I love learning about people’s beliefs. When you chat to someone about their thoughts on the origin and meaning of life, it gives you an insight into what drives them, what they live for, what hopes they may or may not have, and how you can try to relate to them. We tend to call this a ‘worldview’, and everyone has one. It’s the set of lenses by which we each view life and how we live it. The Christian worldview is entirely based on who Jesus is, and consequently, who we are in him. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 ..read more

Hi, I'm Penny and I am a mum to two boys, aged 4 and 2. I'm also an experienced practitioner in Early Years, with experience of managing a pre school and nursery. I want to share with you how you can support your child's early language and phonic skills at home. Modelling Language is used and developed naturally through each interaction. Children learn language skills through watching and listening to those around them. From the moment they are born children are learning all about the overt and the subtle uses of communication and language including facial expressions, gestures, words and int ..read more

"If we don't have the answers our kids need, athiests will be happy to fill the gaps." Should I start with the word apologetics? It doesn’t mean we’re sorry for what we believe! It comes from the Greek word, apologia which literally means ‘to make a defence for’. It’s a legal term. The apologist’s favourite scripture is 1 Peter 3:15-16 – “In your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer for the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience", which lays out the Biblical basis for why and how we should be abl ..read more

I was asked recently what a Charlotte Mason education would look like if we took the faith element out of it. In other words, would the educational philosophy still encompass what Mason set out to achieve if God wasn’t a part of the fundamental principles? Speaking specifically, Charlotte Mason wrote about the God of the Bible, understanding the world from a Christian perspective. In a modern sense of the word, some educators might use ‘God’ as a general spiritual concept of a greater power which might be acknowledged by many worldviews. Either way, the question remains: can we secularise and ..read more

Is sound doctrine the antidote to falling away from the faith? What is it with older children and teenagers stepping away from the faith their parents so dutifully raised them in? There’s not one answer to that question, and we don’t have 5 hours to unpick the issue. But I have a few observations I want to share from personal experience. I was that teenager, where everything I had believed became dull and irrelevant. God was distant, didn’t have an active role in my life and in my opinion, most likely didn’t really care that much. I had had plenty of supernatural ‘experiences’ as a child thoug ..read more

Training and equipping our children in Christian apologetics for every day of the year. It's that time of year: Christian parents everywhere are rallying to work out how to approach Halloween Biblically, how to talk to their children about the conflicting spiritual messages being thrown at them in every supermarket and how to express this to their neighbours (at least, this is my experience!). Do we hold a Light Party to counter all the Halloween Parties? Do we carve a cross in a pumpkin instead of a ghoul’s face to show which 'side' we’re on? Do we hand out treats with Bible verses on? Are we ..read more

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” – C.S. Lewis This week amongst other conversations, my kids have talked to me about: the fact that Jeremy Fisher’s boat was a lily pad, the differences between coniferous and broadleaf evergreens, Babylon’s second rise to power in the 7th century BC, the 6 times table, John’s gospel explaining Jesus’ existence in the beginning, Florence Nightingale’s work-rest balance, John William’s musical score to Jurassic Park, spelling rules for doubled consonants, the recu ..read more

I don't ever need much of an excuse to put up bunting and balloons and Friday 8th May will be no exception as we look forward to remembering VE Day. So if you fancy getting some inspiration on how to prepare some lessons on VE Day with your children, plus some ideas on resources and an end of war 'street party' (in the safety of your own home) then read on. Each day this week, I'm going to incorporate some VE Day themed learning into our daily lessons. Our three children are currently aged 7, 4 and 2, so trying to convey the ideas of war, peace, and national celebrations may seem tricky at fi ..read more

If you've ever spent a few days indulging in junk food that lacks much of anything that could be counted as nutritious sustenance, you'll probably find you start to crave piles of fruit and veg that will make up the deficit. However, if you continue with the junk food, you'll find fatigue and lethargy looming. Like our bodies need food - good, wholesome, nutritious food - in order to thrive, so our minds need to feed on wholesome and nutritious ideas in order to grow, think well, and find joy in life through healthy engagement with the world around us. In building your atmosphere of home educa ..read more