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How to Bless Your Homeschool Dad

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bless your homeschool dad
Every Father’s Day, children struggle to come up with a way to bless their homeschool dad. “We want to buy him a gift, but what can we get him that he wouldn’t already be able to get himself?” What is the best blessing you could offer a Christian dad?

Psalm 128 provides an excellent way to think about honoring dads on Father’s Day. In six short verses, this psalm inventories the blessing of a father who fears the Lord. The blessings are appropriate goals for every Christian dad, and children can honor him by contributing to those aspirations.

Wise Dominion

For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be.

Christian homeschool dads work hard to provide for their families and attempt to be wise stewards of the resources God gives them. Psalm 128:2 describes a blessed man enjoying the literal fruit of his work. He has fulfilled the blessing of dominion over God’s creation.

Children can join in on that blessing by diligently contributing to their household. But beyond carrying out chores, children should be preparing for their future vocation as well. Few things bless a father’s heart more than seeing his children study hard and prosper academically. It assures dads that their children are on their way to exercising good and wise dominion within God’s calling on their lives. That is being truly blessed.

Little Olive Plants

Thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

I love the metaphor found in Psalm 128:3. Children gather around the table, enjoying the fruit of their dad’s labor. As he nurtures them, they too will grow to be fruitful olive trees.

One of most basic characteristics of living things is that they perpetuate. If they didn’t reproduce, living organisms would go extinct. And this principle is linked to Genesis 1:28, where God blessed the animals and people to be fruitful and fill the earth.

Little children are such a delight to dads. They are a fulfillment of God’s blessing on their lives.

But more than having physical descendants, believing dads want to see their children experience new birth. We perpetuate by making disciples. Our commission is to perpetuate to the uttermost parts of the earth. For dads, the natural location to begin doing that is in our homes. Knowing the sweetness of our life in Christ makes it natural for us to want our children have the same lifelong experience. Children can bless their fathers by giving their hearts in response to their dad’s efforts to disciple them.

The Next Generation

Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children.

The final verse of the psalm telescopes out to the third generation. Here, a blessed man (first generation) is enjoying his children’s (second generation) children (third generation.) It envisions the little olive plants growing to maturity and being fruitful themselves. They too are working hard to provide for a family. And God has blessed them with their own little olive plants.

This is the blessing of multigenerational discipleship. God-fearing dads are most blessed when they see their grandchildren also following in their ways. My dad is honored as I seek to disciple his grandchildren.

This Father’s Day, as you seek to honor your homeschool dad, meditate on Psalm 128. God wants to bless your dad, and He knows the best way to bless him. In fact, you’re an integral part God’s means of blessing. So if you give your heart to what God is doing, you will bless your dad.

Learning Place Value with a Hands-on Activity

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place value cover
As a homeschool dad, I found it easy to fall into the trap of believing that my young child understood a number because she could say it and count to it. When my second daughter was in kindergarten, we enjoyed skip counting to a trillion by 100 billions. She felt like she grasped the number 1 trillion. But I was overlooking place value and the role it plays in deep understanding of foundational math concepts.

The concept of place value is crucial not only in gigantic numbers but also in more relatable numbers. It’s so easy for a six-year-old to recognize and count to a number such as 23 but not understand what the 2 and the 3 mean in practical, real-life experience.

One of the best ways to develop your child’s understanding of place value is through less-than and greater-than activities. Doing hands-on exercises develops number sense that will enable your child to solve real-world problems.

Preparing

  • Cut out twenty small squares of paper and ten strips of paper (ten squares each). [You can make strips and squares using the first page of the printable, or use the counting cubes from the Math 1 Student Manipulatives packet.]
  • Label three sheets of paper, the first as “Ones,” the second as “Tens,”  and the third as “Answers,” or use pages 2–4 of the printable.

place value activity materialsManeuvering

Give your child the following instructions orally, and guide him in carrying them out.

