Believe me when I say that I'm not trying evade the topic of school....LOL.....we're just on vacation. I know I haven't talked much about it lately. We've just had SO MUCH going on with life in general.
So, here's my attempt to get current with what's happening in our school room....
Well, it looks like it's under construction most of the time!! LOL It ends up being the transition room for items being moved from one room to another. With changing rooms around and getting ready to paint, our school room looks more like a storage space right now.
The kids are mainly keeping up with reading and math through the summer. We took a break from everything for the first couple weeks. Now we're settling into a semi-structured schedule of getting school and chores done BEFORE anyone leaves the house to play outside for the day. =]
We met with a few hsr's on Tuesday for a playdate at the park. It was fun and relaxing. The kids hung out and played all kinds of games while the moms sat and talked in the shade. We needed it!!
The fall schedule has not made it to paper yet. I'm having to wait this year to buy some curriculums....and I'm hoping to find them used. In particular, I'm trying to find some feedback on a language arts curr called Analytical Grammar. It was recommended by the SCM website. We're also moving on to Mystery of History Volume III, Apologia General Science for my 8th grader, and Swimming Creatures for the younger two. I'll post our schedule in mid-July, after vacation.
A couple girlfriends and I are working on a small co-op for Thursday afternoons, after CBS. She's going to be teaching Institute for Excellence in Writing (I can't wait.). I'm doing Beginning Public Speaking again (Communicators for Christ). We plan on having two groups, 2nd-5th and 6th-8th. If we're still here for the second semester, we'll have a Book Club too.
We're registered for CBS. We'll be studying the Book of Luke. CBS is a global organization. You should check and see if you have a group in your town.
I have yet to get anything on my fieldtrip calendar!! It looks like it's going to have to come together in July....God willing. =]
Okay, that should do it for now. I promised Honey that I'd get up and mow the lawn this mornng and it's already 85 degrees!! Gotta go!
This year for science we have been using the Simply Charlotte Mason 106 Days of Creation Studies ~ A family study handbook. It's been a great guide for covering the six days of creation throughout the school year. It's not heavy on detail, but provides an outline to follow, a biblical start, and gives many suggestions for reading, activities, and fieldtrips. We've really liked it. They also recommended using Considering God's Creation alongside for added depth. It has been a great resource for not only more information, but also reproducible worksheets with diagrams, games, drawing pages, etc. I've actually used both with all four kids (2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th).
Since we started the Human Body this week, I've been searching for some multi-media additions to spice it up a bit and I wanted to share some great websites and links that have been helpful additions...
BrainPOP - This site is awesome! It has a library of short, animated videos that cover science, social studies, language arts and more. Each clip comes with a quiz and teacher resources. The nice thing is you can test it out for a week for free. Family membership is $99 per year, or $9.95 per month.
KidsHealth - Tons of great information including a library of short articles for kids starting about middle school age on "Growing Up"....puberty, body changes, emotional changes, frequently asked questions....that kind of thing. They also have a section on "How the Body Works" with animated video clips (limited library), printables, and teacher/parent resources.
Inside the Cell - This is just an amazing look inside the cell. The kids were so excited about learning about the cell after they saw it. =]
BBC Human Body and Mind - Great for the older ones. This site has games and quizes to test their knowledge of how the body works.....games and quizes on the skeleton, organs, systems, senses, the mind, and more.
We've been going through a transition in the Loving Learning Homeschool. Last fall, I finally wiped the dust off a book from my shelf that was long overdue....my Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola. Since then, I've been taking ever chance that I get to read, read and read everything I can get my hands on to become more familiar and equipped to transition our family into a new type of learning experience.......actually, make that a "semi-new" type of learning experience. Because, as you might recall, the CM Companion had rekindled something I'd loved about motherhood from the beginning......reading aloud to my children and taking the time to go out and appreciate the beautiful creation God has given us...the process of learning was finely hidden within our daily routine of simply doing life together!
Now, I'm coming back home to my Charlotte Mason philosphy again!! =] It's funny, back when my kids were babies, I didn't know I had a "philosophy". But, I'm happy to say that I've pinpointed one now. It seems to help guide our direction now. I've become a regular subscriber to the simplycharlottemason website. I love reading their weekly articles, and taking advantage of all of the wonderful resources they've accumulated. Many of the material we'll be digging into this coming year were ordered from their website.
