Ghent, Crucifixtion and Last Judgment)
Heironymous Bosch (Death and the Miser, Ship of Fools, Christ Carrying the Cross, The Last Judgment)
Leonardo da Vinci (Mona Lisa, Last Supper, Study of Hands, Lady with an Ermine)
Albrecht Durer (Portrait of Mother, St. Michael fights the dragon)
Leonardo da Vinci's faith is the subject of much debate. Many believe that he was a sodomite, but I am skeptical of these reports because it serves the homosexual agenda to claim a great man as one of their own. He may have been a sodomite, but I will need more than an accusation which never resulted in a conviction and a series of apprentices (a very common practice at the time) as proof before I would believe such slander. But, whatever the truth is, he was instrumental in the development of techniques for showing distance and for softening the lines in portraits. He was also a very dedicated and diligent worker. It is these positives that I am attempting to showcase in the pieces I chose to study.
I will add to this list later. Now I am going to move on to history and geography for the first year.
Thus far I have only outlined a year's worth of study. Here is what I have so far:
Byzantine and Romanesque (illustrated manuscripts, Bayeux tapestry, mosaic)
Gothic Art (stained glass, cathedrals)
Cimabue
Giotto de Bondone (Lamentation, Death of St. Francis, Adoration of the Magi)
Donatello (St. Mark, David in marble, The Penitent Magdalene (I really like this sculpture; I can really empathize with her need for a Savior), the Feast of Herod)
Fra Angelico (Annunciation, Madonna and Child with Angels, Christ Resurrected and Maries at the Tomb, Crucified Christ with St. John the Evangelist, etc.)
Jan van Eyck (Arnolfini, Rolin, Ghent, Crucifixtion and Last Judgment)
Heironymous Bosch (Death and the Miser, Ship of Fools, Christ Carrying the Cross, The Last Judgment)
Leonardo da Vinci (Mona Lisa, Last Supper, Study of Hands, Lady with an Ermine)
Albrecht Durer (Portrait of Mother, St. Michael fights the dragon)
Leonardo da Vinci's faith is the subject of much debate. Many believe that he was a sodomite, but I am skeptical of these reports because it serves the homosexual agenda to claim a great man as one of their own. He may have been a sodomite, but I will need more than an accusation which never resulted in a conviction and a series of apprentices (a very common practice at the time) as proof before I would believe such slander. But, whatever the truth is, he was instrumental in the development of techniques for showing distance and for softening the lines in portraits. He was also a very dedicated and diligent worker. It is these positives that I am attempting to showcase in the pieces I chose to study.
I will add to this list later. Now I am going to move on to history and geography for the first year.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Why Teach Art?
The first question that should be asked of any subject is: is the teaching of this subject necessary to equip the child for his calling in the Kingdom of God? If it is necessary, we must then ask: how can I teach this class in a way that best gives glory to God and equips the student to serve God?
I have always believed that art was important, but I have never before stopped to consider what God has to say about art. I will endeavor to do so now.
"Honor and majesty are before him: Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary." Psalm 96:6
Beauty dwells with God. He determines what is beautiful. And he loves beauty, so we should love beauty. He is called beautiful:
"And Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for [they shall be as] the stones of a crown, lifted on high over his land. For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!" Zechariah 9:16 - 17
We also know that God loves beauty, just by looking at the world He has created; even in its fallen state there is still much beauty in it. As men made in the image of God, we have the ability to create (although not ex nihlo like God). Our creations can be used to glorify God or to rebel against him.
Art, one of our many ways of creating, can be used to communicate truth, to encourage us to think about something "pure", "excellent", or "praise-worthy" (Phil. 4:8). Traditionally, Christian art was used to tell the story of the gospel to those who couldn't read. Art, because it contains images, which are often less precise than words, may not always be as effective in communicating truth as literature, but it can still be used to speak to others on a level closer to the heart than to the head. And of course, there are times when a picture truly is worth a thousand words. So, art can be a good use of one's time, if done with the intent to communicate truth (even such simple truth as, look at this beautiful flower that God created) for the glory of God.
