Well, moving day has just about arrived! Three more days and we move to our new home, that still has no services! Lucky us, eh? I'd like to think that we'll be hooked up to services like hydro and gas relatively soon, but I'm realistic enough to know that cable, phone and internet won't be available for awhile yet! Three weeks ago our street didn't even exist! We dug our hole 54 days ago. What a journey! So... because we won't be online all summer and we homeschool all year round, I've found a few 'free' software downloads for my kids, and thought I'd share them here!!

I found a site called 'Softsland'. It lists all sorts of 'free' to download software from educational software to web development. Lots of stuff for the younger student! The following are a few that I've insisted my kids download for the summer!

•  Interlex is a freeware vocabulary builder that helps you learn foreign words and phrases quickly and easily.
• Periodic Table Flash Cards is designed to help you learn the elements. Learn the names and symbols of each element from Hydrogen to Ununoctium! Flash Cards has always been a great way to learn - and it can be fun too! Simply start Periodic Table Flash Cards and away you go!
• Learning whole numbers? Improve whole number computation skills from simple to complex problems by using Abilities Builder Whole Numbers Plus 7.6. Math facts exercises are included. Randomly generated problems are structured and worked out number by number as you would on paper. Generate printed worksheets that reinforce the on-screen activities. Multi-sensory approach using the Microsoft Agent character Peedy the parrot. Especially effective for the learning disabled and remediation.
• Task Light 3.0 is a test authoring mathematics freeware, that offers 500+ math problems with solutions in arithmetic, pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry and hyperbolic trig! It enables math teachers to prepare printable math tests literally in a minute and generates variant tests around each created test!
• This last one is for you, Bianca, it's DreamKana!  A freeware hiragana and katakana flash card application. It is easy to use and flexible to the way you want to learn. It includes voiced constanants in both kana sets, and does not require any special fonts or language packs. DreamKana is completely portable and can be carried with you on a flashcard and memory stick - it requires no installation! And some Kanji flashcards can be found here!

Hope everyone is enjoying this fabulous weather that we are experiencing this week! I received an email from a friend, John Shaw (creator of KitQC2), alerting me to his 'newest' endeavour! So...I've attached the eMail to this post, check it out below!

While preparing this morning's post, I heard a baby laugh, it startled me for sure! My babies are in high school! What a thrilling sound! That's the sound that you'll hear when you visit today's site, Poisson Rouge!

If you are a parent of young children, you will want to check out this site, built especially with the very young set in mind. It has more than 200 games, activities and animations that will keep your child entertained for hours. The games are designed so that children may use them in a variety of ways as they navigate the site. There is no right or wrong way to use the activities allowing children to discover all the possibilities as they explore. Games include matching puzzles, numbers, concentration puzzles, record player, art gallery, paint, alphabet (French, English and Spanish), piano, jigsaw puzzles and so much more. Included are coloring pages to print and a user’s guide for parents! 

Visit Poisson Rouge today and don't forget to turn the sound way up!

Everyone in our house has their own computer and each of us have our own technique when it comes to using our keyboards! You have the hen peckers, the index finger speed typer, the one handed typer and me, the 30 words a minute! (On my better days!) We've explored alot of the online sites, used books like 'EMC Keyboarding and Applications', and I think, we can do better! I explored provincial curriculum standards from across Canada and found that for beginners, most of the courses are about 15-20 hours, so if our kids get 20 minutes a day...

I found a site that actually teaches your child how to sit, the proper typing techniques, then let's your child print out their work and ultimately their results! There is 16 lessons and a review! It's called Krazy Keyboarding for Kids! Some other sites that offer games to learn typing skills are the Typing Tutor and Keyboarding Games for Kids! For a list of every conceivable site online, visit Typing Pal Online, they have oodles of sites for you and your child to learn and have fun doing it!

The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

If you are looking for a way to give back to others or to teach your children the true meaning of Christmas, here's a wonderful place to begin and it's educative, too! And your kids...they'll love this site! Thank you to Emily from our eGroup for this fantastic learning link and for finding out that this is 'a Homeschool Friendly' site!

