Holding a Science Fair – A Step by Step Approach

by Starla Hale

Putting on a science fair can be a rewarding experience for the whole family.  It can be a lot of work, but if you approach it in “bite-sized” pieces it really isn’t too bad. 

Holding a science fair is a great opportunity for kids to show what they have learned and to become interested in new scientific principles by viewing what others have displayed. At a science fair students learn how to present themselves – to put their best foot forward. 

Other rewards of holding a fair are:

• A better understanding of the scientific process by doing.
• Good Sportsmanship.
• They learn to ask questions and then to find the answer(s).
• The importance of being neat, organized, and thorough.
• They learn to keep a scientific notebook. (aka Nature Journal).
• They learn to do a science report.
• They learn to organize data onto charts and graphs, etc.
• They learn the importance of following procedures.
• They learn to develop a hypothesis and then, that it’s okay if their “educated guess” was right or wrong.
• They learn to answer “why” questions with more than a “yes or no” answer.
• It develops confidence.
• IT’S FUN!

Step 1:       Develop an interest - September

At the beginning of the school year we ask if anyone would be interested in supporting a science fair.  Then choose someone to spearhead the fair and you are on your way. (Our support group holds a science fair every third year and rotates with a special geography/culture study night with our “Around the World in 80 Minutes” and the other year we have a “Great Brain Project”.  By doing one of these a year we offer those interested an opportunity to learn to present themselves before others.)

This is the time to decide - Are you going to strictly have experiments or are you also going to allow displays as well?

If you choose to have displays then you will need to set them up in a separate area to be viewed.  Sometimes this is nice for the “littler people” so that they can feel apart of everything.  Displays, if you choose to judge them as well, will have different criteria for judging.

This is a great time to help those more intimidated by science projects to feel more comfortable by having someone you know - a fun science teacher or even perhaps a couple of enthusiastic moms come and show how fun and easy science can be.

Have everybody share his or her favorite science books and/or equipment at a parent’s meeting.  It would also be good to show what will be expected as an exhibit for the real science fair. They are plenty of books on the subject and sites on line for help. 

Step 2:     Get a Commitment/Select a building - October/November
(Depends on how often you have your parent’s meeting – monthly/every other month.)

Get a commitment.  You don’t need to know what they are doing other than - display or actual experiment, you just need a commitment so that you can order trophies/ribbons and know how big of a space you will need to find to hold the fair in.  Have them fill out a sign-up sheet, carefully printing out each child’s name, age, email addresses, and phone numbers (this way you know you will get the spelling right and you can get a hold of them if needed.)

Just know that no matter how hard you try there will be somebody that will need to back out for some reason or another at the last minute.  We have had as many as 30+ entries to as few as 16. You do want to impress upon them the importance of commitment and not having to order more than is necessary and spending precious budget money.

I also encourage individual entries per child.  It is so much easier than having to share a ribbon or trophy, and a whole lot easier on the parent’s when one child wants to work hard and another does not.  We had such an example this last fair and it was a wonderful teaching lesson for the mom to use.  She had 3 boys that entered but only one who put his heart into it and it showed. He got a ribbon and they did not.  Mom was elated as a great lesson was learned through a simple example.

Find a building – somebody’s basement, the local chamber of commerce – we use one of the buildings at the fair grounds.   We have discovered that if the schools and the public can use the facility so can we.   It works out great and they have been wonderful to us.

Step 3:  Type Up Rules and Send Out to Entries, Find Your Judges - 
2 months before Order Ribbons, Trophies

This is also a great time to go ahead and type up the judging sheets and just file away with all your other “science stuff” you are gathering.  You will need to make enough copies for each judge and for each entry.  (I have attached what we did.  I just compiled mine from 2 or 3 examples I found online. Decide on how many total points you want and then add or delete from there.)  Plan on having each entry judged at least 3 or 4 times and be sure and encourage the judges to comment both positively as well as bring out one point gently for improvement.  (Do not pass out the judging sheets at this time they will just get misplaced.  You will meet with the judges on Fair day.)

Judges can be anybody who loves science.  Schoolteachers have been my greatest resource and even some of the local college professors, they love helping with science fairs.  (Just no parents and preferably nobody from your local group.)

*Remind the kids – No names on their entries! Pictures with the kids in them are okay.

NOW is the time to order those ribbons and trophies. (Check out superiordisplayboards.com  - they have great deals and variety on ribbons, certificates, and trophies. As far as display boards, you can pick them up at Kings, Office Supply Stores or just make your own.) Remember every child should get a ribbon. 

We have in the past divided up the kids into divisions as follows:

Preschool/Kindergarten   
1st through 3rd
4th through 6th
7th through 9th
10th through 12th

For the younger ones you need to decide - are they displays or experiments and how and if you are judging them.  These kids could be just displays and all receive special science certificates.  Or if you have a lot of them just have the Preschool age as displays only and the Kindergartener’s could also received ribbons.

In each division we have a 1st, 2nd, 3rd place winner, and every one gets a participant ribbon.  Then we take the 1st place winners in each group and take the highest point values for the trophy awards or Rosette’s.  For us, it kind of depends on how many kids are participants which way we go, Rosette’s or trophies, we have done both.

