OK, I admit it. I am a limited being with limited brain power. Trust me here, I know of what I speak. :+) I am going to just tell you all where I really blog regularly--that would be here at my personal blog. I just cannot keep up with two blogs, train my family, homeschool, love my husband, work with TOS, do the laundry, and feed the cats. It just is not going to happen. SO, if my three remaining readers enjoy anything I have written here, you will find more of the same, with more personal mish mash, and other mumblings there. Thanks for your patience! :+)

UPDATE: Thank you all for contacting me! I have received more than I can handle at this point so I am going to close the open positions now. Thank you!!

Hello my fine fellow blog readers. I am doing something rather unusual here so I hope you bear with me!

As you know if you read this blog, I work with The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine as the Product Reviews Manager. We receive a lot of different products, books, curriculum, toys, games, etc. on a regular basis from all sorts of companies and I have a group of fellow homeschool families that test and review the items when they come in. Then one of the parents writes the review and sends it to me. You get to keep anything you review.

What I am looking for are a few new families, with a parent that can write a balanced review, that are willing to work with us. If you are interested, please email me at kate-kessler@theoldhomeschoolhouse.com and I will send you more information. :+) There isn't much--just some information that explains the procedure, time frame, requirements, etc. I will also ask, after you read what I have to send you, to write a sample review for us of one of your own products based upon our instructions. If this sample is accepted you will be notified and added to our group of reviewers.

I hope to hear from you!

Warmly,
Kate

Some people add a shimmer and a glow to my life. Some people add depth, laughter, fun and meaning. These people are two of them:

Moi, Diane, and Heather

I was privileged to spend the full two days with them--and even room with them for lots of laughter and good conversation at the VHE Conference in Modesto.

There is so much to share that I don't know where to begin. It was ten times smaller than the FPEA Conference, but that did not mean it was ten times less interesting. It was certainly more manageable for the attendees! (Including me.)

Susan Wise Bauer was there and, as always, displayed her charming and lovely self. We three enjoyed a wonderful dinner with her and some marvelous conversation. I appreciate her mind and heart a great deal and she is just so funny! I only wish she lived closer than Virginia!

We also were thrilled to enjoy a really wonderful time with Diana Waring and her husband over dinner the second night. She was kind enough to share with Heather and I some of her life experiences and to gently encourage us in our family life. It was really so precious and her heart for the family is so, well, heartening! :+)

It was really wonderful to meet some of the vendors we have never met face to face and to see some new faces. Beautiful Feet Books' Russ Berg was there and he was a delightful intelligent man. They publish some of the most wonderful books (and some of which I got to take home to review!) The Old Schoolhouse Magazine will be featuring some of their books in future issues so you can keep an eye out or check them out on their website.

We were blessed to meet Diane Taylor with P. E. for Children Schooled at Home. I hope she has a website soon because she was so wonderful and had a heart for the health of homeschool children. She was so neat! peisfun@earthlink.net is her email if you want more information on her program.

Adam Adams from Teaching the Classics From Seuss to Socrates--Literary Analysis for Everyone was also there and he is a true gentleman. His product is making the rounds onto many vendor tables and it makes me wonder what it is all about! (Someone else is reviewing it for TOS so I guess I will just have to wait and read it!)

Steve Clark was there and I just have to say he is so warm and funny. Heather was the one who did the thorough review of VideoText's new Geometry program so they chatted "MATH" quite a bit. She was a happy camper as she is my math-smart friend. :+) I only wish I knew as much as she!

For those of you who love unit studies, Jennifer Steward from Steward Ship was there and had so many neat units available! Look for a future post on one of her daughters in the near future!

Whew! And there were so many more people there with so much to share with us. I really recommend attending a conference if you can. I never thought this before, but I am a believer now. They really are so beneficial for encouragment and vision.

That's my wrap for now!

I have answers! Below is a thorough review of Math U See that I think may be of service to those of your struggling in this area! We are now using this program and it has been revolutionary for us.

Math-U-See Elementary Curriculum

Steve Demme

www.mathusee.com

1-888-854-MATH

Math-U-See has recently revised and renamed their arithmetic program.  The new titles are Primer, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta.  They also now offer math curriculum from pre-algebra through pre-calculus.  (Math-U-See still sells its classical curriculum; for ordering information, visit www.mathusee.com.)

Math-U-See believes students need to memorize facts and formulas, but they also need to understand concepts and how to apply them.  With this goal in mind, those who teach children must first understand math concepts themselves.  If you are math-phobic, then the cure for this common ailment, according to Ruth Beechick, is “to learn arithmetic yourself.  You’re an adult after all, and elementary school children are expected to learn arithmetic.  So it can’t be that hard.  Get a good book and learn right along with your child...A teacher who loves learning earns the right and the ability to help others learn.”  (An Easy Start in Arithmetic, Arrow Press)             

The essential components of any Math-U-See level are the DVD, the teacher’s manual, the student workbook, the student test booklet, and any necessary manipulatives.  The DVD is essential for teaching the program; the teacher’s manual is not available separately nor does it contain all the material on the DVD’s.  Each level of the Math-U-See elementary curriculum has thirty DVD lessons, and each lesson has three practice pages, three review pages, and one test.  The workbooks also contain four unit tests and one final exam for each level.  The teacher’s manual contains answers and/or solutions to all the worksheets and tests.      

