Freferance Forest Cottage - The New Forest Cottage
Forest Cottage

Oct. 10, 2007

The New Forest Cottage

Posted in Musings

I am sure most everyone has noted the "Under Construction" post I did a month ago. Wow, has it really been that long? I never meant it to take as long as it has, and it's still not quite complete. Then again, homeschooling is a journey that is never really over, and I'm finding new links to add all the time. For some time, I had been dissatisified with my link menu on the right of the page. It was just such a hodgpodge links and graphics that I didn't think anyone could find their way around. I couldn't and I designed it! LOL So I took advantage of Image Chef's awesome free service. It allowed me to create custom graphics in just seconds. Granted, their selection really isn't that huge yet, but I was satisfied with the images I settled on. So here's a quick run down on the different categories now.

 

  • The Family Circle stayed the same, as did My Recent Posts
  • The Cottage is all links pertaining to this site, such as my RSS feed.
  • The Cottage Garden are sites that are mine specifically (such as blogs, Myspace, etc.) or sites that I especially like and may be involved with somehow.
  • The Hearth pertains to site for spirituality and homelife.
  • The Referance Shelf is a list of sites pertaining to homeschool laws, news, teaching methods, etc.
  • The Kitchen Table is curriculum. I thought this quite appropriate since that is where, my family at least, does most of their lessons (when we're in the house, anyway). I'm still trying to figure out how to break this one down further because it's quite a hodgepodge. If you have any ideas of a cottage type name that would work in this area, please throw it my way. Right now it includes complete accredited systems, items pertaining to specific areas (such as Scaredy Cat, which is phonics), etc. Like I said, I'm still finetuning that area.
  • The Reading Chair are sites that have online books, mostly in their entirety, in either a PDF, MP3 or Word Document format. A lot are also not downloadable, but you're still able to read them online, print them off, etc.
  • Our Read Alongs are some books that I especially chose to read aloud to the kidlets over the next week or so. Most will tie in the season, any upcoming holidays, something we are studying (such as history, geography, etc.) and other stuff along those lines. Sometimes a book will stay longer if it's an especially long book, such as the original Peter Pan, which we are reading to James right now. These are nowhere near all of the books that are read to our children, just ones I wanted to make sure are read in any given week.
  • The Craft Cupboard contains sites for crafts and other fun activities.
  • The Supply Cupboard is just that! Lots of good stores to order supplies, be it fun science kits, lesson books, silks, etc. These are all stores that I have personally ordered from. My Affiliates will also be found here. Also, although it isn't listed there, all books I list linking back to Amazon is under an affiliate program.
  • Blogs are the blogs that I enjoy reading . I have to have a good excuse for not folding the laundry. :D

 

I'm also playing around with the idea of "James' Curriculum" where I would list any specific curriculum books we're using this year, as well as the teaching methods I'm using.

 

Now Added:

 

  • James' Curriculum is a list of curriculum and books that James is using this year.
  • The Den is a list of fun curriculum and lesson ideas.
  • Random Books is just that; a list of books I randomly grabbed from my home school shelves. I will leave these up for approximately a moth before switching them for fresh selections.
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    Comments

    Oct. 10, 2007 - Untitled Comment

    Posted by Anonymous
    You've done an amazing job- it looks great. I love that you're always adding new stuff, too- I never know what I'm going to find when I stop in here, and I love that!

    Jenny
    Wildwood Cottage
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    A Dream of Life

    The musings of my childrens journey in the wonders of love, life, and spirituality. Love, Live, Laugh, and Learn. That's what it's all about. Welcome and blessed be.

    The WeatherPixie

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    The Family Circle


    * Carey ~ Beloved husband that puts up with everything. He's majoring in history, loves to read, play D&D and Mech Warriors.

    * Ami ~ Me. Busy teacher and housewife. I love to spend time with the kids, read, garden, cook, knit, sew, make my own soaps and salves.

    * James ~ Our oldest at five. He loves to build with blocks, enjoys the guitar, adores robots and believes he can't live without his trucks (and skateboard).

    * Charles ~ My little monkey! Our youngest son at four, he is the most precious gift ever recieved on a birthday. He's a wonderful, sunny little guy that's very inquisitive and artistic.

    * Meradydd ~ Our oldest daughter at three. An opinionated and exceedingly bossy little girl with a temper to match her copper hair. My little fashion diva that loves shoes, furlies, & hair pretties.

