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The Teaching Home
E-MAIL NEWSLETTER
Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement
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Number 30
March 7, 2003
Cindy Short and Sue Welch, editors
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You are welcome to forward this newsletter in its entirety.
Table of Contents
15-Part Series on Basic Skills
Reading Comprehension: Evaluation
Spiritual Evaluation
Music, Movies, Games, and Toys
Teaching Discernment Through Literature
Recommended Resources
Usborne Children's Books
The Teaching Home Back Issues
Builder Books: Discount Catalog
Startwrite Software for Handwriting Worksheets
Worship Guitar Class Videos
Sunny Side Up: Humorous Anecdote
Greetings!
One of the most important skills we can teach our children,
in today's world, is how to evaluate everything they read, hear,
or see in light of God's Word.
You will find specific and simple questions in this issue that
you can use to teach your children this essential evaluation skill.
May the Lord bless you and your family for His glory.
Sincerely,
Pat, Sue, Heather, Holly, and Brian Welch
The Teaching Home is a 22-year-old, home-school family business.
http://www.TeachingHome.com
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Usborne Children's Books Make Learning Easy and Fun!
* Clear text with high research and educational standards.
* Many colorful illustrations, photographs, maps, charts, etc.
* Plus activities, humor, surprises, flaps, cut-outs,
stickers, etc. "Teaching with Usborne Books" helps you
select and use books in your home teaching. Also
opportunities for home sales. http://www.nancy.lotinsky.com
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15-Part Series on Basic Skills
by Cindy Short and Sue Welch, editors
Our 15-part series is written to help you evaluate your
children's skill levels and help them improve in those areas.
Topics include:
1. Listening (#18)
2. Word Analysis/Phonics (#19)
3. Vocabulary (#21)
4. Reading Comprehension: Knowledge (#23)
5. Reading Comprehension (#25 & #26)
6. Reading Comprehension: Analysis & Synthesis (#28);
Reading Comprehension: Application (#29)
Reading Comprehension: Evaluation (#30) (This Issue)
7. Spelling
8. Capitalization & Punctuation
9. Grammar
10. Writing & Penmanship
11. Visual Materials
12. Reference Materials
13. Math: Concepts & Computation
14. Math: Problem Solving
15. Thinking Skills, Logic, and Speech
Reading Comprehension: Evaluation
In this issue we will consider the last aspect of reading
comprehension -- evaluation.
Evaluation is the process of judging material on the basis
of certain criteria and personal standards such as the following:
Truth (consistent with God's Word)
Morality (upholding Godly standards of behavior)
Accuracy (correct factually)
Realism (portraying life as it really is)
Validity (arguing logically without fallacies)
Value (important, helpful, relevant, edifying)
Excellence (skillful, thoughtful, thorough)
Beauty (the choice and arrangement of words, images,
and ideas are attractive, touching, moving, appealing
to the senses, emotions, and mind)
The arts (visual art, music, and literature) need to be
evaluated on two levels: their intrinsic value and their
worldview message.
Dr. Francis Schaeffer did a definitive work on this subject
in his book and video series "How Shall We Then Live?" All high
school students should be acquainted with these principles.
http://www.christianbook.com (Type Schaeffer in the search box.)
Capitalize on situations that provide opportunities to give
oral and written judgments on stories, articles, and reading
selections. Be willing to discuss these judgments with your
child. Be sure to keep it in a biblical perspective.
(See specific suggestions below.)
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Buy Teaching Home Back Issues Online
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Find Information, Inspiration & Encouragement
Select from 51 Never-Out-of-Date Back Issues
Search for Topics You Need
Each Issue Is Pictured and All Articles Are Listed
Practical How-Tos & Teaching Tips
Visit The Teaching Home Website for:
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Home Schooling.
http://www.teachinghome.com/started/q&a/index.cfm
Articles on Home-School Basics.
http://www.teachinghome.com/started/index.cfm
50 State Organizations with Links (Plus Other Countries).
http://www.teachinghome.com/states/index.cfm
126 Classified Suppliers in Our Resource Directory with Links.
http://www.teachinghome.com/resources/index.cfm
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Spiritual Evaluation
* Each day as you read aloud to your children, encourage them
to talk about the spiritual aspects of what you read.
* Keep a list of discussion questions in the book you're
reading. These can be used with Christian or secular fiction,
biography, nonfiction, or videos.
* Pick a few appropriate questions from the following list to
ask each child:
__ What does this story show about the character of God?
In what ways does God reveal His power, love, justice, or
other attribute?
__ What did the characters do to honor or dishonor God?
What was the result?
__ What was the biggest problem the character faced?
What action, if any, could have been taken to avoid this problem?
What would you have done in this situation?
How can the character overcome the problem?
__ If the person in this story had known, obeyed, and trusted
God, how would the story be different?
Did any of the characters pray to God? What was the result?
__ What talents or abilities has God given the characters?
How do they use these?
