Mar. 19, 2010 - My Weekly Report
My 6th/7th Grader
New Elementary Mathematics (NEM) 1, we are now in Chapter 2. We learned about fractions this week. Then he is in the section about graphs and reading charts in Challenging Word Problems.
He worked on week 6 of Classical Writing Homer B. It got harder. He did the analysis this week for “the People Asked Samuel for A King.” In the paragraph section, they asked to not only paraphrase, but also change the verb tense. They put two paragraphs instead of one. So, they added more work to the difficult tasks.
He is working on analogies in Building Thinking Skills level 3 verbal. The section that he is working on is antonym or synonym analogies. He had trouble.
He read chapters 29, 30, 31 in Story of the World 3 this week.
We worked in Henle 1 for Latin.
My Fourth Grader
He did lesson 20 in Latina Christiana 1.
He learned about fractions this week in Primary Mathematics 3B. He worked with same denominator fractions. Next week is equivalent fractions.
He is doing more sorting in Building Thinking Skills level 2.
He read about Christopher Columbus, Magellan, and Vespucci in Story of the World 2.
He worked on oral usage in First Language Lessons 3.
We had AWANA on Wednesday this week. The boys submitted their Grand Prix cars because the races are this Saturday.
My sons are practicing for the Suzuki Festival at the end of the month. So, during individual and group, the children are working on the books 1 and 2 pieces.
Mar. 18, 2010 - Passing the Senior Editor Hat
In some ways this is a hard post to write, and in others I'm actually very excited! I have been the senior editor of HSB for nearly 4 years now. I have learned a lot about blogging, I've made a ton of new friends, and it has been fun! However, it's time for me to move on.
My family is moving to where we won't have internet, cell phone service, or television. We're all very excited about that! Still, I imagine you can see what a problem that is for a senior editor of a blog web site. This new life style isn't compatible with daily blogging and answering of emails.
Besides, it's time for a fresh face around here! Kristen Hamilton will be the new Senior Editor of HSB and I think she's going to be a good fit. I hope all of you will welcome her and make her feel comfortable. If you have any questions, you can direct them to Kristen at khamilton@thehomeschoolmagazine.com.
I can't wait to see what fun and interesting topics Kristen will have lined up for all of you! It's going to be kind of weird for me to watch the Porch grow and change from a different perspective. Kristen is going to do a fabulous job--I'm leaving the HSB Company Porch in good hands. Kristen will be here to help you with the blog platform change, whenever that happens . . . just know it has not been abandoned!
You may or may not find me blogging here a little more, but not daily like I used to do several years ago! No internet at home, remember? I'm not blogging elsewhere, I'm not looking for greener grass. I'm too lazy to move my lawn chair. I'm just becoming another passenger on this blogging cruise. I'd love to hear from all of you from time to time!
Mar. 15, 2010 - The Obama Takeover of Education
"[O]n Monday, my administration will send to Congress our blueprint for an updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act to overhaul No Child Left Behind. What this plan recognizes is that while the federal government can play a leading role in encouraging the reforms and high standards we need, the impetus for that change will come from states, and from local schools and school districts. "What does this mean? According to Susan Ohanian, a longtime opponent of national standards and the proposed reforms,
In order to qualify for the pots of money President Obama is eager to hand out, states must accept 100 percent of the Common Core standards document. They cannot pick and choose. Exercising any judgment based on what teachers and parents know about kids and about literature is forbidden. To get the Obama bribe, state politicos must promise that schoolchildren will be forced to swallow ALL the Kool-Aid. If states want federal money, they have to reform education the Obama way.This is a case of which came first the chicken or the egg?
The Obama Administration will claim all of the education reforms are state-led and the federal government is merely supporting their initiatives, but are states enacting the desired reforms because money is promised for states that Race for the Top and win first prize?