    * Kathrynn ~ Kitty is my 1 year old little angel. She's a beautiful, mellow little girl that's extremely patient but is also starting to show her claws.


    Get this at xgenerators.com


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    Forest Cottage Garden ~ Sites near and dear to my heart.


    * Carey's Cats
    * Sisterwoman
    * Palouse Homeschool

    Homeschooling Unitarian Universalists ~ HUUmans on the Web

    Freeze Yer Buns Off Challenge

    18 month breastfeeding milestone

    My Favorite Sites




    Sites pertaining to spirituality and homelife.



    * Unitarian Universalist Family Network
    * Familyman Ministeries ~ Reminding Dad of What's Most Important

    Todays Inspiration

    Unitarian Universalist Association

    Moms for Modesty

    Pagan Home Schoolers Unite

    Referance sites pertaining to homeschool laws, news, teaching methods, etc.



    * National Home Education Research Institute
    * National Home Education Network
    * Homeschool Buzz
    * Homeschool.com
    * Homeschool Educator
    * Home Education Magazine
    * A-Z Home's Cool
    * Homefires
    * Christopherus Homeschool Resources
    * Waldorf Homeschoolers
    * Montessori Homeschooling
    * Simply Charlotte Mason
    * A Thomas Jefferson Education
    * Waldorf Family Network
    * Waldorf Early Childhood Network of North America
    * The Book Samaritan
    * Online Waldorf Library
    * Waldorf Resources
    * Simply Charlotte Mason
    * HomeSchool Reviews
    * Reverso Dictionary

    All-In-One Homeschool Resource Center
    HomeschoolCopyright.com Turning a page ... Opening the world ~ Children's Book Reviews at the Reading Tub Rudolph Steiner Library ~ The Lending Library of the Anthroposophical Society in America

    Homeschool News

    provided by HomeSchoolBuzz.com


    Curriculum & Lesson Plans ~ Free or Otherwise.



    * Goddess Moon Circles Academy
    * Living Books Curriculum
    * Artistic Pursuits Art Curriculum
    * Seasons of Joy
    * Cursive First
    * Google Earth Lessons
    * Masterpiece Art Instruction
    * Classical Homeschooling
    * Classical Astronomy
    * Universal Preschool
    * Montessori for the Earth
    * Little Acorn Learning
    * The Dream Angels
    * Live Education!
    * Five in a Row
    * Treasure Box Press
    * McRuffy Press
    * Knowledge Quest
    * Time 4 Learning
    * Teachers Pay Teachers
    * Seasons of Joy
    * A Little Garden Flower
    * Room 108
    * Core Knowledge
    * RightStart Math
    * Living Math!
    * Homeschool Math

    Scaredy Cat Reading System

    Reading Reflex by Carmen Mcguinness

    James’ Curriculum


    * Ambleside Online
    * Rhyme-A-Week
    * Between Sundays ~ Answering Kids Questions
    * Serendipity ~ alphabet & numbers fun
    * ARTistic Pursuits

    Oak Meadow

    Earthways by Carol Petrash

    Pagan Homeschooling by Kristen Madden

    Sing, Clap and Play the Recorder by Heather Cox

    Teaching Little Fingers to Play: A Book for the Earliest Beginner (John Thompsons Modern Course for The Piano)

    Reading Fun at Starfall
    James' Cooking Lessons

    Fun Informative Sites For Lesson Plans


    * Homeschool Helper
    * Teaching PreK-8
    * Virtual Field Trips
    * PBS Nova ~ Teachers
    * Wolf Discovery Curriculum
    * Kinder Art
    * Carschooling
    * Rainbow Dragon Arts lesson plans
    * Teach the Children Well
    * Kinder Planet
    * Macbeth's Opinion
    * Kidzone
    * The Homeschooler's Notebook
    * Google Earth
    * Montessori Materials
    * Green Links ~ Children's Gardening Fun
    * Root of the Tree
    * Poisson Rouge

    Learn ~ Grow ~ Rock with Preschool Rock


    The Books We're Reading This Week!