Art can be good and useful, but I don't think it is essential for all students to know how to paint or sculpt really well. Thus, a highschool student should be given the freedom to drop art class if he is not interested in it, or needs to concentrate on other things. Art should be required of younger students, however, since they must be given a chance to learn and explore a wide variety of subjects. Younger students need this diversity of learning in order to discover where their aptitudes and intrests lie. This knowledge will help them identify their calling in this world.
Art class for the elementary school student will include drawing, painting and sculpting, but drawing will take precedent. Even for the non-artist, being able to draw well is an invaluable tool. Simple, clear drawings help us draw maps, jot down ideas for a decorating, sewing or carpentry project, take notes in a laboratory, and do many other things. I plan on using I Can Do All Things by Barry Stebbing to teach elementary drawing and painting. It builds skills slowly, with a wide variety of different lessons. It also includes a little art history. Best of all, it is saturated with the Christian faith of the author.
For preschoolers, Baby Lamb's Book of Art, is also great.
When the writer of Hebrews wanted to tell his readers what it is to have faith and how to live the Christian life, he described the lives of many faithful men of the past. In other parts of Scripture, we are enjoined to follow the example, or avoid the example, of those that preceded us. I believe that this method of learning the Christian life can be applied to learning other things, such as art. Thus a useful method of teaching art is to have the student copy masterpieces, provided I am careful to choose masterpieces that glorify God, and avoid those anti-Christian works that the world calls masterpieces. Looking at and learning about masterpieces that we don't copy and the artists that made them can also be useful. I plan on using God and the History of Art, by Barry Stebbing to help with this. Now, I need to decide which artists and pieces are worthy of study and imitation. Any suggestions?
I have always believed that art was important, but I have never before stopped to consider what God has to say about art. I will endeavor to do so now.
"Honor and majesty are before him: Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary." Psalm 96:6
Beauty dwells with God. He determines what is beautiful. And he loves beauty, so we should love beauty. He is called beautiful:
"And Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for [they shall be as] the stones of a crown, lifted on high over his land. For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!" Zechariah 9:16 - 17
We also know that God loves beauty, just by looking at the world He has created; even in its fallen state there is still much beauty in it. As men made in the image of God, we have the ability to create (although not ex nihlo like God). Our creations can be used to glorify God or to rebel against him.
Art, one of our many ways of creating, can be used to communicate truth, to encourage us to think about something "pure", "excellent", or "praise-worthy" (Phil. 4:8). Traditionally, Christian art was used to tell the story of the gospel to those who couldn't read. Art, because it contains images, which are often less precise than words, may not always be as effective in communicating truth as literature, but it can still be used to speak to others on a level closer to the heart than to the head. And of course, there are times when a picture truly is worth a thousand words. So, art can be a good use of one's time, if done with the intent to communicate truth (even such simple truth as, look at this beautiful flower that God created) for the glory of God.
Art can be good and useful, but I don't think it is essential for all students to know how to paint or sculpt really well. Thus, a highschool student should be given the freedom to drop art class if he is not interested in it, or needs to concentrate on other things. Art should be required of younger students, however, since they must be given a chance to learn and explore a wide variety of subjects. Younger students need this diversity of learning in order to discover where their aptitudes and intrests lie. This knowledge will help them identify their calling in this world.
Art class for the elementary school student will include drawing, painting and sculpting, but drawing will take precedent. Even for the non-artist, being able to draw well is an invaluable tool. Simple, clear drawings help us draw maps, jot down ideas for a decorating, sewing or carpentry project, take notes in a laboratory, and do many other things. I plan on using I Can Do All Things by Barry Stebbing to teach elementary drawing and painting. It builds skills slowly, with a wide variety of different lessons. It also includes a little art history. Best of all, it is saturated with the Christian faith of the author.