I really love it when everyone starts sharing their schedules and books and curriculums. It's fun to see how other homeschooling families do things. So, I thought I'd record ours here as well....
For All Four ~
Community Bible Study, studying the Pentatuch (Wkly on Thursday mornings)
Daily Devotions, Bible Reading and Memory Verses
Mystery of History 2 - History, Geography, Bible; we will be meeting with friends monthly to do extra activities together; yahoo also has a MOH2 group great for ideas and support
Wall of Fame Timeline
Art Appreciation/Picture Studies - going alongside MOH2; using various books from the library and The Story of Art
106 Days of Creation Studies - SimplyCharlotteMason; enriched with various science experiement books; includes Nature Study projects
Considering God's Creation - for added older children projects
Story Starters, by Karen Andreola - for creative writing and narration
Spelling Wisdom 1 and 2 - copywork and vocabulary
Typing
Poetry - Studying Robert Louis Stevenson, Lewis Carrol, Christina Rossetti and Robert Frost (2 per semester, once a week), writng poetry
Literature - read aloud and individually; 55 Classroom Classics (Pathways Pub.); Books Children Love (Elizabeth Wilson), All Through the Ages (Christine Miller)
Power Verbs Spanish - we do as a family
Color the Classics (Composers)
Beginning Public Speaking, by Communicators for Christ - Wednesday's for 11 weeks
Gym Class - Wednesday's for 11 weeks
For Briar ~
MathUSee - Pre-Algebra/Algebra 1
Junior Analytical Grammar
Writing with Style
Penmanship/Cursive
Health Quest LifePacs - 5 units throughout the year
I'm not sure if I've mentioned our new additions. About a month ago, we adopted three Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches AND one praying mantis case.
The hissers are very interesting and easy to handle. They like to eat carrots and apples. They're very docile. We're still learning about them. Last week, the two females had babies. And, seeing how we've never owned this sort of animal, I didn't really know what to expect. Now we have about 40 little MHC's!! And they're only about a half inch long too. I somehow imagined that they'd be bigger at "birth", since they grow to be so big. But, they're not. They're very interesting to watch. They hang right around the mothers most of the time...right under their feet.
Our praying mantis case began to hatch this week too. Teeny, tiny, little mantis'. I think we have about 10-15 right now. I've heard that there's supposed to be alot more though. So, I'm not sure if something went wrong, or if they just take their time coming out. I've been working overtime trying to harvest some fruit flies to feed them. Silly things. Ofcourse, when you're not looking for them, they always show up around the fruit bowl. Now that we need them, we can't find any. You should've seen Briar and I at Meijer's the other day. Both of us with vegetable bags in the produce department, trying to catch them. It was a hoot.
Today was the day though. I put an orange slice in my mantis container, set it outside, and just opened up the lid. It was so warm and balmy out. By the afternoon, I had flies flying all over the place. It worked!! Yes!!
Also, in the animal news around here.....we love watching birds....especially me. And this is the time of the year when all the migratory birds come back. I love it. It's so exciting to me to see new kinds flittering about each day. This week alone we spotted a reg-winged black bird, a blue bird, a towhee, a cowbird, a rose-breasted grossbeak and a huge owl (not sure what type...daddy saw that one).
We've been spending a little time each week at the local nature center. They have a wonderful bird blind. And I think the kids and I could spend hours at a time in there. It's very picturesque, quiet, and all the sounds of the outside are amplified inside. I love it. Plus, they have several great fieldguides and posters for quick reference. I think we will bring some drawing pads the next time.
I can't believe how fast this week has flown by! The kids have been really busy with their studies and liking it so much more since making a few New Year's changes. Briar wrote a nice report on his book on Andrew Jackson. Clara wrote a couple pages on prairie dogs (from her study of the Grasslands). And Connor tried his first attempt at a book report on How the Settlers Lived. (I think he did rather well for an 8 year old!) A nice addition to Briar and Connor's themes this week was watching Davy Crocket, King of the Wild Frontier. =] They loved it! And Briar especially paid close attention, since Davy Crockett had already been mentioned in a couple of his books. This week he started reading The Trail of Tears and he's been very interested each day in narrating back to me the happenings of each chapter.
