I push the Secret Garden CD into the player, wait a few seconds then glance in my review mirror. I marvel at how four rambunctious, wiggly kiddos fall silent and still upon hearing the first sentence uttered in a thick English accent. For the rest of the hour long drive, I don't hear a peep. They're riveted. We've taken many detours and driven past our home several times in order to listen to the last minutes of our radio theatre stories. I've played these CDs since my oldest was very small and I'll play them until my youngest tires of them. My children know I love these stories and I have often paused them to explain what's going on when they were too little to fully understand. They're used to this riding and listening and I'm thankful.
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She reads Shakespeare to our children, only she does it through graphic novels and pauses to remind the kids, "Don't forget, this dude has a thing for Olivia." and "The jester really has a lot going on upstairs, if you know what I mean!" and "She totally digs him." They colour a Shakespearean scene and look up at the pictures now and then, but what they're really interested in is this mom's passionate explanations of the dialogue. At the end of the reading (in which my sister and I are stifling laughter the entire time), the kids can answer every question and we're blown away.
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They run into thrift stores because they're looking for a croaking frog for their Rainforest room. It's almost totally decorated and their projects are well under way. The kids are excitedly preparing for presentation day when all their homeschool friends arrive and they can show off all they've accomplished. Their mom has a love for science, especially biomes, and it's rubbing off in a big way. They spend extra time on the details of the room, their-larger-than-life paper maches, and their essays to make it all realistic. The result is nothing less than inspiring.
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She's all about "being there". She's intentional in planning outings that will deepen her children's love of learning. She frequents the Science Centre, the Pioneer Village, and other locations that foster a greater understanding for the theme in their current education. These children know what things look like, sound like, feel like, smell and taste like because this mom's desire is for them to truly know their subject beyond the books.
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Her fervor for dialoguing with the culture in an effort to share her faith in a relevant way leaks out to her kids. She reads to them and shows them videos that will stir their thinking and cause them to question what blanket ideas they have about people. She won't allow thoughtless answers, only ones that take another person's worldview and culture into consideration. She doesn't compromise the Gospel, but makes sure that her children don't judge others by some half-hearted standard. She wants them to love as Jesus loves.
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She doesn't have a lot of money for fancy curriculum but she is dedicated to getting the best resources for her children. She regularly uses inter-library loans, she frequents local thrift stores and borrows from friends and family. She prints lapbooks and other activities she finds online and uses every last book and idea she can squeeze out of her conscientious planning. Her children benefit from her routine and order and yet, fascinating ability to be flexible.
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What do all these mothers have in common? A love for teaching their children at home. No matter how they choose to implement their kids' education, their greatest credentials are their determination, God's blessing, and His mercy and grace. Gratitude runs through the veins of these women. Children love to learn from a momma who loves what they're teaching. These moms are thankful for the opportunity to be free to home educate and grateful for the little and big ones who've been entrusted to them.
A few fabulous resources for you...