For preschoolers, Baby Lamb's Book of Art, is also great.
When the writer of Hebrews wanted to tell his readers what it is to have faith and how to live the Christian life, he described the lives of many faithful men of the past. In other parts of Scripture, we are enjoined to follow the example, or avoid the example, of those that preceded us. I believe that this method of learning the Christian life can be applied to learning other things, such as art. Thus a useful method of teaching art is to have the student copy masterpieces, provided I am careful to choose masterpieces that glorify God, and avoid those anti-Christian works that the world calls masterpieces. Looking at and learning about masterpieces that we don't copy and the artists that made them can also be useful. I plan on using God and the History of Art, by Barry Stebbing to help with this. Now, I need to decide which artists and pieces are worthy of study and imitation. Any suggestions?
Bible as a Class
Teaching Bible as a class is tricky, since the Bible should be the starting point of every subject we teach.
Since "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge", we can know nothing unless we look at the world through the lens of Scripture. In order to do that one must be thoroughly familiar with the content of Scripture. That is why I propose to read through the Bible, a chapter per day, to my students. I will read it chronologically to emphasize its historicity. After the reading we will summarize what was read and make specific applications to our lives. Also, a major component of Bible class, especially for the elementary grades, will be memorizing Scripture, as well as the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms (as the best human summary of Biblical truth).
In order to "take every thought captive to the authority of Christ", we must know the content of Scripture, and be able to judge truth claims against Scripture. This means thinking about Scripture in an orderly manner - having a systemmatic theology. The student already has a start in systemmatic theology from memorizing the catechisms, but the older student should study books on systemmatic theology. (More on this later).
Thirdly, I want my children to be able to "give a reason for the hope that is in [them]". This means studying apologetics. High school students should learn presuppositional apologetics. (More on this later).
Finally, since God's Word governs our actions, as well as our thoughts, we will study how to have a Christian character and life using Pam Forster's Plants Grown Up and Polished Cornerstones. These books collect Scripture passages and practical exercises in developing different traits of godly manhood or womanhood. These books will be used throughout all grades.
Since "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge", we can know nothing unless we look at the world through the lens of Scripture. In order to do that one must be thoroughly familiar with the content of Scripture. That is why I propose to read through the Bible, a chapter per day, to my students. I will read it chronologically to emphasize its historicity. After the reading we will summarize what was read and make specific applications to our lives. Also, a major component of Bible class, especially for the elementary grades, will be memorizing Scripture, as well as the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms (as the best human summary of Biblical truth).
In order to "take every thought captive to the authority of Christ", we must know the content of Scripture, and be able to judge truth claims against Scripture. This means thinking about Scripture in an orderly manner - having a systemmatic theology. The student already has a start in systemmatic theology from memorizing the catechisms, but the older student should study books on systemmatic theology. (More on this later).
Thirdly, I want my children to be able to "give a reason for the hope that is in [them]". This means studying apologetics. High school students should learn presuppositional apologetics. (More on this later).
Finally, since God's Word governs our actions, as well as our thoughts, we will study how to have a Christian character and life using Pam Forster's Plants Grown Up and Polished Cornerstones. These books collect Scripture passages and practical exercises in developing different traits of godly manhood or womanhood. These books will be used throughout all grades.
The purpose of education is to prepare children to fulfill God's calling as free men in God's world.
You would think, that as a Christian, I would have understood that, but my own humanistic, state education did such a good job that my underlying assumption was that knowledge is an end in itself. I wanted my children to know a lot of things, especially intellectually snobby things like philosophy and complex mathematics. I now realize how arrogant and man-centered a view that is. Like everything else, knowledge is good only to the extent that it is used in service of God and in the advancement of His kingdom. I need to approach homeschooling with the purpose of shaping my children into effective servants of God. To be effective they will need a lot of knowledge of God, of His laws, of themselves, and of His Creation, much more knowledge than is given in public or most private schools today. However, this knowledge will not be presented to them that they might discover truth and meaning themselves, as if they were little gods, deciding good and evil for themselves. All knowledge will be given as God-created truth, to be seen in the light of God's Word, and used for His glory.
