Joy to the Heart

Preparing For Presidents’ Day

January 14, 2015 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) Leave a Comment

….is here just in time for preparing for Presidents’ Day!

Look what’s inside!

1) Booklets

Who Was George Washington? Booklet
– 8½ by 11 inch Color Version to enjoy and read aloud
– Half page Black and White Version for children to color, read, and share at home

The Life and Times of George Washington
– 3 Black and White pages to print and read

2) Timelines

The Life of George Washington
– Cut out the pictures, sequence, and glue to the timeline.

1 Page Timeline (2 versions)

3) Recording Sheets
– Sheets designed to help students keep track of information they learn (record traits, jobs/roles held, etc.) for better comprehension and/or to prepare for writing about George Washington

4) Copywork
– Coloring sheets with names to trace for your youngest learners
– 3 different quotes in both print and cursive

5) Vocabulary (4 options)
         Word to Picture Match – Cut & glue each word to correspond with the picture
         ‘What Does It Mean?’ Skinny Vocabulary Booklet– Assemble the booklet. Then cut out each picture to match the definition. Next, cut, fold, glue the top edge, and place to flip up the matching word.

        Vocabulary Match Up– Glue the word under the correct definition
        Vocabulary Crossword– Read the clue and write the word in the puzzle.

6) Extras
        – A simple Fact or Fiction Cut and Glue
        – George Washington Word Search
        – Then and Now Sheet – Draw or write to contrast the middle 1700’s to today
        – Small Picture Cards – Black and White as well as Color pictures to use in sorts, matching games, in the pocket chart, etc.
         -Words to two American Songs – ‘God Bless America’ and ‘America The Beautiful’

Looking at the samples, you’ll notice that the printables in George Washington: Our 1st Leader were designed with multiple ages in mind! Just print the desired pages, grab a few books on America’s first President, and you’ll be ready to go!

George Washington: Our 1st Leader is available for just $3.50 at our Joyful Heart Learning shop at Teachers Pay Teachers!

Filed Under: The Joy of Holidays, The Joy of Homeschool

5 Ways to Remember Luke 2

December 9, 2014 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) Leave a Comment

During the days leading up to Christmas, regardless of the ages or stages of our kids, the crafts we were able to create, the baking projects we were able to do, or the activities we participated in, when we have taken time to read, recite, and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas through the study of Luke 2:1-20 it has been a great blessing. Looking back, I would have to say that it has become a family tradition to review and recite the Biblical account of Christ’s birth each December – and it brings joy!

Here are five quick ways to help hide God’s Word in your heart and focus on the birth of Christ Jesus this Christmas…

1) Read and Listen from God’s Holy Word

Read it daily and let it soak in!

2) Practice Reciting the Scripture Passage Orally as a Family

Simply sit together and recite the passage aloud with one another.
   OR
Take turns listening to each other say as much of the portion of Scripture that they know.
Try to encourage the use of emphasis and expression!
   OR
Take turns tossing a ball or beanbag and saying a word or two from the text you are working on together. For example, one child tosses the ball and says, “In”. The child that catches the ball says the next word needed, “those”, and tosses it to someone else. Continue in this manner until the verse(s) are complete.

3) Use Pictures to Aid Comprehension

Luke 2:1-20 flows so well and is a great Biblical account to share orally. Help your youngest children retain meaning by connecting the text to pictures!

You may desire to use printable sheets or cards, such as those shown below.

Recite, Read, and Color using The Christmas Story Booklet!
(The text for this booklet is completely from the NIV, 1984 version.)

We have it in a Spanish translation as well!

Our four year old enjoys coloring each picture after he has successfully memorized the verse on the corresponding page!

4) Write it out!

It is so easy to just copy the text from your own Bible and a great way to assist in memorizing God’s Word!

As part of our Celebrating Christmas eBook, we have included printable copywork sheets, shown below, in both print and cursive for each verse.

A simpler version of print can be found at Hubbard’s Cupboard for free as well.

5) Retell Luke 2 in creative ways!

Move pieces of a flannel board or of a nativity set as you recite Luke 2 from memory.

Use nativity stamps to print the story. Then, point and retell using exact wording from Scripture.

And, of course, it is always fun to gather props and willing family members to act it out!

May you and your family be blessed this Christmas as you learn His Word and reflect on the true meaning of the season!

Filed Under: Christmas, Curriculum We Use, The Joy of God's Word, The Joy of Holidays

My ABCs of Thanksgiving

November 17, 2014 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) Leave a Comment

Looking for some simple ways to encourage thankfulness?
Need a few extra printables to keep your sweet children occupied on a long trip to Grandma’s this Thanksgiving?