I started reading the Charlotte Mason Companion over the holidays and have gotten many good ideas that I'm gradually trying to incorporate into our schedule daily. The kids are really inviting the transition into a new "philosophy" and I have to admit, I like not feeling like I have to follow every direction their curriculum writes out. I decided to take the pressure off of myself to absolutely stick to the book and finish each page of every unit. Instead, we unanimously voted to simply take our time through History, Geography and Science, and really spend as much time as they desired on each section, trying to open it up to enrichment through living books and projects that interest them. Beginning in the summer, we'll start to streamline things so that we can all partake in the same themes as unit studies.
I know I'm kind of thinking out loud here, but, I don't know what took me so long to come back to this way of thinking. From the beginning I've read books to the kids since they were babes in diapers! I can remember Briar being just a few months old and walking around the big yard we had, giving him a tour of all the flowers coming up and all the birds flittering about. Since they were babies, we've enjoyed nature walks and the outdoors, mixing up science projects in the kitchen, building forts out of blocks or boxes or chairs and blankets, working with our hands, and just generally learning by interactive discovery. I've always loved reading and writing and God's creation, so naturally, I've encouraged the kids to find joy from the same.
As I look back now, I see that we've really homeschooled since the kids were born (if not before). It wasn't until we made it "official" when my oldest came out of public school kindergarten, that things started to get too by-the-book. People and books, schools and experts, opinions and ideas, all pull you in so many directions, you're hardly able to recognize what it is that you really think and feel. For I long time I think I was too worried about doing everything "the right way", instead of the way that best fit my family. Somehow, my earlier philosophy got de-railed.
The beautiful thing is, I've grown to realize that the desire to explore and learn is really present in our family. Does that make sense? I don't say that to boast. I mean that, if left to ourselves, we have a tendency to want to discover new things. I think that's the reason why, when we set a daily limit of TV watching, playstation or any other electronic gizmo, and require outdoor time, and nightly reading, quiet time, and prayer time, it gives the kids an opportunity to realize that they can use their imaginations and they can be creative, and they can ponder profound ideas that will blow your mind! They do think deeply and meaningfully and spiritually. They come up with bizarre art projects and skits and dances and songs and cheers. They've even come up with their own "fun school"....as if they weren't getting enough?? lolol
Isn't it amazing how you can plant a seed in fertile soil....give it some water, sunshine, and room to grow...and before you know it, it's reaching for the heavens!! .......big sigh...........God is good.
Well, we have a trip to the library planned for tomorrow....every two weeks. Briar will be preparing for his hike and camping trip Saturday and Sunday. All three of them are entering cars in Connor's Cub Scout Pinewood Derby Race tomorrow night....lololol.....that'll be fun to watch. =] Saturday marks a new adventure for me....I am taking Rifle Instructor Training for Boy Scouts (really laughing out loud right now).....what am I thinking??? I tell ya, the things we do for our children.....
First day back from Christmas break was an exciting one!! Once a month I organize a Homeschooler's Fieldtrip Club. We meet on the 2nd Monday of the month. For January, we invited House of Reptiles to come to our church and give a hands-on two hour presentation for our group of almost 80 parents and kids. It was quite a time. Better than the zoo!
They brought 20 animals to show and tell about: Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, a tarantula, a giant millipede (all common foods for reptiles and amphibians of the world), a yellow bearded dragon, leopard gecko, fat-tailed gecko, a 4 month old alligator, a huge toad (forgot the name), a giant turtle from Africa (I think he was a couple years old, and expected to get as big as a semi-truck tire-WOW!), and several different snakes...a corn snake, king snake, gardner snake, albino-something snake, and a 6 foot python(expected to grow to 20 feet!!!).