For a much better explanation of the above, please see R. J. Rushdoony's book, The Philosophy of Christian Curriculum.
My blog now has a purpose! I was never comfortable just writing my random thoughts on the internet, but now I intend to devote this blog to musings on the purpose of Christian education and practical methods for creating a thoroughly Biblical homeschooling program.
May God use this blog, and everything else in my life, for His own glory.
For a much better explanation of the above, please see R. J. Rushdoony's book, The Philosophy of Christian Curriculum.
My blog now has a purpose! I was never comfortable just writing my random thoughts on the internet, but now I intend to devote this blog to musings on the purpose of Christian education and practical methods for creating a thoroughly Biblical homeschooling program.
May God use this blog, and everything else in my life, for His own glory.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Mrs. Putina...why Jay Leno is an ignoramus
I am currently watching Jay Leno, he is making fun of President Bush for calling Vladamir Putin's wife Mrs. Putina. Well, he obviously knows nothing about the Russian language. Russians have a male and female form of the last name. For example, the famous book Anna Karenina involves, among others, the characters Anna Karenina and her husband Alexis Karenin.
Now, I am not a huge Bush fan or anything, but this time he got it right.
Now, I am not a huge Bush fan or anything, but this time he got it right.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Well, it's been almost 2 months...
... and lots of things have happened, but I have not written. I could say that it is because I have been busy, but that would not be entirely true. I have been busy, but not so busy I haven't had time to waste at the computer.
Right now I am simultaneously talking to an old high school friend on AIM. Whenever I talk to a friend I haven't seen in awhile, she always asks what I am doing these days, and I usually find that question uncomfortable, for though I am always busy, I can usually find nothing to say that doesn't sound trivial.
That is one of the reasons I am reluctant to write on my blog. I do a lot of things in a day, but none of them seem important enough to chronicle. However, as I sit here trying to tell my friend how I spend my time, I realize that for most people, doing lots of little things is what life is all about. Every achievement, small or great, is a collection of little tasks performed faithfully, or performed poorly.
On a less philosophical note, we are spending the weekend at a nice little house in the woods. It should be a fun mini-vacation.
Right now I am simultaneously talking to an old high school friend on AIM. Whenever I talk to a friend I haven't seen in awhile, she always asks what I am doing these days, and I usually find that question uncomfortable, for though I am always busy, I can usually find nothing to say that doesn't sound trivial.
That is one of the reasons I am reluctant to write on my blog. I do a lot of things in a day, but none of them seem important enough to chronicle. However, as I sit here trying to tell my friend how I spend my time, I realize that for most people, doing lots of little things is what life is all about. Every achievement, small or great, is a collection of little tasks performed faithfully, or performed poorly.
On a less philosophical note, we are spending the weekend at a nice little house in the woods. It should be a fun mini-vacation.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Update on Jackson Bortz
Praise the Lord, at the hearing on Monday, Jackson was allowed to go home with his parents! Thank you God for answering our prayers.
I pray that this victory will not satisfy us, but that we will show our commitment to oppose tyranny, by continuing to petition and fight for constraints on DFCS. There are many more children out there, held hostage, separated from loving families. We must send the message to our government that we can care for our children better than Big Brother.
I pray that this victory will not satisfy us, but that we will show our commitment to oppose tyranny, by continuing to petition and fight for constraints on DFCS. There are many more children out there, held hostage, separated from loving families. We must send the message to our government that we can care for our children better than Big Brother.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Linda Hirshman, I have something to say to you.
I just read the above article about a horribly insulting and dismally ignorant feminist who was featured on ABC's Good Morning America for two days. She had the audacity to say that women should not be allowed to choose to stay home because it is bad for society and bad for the cause of women's equality. Now, my first response to this is laughter...she can't be serious. But knowing that she is serious, and apparently at least some agree with her, I am grieved.
