Right Brain? Left Brain? Does It Really Matter?

When my husband and I were first married, for some reason, we got into a debate about how we each saw the passage of time. He saw it as a linear line of calendar pages that tore themselves off as each day passed. I saw time as a huge spiral taking up immense space with each year a spiral, and each calendar day a spiraling path that tilted and spun its way through the universe.  We tried to convince the other they were wrong and that our way was the “right” way. Seems silly now, but what we didn’t know is we were giving each other a glimpse of how differently our brains worked. Years later, as I was struggling with the learning challenges my children had, I discovered brain science.  It was a light in a dark closet!

Our brains have 2 hemispheres and each is used for different tasks. The left brain is more linear and task oriented. The right brain is more artsy and creative. All of us use both sides, but we tend to use one more than the other.

So how do you know which one you are?  Does it matter? It does, especially with learning. What works for a right brain learner, won’t for a left brain learner and vis versa. Here are some differences:

Auditory/ Sequential Learners (left brain)

• Think in words
• Excel at rote memorization
• May need repetition to reinforce learning
• Is a step by step learner
• Auditory
• Is well organized
• Learns by trial and error
• Analytical thinker
• Attends well to details

Visual/Spatial Learner (right brain)

• Thinks primarily in pictures
• Has visual strengths
• Relates well to space
• Is a whole to part learner
• Learns concepts all at once
• Is a good synthesizer of information
• Sees the big picture; may miss details
• Creates unique methods of organizations
•  Learns concepts permanently; doesn’t learn by drill and repetition

There are also whole brain people who use both sides easily but they tend to lean either left or right.

The breakdown of averages is 25% of people are strongly Auditory/ Sequential (left brain),  33.33 are strongly Visual/ Spatial (right brain) and 41.67%  use both hemispheres with 30% leaning V/S and 15% leaning A/S.

This has a huge impact on how each person learns (adults included). As homeschool moms we need to ask the question, are we setting our kids up to fail without even knowing it?

The typical public school is set up for left brain students with lectures, drills and workbooks. These work well for this type of learner, but not for a right brain student. They need hands-on and experimental activities such as building models , measuring things, performing science experiments and going on field trips.  These are perfect for a homeschool classroom.

It has been my un-scientific experience that most kids who are pulled out of public school because they are not doing well are right brain kids who struggle with left brain teaching methods. With the flexibility of homeschool we can meet the needs of our kids by choosing methods that cater to their learning style. Here are a few quick examples to get you started.

1. As stated earlier, this type of learner needs lots of messy hands on experiences. What they see and do they remember forever.
2. Since a right brain person sees primarily in pictures, having them explain things can be a challenge.  And this also makes writing more difficult. It’s hard to change pictures into words and back again. This is also why your child may give you detail after detail when they are telling you a story. That is what they see! This can be frustrating when all you want is a quick answer.  You may need to work with them to help them see what details need to be shared and which ones don’t.
3. Another challenge with seeing things in words instead of pictures is that a right brain child can think faster than someone who thinks in words. They see things in their mind like a movie, so they can process information very rapidly and thus see all the possible answers to a problem. I remember when my 3rd grade daughter was taking a standardized test for the first time. The testing center called me to come get her after about 30 minutes because she was in tears. I was sure it was the stress of trying to read the test. No, as she said in tears, “Mom, all the answers could have been right. It just depends on who was asking the question!”  Ahh! Yes, a new test taking skill I need to teach!
4. An added quandary to being able to solve problems quickly, is that once they have solved the problem they cannot always remember the steps they took to get the answer. This can be a difficulty when they have to show their work. They really can’t.  It happened too fast.
5. When teaching concepts to right brain children you will need to show them what the big picture is. If you want them to build a puzzle, they have to see what the puzzle looks like when finished. The little pieces don’t mean anything unless they are connected to the whole. If you want them to clean their room, they have to see what a clean room looks like or their version of a clean will differ greatly from yours!
6. This is especially important in teaching algebra. Algebra, by its very nature is abstract. It is very difficult for right brain children to understand algebra because it is taught in tiny pieces that build on one another, but if they can’t see the point of what the steps are they will never remember them. They remember in pictures. They have to see it to remember it. Manipulative can help.
7. This takes us to the next point. When you have a list of instructions that you want your child to do, help them see what you want them to do. Want them to go get the mail, leave it on the desk, then let out the dog? Go through the list slowly, having them visualize each step. Once it is in their head as a picture, they won’t forget! This applies to anything you want them to remember long term, spelling words, poems, scriptures, math formulas, etc.
8. And finally, right brain children (and adults) have a hard time with the concept of time. Left brain people can tell you they have been sitting there for 10 minutes without looking at the clock. Not so for right brain children. This can make school last forever because they will dawdle over everything. Time means very little. But events mean a lot! Timers and motivators to finish a project are a must!
9. This same disregard for time makes shifting activities difficult.  They hyper- focus on an activity and have a hard time breaking that tie and moving on to something else. Letting them know they have 5 minutes then they need to stop helps them refocus. Also, when they start the next activity it may take a few minutes for them to get focused again.

