Tips for Choosing Homeschool Curriculum

Choosing curriculum is a massive endeavor for homeschool families! Our family has been homeschooling our 3 boys since the beginning of their education; our oldest is now 15!  For the past 11 years, we have tried a variety of curriculum’s. May any insights I give be a blessing and helpful to you, dear mama❤️  Please take what you can and leave the rest!

2 key thoughts before we begin!

~ There is NO perfect curriculum - only a perfect God over all.  Our God is sovereign, unstoppable, and powerful. Your choice of curriculum cannot change our loving Savior’s heart for your homeschool.  I hope and trust that gives you a deep sense of hope.  

~ There is NO perfect homeschool parent - only a perfect God over all.   Any error you might make is covered in grace. Please, sweet mama, don’t forget this truth! 

With many options to choose from, may these tips benefit your curriculum search!

1. End goals ~ Homeschool with the end goal in view.  Let your curriculum choices be decided by the goals you have prayerfully made for each child.  Ask yourself if this curriculum will aid or impede these goals.

2. Worldview emphasis ~ What is the focus of the curriculum?  Does it meet the academic, spiritual, and emotional objectives that you have for your child?  Peruse table of contents, a few lessons AND read reviews from reputable reviewers.  

3. Cost ~  Financial tends to be a major decision factor in our curriculum choices.  If you find one that is beyond your budget, is there another one similar that would complement your budget better?  Can you purchase it used? Is there a family that might be able to lend it to you? Can you get part of it at the library? The library has been a HUGE blessing to our family in regards to cutting costs!

4. Homeschool Style ~  There are a variety of homeschooling styles - Charlotte Mason, Unschooling, Waldorf, Classical, Eclectic, Unit-Study based, or Roadschooling - to name a few.  What style best fits you and your children? Look for curriculum that matches your specific style before you look anywhere else! Try googling “Homeschool Styles Quiz” and get an idea of what you are.

5. Child’s learning style ~  The words auditory, kinesthetic, and visual learner are thrown around in the education world.  There is some real goodness in learning your child’s style. If they are a kinesthetic learner, then doing ALL worksheets might be challenging.  Although, there are ways you can do the worksheets that can make it into a kinesthetic-learning situation. In the past, we have a used a spelling curriculum that uses ALL 3 modalities together - what a brilliant idea! There are MANY ways to work with your child’s learning style.  

6. Practicality~  Look at your family’s lifestyle.  Are you a single mama homeschooling?  Are you a ministry family? Do you work from home?  Does your husband work out of town, so you have more on your plate?  Do you have long commutes to your extra-curriculars? Please take this into account when choosing curriculum.  If you are in the car quite a bit during the week, choosing audio readings of books or workbooks (if you don’t have a sweet car-sick child) would be convenient.  Ministry Mama, do you need to delegate some learning to an online course because you have counseling/ministry appointments? Super! Ask the Lord to help you make creative decisions for your family’s education that BEST suit your family’s lifestyle.  This is part of the beauty of the homeschooling journey.

7. Wise counsel ~  Proverbs 20.18 says “plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.” Please seek out women who have journeyed this road before you. What a blessing to have the wisdom and knowledge of those who have been walking this homeschooling road longer than us!  Such a gift!

8. Resources ~  Order catalogs (if you like to touch it and not just look online) from the companies that interest you most.  I keep them for the entire year, so I can reference them as needed. Find a couple online reviewers and bookmark their sites!  

9. Trusting God ~  Once you have made the best choice, trust our Savior!  God is good and can be trusted that He loves our children even more than we do!  Rest in His sovereignty, and go forth in Christ’s joy. Every year, I reevaluate our choices (sometimes in the middle of the year, if necessary) to see if we are on the right track or if we need to look into a better fit for a child.  No need to fret!

10. Prayer ~ Pray without ceasing! Ask God to guide and direct your search. God cares about the details of our lives, so offer up prayers regarding this exploration.

Homeschooling Mama, the Lord has called you to this job.  He placed your children in your family for His amazing purposes.  Be encouraged! Have a remarkable time choosing your curriculum for next year!