She mentioned that she did a lot of research by reading the blogs of homemakers, so, just in case you come across this one, Linda, I have some things to say to you.
First, so you don't write me off as some country bumpkin, let me introduce myself. I have a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where I graduated with a 3.95 GPA. I am from the Phillips Exeter Academy class of 1999, where I graduated among the top 15 in my class. I have worked for NASA, in Houston.
Now...to one of your points. You stated that, in choosing to stay home with children, women put themselves into a position usually reserved for the lowest classes in society, that of cleaning up excrement. You also said that the duties of keeping a home and raising small children "does not sound particularly interesting or fulfilling for a complicated person, for a complicated, educated person."
Well, I do have to admit that I don't enjoy changing diapers, but I do it for love of my children. Mothers are called to, many times a day, mortify their own desires for the sake of those they love. Far from being demeaning, such self-sacrifice is noble and elevating. We all start life as self-centered infants and toddlers, concerned only with our own needs and comfort. Self-sacrifice marks how far we have moved from such beginnings towards responsibility and adulthood.
Self-sacrifice defined the ministry of Jesus Christ, and thus, the life and work of a mother is the most Christ-like in the world. He gave up the riches of his life in heaven and humiliated himself to live amongst men and then to be sent to a gruesome and painful death. He endured his Father's abandoment of him on the cross, that he might bear the full punishment for the sins of his people. As one saved, by the grace of God, I want to please him who created and redeemed me. He has called mothers to be "keepers at home" and to "raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord". When I am faithful, I feel His smile, and that is more fulfulling than anything else.
If mothers do not care for their own children, who should? According to your logic: those least educated and able. This is a shockingly arrogant statement. So, are you saying that daycare workers, teachers, nannies, and others who care for children are only in that position because they lack the ability and intelligence to do anything else? I do not agree with that statement, at all, but let's say, that it is true. That is all the more reason for a mother to care for her own children. I certainly don't want the least intelligent and least capable members of society responsible for the welfare of the most precious people in my life! There is no amount of money or power or intellectual stimulation that could tempt me to put them in danger. And there is real danger in taking small children away from their home. The first few years of a child's life are crucial to his intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development. At home I can make sure that my babies are intellectually stimulated by playing with them and using appropriate books, video and toys that are designed to increase their mental power. At home I can supervise their social development by teaching them to share and be considerate of others when they play with siblings or with friends. In a daycare environment children learn to snatch toys and guard them against bullies. They have to be always vigilant against bullies and they have no mommy to watch them and tell them when they need to share and when they need to apologize. At home I can bolster my children's emotional development by providing a happy and secure place for them to live out their earliest years. My children are secure in my love; they know that I will not abandon them to another, just to please myself. I am there to soothe every hurt, to share every triumph, and sometimes just to give hugs. The world is a harsh place, and my children will be better prepared to handle it with hearts and memories full of love and encouragement. Anyone who has ever spent time with small children knows that what they want more than anything else is the love and attention of their mommies. At home I can guard the physical health of my children, by preparing them nutritious food and by making sure they exercise. Also, at home, they are not exposed to nearly so many of the diseases that run rampant through daycare. For all these reasons, and many more, it is best for my children for me to be a homemaker, and as I have already stated, I am willing and eager to provide my children with the best upbringing because I love them.
If you can't understand this, perhaps it is because you have never known the kind of love that moves one to sacrifice, and if this is the case, then I pity you. But even if you can't understand why mothers would be willing to make such a sacrifice, you should be glad that they do make it, for they are literally raising the future of this world. What mothers do now, in shaping the characters of their children, will have a far bigger impact on the future than any activism, political debate, books written, or laws changed because what we do today with voice or pen can, and probably will, be changed in the years to come by those who are now children.