These are just a few of the things you can do to help the right brain child in your life.  These children are creative, energetic, thoughtful and fun! School will never be boring teaching them!  They know how to add a spice to life if we will just let them.

There is no “better than” side of the brain. The Steve Jobs of the world (right brain) can see the big picture of where we need to go, but it is his left brain colleagues who see the details on how to mass produce that vision! We couldn’t live without both!

Next time we will talk about time management for right brain people!

Resources:

Right- Brained Children in a Left- Brained World, Jeffery Freed and Laurie Parsons

Visual Spatial Learner

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

I am often awed by the rich poetic truths found throughout the hymns in expressions of very few words. Half a line carefully articulated has stopped me mid-melody to consider and reflect. Just as an entire sermon can be given on one verse of scripture, a complete thematic unit can be created from one phrase of hymn.

This year one of the phrases that’s caught my attention in the Christmas carols is, “Let every heart prepare Him room,” from Handel’s “Joy to the World.” I wanted to spend some time with my children focused on this choice of words and tactilely explore all that it could mean to us. I thought I’d share what we did in the event that you could use a “new” Christmas lesson at your house.

We read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett. We also watched a few different film adaptations of Dickens’ novel.

We sang “Joy to the World.”

We made Heart Maps.

I handed each child a copy of “Opening Our Hearts” by Elder Gerald N. Lund and asked them if they knew what the Heart Maps and this talk had to do with “Joy to the World.”  We then read through the talk together.

I wrote the phrase, “Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room” on a whiteboard and we dissected, discussed, and diagrammed each word individually. My kids supplied the ideas, and I include them here just for clarity of the lesson.

• Let – invitation; to not keep from doing; agency/free will
• Every – everyone; all; each; all that there could be—the Gospel and Atonement for all collectively and personally and individually
• Heart – the main or most important part; symbol of mind and will of men; strength and courage; tender, guarded place; can change
• Prepare – make or get ready; for a visitor, clean house—for Christ clean self; purify
• Him – Jesus Christ
• Room – space; place to live; with Christ “moving in” we don’t lose square footage but gain it—our hearts are enlarged to include others when we make room for Him

Then for each word, we also found sentences or paragraphs within Elder Lund’s talk that corresponded to our ideas.

We discussed other ideas found within the talk. We especially talked about Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.” Using a bag of roasted pistachios, we talked about what it means to have a “broken heart.”  Just as a pistachio that is sealed tight cannot be accessed, so is a heart that has no “cracks” in it for the Lord to penetrate.  You cannot find the pistachio goodness inside if the shell is not pliable, nor can anyone find the goodness in your heart if it’s unbroken. Preparing room for the Lord means having a way He can enter.

We talked more of preparation. Elder Lund’s talk is about being open to the Spirit; we can’t make room for Jesus if we don’t have the Spirit. Referencing the Parable of the Sower, and faith being a seed, we discussed preparing our hearts like we would soil with labor and nutrients.

When Brother Lund began speaking of those whose hearts are set upon the things of the world, I was delighted that my children readily recognized Scrooge and that segued into a writing assignment I’d prepared with the following quotes and questions.

CHRISTMAS PAST:  “’There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,’ returned the nephew. ‘Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round—apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that—as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the rave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!’”

*What good have you derived from Christmases past, and how has it reflected on Christmas’s namesake?

CHRISTMAS PRESENT:  “’Business!’ cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. ‘Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!’. . .

. . .‘At this time of the rolling year,’ the spectre said, ‘I suffer most.  Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode! Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!’”

*What can you do now to change how you see and treat other people?

CHRISTMAS YET TO COME:  “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

How can you honor Christmas in your heart and keep it all the year in years yet to come?

We looked over our Heart Maps to see if everyone had already included Jesus.  Then we copied Matthew 6:21 on the backs of the maps.

While listening to Michael McLean’s “The Innkeeper (Let Him In)” from The Forgotten Carols, we made personally meaningful collages by cutting and pasting Christmas cards around Neal A. Maxwell’s quote, “Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus.”

Finally, each child chose their favorite artist’s rendition of Christ knocking at the door. Under a printout, they copied Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me.”

All these pages were then bound together in a homemade book to be cherished every Christmas!

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Advent is simply defined as “the period leading up to Christmas in the Christian church’s year.”[i]  It is a time of preparation and anticipation. This Advent season I have marveled at the enormous peace I have felt inside myself.  It’s odd; national and world events and turmoil, personal tasks and to-do lists, recklessly giddy children, and even reason seem to defy the possibility of any inner peace. Yet, it’s been my companion these days, so prevalent it’s tangible.  I’ve decided it is Advent itself, with the lights, music, and hearts turned toward Christ that is stilling my soul.  As I prepare and anticipate the beloved celebration of His first coming, I’m keenly aware that we are also in the Advent of His Second Coming, but it somehow provides a sustaining serenity.