Step   4:    Extra Activity  & Cookies - 6 Weeks before

This is a good time to plan another activity for after the awards and science fair “showing”.  It is kind of like Christmas after all the presents are opened – now what? It’s rather anti-climatic. There needs to be a little something else we have discovered for the families to do afterwards. This year one of the mom’s put together Science Jeopardy.  It was great fun and we discovered just how much we knew and didn’t know! Maybe a lot of hands-on science fun? I learned to delegate this part – it was wonderful not to have to worry about one more thing and I knew it would be done. 

*Have those ribbons arrived yet?  If not, check on them now...

* Get a volunteer for refreshment’s. Don’t try and do it all yourself as you will be busy on science fair day.  Plan on camping out that day and on having some bottled water for you and the judges. (Throw in the back of the car so you don’t forget.)

If you want a decorating committee this would also be the time to delegate that. Keep it simple you don’t want to distract from the exhibits. One year we just put up end-of-the-row signs for each division with pictures of famous scientists along with a clever title like “Newton’s Novices”, “Einstein’s ….”  and a few balloons.  Again it isn’t necessary.

Step 5:       Send out reminders - 1 month before
Double-check the building situation

Time to send out a reminder to your budding scientists that there are only 4 weeks left before Fair Day!

Make sure you still have a green light on the building.
You don’t want any last minute surprises.

Step 6:      Remind the judges!  And…        2 weeks before

Encourage the rest of the group to come out and join in the fun as well.

Time to double check your stash and see that you have everything all together and what you need to have that day at the fair.

Double check with your ‘helpers’ – judges, refreshments, activity and see how things are going and if they need any help.  Again you don’t want any last minute surprises.

*Time to write up numbers to assign to each group 1- ?  You need to separate the divisions either by numbers or colors.  These are just small squares of papers or I cut up index cards into 4’s and use them. Bring a roll of masking tape, a couple of black markers, and paper clips – these are always needed. Also bring a few sharpened pencils for the judges and a calculator for you. When each entry arrives they have to sign in with you. If you have someone at each division area – you or that person will attach a number to every entry with either a paperclip on the display board or taped to the table in front of their experiment.  A master sheet of who is assigned what number is also kept. I am the only one who sees these sheets.  You will need a master sheet for each division. After the displays are set up and everyone is gone it is time to pass out the judging sheets and place by each entry.  As I mentioned, each entry should be judged at least 3 or 4 times.  Make sure each judging sheet has a corresponding number written on it.

Purchase thank you notes for the building and the judges and any of your special helpers. 

Now sit back and take it easy until “FAIR DAY”.

Use these attached sheets for the actual fair day: Judging Sheet, Schedule.

Following are a few things to remember as well:

When the judges arrive answer any questions, pass out waters, pencils and give any instructions at this time.  Also help them realize the ages on each group – this is really important.  (While the judges are doing their work. You probably only need 1 person to be in attendance to answer any questions and provide any needs the judges might have.)

While the judges are busy doing their thing I try and take the time to write out thank you notes to each of them.  Whether I give it to them then or elect to mail them out later I am getting it done while I am just sitting. 

When the judges are all through with their work you are ready to go to work so I hope you had a few energy snacks while you were waiting.  At this point you, and hopefully a helper or two (again, nobody that has a child involved in the actual science competition), tally up the scores.  You add up the scores in each area on the score sheets and then divide by the number of judges. This gives you your average for each area on the scorecard.  Then you add up all the averages on the sheet and get your total points for the bottom of the page.

I make it a rule that once I am there I am there all day, mostly because we don’t get a key and I don’t want to worry about getting back into the building. Also, others use the building and I don’t want anything to happen to any of the entries.  That would be heart breaking!

I hope this helps you in your pursuit of science.  If you have any suggestions for future articles please let me know. You can leave your thoughts, comments or suggestions here on my feedback page. Thanks!  Have Fun!

- Starla

What a Character!

Summer will soon be upon us! Let the book reading begin.

Each summer we have a family summer reading challenge, as well as participating in our local library's summer reading program. This year it's all about characters.

Have you ever read a book where you connected with one of the characters? I have found people that inspire me, teach me, or simply make me laugh--that just happen to live within the covers of a book. These characters are like good friends to me.

As a family collect your top 100 characters. Create a poster of characters from books that your family really connects with! When you complete your Top 100 list throw a party and invite friends to come dressed as their favorite character!

How To:

-print out the theme and glue onto a poster board
-brainstorm as a family some of your favorite characters
-print out the game and see how many characters you can identify
-hang up the poster in a highly visible place
-you can divide characters into different categories if you want (science fiction, children's books, girls, boys, animals, etc,)
-write your favorite characters on the list
-find pictures online to add to your poster

You can leave your thoughts, comments or suggestions here on my feedback page. Thanks!

- Kari

"Stop, Mom."

by: Angela C. Baker

Last week I had a dream that just won’t leave me alone. I want to share it with you.  In the dream I saw different children at various ages and stages who were not my own.  Some were very little about the age of three or four.  Others were about ten and still others in their later teens.  What I noticed most about these children is their imploring eyes.  I cannot forget their eyes.  During the dream I heard the words: “Stop, Mom.”  I am not sure if it was the children that spoke these words or if I just felt them, but several times as I saw these children I heard these words urgently spoken: “Stop, Mom.”   So that’s my dream and it won’t leave me alone.  In wondering about the dream, I have had a few ideas come to me.

