This Monday we began our fifth year of home-learning.  I can't believe it has been four years since  God brought my dreams to fruition.  I am blessed! 

Our day began with our traditional pancake breakfast.

Grace was not all the way awake. 

After a few quick chores, we headed down to the school room to see their surprises.

Jennifer by her desk, she was excited to get a desk calendar.  Jennifer is my organizer!

Elizabeth was glad to start school! 

Finally seeing that sweet Grace smile.

After our morning opening time, the girls got busy working.

Jennifer working on Algebra problems.

Elizabeth in one of her new study "spots".  She likes to move around a lot as she learns, this can be very distracting when one is trying to divide polynomials.

Grace loves to paint! 

It was a great first day of school!  I have found that it is easier to work them into a full schedule, so these first days are a lot of review and fun things! 

~Treasuring these precious days in my heart,

The third grader~the naturalist and artist

Elizabeth is our eight year old daughter and will be starting the 3rd grade.  Elizabeth is a kind and smart girl who enjoys doing schoolwork but would rather be outside.  She loves playing with her friends as long as it can be outside!  She says that when she grows up she wants to be an artist that draws nature.

Favorite subject: Art

Best subject: Reading

Favorite Bible verse: 2 Timothy 2:15

Other favorite things: Camping, nature walks, being with family and reading.  She also enjoys computers and playing Animal Crossing on the Wii.  Elizabeth enjoys learning and is a joy to teach, she is beginning to develop into a beautiful young lady.

Kindergartener~the baby

 

Grace is our six year  old. 

 

I recently had a sweet friend and her children over for a lunch & play date.  While the children were occupied playing we were talking about the next school year.  She asked me, "So what are you doing new this school year?"  I proceeded to explain about the TOS Crew and all of the things I was already getting from them that was "new", but I forgot to talk with her about some "new" things that I'd purchased or been inspired to buy at our NICHE Convention in June.

I don't know if I'm more excited to have my children learn these skills or to learn them myself.  Conflict is a major part of life and being a good witness for Christ is difficult when conflicts occur. 

Here is part of page from one of the reproducible workbooks that we will be doing. 

Here's another exciting gem:

This is a nice size, personal whiteboard for the girls to use. These will be so helpful with spelling words, math problems and our Grapevine Bible Studies.

I'm also going to be implementing Sue Patrick's Workbox system with Elizabeth and Grace.
I have purchased the boxes and today I will be rearranging the school room to accommadate the boxes.  We will start school not implementing the system because I am waiting to read the book.  Sue Patrick highly recommends reading the book before implementing the system.  We are scheduled to get the book for review as part of the Crew sometime in September.

Other "new" to us things will be changing Elizabeth from ABeka and Math U See workbooks to Christian Light Education Language Arts 3 and Arthimatic 3.  I've enjoyed both the Abeka and Math U See curriculum, I just decided we were ready for a change. 

I'm also going to implement a new routine in our homeschool days.  Previously I rotated the girls throughout the morning, they would rotate every 40 minutes between working independently or one daughter would spend her 40 minutes with me.  Then after lunch we would work together on our history and character lessons.  With Jennifer moving into 9th grade, most of the history that she will be reading is to mature for Elizabeth and Grace.  So starting this year I will work with Elizabeth and Grace in the morning and Jennifer in the afternoon.  Jennifer can then work through her subjects alone in the morning and we can correct her work together in the afternoon. Jennifer and I will also be able to discuss at a higher level her reading assignments.  I will have the independent items for Elizabeth and Grace scheduled for their afternoon workboxes. 

This is one of my new favorite tools:

I'm sure there are some more "new" things that I've forgotten about, so look for updates to this post.  I am excited to start our new school year.  It is amazing to me that this will be the beginning of our 5th year of home-educating.  Oops, one last new thing, I am being purposeful in not calling it our home-school, although we are an environment of learning much like a school.  I want to distant our thinking from being like a "school".  Our home is a place of education and learning, not a "school" as our current culture would define it. 