My ABCs of Thanksgiving: 26 Letters to Encourage a Grateful Heart

My ABCs of Thanksgiving: 26 Letters to Encourage a Grateful Heart includes the following resources:

Verses of Praise – Look up Scripture references related to thanksgiving and praise! Highlight each verse. Choose one to memorize.

My ABCs of Thanksgiving Booklet – Draw and write A-Z about 26 things that you are thankful for!

Line By Line ABCs – For each letter of the alphabet, make a list of things that for which you are thankful!

26 Ways to Say Thank You – Brainstorm ways to say thank you to someone or to God (one for each letter of the alphabet). Choose one or two to actually do to show someone your appreciation.

Color By Letter (t,h,a,n,k,s) – Designed with your younger kids in mind, children use a key to color a picture.

A-Z Letter Maze – Start at A and end at Z to make a path for the Native Americans to reach the Pilgrims! (also designed to be used with younger children).

Word Search – Find the 26 hidden Thanksgiving related words

ABC Order– Write 26 Thanksgiving themed words in alphabetical order.

My ABCs of Thanksgiving: 26 Letters to Encourage a Grateful Heart is available for just $1 at our Joyful Heart Learning shop at Teachers Pay Teachers!

And don’t forget to check out the other FREE Thanksgiving resources at Hubbard’s Cupboard as well as the free booklet ‘The Pilgrim Story’ available at the Joyful Heart Learning Teachers Pay Teachers Store!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Filed Under: Curriculum We Use, Thanksgiving, The Joy of Holidays

CVC Word Work

October 28, 2014 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) 1 Comment

In anticipation of using them with my next little reader, I’ve been busy creating some simple CVC booklets and corresponding sheets…

The CVC Emergent Phonics Readers come in both an 8 1/2 by 11 colored teacher version as well as a half page black and white student version. These are freely available over at Hubbard’s Cupboard! There is one booklet per short vowel and three additional booklets for review of all the vowel sounds. Here is a quick peek…

The corresponding CVC Word Work sheets are available for purchase over at our Joyful Heart Learning shop at Teachers Pay Teachers.

For each vowel, you’ll find opportunities for your emerging reader to sort pictures and word cards, play Bingo, color pictures containing a certain vowel sound, read/match/and glue pictures, read/stamp/and trace CVC words, cut apart letters and manipulate them to form words to match the pictures and then write the words, read sight words and CVC words in context of a simple repetitive story, and more!

There are also sheets designed for review of multiple vowel sounds at a time – including the following…

May you enjoy these resources with your budding reader as well!

Filed Under: Curriculum We Use, The Joy of Homeschool

Being a Tourist

October 16, 2014 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) Leave a Comment

in Panama…

Although our main purpose in visiting Panama was for the dedication ceremony of the Kuna Scriptures, we did have the opportunity to do some sightseeing as well…

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Casco Antiguo (Old Quarters, Panama City, Panama)

A glimpse of what you’ll find here: churches and partial buildings still standing from the mid 1600’s, the official residence of the President, enormous amounts of construction, loose cats and dogs, narrow sidewalks and streets, modern renovated buildings adjacent to run down residences…

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Downtown Panama City, Panama
– a beautiful city-scape, bustling traffic, a large modern mall, sky scrapers, busses and taxis, side street vendors, etc.

Panama Canal (100 year Anniversary!)
– Massive cargo ships containing hundreds of containers
– The Bridge of Americas
– Miraflores Locks

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Nature
– palm trees, bamboo, tapirs, toucans, geckos, etc.

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Notes on being a tourist
We are not world travelers, nor do we pretend to be. This trip was a rarity for us and provided just one small glimpse into another country and culture. We are thankful for the short time God allowed us to experience in Panama!

Here are some important things in regards to being ‘tourists’ that we want to remember…
– Pack lightly and re-wear clothing.
– Bring your backpack for day trips and pack sunscreen, a hat, a water bottle, a mini umbrella, a snack, a small package of facial tissues (for more than just for your nose), and just use your phone as a camera.
– Tag along with someone who speaks the language if you are going to be there for a very short time.
– Regardless, try to learn at least a few basic, necessary words. (I think I only learned ‘banos’ for ‘bathroom’, ‘gracias’ for ‘thank you’, and – through environmental print – ‘damas’ for ‘women’ as well as ‘alto’ for ‘stop’. I’m a slow learner though, and it appears that none of my college Spanish coursework stuck with me. =) )

– Find out about the cultural norms before you travel – reminding yourself that the way others do things are not wrong, just different than your own norm.
– Be gracious, patient, and put on a learner attitude.
– Wherever you are, take time to marvel in God’s beautiful creation!