The School Year Begins

This week we begin school. I spent much of the summer designing an American Christian Economics course based on James Rose's book, "A Guide to American Christian Education", preparing a "Classic Grammar" course, and going through the mentorship level of the "Principles of American Government" skype course. Here you will see what I have outlined for the first week of classes:

Setting up the notebook

 

Cover Page--Goal is to create interest in the subject and a reason to learn it. You could include a verse, quote, or poem. Anything that would be meaningful to your child and/or your family. Think of way to express individuality on your cover page. Individuality of your child, your family, or your subject (i.e., illustrate it, take a picture and add to the page, diagram a sentence, work a math problem, include a timeline, ...).

Binder Tabs--This year I figured that my son was old enough to create his own tabs. He chose to use the computer and learned about using online templates to create his tabs. Just be sure to include a tab for "Vocabulary."

Classroom Constitution--You will find some excellent examples of a Classroom Constitution at the FACE website. (You will have to join in order to see the printable examples.) We enjoyed reading--and signing--our Classroom Constitution and placing it right after the cover page in the notebook.

Introduction of Text and Other Resources--I have found Pinterest to be a great resource for storing Internet links for the class. It is also possible to create a blog just to store the links you would like to use for your particular course.

Define Course--We defined "American Christian Economics" beginning with the word "Economics", then we added "Christian", and finally "American." Of course we used the Webster's 1828 dictionary. It is important that everyone agrees on what the course is about!

Course Outline--After spending many hours developing the American Christian Economics course, it was a pleasure to briefly overview it with my son. On the other hand, if you have no outline, you could probably copy the Table of Contents of your textbook, review it, then place this behind the Classroom Constitution.

Next time... Establishing Routines

Noah Webster, Blue Back Speller

We can thank Noah Webster for the Blue Back Speller (also known as the American Spelling Book) and the dictionary. His 1828 Dictionary is the only Christian dictionary ever written! Interesting that this was published around the same time as our nation was being formed, making his definition of words the same as what our founding fathers were thinking when they wrote the Constitution and Declaration of Independence! Something to think about.

Let's take a minute to look up Noah Webster's definition of Education and Marriage:

EDUCA'TION, n. [L. educatio.] The bringing up, as of a child, instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties.

MAR'RIAGE, n. [L.mas, maris.] The act of uniting a man and woman for life; wedlock; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, till death shall separate them. Marriage was instituted by God himself for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity,and for securing the maintenance and education of children.

Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. Heb.13.

Did you know that Noah Webster's famous famous Blue Back Speller has set a publishing record that just may be unequalled by any other textbook ever written in America! Published in the mid 1780s, it became the standard for an entire century--when our nation was being formed in the late 1700s and 1800s. More than 100,000,000 copies were sold. This text was the standard of every American child's education. What did it teach? Aside from English and Grammar, it taught the "principles of a republican form of government l[that] had their origin in the Scriptures" and embodied "a love of virtue, patriotism and religion," so that all Americans would be furnished with the foundation for liberty and a way of life that could bring the most happiness and success.