Sep. 25, 2007 - New School Year!
School started Aug. 13 and we have had so many amazing experiences already!
I will be sharing more about them in the future. We have also been busy caring for a dear teacher who has fallen gravely ill. As soon as I have some time and I get my computer fixed I'll be posting. I just wanted you all to know that the year is going splendidly! |
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May. 28, 2007 - Awards Dinner and Chess Tournament
This past weekend was our Awards Dinner and our first annual Chess Tournament.
Those receiving awards were as follows:
Matt L.: Chess Strategies
Isaiah: Physical Fitness
Matt S.: Art
Isaac: Physical Fitness
Janie: Home Economics & Perfect Attendance
Gunnar: Science
Reese: Literature (Reese learned to read this year!)
Noah: Music
We also had a chess tournament as that was one of our big unit studies this year. Every child learned to play chess, and even the children with learning disabilities were able to master the moves. Now all they have to do is practice to learn strategy and I am amazed at how many of them are learning to think several moves ahead! It's truly amazing to watch.
We used these materials to learn:
The kids loved the songs on this CD! And with the coloring book, even the youngest students and those with disabilities were able to learn chess.
These were are main resources. It is a book called Chess Basics by Stephen A. Schneider as well as a DVD (this picture shows a video, but it comes in DVD). What an excellent resource!! I highly recommend it.
The winners of the 2007 LCA chess tournament:
Left to right: Matt, 10th grade, 1st place;
Noah, 10th grade, 2nd place;
Gunnar, 3rd grade, 3rd place.
Congratulations to our winners! I am so proud of them!
We purchased a new tournament chess set for each student. I love these sets! I am going to get one for myself eventually even though all three of my boys have them. They are really nice. You can get them at http://wholesalechess.com. Each student also got a medal for completing the course.
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May. 1, 2007 - A Tale of a Tale
Come closer, Reader, I have a tale to tell you.
It's a tale about a tale about a tail.
The author of this tale is Kate DiCamillo. You might know her book, Because of Winn Dixie.
But this isn't about that book, Reader. This is about another book. It's about the book that won her a John Newberry Medal and made her cry.
She cried when she won the medal. Not when she wrote the book. As far as I know.
You can learn more about her here: http://www.katedicamillo.com/about.html
I know nothing more about this author. I don't know her proclivities, her character, her habits or her religion. All I know, Reader, is that this author can write.
I mean, really write.
If you are interested in a story about a princess, a mouse and a bowl of soup then you will love this book, The Tale of Despereaux.
I adore this book. It is delicious, delectable, yummy and scrumptious (especially the soup part!). I think you and your kids will like it, too. That is, if you like stories about princesses, knights, castles, dungeons, mice and mean old rats.
This book has lovely spiritual overtones – the light of the castle overcoming the darkness of the dungeon, and most of all – the power of forgiveness and love.
It isn’t for very young children. But it was a delightful read-aloud for my audience of 1st – 10th graders. We laughed, we anticipated, we cried, and we cheered! It was a grand tale and we were ever so sorry it was over when it ended. We wanted to stay with our new-found friends, Despereaux, the Princess Pea, Miggery Sow and Cook, and go on more adventures with them.
If your younger child is scared of dungeons and mice and mean old rats, then you might want to wait to read this story. It’s an honest story. When something bad happens, the consequences are true. But it is, in my mind, Reader, only one of the reasons this book is destined to be a classic. It is one of the best books I've ever read aloud to children -- and trust me -- I've read a lot of classic books out loud to children!
Despereaux became very real to us. And for that, he gets to sit on my shelf forevermore, wielding his sword, (okay, his needle), and protecting the princess he so loves, forever and forever more.
But you must HURRY, Reader, to read this book, before the movie comes out in 2008 and ruins it for everyone! Do NOT watch the movie before you read this book! It is just too well written to miss out on. The author is one of the grandest weaver of tales for children – of the same quality as E.B. White and A. A. Milne – and you will want to expose your children to her gift!
I am so happy our students got to hear her story! And you will be, too, after you read it!
