Multi-Tasking Subjects

My favorite part of homeschooling is when I gather my children in our comfy school area and do Bible time which is followed by any other teaching on my list for the day. I read to the children, do math drills and spelling tests all from the comfort of a recliner with my coffee close at hand.

One way I pack a little extra learning in is by assigning the children with some copy work or art while I am reading aloud. I have recently started reading Little House in the Big Woods, which the older children have all heard, but the younger ones have been eagerly anticipating. Even Ezra who is 3 sat enthralled as I read about the panther chasing Grandpa's horse in the first few chapters of Big Woods. As I was reading I also gave the children another page to complete in "I Can Do All Things," the art curriculum by Barry Stebbing which we are working through this summer. Some of these art lessons are a bit simplistic for my older children, but it is a nice opportunity for them to mindlessly draw and color while I am reading. The finished products also make great presentation sheets for a thank you note or get well letter.

Homeschooling does involve some tedium. Getting busy boys to sit and concentrate on math lessons or to redo copy work so that it is actually legible can be a drag. However, I can think of few things that are more enjoyable than sitting in a quiet room reading, while surrounded by busy artists who I have had the privilege to nurture from their conception.