__ Do the characters exhibit any of the fruits of the spirit:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, or self-control?
__ Who or what does each character love most?
__ How was God involved in this story?
How do the characters know God is there?
__ What Bible verses or passages relate to this story?
__ What Bible characters were in a similar situation?
How did they handle it? What was the outcome?
__ If you could talk to the characters in the story, what would
you say to each one?
by Merri-Jo G., Delaware. Reprinted from The Teaching Home.
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Music, Movies, Games, and Toys
All media input needs to be evaluated in the light of the
principles that are contained in the Bible.
The following questions will help you and your child
evaluate anything from a Godly point of view.
__ What belief system and/or doctrines are evident or advocated?
__ What values and philosophies are evident?
__ Is supernatural power evident?
If so, is it the power of the one true God of the Bible,
or is it occult, witchcraft, psychic, satanic, or New Age?
__ Are your imaginations and thoughts steered in a wholesome
or unwholesome direction?
__ Does it depict immorality; is it sensual or immodest;
does it arouse lust?
__ Does it glorify evil or violence?
__ Is the language clean?
__ Will it build godly character?
__ Would Jesus look at it, listen to it, play with it?
Would you, if Jesus were visibly standing at your side?
(Adapted from article at http://logosresourcepages.org/acceptable.htm.)
For reviews on movies and videos see:
Plugged In Film Reviews http://www.family.org/pplace/pi/films
Screen It Entertainment Reviews http://www.screenit.com
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Startwrite Software: The Handwriting Worksheet Wizard
Startwrite Software lets parents create fun,
meaningful handwriting worksheets for their children
to practice handwriting. Features include: Italic and
Italic Cursive fonts, stroke arrows, clipart, guidelines.
Spanish and math fonts. On-line Download - Only $39.95.
http://www.startwrite.com
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Teaching Discernment Through Literature
You can sometimes use literature that contains objectionable
elements to teach positive traits.
If the material is not too explicit in it's depiction of
evil and the moral tone is acceptable, then you can carefully
teach your more mature students to discern as they read.
The best way is to read aloud together and stop frequently
to discuss these points as they come up.
__ Ask your children what biblical principle would be
illustrated or violated in what you've just read.
What does God think of it?
In examining the moral tone of any piece of literature ask
these four questions.
1. Do we sympathize with and admire the character in spite of his
wrongdoing? This is dangerous, as our feelings of sympathy for
a realistic character could cause us to compromise our biblical
2. Does the plot encourage you to desire virtue and reject vice?
It should. (e.g., The plot should make you want estranged spouses
to be reconciled, not be with someone else.)
3. Does the resolution of the story reward good and bring
negative consequences for evil?
4. Does the theme conflict with God's truth? If it does, how and
where is the flaw? Obviously it will take a background of
biblical knowledge and a degree of maturity on the part of your
student before he will be able to adequately respond to this
question.
These thoughts were excerpted from an article in The Teaching
Home that was based on an article by Bob Jones University Press at
http://www.bjup.com/resources/articles/hsh/0303.html
http://www.bjup.com/resources/articles/hsh/0304.html
See more BJU Press articles on teaching listed by subject at
http://www.bjup.com/resources/articles/teaching.html
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Worship Guitar Class Videos, Vols. 1-3, by Jean Welles
Christian Guitar Lessons in the comfort of your
own home. Easy step-by-step lessons. Learn to play your
favorite worship songs with many new strumming and
picking patterns. Over 50 testimonies on our website.
http://www.worshipguitarclass.com/cgi-bin/at.cgi?a=221013&e=
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Pray for Our Nation
I exhort therefore, that, first of all,
supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority;
that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life
in all godliness and honesty.
For this is good and acceptable
in the sight of God our Savior;
Who will have all men to be saved,
and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
(I Timothy 2:1-4)
* Pray for President Bush that he will continue to seek
the Lord's guidance and strength to lead our nation
and that he will be protected physically and spiritually.
* Pray for other world leaders to know and follow theLord.
* Pray for our troops that are deployed in the Mideast and
for their families at home.
* Pray that our nation will turn and truly be "under God."
* Pray that the Supreme Court will accept the Pledge of
Allegiance case and make a God-honoring decision.
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Sunny Side Up: History Survey
I was quizzing our 5th grader on American history while our
7-year-old was working at his desk. At the question, "What was
the Great Awakening?" he perked up his ears and had an answer.
"I know that one! That's when John Adams rode through the
town on his horse in the middle of the night to tell everyone the
Civil War was coming!"
Sent by Don and Gwen S., New York
You are also invited to submit your humorous anecdote.
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God Loves You.
Because we were separated from God by sin, Jesus Christ died
in our place, then rose to life again. If we trust Jesus Christ
as our Savior and Lord, He will give us eternal life.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of
works, that no one should boast" (Eph. 2:8, 9).
http://www.TeachingHome.com/about/salvation.cfm
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