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~ February 2011 ~
Dear Readers,
February may be a short month but it sure is a busy one!
February 11 is Make a New Friend Day, February 12 is Kindness Awareness Day, and February 14 is Valentine's Day as well as Arizona Statehood Day where we live (AZ will be 99 years old!), and then there is Presidents Day on the 21st.
February is also a popular month for homeschool birthdays! Besides George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the following famous homeschoolers were born in February: Ansel Adams, Thomas Edison, Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, Charles Dickens, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. (Laura was taught at home when she was unable to attend school due to distance or weather, and she also homeschooled her daughter Rose!)
And let's not forget the new Miss America, Teresa Scanlan, who was born on February 6, 1993, and homeschooled for most of her life. You can read more about her later in this issue.
Featured Article
As the saying goes, “A true friend knows everything about you...and likes you anyway.” Friendship is a special gift. It’s a little part of yourself that you give to someone else. Every year around this time, friends and loved ones exchange cards, poems, flowers, candy and gifts. This month, be sure to let your friends know you care, and show them how much they mean to you. See if you can make a new friend too! For more friendly advice, go to: www.knowledgehouse.info/njfkfriends.html.
Related Pages
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Remember when you were a kid and classmates sent each other handmade construction paper Valentines with glue and glitter? This year how about handing your friends, colleagues, and neighbors a Valentine greeting that lets them know how much God loves them! I've created a Valentine gospel tract for you to download. It's actually two pages that you can print double-sided and fold over so that the recipient can open it up and read the message inside. The main text also works as a stand-alone Valentine handout if you'd rather just print that page only. It can be printed in color on white paper, or print it in black-and-white on pink paper. Make as many copies as you wish, and let me know the creative ways in which you use it! Click below to see what it looks like:
Valentine Tract - outside cover
Book of the Month
Presidents' Day was originally set aside to observe the February birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, two of our most beloved presidents. I have two special books to tell you about this month, in honor of Presidents' Day.
Washington's Birthday has a history as old as our country. It was celebrated publicly for the first time in the late 18th century while George Washington was still President. The federal holiday honors the accomplishments of the man who has been referred to, for over two centuries, as "The Father of his Country." The Citizens Rule Book is a practical reminder of the values upon which our country was founded. Order some for your Presidents Day celebrations. Only $1.00 each!
Abraham Lincoln: The Boy, The Man
Two hundred years after his birth, Abraham Lincoln is still considered one of the most influential Americans of all time. More books have been written about him than any other president. The 16th President is commemorated in music, poetry, and sculpture. His words are quoted by poets and politicians. His face appears on stamps, coins and bills. Mountains, cities, highways, and schools bearing his name dot the land. Lincoln's enduring legacy includes the famous Gettysburg Address and the Emancipation Proclamation. I sell a 160-page book called Abraham Lincoln: The Boy, The Man. This well-researched pictorial biography is perfect for homeschool history studies. It also comes in a bilingual English/Spanish edition! Highly recommended but hard to find and quantities are limited, so get yours while you can! ;)
E-Book of the Month
George Washington's 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior Download this 17-page e-book for FREE! Includes Washington's original rules as well as selected examples for copywork and memorization, plus a writing activity.
Famous Homeschoolers
“Ladies and gentlemen, the 90th anniversary Miss America; your Miss America 2011 is... Miss Nebraska Teresa Scanlan!” The newly-crowned Miss America is a mostly homeschooled Christian who lifted her eyes and hands heavenward in thanksgiving when she was announced as the winner on January 15, 2011. Miss Scanlan just celebrated her 18th birthday in Dallas on Superbowl Sunday. Read more about Teresa Scanlan here.
Reading Between the Lines
It’s getting near that time of year again, time to gear up for “Reading Month” in March. It all begins with Read Across America Day on March 2 which is Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Across the country numerous schools, libraries, and community centers will participate by bringing together kids, teens, and books – your family can too!