“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” has forever been a song I’ve loved to hear, even before I really knew what it was about. I’ve always at least understood the longing in it. I’ve wondered about the people living the thousands of years before Christ’s birth, being taught that the Savior, Emmanuel, would one day come to deliver them from sin and death.  How did they look forward to that?  Now, knowing that He was here, that He came as foretold, but living in these current times that were also foretold, I understand that longing and the hope and expectancy.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Probably the oldest carol still sung today, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is also probably the only true Advent carol. All other Christmas carols detail the actual event of Christ’s birth, or express the joy and rejoicing of what the event means for us. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is the only one singing of the anticipation, of prophecy and waiting for fulfillment.  Originating as one of the “Great Antiphons,” it was written by a monk or priest before 800 A.D. and sung in Latin during Advent vespers, one verse per day being sung or chanted during the last seven days before Christmas. (To get a taste of what that was like then, watch this video of Mannheim Steamroller’s “Veni, Veni” put to pictures of Catholic cathedrals and monasteries.)

http://youtu.be/Yq2my9m0xmM

About a thousand years later a remarkable man by the name of John Mason Neale translated the chant into English. Neale was a brilliant Anglican priest who could speak and write more than twenty languages, yet his intelligence and insight was feared because he was a free thinker. He was sent away to the coast of Africa where it was thought he could do no harm to the church. So instead of having a pastorate in London as planned, but instead of giving up on what he perceived as his calling, he made a radical move and established the Sisterhood of St. Margaret, an orphanage, a school for girls, and a house of refuge for prostitutes.  (He is also the English translator of “Good Christian Men, Rejoice” and the author of “Good King Wenceslas.”) His translation of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” was a great gift to the people of the Dark Ages, most of who could not read nor have access to the Bible, because it was a rare example of how the Old and New Testaments came together in the birth and life of Jesus.[ii]  (See Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:22-23)

Because of Advent, Christmas is a season, not just a day.  I’m thankful for that because I need all the peace and focus on Christ I can get. I’ve always tried to use this time to teach my children even more of Christ and how to emulate Him, and there are many ways to do that.  However, this year I decided to let the children teach us. I determined three things to ponder this Advent season and posed these questions to some homeschooled children.  Here are the questions and answers.

In Matthew 16:15 Jesus asks Peter, “Whom say ye that I am?” How would you answer that question? Who is Jesus to you?

Eliza L., 6, North Logan, Utah:  “My King.  My Savior.”

Emily A., 8, Paradise, Utah:  “I would tell Him He’s Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

Jonny G., 7, Providence, Utah:  “The Lord of the whole world.  My Lord.”

Matthew G., 13, Providence, Utah:  “The person I look up to.”

McKenna B., 9, Petersboro, Utah:  “He is a loving, compassionate person who brings me a lot of comfort, especially at night.”

Brent L., 10, North Logan, Utah:  “The living God and the Savior of all men.”

Tabitha M., 9, of Logan, Utah:  “Jesus to me is the person who made it so that we could come to earth and be together with our families forever, so we could love one another, and He set the example for us.”

Ptolemy T., 17, Nibley, Utah:  “He is the Light of the World. The true and living God.  Our older brother.  The most caring person in the world.”

Rachel H., 6, North Logan, Utah:  “He is the Savior.  If He came down right now, I could tell it was Him by the holes in His hands and feet.”

Psadi T., 8, Nibley, Utah:  “He is loving and kind.”

Matthew B., 15, Redmond, Washington:  “A brother who cares for me and will do whatever it takes for me to return to our Father in Heaven.”

Sam A., 11, Paradise, Utah:  “The King. The person who gave life to everyone.  Someone who didn’t sin and someone I’d want to be around.”

Christopher B., 14, Redmond, Washington:  “The one sent by God to guide His children and help them along the way.”

Ptallan T., 10, of Nibley, Utah:  “My Savior.  He’s my hero!”

Cordelia L., 2, North Logan, Utah:  “Baby.”

How can you come to know Jesus and be more like Him?

Joshua G., 10, Providence, Utah:  “Read the Book of Mormon.”

McKenna B.:  “’I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus’ is my favorite song. When I serve others I become like Jesus.”

Brent L.:  “Follow His commandments.”

Christopher B.:  “Read the scriptures and act on it.”

Adria M., 11, Logan Utah:  “[By] singing Primary songs, reading the scriptures, and going to church.”

Eliza L.,:  “By loving one another.  And try to do things very nice to people.”

Psadi T.:  “Follow His teachings.”

Sam A.:  “I can take a deep breath every time I get angry.  I can learn about Him and get a good education.”

Ptolian T., 15, Nibley, Utah:  “Learn about Him and act like He did.”

Matthew G.,:  “Pray.”

Ptolemy T.:  “Care for other people.  Love others no matter what they do or say.  Choose to always do what’s right.”

Tabitha M.:  “We can go to church and help and love one another.”

Rachel H.:  “By listening, by reading the scriptures, by loving one another and not hurting others.  And get married in the temple.”

Evelyn L., 4, North Logan, Utah:  “Like loving one another and like cleaning up.”

Jonny G.:  “Follow His example.”

What are you looking forward to most about Jesus Christ’s Second Coming?