In His Grace ~ leigh anne

Contemplating Anxiety

Anxiety - what a word.  I am sure this word causes a different reaction for everyone.  Most of us either have our own story of anxiety or we know someone who does!  Clearly, we live in a culture that is familiar with its causes, effects, challenges, and lessons learned.  In my own life, anxiety has caused my family and me a great deal of pain and disruption throughout the years.  Yes, years, because my battle began in 4th grade. And after 30 years, I can honestly say that even through anguish, melancholy, & struggle, that God has sovereignly guided me every step along the way.  He has never forsaken me; He deserves all the praise for how He has carried me through it all and continues to carry me still! I know that He can take this struggle from me, but until/if He does, by His grace, I will continue to take one moment at a time by His kind and amazing grace.

Why on earth would I write a post on this subject?  The desire is for any friend who is walking this same road to be encouraged.  You are not alone. And, if anything that has encouraged me throughout this journey, can encourage you, then praise God!  

Here are some specifics on how I have walked this journey. 

1. Biblical Counseling ~ Words cannot begin to describe the depths of healing that have come through my precious counselor’s repeated speaking of the truth of Scripture into my life.  She helped me understand situations from God’s perspective, and at times, simply confirmed what I was thinking. Discipleship Ministry is what my counselor calls her line of work, and that, it TRULY is!  In fact, her phone number is one of the only numbers that I have memorized :)

2. Exercise ~ It gets my body moving and helps me get out of my head! I prefer outdoors, so I can deeply breath in the fresh air.  I take this time to walk in silence, sing, listen to podcasts, or chat with friends and family. This has been so helpful that I put my walks in the calendar to ensure that they happen!  Taking the time to focus on our own spiritual, mental, emotional, & physical health not only benefits us, but strengthens us to care for those around us well! So, please do not underestimate what 5 minutes of exercise can do for the body to release your anxiety and prepare you to love others well. (adaa.org)

3. Sharing with understanding friends & family ~ This is a HUGE one!  Opening up to select friends and/or family is freeing and helps them understand you.  It also might encourage those who struggle to open up, too, and it is always exciting to see God work in those moments to bring them freedom and encouragement.  They also remind me that I am not walking this road alone. We can encourage one another, and I can bounce thoughts off of them! I am EXTREMELY grateful for these dear friends.  

4. Medication/Supplemental options ~ This subject might be a bit controversial, so please hear my heart.  There is a time and place for anti-anxiety medication. I have needed anti-anxiety meds twice in my life, and I am grateful for this option.  What a gift that we have doctors who have studied the brain and understand how it works. On the other hand, I also take various whole-food based nutritional capsules, Omega’s, and a probiotic.  As I have researched, I have seen more and more that we must care for our bodies through good nutrition. It is simply unbelievable how what we place in our mouth affects the functioning of our body. By God’s grace, I do as much as I can nutritionally & medically, and trust the Lord to give grace through it all!

5. The Gospel ~ How does the gospel of Jesus refresh me?  When I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me. There was NOTHING I could do to earn the good news of salvation by faith in Christ alone by grace.  Nothing! Even though my earthly struggle of anxiety continues on, my Savior saved me, continues to love me, AND extend his marvelous grace to me every day.  I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t earn it. But He chose to give me this amazing grace. I have much hope and extreme thankfulness through life due to this spiritual gift!  

6. Scripture ~ The Word is FULL of scriptures to encourage us through this journey.  Here are some truth treasures from the Word!

• 2 Corinthians 4:15 says, “For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”

• 2 Corinthians 4.17 tells us that, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”  

• Proverbs 12:25 shares that, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”

• John 1:16 encourages us - “For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

• Isaiah 26:3 declares that, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

If anxiety is part of your story, may you walk in hope that it isn’t the end of your story.  God has allowed it for a purpose. Trust Him, and rest in the knowledge that God’s grace is certainly enough for you. 

In His Grace ~ leigh anne

*The Gospel Coalition posted an article entitled “Is Anxiety a Sin?” This article is helpful in understanding anxiety in general.*

***Please know these are ONLY my own experiences. I encourage you to seek medical help, pastoral counseling, etc… if needed!***

Church Planting Mercies

*Before we moved away from Happy Valley, a lady from our church wanted to know if I would blog about church planting, especially to keep people informed about the church plant.  Thanks to that dear lady, here is my first post about church planting!*

These first 7 months of the Terre Haute Church Plant have been a sweet whirlwind!  Our family has traveled all over to see family & attend conferences. Various family & friends have visited our new locale.  And… the church plant has begun!

