How and Why I Give My Kids Allowance {Part 2}

A few days ago in Part 1 of this 2 part series, I shared HOW the Hubs and I provide allowance to our children.  Much to the dismay of many, I confessed that we DO NOT dole out allowance based on the completion of weekly chores.  And while to some that might appear to mirror the financial style of welfare, I can assure you that my children have daily AND weekly chores that they complete WITHOUT pay.  Because as I mentioned previously, in order for a home to function at its best, EACH and EVERY member of the home has to do his/her part to keep it running.  (Quick Aside:  As this is not a politically charged blog, I will not render my opinion on whether welfare should or should not be mirrored...ahem!)

In addition, my children are not getting FREE money.  Like most parents, we enjoy giving our children a special treat now and then for no other reason than THEY ARE OUR CHILDREN AND WE LOVE THEM.  I don't buy EVERY child a new baseball glove.  I buy MY SON a new baseball glove.  Because he is MY SON.  That being said, what is the difference if I buy my son a new glove, or if I give him the money to buy it himself in order that he can learn a few valuable life skills along the way??  As I mentioned in Part 1, once my children begin receiving allowance, we rarely ever buy them "just for fun" items anymore.  Christmas, birthdays, and Easter are the few exceptions.  Instead, we pass that responsibility and privilege onto them.

But enough about welfare...

So, if we DON'T connect allowance with chores, WHY then do we give allowance?!

The answer is quite simple.

We give our children allowance because we are their parents and it is our job (with Christ's help) to train them in every area of life in order that they may grow to be fully-functioning adults...and that includes being able to appropriately SPEND and SAVE money.

I know I've said this before, but a HOME is to be a training ground, a greenhouse, if you will, for soon-to-be adults to learn HOW to be adults before it really counts.  My children should be able to PRACTICE all of life's necessary skills in the comfort of these four walls knowing that if they fail HERE, the consequences won't be dire and that a SECOND TRY will always be available.  

The Hubs and I came from two very opposite sides of the financial spectrum when we said "I DO".  Several of those honeymoon years were spent bickering unnecessarily over money.  One of us was an extravagant "spender" who often went into great debt but who had an open and giving hand toward others; and the other was a responsible "saver" who held to money so tightly that he/she was showing a lack of trust in God's ability to provide and casting judgement for every dollar spent.  (For this case study, I choose not to name names.  Feel free to speculate!)

Although we both THOUGHT we did, neither one of us had an accurate view of spending/saving money according to Scripture.  

Now, nearly twelve years later, we hope to spare our children some of the struggles that we went through.  Although we know we can not be their Holy Spirit, we can point them to some real truths about money, give them some hands-on experience in saving and spending, and pray that God will continue to direct their use of His financial talents throughout their adulthood.  

Although the verdict is still out as to whether this little allowance experiment will actually work (My oldest is only nine.), I am happy to report that we are already seeing some of the fruits.

We have witnessed spiritual maturity.

Not only have our children begun to form a strong conviction for tithing, they each have displayed a tender heart for God's calling in their financial lives.  In the years prior to awarding allowance when our children's church ministry had announced a special offering project they were promoting, our children would eagerly tell the Hubs and I all about it and expect that we would give them each a few dollars to contribute.  Of course, we would always give as we were able.  

Now however, we have seen on more than one occasion, when our children feel a personal conviction to give, they are able to say "yes" to the leading of the Holy Spirit and give freely out of their OWN "abundance" because they actually have their OWN money to give.  That being said, the Hubs and I are more than willing to continue contributing to the children's ministry offerings if our children ask us. But the point is, they DON'T.  They choose to make a sacrifice all on their own.  A sacrifice looks a lot different when it is a PERSONAL sacrifice.  Although from the world's standards their offerings are small, they give ALL they have.  And like the widow women in Mark 12: 41-44, a little is MUCH when a little is ALL.

We have seen character growth.