As home school mothers we take on a pretty big load.  We want the best for our children. We want to be successful and we want our children to succeed as well.  We want to do it right.  That desire in itself is not the problem.  The difficulty is our insecurities, worries, fears, and doubts that maybe we aren’t doing enough or aren’t good enough or that we need to do more and be more than we really are.  These are the problem and they find their origin in the way we think about ourselves, our homes, our children, our home schools and the progress we think we are or aren’t making.  This is where the stress of being a home school mother is found.  This is where the ruthless drive to do, do, do comes from.  This is where we lose the joy and become trapped in the mire of stress.  And when we live in this place, what is most needful often gets neglected.  Let me share some personal experiences to illustrate.

One evening after a busy home school day, my eleven year old daughter came to me. I was exhausted and felt like I had nothing left to give.  In tears she said, “Mom, I just don’t feel like I get enough time with you.”  I looked at her incredulously and quickly reviewed the day’s activities in my mind.  I had been home all day and so had she.  Then I realized that she had spent most of that day in her room reading and doing the crafts she loves to do.  She had also “done” her school work and practiced her flute.  I had passed her room many times through out the day and she seemed happy and content.  All day I had been busy.  The day had not been too different than others as I took care of the needs, details, and responsibilities that come at me day in and day out.  Yes, I had been home all day, but I had not stopped.  I thought she had been content to do what she was doing. When I stopped long enough to look into her eyes and hear her, I found out she was just keeping busy until maybe I would have time for her. 

“Stop, Mom.  Please, hear what I am not saying.”

Another evening I was in the kitchen finishing up with after dinner chores.  The older children were at Mutual and the younger ones having finished their dish chores had gone outside to play.  I was happy to be alone in my kitchen.  Then I noticed six year old Hyrum playing quietly in the family room.  He came into the kitchen and asked me if I would play a game of TAKE TWO.  I told him I would as soon as I finished wiping the counters.  He went back into the family room to wait and I continued to work.  When the counters were wiped I noticed that Hyrum was contentedly looking at a book, so I decided to sweep the floor.  When the floor was done, I glanced at Hyrum who was still happily involved in his book.  So I thought I would just quickly put the dishes away.  As I began to put the dishes away, I heard this distinct voice, “If you continue to work in your kitchen, Hyrum will get tired of waiting for you and he will go outside to find someone who will play with him.”  I immediately stopped what I was doing and invited Hyrum to get the game.  We had a delightful time together just me and Hyrum. I cannot remember if the kitchen got completely cleaned that night, but I remember the joy of playing with Hyrum.  Something very important was happening between us as we played the game—the needful was being attended to and I found deep joy in it. 
“Stop, Mom.  I want to connect with you.”

My oldest daughter now seventeen has many times over the years said to me, “Mom, I don’t want you to be my teacher.  I just want you to be my mom.”  It is tricky to be both an educator to my own children and their mother.  When she says this, I know I have some work to do on the relationship and that this must absolutely come first before school work of any kind.  When the relationship is healthy and open, my daughter is self-motivated and focused on her school work and needs little prodding from me. 

“Stop, Mom.  See me for who I am, not what I do or don’t do.”

In the book Christy one of the main characters teaches us another aspect of what it means to stop. 

“With a husband and five children to cook, clean, wash, even make clothes for, and with no modern conveniences at all, not even piped-in water, Fairlight might have felt burdened and sorry for herself—but she did not.  Often she found time to pause in her dishwashing to let her eyes and her spirit drink in the beauty of a sunset.  She would interrupt her work to call the children and revel with them in the grandeur of thunderheads piling up over the mountain peaks, heat lightning flashing behind the clouds like fireworks.  “It lifts the heart,” she would say, and that was explanation enough for any interruption.  There was always time for a story in front of the fire with the children snuggled against her; always leisure for the family to gather on the porch “to sing the moon up.”  Fairlight told me how on the first fine spring day, she considered it only right and proper to drop her housework:  “The house, it’s already been a-setin’ here for a hundred years.  It’ll be right here tomorrow.  It’s today I must be livin’”—and make her way to one particular spot she knew.  There she would kneel and with her long slender fingers brush aside the dead, sodden leaves and gaze wonderingly on the first blossoms of the trailing arbutus” (Christy by Catherine Marshall; p. 209-10).

It is possible that the message of my dream is just for me, but I have a strong impression that it is a message for all of us.  In the busy of the day and our efforts to educate our children, we each need to “stop” more often and make more room for what is most important in our lives—the people, the relationships, our husbands, our children, the quiet, the Spirit.  Let the Spirit impress on our minds and hearts what is most important.  The world mixes this up shouting: “Be busy! Attend to the “to do” lists!”  The world measure success in outward appearances, but God’s work is people and people cannot always be adequately measured in outward ways or checked off the “to do” list.  The world moves at a crazy, insane pace ignoring the most essential purpose of our lives: people.  We can get in touch with what is most important when we stop and listen to what the eyes of our children are telling us.  It is we, the mothers, who must be the change.  There is more eternally at stake than we can imagine.  Heed the message of my dream and “Stop, mom”   in whatever form that takes for you.

You can leave your thoughts, comments or suggestions here on my feedback page or email me directly at:angelabakerspeaks@gmail.com. Thanks!