Finally, even those who are not mothers should resist you because you wish to take away a woman's ability to choose to stay home. Are we slaves to be ordered to work in a cubicle against our will? And what are you saying about those women you supposedly seek to empower? Are they so stupid or self-deceived that they cannot make such a fundamental choice about lifestyle? What supreme arrogance to think that you know better than they what would make them happy and fulfilled!
Being home with my children, nurturing them, providing a haven for my husband, such things are deeply fulfilling to me. Aside from the joy of benefitting those that I love most in this world, their is much to challenge my intellect and creativity. Children change by the minute, and keeping them challenged requires study and preparation. Organizing a household schedule, making things run efficiently, and keeping us within budget, are real challenges. But better than working in a grey office building, I get to work near the smiling faces of my family and surrounding by the beautiful environment of my creating. Yes, folding laundry and scrubbing toilets is dull and repetitive, and often it seems as if the work is never-ending, but the love of Christ sustains me, and I know that what I do is vital. I provide a place of peace and cheer, where children can learn and grow and where my husband, my children and I can live together, love each other, and work for the glory of God and the advancement of his kingdom on earth. In short: I make a home.
She mentioned that she did a lot of research by reading the blogs of homemakers, so, just in case you come across this one, Linda, I have some things to say to you.
First, so you don't write me off as some country bumpkin, let me introduce myself. I have a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where I graduated with a 3.95 GPA. I am from the Phillips Exeter Academy class of 1999, where I graduated among the top 15 in my class. I have worked for NASA, in Houston.
Now...to one of your points. You stated that, in choosing to stay home with children, women put themselves into a position usually reserved for the lowest classes in society, that of cleaning up excrement. You also said that the duties of keeping a home and raising small children "does not sound particularly interesting or fulfilling for a complicated person, for a complicated, educated person."
Well, I do have to admit that I don't enjoy changing diapers, but I do it for love of my children. Mothers are called to, many times a day, mortify their own desires for the sake of those they love. Far from being demeaning, such self-sacrifice is noble and elevating. We all start life as self-centered infants and toddlers, concerned only with our own needs and comfort. Self-sacrifice marks how far we have moved from such beginnings towards responsibility and adulthood.
Self-sacrifice defined the ministry of Jesus Christ, and thus, the life and work of a mother is the most Christ-like in the world. He gave up the riches of his life in heaven and humiliated himself to live amongst men and then to be sent to a gruesome and painful death. He endured his Father's abandoment of him on the cross, that he might bear the full punishment for the sins of his people. As one saved, by the grace of God, I want to please him who created and redeemed me. He has called mothers to be "keepers at home" and to "raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord". When I am faithful, I feel His smile, and that is more fulfulling than anything else.
If mothers do not care for their own children, who should? According to your logic: those least educated and able. This is a shockingly arrogant statement. So, are you saying that daycare workers, teachers, nannies, and others who care for children are only in that position because they lack the ability and intelligence to do anything else? I do not agree with that statement, at all, but let's say, that it is true. That is all the more reason for a mother to care for her own children. I certainly don't want the least intelligent and least capable members of society responsible for the welfare of the most precious people in my life! There is no amount of money or power or intellectual stimulation that could tempt me to put them in danger. And there is real danger in taking small children away from their home. The first few years of a child's life are crucial to his intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development. At home I can make sure that my babies are intellectually stimulated by playing with them and using appropriate books, video and toys that are designed to increase their mental power. At home I can supervise their social development by teaching them to share and be considerate of others when they play with siblings or with friends. In a daycare environment children learn to snatch toys and guard them against bullies. They have to be always vigilant against bullies and they have no mommy to watch them and tell them when they need to share and when they need to apologize. At home I can bolster my children's emotional development by providing a happy and secure place for them to live out their earliest years. My children are secure in my love; they know that I will not abandon them to another, just to please myself. I am there to soothe every hurt, to share every triumph, and sometimes just to give hugs. The world is a harsh place, and my children will be better prepared to handle it with hearts and memories full of love and encouragement. Anyone who has ever spent time with small children knows that what they want more than anything else is the love and attention of their mommies. At home I can guard the physical health of my children, by preparing them nutritious food and by making sure they exercise. Also, at home, they are not exposed to nearly so many of the diseases that run rampant through daycare. For all these reasons, and many more, it is best for my children for me to be a homemaker, and as I have already stated, I am willing and eager to provide my children with the best upbringing because I love them.