Read to Feed is about global education, awareness, and action! Children are motivated to read books so they can help impoverished people around the world.

Read to Feed makes it easy for you to:

• Teach about important issues, like poverty and environmental degradation
• Challenge children to learn more about the world and its people
• Inspire students by introducing sustainable, hopeful solutions
• Promote team spirit and the love of service learning
• Empower kids to be good global citizens and make a real difference
• Improve reading skills

Read to Feed is flexible and fun and free! Resources include:

• Free Leaders' Packet, including a Leader's Guide, video, poster, storybook, brochures, student rewards and more
• Optional, standards-based, mid-elementary curriculum that will help children understand issues related to world hunger and poverty, and introduce them to solutions that work! Request or download the curriculum when you order your Leader's Packet. (Curriculum for upper and lower elementary will soon follow).

Note: Never forget... your homeschool is YOUR homeschool! You do what works best for YOUR family! Visit our legal/légal section, where you will find information about support groups, curriculum suppliers, school boards, assessments and much more!

Our fun and educational games, activities, worksheets, free online classes, and much much more, make learning fun. At The KidsKnowIt Network we provide accurate, updated, and fun information for you and your student. Best of all, YOU NEVER PAY FOR ANYTHING!!

KidsKnowIt Network

Note:  Never forget... your homeschool is YOUR homeschool! You do what works best for YOUR family! Visit our legal/légal section, where you will find information about support groups, curriculum suppliers, school boards, assessments and much more!

clicZone

español   français greek català italian chinese portuguese

Clic is a set of free software for the development of multimedia educational activities. The clicZone is a public service from the Ministry of Education of the Government of Catalonia created to give diffusion and support to the use of these resources, and to become a space of cooperation open to the participation of all the educators that want to share the applications produced using the programmes.

clicZone

Note: This is blogging, you'll need to check out the titles in the right-hand column, archives or continue on to the next page! No time? Check out the RSS feed. Never forget... your homeschool is YOUR homeschool! You do what works best for YOUR family! Visit our legal/légal section, where you will find information about support groups, curriculum suppliers, school boards, assessments and much more! If you find any of these blog entries helpful, let me know, leave a comment below! I'd enjoy hearing from you!

Tous les dimanches de l'été 2007, à 10 h 15 et 14 h,

Toits verts au CCA
Les familles sont invitées à construire leur propre maquette d'un toit vert avec de la terre, des plantes et des graines. Chaque participant doit apporter un carton vide et propre de 2 L de lait ou de jus. Séances pour enfants de 5 à 12 ans, accompagnés d'un adulte.En cas de mauvaises conditions climatiques, une activité alternative sera proposée à l'intérieur.

 Réservations requises : 514 939 7026 www.cca.qc.ca/programmefamille

(English Version)

Note: This is blogging, you'll need to check out the titles in the right-hand column, archives or continue on to the next page! No time? Check out the RSS feed. Never forget... your homeschool is YOUR homeschool! You do what works best for YOUR family! Visit our legal/légal section, where you will find information about support groups, curriculum suppliers, school boards, assessments and much more!

Dream · Think · Create · Achieve · Connect · Be

The Legacy Project is about creating and connecting your
life – learning from the past, living fully in the present, and building toward the future. An educational, multigenerational project, it offers free online activities and guides, books, essay contests, workshops, exhibits, community programs, and more.
 
 
This "big picture" education project for children and adults draws on social science research to explore who we are, where we've come from, and where we're going – as individuals and as communities.
Our three banner programs are LifeDreams, Across Generations, and Our World.

The Legacy Project draws on the best ideas and knowledge from both local experts and international leaders in their field. Advisors with expertise in key areas related to the Legacy Project's work are helping to shape the development of the Legacy Center and our programs.

Teachers and parents – start the new school year by encouraging students' goals with these meaningful activities and programs from the Legacy Project today!

Note: This is blogging, you'll need to check out the titles in the right-hand column, archives or continue on to the next page! No time? Check out the RSS feed. Never forget... your homeschool is YOUR homeschool! You do what works best for YOUR family! For more information about home based education, visit our legal/légal section.

