If you haven't signed up for the Busy Body Book that is being given away, you need to click here and get your name in the pot!  It looks like a great planner and just in time since most of us are planning away right now!

Also, Tia has posted a link to Naturebackpacks.com for a contest they are having for a FREE "Fun With Nature" book.  You can sign up at the link included her article on the Front Porch.

Hope everyone is enjoying there summer!

• 1 Comments • Post a Comment • Permanent Link

Check out the Microscope article(The Experimental Zone)on HSB's Front Porch.  Michelle has not only found another great website and resource for homeschool families, she has also been able to obtain a great give away for her contest this week!  It is a MicroBible.  The entire Bible is printed in a 1X1 area on a slide.  That's right, the ENTIRE Bible.  Now wouldn't that be too cool to view under your microscope?  There is also a link to the Great Scopes website where you can obtain a free ebook entitled, "How to Buy the Right Microscope", and a link to see the MicroBible for yourself.  So, visit HSB's Front Porch soon so you can enter too!

• 0 Comments • Post a Comment • Permanent Link

While browsing libraries at librarything.com I found another site called swap simple.  You can list books there, at no charge.  You receive credits as value for your books.  Until someone wants to swap for your book, you only receive 1 credit.  It is a "loaned credit".  After someone completes a swap with you, then you earn the full amount of credit for the book and you can use it to swap for books with other people.  You can also use the loaned credits to swap.  You pay the shipping for any items you order and if the book costs more than 10 credits I think there is a $1 fee to swapsimple.com.

To list books, you simply set up free account.  Then you enter the ISBN#, title or author and rate the book's condition and you will be shown how much credit your book is worth.  If you feel you are receiving enough credit, then you just accept and enter the next item.  It is very easy. 

I have made my first swap.  I found the book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, by Phillip Keller.  It was only 1 credit and I had 3 loaned credits so I decided to try this out.  I clicked the trade now button and was taken to a checkout that showed me what the shipping cost would be.  It was only $2.53 so I "swapped" for the book and paid the fee.  I have received acknowledgement that the book was shipped so I should be receiving it soon.  Now, if I never have anyone swap for my books, and I decide to close my account, I pay swapsimple.com $1 for each "loaned" credit that I have used.  So worst case, I will only be out $3.53 for a great book in good used condition. 

Since so many books are difficult to sell on ebay I am going to try this with swapsimple.com for awhile.  I will keep you informed.  Go check them out!  And while you're there see if you could use one of the books I listed. 

• 1 Comments • Post a Comment • Permanent Link

While flipping through the April issue of a Parents magazine that was given to me, I came upon a headline that said FREE CASH FOR KIDS.  Well, of course I had to read that.  The magazine has a printables area on their website and they were getting the word out about one of their printables.  Go to www.parents.com/parentsbucks and check out the "play money" they have available to print out in sheets.  They have $1, $5, $10, and $20 dollar sheets.  It is a pdf file so it can also be saved to your computer.  It can be used to teach how to count money or used to give as a "money" earned for t.v. time, video game time, computer time, etc. 

• 0 Comments • Post a Comment • Permanent Link

Strategies for Taking Standardized Tests

 
The Night Before Testing … 

* Go to bed on time.

* Talk to your parents about any worries you might have about testing.

* Limit caffeine and sweets that might make it hard to get to sleep.

 
The Morning of Testing …

* Start the day as if it was any other day.

* Eat a good breakfast.

* Thank about what you will do to relax after test time is finished.

 
================= 
 

OTHER HINTS:

Multiple Choice Questions 

* Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you don’t understand the question.

* Read the question and ALL of the answer choices before writing anything.

* Don’t go back and change an answer unless you are very unsure about your first choice.

* Try to answer every question. If you aren’t sure, read the question again and then make the best guess you can.

Pace Yourself 

* Answers the easiest questions first, but be sure to go back to any that you skipped.

* Don’t spend too much time on a single question. Do your best, then move on to the next question.

Reading Passages 

* In parts of the test where you must read passages and then answer questions about what you read, consider reading the questions first.  By doing this, you’ll save time because you will already know what you are looking for as you read.

* When there are several questions about a reading passage, map, or chart, be sure to check for clues in other questions. Sometimes information in one question can help you figure out the correct answer to another one.

 
Math Computation 

* If you use scratch paper on a math test, double-check to make sure that you copied the problem correctly from the test!

* Be sure that you have lined up place value (thousands, hundreds, tens, ones) correctly on your scratch paper, or your answer will not be correct.

* If your answer does not match one of the choices, read the problem again, then copy the numbers again, and try solving it a second time.

 
“A Matter of Time” 

* If any time is left when you have answered all of the questions in a section, spend it on the things that you felt were least familiar – those questions about which you knew nothing or almost nothing.

* As you go back through a section, do not change all of your answers. You should only change an answer if you are very unsure about the first one, and another one seems like a better choice.

* Remember: Your first guess is usually right.