If you can't understand this, perhaps it is because you have never known the kind of love that moves one to sacrifice, and if this is the case, then I pity you. But even if you can't understand why mothers would be willing to make such a sacrifice, you should be glad that they do make it, for they are literally raising the future of this world. What mothers do now, in shaping the characters of their children, will have a far bigger impact on the future than any activism, political debate, books written, or laws changed because what we do today with voice or pen can, and probably will, be changed in the years to come by those who are now children.
Finally, even those who are not mothers should resist you because you wish to take away a woman's ability to choose to stay home. Are we slaves to be ordered to work in a cubicle against our will? And what are you saying about those women you supposedly seek to empower? Are they so stupid or self-deceived that they cannot make such a fundamental choice about lifestyle? What supreme arrogance to think that you know better than they what would make them happy and fulfilled!
Being home with my children, nurturing them, providing a haven for my husband, such things are deeply fulfilling to me. Aside from the joy of benefitting those that I love most in this world, their is much to challenge my intellect and creativity. Children change by the minute, and keeping them challenged requires study and preparation. Organizing a household schedule, making things run efficiently, and keeping us within budget, are real challenges. But better than working in a grey office building, I get to work near the smiling faces of my family and surrounding by the beautiful environment of my creating. Yes, folding laundry and scrubbing toilets is dull and repetitive, and often it seems as if the work is never-ending, but the love of Christ sustains me, and I know that what I do is vital. I provide a place of peace and cheer, where children can learn and grow and where my husband, my children and I can live together, love each other, and work for the glory of God and the advancement of his kingdom on earth. In short: I make a home.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Victory
On Monday I went to a rally at the GA state capitol in support of the family of Jackson Bortz. He was snatched from him parents by DFACS, and even though his parents have been cleared by a judge from all charges of abuse, they refuse to return him. Please read the website www.savejacksonbortz.com
Every parent in GA should be concerned, yet there were barely 30 people there at a time. And that was to represent 7 different children snatched by DFACS. It is shameful. I don't say this in a self-righteous way, since I have never been to such an event before, and was only moved to go by the sermon I heard the Sunday before. However, I must say that the church needs to be standing against evil instead of living in a bunker of isolation, waiting for the world to end.
Brothers and sisters, God is not going to snatch us out of this evil world. He is expanding his kingdom until "the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea", until the nations of the world flock to the church to learn how to govern, until he comes again in glorious victory.
Sometimes we think the world is getting worse and worse, less and less Christian, but that is only because we are arrogant. The U.S. is getting less and less Christian, but other parts of the world (China, for instance) have great increases in the church. If we won't serve God and the advance of His kingdom, he will use others (even the rocks, if necessary) to serve His purposes. We must stand against evil, because God calls us to, and because, if we don't, we are putting our children in danger. Our children will have to live in the world, so let's make it a better one for them to live in.
Every parent in GA should be concerned, yet there were barely 30 people there at a time. And that was to represent 7 different children snatched by DFACS. It is shameful. I don't say this in a self-righteous way, since I have never been to such an event before, and was only moved to go by the sermon I heard the Sunday before. However, I must say that the church needs to be standing against evil instead of living in a bunker of isolation, waiting for the world to end.
Brothers and sisters, God is not going to snatch us out of this evil world. He is expanding his kingdom until "the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea", until the nations of the world flock to the church to learn how to govern, until he comes again in glorious victory.
