Our highest priority is to teach our children God's Word.

We can protect our family from error and counteract the worldly influences around us in no better way than by immersing our family in God's truth through systematic reading and study of God's Word.

Be sure your family's daily schedule includes daily time with the Lord.

 •  Set aside a time each day, perhaps while everyone is still at the breakfast or dinner table or before going to bed at night.

 •  Let God talk to you by reading His Word. You can read through the Bible each year in just 15-20 minutes a day.

 •  Take a few minutes to discuss what you've read. Recall facts, test comprehension with questions, expand understanding by paraphrasing, and make applications.

 •  In addition to your Bible reading, include praying, singing hymns and spiritual songs, and memorizing Bible verses.

If you don't do anything else in 2009, bring your family together to meet with the Lord each day!

You can read through the Bible in one year with your family by reading just 15 (or so) minutes a day.

When coming to your Bible reading:
 •  Pray for understanding.
 •  Be right with God and others.
 •  Be eager to hear God's Word.
 •  Be willing to do His will.

When reading your Bible:
 •  Seek for God in His Word.
 •  Note instructions to obey.
 •  Find and trust promises.
 •  Observe good (and bad) examples.

You can listen to an audio recording of the Scriptures while following along in your own Bible. This is especially helpful to get through the names in the Old Testament and to keep the pace from getting bogged down.

We have designed a unique Bible reading schedule with the following features:
 •  Start any month.
 •  Read 6 days a week (allows for church on Sunday).
 •  Read 4 weeks per month (24 days per month).

This gives you 4-7 days per month, counting the Sundays, to catch up and stay on schedule. We have organized Bible readings into three columns to facilitate different reading options.
 •  Column 1: Complete Bible (minus Psalms and Proverbs)
 •  Column 2: Psalms and Proverbs
 •  Column 3: Optional Second Reading of New Testament

These selections may be combined in different ways. For example:

 •  You may want to do one or two family readings of Columns 1 and 2 and use Column 3 for private or school reading.

 •  Alternatively, if you have very young children, you may want to do Columns 2 and 3 for your family reading and Column 1 for your private reading.

 •  Choose from five ways to read through the Bible: chronologically, historically, Old and New Testaments together, beginning to end, or blended, at Back to the Bible website.

 •  See five Bible reading plans in Over 50 Translations. Start reading on the 1st or 15th of any month. Special mobile edition. www.ewordtoday.com

 •  See unique schedules, including 31-day and 90-day plans at www.discipleshiptools.org.

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Take a look at the big picture.

 •  Review (or write) your family's mission statement — a declaration of your family's purpose in a simple sentence or paragraph which even a child can understand.  See Newsletter #80.

 •  What is working well?

 •  What needs to be changed or cut out?

 •  What needs to be added?

Consider your academic goals and how best to meet them. If you are on course, great! If you need help, try these ideas.

 •  Make the three basic skills of reading, writing, and math your first priority until the end of your school year.

 •  Add history, science, and other subjects whenever your basics are on schedule.

For reference, see the scope and sequence charts provided online by A Beka Books, Bob Jones University Press, World Book, or your state's testing preview site to view what material is suggested to be known by each grade level.

 •  Conserve time and effort by teaching several of your children together in one class, e.g., history, science, Bible, literature, and electives. Present the lessons with explanations that enable all your children to understand.

Instead of teaching all of your subjects every day, simplify your preparation and gain from your students' focus by teaching fewer, but longer, classes each day. Examples:

 •  Each week teach language arts on two days and math on the other three days.

 •  Each week teach language arts and science on two days and math and history on the other three days.

 •  Study history two months, then science two months.

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You can organize your time, space, and housework to make your home run smoothly with the least amount of time and effort.

Tools that work for you include:

 •  Monthly calendar for all family activities.

 •  Weekly calendar for plans and activities.

 •  Daily schedule – where the rubber meets the road!

 •  Lesson plan and record book to record your plans and check off what is done or to record unplanned learning. See the Homeschooler's Journal by Ferg n' Us.

 •  Running master to-do list from which you assign items to your monthly, weekly, or daily lists.

 •  A planner that contains all of the above in one notebook.

The more stuff you eliminate, the easier it will be to arrange your belongings in an orderly way.

 •  Keep boxes or large garbage bags labeled "give away," "sell," and "toss." Try to put some items in these each day and dispose of them once a week.

 •  Put away half of your children's toys at a time and rotate them from time to time.

 •  Update your chore chart so everyone knows what to do and when to do it.  See Doorpost's Service Opportunities Chart.

 •  Maintain daily chores of laundry, dishes, and pick up.

 •  Keep meals simple, healthy, and on time.