“The Process of Elimination” 

When you’re not sure about an answer, try to eliminate choices that you know are NOT correct. If you can get rid of two wrong answers, you have a much better chance of choosing the right one.  
 

“Skip, Return, Check” 

If you finish early, check to make sure you have answered all questions. Skim your answer sheet to be sure that you have not skipped lines, or written two answers on one line.

 
“Key Words” 

When reading questions, look for key words or phrases that will help you choose the correct answer. 
 
“The Death Grip” 

If your arm gets tired during testing it is probably because you’re holding your pencil too tightly. Relax your grip and give your muscles a break! Please be considerate and try not to do arm exercises during testing – it’s very distracting to others.

Final Tips 

*** Fill in the bubbles fully, write neatly, and erase stray marks. ***

Double-check the question number in your test booklet against the answer sheet every few questions, to be sure you haven’t skipped a line or written two answers on the same line. On these tests, it’s worth taking a little extra time to be sure that you are putting your answer in the right place!

 
Most importantly, RELAX and remember that it's okay not to know everything — unlike regular tests on materials you have studied, these kinds of tests will have some questions made to challenge your knowledge at a grade level (or more) above your current grade.

• 0 Comments • Post a Comment • Permanent Link

We live in Arkansas and are blessed to have very few requirements to meet for the state homeschool laws.  One of the things all 3rd - 9th graders must do is take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.  When I was in school these types of test were known as achievement tests.  This week was our testing week.  Unlike public schools, I don't teach "the test" all year long.  That is all my son came home talking about when he went to public school...I have to know this for the Iowa test.  This went on from week one in school up until the week of testing.

Thankfully, Arkansas has an office devoted to coordinating the testing for home school children.  They post a detailed schedule on the web that shows us what tests are taken each day and the types of questions that will be on the test.  Because of their efforts I was able to spend the first part of March reviewing the information he needed to know for each test.  My goal was to refresh his mind so these things would be familiar to him and not be something that was "pounded" into his head all year long.  That doesn't mean that we didn't work on using correct punctuation, capitalization, vocabulary, math skills for his grade level, etc.  It means our focus was not on "teaching the test" it was on learning the skills he needed for life!  I didn't even tell him he was taking the tests until the day before.  Then, we went together, bought him some snacks to take for break time, and made this a positive experience.  He came home feeling good about his abilities to complete the tests and had confidence. 

Would you like some strategies for taking standardized tests?  I am going to share some that I received.  They are very helpful.  Just click here.

• 0 Comments • Post a Comment • Permanent Link

IICorinthians9:15

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 

Thank God for his Son – a gift too wonderful for words!(NLT)

This year I have been determined to make certain that Jesus is

the focus of our Christmas celebration and our

daily lifestyle.  While studying the Names of Jesus with Caleb

this month one of them was the Unspeakable or Indescribable Gift.

I came across a couple of activities to do with him. 

One was to wrap a box to use a decoration in our home and

call it the Box of Love to remind us that God’s gift of Jesus is a

gift of love.  The second was to write a Thank You note to God

for his gift of Jesus.  Well, about a week later it occurred to me

that this would be a wonderful thing to do each year at

Christmas to keep the focus of our celebration centered on Christ and

remind us He is the best gift we have ever received.  We  

 Will keep this box out on our coffee table and have

each family member write a Thank You to God for giving us

Jesus.  On Christmas morning, we will begin our celebration of the

birth of Jesus by opening  the box and offering

these thank you notes as prayers to our Heavenly Father. 

• 0 Comments • Post a Comment • Permanent Link

We are doing a unit study about Christmas carols and hymns along with a study on the Names of Jesus this month.  They are both from EasyFunSchool.  I must thank jaminacema for posting about this unit study on her blog.

We began by going over the introduction and I found the vocabulary to be very interesting.  I found out that the word "carol" originally referred to a dance being performed in a circle.  Since I enjoy worshipping with Hebraic dance I got all excited.  Circle dancing is so much fun!  It is a wonderful way to worship.

Then, the first song we studied was Good Christian Men Rejoice.  This was written by Heinrich Suso.  We used Cyber Hymnal to listen to the song and read more about it.  Now, I said I got excited when I learned the word "carol" had referred to circle dancing, but when I read this sentence I wanted to get up and dance!

Folklore has it that Suso, hearing angels sing these words, joined them in a dance of worship.

Oh my!  Can you imagine the Lord giving you inspiration for the words to a song by allowing you to hear the angels sing them?  I don't believe that is folklore....I believe it is truth.  Angels are messengers of the Lord. 

I encourage you to read the words of this song.  It affirms the true meaning for the reason we celebrate Christmas - the birth of our Savior - the best gift of ever! 

Blessings,

Stacy

P.S.  Check out my new blog at Homestead Blogger and see the pictures of our 10 new puppies.  Yes, I said ten!  They are so adorable but we had a rough time getting them here.  Click here to find out how they arrived in the world.............

• 1 Comments • Post a Comment • Permanent Link