How Deep Are Their Roots?

by Melanie Skelton

In a dry, hot place like St. George, Utah, keeping a lawn alive has its challenges. Most people choose to landscape in other ways. One family who chose a lawn for their yard found that a patch of the lawn struggled each year to stay green. In an attempt to figure out why it did not thrive, they decided to rake the clippings that had fallen there, hoping this would allow the grass to breath. But as they examined the grass on hands and knees they realized the real problem was a shallow root system. In all other parts of the lawn the roots grew deep and held strong. But in the patch that dried out each year in the hot St. George heat, the roots were so shallow that the grass pulled out easily, leaving bare dirt where the desired lawn had not grown well. Without strong roots the grass could not thrive.

We are each planted in various parts of the world in circumstances as different as day and night. Whether we homeschool in an area surrounded by others whose beliefs are similar to our own, or in an area where we are alone, our children need strong roots. In every part of the world our children face challenges. They need to be strong and courageous.

But how do we help make those roots strong? How do we strengthen our children in preparation to thrive in a world where values are often questioned? How do we raise our own stripling warriors, able to state with great faith that they know it because their mothers taught them?

One way we do this is by getting rid of the distractions. When we are distracted, or our children are distracted, too little time is left for important faith building activities. Scripture study, Family Home Evening, praying as a family and making time for those quiet discussions our children need, help them learn to "quench the fiery darts of the wicked.

What are the distractions? I hesitate to make a list of distractions because this becomes so personal. Every family must choose at what point distractions begin affecting the strength of the roots we are building. Many of the distractions are not evil, but when you put all the distractions side by side in our daily lives they leave no time for building strong testimonies and fitting the armor of God individually to each child.

Some examples of possible distractions may include electronic games, television, dance and music lessons and sports. Homeschool co-ops can be distracting if they become too involved and require too much. Even a good book can be a distraction if we are absorbed in reading it when we ought to focus elsewhere.

Focusing on activities that strengthen our children in the gospel will help prepare them for that which will be expected of them. We must be willing to put aside the distractions and stand "steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works" and teaching our children the same. Consider the sacrifices of those who have come before us whether ancestors or great prophets such as Joseph Smith who gave much to bring forth the gospel in the latter days. Above all, remember the sacrifice made by our Savior. When we teach our children to plant themselves in the gospel of Jesus Christ we help strengthen their roots.

You can leave your thoughts, comments or suggestions here on my feedback page. Thanks!

- Melanie

To Practice or Not to Practice?

by Kim Kuhn

Some of the most common questions I get as a music teacher are how old does my child have to be to start learning an instrument, what instrument should they play, and how much should they practice?  Here are what I hope to be some answers.

In my opinion, there is no one particular age for someone to start playing. This depends on what instrument and the readiness of the child.  My first lessons with piano and violin are always free and I call them “trial” lessons.  It helps me to know if the child can sit still for about half an hour.  I have one student that started off with only 15 minute lessons.
  
If they want to learn a brass or woodwind instrument, they might not want to start until after age 9.  These instruments require lots of blowing air so you hardly see a child age 5 playing the trumpet.  Children as early as age 3 can start the violin, but they would be learning using the Suzuki style.  This is when the student learns to play by listening to a note and then copying it.  They do not learn note reading until later.

As for the piano, there are students starting at age 3 or 4 with the Suzuki style, but most start later.  I have had a student that started with me when she was 12 and she did great.  However, I learned she had a previous teacher when she was younger that told her she would never be good in playing piano.  It’s sad to think there are music teachers that discourage the love of music by saying things like that.
   
In deciding what instrument your child should play, please be aware of what their interest is.  If they start off on violin, and after a good year of learning and practicing, they want to switch to cello or viola, let them.  Many times this switch is what will help them find that instrument they really have a passion for.

To practice, or not to practice.  That is the question so often thought about in the minds of parents.  I suggest consistency, a set time and something fun.  For example, practice for beginners can be 15 minutes and either right after dinner or before a favorite TV show or even before school starts (that’s when our family gets music practice done).  After practice, the kids can have a snack.  My 10 year old daughter insists on a snack during her practice.  This can be done 5 days a week.  Depending on how their music teacher feels their progress is going, they can increase practice time to 30 minutes after a few months.

The key is to be consistent.  I had a student once that had gymnastics one day, cross country another day, and I don’t know what on the other days.  Dinner was never at the same time every day.  She could never get a practice in because first, her schedule was so hectic and second, her parents never created a consistent time for her.  Needless to say, she didn’t stick with the music.
      
The last thing I want to mention is finding the right teacher.  It’s ok to check around for a month to find the right teacher for your child.  You can check out your friends’ recommendations, but if it’s not a right fit, don’t feel obligated to use them.  We saw several different voice teachers including one that was recommended by quite a few people before we found the right fit for my 15 year old daughter and we think she’s amazing.

Hopefully I have answered the basic music questions you may have concerning starting an instrument and practicing.  Good luck with your music!

If you have any suggestions for future articles, whether it’s for music or art, just let me know. You can leave your thoughts, comments or suggestions here on my feedback page. Thanks!

- Kim

The Purple Heart

One snowy cold Alaska winter our family took a vacation to Hawaii. It was wonderful. Bright blue skies with warm soft ocean breezes and warm water at the sandy beaches. One day as we were swimming at the beach I noticed that my 15 year old son had a 1/3 of an inch scar on the front of his shoulder. Since he was so tan it showed up like a neon sign. Where in the world did he get that scar? He hesitated. I insisted. He agreed to tell me now that his oldest brother was safely off on his mission. What follows is the story of the Purple Heart which has become a family legend.