  1. Position the Tens paper and the Ones paper side by side with the Tens on the left. Make the number 32 on the top half of the Tens paper and the Ones paper.
  2. Skip count the tens aloud (i.e., count 10, 20, 30).
  3. Count the ones aloud (i.e., count 1, 2).
  4. Write the number on the answer sheet (i.e., 32).
  5. Now make the number 23 using the bottom half of the Tens paper and the Ones paper.
  6. Skip count the tens and count the ones.
  7. Write the number immediately below the 32 on the answer sheet (Example 1).

place value onesplace value more onesplace value answersObserving

This is the key point in the activity. You’re ready to ask your first-grade child to make some comparisons based on what he’s observing with the manipulatives.

  1. Ask, “Which group is bigger, the one on the top (32) or the one on the bottom (23)?”
  2. Follow up with, “Which one has more ones?” and “Which one has more tens?”
  3. Finally ask, “Which place should you look at to determine which number is bigger (greater), the ones place or the tens place?” Have your child respond by circling the correct digit on the answer sheet.

Repeating

  1. Remove the strips and squares from the Tens and Ones pages. Go through the process of building 19 and 45 but without the counting steps.
  2. Tell the child to write the numbers side by side with a box in between (Example 2).
  3. Ask which number is larger. The child should indicate his answer in the box by drawing the < symbol in the box.
  4. Now have your child pick two numbers (greater than 10 and less than 50) to repeat the activity.
  5. Have your child guess which number is larger before building the two numbers.
  6. Guide him in writing the numbers with a box in between and then drawing the correct symbol in the box (Example 3).

place value counting onesplace value more answersPracticing

Write out five or six less-than or greater-than problems for your child to practice what he just learned. Encourage him to make each number on the Tens and Ones pages before writing in the greater-than or less-than sign.

Try to spend about twenty-five minutes on this activity before moving on to something else.

Do the the activity again on another day with different numbers to continue developing your child’s number sense and understanding of the critical role that place value plays in determining how large a number is.place value finished answers

Praying for Our Children on Day of Prayer

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national day of prayer
As we approach the National Day of Prayer, my mind turns to 1 Timothy 2:1–2, which calls us to make intercessions for all people, for kings, and for all that are in authority. The object of these prayers is for a peaceable life in pursing godliness.

It is vital that we pray for our nation as a people and our leaders in particular. But the future of our nation rests in the hands of our children. Their choices to follow or reject the Lord will determine the direction of our nation.

Psalm 1 provides a gold mine for finding spiritual requests for our children. The psalmist describes the blessedness we desire for our children.  So we can turn those descriptions into petitions.

Avoid Ungodly Counsel

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

All around us, the ungodly are offering counsel to our children. In government schools and in the media, there are voices teaching, modeling, and suggesting ideas that are contrary to God. Some of these ideas are easy to spot, such as the atheists’ denial of God’s very existence. Some are more subtle but just as dangerous.

As parents, we have a tremendous opportunity to curate the influences in our homes. We should take the opportunity to teach our children to be discerning. But we need our Lord’s help. We need His help to see ungodly counsel ourselves. We need help in making it clear to our children. And most importantly, God must work a miracle in our children’s hearts. We’re all naturally bent toward evil. So when a child experiences distaste for ungodly advice, that’s a special work of God.

Father, would You keep my children’s feet away from the way of sinners? Would You give them understanding to see the counsel of ungodly influences? Would You shape their hearts to find these ideas distasteful?

Thank You for giving me an opportunity to shepherd my children through many influences that come into our home. Give me wisdom in keeping the thinking of scoffers out of our living room. Would you help in teaching my children to discern every imagination of man that is in disobedience to God?

Delight in God’s Law

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

A blessed child not only turns away from evil but also has a heart that loves God’s Word. It brings so much joy that the child’s mind keeps turning to it. Of course, all Christians, believing children included, grow in their delight year after year.

In our homes, we can model meditation, teach our children to read their Bibles, and have family devotions. But Psalm 1:2 is speaking to the heart. Our children need the Lord to transform their hearts.

Father, your statues are right and rejoice the heart. Your words are sweeter than the sweetest dessert. Please draw out my children’s hearts toward Your Word. May my child find it so good and holy that that they trust it and value it. Cause it to grip their imagination so that their thoughts return to it again and again.