The four steps of Math-U-See are Prepare, Present, Practice, and Proceed.  First, the parent prepares by watching the video to understand the new concept himself and learn how to present it to his child using the appropriate manipulatives.  Most users (probably about 99%, according to Mr. Demme) prefer to watch the video lessons with their children, but that was not Mr. Demme’s original intent, and I would not recommend it without some caveats, which I will explain in detail later.  While he directs his teaching toward the children in the front row, he is really modeling a teaching method for the parents in the audience.  As he interacts with the live audience, the at-home viewer sees only Mr. Demme at the whiteboard.  He writes and speaks very clearly and has a warm demeanor.  He also frequently jokes with the audience, which may irritate some viewers, although it did not bother me.    

After watching the video, it is time to work examples from the teacher’s manual.  Parent and child work problems together with manipulatives and on paper until the child understands the new concept.  This may take more than one day, and you may need to watch the lesson again until you thoroughly understand the concept and can explain it with manipulatives and on paper.  If you are teaching more than one child, you can stagger lesson days so you can work with one child while others are working on practice or review pages.  Math-U-See teaches parents and children to “Build, Write, Say”—build the problem using manipulatives, write the problem on paper, and say what you are doing.  

Once your child understands a new concept, he should do a workbook practice page.  There are three practice pages per concept, but your child will probably not need to do every page.  Next, there are three cumulative review pages, which include the new concept.  Again, your child may not need to do all three pages.  I have found one or two practice pages and one or two review pages to be adequate for most of the lessons.  Finally, a test shows if your child is ready to proceed to the next lesson.  Mr. Demme frequently reminds parents that math is sequential, and children need to master each increment before moving on.  A good test of understanding, according to Mr. Demme, is to reverse rolls with your student and see if he can teach you the new concept.  Remember, the goal is mastery.  

The teacher’s manuals, student workbooks, and test books are in black and white with no frills.  I prefer this simplicity, but others may find the books too plain.  In my early homeschool experience, I used a colorful math text, but my daughter was highly distracted by all the clowns and balloons.  I prefer to let the mental challenge of arithmetic stimulate my children’s minds, not the pictures on the page.  If color is motivating to your student, you can always let him color the pages or decorate them with stickers as a reward for effort or accuracy.  Math-U-See student workbooks are not reproducible; you will need to buy a new workbook for each child.  Sometimes the problems are crowded, especially the word problems, so your child may need to work some on scrap paper.

Math-U-See produces its own manipulatives.  The blocks are terrific.  Not only are there units, tens, and hundreds, but also twos, threes, fours, fives, sixes, sevens, eights, and nines.  These are similar to Cuisenaire Rods, but I like these blocks better because each one is not only color-coded but also notched to show exactly how many units long it is.  In addition, the backs of these hollow blocks are open, and the open side is used for teaching subtraction.  If you are teaching one child, the Starter Set of blocks will suffice.  However, if you are teaching more than one child, you will probably need the Completer Set.  The blocks are used in every level except Epsilon. 

Fraction overlays are used in Epsilon.  These are not your usual fraction manipulatives that simply show various fractions of a whole unit.  Not only do these unique overlays clearly show equivalent fractions, but they can also be layered to show operations, such as multiplication of fractions.  These are the best fraction manipulatives I have ever seen.         

Decimal inserts are used in Zeta.  These attach to the manipulative blocks to show decimals.  The decimal inserts snap onto the back of the hundreds and tens blocks to hide their notches.  Hundreds blocks now represent units, and the tens become tenths.  New red blocks are included with the decimal inserts to represent hundredths.  To reduce confusion, Math-U-See color-coded the blocks and inserts.  Unit inserts are green like unit blocks; tenth inserts are blue like tens blocks; hundredth inserts are red like hundreds blocks.  These inserts are excellent aids for understanding decimal place value and operations with decimal numbers.  

Math-U-See follows an unusual, but logical, scope and sequence.  For those who highly value standardized test scores, Math-U-See might not be a good fit because your child may not learn certain topics in the usual grade.  However, they are likely to know some topics not on the test.  Personally, I do not attach much importance to standardized testing; my concern is that my children learn arithmetic well and are prepared for algebra by seventh or eighth grade.  Math-U-See’s scope and sequence meets my requirements for this goal.  For what it’s worth, my children had just finished their Singapore Math for the year, and they needed to go back about half a year to transition into Math-U-See because some topics had not been covered in their Singapore books.  However, some of the future topics will be review, and we will be able to move through them quickly.  (For a detailed scope and sequence of each level, please visit www.mathusee.com/sequence.html.  For placement tests, visit http://www.mathusee.com/placement.html.)

The basic sequence is as follows:

Primer: introduction to math

Alpha: single-digit addition and subtraction

Beta: multiple-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping

Gamma: multiplication

Delta: division

Epsilon: fractions

Zeta: decimals and percents

Money, measurement (both U.S. and metric), time, Roman numerals, charts and graphs, probability, simple geometry, and many other “peripheral” topics are thoroughly covered in Math-U-See.  The difference between Math-U-See and other programs is that most of these topics are introduced at the most logical place in the scope and sequence rather than being set apart in a separate unit.  For example, measuring the perimeter of a shape is taught in Beta (adding the length of the sides); area of a rectangle is taught in Gamma (multiplying length times width); and average is taught in Delta (addition, then division).  In Epsilon, students calculate the area of a circle using 22/7 for pi; in Zeta they use 3.14.  As much as possible, Mr. Demme ties in every mathematical application where it is most useful and appropriate.