About the QWF...

The Quebec Writers' Federation (QWF) is playing an increasingly prominent role in the life of the Quebec English-language literary community as an arts presenter and professional and community educator, as well as the representative of Quebec's English-language writers. The diversity of its activities reflects the diversity of its membership. Along with professional and emerging writers, the QWF includes those who have a personal interest in writing and many who have joined because they are interested in high quality literary events, activities and programs. All of these constituents are linked by the QWF vision that works toward ensuring a lasting place for English literature and its practitioners on the Quebec cultural scene.

QWF offers workshops, writing competitions, and writer's programs that visit special interest groups like school children . It would be interesting to see if a support group leader could arrange such an event! Mmm? Stay tuned. For more information, visit the Quebec Writer's Federation website, here.

Note: This is blogging, you'll need to check out the titles in the right-hand column, archives or continue on to the next page! No time? Check out the RSS feed. Never forget... your homeschool is YOUR homeschool! You do what works best for YOUR family! For more information, visit our legal/légal section.

  The TD Bank Financial Group (TDBFG) is pleased
to kick off the TD Summer Reading Club for 2007. The program helps primary
school students and their families to enjoy the rewards of reading during the
summer months. Recent studies conducted for Library and Archives Canada have
shown that when children stop reading during the summer, they may experience
significant loss in their scholastic learning. The TD Summer Reading Club aims
to solve this problem by stimulating the desire to read among youth.
    The theme for this year's program is "Lost Worlds". Offered in over
215 libraries across Québec, the program will introduce budding readers to all
types of heroes through a variety of fun activities such as games, challenges,
arts and crafts related to books, and other entertaining programs. In 2005,
20,000 young Quebeckers registered for the Club and read close to 14,000
books.
    "Promoting literacy and learning among the children of Québec is a
priority for TD Bank," affirmed Christine Marchildon, Senior Vice President,
Québec Region, TD Canada Trust. "We believe that the TD Summer Reading Club
provides young people with tools that inspire a fondness for reading and that
stretch the limits of their imagination."
    "Library and Archives Canada is proud to offer this summer reading
program to all Canadian public libraries and to further strengthen its
partnership, not only with these libraries, but also with the real heroes of
the Club-the local librarians," stated Ian E. Wilson, a librarian and national
archivist. "Studies have shown that, thanks to its fun approach, the program
encourages more young people to read during their summer vacation, which helps
them to further enhance their reading skills."
    Children who sign up for the TD Summer Reading Club at their local
participating library will receive a colour poster, a sheet of stickers and an
activity booklet. Close to 400,000 English and French-speaking youths are
expected to visit more than 2,000 libraries across Canada. The implementation
of the program in Québec is made possible thanks to the Association des
Bibliothèques publiques du Québec (BPQ) and the Réseau BIBLIO du Québec.
    The TD Summer Reading Club was created in 1994 with the collaboration of
the Toronto Public Library. Winner of the Canadian Urban Institute Award and
the Angus Mowat Award of Excellence, over the last 11 years the program has
helped hundreds of thousands of children to explore their imagination through
the magic of reading. For more information on the program, visit
www.td-club-td.ca.

Note: It's summer! I'll be checking in periodically during the summer! If you need me, send me a post! Because this is blogging you'll need to check out the titles in the right-hand column, archives or continue on to the next page! No time? Check out the RSS feed. Never forget... your homeschool is YOUR homeschool! You do what works best for YOUR family! For more information, visit our legal/légal section.

Registration for Summer Programs at the Public Library

REGISTRATION FOR SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS
Children and teen members of the library are invited to register for the Summer Programs starting Monday, June 11th. This year, the theme of the Summer Reading Club is “To the Library and beyond”. The flyers pertaining to these activities are available at Central and Valois. Ask for them!

Note: Because this is blogging you'll need to check out the titles in the right-hand column, archives or continue on to the next page! No time? Check out the RSS feed. Always remember that your homeschool is YOUR homeschool! You do what works best for YOUR family!