Zeezok Publishing

Well, the end of another school year is in sight and, as always, it makes me feel a bit nostalgic and contemplative.   I find myself evaluating our curriculum choices, activities from the year, and in general assessing the heart and processes of our homeschool. This year has been unique for our family in many ways. We are on the road frequently with our ministry, which has provided many new and wonderful experiences for our children (sightseeing, meeting new people, lots of family time…), but it has also changed how our school time looks.   Flexibility has been a key factor for this “stay at home mom,” who no longer stays at home all of the time. As I have been thinking over this past school year, I have found myself asking several questions: What worked well for us? What areas would I like to change or improve?   What do my children need from me as their mama and as their teacher? How do I stay focused on the why’s of my homeschool heart and not just the how’s...

  Looking for a way to encourage your children to read more this summer? Here are some ideas-   ·       Check out the summer reading program at your local public library ·        Visit http://www.scholastic.com/ups/campaigns/src-2017/ to join the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge ·       Choose a theme and read a variety of books based on that theme (sports, history, animals, etc.) ·      Explore different genres of literature (Visit this blog for a great list! http://www.ateachableteacher.com/summer-reading-challenge-list-for-kids/ ) ·      Join Barnes and Noble’s summer challenge (and earn a free book!!) http://dispatch.barnesandnoble.com/content/dam/ccr/pdf/2017/summer-reading/summerreading_letter.pdf ·       Search reading bingo ideas on Pinterest ·      Explore the bookshelves...

My son asked me to   play   this week. Now I am good at playing games with them. I can read aloud and color, do puzzles and shoot hoops. But   play ? He was asking me to engage in his imaginary story and become part of that world. And I froze. I am embarrassed to admit that I truly didn’t know how to respond. It was so easy to play along when they were little–have a tea party, drive big trucks, rock the baby doll… But as they have aged and their stories have become more complex, I realized that I had stopped   playing   with my kids. Is our imagination like a muscle? Can it atrophy? I was truly lost when I only had my imagination to lean on. Needless to say, this bothered me terribly,   and after our rousing time of bomber planes and army soldiers ended, I began to contemplate the value of knowing how to play . In a world of screens and noise, imaginary play often takes a back seat. This great gift, that is always with us and doesn’t require batteries,...

I have a challenge for you–stop and look, look around you. What do you see? So often we are in such a hurry that we do not actually see what is right in front of us. This was driven home to me this week, in the dentist’s office of all places. Our family was visiting a new dentist for our six-month cleanings and I spent a good bit of time in the one room as he worked with both of my children. Near the end of the visit, my son had to cooperate for an uncomfortable procedure that would last for two minutes. As I was scrambling to distract his mind from the large piece of equipment in his mouth I blurted out, “Hey, bud, look at that picture! What story does it tell you?” Now, I had been ‘staring’ at that same picture for the past hour, but as we actually looked at it and I pointed out unique elements of it for him to think about, it dawned on me that I hadn’t really seen it at all. How often does this happen to us? Maybe it is a teachable moment or a memorable experience; perhaps it is...

It is snowing today–a lazy, slow snowfall, with tiny little snowflakes. The last time it snowed the flakes came down as huge, wet globs, quickly coating everything in sight. Not only are there many different kinds of snowfalls, but each individual snowflake is different. This scientific fact has never ceased to amaze me! How creative God is to design millions and millions of different flakes. Yet, how often do we stop and think about how each person–each child–is different as well? God has designed each of us with unique interests, learning styles, abilities, and purposes. Even within the same family, siblings can be very different from one another. My son is a verbal/kinesthetic learner; whereas my daughter tends to be more visually driven. One is very social; the other craves solitary time. Many wonderful books and internet articles have been written on the variety of learning styles and how to incorporate those styles into our teaching. It is easy for me to fall into the rut...

I was reading aloud to my children at breakfast this morning and one of my favorite things happened. As my son was munching on his cinnamon toast, the plot built to a suspenseful climax. As I used my voice to express the tension of the moment, I happened to glance across the table. There sat my nine-year-old boy, as still as a statute, with mouth gaping and toast hanging from his fingertips, completely enthralled with what was happening in the story. I continued to read, but my heart smiled and shouted a huge “Gotcha!” He was hooked. One of my favorite things about oral reading and audio books is the way that our minds engage while we listen to the story. The characters and settings come alive as we hear them being described, hear different character voices, sense the speed and tension changes of the plot and hold our breath until the climax comes to a conclusion. Although much of the same can be said for silent reading, it often seems that involving more of our senses allows us to ...

As I contemplated the coming election and the events surrounding it, I realized that the last time a new person was elected to the office of president, my daughter wasn't even born and my son was only 2 years old?!? Somehow it seems impossible that life could go by so quickly!   This election season provides us with a great opportunity to teach our children so many things- the privilege we have to vote for our nation's leaders, exploring the election process,  learning the story of other U. S. presidents, tracking the election results... the list is endless. So often these conversations are much more meaningful when the events are actually taking place. This election will become part of our children's life history - let's make it memorable.