Actually, she is so "pumped" that she has just shared a sneak peek into her Membership Site.
You see one of the neat things about the Ultimate Homeschool Expo is that everything is ONLINE. Cindy builds a private, exclusive Membership Site that includes everything from the UHSE in one place--it has audios (from all of the sessions and from the bonus gifts that her speakers give to us), ebooks, complete unit study guides, articles, printable notebooking pages, cookbooks, on and on. I can't believe all of the things that we receive for only $40. It is truly ULTIMATE!
Anyway, back to the reason that I am sharing with you...
Cindy just sent me permission to give you a sampler of one of her free gifts that is included on the Membership Site. I am so excited to give it to you! It is a audio and ebook set that she actually sells on her website, but she is giving away on the Membership Site. Here is the link:
A Quick Start for Notebooking Mini-Set!
Need ideas for encouraging your young writers and QUICK?
Ready for a FUN way to encourage your most reluctant writer to write AND like it???
This fun-filled, hands-on workshop is one that you simply CANNOT miss!! Cindy Rushton, who has become known through the years as THE BINDER QUEEN, uses Notebooking for EVERYTHING! She will show you how to begin whether your child is a toddler or the most skeptical high schoolers. This workshop is sure to light a fire that will equip YOU to help your children deepen their studies and document learning all along the way!
TOPICS FOR THIS WORKSHOP INCLUDE:
Hey! Do I Have A Chance At This??;
Why On Earth Notebook???;
Down to the Nitty Gritty...WHAT Do I Need and HOW Do I Do It?;
Step-by-Step Through Notebooking;
Scrapbooking! YES! You CAN Have Fun Homeschooling;
Hey? What is Legal? What All Goes Into A Notebook???;
Developing FUN Studies That Teach and Inspire!!;
Copywork...Answers to ALL of Your Questions;
Taking the Writer From Reluctant to Researching;
Ideas, Ideas, Ideas, There’s Gotta Be One for You;
PLUS Much, Much More! PLUS!
Cindy doesn't stop with the workshop, she also includes the Q/A Session after the workshop AND her handouts/samples of student notebooks. Awesome!
You know the saying that a picture captures a thousand words,well...what about a a gift like this??? And, just think...this is only ONE of the awesome gifts included on the Membership Site. There are hundreds more!
Take my word for it, you will WANT a ticket to this event and access to all of the wonderful resources. Grab your ticket here:
It's now the year 2008! I guess you all know that by now. I've again started my yearlong Bible study and I've found an awesome aid to assist me in reaching my goal of reading through the Bible in a year. It's called the One Year Bible Podcast, narrated by Tom Dooley. It's fabulous. Included with each scripture reading is a small commentary along with beautiful background music. I actually started this last year but got off course a bit because I joined a bit late. I am staying on track this year! If you have ITunes you can subscribe to the podcast by clicking on the logo below. If you don't have ITunes, here is a link to the website where you can listen to the readings online; http://www.bibleonradio.com/ You can also read along by visiting this site that contains all of the scriptures from the New Living Translation; http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/
So do yourself a big favor and GET into THE WORD!!
I'll be the FIRST to admit that wintertime is not my top favorite season BUT none the less it's still packed with fun! Gazing upon the new fallen snow as it covers the tree tops can generate some fond memories within me, not to mention the peaceful atmosphere these snowflakes can generate.
But can they still have that same effect when found nestled in an ice-cream cone? Yes, it's true! Annette found this beauty mounted upon a chunk of chocolate in her ice-cream and she even tried to lick it away with no success. So we decided to take a picture.
It's amazing to ponder the fact that those snow covered mountains are actually made up of BILLIONS of little fellas like the one pictured above! God's handiwork is once again on display. He's given to us a heart to appreciate this beauty. Think about that for a moment if you will. He has placed within us a longing and desire for Him and that includes all that His awesome hands have created.
I know, I said that winter was NOT one of my favorites, but as a Christian I am learning that even during those times when I may not be comfortable driving on snowy roads or when I find myself in another trial-like situation, His goodness and beauty is ALL AROUND me, if only I submit to the Holy Spirit so that I may see with my spiritual eyes
We can find God's purpose and joy in everything. This is the reason we are told in God's Word, "In Everything Give Thanks, for this is the Will of God for You in Christ Jesus" 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Don't travel so quickly on the path of life that you miss the individual snowflakes! They CAN be seen you know!
Here's a FUN snowflake activity site. Check it out! Paper Snow Flakes
Let me set the scene for you...........................