Ptobias T. 12, Nibley, Utah:  “I am looking forward to finally meeting Him in person.”

Julia F., 8, Nibley, Utah:  “…when He comes again, lions are going to be friends with lambs.  That He can tell me things, that He was resurrected and stuff.”

Emily A., 8, Paradise, Utah:  “I’m looking forward to seeing if I was good enough to go to the Celestial Kingdom with my family.  I want my family there, too.”

Brent L.:  “That there will be peace on the entire earth.”

Madison B., 7, of Petersboro, Utah:  “I want to be resurrected and twinkled.”

Eliza L.:  “Seeing Him and knowing how He feels.  And what His voice would be like.”

Matthew B.:  “The ability to look upon the face of our Redeemer and for the resurrection of the dead.”

Ptallan T.:  “Looking at Him and to let Him know I like Him, and seeing my dog, Shire, and bunny, Oreo.”

McKenna B.:  “So we can build the New Jerusalem.  I want Him to be our leader...”

Jessica B., 12, Redmond, Washington:  “I’m looking forward to a world at peace and to never have fighting, and I also want to see Him.”

Ben A., 9, Paradise, Utah:  “I want to meet Him and see all my ancestors.”

Jonny G.:  “Everybody on the whole earth will be good and obey the law.”

Evelyn L.:  “Jesus.  Loving.  Because Jesus wants to come here because He loves us.”

Ptolemy T.:  “Being able to finally see Christ face to face and to get a hug from Him.”

Emmanuel, or Immanuel, means God with Us.  How fitting that the name describes what people hoped for centuries ago, and what we look for now.   In this Advent season, as you anticipate the celebration of Emmanuel, gather your children to study the prophecies and fulfillments and to draw near to Him; contemplate who He is, ponder what He did and does, and consider His return.  Keep in mind John Neale, who though persecuted for his goodness even from within his own church, never gave up on the stirrings within.  Remember that “there is peace in righteous doing” and do it.[iii]

Finally, a perfect addition to Advent is this perfect rendition and depiction of God with us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugV6QGcafEE

[i] Scholastic Children’s Dictionary

[ii]Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins, pp. 126-131

[iii] LDS Hymn 239 “Choose the Right”

Christmas Around the World

Every year we celebrate "Christmas Around the World" by having three or four families over for a fun evening of food and sharing. We've enjoyed wonderful foods from around the world: a French Yule Log, Swedish Meatballs, Korean Kimchi, and

We invite each family to choose a country and learn all about it: fun facts, geography, famous people, animals that live there and especially what they do to celebrate Christmas. Children can make a poster to share or present something that they learned to the group.

French Crepes to name a few! We send out our invitations early for everyone has time to prepare.

Christmas-Around-the-World

We invite each family to decorate a small Christmas tree with ornaments that tell about their country and to bring a traditional food. We display all the trees on the tables with the food.

During the evening we enjoy a wonderful meal and each family gets to present their country to all the rest. We also enjoy singing Christmas carols and have even tried to sing them in different languages! A fun night for all!

Freedom - by Doreen Blanding

Norman Rockwell painted a set of paintings called the Four Freedoms.  He painted these four paintings, Freedom from Fear, Freedom from Want, Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Worship in just four months. As I look at these paintings I see four things that I want my children never to take for granted and to always treasure.

It is my duty to see to it that my children are protectors of the Land of Promise .  “Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

I have the sacred duty of making sure my children are free from want, from fear and free to speak and worship as they will.  As I homeschool my children I instill in them these freedoms every day and in every lesson.  I have taught them that even if life gets tough we have Heavenly Father on our side and we shouldn’t fear.  I remember sitting around the television on September 11, 2001, and thinking to myself as well as expressing to my children that we shouldn’t be afraid.  We had been following the commandments of God and we will be protected and even if something were to happen to us we had been baptized and sealed together as a family.  I knew that we shouldn’t fear what happened or what will happen, as long as we are righteous and obey the commandments.  I still feel the same today and so do my children.  We are truly free from fear.

The freedom from want is one that I feel strongly obligated to teach my sons.  They will one day be the head of a household and have to provide for their family. I want them to be able to get and keep a good and honest job, to be good citizen, a wonderful father, a faithful husband and an obedient Priesthood holder.   I only have one daughter and I want her to be able to choose a young man like the ones I am raising. That means I need to educate my children so that they can be good family members, citizens and spouses. I want my children to always live free from want.

The founding fathers put “freedom of speech” as part of the first amendment to the United States Constitution. It is upon this principle that the gospel was able to reach my family and my husband’s family.  Thankfully both of these families join the Church and today practice the freedom of speech.  I can attest that my children are not afraid to speak their minds and do so regularly.  One day my sons will be able to practice their freedom of speech as they take the gospel message to others. We are free to speak.

Along with freedom of speech, the first Amendment also says that Congress can “…make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” As our family has been studying different cultures the past few years, our hearts are sadden when we read about governments who had or still have laws dictating to their citizens what and who they will call their gods and who and how they will worship.  As my family has studies our family history in our school we have found that our family has not always enjoyed the freedom of worship.

