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Raising the B.A.R.

by MaryAlice Wallis

Raising the bar isn’t easy – it requires change.  In the beginning, you may wonder what you could have possibly been thinking by suggesting a change; yet as time goes on and you begin to achieve your goals, you’ll wonder why in the world you didn’t raise the bar sooner.  I like to think of raising the bar as sacrificing ordinary for extraordinary.  In the Wallis homeschool, I find that adding something new to our curriculum each year and discarding things that were unsuccessful molds and refines our school.  Each year I find myself saying, “this is the best school year ever”.  I am grateful for those feelings of satisfaction.  Our family has followed President Hinckley’s counsel to raise the bar by focusing on the following three concepts:    

B - Do your very Best
A - Ability drives Accountability, drives Application
R - Respect and Responsibility 

B- Do your very Best

During a recent conference address, President Hinckley referred to a talk in which he had asked the Saints to do their best.  He stated that although he felt it was important for us to do our best, he was impressed to ask the Saints to do something that would require even more than their best.  While listening to this address, I sat upright with eagerness to scribe the fresh new revelation that would follow.  With perfect clarity President Hinckley stated that he would like the Saints not only to do their best, but to do their very best.  I took this as a personal challenge and brought this instruction to my family and it has become a new standard in our home.  Every once in a while if shoulders droop, if tongues get mouthy, or if goals seem unattainable, one of the children will speak the simple words “remember to do your very best”, and enthusiasm is restored.

In addition to raising the bar in our standard curriculum, I feel that doing our very best has meant raising the bar in our spiritual study as well.  Implementing the Faith in God book, using The Friend magazine, and memorizing and understanding the Articles of Faith has increased our knowledge of gospel principles and creates a better spirit in our home.  During evening scripture reading and prayer we often take turns answering the question, “What did I do today to follow God’s Plan?” 

A- Ability drives Accountability drives Application

In our homeschool, I acknowledge each child’s academic year based on the public school scales; but I ‘float’ the actual academic year up or down depending on the child’s ability in the subject they are studying.  Subjects are learned at the child’s pace and I don’t move forward until a subject is mastered.  Each child in every family learns differently and processes information in her own unique way.  Mosiah 4:27 applies here: “And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.” 

If we allow the children to learn what they love at a comfortable pace, success will follow.  In the same vein, children capable of handling a task must be accountable to it.  I have found that by emphasizing the importance of accountability we have changed this area of weakness into an area of strength.  For example, I begin school at a set time, with the expectation that the assigned schoolwork will be completed to the child’s best ability.  I have also instituted a ‘card’ system that has facilitated their accountability to their assignments. 

Upon completion of their assignments, the children are asked, “Did you do your very best work?  What, if anything, could you have done to improve it?  Are you pleased with your efforts?”  This clearly puts the responsibility for the assignment on the child.  Because all areas of our home are part of our homeschool, our children are equally accountable to the tasks in the home, including meal planning, household chores, family home evenings and vacations.   Raising the bar in our accountability has helped us to stretch to areas where the children are now applying what they have learned with each other.  The older children are teaching the younger children skills that they have individually mastered, and sometimes vice versa.  In essence, the ability to learn drives the accountability, which drives the application.

R - Respect and Responsibility

Raising the bar commands respect.  The simple mentioning of a higher standard breeds a reverence in itself.  In the Book of Mormon when Moroni raised the title of liberty, the title made a statement among the Nephites.  It separated them by suggesting that what was once considered ordinary would now become extraordinary.  By raising the bar in our homeschool, we are not only setting a higher standard; we are also committing to live it, and that standard commands respect.  There has been a shift from mom doing everything, to children helping mom do everything, to children helping each other learn everything. 

I have watched in awe as lessons I’ve taught are in turn re-taught by olders to youngers, and so forth.  I marvel at their ability to model, and sometimes cringe at behaviors they manifest that are direct hits on my weaknesses.   All in all, the children are learning and becoming more responsible as they progress, and they’re applying the things they have learned.  It is our responsibility as parents to teach our children to be responsible.

What greater gift could you give yourself or your family than to raise the bar of your current home and school life?  How inspired our prophet was to suggest that we stand a little taller, reach a little higher, be a little better, even the very best we can be.  With time, using the skills of patience, and diligence, our families will be solid and everlasting by heeding the counsel to raise the bar. 

Using Character Studies to
Raise the Bar

by Cindee Roberts

As I have contemplated the need to 'raise the bar' in my home, I felt directed by the Spirit to include a character development section in my devotional time. We are using Pres. Hinckley's book, "Standing for Something."

We have had many discussions concerning our behaviors and interactions with each other and those we come in contact with. Rebecca, our 15 yr. old daughter says; "Whenever I am doing something bad, I remember the words from the book, and I stop." Ammon, our ten year old, states, "We need to have more love, forgiveness, mercy and civility towards everybody."

Lorena, fourteen years old, informed me that; "It's helped me with my attitude!" Using President Hinckley's words has given me opportunities to bear testimony of a living prophet and the need to follow him.

In conjunction with this book, I use the theme from the chapter we are on to search the scriptures for verses that apply; then use it as copy work. In learning about these passages, I will find a word or phrase that I can use as an object lesson to catch their attention, enhance their thinking processes, and help to retain the lesson. (burden=weights; light=candle or flashlight, etc).

I also try to find a poem or story that fits the theme and have them memorize, rewrite/narrate or illustrate it. Sometimes we even act out the scripture or story.
My formula to follow is this: read-write-do. In following this pattern, I have used as many of their senses as possible to help ingrain the messages in my children.
We keep all of these things in our Character binder for the year, as a reminder of the impressions they have had during our study.

It is amazing to me how the Spirit will teach me what to teach my children. Sometimes it is spur of the moment thought and directs me in a different direction than I had planned. We have been richly blessed this year by adding this section to our curriculum. My prayer is that by doing my part, the Spirit will take over and teach the children. I look forward to next year studying President Hinckley's book "Way to Be!"

 

Using Memorization to
Raise the Bar

by Genevieve Peterson

Dear fellow homeschoolers,

Our family consists of five beautiful children...so far. Our oldest is now nine.  When he turned seven we decided to help him prepare for his baptism by giving him the challenge of memorizing all thirteen Articles of Faith before his eighth birthday. This was difficult but he did it!

And this challenge was a blessing to all of us. My husband and I memorized right along with him,
and now that his younger sister is preparing for baptism, he is helping her. 

We recently had the local missionaries over for dinner. The children wanted to quiz the missionaries on the Articles of Faith, like we quiz each other during devotional sometimes. But the Elders declined because they didn't know them. I was very surprised. I don't want to fault the dear, hard-working missionaries (after all, I didn't have them memorized either until I learned them with my son!) But, don't you think that all of our
full-time missionaries ought to have them on the tip of their tongues?

I am so glad that we followed the inspiration to help our little ones memorize the Articles of Faith by the age of eight. It is not too hard for them -- and they love it! We should never underestimate our children's potential to learn, or the joy they have in receiving and understanding the truth.

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