It was a fantastic experience just to see how the kids reacted to the animals -- teetering on excitement and fear over and over again. It was especially hilarious to see how the parents reacted too! I'm laughing out loud right now just thinking of the gals hiding their faces and sticking out their tongues. lolol
Most thrilling of all, at the very end, my kids all got to hold the corn snake...something they'd never gotten to do before. I loved seeing each one of them conquer their fear as they watched Mr. Scott put the 3-4 foot snake over their heads and rest it on their shoulders. Gracie, my niece, being especially brave, since she's had a phobia of snakes for a long time. She didn't even like looking at a picture of one!! You can see by the pictures above, she held it over her shoulders, but THAT was about it. lolol She was a trooper!
All in all, we had a great time. We met some new friends. And now we look forward to searching out more info on some of the animals we learned about.
For almost a year now, we have been members of a family postcard exchange group. In the last couple of weeks we've received a Native American pc from NC, a Grand Canyon Railway pc from AZ, an UNESCO pc from Chile, a Yikes pc picturing a tornado from MO, a Wild pc in honor of Steve Irwin from IN, a Football Stadium pc from TX, a Fall Scenery pc from MT, a Flower pc from FL, a scenery pc from CO, and many more.
We normally have 3-4 different formal "swaps" baring different themes each month. If you're interested, you sign up, and wait for the partner list. Once you have partner, you also have a deadline for sending them the pc. Formal swaps are optional. And you can email various members at any time to arrange private swaps.
Many hobbyists like to collect certain pcs...state maps, flowers, capitol buildings, scenery, machinery and UNESCO pc are just a few. If you want to try to collect a certain type, you can communicate to the whole group about what you're looking for, and usually, you get a quick response with interest to trade.
Our kids have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this group. In a years time, they have swapped cards with kids from all over the USA, China, Japan, England, Chile and Canada. There is a wonderful community of friends that have built through the experience. Plus, they are getting hands-on lessons in handwriting, geography and building relationships.
I do have the link listed in the margin, but here it is again...kidzpostcardexchange. Remember, you don't have to be a homeschooler to enjoy this opportunity. You just have to want a fun, hands-on, learning experience.
It began as an "Oooohhhh Mom (in that familiar whiny tone), do we have to go????" on the way across town to the Truth Advocates Speech One-day Workshop for 8-11 year olds last Friday. The drive took about 40 minutes and we had to be there by 8:30am. The kids were not very happy. Together they were tag-teaming tired yawns, moans, and forced coughing attacks (from the older one). (He was the least thrilled with the idea....convinced he had a sore throat and that he was losing his voice.) I dared to stand my ground, swear that the money I paid was non-refundable (which it was), and that afterall, they were going to have a great time meeting other homeschoolers.
By the end of the day, they were ready to start their own speech club! lololol I'm not kidding! What a great experience! They were asked to bring a 1 minute speech of anything (Bible passage, chapter book, poem, etc.) and a joke. They really had a lot of fun choosing what to do. Throughout the day, the workshop was actually instructed by high school homeschooler's that had been in their club for 2+ years...most competing at a national level. It was very impressive. The goal for Communicator's for Christ is to be able to confidently communicate your love for Christ and to share your faith and personal testimony. Everything else is secondary. But, along the way, they learn all aspects of speech (impromptu, humor, speech writing, debate, expression, and so much more).
The kids were able to give a 1-3 minute speech in some of these areas seven different times throughout the day. By the end of the day, Briar was even having a good time! Connor, my youngest who was too young to participate, and I spent our day doing schoolwork and playing games in the back row. When the kids went to breakout sessions, we picked one to go watch.
In the "impromptu", after some brief instruction, they were given a subject word, asked to think about what they wanted to say for one minute, and then timed to see how long they could talk about that subject. How fun! I kind of wished they'd let mom's do it too. =] Anyway, it was a small group, and at the end of the first round, they had so much time left over that the instructor asked Connor if he wanted to participate too. I wasn't surprised that he said YES. He had seemed very on-the-edge-of-his-seat to be a part of what was going on. For that round, he was given the direction to "talk about who you would want to be like when you grow up". Then after a minute of thinking, (Briar and I thought for sure he'd say Jeff Gordon), he came up and talked all about being just like his dad and listed off a bunch of reasons. Daddy said later that he earned lots of "cool kid" points that day. =]
All in all, it was a long day, but it was alot of fun. We finished it off with a trip to Sonic for an ice cream treat. (That came with part of the "bargaining package" earlier in the morning.) And got home about 5:00pm.