Already, there are rumors that Title I (special needs funding) will be tied to education reforms and the National School Boards Association released a statement last month indicating that the proposed reforms,
"amounts to an unnecessary overreach by the federal government to coerce states to adopt a particular approach or be shut out of future funding for key programs."And what about homeschoolers? Our issue isn't funding but freedom. Common Core Standards will impact us, they will become the defacto national standard and lead to even more federal regulations (tied to funding, of course).
Recognizing the potential risks, HSDLA had this to say in May, 2009 about national common standards,
"If groups of states on their own want to establish common standards for public schools, that is one thing. HSLDA firmly believes that educational decisions should be left up to the states and local school boards, not Washington, DC. However, we believe that any attempts by congress to create nationalized standards, curriculum, or testing would be unconstitutional, and harmful to students and families. Homeschool famlies have demonstrated that parents, not bureaucrats in Washington, best know their children and what htey need to learn."I searched their website for more updated information and nothing more recent appears to have been published. I hope they speak up soon.
A draft of the Common Core State Standards is now available online. The time for public commentary and opposition is now, not when Congress is deciding how much to pay each state for their compliance.
This is not the time for homeschoolers to sit and watch from the sidelines as the states gobble up federal funds and Obama's blueprint. At the very least, forward this post to others who may not be aware of the "other takeover" going on in Washington, DC.
This isn't a partisan plea against Obama, but a real desire to all homechoolers realize that national standards will be a huge deterent to our ability to homeschool in the United States. He didn't start these reforms, but he is currently the President moving them forward. And make no mistake about it, these reforms, modeled after Europe, will impact us. We must speak up or risk losing our ability to direct the education of our children. And unlike the German homeschoolers, there will be no place for us to go to seek asylum.
For more info...
Heather has a post about national reforms and special needs homeschooling.
Susan Ohanian has a site Stop National Standards with loads of info (Facebook group here.)
Education Week: Debunking the Case for National Standards
-Spunky
Reposted with permission from Spunky Homeschool.
Mar. 15, 2010 - Social Networking = Lazy Blogging... and a Family Update!
This blog has been grossly neglected. In part, it is due to the discovery of “lazy blogging”! Yep, the short little snippets of social networking have lulled me away from expressing myself in full-well thought out thoughts!
Throughout the day I can just say,
“Avoiding grading lessons, sigh, I hate grading lessons!”
“Wow! Noah has had three 100 % math tests in a row”
“OUCH! A sinus infection is keeping me from getting much done today!”
“What a productive day! All the laundry is done, dinner is in the crockpot and I even had time for a quick walk around the lake!”
I am enjoying catching up with friends both far and near. I am enjoying knowing what to pray for or how to actively help people because I am more aware of their daily needs. I enjoy the opportunities to encourage others and be encouraged by them, but I have definitely become lazy!
While blogging does not have a lot of rules as to necessary length, amount of photos that must be posted or even about relevancy of content at times, it still requires a little more thought. I am missing expressing myself here, but each time I vow to get back into the good habit I suddenly find that my last post was weeks and weeks ago and I have no idea what to write about!
So, how about just a little update?
We are about the same, but older. Typical, right?
Kaitlyn will be 18 in a few months! Wow! I still can’t believe that. She is just finishing up 11th grade so she still has another whole year of high school. She still does not have her driver’s license, but has her permit. It’s fine with me that she takes it slow! Kaitlyn and Jordan are both in choir and are both preparing solos for the Fine Arts Festival next month!
Ian is 14 and still keeping us on our toes! He loves any sport or outdoorsy activity. He also loves helping run PowerPoint at our church. He is a great cook (especially in the baking department) and is ready to start 9th grade! I’ll have THREE high schoolers at once! Pray for me!
Noah is 11 ½. He is very bright academically and usually gets his school work done quickly and correctly. He, Ian and Hannah participated in Pinewood Derby last month. He and Ian both brought home trophies! They really learned a lot and are very artistic!
Hannah is 9 ½. She loves to read and write. She is very creative and a good student. She has had braces since October and that makes her look so grown up! Not sure I like that! She has a wide array of interests and enjoys race cars, dolls, and everything in between!