In an instant gratification-type society, my children are learning the valuable qualities of patience and perseverance.  Three years ago, at the tender age of six, my daughter fell in love with the American Girl book series Kirsten.  Although my momma heart desperately wanted to give my baby girl the type of doll that so many other girls around town were carrying, I knew it just wasn't in our budget.  She graciously understood that we just could not afford such a purchase and determined to begin saving her own money until she could buy it herself.  Now, I don't know if you have priced an American Girl doll lately, but they are each over $100!  

She was well aware that a purchase of this magnitude would be a large undertaking and that she would have to forgo many other "wants" in order to meet her goal.  After many months of saving all of her "savings" money and birthday money that she had received from her grandparents, as well as working tirelessly on many occasions to earn some extra money from mom and dad, she bought the beloved doll.  (In her frugalness, she searched on-line for the best value and was able to find a gently used Kirsten on eBay for only $60.) And as is the case with most hard-earned items, my daughter is so grateful to have such a treasure and takes great care to keep Kirsten in good condition.

We have noticed frugality and discernment.

Walking through the toy aisles of the local Walmart can be a hotbed for discontentment for most children.  They see all that they DON'T have and convince themselves that their "wants" are really "needs."  They take little thought for the cost of an item or if that item can be found for a better price elsewhere.  Because my five-and-up children have to purchase most of their "wants", they are learning to search for and hold out for a good deal.  Before making a final purchase, my son almost always scouts Amazon and eBay to see if he can score a better price.

They are also learning to access whether a "want" is really worth the price.  On one particular occasion, my daughter purchased a small stuffed dog at a store in the mall only to find a better version of the animal for half the price at another store just a few doors down.  She quickly realized that she could have purchased TWO stuffed dogs with the amount of money she had spent for ONE.  She began to cry and admitted to feeling kind of foolish.  (Her words, not mine.)  But because this was a mistake made under the umbrella of my parental love and not the verdict of a calloused adult world, I could take her in my arms and give her some loving encouragement for the next time.

When all is said and done...

Scripture has much to say about money.  WHY?  Because despite what the world may say, money is just one of the many talents that God gives us all to steward.  To some He gives much; to others He gives little.  The amount really doesn't matter.  It's how it is used that counts.

The Hubs and I hope that our small efforts towards training our children in finances by the awarding of allowance will enable them to have financial freedom in their adult years and equip them to steward their talents well.

Do you give allowance?  How and Why?

Top 10 Language-Based Board Games for Elementary Kids

If given the choice between learning vocabulary words via a worksheet or learning those same words and countless others while playing a board game, my kids...and I'd venture to say almost ALL kids...would choose option B.

For this reason, I've tried to stock our game closet full of family-friendly, brain-building games that can serve as the much-needed "jazz hands" to an otherwise run-of-the-mill homeschool lesson. 

To my recollection, I've only purchased TWO brand new game since having children.  I can usually find my "wish list" games at garage sales, my annual state-wide homeschool convention, or the game section of second-hand stores.  The point being, you don't have to go into debt to provide a wonderful selection of the best-of-the-best.  Just keep a running list of the games and manipulatives you'd like to add to your homeschool cabinet, and be on the look-out for great deals.  

I'm not one to offer unsolicited advice {awkward cough}, but if you're askin', here are my TOP 10 suggestions for language-based board games for elementary-aged kids.  (This post contains affiliate links.)

1. Blurt - Educational Insights
2. Buzzword Junior - Patchwork Products
3. Scattergories Junior - Milton Bradley
4. In A Pickle - Gamewright
5. Boggle or Boggle Junior - Parker Brothers
6. Bananagrams - Bananagrams
7. Apples to Apples Junior - Mattel
8. Balderdash Junior - Western Publishing
9. Outburst Junior - Mattel
10. You've Been Sentenced - McNeill Designs

What would you add to the list?

Today I am joining up with the lovely ladies of iHomeschool Network who are sharing their Top 10 must have toys in different categories.  Be sure to swing on over and check out the other lists.  Many thanks to our blog hop host, Angie of Many Little Blessings. 

How and Why I Give My Kids Allowance {Part 1}

My little Blonde Warrior just turned FIVE!  Although every birthday brings a level of excitement, in our house, number five has the added benefits of...