In the 1840’s Norwegians didn’t welcome the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our family suffered because of the persecution.  In the 1500’s our family was thrown out of two countries for their religious beliefs and that same family was thrown out of England in the 1600’s because they worshiped differently than the government told them to.  I never want my children to fear because of how they worship. We are free to worship.

As the United States of America celebrates its 232th birthday, think about the freedoms we enjoy.  Not just the four freedoms that Norman Rockwell painted about, but the freedoms we get because we live in the free country we do.  The freedom we get because we are serving the Lord and the freedoms we get because we are a Child of God.   My family, like those in Normal Rockwell’s paintings, is free from want and fear, free to speak and worship and we are free to choose life, love, happiness and righteousness.  My God always bless us with freedom forever.

Where Are Your Scriptures?

If I were a betting person, I’d wager that you, like all other LDS homeschoolers (and many LDS families who don’t homeschool) start the day with scripture study and/or some kind of devotional. That’s great!  Way to follow the prophet! Way to arm and teach your kids and invite the Spirit into your home and lives! I commend you! You are fantastic!

But what do you do with your scriptures after that? Do you then put them on a shelf or under the couch until the next day?

For the past several years I have taught a class on incorporating the scriptures into every school subject.  I bring a shoe box and a patchwork quilt to hold up at the front of the class. I then ask, “Do you compartmentalize the scriptures, putting them in a box, just for scripture time? Or are your scriptures more like patches of the quilt, together with other facets of education, the thread of the quilt being the gospel, which ties all things together, and the quilt being something that with beauty warms, protects, instructs, and comforts you always?” You see, I don’t believe the “other” subjects to be solely secular, but all parts of a great whole.

Galileo said, “Mathematics is the pen with which God has written the universe.” It’s evident when you look. God is the Supreme Scientist. I could go on and on with every “secular subject.” Education isn’t supposed to be a checklist, or the filling of a pail full of facts, but the training and molding of a being—an eternal being—and the process by which we become.

Education is also about coming to know the truth. It only makes sense to infuse every subject with all the truth that is available and see how it all goes together. It is truth that 1+1=2, and also truth that there is mathematical order to the structure of the Solar System. Additionally, the more you use the scriptures, the more you’ll have the Spirit, and the more your mind will be blessed to learn and retain.

In my homeschool, the scriptures are an essential part of our curriculum. It’s expected that along with pencils and notebooks and whatever other regular school supplies, everyone will have their scriptures “right there” ready to go.  I try my hardest to bring the gospel into everything. Sometimes it’s really easy, sometimes not as much. But I try. I use the Standard Works as well as the words of modern prophets and Church magazines. I have found that there is always a way if I seek it.

We don’t have any time or length or frequency quotas. Sometimes I have to really search and study, and sometimes, in the middle of a lesson, the Spirit reminds me of a scripture or article I read to insert at just that moment that I didn’t see coming. Often, while looking for one thing, I’m led to others things in addition to or instead of what I thought I needed, or that I’ll need in the future but don’t know it yet and feel prompted to bookmark it.

Now, when people come to my class, it isn’t difficult to convince anyone as to the merits of schooling with the scriptures. The hard part for most people is in the application. So, here is a very small assortment of ways to bring the scriptures into your everyday educational subjects.

History – It’s no secret that the scriptures are full of history.  I would hope that any time you study the times and places in world history for which we have scriptural accounts you will include them. In both history and science there are discrepancies between what we know from revelation and what the world accepts as fact based on limited physical evidence or ignorance or rejection of additional records.  A wise teacher will seek the guidance of the Spirit as she presents all the information and helps her children learn and discern truth.

In addition to straight historical information, attention to prophecies and warnings and comparisons of peoples, choices, actions, civilizations, governments, and events through all generations would be wise.  Who were the good leaders, who were the bad, and what made them so?

Science – The scriptures speak of all branches of science.  In the case of chemistry add these scriptures to your studies: Particles – Moses 1:27 and 7:30; Water Cycle – Genesis 1:6-7 and Ecclesiastes 3:7; Elements – D&C 93:33 and 3 Nephi 24:3.

As you learn of the miraculous wonders of the human body, what it’s made of, how it works, and what it needs, consider the following scriptures among many more: Moses 3:7, “Fall of Adam” entry in the Bible Dictionary, Moses 6:59, Leviticus 17:14, Psalm 104:29.

There is a multitude of scriptures on astronomy, including the order of the universe, celestial bodies, rotations, and seasons.  Long before the world accepted a heliocentric view, Alma and the Nephites knew what was true (see Abraham 1-3, Alma 30:44, and Helaman 12:15, among others).

The animal kingdom is chock full of gospel lessons and symbols.  Ants teach us of industry and preparedness (see Proverbs 6:6 and 30:25).  The life cycle of salmon symbolizes enduring to the end (see D&C 24:8 and 2 Nephi 31:20).  Polar bears humbly show humans what it takes to be a good mom:  sacrifice, teaching, playing, snuggling, defending, and an example (see the Proclamation on the Family and Topical Guide entry “Family, Children, Responsibilities toward”).  Creatures of the very deep sea have their own bioluminescence; they are lights in dark places—even when there doesn’t appear to be anyone there to see it (see Matthew 5:14-16 and 3 Nephi 15:12).  Of course, all animals show us we are here to fill the measure of our creation, encouraging us to do what we’re meant to do and become who we’re meant to become.