    What Is An Amphibian by Bobbie Kalman

    From Tadpole to Frog (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) by Wendy Pfeffer

    Growing Frogs by Vivian French

    Jump, Frog, Jump! by Robert Kalan

    Mud by Mary Lyn Ray

    The Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni

    First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

    Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

    * Past Selections

    Online Reading Fun

    * Litscape
    * Vidya Online ~ A partnership for teachers, children and education
    * Storynory ~ Kids Audio Stories
    * Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts
    * Kid's Corner
    * The Baldwin Project
    * Living Books for the Ears ~ Homeschool Radio Shows
    * The Online Books Page ~ More Than 25,000 English Works in Various Formats
    * Aesops Fables
    * Charles Dickens Literature
    * Charles Darwin Literature
    * The Works of Shakespeare

    World Wide School International Children's Digital Library

    Online Stories for listening, reading and printing by Stephen Cosgrove

    Stories to Grow By With Whootie Owl

    Explore Bedtime Story with Isador!


    Articles, Curriculum & Groups for Special Needs Children

    * Bayshore Educational
    * Homeschool Central
    * Homeschool Diner ~ (C)APD
    * Learning Abled Kids
    * Balametrics Inc
    * A - Z Home's Cool ~ Special Needs
    * Essential Learning Institute
    * The Listen-Up Web
    * NATHHAN
    * Almaden Valley Christian School
    * Woodbine House
    * Orton-Gillingham
    * Charlotte Mason for Special Kids
    * Ambleside Online w/LD Kids


    Fun Stuff for the Kidlets!

    * Enchanted Learning
    * Sacred Spiral Kids
    * Alenka's Printables
    * DLTK's Crafts for Kids
    * A Magical Childhood
    * The Magic Schoolbus
    * Serendipity Coloring Pages

    Jan Brett

    The Toymaker ~ paper toys to print and make

    Busy Bee Bags ~ buy hands on activities and fun

    Green Hour ~ Giving our little ones unstructered playtimes outside for their souls, bodies and minds to grow.

    Homeschool Groups {Cat Nap by Carole Eppler}



    * In the Hands of a Child
    * Live and Learn Press
    * Ambleside Online Copywork
    * Amleside Online Art Prints
    * Ambleside Online
    * Knowledge House
    * Montessori Makers
    * Palouse Alternative Homeschooling Network
    * TJ Ed MUSE
    * Living Home Ed
    * Mentoring Our Own
    * Thomas Jefferson Ed
    * Charlotte Mason Homeschooling
    * Living Math Forum
    * FIAR
    * Oak Meadow Homeschool
    * Waldorf Curriculum
    * Preschool Education
    * Teach Art At Home
    * UU Homeschoolers


    Books chosen randomly from my home school shelves.



    The Between the Lions Book for Parents: Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Child Learn to Read by Linda K. Rath

    Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock

    National Geographic United States Atlas for Young Explorers

    Angel Bear Yoga by Christi Eli

    * Past Selections


    Shopping for supplies!


    * Science, Art and More
    * Classic Books
    * Acorn Naturalists
    * Paper, Scissors, Stone
    * A Child's Dream
    * Nova Natural
    * Bob & Nancy's Bookshop
    * Hearth Song
    * The Silver Penny
    * Christopherus Bookstore
    * Magic Cabin
    * Kids Gardening Store
    * Waldorf Without Walls
    * Knowledge Box Central
    * Live and Learn Press
    * The Scholastic Store
    * Queen Homeschool Supplies for CM Educators
    * Owl & Mouse Educational Software
    * Penny Gardener's CM Supplies
    * Audio Forum ~ The Language Source
    * Charlotte Mason Research & Supply Company
    * Chinaberry
    * Courtly Music Unlimited ~ Everything for the Recorder Enthusiast
    * Music for Little People
    * Weir Dolls and Crafts
    * Hazlenut Kids
    * Teach 4 Mastery
    * Homeschooling from the Heart
    * My Montessori House
    * Game Wright
    * HomeFires
    * Home Education Resources
    * Fun Books ~ A Lifetime of Learning Fun

    Hands of a Child

    Harvest Home Educators
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    Abraham Lincoln ~ You have a Bible and a library card what more could you possibly need? You prefer the Charlotte Mason Method of reading living books for everything: historical fiction, biographies, real histories, nature guides, etc. No soon-to-be-outdated textbooks for you. Visit my blog: Guilt Free Homeschooling
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    * Mark Lupo Artwork
    br> * Carole Eppler Original Watercolors