The Harsh Truth about Public Schools

I have been looking for a book for young parents that are considering what type of schooling to pursue for their children. Do they consider public schools, private schools, Christian schools or homeschooling? I believe that I have found what I have been looking for in The Harsh Truth about Public Schools by Bruce N. Shortt. This book was originally printed in 2004 and then reprinted in 2007. Mr. Shortt and T.C. Pickney made national news in 2004 when they submitted the Christian Education Resolution for consideration at the Southern Baptist Convention. They had recommended homeschooling as the best choice.

This book contains 466 pages. It is well documented.
Titles of chapters include the following:
Why are you educating your children at a pagan seminary?
Do you like your daughter's nose-ring and tongue stud?
My child is on the honor roll
A blackboard jungle
School reform: A popular delusion
Government schools: The wages of Christian sin
Are your children unequally yoked?
Leading your children into the Promised Land of Homeschooling and Christian Schools.

Martin Luther is quoted in the introduction of the book. Here is what Luther says: " I am afraid that the schools will prove the very gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures and engraving them in the heart of the youth."

As I read this book I thought of all the Christians I know who send their children to the public schools. I know pastors who send their children to the public schools. I just do not understand. Deuteronomy 6: 5- 7 must be missing from their Bibles. " You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." In the chapter titled Are your children unequally yoked? it states that 85% of children from Christian families are in government schools. That is a lot of Christian children in the public schools. It would appear that Christian parents differ very little from non-Christian parents regarding the education of their children. Another verse that must be missing from some Christian parents' Bible is Romans 12: 2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you many prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. "

Bruce Shortt's book is straightforward and easy to read. This book is based upon a clear understanding of God's educational mandate to parents. We as parents are to educate our children. Also, included in this book is a description of the anti-Christian thrust of the government school system which results in moral relativism, academic dumbing down, far-left programs, and near absence of discipline.

I do recommend this book to all young parents who are considering school choices. God does hold us responsible for the education of our children.

Handoff

Handoff by Jeff Myers is about passing the baton to the next generation. He has a web-site http://www.passingthebaton.org/ This web-site has helps for schools, churches, and families. The web-site claims that only one out of twenty Church families have any spiritual connection with their children outside of church. As homeschool families I hope that we are the exceptions. As homeschool parents we are not intimidated by the thought of discipling our children. The book Handoff tells us that civilization is at stake. We must pass the baton of following Jesus to the next generation.

In 2004 Athens Olympics the world watched as the U.S. women's 4X 100 relay team failed to pass the baton properly. The transfer of the baton from Marion Jones to teammate Lauryn Williams failed to happen in the exchange zone. In the race of life there is usually only one chance to pass the baton, and the truth is that this generation of young people is in danger of missing the baton. What can we do as adults? I invite you to read this book Handoff or go to the web-site http://www.passingthebaton.org/

Posted here is a link to Chapter 13 of the book Handoff : "How to Get the Attention of the Next Generation ( Without Yelling)" http://www.passingthebaton.org/images/stories/chapter%2013-how%20to%20get%20the%20attention%20of%20the%20next%20generation--without%20yelling.pdf

Two Trees of Knowledge

Two Trees of Knowledge by Diane Dekker is a book that convicts Christian parents to be true to the Christian faith. It is a biblical case for the separation of school and state. This book includes ten chapters. At the end of each chapter there is a Bible study. Diane Dekker takes a hard look at public education using Scriptures. There are alternatives. But these alternatives do require much commitment. Christian schools require tuition and homeschooling demands much time. Malachi 2: 15 says, "Has not the Lord made them (marriage partners) one? In flesh and spirit they are His. And why one? Because He was seeking godly offspring." As Christian parents, the single most important job we have is to raise our children to be godly men and women. That is the highest priority of our lives. This book I have included in the S.V.H.E. library to remind us of why we, the parents, are homeschooling our children.

Continuation of "Learning to read and read" posted December 2008

The very first blog I did I talked about dyslexia. I promised in that blog to get more items in the S.V.H.E Library to help parents of children with dyslexia. Well, I came across a helpful book titled: The Everything Parent's Guide to Children with Dyslexia by Abigail Marshall. This book promises to gives you all you need to ensure your child's success. The book's back cover states that your dyslexic child can succeed in the classroom and in life. Although dyslexia affects ten to fifteen percent of the U.S. population, only five out of every hundred people with dyslexia are recognized and receive assistance. This book is your first step in facing the challenges of dyslexia with a positive attitude. The author, Abigail Marshall, has been the manager of the www.dyslexia.com Web site since 1995.

The S.V.H.E. library does take donations. One item recently donated was Reading Reflex by Carmen McGuiness and Geoffrey McGuiness. They are the founders of Read America, Inc. and the developers of the research-based Phono-Graphix reading method. This book promises to help your child unlock the sound-picture code. "Reading is the single most important skill for any child to develop. And the key to learning how to read effectively is recognizing the sound that letter or word represent. With the help of the revolutionary system known as Phono-Graphix, you and your child can discover the sound-picture code that is the foundation of the written English language. " (taken from the back cover)

As I am typing these book reviews the thought came to my mind that maybe I should again share what I use. I use the Barton Reading & Spelling System. It is expensive but it is cheaper than paying a tutor to help with a dyslexic child. There are ten levels. Each level comes with everything you need. There is the tutor training on DVDs to help the parent. There is a complete guide on what to say as you are tutoring your child. Information on this system can be found at http://www.bartonreading.com/ This web-site is helpful in helping you understand exactly what dyslexia is. I have found Susan Barton and her system of helping a dyslexic person very helpful.