My husband, Russ, and I will be celebrating our TWENTIETH anniversary this week! Amazing! In some ways I can’t even remember what life was like before “US” and in other ways is seems like just yesterday! I am amazed at God’s goodness to bless me with such a wonderful marriage.
I’m starting to plan next year’s home school…. I had it all done, but we had sort of a planning shift when we realized that the price for the curriculum we are currently using had gone WAY up. So, I am replanning and praying that God will guide and direct me in this process!
Mar. 15, 2010 - My Personal Testimony
I am currently in a Woman's Bible study called Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore. My church is currently doing a book study called Life's Healing Choices by John Bakker. I want to tell you that I am not a fan of this book or its author. I am doing it because my whole church is doing it and my husband is doing it with me. That is enough of a motivator. Trust me I would never pick up this book of a shelf if I were to do this on my own. It just does not offer the depth of learning about God that I desire. So, I am grateful to go to the Woman's Bible study because it does have depth. However, I am learning from this Life's Healing Choices. I will share with you how it is going.
Last week, we learned that we are not God. We have to give up control over things in our lives. I had to search my innermost being to find out what do I try to control. The only thing that I could think of was my children and my husband. I do try to control my children. I have sinned and yelled at them. I realize that I have failed in this area. I prayed and sought God as to what to do. Then the Lord revealed to me this: I was called to manage my children not to control them. I cannot convict them, only the Holy Spirit can do that (I learned that from the Beth Moore study). I cannot make them do anything. God Almighty has to show them truths. I can only show them the Word.
I am not God. I must realize that I am powerless to control my family. I am called to manage and care for my children, but it is God who convicts. I must put my trust in God . I need to surrender my children to Him. What a hard place to be in!!
While I was studying about peace in Living Beyond Yourself, I realized that I have been lacking peace in my soul. I recognized that I need the peace of Christ. The peace that Christ had in the mist of the storm. I have not been reading God's Word. I use to read the One Year Bible everyday. So what? I have lost my peace. I need to get back with the Lord. I need to spend time with God. I need the time to pray and seek after Jesus. I use to pray and read daily. I am sharing with anyone who read this. I need to spend more time with Him. I prayed last week for a oneness with God. I pray that anyone who read will pray for me: specifically, that I will have a oneness and peace with God again.
Thank you for all who read.
Mar. 15, 2010 - My Weekend
My weekend was a mess. I got up last Monday with a raspy throat. Saturday morning, it was worse. I was not feeling so hot. My sons had to make their AWANA cars because they had no time. The AWANA program sold us the cars the last week in February and the races are the last week in March. Just to tell you, in the past, the program sold the cars in January. So, there is plenty of time to make mistakes and try to fix whatever flaws. We usually work on the cars on the weekends.
Unfortunately, the boys only had two weekends, one of which the boys went away on a retreat. To make matter worse, my sons decided to purchase a block of wood instead of a pre-cut car. Now, my husband had to step in and do some of the work. My sons take forever to cut the cars. So, this was a nightmare. Wood-working is not my husband's specialty. It is not my sons'. So, therefore, we needed a miracle. I don't know how these cars will turn out because we were given one weekend to make the cars. I know that I must not complain, but 3 weeks is hardly anytime to make a car, especially if you are craft-challenged.
On top of everything, we had rain and more rain from Friday to Saturday. Guess what? Sunday morning my older son went downstairs to look at his car and found it was soaking wet. Huh??? Right before we were about to leave for church. There was water everywhere downstairs. So, my husband missed Sunday school to try and clean up.
I was devasted. I kept crying in church because he was not there. Did I tell you that I had a sore throat, a cough, and an itchy nose?
My darling sons did not put away some school books. Guess what? My old Collegiate Merriam-Webster's dictionary that I got for my birthday in 1976 is water damaged. It just take a child to disobey. A Lego book that I bought in January. It is water-damaged. I don't need to go on. Did I tell you I was sick?