Sometimes we think the world is getting worse and worse, less and less Christian, but that is only because we are arrogant. The U.S. is getting less and less Christian, but other parts of the world (China, for instance) have great increases in the church. If we won't serve God and the advance of His kingdom, he will use others (even the rocks, if necessary) to serve His purposes. We must stand against evil, because God calls us to, and because, if we don't, we are putting our children in danger. Our children will have to live in the world, so let's make it a better one for them to live in.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Mmmm....hungry..
Being on a diet stinks!!!
But, seeing as I have 45 lbs to lose (to get back to what I was before my first baby) I am going to be on this diet for awhile.
To be healthy, one is only supposed to lose 1 - 2 lbs a week, so I may be on this thing for almost a year!?! Wish me luck (in a manner of speaking, I don't really believe in luck).
Oh...and just to say that I posted some good news on my blog, the guy who ran a red light, while talking on his cell phone, broke Denis' collar bone and totalled our car, finally admitted fault in the accident to our lawyer, so hopefully he will be paying for all the bills we footed ASAP.
But, seeing as I have 45 lbs to lose (to get back to what I was before my first baby) I am going to be on this diet for awhile.
To be healthy, one is only supposed to lose 1 - 2 lbs a week, so I may be on this thing for almost a year!?! Wish me luck (in a manner of speaking, I don't really believe in luck).
Oh...and just to say that I posted some good news on my blog, the guy who ran a red light, while talking on his cell phone, broke Denis' collar bone and totalled our car, finally admitted fault in the accident to our lawyer, so hopefully he will be paying for all the bills we footed ASAP.
Monday, January 09, 2006
10 days and counting
My daughter, Emanuela Arcadia Bueno, is 10 days old today. She is still firmly convinced that the best time to sleep is 1000 to 1600, and the best time for playing is 0300 to 0900. As a result, despite attempts to reprogram her clock, I have not slept much in the past 10 days. When I do manage to catch an hour or so of sleep I have the weirdest dreams, and when I am awake everything is kind of fuzzy and moves slowly.
Denis is being wonderful. Even though Emma's crying at night keeps him up almost as much as it keeps me up he watches her whenever he is home so that I can sleep as often as possible. He is back to school this week, so that is even more of a sacrifice.
I would really love to whine more about how tired I am, but just the act of writing those whinings down made me ashamed, so I erased them. I should be more thankful, especially for such a healthy, beautiful daughter. I guess that Denis is right, having a blog may be good for me. Also, if I am going to whine and complain I will have to use my private diary and not the internet.
Denis is being wonderful. Even though Emma's crying at night keeps him up almost as much as it keeps me up he watches her whenever he is home so that I can sleep as often as possible. He is back to school this week, so that is even more of a sacrifice.
I would really love to whine more about how tired I am, but just the act of writing those whinings down made me ashamed, so I erased them. I should be more thankful, especially for such a healthy, beautiful daughter. I guess that Denis is right, having a blog may be good for me. Also, if I am going to whine and complain I will have to use my private diary and not the internet.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Oh no...what have I done?
Well, I have a blog.
Add this to the ever increasing list of things I said I would never do, and have now done. That list has really grown quickly since I have had children. For example, I used to swear that my kids would never watch TV, but who can resist the hypnotic pull of Elmo. That little red puppet could rule the world.
I have read a few blogs and always shuddered at the thought of having anything like that. I mean, how many people really care what I am thinking about on a given day. And with that little counter at the bottom of the page I am forced to know just how few people find my musing interesting.
But...my husband assures me that I will find this whole blog experience worthwhile, so...here it goes.
Add this to the ever increasing list of things I said I would never do, and have now done. That list has really grown quickly since I have had children. For example, I used to swear that my kids would never watch TV, but who can resist the hypnotic pull of Elmo. That little red puppet could rule the world.
I have read a few blogs and always shuddered at the thought of having anything like that. I mean, how many people really care what I am thinking about on a given day. And with that little counter at the bottom of the page I am forced to know just how few people find my musing interesting.
But...my husband assures me that I will find this whole blog experience worthwhile, so...here it goes.
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