Primer is the preschool program.  This is the only Math-U-See program that does not require mastery.  Topics include counting, place value, addition up to ten, beginning subtraction, shapes, telling time, and skip counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s.  The suggested activities using manipulative blocks are fun and appropriate for preschoolers.  I had fun making “Decimal Street” on a piece of poster board, and my younger children liked exploring place value with the units house, tens house, and hundreds castle.  I would skip the student workbook unless I had a child who was begging to “do school” like his older siblings; most of the work at this level can be done orally and with manipulatives.  Mr. Demme repeatedly cautions parents to keep the math association positive by not overdoing it at this young age.  He also reminds parents that Alpha thoroughly covers everything that Primer introduces.  The only prerequisite for Alpha is that your child can count to nine and write the digits (0-9).

Alpha focuses on addition and subtraction of single-digit numbers.  A heavy emphasis on place value offers your child an excellent foundation for arithmetic.  Again, creating a poster board “Decimal Street” will make this concept come alive for your children.  Composing a ten is a focal point of this level, and once you see how it works, you will be amazed at how quickly your children learn all their addition facts.  My first-grader went from knowing a few easy facts (with sums less than 9) to knowing all his basic facts (through 9+9) in just one day once he learned to compose a ten.  When I taught using Saxon, the fact 8 + 5 = 13 was called “an oddball.”  Math-U-See teaches children to think of five as 2 + 3 so they can make a ten with the 8 + 2 and then easily add 3 to make 13.  This skill is initially practiced using the manipulative blocks, but your child will soon learn to do it quickly in his head.  No basic fact is really an “oddball” once you learn to compose a ten.  Once the addition facts are mastered, Mr. Demme does an excellent job showing how subtraction relates to addition using the hollow side of the manipulative blocks.    

Beta covers multiple-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping.  This level builds upon Alpha with multiple-digit adding and subtracting with regrouping.  The manipulative blocks make teaching multi-digit addition and subtraction uncomplicated.  I appreciate Mr. Demme’s continued focus on composing tens.

Gamma concentrates on multiplication.  I really like how Mr. Demme links money and measurement to multiplication whenever possible.  For example, he introduces pints when students are learning their “times two” facts.  Nickels are introduced during the “times fives,” and dimes during the “times tens.”  Quarts and quarters are introduced during the “times fours.”  This seems completely logical and effective because children meet these coins and measurements one at a time in a meaningful context.  Mr. Demme’s visual explanation of double-digit multiplication (23 x 12) is the best I’ve ever seen for teaching this concept.  It took me a couple of viewings to understand how to use the blocks to demonstrate that a double-digit multiplication problem is really four separate multiplication problems, but once I figured it out, it made teaching the lesson very straightforward.  Not only does Mr. Demme demonstrate multiple-digit multiplication well with manipulatives, he uses expanded notation to ease the transition to figuring on paper and to check the final answer. 

Delta focuses on division.  The lessons on the meaning of division and the basic division facts are excellent.  He also emphasizes the relationship between multiplication and division better than other math programs I’ve seen.  I like how Mr. Demme teaches estimation as a good place to start any large division problem.  He also uses expanded notation to show the meaning behind the familiar mnemonic “Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down.”  Mr. Demme does a good job helping parents and students think through the meaning of division so they can attack word problems with confidence.   

Epsilon concentrates on fractions.  Mr. Demme drives home the fact that fractions mean division, a simple but important concept.  I have never seen a better presentation of certain fraction concepts than with Math-U-See.  I actually sat my two older children down and used the fraction overlays to re-teach multiplication of fractions.  Both children (aged 11 and 13) had previously been taught this concept, but it never really made sense until I used the overlays.  This level’s word problems are challenging and show how we use fractions in real life. 

Zeta covers decimals and percents.  I like how Mr. Demme teaches viewers to think about place value when multiplying a decimal number by another decimal number (for example, 0.2 X 0.4).  Rather than lining up the problem like a regular multiplication problem and telling students to solve it like a normal problem first and then to count over the same number of decimal places in the product as in the factors, he works the problem out using place value.  What is one tenth of one tenth?  One hundredth!  Therefore, two tenths times four tenths is eight hundredths; the eight goes in the hundredths place.  Using his method, all the decimal points line up.  On the video, he gives viewers the option of using the thinking method or the traditional method of counting decimal places.  As the parent, I might require my child to practice the thinking method for a couple of days and then teach the formula method once he demonstrated a good understanding of decimal place value.  Zeta’s word problems are challenging and show how to apply decimal and percent concepts to life.

Math-U-See rightly recognizes that knowing how and when to apply arithmetic skills through word problems is the goal of math instruction.  Mr. Demme’s word problems are fairly complex, with plenty of multi-step problems that require students to stretch their brains.  Mr. Demme sometimes breaks up a multi-step word problem for the student instead of letting him analyze it first.  He also gives blank templates for the word problems in Alpha: _____ + _____ = _____.  I find that this kind of  “help” usually backfires; my children just plug in the numbers in whatever order they are mentioned without really thinking about what the problem means.  I cross out these templates with a wide indelible marker before handing my child the worksheet.