My older son had a special Suzuki festival practice. I slept in my car while he practiced.
Monday morning, as he is walking out the door, my husband yells up to me, "It smells down here!"
What a weekend!
Mar. 12, 2010 - SpellQuizzer Review and a GIVEAWAY!!!!!
I love SpellQuizzer!
SpellQuizzer is an educational spelling program for Windows that helps children learn their spelling words by allowing the parent to make a sound recording of each word. (If your PC does not have a microphone you should be able to purchase one for about $10 at any electronics store.) This program was developed by a dad for his elementary-aged daughters, but it can definitely be used for the upper grades as well!
A few months ago, I was asked to review SpellQuizzer and I was thrilled because I had been thinking about giving it a try, but was really unsure about it. I got started soon thereafter and was amazed at the results.
Some of my children are GREAT spellers and some of them are not! Some of them need a lot of practice and I was spending a minimum of 45 minutes a day on Spelling and I was not seeing super results for all my efforts.
I would test and retest over the same words and yet the children’s progress was slooooooow until we started SpellQuizzer.
I entered the children’s spelling lists into the program and gave them time each day to take turns practicing their lists and scheduled a review day per child each week. I was astounded the very first time I tested them after starting SpellQuizzer. Even my best spellers had never had 100%’s before, but that first week 4 of my 5 children earned a perfect score on their tests and my worst speller only missed 2 out of 30 words. (I later decided that 30 was far too many anyway!)
We have now been using SpellQuizzer for over 2 months and I am still pleased. Somehow the children would rather hear my voice over the computer than my voice in real life! Go figure! They like it when I toss in a few silly sentences and I have noticed that one of my children often repeats the exact sentence I used on the computer when she spells words she has recently learned. (With that in mind I started adding sentences that were about Godly character, or incorporated a Scripture memory verse into them! You know us homeschooling moms… always trying to sneak a little more learning into every teachable moment!)
Some of the high points:
- Less preparation time for me!
- Less presentation time for me!
- More enjoyable for the children!
- More effective review/drill!
- Better scores!
- Happier family!
- We like that it will remove correct words from the list and give the student as many tries as needed to finish spelling all the words correctly just like a parent would do if studying with their child!
- Since you have the ability to customize your own lists you can use it with any Spelling curriculum you already have or develop lists from your children’s frequently misspelled words in their journaling, etc. OR a combination of both!
- The SpellQuizzer web site has pre-made grade-appropriste downloadable spelling lists that you can download and use with SpellQuizzer.
- When creating a new list you can look through your previous words and just select from that list, which saves even more time. It also tells you if you already have that word in your list so that you will not end up with multiples of the same word!
- On my Windows installation Microphone Boost was not turned on by default, but their were simple instructions that helped me bring my audio recording level up to where is was easier to hear without headphones being necessary!
A few things we would like to see revised in future editions of SpellQuizzer:
- It be great if it had a record-keeping option to show how many correct/incorrect words the child scored each day.
- I am having a hard time figuring out how to delete words that I know we no longer need and the list is getting rather lengthy now. I know there is a way to do it, but I have not been able to make it work.
- One of my sons gets frustrated that he has sometimes hit enter before he meant to and the word was considered wrong, but that is just par for the course, I think!
I think this is a great tool and worth giving a try!
There's a video demo you can watch at http://www.spellquizzer.com/SpellQuizzer-Demo.htm and a community site where SpellQuizzer users can share their spelling lists with one another (http://www.SpellQuizzer.com/Community). Finally, there's a page targeted to homeschooling families at http://www.spellquizzer.com/spelling-software-for-homeschoolers.htm.
I have also been authorized to give away one FREE SpellQuizzer license! Just leave a comment for me and I will pick a random winner two weeks from today... on March 26th!
Mar. 8, 2010 - Could Your 5-Year-Old Be Labeled As An Offender?
Students in the UK who use "hate speech" may become registered offenders who are then put on a list of other such offenders. This will also stay in their permanent school records.