1. being able to invite friends over for a themed birthday party with games
2. getting to sign up for summer sports teams
3. being able to chew gum
4. GETTING A WEEKLY ALLOWANCE

The Hubs and I have great method to our madness for each of these four "rights of passage".  But, as our little man was just awarded his very first handful of coins TODAY, I thought I'd take a few days to share a little bit about HOW and WHY we choose to give allowance in our home.

Today, let's start with the HOW. (This post contains affiliate links.)

You must be five years old.

By this time in their education (kindergarten), all my children have learned the value of each coin and how to skip count, the skill necessary to count change.  Awarding allowance before they have this head knowledge would be futile.

Allowance is given out in dimes.

Currently, each one of my five-and-up children are awarded $1 a week.  This money is given in dimes, because dimes make it VERY easy to see monetary percentages.  Scripture teaches that everyone should give at least 10% of their "first-fruits" to the Lord.  Ten percent of a dollar, is easy to calculate when the dollar is in increments of 10.  One dime automatically goes to the Lord.

In addition, we insist that the children set aside 40% for savings.  For these elementary years, we do not define savings as very long term.  While saving for college is a commendable goal, I don't think it provides a tangible lesson for the rewards of "saving for a larger item" to a young child.  At this age, it is kind of an unattainable and unrealistic goal.  Instead, we encourage our children to choose a more expensive item on their wish list (usually $20 or more), and set aside their $.40 each week until they have reached their target price.

The remaining 50% (or $.50) is allocated as "spending" in order to buy smaller items that they desire RIGHT NOW, like gum or baseball cards.  We typically do not allow them to put this spending money towards their savings goal as we want them to learn how to "release" money.  We have no desire for the "love of money" (or their pre-selected savings goal) to turn them into money hoarders.  Learning to SPEND money wisely is just as important as learning to SAVE money wisely.

A "give, save, spend" bank is awarded.

Although each of my kids have had a few unique money banks over the last few years, my personal preference and the bank that I think has been the most helpful was the Money Savvy Pig.  Unfortunately, he took quite a tumble down our steps and didn't fair too well.

Fun Treats from Mom and Dad don't come as often.

Once our children have their own money to spend, we expect THEM to buy their "wants".  (I'll expound on this when I discuss the WHY of allowance on Thursday.)  We, obviously, purchase fun "wish list" items at Christmas and birthdays.  But, for the most part, other than these few select special occasions, once they begin receiving allowance, we rarely buy any toy-type items for our older children.

Money Matters becomes a topic of discussion.

When our children are old enough to be awarded an allowance, we feel that they are old enough to learn God's view of money and how He expects them to steward it.  We want them to understand that ALL of our money...and THEIRS...is ultimately God's.  Part of their "financial" training comes in hands on experience at store counters as they are expected to be able to count out their money and check for correct change.  And some of it comes in meaningful conversations and transparent examples of how the Hubs and I spend our money.  Because, in the end, our bank record...or money trail...shows our life priorities.  We want our children to see that God and His Kingdom are a priority to us...even in how we spend or save our money.  At times, we have used the help of great resources like The ABC's of Handling Money God's Way.

We do not award allowance based on chores or work completed.

Huh?!  "But doesn't the Bible clearly teach that if a man does not work, he should not eat?" you ask.  Absolutely!  This is why we have intentionally built in a few household habits that enforce this principle.  While we DO wish to teach our children a good work ethic and the principle of earning a living, the Hubs and I DO NOT feel like an allowance is the proper outlet for that.  The fact of the matter is, we EXPECT our children to do household chores...NOT because they will be rewarded monetarily (bribed), but because we ALL live in this house and we ALL have to do our part to help it function.  Doing work with little to no reward is a part of life.  If I ONLY made a meal when I was rewarded for doing so, my entire household would starve.  

I desire for my children to have a servant's heart...to think of others' interests ahead of their own, as stated in our house rules.  HOME is the perfect training ground for that character quality.  And do you know what?  I've already seen the fruits of what this kind of character quality looks like in relationship to chores.  My daughter has such a wonderful servant's heart and willingly helps out around the house EVERY DAY and in EVERY WAY.  And my boys love to help each other finish chores.  My oldest son, especially, has developed an attitude of service.  He often cleans up the entire boys' room so that his younger brothers don't have to.  Don't get me wrong, my kids are not saints, by any means.  They are just regular kids with sinful natures, but who have begun to follow after Christ's example of loving your neighbor (or family member) as yourself regardless of "what's in it for me."