I have read that place value is one of the key math concepts lacking in most American textbooks.  From Primer to Zeta, understanding place value is a high priority of Math-U-See.  Mr. Demme does an excellent job teaching place value using both manipulatives and expanded notation.  Many say estimation is another one of the most important math skills anyone can learn, and Math-U-See teaches and practices estimation throughout each level.  The worksheets often tell students to estimate first and then find the answer.  I suppose you can require estimation with whatever program you use, but it is nice to have it taught and reinforced by the program itself. 

After years of struggling with Saxon, with its endless repetition and lack of depth, I am sold on the mastery approach to math.  Math-U-See is the most mastery-oriented program I know, with its unique scope and sequence and teaching methods.  Another accolade for Math-U-See is the systematic review that it provides through the three cumulative review sheets with every lesson as well as the tests.  I felt that Saxon provided too much review in every lesson and Singapore not enough.  Math-U-See seems to have struck a good balance between practice of a single new concept and adequate cumulative review so students retain their knowledge. 

I do have some concerns about Math-U-See.  Most of my concerns involve treating the video lessons as student tutorials rather than using them as they were intended.  Remember, the original audience was adults, and the video lessons were designed as teaching models.  Mr. Demme frequently speaks indirectly to parents in the audience through the children he is teaching.  He might mention why he is teaching a particular method and not another, or he might say that students will not need to perform a certain procedure much in real life because of (gasp!) calculators.  In the Epsilon video, he says, “Reducing fractions needs to be reduced in emphasis.”  Later on, he requires it of students, but this kind of offhand comment could lead some astray.  On the Zeta video, he says, “Now some of you may be watching and wondering why, when I multiply, I leave the numbers below the line.  That’s because instead of carrying them and then multiplying, I just leave them under here.  So don’t be disconcerted.  But you have to watch the multiplication video to learn that.”  Some might just tune out his comments, but many would be distracted and confused. 

Another problem with showing students the video lessons is that some of the more complicated lessons just go too fast for children.  Some of the easier ones, like tally marks or finding the perimeter of a shape, would be fine to watch together.  I show my children some of these simpler lessons for a fun break from the norm.  They like Mr. Demme because he is “funny and nice.”  However, if you are teaching long division or multiplication by a decimal, you will probably need to watch the video yourself and work with your child at whatever pace works for him.  In general, the more complicated the lesson, the less he actually teaches the children in his audience and the more he races through simply modeling a method of teaching for the parents.      

A final concern I have with the video lessons that Mr. Demme is a bit loose with his terms and his presentation.  Although he admits they are “lousy” words, he often uses the words “carrying” and “borrowing” on the video rather than the correct term “regrouping.”  He also likes playing around with math terms, such as calling mixed numbers “fracbers” or “numtions” and the numerator the “numberator.”  Usually he is just trying to show the meaning behind the correct term.  The workbooks use the correct terms, such as “regrouping” and “mixed numbers,” so you don’t have to use his words as you teach your children.  Also, because Mr. Demme does not appear to follow a formal outline or script as he teaches the lessons, his presentation is sometimes a bit disorganized.  He often says things like, “Let’s back up a minute,” or “Hold that thought” as he redirects his lesson.  Again, this could confuse children.  Mr. Demme’s casualness with terms and presentation are yet another reason I would not treat the video lessons as a student tutorial.    

In the early levels, Mr. Demme nicknames certain numbers “onety-three, twoty-seven, threety-four, fivety-six” in an attempt to teach the place value meaning of the numbers.  I understand the idea behind this counting method, but I would not want to practice this style of unconventional counting with my children.  Thankfully, this style of counting is not practiced in the student workbooks, yet another reason not to show your children the video lessons.  Mr. Demme also invents names for his shortcuts, such as “Rule of Four” and “Same Difference Theorem.”  Your child should understand that these are not established math theorems; they are simply Mr. Demme’s own little tricks.  Your child will need to learn these nicknames because they are used in the student workbooks. 

Mr. Demme also occasionally teaches unconventional math procedures.  Many of these tricks are clever and teach children to think mathematically rather than just to perform operations by rote, but others seem lazy or overly complicated.  An example of a procedure I consider lazy is Mr. Demme’s “Rule of Four” from Epsilon.  This is a quick method for finding common denominators.  In short, by multiplying the denominators, you can easily find a common denominator, such as changing sixths and eighths to forty-eighths.  This does work, but I prefer to teach my children how to find the least common denominator, which in this case would be twenty-fourths.  With Mr. Demme’s method, the final fraction often ends up needing to be simplified. 

An example of a procedure I found complicated is dividing by a fraction using the “Rule of Four.”  Mr. Demme initially teaches this by changing both fractions to a common denominator, and then dividing only the numerators.  Students practice this method until thirteen lessons later, where he expands the lesson by showing how to divide fractions using the reciprocal.  This seems unnecessarily complicated, especially since children already get confused about which operations need to use common denominators.  I prefer to move quickly from dividing easy-to-visualize fractions (3/4 divided by ¼) to the development of the procedure of multiplying by the reciprocal (3/4 times 4).  In fact, the important principle, which can be shown with whole numbers first, is that dividing by any number is the same as multiplying by the reciprocal: 8 divided by 2 is the same as 8 X ½.        

