Professor Mom - Homeschooling Resources

New Release! The Dragon and The Raven by G. A. Henty

 

SO EXCITING!

After months of planning, I am absolutely thrilled to announce the release of the first title in Professor Mom's^® Historical Homeschooling Series^™!

I fell in love with George Alfred Henty's books a few years ago, when I stumbled on "The Dragon and The Raven" as I was putting together reading lists for our medieval times study.  Since then, the boys and I have read many of these terrific works of juvenile fiction.  Henty has such a knack for bringing history to life while integrating a personal, character-building story that appeals to all ages in a manner that is truly timeless.

What is a Henty book?

Henty wrote his books with an eye on giving boys something to aspire to.  He used history as the medium for lessons in honor, courage, and humility.  By weaving the lives of his fictional characters into the lives of historical greats, readers get a glimpse into the past, while developing a keen sense of who they want to be in the future.

Some of the best features of his books involve the portrayal of family relations, and respect for the wisdom of others.  He makes the reader mindful of how our culture has distorted what family was intended to be by showing us a better path.

I have kept this edition faithful to the original text, which some readers may find challenging at first.  After a few pages, though, the rich language and vibrant mental pictures that Henty draws compensate for the more 'old-fashioned' writing style. 

Why am I republishing this work?

Some books were simply not meant to be lost to the sands of time.  With the derth of quality reading material currently on the market for young people, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get these works into the hands of other homeschoolers.  My goal was to create a series that was affordable and accessible, so that Henty, and other authors of his caliber, can be an easy and beloved addition to any homeschool family's library.

What will be included in Professor Mom's^® Historical Homeschooling Series^™?

I am already working on the next title, which will be another Henty book, this time set during the American Revolution.  "True to the Old Flag" will be an interesting addition to any homeschool history program because it respectfully tells the story from the British perspective. 

Other titles will be added to the series based on three criteria:

• Historical significance and richness
• Character building potential, and
• Literary quality

To stay up-to-date on our latest offerings, as well as to receive free tips, strategies and resources for your homeschool, subscribe to my newsletter, Authentic Home Education. 

How do we order?

To celebrate the launch of the Historical Homeschooling Series, "The Dragon and The Raven" is on sale for only $9.99!  Simply click here to go directly to "The Dragon and The Raven" page in the Professor Mom store.  (Professor Dad will be standing by to help fulfill orders; I think he is more excited than I am.  He loves what Henty teaches the kids!)

As for online purchasing, security is a huge deal, so I have protected the store with an SSL certificate.  Currently, the Professor Mom store takes only PayPal, however, if we get enough feedback from y'all, we will work on adding a Visa/Mastercard option as well!  (And, you can always use your Visa or Mastercard through your PayPal account.)

One more thing...

As many of you are already aware, we have been working on a site redesign.  I It is prettier than it was, but we are still tweaking some areas. 

As always, if you have feedback or there are topics which you'd like me to cover in more depth, just drop me a comment, a tweet or an email.  I love hearing from you ladies... you bring a smile to my face every day!

New things, fresh things... can't you just feel spring in the air!

 

 

Homeschooling When Mom is Sick

Like our friend in the photo, I spent the better part of last week flat on my back on the couch.  (Unlike her, however, my appearance would have scared off... well, anyone but my very loyal husband!)  Bronchial problems, sinus pain, aches, dizziness... I was a wreck.  To top it off, I had just started feeling better when a three-day migraine descended.  Amidst self-pity and sniffles, I realized that I still needed to make sure the kids were getting some schoolwork done.

As many of you already know, when we moved last fall, we got very behind in our schoolwork.  Not just a little behind, but weeks and weeks of missing checkmarks in my homeschool planner:-(  I spent the dreary months of winter working hard to catch us up, so when I felt the viral beasties coming on, I decided that there was NO WAY I was going to let some little (ok, maybe not-so-little) germs negate all of our hard work.

As medicine-head descended, however, this was easier said than done.  I ended up having to triage.  By separating the boys work into "easy to catch up with" and "nightmare to catch up with" piles, I got some focus.  The "easy" pile included things like art lessons, read-alouds, science and memory work.  These are subjects/tasks that I can bunch up and get through many in one session if I need to. 

Math, Writing with Ease, and Grammar topped the "nightmare" pile.  I can't just hand the kiddos 10 backlogged math worksheets and expect them to do them in an hour or two.  (Frankly, I wouldn't want to to 10 math worksheets in one sitting:-)  I also have not yet taught the boys how to take dictation in fast-forward mode.

In my few moments of clarity, I glanced through their math to see whether I needed to teach any new skills.  I happened to get lucky because last week focused primarily on review.  So, I let them hit the school room while I collapsed on the couch for 30 minutes of recovery.

Possible snafu with this plan:  When I am in the school room with the kids, they stay on task and get the job done.  When I am otherwise engaged (i.e., hacking my lungs out on the couch), they are more easily distracted.  Solution: Put one at the school room table and one at the dining room table.  This avoids the whole, "Mooom, he's looking at me... whistling at me... breathing on me...!" scenario.

Throughout the day, I would alternate something out of the "nightmare" pile with something the kids could do on their own.  This way, the kids' brains did not turn to mush, and I didn't have to face down a huge backlog when I came out of germie-land. 

Triaging homeschool work when you are sick isn't a guaranteed way to eliminate sick-day backlog, but it will set you up for better things when you start to feel stonger again.  It also gives your kids some purposeful activity while you are down for the day.

Do you have a great tip on homeschooling when mom is sick?  Drop it in a comment!