My oldest son loved living in Alaska. It was his kind of place. Lots of wilderness, not a lot of people, plenty of opportunities for him to practice his survival skills, which he did every chance he got. He built an igloo in the backyard and practically lived in it all winter. He would head off into the woods and build shelters and lean-to’s, tree stands and hide outs.  He wore camouflage or army fatigues every time he went outside. He wanted to be a Special Forces operative in the worst way and he was going to see that no skill was left unlearned. This included learning how to throw a knife and having it stick in a tree.

As he was practicing his knife throwing skills one afternoon, his eight year old brother happened to wonder up. He watched as Spencer threw the knife and each time it would stick in the tree and then he would retrieve it and throw it again. Matt said he wanted to try throwing it too. Spencer said no, he was too young and not allowed to touch his knives- Mom said. Matt pointed out that Spencer was not allowed to throw his knife into the tree either- Mom said. But, if Spencer would let him throw it then he wouldn’t tell Mom what he was doing. Spencer reluctantly agreed and handed him the knife.

Matt was four years younger than Spencer so when he threw the knife he couldn’t even get the knife close to the tree so he stepped closer…  and closer. Finally, using all his effort he threw it and hit the tree. The knife bounced off the tree and flew back at Matt.  Matt looked at the knife sticking into the front of his shoulder and watched it slowly fall to the ground. He freaked out. Spencer freaked out. If Mom found out that Matt had a knife stuck in his shoulder he would lose his precious knife. You can’t survive in the wilderness without a good knife! But if his dad found out, he’d be dead.

So Spencer quickly told Matt, who was heading for the house to find Mom, that if Mom found out he had been touching Spencer’s knives he would be in big trouble. Matt pointed out that it was Spencer’s fault for letting him touch it in the first place. Spencer thought fast and came up with a plan. He whipped out his fanny pack survival kit he never went anywhere without and said he knew exactly what to do. "Remember! I’m a Special Forces Op and I can fix anything".

Spencer hustled Matt into their bedroom where they found another brother, Ben. Ben wanted to know what was going on. Spencer told him to be quiet and then helped Matt take off his shirt. There was a nice slit in Matt’s shoulder and it was bleeding. Spencer asked Matt if he wanted him to sew it up. Matt declined the offer so Spencer doctored him up using his med kit. Matt cried and sniffled the whole time. When Spencer was done patching him up, Matt got up to leave. He was still going to tell Mom.

Spencer again thought fast. Matt had obviously been wounded in combat he said, and therefore deserved the Purple Heart. He would get him one, and he and Ben would have a ceremony and present it to him.  It would be cool. He would be the only one in the family to have one. Sniffling, Matt reluctantly agreed. Spencer raced to the garage where he found his dad’s collection of Skiing medals and trophies, found one with a dark blue, almost purple ribbon and raced back. Then he and Ben ceremoniously gave Matt the Purple Heart with full honors.  After the ceremony, Spencer solemnly explained that people who receive the Purple Heart never talk about it because it diminished the honor of the medal and makes it common place. Purple Hearts are too special an honor to go blabbing that one has one. It’s a secret club. Spencer was able to convince them both not to tell.

Their sister claims that this never happened because she never heard about it.  The three boys claim it did and Matt has the scar to prove it. Ben and Matt say Spencer has the gift of persuasion and it worked so well on them they never told another soul until I found Matt’s scar.  Spencer is now in his late 20’s and is a top salesman in his company. He tells everyone he honed his skills conning his brothers. I think he might be right.

You can leave your thoughts, comments or suggestions here on my feedback page. Thanks!

- Dana

Hello, My Name is Katie, and I… Like Book Clubs

by Katie Wilson

There. I’ve admitted it. Despite my reluctance to be defined by one area of interest in my life, I am finally admitting that I am a “book club person.” Or “book clubber.” (No, sounds like someone who sneaks up behind baby seals with a copy of the Oxford English Dictionary as a weapon…) Or is it “book clubbie?” (Uh-uh…sounds too similar to “chubby” for my liking…) How about just a “person who enjoys reading the same book as other people with the intention of getting together at some point for a good time and some undefined amount of discussion of the book we all read.” A little unwieldy for quick conversations, perhaps, but allow me my delusion of being mysterious and difficult to dismiss with a pat phrase.

At the present time, I am actively involved in four different book groups. I am actually a bit surprised when I think about it. I’ve always enjoyed reading and talking about books, but four groups? That seems a bit excessive, even to me. However, each group is very different from the others, with its own purpose and personality, and I don’t often think about them as a unit. They are distinct and bring unique benefits into my life. I attend our Relief Society book group (formerly called the Relief Society “Enrichment” Book Group…oh well, we still find it “enriching”), my husband and I get together with a few other couples regularly for a “Book Chat,” and my kids and I are involved in two separate discussion groups.

Two of these groups are quite structured and formal, setting the reading list months in advance with assignments taken quite seriously (leading the discussion, providing the food, etc.). The other two are rather “loose,” shall we say? We get together when everyone’s schedules work out and pick the books rather haphazardly, and usually after a lively discussion (Typical dialogue at our couple’s book chat: “OK, we’ve done “Frankenstein,” “The Count of Monte Cristo” and “Band of Brothers”… how about a “girl book” for a change?” “I will never read Jane Austen! Never! You can’t make me!”). The groups range from large and diverse (one kid’s group has two simultaneous discussions on different books to accommodate 15-20 kids, age 5-16, from seven different families) to small and intimate (our other “kids” group is just our family and one other family). The discussions range from very structured (in one group I teach a literary term or concept before our discussion and then we see how that book illustrates the concept) to informal (“What was your favorite part?” “Your favorite character?”). Two groups meet on a schedule (one monthly, one bi-monthly) and the other two groups meet when the stars align and schedules are tweaked to create space where none existed. But we tweak. We clear schedules. We make the effort because we truly enjoy each other’s company. And we love books. What better reasons can someone have for getting together?