Math – Right and wrong get no clearer than in math! We’ve been given the formula and functions we need for eternal life. When there is an unknown, it’s all about problem solving—just “ask” the Brother of Jared.  A reluctant learner of algebra may need Proverbs 4:7, including the footnote, and a nervous test taker may need the end of D&C 38:30.

More than this, much math can be done with the scriptures. From simply learning numerical order by locating scriptures to introducing ratios with the rotations of Kolob:  Earth, the material is there to work with.  A Scripture Story Problem can begin each child’s math lesson and it’s not hard to do.  For example, read Proverbs 18:10 and then say, “If you have 4”x6” bricks and you need to build a tower with walls 100’ high and 7’ wide, how many bricks would you need for one wall?  How many for 4 walls?” Then emphasize that no towers built by man compare to the power of the Lord for protection.  Read Psalm 5:2 and then tell the children to count the number of syllables in the verse and create a division problem in which the quotient is the same number as the number of syllables.  Then you could discuss how the Lord hears every word of our prayers.  Read the story of Samuel the Lamanite and create fraction problems:  “If 100 arrows were shot, and ¾ of them hit the wall, how many arrows hit brick?  What fraction of them then missed Samuel in the air, and how many arrows was that?”  (You would, of course, need to establish that these numbers are hypothetical, as well as perhaps the arrow trajectory, as the scriptures aren’t that specific.)

Language – The most obvious way to use the scriptures is in reading. Because it’s obvious we may overlook its importance for the developing reader. I testify to you that the quickest way to make a strong reader is to immerse them in the scriptures, even when it seems too hard. I have had children who struggled with basic readers but took off with scripture reading. It made all the difference.

Many of the skills necessary to acquire can be learned and practiced in the scriptures:  alphabetical order, dictionary skills, reading a table of contents.  If you’re learning the parts of speech, it’s easy to read the story of Noah or Jonah or Daniel and have the children point out nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions and so forth. Vocabulary and word origins abound.  Practice penmanship with scripture passages.  Work on comprehension, application, and literary creation by turning scripture stories into newspapers, newscasts, plays, puppet shows, artwork, crossword puzzles, picture books, etc.

Bruce R. McConkie wrote in Mormon Doctrine,

“In the broad sense of the word, the process of living on earth, of seeking to work out one’s salvation with fear and trembling before God, is in itself a course of education; it is a system of training, study, and discipline whereby the mental and moral powers are schooled and prepared for graduation into the eternal realms.

“…the saints are under command to ‘teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom,’ to learn all expedient ‘things that pertain unto the kingdom of God,’ and to gain a knowledge of countries, kingdoms, sciences, arts, and every form of learning, so that they can both work out their own salvation and carry the message of salvation to the Lord’s other children. …

“Education is gained primarily from the Spirit of the Lord by revelation and secondarily from study, research and investigation….”

The Topical Guide of the LDS Standard Works and the search engine at lds.org have become the most oft-used of any tools available to me, because in the end, I homeschool my children not to prepare them for the ACT or the workforce—I homeschool my children to prepare them for exaltation.

Bookstore Mom

We were at the Tattered Cover Bookstore, in Cherry Creek, Colorado. It is a three story bookstore that sits on 1/2 a block. It was crowded, even for as big as it was...

That is when I spotted a mother and child sitting in the Children's area. You could tell it was a weekly outing for the two.  There they were snuggled up with a book.  They were not rushing around madly looking at the wide array of children’s books that filled a whole floor.  We were in awe at the thousands of books that filled just the children’s area.  But, there the two sat content with just reading 1 book.  Oh, yes, there was a small stack next to them.  Books that they would read and a small pile of books they had gone through.  They didn’t look like they were going to buy any of them, but they were thoroughly enjoying the ones they held at the moment.

The mother knew the store.  She had been there many times.  They knew where the chapter books were, where the new arrivals were, and they knew where their favorites sat on the shelves.  Many times, they were content.

I, on the other hand, was frantic.  Where to begin!  How in the world could we see everything today?  There were so many areas that I wanted to explore.  The kids just seemed to slow me down.  They wanted to stop and read, I was determined to cover acreage…I wanted to see what was behind every new nook and cranny.  It was like a candy store—colors, flavors, etc.  How in the world could I decide where to begin or be happy just looking at a few books?  I wanted to see all of the displays, fan through the fiction, rummage through the references, search through the sale items, and hunt through the histories.

This bookstore was like going to a museum.  You might as well buy the family membership because you will not see everything in one day.  Take your time to really enjoy where you are.  You will never be able to teach all of the curriculum that you bought and is gathering dust on the bookshelf.  Similarly, you will never be able to learn all there is to learn about Ancient Greece.  When your child’s interest begins to wane, take the hint!  And, smile that you had a taste, learned something, and then, let it go.  Promise yourself that you will come back another time, when you have more time to spend, or your child is older and ready for a larger in-depth meal.