I have to share a wonderful verse I found today that goes along with yesterday's blog so well.... "Hatred stirs up dissention, but love covers all wrong." Proverbs 10:12 . It came like one of those "tuck in's" we give the kids right after our prayers and right before light's out. =] All warm and snuggly and ready for a good night's rest.
Subjects for each of the kids......
For Briar ~
6th Grade Alpha Omega Life Pacs for Bible, Language Arts, Math and History/Geography
Boy Scout Merit Badges (Archaeology and Nature for September) for Science ~We have found that these are great to use and very extensive.
Sword Fighting Devotional for Kids, by Karyn Henley
Serving ~ helping to lead Belt Loop activities for Cub Scout den, serving in Promiseland Nursery for Saturday night services, quarterly river walk to pick up trash with Boy Scouts, food drive
For Clara ~
4th Grade Alpha Omega Life Pacs for Bible, Language Arts, Math and Science
AOP Switched on Schoolhouse 4th Grade History/Geography
Supplement with Girl Scout Junior Badges
Beautiful Girlhood, revised by Karen Andreola ~ to read w/mom =]
Serving ~ helping with babies and walkers in Promiseland Nursery on Saturday evening service, food drive with scouts, organizes neighborhood kids to pick up trash
Cooking, Baking and General Homemaking ~ She is so eager to learn and do.
For Connor ~
2nd Grade AOP Life Pacs for Language Arts, Math, Science and History/Geography
Close to Home, Children's Devotional, by Bonnie Bruno
Drawing Journal
Serving ~ helping "entertain" with babies and walkers in Promiseland Nursery on Saturday evening service, food drive with scouts, helps organize neighborhood kids to pick up trash
For Grace ~
1st Grade AOP Life Pacs for Language Arts, Math, Science and History/Geography
Hooked on Phonics, Orange Workbook
Close to Home, Children's Devotional, by Bonnie Bruno
Amber Lamb Arts and Crafts
Drawing Journal
All Four ~
Daily Bible Reading and Journal
Weekly Scripture Memory
Powerglide Latin
Online Typing ~ free and very fun. 11, 9 and 7 year olds do it and I usually have to kick them off the computer! It's animated and with music.
Physical Fitness Program starting in October
Open Gym once a week starting in October
Nature Journal
Outdoor Exploration and Hikes
Art Adventures at Home, by Pat Carlson and M. Jean Soyke
Various educational computer programs
Homeschoolers Fieldtrip Club ~ 2nd Monday
Playdate with good homeschooling friends ~1st Friday
Aloud Reading together - finishing up the other half of Tiger and Tom Classics and Gulliver's Travel
We started up with full-time school and activities this week. And I have to admit, I've felt myself being a little "edgy" the last couple days....a little overwhelmed I think with so much activity in a four day period (Labor Day being last Monday). But, I'm getting over it with the weekend here and some good rest in store. =]
Tuesday we had an awesome first day of school. It was busy, but very fun. And we actually stayed home all day, which we'll be doing alot more of this year. Believe it or not, the kids asked for a "schedule". So I spent some time over the summer taking an inventory of our subjects and extra actvities and made out a schedule for them to use on most days. To tell you the truth, I know it's not everybody's cup-of-tea, but for us (four kids and myself), it's what works best. I think I'd feel like we never got anything done or finished if we just "winged it" each day.
The school day goes something like this...
7:30 - Rise and Shine!
