Wonder together as a family at God's mighty universe!
     "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; . . . O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!" (Psalms 8:3, 9)

 •  Begin with a good daily or weekly skywatching guide or star map so that you know what to look for.

 •  Pick a good viewing spot: your back yard or out away from city lights.

 •  View on a night without moonlight, so you can see meteors, the Milky Way, and more stars.

 •  Start with just your eyes to appreciate the expansive beauty of the entire night sky.

 •  Add a quality pair of binoculars. They are inexpensive, portable, provide a balance between magnification and light-gathering power, as well as enabling you to find your target better.

 •  Learn about the differences in telescope features before selecting a telescope.

 •  Use a reclining chair or lay on a sleeping bag.

     Get lots more tips for becoming a stargazer and look for an observatory with public access in your area.

     If your family gets really interested in the stars, consider using a unit study based on astronomy.

     See the many links to more information at Astronomy Education Resources and the U.S. Naval Observatory's Astronomical Applications Department.

     What can you do this summer to make things a whole lot easier for you all year long? Dejunk your house!
     The "Four-Box Dejunking Method" below is recommended by many experts to help you identify and dispose of clutter.

 •  Get four boxes and label them: Throw Away, Give Away or Sell, Storage, and Put Away.

 •  Make a decision about each item you pick up and place it in the correct box.

 •  Schedule time before you stop working each day to appropriately dispose of box contents.

    In newsletter #128, read more about becoming motivated to get your house in order, planning your decluttering strategies, finding a place for everything, and learning how to keep clutter out of your home.
     See "Yard Sale Tips."

     Look around and find someone to bless with one of the basic necessities of life — food. It will save them time, energy, and the finances to furnish it.
     Maybe it is your pastor's family, someone with illness or trouble in their family, a VBS director or teacher, an elderly neighbor, etc.

 •  Cook a double amount of your family's dinner and set aside half to take to someone -- either hot to serve immediately, or refrigerated or frozen to heat later at their convenience.

 •  One of your children might like to choose someone to help in this way as well as participate in planning and cooking the meal.

     See a complete freezer cooking guide.

     Sending out missionaries is a vitally important part of God's plan to save the lost, and your family can be part of your missionaries' support team!

 •  Ask your pastor or missions committee about preparing useful gifts to send to a missionary that your church supports.

 •  Communicate directly with your missionary to find out what you can provide that would be most helpful to them.

 •  If your missionaries are homeschooling, perhaps you could send them books or educational materials for the next school year. Also let them know that they can sign up for this free newsletter!

    Read more about supporting your missionaries all year long in newsletter #145 and Adopt-A-Missionary by Diana Armstrong.

     If your child is ready, you can teach him to read this summer — saving you much time and stress during the coming school year.

 •  Start with short lessons and gradually increase the length. If your child becomes frustrated during a reading session, stop on a positive note, rather than try to finish the lesson.

 •  Instruction materials can range from a simple manual to an extensive system with cassettes, workbooks, games, phonetic readers, etc. See Reading Made Easy by Valerie Bendt and a comprehensive, 184-page, 30-lesson online manual for teaching reading.
     A good phonics system will teach all the letter-sound connections used in English words, 87 percent of which can be read by sounding them out with the rules of phonics.

 •  See newsletter #97 for more in-depth information on teaching your child to read, including pre-reading phonics practice and teaching phonics step-by-step.

     Teaching your child to read does not need to be difficult — all you need are a few phonics resources, patience, and enthusiasm!

     It is very encouraging, as well as useful, to record all the books each of your children has read.

 •  For younger children you can make a large or small decorated poster and list the books they read with a simple plus or minus mark indicating whether you would recommend the book or read it again.

     Print and paste this simple form (or make your own) on poster board or construction paper and let your child decorate it with his own art, stickers, or photos cut from a catalog or magazine. You can also find an image of the book he has read on the Internet, print and cut it out and paste on the chart.

 •  For older children, notebook pages give space for more details such as:
- Book title and author
- Number of pages and date read
- Genre (nonfiction; present-day, historical, or science fiction; biography; fantasy, etc.), subject, or topic
- Overall rating (e.g., 1-5, with 5 = highest)

 •  You and/or your child can discuss and add a Christian worldview evaluation that might include the positive or negative examples set by the characters, whether good was rewarded and evil punished, etc. See more on evaluation of literature in Newsletter #23.

 •  A book report can also be attached. Print book report forms for fiction, biography, fairy tale (fantasy or science fiction), historical novel, mystery, non-fiction, and more.

 •  These records will be encouraging for your child to see how much he has read.

 •  They will be valuable for you to ensure that your child is reading a variety of genres and positive Christian worldview books.

 •  You will also be able to know which books are good for your other children to read and which books you can heartily recommend to others!

     Enjoy eating outdoors this summer. Best plan: keep it simple!

 •  Simplify your picnic menu to a few healthy finger foods (e.g. sandwiches, fruit, water, and dessert).

 •  Keep a few items on hand for a spontaneous picnic or stop by the deli for some ready-made items.

 •  Have a checklist and a picnic basket or box supplied and ready to go.

 •  Assign each child one task to get the picnic ready each time.

 •  Picnic in your own yard on folding tables or blankets, as well as in parks and places of interest.

     A couple's established habit of a daily debriefing can make their family's life run smoother and bring them closer together as husband and wife.

 •  Form a routine of debriefing at the same time in your schedule each day.

 •  Go over your family's goals, to-do lists, and schedules for the next day and week.

 •  Exchange any news gathered from friends and family.

 •  Discuss any child discipline or training issues.

 •  End on a positive note with words of appreciation and love.

 •  Pray together for your family's specific needs and thank the Lord for His blessings.

     This can become a precious time that you both look forward to.

     After you have set and reviewed your long-range goals for your children's education and training in all areas of their lives (see last issue), you are ready to determine specific goals and objectives for each of your children for the coming school year.

For goals to be useful, they need to be:
 •  Specific - what exactly are you aiming for.
 •  Measurable - how much and when.
 •  Obtainable - realistic, not overwhelming, yet challenging.
 •  Reviewed and revised frequently.

Examples:
 •  Daniel/Language arts - Learn to read this year.
 •  Jane/Life skills - Learn to make a main dish each month.
 •  Ryan/Math - Learn times tables.
 •  Kayla/Character - Be loving and helpful to little brother.

     These specific goals will take your children towards the long-range life goals you have set for them (see last issue).See more complete information in newsletter #81.