Courage, Reader! |
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Dec. 7, 2006 - King Tut Exhibit at the Chicago Field Museum
Monday, Dec. 4, I took to the older kids to the King Tut Museum at the Field Museum in Chicago. Here are the three boys and Mrs. Craig, our art teacher, sitting on the bus. Of course, the kids had to sit in the back, where I froze!
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Nov. 11, 2006 - 7 - 10 grade Art Class
Oct. 20, 2006 - War of 1812 -- Battle of Mississinewa 2006
Oct. 11, 2006 - The Camping Trip
We took our camping trip later than planned. We went to River City Campground October 5-8 and the kids learned a lot and we had a great muddy time!
The biggest reason I take them camping is to get them closer to nature and to help them become more aware of plants and animals. I usually take them camping to learn about living without electricity, but this year we stayed in cabins as you'll see by the pictures. Even though they were really only one room, the kids still had acess to a bathroom with flushable toilets and showers. We hadn't had that in the past years! I am just getting too old to pitch tents alone!
We were also extremely blessed to have a COOK the entire time! Mrs. Craig organized all the food and pulled it off, too! I was free then to just spend time teaching the kids. It was a great time of learning!
One of the favorite fun things we did, that had no educational purpose at all really, was to tell them there was a rare Timbuktooian bird in the forest. My daughter-in-law and I hid bags of jelly beans and various colors of feathers. We hid three purple feathers and I told a story about how the Timbuktooian was now extinct but that I was told one still existed in the forest and we were going to go hunt for the eggs. If they found feathers and especially purple ones, they were very rare. The people with purple feathers got a prize. The kids loved it, and the first grader quizzed me all weekend trying to figure out if he was real or not. He knew he wasn't but it was a lot of fun hearing his logic at work figuring it all out!
Enjoy the pictures!
 Meal time!
 Our cook, Mrs. Craig and the teens.
Mrs. Kara Akins, Miss Val, Pastor Mary and Janie
 Bubbles were a big hit at the camp out!
 Getting ready to go fishing the old fashioned way!
 I never did find the right name for these mushrooms. If anyone knows what they are, e-mail me or leave a comment! They make a great smoke when you squeeze them. I didn't let the kids do it, though, in case they were allergic or they were toxic, which disappointed them greatly.
 Mrs. Craig cooking pancakes early in the morning.
 The whole group loves chess. It's a real hit and it tickles me that they enjoy it so much because it is so good for them!
Isaac and Reese about to play checkers. Reese looks pretty determined!
 Inside the cabin that one first place for cleanest cabin!
 Hawthorne Berries? Elderberries? If you know what these are, please leave a comment or e-mail me!
 Cute kids and a cute cabin, too!
 Fungi -- any ideas what kind? Shelf? Please contact me if you know! I love the lines in this picture with all the logs going different directions.
 Fungi! (Again!)
 Hot on the trail of a Timbuktooian!
 Reese working on his nature journal.
 Janie reading another horse book. She rarely puts those down!
 Brandon found a rare Timuktooian feather!
 I've yet to meet a boy who didn't love to throw rocks into the water!
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Oct. 11, 2006 - Happy Birthday, Pastor Mary!
Oct. 8, 2006 - Nature Journal Bags
Sep. 1, 2006 - Chess!
We are having a lot of fun using our new Chess curriculum this year! We discovered Chess Basics with Coach Steve Schneider last spring during the Indianapolis homeschool conference. It's a great plus to our school!
Studies show that kids who play chess score higher in math and science and do better in reading! The kids just think they are having fun. :-)
You can learn more about this program here:
The five products we are using are:
- Color My Chess World: Coloring book and music CD. The music on this CD is great fun and the kids love it!
- Chess Basics with the Chess Basics workbook and instructional DVD
- Large vinyl chess board that can be rolled and placed into its bag along with the chess pieces.
The students don't know it yet, but I purchased some magnetic sets for field trip days:
The following is an article that explains the benefits of our students playing chess!