7:30-8:00 - Make Bed / Get Dressed / Eat Breakfast and Clean up / Brush Teeth
8:00-8:15 - Pray / Pledges / Journal
8:15-9:00 - Bible (Briar and Clara)
Bible and Science (Connor and Grace)
9:00-9:45 - Language Arts (Briar, Connor and Grace)
History/Geography on SOS (Clara)
9:45-10:15 - Reading / Vocabulary (Clara, Connor and Grace)
Typing (Briar)
10:15-10:30 - Snack
10:30-11:15 - Math
11:15-Noon - History/Geography (Briar, Connor and Grace)
Language Arts (Clara)
Noon-12:30 - Lunch
12:30-1:00 - Latin
1:00-2:00 - Science (Briar and Clara)
Drawing Journal / Computer (Connor and Grace)
2:00-2:30 - Reading / Vocabulary (Briar)
Typing (Clara and Connor)
2:30 on - Variety of Outdoor Adventures, Physical Fitness, Games, Art Projects, and Building Sets
We're not playing any organized sports this semester, so the kids are thinking about gymnastics or once-a-week soccer clinics maybe starting up after vacation. Wednesday afternoons in October, we plan on starting an open-gym time at our church gym for exercising and games.
Thursday was our first fieldtrip of the year...an Archaeology Fieldtrip to Riverside Landing. It was so interesting. The kids got to tour the old farmhouse, built in the early 1800's by a Mr. Farnsley and his eight slaves. Apparently, he was building the home for his future wife, whose father had told him he'd have to have a home for his daughter if he was planning on marrying her. Sadly, she got tired of waiting and married someone else by the time he got it done!! After many years, the 400-acre property was bought by another family with 11 children and about a dozen slaves. The Moorman's went on to add over 1,000 more acres to the property and turned it in to a regular rest stop for travelers coming down the river. They developed quite a business of buying and trading, serving food to the visitors, and giving directions to their next destination.
The kids were also able to take part in the current "dig" they had going. They were amazed to dig up everything from pieces of glass, buttons, metal and brick, to bullet casings, bone, coal, and Native American artifacts. It was SO exciting!! Later on, each child was able to make their own personalized clay brick, similar to the ones used to build the house. (They didn't actually "fire" their's though.)
A big surprise happened at the end of the day when we put two-and-two together and realized that the boy Briar had been hanging out with all day was actually one of our postcard exchange friends! His mom and I started talking and realized that we really knew eachother from sending postcards!! It was pretty funny.
Well, tomorrow I'll share more on our scouting year ahead.....
I don't know who authored this, but I am compelled to share it with everyone. It came through email today. Let's see, which one should I work on first? =] Have a Great Day Homeschooling!
Home For Him,
Deborah
Home Schooling Words of wisdom from an 18 year veteran!
We have been home schooling now for over 18 years and have had challenges and successes along the way. Let me share a few of the things we find successful in making our home atmosphere more conducive to learning.
1. Keep a smile on your face~ it is contagious.
2. Be up and dressed before your children. (This necessitates going to bed at a decent hour! How hard this can be when the only quiet time you may have is after the children are in bed.
3. Spend at half an hour a day reading something you like~this accomplishes two things~It gives you a time to enjoy a book and it sets the "reading is fun" example for your children. Make sure that your children honor your "alone reading time" by establishing gentle rules for respect of your time. Perhaps there is some task you may set for them when you read alone. If they are little tell them that after you have your reading time you will spend time reading aloud to them.
4. Have a morning and evening routine and set aside enough time to complete the routine without rushing. Build in a few minutes of "Opps" time. Creating a smooth morning and evening routine in which children can gradually increase their autonomy is very important to their growth and development into responsible youth and adults.
5. Sharply limit television watching. We don't watch it at all during the week and don't encourage it on the weekend. There are many studies about the effects of TV watching (even good shows) on brain waves. It is a completely passive activity requiring little brain processing. Instead encourage physical activity. This increases metabolism, brain functional ability (thinking), and creativity. Do exercises or physical activity with your children.
6. Have frequent family time. We set aside one evening a week for games, fun family activities and just to talk. We try to plan creatively so that it is exciting. One cold winter evening we "went camping and enjoyed a campfire" by clearing out most of the living room furniture, pitching our tent facing towards a blazing fire in the fireplace, toasted marshmallows and sang songs. It is something we all fondly remember to this day. Even our married daughter!
7. Keep a "date night" with your spouse once a week. THE most important thing you can do for your children is to love and respect your husband/wife. Show affection and appreciation for your spouse everyday. If that is not happening now, make it happen. Remember the things which attracted you to your mate and overlook those small shortcomings. They will then overlook yours! A good trade off!!