In addition to desiring our children to have an attitude of service, the Hubs and I also recognize that there will come a time...several years from now...that our measly allowance is not necessary to our children.  Our teenagers will most likely have after-school jobs and will be earning small incomes.  If we award allowance solely on whether our children have completed a list of chores, what will happen when they realize that our few dollars are dispensable...when they see the income they are earning flipping hamburgers or bagging groceries far surpasses the few dollars that we can afford to give them for making their bed or doing the dishes?  Doesn't it seem likely that our financially savvy teens will just decide NOT to do their chores anymore...because who really needs one or two dollars a WEEK when you are already making five or six dollars an HOUR down the street?!

We provide opportunity for earned "income".

The Hubs and I feel that we have assigned age-appropriate chores to each of our four oldest children.  As I mentioned, these are to be done with a happy spirit and without compensation.  That being said, we do occasionally provide opportunity for our children to do an "above and beyond" task with the hope of earning a wage, especially if we know that they are saving up for an item that is quite expensive.  We want them to physically see how hard work brings reward and that "work" is NOT a bad thing, contrary to what the World would have them believe.  Work is a blessing from God and comes with a multitude of benefits.

My oldest son experienced this first-hand one day last summer.  The Hubs told the three older children that they each could have an opportunity to earn some money by doing an extensive yard work project that afternoon.  Two of the three chose to PASS as they were enraptured with a new toy one of them had recently received.  But, Super Boy, always wanting to be glued to his dad's side, eagerly jumped at the chance to work alongside the Hubs.  After toiling for well over an hour, my boy held out his hand expecting to receive his share of the wage.  But instead, was rewarded with his brother's and sister's share as well.  Since he, ALONE, did ALL the work, he, ALONE, earned ALL the money.  After pondering this for a moment, he turned to the Hubs and said, "Dad, it's just like in The Little Red Hen story!  She did all the work, so she got to eat the all bread!"  Life-lesson learned!

So, if we do not give an allowance to reward our children for chores completed, why DO we give an allowance?....

Check out Part 2, for the answer to that very question.

Homemade Granola Recipe

Every few Saturdays, I schedule a morning of BIG batch cooking.  With a family of seven to feed, it is more economical and time effective to cook certain foods in large quantities to freeze...or serve immediately in a variety of different ways, as the case may be.  

This simple granola recipes is one of my current GO TO big batch breakfast cooking meals and was given to me from one of my favorite women, the Architect's Wife.  She is a woman of extraordinary hospitality and kindness and uses her kitchen as a means of ministry.  She has given me permission to pass along her tasty treat to you.  I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine!

*Because of the size of my family, I typically triple the recipe.  But even then, it doesn't last for very long in my house! Be ready to file this under "family fave!"

I use this granola in homemade yogurt parfaits, on top of fruit for an afternoon snack, or with milk for a healthier breakfast cereal option.

Preheat oven to 325˚.  Mix oats, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla until completely combined.

Pour wet honey mix over dry oat mix and stir.  Use your hands to combine evenly.  

Spread oat mixture onto a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, leaving a few chunks for texture.

Bake for 10 minutes.  Use a spatula to flip the oat mix.  Top with nuts and return to the oven.

Bake for five more minutes and flip again.  Bake once more for five more minutes until golden brown.

Cool completely on wax paper.  Sprinkle any fruit ad-ins on top and ENJOY!

Ingredients:

2 c. rolled oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. veggie oil (I use coconut oil instead.)