First of all, words cannot begin to describe how grateful we are to the Lord for having the precious opportunity to church plant again.  Church planting is rigorous & challenging, yet full of unexpected graces & gifts.  

Secondly, our dear denomination has poured prayer, love, & training into our lives.  Again, thankfulness seems like such a small word for the great kindness they have bestowed on us.  Our cups are overflowing with all we are learning and all the Lord is teaching us about Himself, His people, and this world.  Personally, I attended a Parakaleo (ministry to church planting spouses) women’s event in Nashville. The goal was to equip each woman with gospel tools to encourage herself and others.  Wow! My heart was full with the reminders of how the gospel of Jesus Christ heals & restores us. 

So far, what have I been learning and reminded of on this journey?

1. God has created us for relationships - with Him & others.  Be a student of those around me. Ask questions; listen attentively.  Care more about hearing than being heard.  

2. Everyone has a story.  Be careful of pre-judging others actions & words.  I never know what they might have walked through. Live in compassion & kindness.

3. My home needs to be a haven of hospitality for the community - local & those further away.  The Gospel Comes with a Housekey by Rosaria Butterfield has been instrumental in this perspective.  Is my home full of grace & truth for the world? Living a grace-filled missional life is imperative as believers in Christ, but always with wise & life-giving boundaries.  I have found that this might look like people walking into a MESSY home or to me brushing my teeth :) Either way, hospitality must be part of the rhythm of my life.  

4. Live life on mission.  Boy oh boy, this has been tested these past 7 months.  With all the changes with the move, a son being diagnosed with food allergies, a car accident, sick parents, traveling, and numerous visits from friends and family have caused me to feel “done.”  When I have felt stretched super thin, I wonder how can I live on mission. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says that “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Walking through all of the above is part of my mission. The journey is just as important as the destination. My overall mission is to glorify God in ALL I say & do.  And, as a side note, it is just as important to live missional in my personal life as it is my non-personal life. This is a calling that only a gracious God can enable me to live out.

5. Community is key.  If I didn’t realize it before now, I do now!  I look forward to our monthly worship services, and Lord willing, weekly services soon (hmm… part of that may be that I have a huge crush on the preacher 😍)  Truly, there is nothing like being connected with others who are walking on mission alongside of you!  

6. God is full of grace upon grace.  I have been in absolute awe of how God has graciously provided care for our family through various means.  Why do I doubt God’s goodness? Why do I question His care? I am hopeful that these rocks of remembrance are seared into my heart & mind - that I don’t ever forget His concern & tenderness towards me. 

7. Finally, for now, our family is right where the Lord wants us.  Time and time again, the Lord has affirmed His calling to be in the Midwest.  I would be fibbing if I said the transition from east-coast to the Midwest has been easy.  God has never called His people to what is always easy, but to obey & trust His good heart.  May I be able to say that through His strength, His grace is enough for me.

Friends, thank you for your prayers for our family as we have joined the dear people of Terre Haute to share the living hope of Jesus with the city.  Please continue to pray for protection, grace to spew from our lives, & the hope of the gospel to transform lives.  

Living Hope Church’s mission statement is as follows:

“By God’s grace, we are living life as mission for His glory and the good of our city through proclaiming His word, building up one another, and engaging all people with the unshakeable hope of the gospel.”

In His Grace ~ leigh anne

Living with a Gospel Lens

Dictionary.com says that a lens is a piece of transparent substance - used in correcting defects of vision.  Being that I can barely see without my glasses and contacts, this is incredibly true in my life! Applied to our faith, we can literally be transformed by asking God to change the lens in which we look at life!  Simply amazing…

The past few years in particular have been especially life-changing; I have experienced the power of Christ’s gospel in a highly personal way and learned to use it as a lens to look at ALL of life - how I view myself, my hurts, emotions, motherhood, marriage, friendship, education, and more!  

You might be asking, what is the definition of the gospel?  Simply stated, the gospel is “good news or glad tidings.” More specifically, the gospel is good news and glad tidings of the grace of God for the forgiveness of sins to everyone who believes in Jesus!

