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Learn About Martin Luther King, Jr.

I want to share a story with you - a story about my life and a valuable lesson I learned as an adult. As we approach the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, I feel this story is important to tell.

I never grew up with an appreciation for Dr. King.   I wasn't taught about him in school, and really never even knew much about him until I moved to Atlanta in 1996.   Isn't that a shame?

The area where I was born and raised was not very diverse.    Ok.   It wasn't diverse AT ALL. 

(One of the reasons I'm so glad we homeschool is because we can let our children be exposed to diverse people and situations - they don't have to be stuck in the same 4 walls each and every day!) 

As I went to college I began to encounter more people different than me, but when it came down to it, I functioned and lived with people who looked just like me.

When I was 24 my life and perspective broadened, and I am so thankful it did.

Learn About Martin Luther King, Jr. - Free Quotes & Copywork Printable

I began a teaching job in a 100% African American school in Atlanta.  

This was no ordinary school, either.

It was fashioned after the schools started by Dr. Marva Collins.  It was a strict, rigorous environment, with wonderful parental involvement and student success.   It has consistently been one of the highest performing schools in our state.

(I bet when I said 100% African American you didn't quite expect that description of the school, did you?)  

This is how prejudices and assumptions still run deep, even among people who claim they don't have a prejudiced bone in their body.    It is my hope and prayer that we can abolish this in our children's generation.

I learned quickly how much Dr. King meant to so many people.

I heard 100 Kindergarten students recite the ENTIRE I Have a Dream Speech.  

I became friends with a teacher who remembered sitting in the back of the bus riding to downtown Atlanta, and not being able to use the same bathrooms as whites.  

I watched a classroom of children dramatize Rosa Parks being unwilling to move to the back of the bus.  I will never forget the little girl that played Rosa... I can still see her fiery attitude as she planted herself in the front and would not move.  

I was changed in many ways during my time teaching in that elementary school.   

I thank GOD for the opportunity I had to be "the minority".   

Most of all, I learned that we are not that far removed from racism.  It is just a generation away (sometimes not even that far) and that is truly sobering.

I believe it is our duty and responsibility to teach our children about Dr. King.   As homeschooling parents we have the opportunity and freedom to teach our children about anything we want.  Teaching them about Dr. King is IMPORTANT.

We've studied about Dr. King each year in January, and I encourage you to do the same. 

Resources to Learn About Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have also created a free copywork download that includes five of my favorite quotes from Dr. King.   

Sample:

 

It is geared toward your learners that are working on beautiful cursive.   

Enjoy!  

Download the Copywork

 

Will you be studying Dr. King in your homeschool any time soon?

Learn About Martin Luther King, Jr. - free quotes & copywork printable

Why We Use Saxon Math

Math can be an area that causes great frustration and confusion (for adults and children) in many homeschools. 

This was true in my home.  We waffled between math programs in our first few years of homeschooling, trying different textbooks, living math, and other approaches.

It doesn't need to be difficult, however, with ample resources and assistance available. 

I am not a mathematician by any stretch of the imagination. I do not like math, but I am learning to like it more and more. 

*This post contains affiliate links.

I also recognize the supreme importance of giving my children a SOLID math foundation while they are under my care. 

After two years of research, one year of using the actual program, and attending a math practicum, I am convinced that Saxon Math is the best option for my children (at least until their high school years).

You cannot just choose a math program that everyone likes or is blogging about and hope for the best.  I do not believe it's wise to let your child choose their own math program based on what they "like". Math is too important to cut any corners.

You need to do your research, know your educational philosophy, and know your child's learning style. This decision took us a lot of time and effort, but it's worth it. 

I will provide you with concrete reasons why we made this math decision, but I wanted to start by sharing a quote with you from Classical Conversations.  (I encourage you to read the linked article - it's very good.) This is the ULTIMATE statement of why we are using Saxon:

Saxon, then, is teaching us math the same way we learn the things we feel we enjoy more, in which we experience more pleasure. It teaches us what we know, it provides us types to compare, it asks us to draw out the lesson we are meant to learn, and it provides us with continued and ongoing practice. Essentially, it makes discoverers of us. For some, though, the difficulty may be in that they do not recognize that Saxon teaches this way. If that is the case, try to approach it this way for a while. Give it some time; practice. Your initial instincts will be to just tell your child what he should find when comparing the examples. Restrain yourself. Keep working through examples and asking comparison questions until he discovers the lesson for himself. Do this for several lessons. Eventually, you will find he is looking at the lesson this way himself—and he will be the better for it: he will have learned how to teach himself, which is nothing more nor less than learning how to learn.