If this is what can happen to children, what happens to parents? Sin cannot be spoken out against, according to the law. No matter how nicely you try to put it. Love the sinner, hate the sin, isn't even going to cut it.
Ugly speech is not appropriate for anyone, let alone small children, but to become a criminal at the age of 5 or 10, at a time when they are still being trained to be kind is absurd. Bring your children home so they're careers aren't destroyed before they can even write.
Tia Linschied
Senior Editor of HSB
Mar. 8, 2010 - Spring Is In The Air
First, a quick disclaimer. The pictures in the header are from last spring and summer.
No, we haven't seen this much green yet.
Which brings me to the reason I posted these particular pictures. I'm a gardener and creation freak.
This past winter with all of it's ice, snow, and abnormally low temperatures really made me appreciate spring all the more. I need green in my life and it may sound a little ridiculous to some but these pictures of what's to come encourage me.
We are seeing signs of spring. These Spring Beauties are usually the first flowers to herald spring's arrival.
The Bluets follow close behind.
Pretty soon the trees will show off with pretty blossoms like this Hawthorn tree in our back pasture.
Tim tilled the garden yesterday. It's quite obvious that we won't be able to plant for awhile because we're expecting rain today and towards the end of this week. That's okay because there something oddly satisfying to me to know that its been done. 
But it won't be long until I'm investing a large part of my mornings out here in this little plot of ground. It really is a labor of love, believe-it-or-not.
Listening to the news a couple of days ago, I heard that tomatoes will be much more expensive this spring due to the unusually cold temperatures the nation received this past winter. So I'm planning on growing more tomatoes than I normally do. To be quite honest, our tomatoes didn't do very well last year and I'm hoping to improve upon my tomato growing skills this year. We'll see how it goes.
But one crop that did do very well last year was our snow peas. I had to plant them earlier than many of our other veggies but it was well worth the effort. They are so good raw on a salad. The kids would even pick them from the vine out in the garden and eat them on the spot.
The wildflowers will soon make their presence known in the pasture.
The Spiderwort and Indian Paintbrush are always such a welcome sight! 
But along with the flowers there will be other signs of spring. This green racer will once again make his presence known in our yard.
Yes, spring will bring beauty but also there will be the snakes, ticks, scorpions, and the back breaking work of tending a garden early in the morning. But I think I'm up to the challenge because when I'm out in the garden in the wee hours of the morning, it's my own private worship time. 
Yes, I see Him in it all and thank Him for that.
It is mind boggling to me that anyone could not see Him in creation. His handiwork is all around us and I firmly believe it is but a less than perfect (due to sin) picture of what He has in store for us in our eternal home, Heaven.
I am a gardener and He is the one that instilled this great love and appreciation for His creation in me.
As the temperatures start to warm and spring begins to unfold before us, I will be praising Him because He sets the seasons in place and He is in control of all things!
Blessings to you and yours, Julie
Regarding Lillie's surgery, that I had mentioned in the post before this, all went well. The tumor was a schwannoma. It was benign and shouldn't recur. Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement, it really was appreciated. Our God is an awesome God!
Mar. 7, 2010 - My Sons have returned
My sons had a good time at their weekend retreat. They played games and went to chapel about 4 times this weekend. They said that they enjoyed themselves. One of the chaperones said that my boys were up at the altar Saturday night. That is special to hear. I will not ask them about that experience. I will let that remain between them and God. Whatever they put at the altar, I pray that God almighty met them there.
I was not happy to hear that my younger son did not take his Zyrtex or that my older son threw up all weekend. For some strange reason, my older son seems to always throw up when we go away on vacation. I don't know why because it dampens our vacation. When we go to Disney World, he throws up. The only place that he does not throw up is when we do ministry at the Catskills.
However, they had a good time with pillow fights, playing chess, uno, and football. I am glad that the program went well for the boys overall. They have been talking non-stop about the great time that they had. 
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