We had been enjoying a quiet, leisurely evening meal at a nearby restaurant following a time of music ministry at a Christian coffeehouse a few hours from our home. The drive is not too long but long enough that we needed to refuel for the trip home. As we began to take the last few bites of our meal, my husband asked me to try a sampling of the various pancake syrups that had been adorning our table. My daughter and our close friend started to chuckle at the sight of our "syrup tasting" and this chuckle soon turned into laughter as I took my second spoonful of blueberry syrup. Their smiles soon brought a smile to my own face which then turned to laughter. I had not yet swallowed the two spoonfuls of syrup and when I started to laugh I began to choke.
This was very, very different from the times that I accidentally choked on water or liquid. Syrup is much more thick and it covered my airway almost completely. I immediately began to gasp for breathe to no avail. I rose from the table practically shoving my husband off the booth where we had been sitting. I stood straight, still gasping for a breath and unable to speak. The seconds began to grow very long and thoughts of being home with the Lord now started entering my mind because I was not getting any relief and nothing was coming out of my lungs. I remember seeing several patrons staring in a somewhat fearful manner in my direction.
My daughter was on the verge of sobbing, calling out to me as she could tell that I was in BIG trouble. I started to slump over and for some reason, I bent over almost touching my toes. Almost immediately the syrup lost it's air tight grip over my air passage. I started coughing and after a few more seconds I began to breath again. I was shaking and my daughter said, "Mom! Look at your hands! They are turning blue!" and when I looked down at them, sure enough they were starting to change a color.
I am sharing this with you because if you are a mom who is constantly warning your children to be careful when they eat and to chew food properly, keep up the good work! An accident like the above scenario can happen ALL TOO QUICKLY!
Do you know the proper steps to take to help save a choking victim?
If you're not sure PLEASE take a few minutes to follow the links that I have displayed in this post. Educate your children on the importance of knowing what to do in an emergency situation. Some people will slap the choking victim in the back area but this can do MORE HARM than good as a foreign object can became lodged even further. There has been and still is some debate over whether or not to administer the The Heimlich Maneuver on a drowning victim. It is recommended to perform CPR and if this fails to revive a drowning victim use 5 Heimlichs. This website explains how to perform CPR on a child and this on an adult. If you know the person is choking PERFORM the Heimlich Maneuver. Work with gravity to allow a softer substance to flow away from the lungs. In my case, I did not have the presence of mind to bend over. I still believe an angel gently tilted my body over. My poor husband and daughter had been too shaken to even realize what to do or how to advise me to get my breathe back. What I am saying at this point is, it is best to prepare for an emergency ahead of time. Train your children and yourself in the important life saving steps to take in an emergency!
I like
to devote a good portion of summer to getting rest and making
preparations for the upcoming school year. There are MANY
educational opportunities in the summer months so by no means do we
discount those times! But I wanted to share a few tips with
you on getting up and running. There are some links in the
post to ideas for teaching history too! This was a homework assignment
at the Talk-a-Latte sessions
with Cindy Rushton. More info. can be found on her
website!
How we set
up our home to learn We remain
available for our children and keep our ears open for
discussion. We have invested in learning tools and equipment
(over the years, little by little). In addition to our home,
we use our car! We do read alouds on trips and listen to educational
cd's, praise music and Christian artists. We also use our
backyard for things like gardening (botany). We installed a
small inexpensive pond (but we've enjoyed it so much that we've
discussed building a bigger one next year because the fish are nearly 5
years old and they're getting too big! We plan to make our
own pond layout, a fun learning project! Ponds also come in
handy for those lab, biology highschool years but are by no means a
necessity to cover lab sciences!
Tips for getting ready to
homeschool Look
to the Lord for GUIDANCE. It's exciting to see how He he
meets our needs and provides answers! Decide upon a doable
way to maintain good records. It doesn't even have to be
fancy! I have a form that utilizes check off boxes for those
times when I can't write everything down. The form also has
lined spaces on the side to add details. Take time to rest
and plan out the year. Ask God to give you a vision for the
upcoming year.
Getting
your homeschool organized Declutter, then declutter some more. I never get
rid of the unwanted items in one sweep or even one
day. * A neat tip to keep your windows clean:
We bought a pack of the thick terri-cloth
towels NOT a regular bath towel, (you can find them in the
automotive section in Walmart) you don't even need window cleaning
solution to make your windows shine when you use these! Just
dampen a corner, wipe down the window to remove dirt, then use the dry
part to shine them up. I love these! * Get
rid of clothes that you can't use anymore. Laundry time will
become bearable again (I'm in the middle of this one
myself!)