It's so much more than MATH, it is a way of approaching life and learning that the authors of Saxon have created artfully in their curriculum.

Why Saxon Math?

  • a spiral approach that works best for my children
  • thorough mastery and drill of facts, then applying that mastery to real life practice problems
  • tried and true - Saxon has been used and loved for a long time
  • NO FLUFF! 
  • college preparatory

Our Saxon Plan & Experience

I want to share TWO Saxon stories with you - one of my oldest who didn't have Saxon from the start, and the other of my youngest - who has never known anything other than Saxon. 

My oldest child, unfortunately, proved to be my testing ground. She was in public school getting a haphazard math eduction until the middle of third grade. When we pulled her out, I had her doing Horizons Math, but quickly saw this wasn't working for her.

We switched to Saxon Math and used this with her until Algebra 1/2. She had some success with Saxon, but I am CONVINCED that because she didn't have the Saxon foundation of drill and repetition and a very systematic way of teaching math concepts she wasn't able to keep up the Saxon pace and intense spiraling in the upper levels of math.

Thankfully, we found Mr D Math and she has been doing very well using this online program in high school. 

Now, compare this to my son. My son has been homeschooled from the beginning. We began with the Saxon Kindergarten math program and he is now approaching Saxon 8/7.  

For starters, I believe he is a math minded kid. His brain is just wired for numbers. 

I have also found that the almost incessant drill and repetition of Saxon has cemented essential math concepts in his brain. A few recommendations if you are using Saxon:

  • Do math EVERY day. Be consistent.
  • Do the ENTIRE lesson - drills, lesson practice, etc... You may be tempted to do only the odd or even problems when things get tough, but resist that urge! 
  • Don't expect math to be flashy.  Math is hard work. I mistakenly thought my children should be enjoying everything they did.  Yes, sometimes they will enjoy math - but other times it will just be hard work they need to get through.  That's OK. 
  • Demand excellence.  Once my son completes a lesson we grade it together and fix any mistakes he has made. He uses  graph paper that we put into a three ring binder to keep track of all of his work. 

 

Supplemental CDs, DVDs, for Saxon Math

I investigated three instructional aids for Saxon math. 

I had heard a lot of good things about all three resources. 

After careful research we chose one of these resources.

I chose the Saxon Teacher CDs because they contain the instruction for all of the lessons AND each and every practice and lesson problem, as well as test problems.

This review of Saxon Teacher proved particularly helpful.

“One feature that I particularly appreciate in Saxon Teacher is that it does not stick exactly to the textbook. The teacher will sometimes use alternate methods of problem solving or examples, and she will occasionally add clarifying or helpful information.”
— Cathy Duffy Reviews

My daughter read the lesson in the book, watched the lesson demonstrated on the computer, then worked through the practice and lesson problems on her own.

After I graded her work, if she had questions about problems she has missed we referred to the CDs for explanations and answers.

I liked this. There was no scratching my head about how to figure out a problem. Everything we need was right there on the CDs.

The CDs were an investment but WELL WORTH the investment in our math program for her. To me, it wasn't an area where I could be frugal.

My son, however, hasn't needed the CDs just yet. We read the lesson together and then I will leave him to complete the problems. Next year I will give him the option of using the CDs or reading the lesson on his own.  We'll just have to see how that goes. 

Personal Thoughts about Saxon Math

A few years ago I created a video about Saxon Math for you (at the time I had a 3rd and 7th grader).  The information is still relevant today because it contains general information about Saxon and how to plan your math going forward.

I have not been compensated by Saxon. These are my PERSONAL thoughts after a lot of research and reading. 

Whether you choose to use Saxon or not, math in your homeschool is IMPORTANT and deserves your time and research.

It is my prayer you find a curriculum that fits your children and your teaching style/abilities. 

Suggested Saxon Resources

Talk to me about math. What math program do you use?  Can I help you with any questions you might have?  Leave me a comment below!