Lovely cross at Christ’s Church in Midtown Atlanta, GA ~ what a beautiful picture of the gospel!

Why live with a gospel lens?

First of all, if we have faith in Christ, we have been redeemed by the Creator of the Universe.  Jesus’s decision to leave the comforts of heaven to die in our place is abundant proof that we are precious to Him and of eternal value. Living life with this lens frees us from everything like holding onto shame, living with bitterness, pleasing people, and much more. How BEYOND exciting!

Second, as believers in Christ, we are called to keep growing in the grace & knowledge of our Lord and Savior (2 Peter 3.18a). All of Scripture points to Christ, so the journey of faith is a lifelong process of God giving us eyes to see Jesus on every page of the Bible AND how to apply it to all of life. Furthermore, as we grow in His grace, we gain greater strength to bring Him glory and to truly live for the good of others.

Third, Christ is enough to heal all my shame, take away my sin, & redeem my broken places.  In Christ, this becomes your story as well as mine. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that we are a new creation in Christ - the old has gone & the new has come. Our gospel lenses remind us of theses amazing truths!

How on earth do I live this way?

Undoubtedly, there is not a strict plan for this, but I will share some thoughts I have learned along the way.

1. At our recent church planting assessment, one of the assessors asked my husband and me, “In your opinion, if there was an emoji for how God looked at you, what would it be?”  To say that was an eye-opening question is an understatement. I realized that God doesn’t look at me with a frown, smugness, or frustration like I often feel. Instead, He looks at me lovingly and graciously, and declares me as righteous in His sight because Christ has taken away all my sin.  Simply said, even though we sin, we must remember Christ smiles over us because of the cross. What spectacular freedom and deep soul rest this boundless love brings! 

2. Jerry Bridges shared a beautiful picture of the cross.  Essentially, as we grow in our faith, we come to know more fully the massive holiness of God and the vast depth of our sin.  As our understanding of both expands, we will be tempted to doubt and despair. However, the cross of Christ is larger than life and can bridge this gap for us, no matter how wide and deep! We can rest secure knowing that all of our sin & shame is taken away by our gracious Savior. 

3. Extend the same grace to others that Christ extended to me! I am certainly not perfect in this, but a work in progress! Of course, there is a time to rebuke a friend in truth, but living with the gospel at the forefront can bring much peace to relationships. I can forgive others like Christ has forgiven me through the gospel.

There is so much more to share, but may you be encouraged today! “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.” (1 Peter 3.12). Friends, please pray that you and I never forget that our righteousness is in Christ alone.  And pray that He would give us gospel lenses - eyes to see how His life, death, resurrection, and ascension apply to everything. May He truly shine His face upon each one of us so that our gospel lenses truly correct any deficit in our vision of all of life!

In His Grace ~ leigh anne

Planning for a New Homeschool Year

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”  Isaiah 26.3

Whew! It’s that time again!  

The ending one school year and the beginning of another year.  

Reflections on the previous year and the creation of new & exciting goals.

Laser-focus on organization, vision, & plans.

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As busy homeschooling parent’s, all of this can feel overwhelming in an enormous way!  

How do I fit this planning into my already full schedule?  

How do I begin to think about the previous year in regards to what went well & what needs to change?

How can I create a plan that focuses on what is most important?

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May I begin by stating… I am not an expert!

In the past, I have had some other homeschooling mama’s ask me what I do to prepare for my upcoming year, so I thought this might be helpful for other parents who are planning!

Simply put, these are ideas from one homeschooling parent to another.

Ideas from one mama who needs the Lord’s grace as much as any other. 

From another parent on the journey.

Please take what you can & leave the rest!  May you leave encouraged to live a thankful & grace-full life as you educate your loves at home!

Back in the days when I was teaching, planning for the upcoming year was imperative!  You need to match standards, goals, & curriculum all while meeting the needs of each child.  It was quite the undertaking. Due to my background, I have tailored some of what I did back then for our homeschool.

Kristy & I in DC at one of our planning times!

Each year, my sweet friend, Kristy, and I take a 3-day getaway, & we plan!  And… we shop & eat :) I know some of you are not able to do that, but may I encourage you to find time to get away & have quiet & stillness to focus, pray, & plan?  We typically do it in SUPER inexpensive (or free) ways!

