I need to find my blogging groove again. I probably lost it on Facebook or Twitter.
Summer is slowing down a little bit which means we can get back into the "heavy" learning here again around October. We "school" year round but due to all the summer fun the "schooling" is light.
I recently went through my totes that I keep all my supplies in for lesson plans, resources and such. I added more journals, more books for the kids to read and more ideas. The kids have also cleaned out their cubby holes where they keep all of their supplies. I think we are ready to "hit the books" again.
Now just to get a new routine down. My kids thrive on routines and schedules which is a challenge for me. I like to be free. Routine, yes... schedule.. no. But, I try in order for my children to be successful and to make my hubbs happy.
Oh, I'll post here again soon.
I haven't been blogging much on any of my blogs due to busy summer months. I'll post when I can or when I feel inspired.
Now that life is returning to normal again I will have more time to devote to this blog. My step-dad recently passed away so I was busy with helping my mom with things.
Today, after almost a month of not doing a whole lot of learning in our home (book work that is), I had expected my kids to just be able to get back into it. That plan backfired like an old truck. The kids could not find their math books or pencils. We forgot where we left off on our units studies. The cubby holes where the kids keep their learning materials were a total mess. I quickly found myself getting frustrated and so were the kids.
I knew if we kept going the smoke from the backfired truck would quickly fill the room. It was time for a pow-wow! I gathered my kids around and I apologized to them and admitted that we all got off to a bad start. We all then decided to take today to organize the cubby's and find their learning materials. We all agreed that it is much easier when things are organized and clean.
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I have had a lot of ideas for what to write for this blog. Stay tuned.
I will return to my bloggy self eventually. I have had a family emergency come up.
I've been thinking a lot lately about extra things my children can do outside of our "home school walls. You know, like martial arts, sports, art class, dancing or music lessons. As much as I would like my children doing more of those things I also have to take into account the monetary cost. It's not easy during these times in our country.
Besides park and rec. programs, scouts, local support groups or co-ops what are ways that you give your children "extra curricular" activities without spending your milk (or non-dairy) money?
Links for Reading Comprehension worksheets and printables.
Reading Comprehension at RHL school.
ABCTeach
EdHelper
Teach-nology
Located at http://mandygrace.wordpress.com.
I have kept journals for as long as I remember. I enjoy sitting down and just spilling words out upon a blank piece of journal page.
Journaling is something I wanted to pass down to my children. Each year I get them brand new journals. They really like the ones that you can close with a clip or a magnet. Each day we all take time to journal. Myself included which sometimes ends up being blogging or making grocery lists. We've been doing this for at least five years. Even my little ones journal by doodling or scribbling on paper.
My daughter and I also have a journal (three ring-binder) where we write to each other. It's precious.
It always puts a smile on my face when we walk out the door and a child brings their journal.
I have a box of writing prompts that we use each day when we cannot think of something to write about.
Teacher Created Resources Writing Prompts. They offer different grade levels if that is something that floats your boat. Otherwise, if you are not concerned about grade levels then have fun with them. I enjoy them even no matter which grade level we pull from. Journaling is about writing and enjoying it.
Online Writing and Journal Prompts:
Writing/Journal Prompts at CanTeach.
Daily Writing promts at The Teachers Corner
A Goldmine of Journal Writing Prompts
How about you? Do you journal? Do your kids journal?
Home school to-do list for this week.
- Finish planning this week.
- Think about planning next week.
- Move bookshelves.
- Library run.
Great on-line learning aids.
"Hundreds of worksheets. Millions of combinations." at Worksheet Works
Free on-line books, poems and short stories at Read Print.
On-line graphical dictionary and thesaurus at Visuwords. This has become one of my new favorites. Being dyslexic I can "see" the words by getting a neat picture. Seeing this site for the first time was pretty exciting for me.