Socialization Happens at Home - By Marisa Corless

(From 2007)

I recently was asked on an email list that I belong to the age-old question, "But what about socialization?" I have heard it many times when I mention that we homeschool. The question of concern is never “What about education?” The question is always about socialization. As I have reflected and continue to reflect on this question and what it means and why I am not worried about socialization, a few things have occurred to me.

My idea of socialization is the ability to interact and "socialize" with people of all races, ages, creeds, and industries as well as the ability to work out and resolve conflict. Thus, socialization occurs at the grocery store, at the library, at the restaurant, at church, in an enrichment class I might put my child in like art or music or drama or soccer, at homeschool group activities like park days and field trips, but most of all, socialization occurs at home.

Today I took my kids to Jump Planet, which is a large warehouse of bounce houses. There were many kids running around. I watched as my son, who is four and a half, herded, protected, and played with his almost three-year-old sister. He climbed to the tops of slides and waited for her, encouraging her, and cheering her progress. When they got to the top of the slide, he would take her hand, or in one instance he scooped her onto his lap (he is only about eight pounds heavier and eight inches taller than she is) before sliding down. As they walked around the place he talked to her, asking her where she wanted to go and making sure she was safe. My heart melted as I watched him put his arm around her and help her get to the next place they were going. In the parking lot as I carried library books and my four- month-old baby, my son grabbed his sister’s hand and made sure she got to the other side of the driveway safely. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for him to hold doors open for me, and after I have walked through to continue to hold the door open for anyone else that may be behind me waiting to enter the building. By being homeschooled, my son is learning manners, service, and courtesy. He is learning compassion for others.

My daughter is also becoming a socialized person. By being at home my daughter is learning how to be a mother and help her baby sister. She practices with her dolls and is frequently found carefully putting her baby in a sling, nursing, or borrowing her sister’s swing, into which she carefully buckles her doll. She learns how to ask her brother for the things she needs or wants. She learns how to use her words and to negotiate and compromise. Both of my older children are learning patience because I am not able to always attend to them when I am attending to the baby. On top of all this, my children learn to resolve conflicts, respect differing opinions, and are developing eternal relationships.

I have watched many homeschooled children at park days and field trips and other get-togethers. I have seen first hand that they exhibit the characteristics of a socialized person to a greater degree at a younger age than do their traditionally schooled peers. I have seen that rather than seeking out only same aged peers, these children seek out friends in the crowd. They look out for one another, they love one another, and they respect one another. As a result, I don't worry about socialization anymore and I strive to show people that socialization really isn’t a concern with homeschooling.

To Thine Own Self Be True

A long time ago, on a homeschool day far, far away, my husband was chatting online with the father of another homeschooling family, the two dads comparing notes on what their wives and kids were doing. My children and I were off on some field trip (the third one in less than two weeks) and our friend’s family was doing their regimented reading and assignments.  The fathers joked that my kids would turn out to be museum docents and the other family’s kids librarians.

Fast forward a few years to older kids with busier schedules, including sports and elective classes at the public high school. Fast forward to a mom with a few years more experience, but a few years more exposure to many other homeschool moms, curriculum, philosophies, and methods.  Fast forward to a frustrated homeschool far different from the one that day that was far, far away.

Why the frustration?  Shouldn’t those years have brought progress with all that experience and exposure?  Certainly—in some ways.  In others, however, I shamefacedly admit that as my children aged and I thought of course credits and transcripts and noticed what their peers were doing, I succumbed a bit to fearing the world and felt pressured to do more, educationally, like everyone else, and less, philosophically, like we’d always done.  In short, I panicked.

It didn’t feel right. I’m not saying everything was wrong; there were many good days and triumphant ways. But overall, something was missing. I felt trapped and confused and unhappy. I sensed that my children weren’t as happy as they had been. I felt that I was being forced and I was thus consequently forcing my children…but to do what? I wondered how something so right (homeschooling—I knew we were supposed to be doing it) could feel so miserably wrong.

Then came the happy accident. It was a week that we were behind, in many ways, the intended paperwork backing up. But by the by it felt like we’d done more with the week than usual, and we were happy and fulfilled.

 It started with “Temple Tuesday.” A new video came out that I wanted to show my kids and I had a strong impression that we should just go walk the Logan temple grounds that morning and talk about how we felt being outside, how nice it was inside, and how to prepare for the day when they could each go inside.  I knew it would take most of our time together in the morning, but I also knew that we should go. In the end we had a very lovely morning that seemed to really matter.

When we returned home, we found a flood from an upstairs bathroom leaking through the floor and thus the ceiling to the downstairs family room.  Ugh.  It pretty much halted things, including my enthusiasm for all things “home” related and “school” related.  I had a serious mess to deal with.  But the morning had been so good that even though we didn’t “get much done” the rest of the day, it felt like a good school day.