And what better way to get ready for reading than to stock your shelves with Usborne books! Usborne is an award-winning publisher of high quality children’s books that make reading and learning fun. Usborne produces educational, lavish, and fun books for children of all ages. Usborne has baby board books, preschool books, puzzle and activity books, art and craft books, foreign language books, geography and history books, science and math books, themed unit studies, internet-linked reference books, teen thrillers, and many more. With over 1500 non-fiction and fiction titles, there’s something for everyone. Usborne books are also made to last, with durable bindings and sturdy pages. That means they’re perfect for homeschool families!
Acquiring a core collection of books and reference resources is the first step in engaging kids to read. Usborne has many award-winning titles that will enhance your curriculum, inspire your students, and serve instructional purposes. Usborne books are ideal for student centered learning and let children guide their reading time, making reading an enjoyable activity and not just another chore. Usborne Books are a part of many major homeschool curricula (including Sonlight, The Well-Trained Mind, Weaver, etc.), but you can use them with or without other curriculum. Usborne books are popular with both homeschooling and unschooling families as supplemental reading material. Every home will benefit from having a library of Usborne Books.
Usborne books have many useful features that you won’t find in other books. For example, the information is presented in an eye-catching format to excite readers and hold their attention. The fact-filled books are interesting and engaging, so less verbal instruction is required. Text is enhanced with illustrations and organized into smaller “bites” to help with comprehension and make it less overwhelming. Projects with step-by-step instructions accompany the science and activity books for hands-on experience. Questions and interactive pages encourage reader involvement and build thinking skills. Many of the books are suitable for a wide age span, making it so several family members can learn about a topic together. Best of all, you can find an Usborne book for just about every subject.
We’ve set up a Knowledge House eFair that makes it easy to get Usborne books. You will be able to see the top sellers, view the newest titles, and check out the internet-only sales (40-70% off!) and other special offers. This would be a great time to stock up on gift books for those spring and summer birthdays too! All you have to do is click through the link:
http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/main.asp?sid=G1791&gid=112725152&afid=AFF11062&emkt=18&BFID=BF44876
Learning Links
George Washington's Farewell Address
Since 1862, there has been a tradition in the United States Senate that George Washington's Farewell Address be read on his birthday, February 22.
Freebie(s) of the Month
February & March Calendar - Print out these calendar pages and hang on your fridge, next to your computer, or keep in a binder. Includes a convenient list of holidays and special days, plus space for notes. Throughout the year, I will supply two printable calendar pages in each issue of this newsletter.
Washington Word Find - My favorite kind of word game!
Presidents Day Quiz - Lincoln and Washington Trivia.
Valentine Cutouts - Write your own messages on these Bear Heart Notes.
(I found 60; can you beat me?)
Quote of the Month
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” ~1 Corinthians 13:1-8
A Note From Teri...
Attention all bird watchers! You are invited to take part in the 14th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, February 18-21. Participants in the free event will join thousands of other volunteers counting birds in their own backyards, local parks or wildlife refuges, and then reporting their sightings online. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like on one or more days of the event. It's free, fun, and easy - and it helps the birds.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a snapshot of which birds are located where across the continent. "Taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to get outside with family and friends, have fun, and help birds - all at the same time," said Audubon Education Vice President, Judy Braus. "Even if you can identify a few species you can provide important information that enables scientists to learn more about how the environment is changing and how that affects our conservation priorities."
On the Bird Count website, participants can explore real-time maps and charts that show what others are reporting during the count. The site has tips to help identify birds, a kids page, and special materials for educators. Participants may also enter the GBBC photo contest by uploading images of birds and people taken during the count. Many images will be featured in the GBBC website's photo gallery. All participants are entered in a drawing for prizes that include bird feeders, binoculars, books, CDs, and many other great birding products.
For more information about the Great Backyard Bird Count, visit www.birdcount.org.
Happy Homeschooling!