8. Always begin with the end in mind. Think, "What is it I want to accomplish and what is the first step to reach that ultimate goal?"
9. Don't yell.....if you do then someone else is in control!! Instead of conditioning your children to respond after you scream, condition them to respond to a very lowered voice. To do this set the rules and follow through the very first time the rule is broken. They learn quickly with consistency!
10. Keep learning. Always have something you are studying, even if but for 20 minutes a day. That totals over 2 hours weekly! Keep your mind alert.
The School Room's been a busy place these last few weeks. We're working hard to keep everyone on track. I think we'll finish up our core subjects by early June. We've decided to take spanish this summer. The Waldorf School is forming a class for just homeschoolers on Monday's and Wednesday's, June through August. The kids have actually taken two years of spanish with another teacher. So, they're pretty excited about starting it up full-time again. Most likely, we'll form a fall class from this one.
We've been wanting to read through the entire Bible together. So, I found "The One Year Bible" in the New Living Translation. We started reading this week. It's really quite wonderful. Each day we read a passage from the NT, OT, Psalm and Proverbs. It's a great accompaniment to breakfast!
I'm still looking for input on Five in a Row curriculum....if anyone reads this, uses it, and could take a moment to offer up their opinion and experience with it.
My sister-in-law and her husband have decided to keep their daughter (my niece) here to homeschool for another year. So, we hold at 4 students for another year to come!! =] Woo-Hoo!!
We love to read. The kids have their own areas of special interest, as do I. But, they also love to have me read aloud to them as well. I have been thinking more about a literature based approach, but I'm just not familiar with what's out there and how it works. I know what I see in my CBD catalog, but I would really like to get some feedback on what other families use. I would like to get us more into the classics. And we would also like to stick with Christ-centered materials.
Does anyone use Five in a Row?
Could you tell me about your experience with it? My kids are 6,7,9 and soon-to-be-11.
Do you have other suggestions?
Are there other materials that would be better suited for a multi-grade family?
Oh what a beautiful day it was today! Cool, and a blue sky. We decided to take school on the trail. We have a pretty good patch of woods behind our subdivision that seems to go on forever. There 's a creek that winds around all over the place as well, so it's always fun to explore the creek bed when the water is way down the way it is right now. The kids brought along their sacks for collecting different nature specimens. Their instructions were to collect several samples (rocks, leaves, fallen bark, etc.), bring them back home and sketch them. They did a wonderful job!! I can't wait to share them.
The kids are also learning a great deal about animal tracks and scat. They did a good job identifying deer, racoon, some kind of bird (possibly turkey), and coyote tracks. Also came across some deer, racoon, and coyote scat. (Not everybody gets excited about that!!! ha!)
Afterwards we took a trip to the library and the dentist. Just a great overall day of relaxed and fun-filled learning.
Whether you homeschool or not, your kids may love being apart of this fun club....the Kidz Postcard Exchange. My kids signed on at the beginning of March when they started the "Green Swap". The moderator tries to match each child to another around the same age. There is one address list on the group where you can find everyone's mailing information. Our kids loved the first go-around. They received postcards from Arizona, Indiana, and Florida for St. Patick's Day.
Each swap is optional. And you can feel free to ask around if you're looking for certain kinds of postcards. For example, we've met some new friends that are interested in Mammoth Cave cards, and since we live pretty close and my son will be going there for scouts next month, we said we'd pick up a bunch for them and send in a manila envelope.
I think it's a great way to learn geography (we use a map that we add stickers to for each city/state we receive from), develop their writing skills, meet new friends through penpal-ing, and start (or add on to) a fun and interesting collection. I think there's even a couple PS classrooms participating.
Bird watching is such a fun past time! We've had various feeders in our backyard for years, but only in the last year did we start taking the time to really identify the birds and their lovely little personalities. We have a medium sized hanging gazebo-type feeder right outside the kitchen window, a ceramic doggie head nailed to a tree whose ears and mouth hold seed (also defense-less against the squirrels), and a cute little painted wooden box with an edge that one of the boys made for scouts that hangs about three feet from the gazebo. All together they make for hours (I mean loonnngggg minutes) of upclose gazing upon our tiny feathered friends.