~Grateful for His wisdom and guidance,

I have browsed through my copy of the Heart of Wisdom by Robin Sampson, but I haven't seriously read it.  I keep meaning to, but never get around to it.  So I prayerfully decided that I need some accountability.   I also think it would be fun to discuss it weekly with other moms that are reading it, too.  So I am asking, would anyone else like to join a Yahoo group for reading through The Heart of Wisdom  by Robin Sampson?  This would be different than the current discussion group that they have at Yahoo.  We would read a chapter and then on Thursday evening submit answers to general discussion questions.  It would have minimal chatter to keep the email low.  It would be easier than having to go everyone's blogs to read their responses.  The only requirement would be that you own a copy of the book. 

I'm thinking of a start date of April 15th.  It would last for twenty-four weeks. You would not be obligated to participate every week, but should participate at least once a month.

Leave a comment and I'll post more details next week if there is positive response.

~Blessed by His Grace,

Linda

Elizabeth and I finished up our first HomeSchool Share Unit Study.  We had a lot of fun doing this study and learned tons too! 

We studied "The Three Snow Bears", this is a wonderful story about a Inuit girl who looses her sled dogs on a ice floe.  As she chases after them she happens upon the igloo of the three snow bears.  It is a delightful version of the three bears.  Jan Brett's illustration are wonderful!

I've linked this through the HomeSchool Share site. 

I just want to put  alittle plug in for HomeSchool Share, this is a great site filled with unit studies to lapbook or notebook.  You could use this site, with a bible study and math supplement, and teach your children from pre-k. through 4th or 5th grade.   The moms that have developed this site and the studies are awesome. 


Here are a few pictures of Elizabeth's work:





One of the assignments was to pre-write a story similar to the Three Bears.

Elizabeth's was about three monkey's in a jungle, with a boy coming to visit their tree.

This is a page of her narration after reading "The Very First Last Time".

 

We made igloos on Monday.  Here Elizabeth is dressed up in her spy girl outfit.


These were so easy to make.  Here are the directions I used:

Sugar Cube Igloo 

from:

http://www.freekidcrafts.com/winter.html

Cut the top of a styrofoam cup off and hot glue the bottom to a paper plate. Cut the upper part of the cup in half to make 2 U's. Hot glue one of the U's onto the cup to make the igloo's entrance. Spread glue over the cup and entrance. Glue sugar cubes around the base and over the top of the entrance. Build up your igloo from there until you cover the entire cup. If sugar cubes prove too difficult, you could try this same project with mini marshmallows. You can also cover the plate with snow (shaving cream and glue mixture makes snow that dries puffy) to complete the winter scene.

These pictures aren't the best, but I hope you can see her handwriting.  She has worked really hard on her handwriting over the last three months.  Her motor skills have always lagged her intellectual abilities.  She currently reads at a 4th grade level, but her handwriting was difficult.  After switching to A Reason for Handwriting and more copywork, she has improved. 

Here a few sites that I used to supplement our study:

The Inuit Family

Inuksuk Statue Lesson from Crayola

Inuit Crafts.




One day last week my husband made the comment that "it was so cold outside he felt like a polar bear who could eat blubber and build an igloo for the winter."  Elizabeth spoke up and said "no dad they don't eat blubber, they eat seals.  Oh, and they don't really live in igloo's those are just special houses for things like parties".   He smiled!

~~thankful for our learning days, He continues to bless us with,

Linda

I have two or three posts partially done, but I thought I'd post this instead.  I'm not sure if I've explained before that we meet the homeschooling laws of Iowa by using a supervising teacher.  I have to send her emails periodically to update her on our progress.  This is a copy of what I just sent to her, with a few pictures added.  Because I rarely have a post without pictures! 

For Science has continued to take her unit tests, we are on Module 7(The Fossil record and Paleontology is the subject) now in her book.  There are  sixteen Module's in all.  I'm going to have to gently guide her to go a little faster on our pre-made schedule.  I love our Apologia science!  On her last Science test she scored 85%.  There are usually only 10-12 questions, but I weight the definitions as 2 points and the essay questions as 5 points, then give partial credit.  Simple one word questions I only give 1 point. 


Last week we did her Fossil experiments, this is Elizabeth making her shell fossil.