So, if you are looking for a way to motivate your children (or yourself) to read more or to enjoy reading more, you might think about a book club. Dismiss from your mind tedious English 101 classes looking for the symbolic meaning of “the white whale.” Forget about grabbing the Cliff’s Notes of “The Grapes of Wrath” the day before an essay test. Leave forever behind posters and dioramas depicting “The Red Badge of Courage.” Think instead about immersing your kids (and yourself) in fabulous literature with no other purpose than to enjoy it. And to talk about it--not to examine it to death, but to share your excitement with others so that you can enjoy it even more. I think you might like it. I’ll admit it… I do.

A few books from my “R.S. Book Group”

• West with the Night by Beryl Markham

• In an Instant by Lee and Bob Woodruff

• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

• As I Have Loved You by Kitty de Ruyter Bon

• Little Pink House by Jeff Benedict

• The Four Feathers by A.E.W. Mason

A few books from my “Couple’s Book Chat”

• The Chosen by Chaim Potok

• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

• Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

• Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

• Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

• The Virginian by Owen Wister

A few books from my “Kids Co-op Book Discussion”

• Journey to the Center of the Earth by H.G. Wells

• The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

• Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb

• The Freedom Factor by Gerald Lund

• George Washington’s Leadership Lessons by James Rees and Stephen Spignesi

• The Robe by Lloyd Cassel Douglas

A few books from my “Just Two Families” book group

• The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt

• The King’s Fifth by Scott O’Dell

• Tom’s Midnight Garden by Phillippa Pearce

• The Magic City by Edith Nesbit

• The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

• I Am David by Anne Holm

About the author:

Katie Wilson is the mother of four children and has been homeschooling for ten years. For a free audio download of Katie's talk "The Power of Family Reading" plus a copy of her extensive "Favorite Read-Aloud Books" list, please visit http://ldsehe.org/5-free-downloads.  Katie will also be speaking at the 2010 LDSEHE Home Education Conference in Buena Vista, Virginia on May 27-28.  For more details, please visit http://ldsehe.org/2010-overview.

The Rub of Reality

It’s that time of year again when conferences and conventions spring up around the country to give homeschoolers a new lease on life.  Whether they provide new insight, philosophies, and ideas, or strengthen and renew the old ones, they are an indispensable boost to many a homeschooling parent.  As someone who has attended numerous conferences, both to learn and to teach, I’d like to say a word about the difference between what you’ll see and what you’ll get.

One of the most oft asked questions of homeschool veterans is one that’s made me cringe.  I admit I’ve asked it myself over the years, but when it’s asked of me, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.  “What is your typical day like?”

Rutted routines make me cranky.  I like education to be an adventurous discovery, so a question about a typical day has often implied to me that I should have a regular, everyday, habitual schedule.  I don’t.  At least not in terms of rigid timetables and plotted to-do lists.  I usually have an agenda, but there’s a fluid element to it. So as a presenter who tries to inspire a love of adventurous learning, my inability to describe a typical day as something standard (which new homeschoolers crave) makes me feel slightly inadequate.  In my presentations, I talk about the great things we’ve done and demonstrate the possibilities.  I highlight our best days.  I don’t talk about the days that flopped, dropped, and just plain didn’t go well.  I suspect many conference speakers are the same way.

Now before you cry, “Foul!” and shout that you’ve been robbed, consider this.  When missionaries go out to share the gospel, they don’t knock on a door and say, “Hi.  We’d like to share a message with you about how you can live a life full of callings and meetings and demands on your time.  You can have kids galore for forever, give lots of your money away, and always berate yourself over being imperfect.  May we come in?”  People sharing the gospel share the joy, the good news.(1)  Likewise, so do proselyting homeschoolers.  There is much joy in homeschooling.  There still must needs be opposition.(2)  For all our good intentions, homeschoolers are still mortal and subject to all the thorns and thistles of a Telestial world.
  
If we investigate the word typical, we find that the synonyms of usual, normal, and standard are only one side.  “Typical” has the same root as “type,” which is derived from the Latin typus:   image, and the Greektypos:   impression, model.  Applicable words synonymous in this way would be kind, sort, and nature, implying essential resemblances.   In this sense, synonyms of “typical” would include characteristic, andrepresentative.  So while I don’t put every single day into my PowerPoint presentation, I do select the models—the days representative of the nature of my approach to education—that will inspire my listeners the most.

What about the “bad days” then?  They exist.  Don’t go home from a conference, have a bad day (or a string of them) and think you can never live up to the model.  The reality of homeschooling—or anything worthwhile—is that life is real, and sometimes real hard.