Meanwhile, the autumn colors were bursting in the nearby canyons and I was longing to be immersed in them. Perhaps it was running away, due to the new yuck in my house, but the next day I cancelled the afternoon reading and writing and we spontaneously headed up the canyon to hike and hunt fossils. It was glorious! We had good hunting, great learning, and we enjoyed every minute of it, even and perhaps especially waiting for my eight-year-old to pick up every fallen red maple leaf. She was giddy with fall and fossils.

Then, a few days later, the public schools were out for parent-teacher conferences. This meant that my older sons’ afternoon classes were cancelled and we had an entire day all together instead of just half. My oldest son had a class requirement to fulfill that involved visiting an art museum, so I planned an entire day of outings around it. It was a long day, lightly planned, but with lots of room to follow our noses.  We delighted in all we saw and did. We ended our adventure with a sunset hike up Ensign Peak, overlooking the Salt Lake Valley, and as we descended the mountain, feeling “full,” it hit me. This was a homeschool day from far, far away. This was what was missing. This was freedom and clarity. This was how it all began, how it was always meant to be.

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Polonius rightly advises Laertes,

This above all:  to thine own self be true,

And it must needs follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

It was gradual, but over the years, I had slowly moved away from my true self. In my panic I had fixed what wasn’t broken and been false to some of the ideals our homeschool was founded on. There was nothing inherently wrong with the things we were doing in our homeschool, but because it wasn’t true to what was right with our homeschool, it wasn’t what was right for us.

Now, I am not advocating field trips as the only way to homeschool. There is no one right way, and I would never suggest such a thing. I wouldn’t even suggest regularly taking three field trips a week, even for my family, who just really thrives on field trips. Too many would be irresponsible. What I am suggesting is that everyone has a homeschooling niche.  Maybe you know yours, maybe you haven’t discovered it quite yet, but find it and stick to it.

Before all of this happened, as I had tried to gear up for a new school year while wondering what was wrong with me, I closely observed the homeschools of two friends and compared theirs to mine. Their ways were very different from mine, and very different from each other.  I didn’t like their ways. There was nothing wrong with them, but every fiber of my being reared at the thought of copying them. Even one of my children commented that he would “hate to homeschool like they do.”  I marveled at it, especially since their children seemed to be thriving in their individual circumstances.

Every homeschool is different.  Every family has something that works for them.  No matter what else anyone else is doing; no matter how beautifully it seems to be working for them; and no matter who is telling you what you should do, to thine own self be true.

Fun Reading Ideas:

1. Read to them. JJ and I just finished reading Hatchet by Paulsen. Perfect for 10 year old boys--it's about a 13 year old boy who crashes in an airplane and must survive alone in the Canadian Wilderness. Try to make reading time a special time-not just torture! (For one book JJ and I played tag with the book. We read together and I always stopped at an exciting part then left the book. Often I would find him reading it. Then I would try and catch up by taking the book from his room...)

2. Let them see you reading. Example just can't be over stated! Make the time to read. (this is frustrating for me - I want to keep doing things!) When the kids see their father read it is 10 times more powerful. (This was an actual study!)

3. Talk about things you've read at the dinner table. We give book commercials - advertising works for TV, why not for reading - tell about a favorite book or article you read.

4. Kids go through phases! Each of our kids has gone through a comic book phase, where all they wanted to read was Garfield and Calvin and Hobbs books. I am enduring this phase but keep reading them books I want them to hear.

5. Get the whole family involved - have aunts, uncles and grandparents tell what they've been reading or ask them to encourage your kids to read. Is there someone in the ward or neighborhood your kids respect and admire - ask about what he or she likes to read.

6. Go to the library or bookstores. Our kids get Christmas money from grandparents - and we always use it for books.

7. Do activities that remind you of the book. After reading Hatchet, we watched Swiss Family Robinson. We also tried making a fire without matches. We talked about getting our son a pocketknife for Christmas, etc.

8. Use thought-provoking questions to make kids think more about what you are reading. Avoid the worksheet approach. This can pretty much kill any enthusiasm over reading (coming from an elementary teacher, I should know!)

9. Books on CD. We listen all the time. One of our favorites: Peter and the Star Catchers. - its very well read and a great story!

10. Tumble Books - kind of for the younger set, but we all stop and listen when they start reading a book. Most libraries have a subscription.

11. Brain Pop (ok, it's not a reading site, but it is a favorite of ours.

12. Buy them a bedside lamp. You’d be amazed at the reading that happens at night. They can turn off their own light.

13. Buy informative magazines for kids. There is a lot of them out there. Go to the library and check them out.

Don't expect your kids to jump right into reading. They sometimes don't do things just to spite you or irritate you. Just keep reading - they will follow suit!

The most important thing about reading for us is to learn to love it. Books can take you anywhere and teach you things, but only if you open them up! Encourage that love of reading and you've accomplished more than you know.

Need a great place to find good books? Read "The Read Aloud Handbook" by Jim Trelease (I think that this should be required reading for every parent. It lists great books to read aloud in the back.) Ask the librarian, or friends. Also, Book Adventure has a great way to look up books. Have your child look up the kind of books they like.