On the positive side, a procedure I found clever is what Mr. Demme dubs “The Same Difference Theorem.”  This trick is useful when subtracting mixed numbers that would otherwise need regrouping, such as 5 1/3 minus 2 2/3.  If you add the same amount to each number, the difference between them remains the same.  So by adding 1/3 to each number, you change the problem to 5 2/3 minus 3, which requires no regrouping.  Do remind your children, however, that no one except other Math-U-See users will understand what they are talking about if they mention “The Same Difference Theorem.”

Another interesting procedure is taught in Gamma.  In multiple-digit multiplication problems (like 34 X 57), Mr. Demme regroups below the equals line rather than above it.  Neither my husband nor I had ever seen it done that way.  It does make sense, though, when you focus on place value, and you might end up liking it.  It definitely helped my son understand how to regroup multiplication problems, so you might consider teaching it before showing your child how to regroup above the problem.  Because Mr. Demme presents the traditional procedure along with his tricks, you can choose to teach your children whichever method you prefer.   

An optional Skip Count and Addition Facts Songs CD supplement is available for Primer through Gamma.  An accompanying booklet contains all the lyrics and music.  The songs are all performed by children in a style similar to “Wee Sing” music.  Seven addition facts songs teach all the basic facts in categories: adding nine, adding eight, doubles, doubles plus one, making ten, making nine, and extras.  These songs use Mr. Demme’s special method of calling the teens “onety-one, onety-two, onety-three” and so on, but they also give the correct names.  The CD also includes two sets of skip count songs, one with a Bible theme, and one with a science and literature theme.  The music for each set is identical; only the lyrics are different.  You can choose to sing about forgiving your brother seven times or about Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.  After each skip count song, Mr. Demme says the multiples slowly and clearly.  The goal of these songs is to know the multiples and addition facts without having to sing them.

I’d like to close by encouraging parents who are looking into various math programs to consider two things.  First, if you truly desire to give your children an excellent foundation in math, you are going to have to learn it yourself.  (Remember Ruth Beechick’s comments above.)  Your positive attitude toward math will most likely rub off on your children.  Secondly, no math program is perfect.  You are not a slave to the curriculum you use; it is simply a tool, and you can supplement where it seems lacking and delete what you don’t like.  Having used several of the most popular math programs on the homeschool market, I can assure you that there is no magic math bullet.  All programs have strengths and weaknesses.  Some, however, have more of one than the other, and Math-U-See is loaded with strengths.  Mr. Demme provides the tools you need to learn arithmetic yourself so you can give your children an excellent foundation in arithmetic.  It is the most sequential, conceptual, understandable, complete, and user-friendly program I’ve seen thus far.

-Product Review by Heather Jackowitz, Contributing Writer, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is having a

Short Story Contest

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is now accepting entries for our first ever Short Story Contest. The two categories are Adult Fiction and Children's Fiction. Judges from The Old Schoolhouse will review each entry and select the 20 finalists. Those finalists will be listed on the TOS website by title, author, and city. From there a panel of judges who are 'experts in the field' will select the first prize winner and two honorable mentions in each category. Deadline for entries is November 1, 2006. $7.00 per entry. You may enter as many submissions as you wish.

First Prize winners will receive: $100 gift certificate to The Old Schoolhouse Store
Publication in Spring 07 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Publication on www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com
Publication on www.Crosswalk.com
Certificate of Achievement

2 Honorable Mentions will each receive: Certificate of Achievement

Adults
We want stirring fiction that will encourage and inspire the stay at home mom. Story should be no more than 2500 words. Example of what we are looking for are: "The Day I Died" by Jenefer Igarashi and "Escaping the Homeschool Matrix" by Steve Walden. Contest is open to writers age 16 and up.

Children:
Attention kids 15 and younger. We want your fictional stories 1500 words or less. Do you have a tale about a boy lost in the woods? A story about a cow who thinks he is a farmer? Use your imagination and be creative! The sky is the limit. You will win a $100 gift certificate to The Old Schoolhouse Store and your story will be published in the Spring 07 issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and website and also published on www.Crosswalk.com. Show us what you've got!

Click here to read the official rules for entries.

Click here to submit your entry.

Good luck!
Be sure to check back with us in November to see our list of finalists!
Winners will be announced Monday, November 20, 2006.

To enter the writing contest, TOS Magazine charges a $7.00 entrance (reader) fee. You may make multiple submissions, and each entry costs $7.00, payable at the time of entry. To enter by USPS mail, please enclose a check or money order in the amount of $7.00 with your story.