Take this last week of mine for example...  Months ago I scheduled a couple of field trips to Astro Camp in Ogden, Utah, which is 45 minutes from my house on a good traffic day.  I had to have a minimum number of participants in order to attend.  For whatever reasons, it was a struggle getting enough people to sign up.  My entire Monday, which is “typically” a day for getting the house back in order after the weekend and getting some good time in on our current unit study, was spent doing administrative emails and phone calls trying to pull off these field trips.  With the exception of a few math assignments, the kids were fairly free to fly under the radar.  I then had to drive an hour or so away for a baseball double-header with one of my boys.  Upon returning home, I found my husband in dire straits with a health issue that consumed us throughout the night and almost had us in the ER.  Next morning, I was supposed to be preparing for our weekly Science Club, but had to insist that my husband find and see a doctor—which meant that I found the doctor and got him there.  The other mothers in Science Club took my kids and went on with the show; my 7-year-old took it upon himself to do my part.  Meanwhile, my father called to discuss my sister being diagnosed with Melanoma, which consumed much of my thoughts for the rest of the week.  Tuesday night, while trying to have an at-home date night with my husband who was in a brief reprieve, our area was accosted with high winds which took our family’s much needed trampoline (a great recess activity) and blew it through our yard, flattening cemented metal clothesline poles, breaking a 20-year-old tree, shredding the trampoline and bending and twisting the metal frame like Popsicle sticks.  I woke up early Wednesday morning to a blizzard, in which I had to drive a van full of happy Astro Campers through a mountain canyon.  Thankfully, the field trip counted as school.  My formal living room was a disaster because the previous weekend I’d had my big boys gut their bedroom and unload everything in there to clean things out.  Of course, then I couldn’t stand it and much of their week was spent putting things back together.  My husband’s health concerns continued, and since they did, I got to take the car into the shop, run his errands, and cover for him.  This meant that after a visit for tests at the hospital and one more drive to Astro Camp on Friday, I came back home, only to turn around and drive back the way I’d gone and on across the West Desert of Utah to a baseball tournament in Nevada that my husband was going to go to but now couldn’t, to accompany our son. I was then unable to get some things in order at home for our next school week, and worried about my husband and sister so that I couldn’t think it through very well while gone.  Of course, when it rains it pours, so then every single one of my children came down with a respiratory illness over the weekend and who knows what “school” will be accomplished this week.

I could say this was a really bad week, but somehow I don’t feel that way.  I could say it wasn’t picture perfect, but even with all the insanity I still took pictures.  Few of this week’s activities were normal.  Still, we had typical days.  They were typical because they were characteristic of what’s important to us.  We spent time together as a family doing things that we enjoy; we learned new things in adventurous ways; we prayed together and looked out for each other.  I like what Mother Teresa said, “I don’t pray for success, I ask for faithfulness.”  It goes along with my motto for this year, “What you are becoming is more important than what you are accomplishing.”  Even in crisis mode, if we keep what’s important at the center of it all, the realities of life don’t have to rub us the wrong way. 

(1) For clarification, a houseful of children and opportunities to serve in the Lord’s kingdom, pay tithes and offerings, and to better oneself are good news.  But not everyone would see it that way at first.

(2) See 2 Nephi 2:11

Tips for the Beginning Homeschooler...

Spring is finally here and kids all over the country are itching to get out of school. Plans for vacation, trips to the zoo, and more family time abound. That glimpse of freedom is enough to make some moms think about not putting their kids back in school in the fall. However, the leap from “thinking” about home schooling to becoming a homeschooler can seem very overwhelming. Here are some ideas to help make the transition.

1. Determine the legal requirements for home schooling in your state. HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) has a complete list by state. http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp
2. Attend a home school workshop or conference. Now is a great time to do this because many organizations hold their conferences in the spring or summer. Conferences are a great way to hear informative and motivational speakers, browse curriculum and meet other homeschoolers. For a good list of events around the country visit http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/calendar/events.htm
3. Read up! There are dozens of books and hundreds of blogs on home schooling. One of my favorite books is Creative Home Schooling by Lisa Rivero. This book is written specifically for gifted students but I think it is a valuable resource for all families. It does a great job of explaining the different methods of home schooling and has an extensive list of resources. There is a ton of information out there, just realize that you do not have to read everything ever published before you can start teaching your own children.
4. Talk with veteran homeschoolers. If you don’t know any in your area try searching Yahoo groups. There are groups for every part of the country as well as for each of the different methods. There really is nothing like veteran homeschoolers to help you on your way.
5. Maintain a sense of humor. Just like everyone else, homeschoolers have bad days now and then, but a positive attitude and a sense of humor can make the rough days a whole lot easier! Here’s a fun video to lighten things up.

Pray. Every child and every family is different; the only way to know what will work for your family is to seek personal revelation. Home schooling can feel like a huge leap into the darkness but just like parenting it’s something you learn as you go. Trust that if you take that jump, you will be able to find the resources, help and strength you need to be successful in this wonderful journey!

Building a Family Culture Based on God

by Tracy Ward

This is the second article of a two part series. You can see part one here.

Sabbath Preparation

One of our favorite family activities is our Sabbath preparation. Saturday used to be a day of endless errands, projects, and shopping. We would often arrive home late Saturday night exhausted and grumpy. We decided this had to change! We now try to use our time during the week more efficiently so that Saturday is not bombarded with a huge to-do list. Saturday is now a special day to spend time together as a family, having a picnic in the yard, going fishing for a few hours, walking through the woods, reading, or working in the yard in the early hours of the day. We try to be done with all of our activities by around 3 pm. My husband prepares our food for the Sabbath, our children prepare their clothing, and we gather any supplies we may need for church. Then, after dinner we have what we call Saturday Night Devotional. We meet together for an hour or more singing hymns, reciting the poetry we have been memorizing, and reading stories from our ancestor’s lives.