I try to always keep the dishes tidied up because it's more difficult
to do them after they sit for a day. If you let them go too
long you will actually begin to see the 2nd law of thermodynamics in
action, and there are more fun ways to learn about science! Balancing
everything Set up a schedule
but remain flexible! It always helps me when I write down
those things that I need to accomplish throughout the day or
week. When I plan things ahead of time and *write them down*
in a planner, I am more apt to follow
through. Cindy Rushtonhas createdThe
Organized Mom Supersetavailable on her
website, One facet of this set includes some very
nicely decorated forms to help you keep your time balanced, there are
homeschool planning forms, a Bible reading plan, and even
more. You have to check it out! Making your home
teach Get a few pets!!
Pets are a never ending source of delight and learning! Your
children can be taught the responsibilities of caring for one of God's
creations. Play classical music or music of the renowned
composers when studying fine arts or even if you're not, it sets a nice
atmosphere in the home. Use your wall space for awards or
special pictures drawn by your children. Mount the pictures
on construction paper. Your kids will love this and it will
boost their confidence.
Ideas for keeping it all organized;
SHELVES!!! We started small and purchased a med. sized
shelving unit years ago but after our library began to grow, we chose
one wall and we built shelves across the whole space. It
didn't cost much and wasn't very hard to create either! I
highly recommend starting a family library, you won't regret
it! We
purchased inexpensive Rubber maid containers to hold things like
colored pencils, tape, index cards, paper clips, staples, markers, lab
supplies etc. These containers are then labeled and placed in
an easily accessible spot on the
shelves.
Favorite history read
alouds/biographies; One of our all time
favorites is The Story of Liberty
(before America was established) AND Sweet Land of
Liberty (American History) by
Charles Coffin) The Hiding Place (Corrie Ten Boom) We have the dvd
too, it's very good. Historical fiction like, Morning Star of
the Reformation, these are published by Journey
Forth or books from The Sowers
Series. We've also enjoyed The
American Adventure books by Barbour
(Here's a short snippet from the following website;
(The American Adventure books are written
from a Christian perspective and include Bible verses, prayers, hymns,
and moral lessons related to each story. They emphasize the
significance of God in our country's history, the importance of having
godly character, the relevance of wholesome family values and
traditional gender roles.) We liked the Little House
Books so much that we bought each of the TV episode seasons
(Michael Landon), as they were released over the past couple of
years. I always get in the mood to can tomatoes or apples
after watching a few of these!
We have kept the TV in our home for two reasons; (1).
educational shows and (2.) to monitor current events. It
provides us a way to watch our own educational video selections as
well. The History
Channel, and the Public Access Channel have some
very good programs scheduled.
Let's
Make a History Timeline Notebookby Cindy Rushton, When at all
possible, we like to learn through song. We have used Diana
Waring's History Alive Through Music books. Some of
these are out of print but you can still find them at used books
stores. Blackline
Mapsfrom
Knowledgequest, (We just recently purchased these from Teri
Johnson!) We have a 4 volume cd set from Homeschool
Radio Shows, (Living History for the Ears by Jim
Erskine) Another of our all time favorites is Richard Little
Bear WheelerHe is an
excellent storyteller and historian. We have a 4 volume cd set that
covers the Civil War that we plan to use in the fall. His
ability to narrate history makes learning history fun and enjoyable at
any age, highschoolers included!
Ideas for teaching history In
addition to studying history chronologically or in units, our
*favorite* way to learn about history is by keeping a (Timeline
Notebook) or a (Book of Centuries). We have found
that through the years these creations provide an easy
ongoing way to keep the appetite for this subject alive if an emergency
situation arises, (sick family member, unforeseen out of town trips),
etc. We like to draw sketches of famous people through the
ages. We plan to integrate more subjects into our history
studies this year, for example (music during Lincoln's era and
geography or layout of the land/ territory in those times).
Ancient history for us begins in the Garden of Eden. Looking
for the Lord's thumbprint throughout all of the study of history is THE
best approach for a Christian
homeschooler!
Happy summertime to you! Our family has been happily busy this season. Summertime for me is a time to reflect on the past year and plan for the next. Taking the time to rest and be re-filled by the Lord is very important to me. One of my goals for making our backyard sparkle is the thought of curling up on the porch swing that is situated on the lower deck under the white birch tree. I have memories each year of sitting there swinging and leafing through homeschooling catalogs with hopeful enthusiasm for the year to come. One subject I've not found very often in those catalogs are individual state history books.
Credit: Pennsylvania Capitol Preservation Committee/Photo by Hunt Commercial Photography
Violet Oakley interpreted William Penns vision in this mural that decorates the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in Harrisburg.