Send to:

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine StoryTime Writers Contest
P.0. Box 10
White Pine, TN 37890

In news of the fun we received a marvelous Young Naturalist's Backpack Kit to review from Home Science Tools. This is really a great gift idea for the child that has everything but loves the outdoors! One of the things that came with it was a huge quality butterfly net. We quickly assembled it and my two middle adventurers set out into the wilds of our backyard seeking anything with wings. They were willing to harvest a large Carpenter Bee when they stumbled across the lovely Western Tiger Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly. The picture does not do it any justice whatsoever. It was huge and gloriously colored and just beautiful!! I sat my oldest three down and said, sketch! It was our nature moment and we were going to have at it. :+)

We do not have much in the way of real actual "nature" in our backyard. Rather we have more bermuda grass than any one home should be encompassed with, but we make do and on occasion God sees fit to send something wonderful our way. Last week we had a gorgeous tiny hummingbird. The trick, or so I am informed by my friend the butterfly photographer and expert, is the flowers or plants you have in your yard. Well the swallowtail was one lucky invertebrate because we happened to have a few actual living full color flowers in the backyard that had not been killed or cut for the dining table by sweet smallish people who just know their mommy appreciates freshly plucked flowers on her dining room table. :+)

So, my middles swooped down on the swallowtail and it never knew what hit it. Thankfully, no harm came to the butterfly in the making of either this blog post, the capture, short imprisonment in our pop-up bug habitat, sketching, or the eventual release. However, some fun and excitement sure did. So what is in your backyard?

Have you seen the new summer issue yet? I know that I get them before most of you all because, well, I work here! However, it really is a super issue this time with tons of great articles and lovely pictures that just bring the articles to life.

For those of you who come to this blog for product reviews and contests, there are many of those too! Some I wish I could enter! :+) Anyway, if you are not a subscriber, you will want to be so you don't miss a thing! (And with 19 free gifts with a two-year subscription, how can you beat that?)

Win a $100 Gift Certificate to the Schoolhouse Store!

We Want Your Input!

The Schoolhouse Store needs you! We’ve been adding great new products like crazy! (And every one of them ships FREE!) Each product is complete with an official detailed review from the staff of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (or is in that process!)  However, we want to hear from you, too! The more information our customers have, the better choices they can make.

Browse the store for a favorite product and leave an honest review letting other customers know what exactly you liked or didn’t like about it and what makes it special.  We ask that you use appropriate language and giev honest reviews only, please.  For each completed review you will be entered into our random drawing for a $100 Schoolhouse Store gift certificate!

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The drawing will take place on September 1, 2006 so check back regularly to see all the new products you can review!  One review per household per, product.  Unfortunately, employees, staff and independent contractors of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC are not eligible for the contest, but are more than welcome to leave a review.

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Classically Charlotte Mason with a pinch of Eclectic is what I like to term our homeschooling style. I like to be well-rounded you see. We use a variety of products; some of which I really love! Here are a few of my favorite things:

History:

www.NothingNewPress.com: Christine Miller's re-edited Guerber Histories: The Story of Greece/Rome/Middle Ages/Renaissance & Reformation/13 Colonies/Great Republic. We are currently in The Story of the Great Republic. I LOVE her history. It is story style with lots of great detail for the upper grammar/lower logic ages. (Hey, really it is even for adults like me who only got the sincerely incomplete and terribly boring textbook history in high school!) We recently finished The Story of the 13 Colonies and I learned more by reading and teaching this to our children about the founding of our nation than I did in all my previous years of history study.

We read this out loud and supplement with good historical fiction and biographies. We have discovered some real read-aloud gems along the way. We started at the beginning in Genesis and have made our way slowly through the Revolutionary War. What His story!

Grammar:

Rod & Staff is our grammar of choice for 4th grade and up. It is thorough, easy to understand, systematic, and it works. I am not sure how high in the levels we will go because the further you go the more of their doctrine you see (and I am not crazy about Mennonite doctrine) but thus far we have been very pleased. We will be using the 6th and 4th grade programs starting in September.

We like the  pink Daily Grams for grades 2-3. I feel that just a little bit of grammar familiarity is all that is necessary for the early years. I know that other people will disagree with me here, but grammar is not difficult to learn and we don’t do much formal writing in the early years so a general familiarity is all I really want. We also sometimes use MadLibs (the children's ones) because they are a very creative way of introducing grammar terms (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) for even young ones--and they laugh like crazy when the silly story is told. Just be careful with the MadLibs sets you buy-some are better for children than others.

Reading:

I have used with success, for my three oldest children, Phonics Pathways. This is one simple book  that is systematic and extremely thorough, teaches all the reading rules, and explains reading to even those like me who only learned by the look-say method. I love love love it and cannot recommend anything else!

Phonics:

Explode the Code is our favorite resource. The children like it and it works really well for reinforcement of the phonics rules we learn in Phonics Pathways. It is also inexpensive and this is a bonus since it is consumable. We have tried other more colorful or more in-depth programs like MCP and Veritas Press' Phonics Museum, and they are both good, but ETC is economical, only phonics, and lacks the busy quality of some of the others. I do like the others, and your child may like those others better, but I really just prefer the ETC.

Math:

Our discovery of Math U See has revolutionized our homeschool. WOW!! Is all I can say. I was really skeptical that any math program could really do the job in our home--could really help us understand the how-to and make it work. I was wrong. One of my children has struggled in this area for years and now she and her sister are excited because they are understanding the "why" of math--and so am I for the first time in some areas! (And math was not a weakness in school for me--I just did what I was told because "that is the way math is, Kate.") Not anymore! We can now actually understand what we are doing and it is really something. I cannot recommend anything else with this degree of certainty, and we have done our share of math programs! Thank you, Steve Demme!