Often, our children will call their grandparents or others we have read about to ask them more questions about what we read about or to simply giggle with them about a funny experience. If our children are speaking or singing in church the next day, they will also share their talk or music with us as a final rehearsal. Our children look forward to this time all week. They are so excited to hear stories about their ancestors. I carefully pick stories that teach a principle my children need to grasp. For example, stories of my grandmother having to gather the eggs of 5000 chickens, or churning butter to sell help my children to understand the principle of work. Sometimes I choose something hilarious that my children will identify with and remember forever, like my grandma trying to ride a bike for the first time as an adult and falling off in a big mud puddle. Since making these changes in our week, our Sabbath has become a day of delight to our family.

Family Night – A Favorite

Another favorite family rhythm is our Family Night. Monday nights are special nights where the only thing on the schedule is family time. My husband teaches us a lesson from the scriptures, we sing songs, play games, and talk about family issues. We use this time to teach hymns we aren’t familiar with, music leading technique, poise and skills in giving a lesson, or performing a skit or music piece. Making this time a priority in our schedules has blessed our family in numerous ways. Our fourth area of focus is looking to God for answers. If we are studying or wondering about anything at all, rocks, war, values, bugs, food, countries of the world, freedom, holidays, health, cleanliness, anything you can think of, we first look at what our scriptures say about the topic. Sometimes we can’t find anything specific and we do our best to understand the truth of the subject. Sometimes, we are surprised to find there are an abundance of answers we have never known about.

Personal Mission Preparation 

We believe God has a personal mission for each of us. One of our roles as parents is to help our children develop the faith, obedience, and talents they need to fulfill their mission. We believe a child’s education, indeed each person’s education must be undertaken in a partnership with the One who created us, knows us, and sees what we do not see. We know that if we ask for His guidance in our personal educations and the education of our children that we will be led to precisely those writings, mentors, music, books, art, and philosophies that will allow us to best serve Him. We believe that the process of education is personal and individual; each person on this earth needs to learn different things. We also believe education should always include a core foundation of truth: who we are, who God is, how to discern truth, how to make choices concerning right from wrong, how to be a wise steward, and how to be obedient to the truth one has been taught. As we learn together in our home, we look to God to direct our path and realize that each of us has a different path. After the foundational principles are learned, we may each journey toward different goals.

Meeting Challenges in Life

Many times in our lives, we know we are not up to the challenges before us. We realize that we cannot solve a problem on our own or remove the grief from our hearts. For our children it is when their favorite animal dies, a friend moves away, there is not enough money to buy what they want, or when they are asked to do something they are afraid of. As adults, we are often faced with much larger trials and fears. When we are scared, sad, in need of understanding, a blessing of health, or a temporal item, we pray about it. At times, our children hear us pouring our hearts out to the Lord. We believe this teaches them that we are dependent on our God and that we trust His will for our lives. Last year, our little girl, who was five at the time, was fishing and had not caught anything. She went away from the group and knelt down on the beach. When she returned we asked her what she was doing. She said she had been praying about not catching any fish and asking God to help her. On her next cast she caught a fish. We are grateful that a loving Father in Heaven saw fit to bless this precious child with a faith-boosting experience. 

Simple Christian Service

Lastly, we strive to live the commandments. We try to serve others as a family by taking in food to those who are sick, giving items to people who need them more than we do, visiting those who need a cheerful presence in their lives. We try to keep the Sabbath day holy. We try to base our behavior on the teachings of Christ. We do not always succeed, and this can prove to be just as excellent a teacher as when we do. Our children learn much from our mistakes as well as their own. The task of our life is to align ourselves with Christ. Through incorporating these activities and habits, we are developing family unity and allowing God to be part of our family identity. We believe that for our children and ourselves to desire the simplicity and beauty of the things of God, we must limit or eliminate the things of this world that are showy, loud, overly stimulating, and immoral. When we do not have television, video games, popular culture, and expensive recreation to dull our minds and fill our days, our spirits are free to seek for truth and enjoyment in the things of God.

Our journey to this point has brought us closer as a couple and as a family. We have learned that God has called us to be parents of our children and He expects great things from us. We are slowly becoming the people He created us to be and catching a glimpse of His vision for us. As we embrace the duties of mothering and fathering with joy, we are blessed by a deeper understanding of how even the most mundane tasks of running a home and raising a family can bring us closer to God. As our family learns to worship, trust and ultimately follow Christ we will find happiness and completeness and have a lot of fun along the way! 

For further reading, see Ezra Taft Benson, “Fundamentals of Enduring Family Relationships,” Ensign, Nov. 1982, 59

Meet the Author Born and raised in the open spaces of southwestern Wyoming, Tracy Ward has always been a writer, and is now finding a little time to put her talent to paper -- between home educating her children, violin and cello lessons, teaching gymnastics, political forums, assisting at home births, fulfilling church callings and furthering her education. In her spare time she is an avid reader, goes camping and hiking, and is enthralled with learning Hebrew and about Jewish culture. Tracy's life has been blessed and magnified by her best friend and husband, Richard, and together they have charted the blueprint for their heaven on earth. She currently resides in Idaho with her amazing guy, three adorable children, and an assortment of outside creatures, including laying hens, cats and kittens, a beautiful golden lab, and several squirrels.