For you, it might look like a 4-hour block at the local coffee shop or bookstore. It might mean an overnight at your parents because they can care for the kiddos while you plan on the back porch.  It also might look like 1-hour a day for a couple weeks while the kiddos are watching a show! I am not sure what your situation is, but pray that the Lord would show you how to get time to pray & plan!

Here is my typical plan at my homeschool planning times!

1. Spend time in God’s Word & pray. “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim. 3.16-17. What an absolute honor & gift that the God of ALL creation speaks to us through His Word.  HE will guide & direct us with much wisdom & grace. His Word gives us the most important goals for our children.  Pray throughout your entire time for wisdom to know what is best for your children. “Train up a child in the way HE should go...” (Proverbs 22.6b)  Praise Him!

2. Read, read, read.  During this time, I read parts of books, education magazines, websites, & blog posts that I haven’t been able to get to.  I try to use it as a “Mama University” time. Many people have done amazing research in the education field; with discernment, enjoy, learn, & grow!

3. Did you realize there are 168 hours in one week?  I write down everything that I need to accomplish in a typical week.  (In all honesty, we rarely have a typical week due to ministry, school, activities, my business, family, etc…)  I assign an amount of hours to each task. Remember tasks like showering/getting ready for day, exercise, grocery/meal prep, quiet time, errands, homeschooling, marriage, & friendship-time. Then I ask myself, how many hours do I have left, if any?  Do I have margin in my life? If I have over 168 hours of work, what must go in order to live a healthy life? Am I being realistic? Is the Lord being honored in my schedule? Does my schedule reflect the priorities God has given me? 

4. I take an honest look at each individual boy.  Emotionally, spiritually, mentally, academically, what are they doing well?  What do I need to focus on with them in the upcoming year? I write down these goals in my “homeschooling notebook” & try to implement them throughout the year. As parents given these children to steward, we must pray for our babies!  Pray that the Lord, in His amazing grace, would mold our children into people who love & follow HIm with all their heart, soul, mind, & strength. This has seemed to be a helpful way to individualize their home education.  

5. I print off the 12-month calendar on one page.  I map out vacations & days off. I have a general idea when we will start & end.  I add up each month and confirm we have all 180 days. Throughout the year, I try to keep up on this, changing things as needed.  Due to our move this year, we are ending a bit later than expected.  

6. On this same calendar, I look at the “extra” subjects/topics that I need/want to cover.  Topics like fire safety, safety, civics, specialized history, or physiology each get a specific month.  I like to take this with me to the library (when I remember:).) It reminds me what books need to be checked out in order to meet these goals with the kiddos, especially if we do not own them.  Also, if we have an upcoming trip, I will try to get books based upon that specific place to add to the richness of the trip.  

7. Then comes my intense research of specific subjects that might need changed for the upcoming year & study of each upcoming grade.  I open numerous browsers & catalogs and begin to read reviews, summaries, & snippets of the books/textbooks.  Another favorite is The Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise & Susan Wise Bauer; this book simply explains what each child should be learning in each grade. I start a section in my “homeschool notebook” for each child & my curriculum/title for each subject. I start a list of what we need & begin to try to find the most inexpensive route for each.  This searching tends to continue for about 2 months due to me trying to find the best deal!

8.  I put together a preliminary schedule for our homeschool & each boy individually.  This will include their individual Bible time, silent reading, exercise time, and possibly chores.  I do not usually keep to this schedule for the entire year, but it gives us a good springboard!

9.  I begin to create documents that I will need during the year, such as individual assignment notebook planner pages, reading strategy bookmarks, etc…

10.  Throughout this entire process, I keep an ongoing to-do list of what questions I need to ask people, what I still need to do, and what still needs researched.

Truth be told, I NEVER thought that I would be a homeschooling mama. Through the years, God has truly changed my heart. God often reminds me of the absolute gift it is to educate our children at home! 

As you plan, please remember there is much grace. You are not perfect, but you can point your child to the One who is!  Blessings to each of you as you plan & process for the glory of God!

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“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”  Proverbs 9.10

~In His Grace ~ leigh anne