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. light brown sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/3 c. slivered almonds

1/3 c. walnut pieces

Additional add-ins:  (optional)

• raisins
• dried cherries
• craisins
• additional nuts of your choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325˚.  Mix oats, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla until completely combined.  Pour wet honey mix over dry oat mix and stir.  Use your hands to combine evenly.  Spread oat mixture onto a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, leaving a few chunks for texture.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Use a spatula to flip the oat mix.  Top with nuts and return to the oven.  Bake for five more minutes and flip again.  Bake once more five more minutes until golden brown.  Cool completely on wax paper.  Sprinkle any fruit ad-ins on top and ENJOY!

10 Things I was Unlikely to Learn Without Homeschooling

As I have mentioned before, apart from God's calling in our lives, it was highly UNLIKELY that the Hubs and I would ever choose to homeschool.  In fact, I actually recall a conversation in which I snickered and defiantly said, "I would NEVER homeschool!!!" Never, say never...life lesson learned!

Now, with six years of homeschooling behind me, I can see how God has clearly used the unconventional idea of teaching children at home to teach ME more than I ever would have learned otherwise.  Here are just 10 of the many things I was UNLIKELY to learn without homeschooling...

1. A piece of paper does not prove you can teach.

As a classroom teacher with black and white credentials, I balked at the idea of an "ordinary mom or dad" being able to do the job of someone with a degree in education.  But the fact of the matter is, I now know dozens of moms who are doing an exceptional job of educating children and just as many licensed teachers who are NOT.  While my studies certainly prepared me to manage a "herd", my training did very little to teach me how to reach the heart of a child, a task that God specifically assigned to parents...not "professionals".  

2.  A passion for a topic trumps a lesson plan...every time!

While in the classroom, I had to keep moving forward with my pre-determined lesson plan, even if that meant leaving the learners behind.  Now as a homeschool mom, I don't have to be chained to someone else's script.  I can encourage my children to explore topics they are interested in and gently guide them towards new ones.

A homespun scuba outfit made after exploring oceanography.

3.  A test is 2-dimensional.

While it is wonderful for my son to know that 1/2 of 6 equals 3, if he is only memorizing that fact in order to regurgitate it on a test, he has gained nothing but a red letter on the top of a page that will eventually be thrown away.  The real test comes when he is attempting to make half of a recipe and he has to evenly divide all of the ingredients.

4. "Bright" comes in many forms.

Although I have two children who, by the world's standards, are naturally academic, I have two that struggle at times with traditional textbook topics.  A traditional classroom teacher might very well look at my two out-of-the-box learners and dismiss them as slow, but I know better.  I have seen just how bright they are because I'm willing to throw out the "box".

5. "Normal" doesn't have to be the norm.

The world would like you to believe that sexual promiscuity is to be expected, that every tween girl will suffer with food-related self-image issues, that siblings can not possibly get along.  But the truth is, that just simply is not TRUE.  So many of these peer-related, American-angst issues can be avoided by providing the green-house of homeschooling.  My children are safe to grow and mature physically, emotionally, spiritually without the threat of negative peer pressure to stunt them.

My children are best friends.

6.  Every school choice brings both struggles and strengths.

I attended public school for most of my formative years, I taught private school for seven years, and have homeschooled my children for six years.  I think it is safe to say that I have experienced every major schooling option there is and can conclude with much conviction that there is no PERFECT school choice.  As much as I love homeschooling it is far from perfect...because it is comprised of imperfect people.  The struggles and strengths of homeschooling just happen to be the ones God has ordained in His perfect plan for both me and my children. 

7.  Real-life skills can't be learned in a desk.

While math facts and parts of speech are helpful bits of knowledge, sitting in a desk memorizing lengthy lists and trivial facts does not equip a child for REAL adult life.  Too often, eighteen-year-olds are launched into the world with very little ability to manage themselves or their homes.  They have never learned basic life skills like doing laundry, cooking a homemade meal, or writing a budget because their overcrowded school schedules have made it impossible to find the time.  On the contrary, homeschooling affords my children the benefits of having a classroom within a HOME...a real-life internship for them to practice home management before it really counts.

Doing laundry is a family-affair.  Even my 3-year-old can help sort and fold.

8.  Learning is a lifestyle.

My children do not have to compartmentalize their education and "schedule" it in between 9 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon.  Because LEARNING happens in the same place that LIFE happens, the two are synonymous.  