Science:

This is our greatest weakness and the subject that we will be endeavoring to actually accomplish here this year. It has been hit or miss. This is partially because I think formal science is really a logic/rhetoric stage subject, (when they can ask questions and process ideas). It is also partially because science is not my favorite subject. (Just being honest here, folks!) I also feel that in the early years, it should be directed more by interest and experience rather than a textbook. We study what interests us for now--we dig into what is fascinating at the moment and enjoy the outdoors. We will be doing individual rubbermaid children's planter gardens this week so that ought to be fun! ("Mommy, I want to plant cherries, and apples, and watermelons, and tomatoes, and ..." - "Um, sweety, you will only have *so* much space...") We do have some tremendous sources here at home though so I am looking forward to reading them and doing some reports for our science group-that I hope is revived this year!

Writing:

Handwriting/Copywork:

StartWrite Software - I love it!!  It is a print-your-own kind of resource that allows me to use any font I like, in any way I like, with our without graphics to go along with it. We have printed out literature portions, Bible, and catechism selections. It really is a tremendous resource that can be used over and over again.

Art and Music:

We will be starting the Elements of Art videos from the same people who bring you the Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists/Composers/Presidents.  My art-aspiring daughters look forward to this! I really like this company and we use their books as well as their videos for art history. The books they have on the Presidents are filled with great information as well as lovely photos and paintings. (In the same style as their Artists and Composers books.) My two oldest are taking piano lessons (at home) and we enjoy a wide range of musical tastes here at home from Beethoven to DC Talk.

Physical Ed:

We may use a Latin program this year (Latin's Not So Tough!) but I am not 100% sure yet. We are also going to use a computer typing program from www.Timberdoodle.com that is really great fun (but they will depend on Mom's ability to juggle all that she must!) I think I can... I think I can... I think I can...

Anyway, that is what we do here all day long (as well as fool around, read aloud, joke and play together.) Oh yes, and I work here too, and do the laundry, and cook, and clean, and...

Well, you homeschool moms get it! :+)

A good friend of mine sent me this "Dover Deal" and I thought I would share it with you:

You can use coupon code CCB6 to get $20 off an order of $50 until July 31.  You also get free shipping!
 

Now *that* is a Dover Deal.

Sorry it has taken me so long to get this last one up! I think these are the most important out of all I have written thus far, but sometimes the easiest to forget. As a homeschooler now for seven years I have learned the hard way and try to keep these before me to remember.

2. Enjoy the journey!

Homeschooling is a process and not a product! So often we get bogged down in the process and forget we are working with living breathing creations of God. These are His children, not just vessels to be filled with bits of knowledge, instruction, math facts, and grammar. We are entrusted by our very Creator to teach them diligently as we walk by the way. (Deut. 6:7 "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.") This means SO much more than just teaching them the basics. It is living with your children, day in and day out, and being there for them. It is learning together the things of God as well as the things of knowledge. I love what the 1930 Calvert School Head Master, Virgil Hillyer, explained more than eight decades ago, "School is not the preparation for life – it is life." We will always be learning.

Teach your children to love the process and they will not be eager to leave it at any point in their lives. Homeschooling does not have to replicate public school in the home. Love your children and enjoy them; learn and grow together! The time goes SO very fast. I have a young lady living in my home now that only eleven and a half years ago depended on me for her very life. It is not so anymore. In a few short years she will be married and gone and my short time with her at home will have ended too. Those of you who are surrounded by only little ones, relish this time because it goes so very fast. God is good to me in that I have realized what I have while I still have it here. I still have many years until even the first will fly the coop, but the past eleven years have gone SO fast that I fear the next will fly by even faster and my time with my precious children will be gone. ENJOY this time with them and LOVE them. There is a lifetime of learning ahead of them. You will only be the beginning.

Last, but by no means least is number 1.

1. The Bible should form the spine of your child’s education and not a subject or a supplement.

How often have you said to your children, “OK, time for school! Get out the math!” (or grammar, or reading, or—you get the picture), but you forget the most important? The Bible gets left behind. I am ashamed to say it has happened here.  I have done some big changes in the past few years to right those wrongs. How do you incorporate the Bible into all of your learning? Here are a few suggestions. You will come up with more, I am sure, but here are just a few that we have used off and on over the years in different circumstances:

Reading:  Incorporate children into whatever Bible time your family practices.  Help them follow along during Bible reading, catechisms, and hymns at home and in church. Allow your children to be a part of Bible reading and learning. We give them their own real Bibles so they have their own copy of the Word of God. We choose not to give children's versions.  Yes, they will struggle with the meanings of difficult words sometimes, but it produces the most beautiful fruitful conversations! Don’t talk down to them about God’s concepts. Children are so bright! They see through hypocrisy and silly talk. Be real with your children during these times and humbly and appropriately share what God has done in your life. Our children need to know that God still works in our lives.

Memorize Scripture first.  Then add on anything else you feel is important: poems, songs, catechisms, historical leaders, famous speeches, etc. With God’s word at work in their minds they will be able to know what is true when they read the works of those who may not know Him.

Writing:  Make handwriting and copywork worksheets using Bible verses and catechism questions.  (StartWrite Software is a useful program for this.)  Once children are writing well, have them copy or dictate longer passages right from the Bible. We also incorporate other works of fiction here too, but try to be mindful that it be beneficial.