PA history in the Nagle homeschool has often included lots of field trips and state information packets courtesy of our local representative in addition to non-fiction books about key state founders but I am always on the lookout for more specific information about the great Keystone state and I was thrilled to find a site that not only contains a wealth of information about the state of Pennsylvania but audios and visuals to boot!
The site is ExplorePAHistory.com and it's a site that you need to visit for yourself. There is so much information there that I'm not sure where to begin in providing descriptions for you! Enjoy the summer and these special years with your children. Don't forget to take time to rest and pray and hear the Lord for YOUR homeschool!
As homeschoolers, from time to time we all go through the *Dole Drums* and *Dry Spells*. The past couple of weeks had been a bit desert like for me in a couple of areas. We engage in some wonderful learning in the area of science, history and are very excited about our new approach to math, but I had a nagging sense that we were leaving a few gaps in the Language Arts dept. So off I go on a trip to our library wall or book shelf area in our home to look for some curriculum or textbooks to help ease my mind. (The Lord had already given us the necessary tools to make the study of language arts painless and real to life), I forgot. I found some curriculum that we were already well acquainted with. As dd began to complete the worksheet style assignments with quite a bit of ease, my imagined learning gap would soon be filled, or would it? Something was missing. Although a brush up of the mechanics of Language Arts had been occurring, the dryness remained! The *life spark and learning excitement*, where were they?
I decided to pray about the issue and pull a few more books off of the shelf. DD is a budding writer, words seem to flow from her being. I recognized the need to continue to encourage this wonderful gift that the Lord has been developing in her. One of the books that I began reading is written by Cindy Rushton, *Homemade Books, Yes! You Can Be A Writer Too!* Once again, the Lord placed the answer right in the palm of my hands! I couldn't put the book down as EVERYTHING that I read left a positive check in my spirit! I was immediately filled with so many wonderful ideas that I needed to quick jot them down on my post-it notes and affix them to the pages so I wouldn't forget.
There are checklists for writing that I intend to make copies of, oodles of topics listed as ideas for writers block. Some of the main points from the beginning of the book, I made note of;
Dedicate all of your writing power to the glory of God.
Write what God leads you to write.
Write about what you love, what you know, or what you want to know.
Keep an idea book to brainstorm. Journaling helps the writer continue thinking so that great thoughts can develop.
What to compose; letters, articles, research notebooks, stories, how to booklets, books, tip sheets, etc.
These are just the tip of the iceberg! I sense that this nudge from the Lord through Cindy is going to launch me into writing as well. As we write, journal or engage in copywork, we become familiar with the parts of speech, grammar, punctuation, proper sentence structure and word definitions. We have quite a few grammar reference books and dictionaries that get and will continue to be used frequently. Reading is key to developing a writer at ANY age. Encourage reading on your own and reading out loud together.
I am so excited about how quickly the Lord answered my prayer! When we look to Him for vision, guidance and direction, you can be sure He will meet us right where we are at! Our purpose in understanding and studying Language Arts has been restored. Writing and journaling is also good for you! Remember, (Use It or Lose It!) Our love of writing is well on the way to a fresh spark! If you would like to check out some of Cindy's books, check out her blog here on HSB @ CindyRushtonor visit her webite: www.cindyrushton.com There are two super sales going on (I'm on my way there now) One is called the Notebooking Super Sale and the 2nd is the *Organized Mom Superset*. Organization is another area I'm working on with God's help, but we'll save that topic for another day!
Have a Happy Day of Learning this Day!
Picture of Cindy above is from www.cindyrushton.com website
Lesson plans to use with the book Discovering Great Artists
Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters Author: MaryAnn F Kohl
I designed this lesson plan to be used with the book "Discovering Great Artists" in our local co-op classes which ran a total of six weeks but you can adjust them to suit the needs of your own family or group. We had so much fun coupled with IMMENSE learning. Oh, did I mention some of the history we covered as well? Please read and and enjoy!
Materials needed: Butcher paper (comes in a roll) Magic Markers or Crayons Discovering Great Artists
The lesson is designed to give the learner an overall visual of not only the artists background and style but a historical visual as well through creation of a timeline. For starters, decide which artists that you would like to study and place upon the timeline. Remember to include your children from start to finish and this includes sitting down with your children and deciding upon the artists to be studied along with the project. Here are the artists that we studied beginning with the last name, the year or era and page number where each of them are listed.
In order to save time, make some (before hand) preparations. Measure and cut the timelines to approx. 7 feet. With a yard stick or something straight-edged, draw a running line across the top of the timeline then create 12 equal sections. Place a dot above each of the boxes to indicate a time period. If you are using the artists listed in the box above, the years are listed for you.