9.  Most people have no idea what ACTUALLY goes on in a traditional classroom.

A counter-cultural schooling choice like homeschooling has a tendency to bring about unsolicited advice.  The mere mention of homeschooling in the average social circle will elicit a surplus of opinions on everything from socialization to standardized test scores.  At the risk of sounding quite harsh, I can assure you that most of these opinions are tainted with ignorance and are given by people who have not set foot inside a classroom for more than a few minutes to drop their children off at the door.

10.  The word "bald" when referring to an eagle is an Old English term which means "white".

As trivial as this little known fact might seem, it is just one of the thousands of fascinating things I have learned while homeschooling.  If truth be told, I have learned more head-knowledge in the last six years than I ever learned in the previous twenty-seven.

*For the next 10 weeks I will be joining with the lovely ladies of iHomeschool Network for a 10 in 10 series.  Please join me each Tuesday for a look at my Top 10s.  A special thanks to Angie of Many Little Blessings for hosting this fun hop!

How I Schedule Our Homeschool Day {video}

I'm a card-carrrying member of the "I have a schedule and I'm stickin' to it!" club, BUT when it comes to scheduling my HOMESCHOOL day, I purposefully DO NOT have a schedule.  With little ones to care for during school hours, our day has to be flexible...nearly fluid!  Here's what it looks like.




*Quick aside...with several children/grade levels to teach, I obviously can not teach a CORE subject to them all at the same time.  With the help of Task Cards, the kids can skip ahead to their "simple subject", do an enrichment activity (board game, computer review game, puzzle, etc.), or "play with the baby" time to one child WHILE I teach a core subject to another.  The children each have an added incentive...if he/she can  complete this solo activity quickly, he/she can have a few minutes to play until it is his/her turn to work on a CORE subject.

What does your homeschool day look like?  Do you have any helpful scheduling tips to share? 

An Introduction to Independent Project-Based Learning

After using our Task Cards for only a few months, it became glaringly obvious that our little Sweetie Pea needed something extra to fill her day.  She, as a first-born AND as the ONLY sister (mother hen) to a tribe of boys, has always been quite self-motivated and hard working.  The Task Cards gave her the organizational tools to get all her school work done in a timely fashion leaving most of the day for reading...and reading...and well, READING!  

And while reading for pleasure is NEVER a bad thing, reading for both pleasure AND information is even better!  Remember, the goal of learning to read is READING TO LEARN.  Enter our independent project-based learning assignments...  

 

In an effort to cultivate an independent love for learning within my READER, I have begun giving month-long project-based learning assignments.  Unlike most of her regular school work, these are self-directed projects that are COMPLETELY child led.  

Here's how it works.

At the beginning of the month, Sweetie Pea has to pick a topic that she would like to explore.  The choice is completely up to her...within reason. 

Depending upon her topic, she can use a wide-variety of resources in her research...library books, youtube videos, real-life mentors who are knowledgable on the subject, the internet, etc.  

She can take notes in a small notebook as well as keep track of how many days she has left to complete her independent study.

At the end of the month, or allotted time frame, she has to present her findings to the family in some way...a speech, a demonstration, a display...the choice is up to her.  

She has to be prepared to answer any questions that her audience might have after her presentation.

She recently presented her very first independent study.  

She chose to study the life of Betsy Ross, famed American flag seamstress.  After learning about her two years ago in American history, she was still very curious about the "rest of the story."  

And how did it go?

She absolutely loved working on her project each day.  And why not?  It was something she was NATURALLY interested in and had NATURAL motivation to learn more.  As this was her first independent project, I encouraged her to answer the questions WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, and HOW as she researched.  This gave her a basic outline to follow and helped direct and organize her research.  

When it came time to present her findings, she decided to fill a basket with items that represented portions of Betsy Ross' life.  She passed the basket around the room and invited everyone to claim one item from the basket.  She referred to each one of these trinkets during a short discussion of Betsy Ross.  

What are the benefits?