I also bought two 7th Grade Spectrum Test Preparation books for her. One is specifically for Science and the other is a general one.

 
This has been fabulous, I love them!   For instances today the page was about the periodical table, something she has never seen or learned about.  It isn't in her science textbook.  It really peeked her interest in Chemistry and we discussed the elements, compounds, charges, etc. for about twenty minutes.  The general one has been great for learning better test taking skills, and gaining knowledge in a variety of subjects. 

I have Jennifer on the list to take her Iowa Basic Skills Test sometime in April. 

In Social Studies, we continue studying early American History.  Right now we are up to King George III, and the Stamp Act.  This week we will have a Boston Tea party, just not nearly as rowdy. 

Elizabeth:

Elisabeth Elliot is one of my favorite mentors, she taught me so much about being a Christian wife, mother and step-mother.    I remember her sharing bits and pieces of this devotional on her radio program, "Gateway to Joy".  I grieve the loss of that program.  It blessed me each day, as she stepped all over my toes.  Sincerely, I wouldn't be where I am today without her.

Devotion: Elisabeth Elliot
Book: Keep A Quiet Heart
____________________________________________________________

Title: Homeschooling

When my daughter Valerie Shepard was
homeschooling three of her five children (the
other two were preschool age), I asked her what
she had discovered about the advantages of
homeschooling. Here is her answer:

The children have more time: to read (aloud and
silently); to learn responsibility by doing
chores at home; to play (without adult direction)
and use the imagination; to listen to and enjoy
each other; to learn obedience.

Parents need not deprogram or reteach values the
child hears for seven hours a day. They have the
child's full attention at any time of the day and
can give him full attention; he is not absorbing
two different value systems daily.

Children learn to love each other more. They do
not look down on one another in favor of their
peers, or in wrong adulation of older children.
This society teaches that among children "older
is better." That's not right. Having them at home
all day allows them to be children without having
to "grow up" in the wrong ways.

They learn to be servants of one another. The
family is a microcosm of the Body of Christ.

After I asked Val to write this I had the fun of
trying it out myself. Val and Walt went to South
Carolina (taking their nursing baby Colleen) and
I had the other four for five (very busy!) days.
There was a schedule of chores posted in the
kitchen. Daily I reminded them (seldom more than
once). The nine-, seven-, and five-year-olds took
turns setting and clearing the table, emptying
the dishwasher, folding laundry, sweeping the
kitchen. Walter (the oldest) and Jim (not quite
three} took out trash, the girls cleaned the
bathroom. All but Jim made their beds.

School began at nine with Bible reading, singing,
prayer, all four joining in. Jim sat on the floor
and played while the others studied. Christiana
finished her kindergarten work by ten or so,
Walter and Elisabeth worked till nearly
lunchtime.

Every afternoon there was Quiet Hour. This was a
lifesaver for Granny. The three older children
were expected to be in their rooms for an hour.
They did not need to sleep, but they were to read
or find something quiet to do alone. (Not once
did we have any altercation about Quiet Hour. It
had always been a part of their lives, and they
liked it.) Jim and I lay down together, I read
him a Beatrix Potter story, and he fell asleep.

Since we had no car, four of us walked to the
grocery store every day, while Walter rode his
bike. It was an interesting string of people,
Elisabeth hugging (for example) five pounds of
flour, Christiana batting things with a box of
Saran Wrap, Jim lugging a bag of apples, Granny
with a loaded brown bag.

We had poetry readings (Jim memorized with no
effort at all) and singing. Everybody learned
"Chattanooga Choo-Choo," by mistake, as it
were--I meant for them to learn "Praise the
Savior" but somehow that one didn't stick so
easily, alas! Walter and Elisabeth practiced the
piano and played vigorous duets for the rest of
us. We made bread and organized drawers and
closets and sorted clothes and toys for give-away
and picked violets and had a marvelous time.

I should confess this--on the evening of the
first day I wasn't sure I'd survive the week.
When Val phoned I asked, "How do you do it?"
"Mama, I just do what you taught me: don't think
about all you have to do, just do the next
thing!" I needed to be told what I have often
told others, and it worked.

Homeschooling is demanding to say the least--but
worthwhile.