If you chose your own, be sure to select the artists in keeping with the progression of time so that the children will better comprehend and grasp the passage through time and when these artists lived throughout the ages. These studies will greatly enhance historical units.
(Sample of timeline. The actual size is approximately 1' by 7')
The Great Artists book contains a black & white sketch of each artist. The children can either draw of picture of each one or you can scan and make several copies of the sketch.
I created an artist fact sheet from information found in the book for each of the artists that we studied (including the picture) and made enough copies for each student. We spent the first half of the class discussing the artists style, technique, when and where they lived and shared pictures of their work to view if they were available.
We spent the second portion of the class doing the project assigned to each of the artists. You will find these projects on the same pages listed above. Each project is designed to help the child understand the style and techniques used by each artist.
Project Samples
A triptych from the study of Van Eych. A bird created with real clay from the study of Rodin (Note- This clay is readily found in craft stores)
If you decide to obtain butcher paper you will have plenty of leftovers. I decided to create individual holders to display most of the projects. In the picture below are 4 more project samples. We chose six projects of the twelve as some of them took more time to complete. Again, it's up to you.
I found some dead links on the virtual field trips post
that I shared with you last week and corrected or deleted them.
I'll need to let homeschooling 101 know about it so they can update
also. I found some more interesting looking virtual field trips from this site and I've posted them here in this entry. All of these links work.
Learn
about the wildlife in this virtual game reserve in Africa. Cameras in
several areas of the reserve allow viewing of the animals. Animals are
most likely to be seen during the dry months of April-November. Most
activity takes place in early morning and late afternoon.
History
and current information about the engineering wonder. Take a virtual
walk across the bridge, or view a Quicktime clip. Quicktime software
provided.
Changing
online exhibits as well as more than a dozen permanent displays.
Explore the human heart, tour a German U-boat or take a walk through a
gem-filled fairy castle.
Description,
history and photos of the famous monument. Also includes links to many
other memorials and historical sites in the Washington D.C. area:
Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, Ford's Theatre, others.
The more I study nature, the more I am amazed at the Creator.Louis Pasteur
We
started a nature notebook not long ago but have since neglected to add
anything new. While Annette had been cleaning her desk area, she
found a large amount of beautifully pressed leaves that we gathered
during one of our nature walks. While waiting for them to dry, we
forgot about them. We are now going to pick up where we left of
and add to our notebooks again. Here is a picture done by
Annette, of a house finch that we studied some time ago. We watched the mama and papa for many weeks build and prepare the nest.
This male House Finch, built a nest along with his mate in one of our houseplants on the back deck. This is one example of adding to your notebook from the comforts of home. You can also take nature walks.
Things to bring along; 1. Colored pencils -or- crayons 2. Sketching paper (or a sketch journal)
3. Lightweight blanket to sit on 4. Snack 5. Baggie to save your specimens (if you find something interesting)
Find a comfortable place to sit and relax with your children.
Notice the sky and how the light affects the object your are preparing
to draw. Take a deep breath and take note of the smells around
you. You don't have to finish the sketch in one sitting.
Take it home with you and add further detail after dinner etc.
You can also add poetry and scripture. This can be used as a
creative way to memorize scriptures too!
We have a book written by Cindy Rushton - Nature Study the Easy Wayand it's loaded with ideas, examples and notebook quotes. You won't regret taking the time and making the memories.
WhO SaiD LeaRniNg CaN't Be FuN??
Welcome to our homeschooling treasure trove of learning and ideas. This is our place to share some of the exciting things that we are doing and learning together in our family's homeschooling adventure. We are Christians, and our goal is to yield to our Heavenly Father's will. We hope to encourage others who may be considering homeschooling and help to dismiss some of the misconceptions they may have about living a life of learning!
*Days of Creation Poll*
*Worship With Us* VolumeI Click the CD cover above to listen to Sound Clips
Recorded at Daylight Sound and Recording Studio High Quality Sound at an Affordable Price!
Get a few pets!!
Pets are a never ending source of delight and learning! Your
children can be taught the responsibilities of caring for one of God's
creations. Play classical music or music of the renowned
composers when studying fine arts or even if you're not, it sets a nice
atmosphere in the home. Use your wall space for awards or
special pictures drawn by your children. Mount the pictures
on construction paper. Your kids will love this and it will
boost their confidence. 
Something was missing. Although a brush up of the mechanics of Language Arts had been occurring, the dryness remained! The *life spark and learning excitement*, where were they? 
Once again, the Lord placed the answer 
and it's loaded with ideas, examples and notebook quotes. You won't regret taking the time and making the memories. 