Prosper in God’s Way

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Children who meditate on God’s Word are like trees that sink their roots deep into reservoirs of water. They grow; they prosper—but not necessarily in material things. They prosper in producing spiritual fruit. When we think God’s thoughts all day long, those thoughts begin to counsel and govern us. They shape the way we view creation, our relationships, and our responsibilities. That counsel is what causes spiritual prospering. Wisdom is learning from God’s creation through the lens of God’s Word so we live well in God’s world.

As parents, we can urge our children to base their decision-making processes on God’s Word. As we explain our own thought processes in making decisions, we model viewing God’s Word as our counselor. When children ask us all of their why questions, we should respond in terms of biblical principles.

Father, Your commands are pure and they enlighten my eyes. They instruct in good paths. Would You cause my children to esteem all Your ways to be right? Would You help them to view Your words as so many counselors that will direct their steps? Would You cause each one to spiritually prosper as a tree, drawing up waters from a nearby river?

As we turn to pray for our nation and its leaders, let’s remember that our children are part of all the people we’re called to pray for. And their spiritual prosperity is integral to the future of our nation.

Help Your Second Grader with Division

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hands-on division activity
As your homeschool child becomes proficient in multiplication, it’s time to introduce division. Typically, children become comfortable with division in their third-grade year of math. But the end of second grade is a good time to introduce the concept.

Since math models God’s creational order, it helps to introduce division with physical objects. Using objects from God’s world to touch, play with, and observe, we can help children develop a number sense that fosters deep understanding.

Guided Hands-on Discovery of Division

Here’s a fun hands-on activity to introduce division in a non-pressure way. All you need is an empty egg carton with the lid removed and twelve small objects. I used jelly beans, but  dried beans, beads, or any other small household items will work.

Remember, the goal is to develop number sense that leads to deep understanding. We don’t want to overwhelm our children.division activity materials

  1. Have your child place all twelve jelly beans in the egg carton, putting two in a compartment until all the jelly beans are used.
  2. Ask, “How many jelly beans did we start with?”
  3. Ask, “How many compartments are in use?” To find the answer, he can count out the six compartments that have two jelly beans.dividing jelly beans
  4. Ask “How many jelly beans are in each of these compartments? It’s the same number in each one.”
  5. Dump out all the jelly beans and focus on the compartments.
  6. Direct your child, “Fill four compartments so that each compartment has the same number of beans.” Make sure your child feels free to make mistakes at this stage. Have him keep adjusting the number of beans until four compartment hold three beans each.divided jelly beanscounting jelly beans
  7. Say, “This time fill three compartments so each compartment has the same number of beans. Were we able to still use all of our beans? How many are in each compartment?”
  8. Finally, ask, “How many compartments would we use if we put six jelly beans in each compartment?”
  9. After your child makes a prediction, allow him try it out.
  10. Once your child becomes comfortable with the process, explain that he has done division! Division is simply making equal groups or sets out of a larger number. So we could say that 12 beans divided into 6 sets equals 2 beans in each set. Or 12 beans with 3 beans in each set makes 4 sets.
  11. Now write out the equations that your child has already worked out with beans: 12 ÷ 2 = 6, 12 ÷ 3 = 4, 12 ÷ 4 = 3, and 12 ÷ 6 = 2.
  12. As you write out each equation, have your child recreate it with the jelly beans. This will help your child visualize what the equations mean.

writing out problemsworking it outSustained Learning

This activity shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes. Over the next couple of days, review with your child, and let him practice independently. Keep the egg carton and jelly beans handy, so your child can work out the problem hands-on each time. After he works a problem out with the jelly beans, he can write down his discovery.

Remember, you’re not trying to guide your child to achieve mastery of division right now. You’re introducing it ahead of third grade, when your child will spend more time developing skill with division. So after a week, move onto another math concept your child has more experience with.

My wife and I have found that these interactive math activities ignite a joy of learning for our children. It turns play into guided discovery and develops a strong number sense in our children. Try this activity out toward the end of your child’s second-grade year.

In-Depth Worldview Education

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worldview education globes
Some Christian educators watch with concern as students finish a “Christian worldview education.” They observe that sometimes these students are too quick to label ideas such as feminism and Marxism in order to dismiss them without engaging with understanding.