Pajama School

Last Saturday, May 30th, I attended the 2009 TPA Homeschool Convention at Century II Convention Center in Wichita, KS. While in the exhibition hall there I came across a booth with just a table and a book on it. The book was Pajama School by Natalie Wickham. The lady in the booth was her mother. Since I had gone to the TPA Homeschool Convention several times in the past I was familiar with the Wickham name. The Wickhams had been involved with TPA and their conventions for many years. Natalie has been involved with the Adventures in Character (AiC) program for ten years. She is the current director. This activity is available for six to twelve year olds during much of the time that the convention is going on. It has been a blessing for parents who want to take their children along and make it a family affair going to the annual TPA Homeschool Convention.

Back to the book, Pajama School. It has just been published this year, 2009. Natalie tells of her adventures as a homeschooler. Her homeschool adventures began when she was in third grade. Her family started homeschooling in September 1990. Since that time many changes had occurred in her family. Her mother gave birth to three children. There are now six children in the family. Her paternal grandmother came to live with them until her death. Natalie family's close friends lost a mother and a son due to a car accident. Her sister and best friend, Nicole, got married while Natalie, being older and still single, lives at home. Natalie tells of how she became involved in teaching character education in the Derby grade schools. She tells of her camp experience in California. She, also, tells of her years being a piano teacher. Natalie spends several chapters on all the work and prayer that goes into the AiC program that is now part of the TPA Homeschool Convention. Since Natalie was so involved in life and various projects she did not always have time for school. But after she graduated from her family's homeschool her parents requested she take the GED test. She got a perfect score!

Natalie has a very strong faith in Jesus Christ. She is an avid Bible student, spending time daily in the Scriptures. This book is a tremendous encouragement for any homeschool family. It is a long book, 334 pages. Natalie goes into detail on how she sought the Lord for all the decisions of her life. The Lord was always faithful to help her in her struggles. I do recommend this book, Pajama School. You will enjoy the stories from the life of a homeschool graduate, Natalie Wickham. This book will be available to check out at the August 2009 S.V.H.E. homeschool meeting.

Ten P's in a Pod

Ten P's in a Pod: A Million-Mile Journal of the Arnold Pent Family by Arnold Pent III

This is an awesome book about a crazy family sold out for God. It is funny but serious. Each morning is spent in Bible study, not just a few minutes but hours. This always happens in the morning no matter where they are staying before anything else occurs. This family travels around North America in usually more than one vehicle with many vehicle mishaps but always gets to their destination on time. The entire family, children included, preached, sing, perform, and minister the gospel in churches, for radio, television, and to whoever would listen. This family homeschooled before homeschooling became popular. If you are looking for a book to entertain as well as inspire you in your homeschooling adventure, this is the book. Come to the S.V.H.E. library and check it out.

Prayer

"So He said to them, 'This kind can come out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.' " Mark 9: 29 NKJV

This Thursday, May 7th, is the National Day of Prayer. For more information go to this web-site: http://www.ndptf.org/home/index.cfm

Prayer is important in the daily life of a Christian homeschooler. It is the energy that helps us to survive the school day. Prayer is what brings miracles to our daily life. It fills in the 'gaps' where we as human teachers may fail. Prayer brings the impossible to happen.

Thinking about prayer reminded me of the books in the S.V.H.E. library about prayer. My favorite is The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omaritan. Stormie has written many books on prayer. Her books are all based on prayers using the Word of God. She was raised by an abusive mother. When she married she saw the same patterns of abuse developing in her marriage. She needed a solid foundation to based her life and her prayers on which she found only in the Bible, the Word of God. Another book we have in the S.V.H.E. library is The Power of a Praying Nation, which is also by Stormie Omaritan. We are told in I Timothy 2: 1- 2, " Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. " NKJV

Another one of my favorite books is How to Pray for Your Children by Erwin Prange. He gives the why and how of interceding for your children. Lam. 2: 19 states: "Arise, cry out in the night pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to Him for the lives of your children." This book is about family covenant prayer based on Acts 16: 31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your household." On page 62 it talks about the wholeness of salvation and exactly what the word soteria, the Greek word for salvation, means. Chapter 6 talks about World War II. The author had served in the military during the war. He had wondered for years about the many miracles of that war: the Dunkirk Evacuation, why Germany turned away from totally destroying Britian, the Normandy invasion, the defeat of the Afrika Korps at the gates of Cairo, and Germany's mistakes in Russia. The author found out the answers to his questions when he was given a book entitled, Rees Howells Intercessor by Norman Grubb. This man, Rees Howells, and his school of intercessors prayed every night for five years about the war and God did intervene in the affairs of mankind during World War II. So if God can change the outcome of history through intercessory prayer, He can change the outcome of your children's lives. God can turn the outcome of your homeschooling and parenting attempts into good. You only have to pray! We have both these books in the S.V.H.E. library.

Other books we have include: When Children Pray and When Families Pray by Cheri Fuller, Prayers for Homeschool Moms by Michele Howe, How to be a Praying Mom by Jeannie St. John Taylor, and God Be with Us by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock. For children we have the book I Can Talk to God by Jennie Davis and a cassette tape All about Prayer by Frank Peretti.