29. September 2008 by Shannon.

Bonnie commented on my blog post about Connect the Thoughts from a Christian Worldview:

I am trying to find out some things about Steven David Horwich and Google brought me to this post. I found his curriculum on CurrClick. I am trying to determine if the curriculum is built upon the Scientology theme. Are you a Christian? What do you know of the religious theme of Connect the Thoughts? I tried to access the Yahoo group you mention in this entry but it was not available.

I wanted to address in a new post my answers to these concerns (btw, I am doing this not as an “expert” on anything, but as my humbly offered opinion):

Connect the Thoughts is NOT religion based.  Not Faith-Based at all.  I am a Born-Again Christian and with the exception of the first course in Science, and the first course in History (and that one only a very little, and used it as a sounding board for my own faith based discussion) have read EVERY Upper School history course and found nothing offensive in it. 

I am helping with the editing of the courses (slow work with 4 kids underfoot er… underkeyboard?) and we are addressing aspects which could be construed as anti-God.  Steven Horwich has made every effort to be as neutral as humanly possibly in his POV as far as religion goes, and the courses offer NO Scientology references/theology/ideals or anything else.  He has done an exceptional job at producing something of incredible importance. 

Steven believes that in order to improve the world, people need to be educated.  He offers his courses at a often ridiculously low price to keep them affordable for the average person… shortly all written materials will come with the course (meaning, there will be no other books to buy as resource materials… I’ll be updating when this is finalized sometime in the next few weeks).

When I first posted this I’d only recently “discovered” CTT myself, but now I have worked with Steven quite closely and constantly amazed at what a compassionate and thoughtful person he is, having no intent to offend anyone.  He holds in very high regard those with ANY beliefs at all, as he says it is sad how so many now have no strong beliefs at all… or at least nothing that brings good to the world.

To put it in perspective… I am doing Apologia Science, and using CTT for history, Creative Writing (absolutely the best writing course out there!), Current Events, Art and my kids read all the time.  The reason I am not using CTT for science is because I like to do science as a family, and Apologia affords me a more conversational tone for science that I like, while keeping with my belief system.  CTT’s science is Very Good… but it must be understood that there is a clear separation of God/Creation and Science from his POV… but the courses themselves are very informative.  I think if I Christian were to skip the last lesson in the first course and move on to the next book, they’d do just fine with CTT Science courses… the last lesson has a fair bit of what can be interpreted as opinion (in my humble opinion), but the materials in the rest of the course and the following courses are exceptional.

I hope this has helped! :o)

You can find all the CTT courses at Currclick and OOPS - I goofed on the Yahoo group… here is it:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ConnecttheThoughts

Blessings!!

PS - for those who haven’t seen them… I wanted to share a picture of my “gang” doing school that I think I’m going to have blown up and framed to remind them what they *should* look like… LOL!

Around the table from back to front:

Chaeli (Pre-K), Kenzi (Gr7), Greyson (K) and Everett (Gr9)

Posted in Curriculum Choices, Great Finds, General Homeschool | Print | 5 Comments »

20. September 2008 by Shannon.

How I Taught My Child to Read for Less Than $1

Check out the great article above - it uses a book I know can be found on MOST homeschooler’s shelves in a natural (unscripted) way… I have 100 Easy Lessons on my shelf, it’s nice to think of a new way to use it.  Greyson isn’t liking it at all…. Chaeli isn’t too picky, she just loves the one on one time, any way she gets it! LOL!

I have some index cards in front of me right now, and a marker beside it… I think I’ll try this with the Littles and see how it goes.

I’m sorry I’ve been so neglectful of my blog of late, but I have been blogging!!! HONEST!  I’m trying to think of a new way to use this blog… maybe more as a forum of my own ideas about homeschooling or things we’ve tried and had work (because lots doesn’t work.. LOL!).  But as for the weekly stuff, we’ve set up a whole new system… go check it out!!!

www.homeschoolblogger.com/ratcliffeauthor - is Everett’s blog which he’s “required” to post in once a week for school.

www.homeschoolblogger.com/horseridergirl - is McKenzie’s blog, same deal.

www.homeschoolblogger.com/ratcliffeblessings - is the blog that I am keeping for updates on what Greyson and Chaeli are doing for school each week.  I get in there once a week, towards the end of the week to keep it current… as they do projects and the likes, we’ll take pictures and post those too.  I also am using it for the funny little things they say, which are abundant!

I also have a blog (well, it could be a blog or a website, right now it’s set up as a blog, but I can undo that…) called www.momlovesbooks.com.  I liked the name of the domain, but I’m not sure what to do with it now… I’d love to hear people’s ideas!!! PLEASE comment and tell me what YOU would do with it… hmmm… maybe I’ll offer a prize for the person with the idea I choose to implement… hmmm… what could I offer?  Let me think… hey, I know!

Alright… here’s the deal.  I a very nice copy of the book “How to be a God Chaser and a Kid Chaser” by Tommy and Thetus Tenney.  SO… leave me a comment about what I should do with my momlovesbooks website, and whoever’s idea I choose, I will send this book to, at my discretion (within Canada or the States - unless you want to help me with the shipping… sorry!).  Okay?  I promise to send it to someone - so y’all better come up with some good ideas!!! *grin* 

So… contest closing… hmm… how about the 1st of October at noon EST?  (this is getting technical!  I’m a homeschool mom, no one is allowed to jump down my throat if I don’t check or decide till after school that day, okay?  It just means you have a longer time to think of an idea! *wink*)

Be sure to leave me some way to get in touch with you! :o)

Blessings!

Posted in Chaeli, Great Ideas, Greyson, Kenzi, Everett, Blogroll | Print | 6 Comments »