The most obvious benefit to this type of learning is that, as statistics have shown, self-initiated learning is engaging and effective because it is RELEVANT.  Students learn best when the material has value to them.  Since she was able to choose the topic, Sweetie Pea naturally chose something of value TO HER and learned a great deal.  

In addition, an independent project with a pre-determined time frame helps to develop much-needed scheduling skills.  I did not nag her to keep on schedule.  I only gave her a due date and allowed her to determine how many days she would spend researching and how many days she would spend preparing to present her materials.  A simple "days until my project" countdown helped to give her a tangible sense of time. (I chose a month because I wanted to give her enough time to FULLY explore the topic, but not too much time that she would get bored or grow empathetic.)

Strengths can be nurtured and weaknesses can be mentored.  While it was obvious to the entire audience that Sweetie Pea had learned quite a bit about the life and times of Betsy Ross, it was difficult to understand the information through her nervous jitters.  After the presentation, I was able to take her aside and give a private critique of her presentation skills.  We brainstormed some ideas of how to present her ideas clearly and creatively next time. As in all things, she will get better with practice.

Project-based learning encourages community.  Knowledge gained from worksheets or textbooks can not be easily shared with others.  Projects, on the other hand, can be extended to family and friends.  On the night of the scheduled presentation, we welcomed extended family for dinner and a "show".  She was able to exhibit her information to more than just mom and dad and in the process cultivate her relationships with others.

Researching one topic often leads to another topic worth exploring.  During her month-long study, my daughter came upon several more topics that she became anxious to explore.  I encouraged her to keep a running list of these ideas in her project journal.  Later when she had to choose a topic for her next month-long study, she had several great suggestions already waiting.  

And what did she choose for project #2?...Origami!  She's got quite a collection of paper pets already and she's only on day 3.

(This post contains affiliate links.)

For more information on project-based learning, I'd highly recommend...

• 10 Days of Adventure Box Themes by Blog, She Wrote- a wonderful series of posts full of project-based learning suggestions.
• 10 Days of Project Based Learning by Our Journey Westward- a great introduction to the HOWS and WHYS of project-based learning.
• Project-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Self-Directed Learners
• PBH Kids- a showcase blog which features pictures and brief descriptions of projects that kids have competed (This would make for a great idea index.)

Greece Unit: Magazine Clipping Mosaics

While continuing our study of Ancient Greece, we learned that one of the most popular Grecian art forms was mosaic scenes.  Craftsmen would use tesserae, small four-sided glass tiles, to create intricate wall mountings or floor coverings.  

One snowy afternoon found us gathered at the art table creating our own mosaic masterpieces out of old magazine clippings.  (This post contains affiliate links.)

To Make a Magazine Clipping Mosaic

You will need:

• small squares of magazine clippings separated by color*
• heavy art paper
• pencil
• glue stick
• black marker (not pictured)
• scissors

*I cut large blocks of color out of magazine pages by cutting each page into strips, stacking the strips together, and cutting mini squares from several strips at a time.  If you'd prefer NOT to use magazine pages, construction paper, scrapbook paper, or paint swatch chips would work just as well.  (I just really liked the hodge-podge look of the mini magazine squares.)

Do a quick google image search of ancient Grecian mosaics for inspiration.

Sketch a simple shape or picture onto the art paper.  SIMPLE is the key.  A picture with too much detail or small spaces, will be too difficult to tile.

Apply glue to a small section of the sketch and begin laying magazine "tiles" leaving white space between each clipping.  Create a unified look by laying all the tiles in the same direction.

Once all the tiles are in place, allow to dry.  (This should only take a few minutes as glue stick adhesive dries very quickly.)

Using a dark marker, outline your original sketch.  Don't be afraid to draw OVER the tiles.

Cut around the perimeter of the mosaic.

Ta-dah!  You have a beautifully crafted mosaic just like those made by the artists of ancient Greece.

For More Projects to enhance your study of Ancient Greece, be sure to check out these resources.

• Classical Kids: An Activity Guide to Life in Ancient Greece and Rome
• Spend the Day in Ancient Greece: Projects and Activities that Bring the Past to Life 
• History Pockets: Ancient Greece

More in our Ancient Greece Unit

How to Make a Grecian Urn