We are beginners at this, so it's hard for us to tell yet if any of the types change colors in the colder seasons. We do know that our Blue Jays seem to winter somewhere else. With it getting warmer lately, we've had alot more variety at the "trough". This week alone we've spotted a...
Red-headed Woodpecker -- this one is about 9 inches long and a little too big for our feeder, BUT he likes to tuck his tail underneath, stick his head in, and go to town...very curious too
Black-capped Chickadee -- so sweet to look watch...they're very small, delicate, and mannerable (always waiting their turn)
White-breasted Nuthatch -- very interesting to watch..darts around busily all the time. They will take a seed, stick it down in the crevice of the tree bark to hold it still while they peck the shell open to get the seed.
Carolina Wren -- beautiful pale cinnamon breast right now
Robin -- spends most of their time ofcourse on the ground looking for insects
Starling -- again, sticks to foraging on the ground for insects and seeds...we will sometimes just throw a handful of seed out into the yard for them
Cardinal -- our state bird..we have several sets that come and go. We were happy to see the one we named "Baldy" back again. Poor thing is red all over and bald on the top of his head!! It's a sight! =]
Song Sparrow -- so cheerful and colorful right now...very distinct browns, grays, and blacks
Dark-eyed Junco
Purple Finch -- a male and female has been hanging around together, busily following eachother, the male is quite a pushy one at the feeder...It was hard to distinguish the female at first until we saw them together.
Common Grackles -- we have tons of them!! They mainly flock together, forage together, set in trees making all kinds of "grackle" conversation together...cool to watch when they are on the ground in large numbers. They tend to all move together as one, and occasionally get spooked. They will fly up and down together like a sheet being shook in the wind. My kids described it one day as birdie "fireworks". Very fun to listen to and observe.
Morning Doves -- several sets of doves like to hang out on the ground under the feeders...I just love the cooing sounds they make.
Well, that's all we've seen so far. We're looking forward to more springy weather. I think I'm going to have to buy a more indepth field guide before then!!
I know this is belated but my sister-n-law sent this to me last week (I opened it late)....thought I'd share it with you. Thanks Char!!
Four-leaf Clover Poem
Author: Ella Higginson
I know a place where the sun is like gold and the cherries bloom forth in the snow; And down underneath is the loveliest place, Where the four-leaf clovers grow.
One leaf is for FAITH, And one is for HOPE, And one is for LOVE you know; And GOD put another in for LUCK: If you search you will find where they grow.
But you must have FAITH, And you must have HOPE, You must LOVE and be strong and so... If you work and you wait, You will find the place Where the FOUR-LEAF CLOVERS grow!
I wish I could say that I have a digital camera, but I don't. And waiting to use up a roll of film and then have them put on a CD takes soooo loonnnggg (well, atleast longer then I like waiting.) But, it'll come one day. =]
These are the pictures I promised from our Make-n-Bake Extravaganza a couple weeks ago ---
"The Bub's" just getting warmed up!
Sissy (my 8 yo) and Lil' Miss (my 5 yo niece) --
The final Masterpieces --- some kind of "volcano thing", Mr. Bill, and a snowman (that I called Budda Boy!).
Hi! My name is Deborah, and I want to thank you for taking a moment out of your busy day to visit Home For Him. I hope in some small way that you find encouragement and ideas for not only your homeschooling experience, but also your walk with God. I live in Kentucky with my Honey of 17 years, our three adventureous kids, and our small zoo of two dogs, a cat, a bird and three reptiles. Together, we have a heart for serving, and a love for studying God's Word and learning about His creation. Welcome to our world!
The Serious and Organized One ~ "Bri Guy" likes to read, play soccer, listen to music, build bionicles, collect pocketknives, hang out with friends, go to CBS, and be with family.
The Creative Dreamer ~ "Sissy Lou" likes to write on her blog, love on her pets, rides horses, scrapbook, read, play soccer, be with her girlfriends, and study the Bible.
The Extreme Goof ~ "Con Man" likes to do math, play football and soccer, snowboard, make people laugh, build bionicles, play with his dogs, play with friends, build forts, and go to small group at church.
Deborah
It was pretty funny. 