This can be a real problem. If students fail to understand ideas that they don’t agree with, they won’t be able to communicate thoughtfully about false worldviews. But what can we do to help them think biblically about distorted worldviews?

The problem is not with worldview education but with how worldview is taught. Worldview education must go beyond rote memorization of charts with categories. Instead, students must be taught to analyze from the correct biblical perspective (i.e., through the lens of  Creation, Fall, and Redemption). Only then will they be able to evaluate precisely how false worldviews twist God’s good design.

One way to represent Creation, Fall, Redemption is to illustrate it with the terms structure (God’s creational norms) and direction (bending God’s norms in a fallen direction or bending fallen direction back towards God’s creational design). In other words, children must understand how creational norms and sinful direction work in the formation of wrong ideas.

Creational Norms

We teach our children in order to impart wisdom to them, but where can wisdom be found? It begins when our children fear the Lord by submitting to His wisdom rather than embracing evil (Prov. 9:10). God reveals His wisdom in Scripture, but Scripture also directs us to observe God’s wise design in creation (Ps. 19:1; Prov. 8:22–31).God created His world to work in a certain way—according to His blueprint of wisdom.  So paying attention to how God created the world to work in the beginning reveals principles for living according to His wise design in the present. These principles can be called “creational norms” because they were present at creation.

There are creational norms for marriage (Matt. 19:4–8), economics (Exod. 20:9; 2 Thess. 3:11–12), science (Gen. 8:22), and every other facet of life (Isa. 28:24–29). In some areas, we have direct comment from God’s Word. Others come through careful observation of creation.

Sinful Direction

Of course, each of us is corrupted by the Fall. We inevitably bend God’s creational norms in a way that suits our sinful ways. Some people push against the norms a little and some push a lot. In every case, sinners think of their vision of bent norms as correct and natural. While false worldviews can’t completely ignore creational norms, they bend those norms to fit their vision for individuals and society. The creational norms are still present but in a twisted state.

Redemptive Direction

The challenge for believers is discerning between what part of the sinner’s vision is creational and what part is sinful direction. Christians have an obligation to identify creational norms. Of course, we’re going to engage with many ideas that push these norms in a bad direction. Some of these bad directions have been codified into law and large institutions.

When we encounter these norms, bent in a sinful direction, we should seek to live faithfully in light of redemption by pushing back in a redemptive direction, that is, back toward their creational state.worldview education direction vs. structure

The Case of Marriage

Creational Norm

A discussion of creational norms and sinful direction is difficult to understand without an example. So let’s examine marriage as an illustration of how these principles work out. God created marriage when He made humans male and female. He even gave us a direct word on what marriage should look like in Genesis 2:23–24. This passage outlines the creational norm for marriage.

Fallen Direction

Very quickly after the fall, people started bending marriage in various sinful directions. Polygamy and serial divorce were and continue to be serious examples of bending marriage in a sinful direction.

worldview education bad direction vs. structureRedemptive Direction

When God graciously gave his people the law, He pressed them towards the creational norm. We might have predicted that He would ban divorce, but He didn’t. He regulated it very strictly (Deuteronomy 24:1–5). God put in place legal protections for women being divorced by their husbands.

God still hates divorce; Jesus made that clear. But He understood that the people were evil and were going to divorce, so He established laws that protected a woman when a husband decides to divorce.

Reformation

When the Lord graciously gave Israel laws, He modeled a reformational approach to creational norms that has been twisted by the Fall. In a civil setting, He moved His people towards His creational norms without legally requiring something they would not do. To be clear, God calls us to take radical action against personal sin. But in the civil setting, His laws guided His people like children to make reasonable steps toward the norm.

Reformation requires nuance and understanding of the creational norms and the false worldview. Only then can we discern a corrective step that doesn’t create the chaos that comes with radical measures.

Effective Worldview Education

When we teach our children science, history, math, and literature, we want them to develop skills in finding creational norms. As our children grow, they need to learn to understand and evaluate false worldviews that twist creational norms. Finally, our children need to begin learning to create steps to reform within their context.

This kind of worldview education produces children who do more than dismiss. It enables them to create reformation steps in their generation. To help you equip your children to do just that, BJU Press provides in-depth treatment of these concepts in our Biblical Worldview textbook.