History:  For year one (Ancients) of the four year history cycle, my friend used a simplified story Bible (The Child's Story Bible, by Catherine Vos) as our history spine, breaking for short studies of Sumer, Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome as we met them in the Bible.  Our first time through the Ancients we studied them using The Greenleaf Guide to the Old Testament, the Bible, and Ruth Beechick’s, Adam and His Kin, along with other creation resources from Answers in Genesis. This next time around (in a year or so) we will be using a program new to me called the Mystery of History that incorporates the Bible into the study of the Ancients so that I do not have to struggle through it myself. I really am excited about this resource! In other years, use the history of the Church as your spine whenever possible—the Medieval to Reformation times can be very exciting because there are so many godly people who paved the way for our religious freedom by their sacrifices. It was an amazing study when we did it and we used Christine Miller’s book, The Story of the Renaissance and Reformation along with many read-aloud historical fiction books on people such as Martin Luther, William Tyndale, etc.

Science:  We choose to view science through the lens of Scripture and not the other way round.  Remember that every scientist (Christian/atheist, creationist/evolutionist) begins with basic presuppositions that influence how he interprets data.  We believe the Bible in Genesis in its clearest reading so we use resources that reflect this. Answers in Genesis is very helpful, and we have also found great resources from Vision Forum as well as Master Books. We do not hide from the teaching of evolution and do not shun it from our home. It is what the majority of the world sadly believes as fact so we must be able to give them the truth of God’s amazing truth. We were not created to be mindless animals, but were created in the image of God. We were not born without purpose! We were born for such a time as this and are accountable to a Creator. What wonderful knowledge! We prepare our children with the knowledge to discuss in the world because they will be in it some day.

Worldview: Use read-aloud books and movies as a springboard for discussion about your Christian worldview. Ligonier Ministries has some excellent worldview materials for the later years that will not only challenge your children, but will likely challenge you! Remember that we read the classics to tie into Scripture—to view it through the eyes of Scripture—and not tacked on. All of our life we will face questions and challenges to our faith and our children will too. Equip your children to stand firm in the knowledge and faith of God.

I hope that something I have written over the course of the Ten Things has been helpful or encouraging in some way. I appreciate your kind comments and encouraging emails to me!

Warmly,

Kate

I really love Jan Brett's books. They are absolutely beautifully illustrated in very realistic form and my children really enjoy them. One of her newest books, Honey...Honey...Lion! we found at our library and the children just loved it.

Her site is full of free coloring pages, cursive and manuscript printables, bookmarks, and all sorts of other wonderful free things for your homeschools! I recently learned that she also has some fabulous free art instruction videos too! I sat and watched the one on drawing a bunny and it was a full 11+ minutes long and really wonderful. I cannot draw much at all so to see someone with talent draw with such ease--well, it really is something to me. I hope you enjoy!

I suppose one can only avoid one's blogging responsibilities for so long. So here I am! We have had quite a busy weekend with family visiting, Laundry has now all but taken over our bathroom AND Laundry room (it is even capitalized because it is now a presence all its own), and I have been putting pictures from 1999 into albums because that was the last time I bothered to do it. I have a few years, about 25 sets of pictures, and 15 cameras left to develop, but we will get there. Do I scrapbook? Absolutely NOT. I have no time to tie my shoes (and that is why almost ALL of my shoes are slip-on) but I admire all of you who do. I mean they are really lovely things to look through, but my children will have no such beauty to look through when they are old and searching for childhood memories I am afraid! At least we have actual real pictures of our fifth child so we are doing better than some, right?

I don't think I have quite gotten over my trip because within four days I had my (above-mentioned) company here: my precious sister-in-law, her two older boys and her lovely brand new baby boy to hold. They start out so small and needy, don't they? He was precious and it was really nice to see them all. We don't get to spend that much time together, but my son and her oldest son are only a few weeks apart in age. They are little buddies when together and it really is wonderful. Our house is quite the mess and I am very tired from staying up late and spending some really nice rare quiet time together. I still had not really recovered from Florida's sleep deprivation though so tomorrow really will be something!

I mentioned before what a nice conversation Jen and I had with Doug Phillips with Vision Forum. He is a genuinely kind man and was engaging to talk to. My only regret was that his wife would not be there with him when we were there. She was to join him a few days later. It would have been a blessing to meet her. Here is Jen and Mr. Phillips after our very nice conversation:

Here is a terribly funny woman with a real heart for all of us homeschool moms, Carol Barnier:

She writes books for the "distractable child" and the "distractable mom." She weaves her wisdom with humor and to me that is priceless. We all need to be able to laugh at ourselves sometimes. Thanks, Carol, for the lovely time!

Now this woman I have met only once, at the convention, and I already mentioned her below, but she was such a delight and such an encouragement to me that I had to show her off to you. Mrs. Maggie Hogan from Bright Ideas Press is her name and history and geography are her games. She is really passionate about biblical history and our conversations revolving around this subject (and many others) were truly inspiring. I look forward to learning about the ancients with the Mystery of History the next time around! Her husband was also there and was such a kind and generous man. Their son's book, From Basic to Baghdad, was a highly enjoyable book about a young man's journey from boyhood to manhood in the service of our country. I recommend it. Here is a lovely picture