Why Offer Chess in Schools?By Chessmaster Jerry Meyers 1) History
Chess is a classic game of strategy, invented more than 1500 years ago in
India. Legend has it that the ruler of India asked his wise men to devise a
way to teach the children of the royal family to become better thinkers and
better generals on the battlefield. Chess was the result. In the centuries
since its invention, chess has spread to every country in the world. While
countless other games have died out, chess lives on. In the United States,
it has received endorsements by many educators, ranging from Benjamin
Franklin to former U.S. Secretary of Education, Terrell Bell. In Western
Pennsylvania, more than 70 schools and a dozen libraries offer chess
programs, reaching several thousand students each year.
2) Academic Benefits
We have brought chess to the schools because we believe it directly
contributes to academic performance. Chess makes kids smarter. It does so
by teaching the following skills:
Focusing - Children are taught the benefits of observing carefully and
concentrating. If they don't watch what is happening, they can't respond to
it, no matter how smart they are.
Visualizing - Children are prompted to imagine a sequence of actions before it happens. We actually strengthen the ability to visualize by training
them to shift the pieces in their mind, first one, then several moves ahead.
Thinking Ahead - Children are taught to think first, then act. We teach
them to ask themselves "If I do this, what might happen then, and how can I
respond?" Over time, chess helps develop patience and thoughtfulness.
Weighing Options - Children are taught that they don't have to do the first thing that pops into their mind. They learn to identify alternatives and
consider the pros and cons of various actions.
Analyzing Concretely - Children learn to evaluate the results of specific actions and sequences. Does this sequence help me or hurt me? Decisions are better when guided by logic, rather than impulse.
Thinking Abstractly - Children are taught to step back periodically from
details and consider the bigger picture. They also learn to take patterns
used in one context and apply them to different, but related situations.
Planning - Children are taught to develop longer range goals and take steps toward bringing them about. They are also taught of the need to reevaluate their plans as new developments change the situation.
Juggling Multiple Considerations Simultaneously -Children are encouraged not to become overly absorbed in any one consideration, but to try to weigh various factors all at once.
None of these skills are specific to chess, but they are all part of the
game. The beauty of chess as a teaching tool is that it stimulates
children's minds and helps them to build these skills while enjoying
themselves. As a result, children become more critical thinkers, better
problem solvers, and more independent decision makers.
3) Educational Research
These conclusions have been backed up by educational research. Studies have
been done in various locations around the United States and Canada, showing
that chess results in increased scores on standardized tests for both
reading and math. A study on a large scale chess program in New York City,
which involved more than 100 schools and 3,000 children, showed higher
classroom grades in both English and Math for children involved in chess.
Studies in Houston, Texas and Bradford, Pennsylvania showed chess leads to
higher scores on the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and the
Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking.
4) Social Benefits In the schools, chess often serves as a bridge, bringing together children
of different ages, races and genders in an activity they can all enjoy.
Chess helps build individual friendships and also school spirit when
children compete together as teams against other schools. Chess also
teaches children about sportsmanship - how to win graciously and not give up
when encountering defeat. For children with adjustment issues, there are
many examples where chess has led to increased motivation, improved
behavior, better self-image, and even improved attendance. Chess provides a
positive social outlet, a wholesome recreational activity that can be easily
learned and enjoyed at any age.
Why does chess have this impact?
Why did chess players score higher on the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking as well as the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal? Briefly, there appear to be at least seven significant factors:
1) Chess accommodates all modality strengths.
2) Chess provides a far greater quantity of problems for practice.
3) Chess offers immediate punishments and rewards for problem solving.
4) Chess creates a pattern or thinking system that, when used faithfully, breeds success. The chess-playing students had become accustomed to looking for more and different alternatives, which resulted in higher scores in fluency and originality.
5) Competition. Competition fosters interest, promotes mental alertness, challenges all students, and elicits the highest levels of achievement (Stephan, 1988).
6) A learning environment organized around games has a positive affect on studentsβ attitudes toward learning. This affective dimension acts as a facilitator of cognitive achievement (Allen & Main, 1976). Instructional gaming is one of the most motivational tools in the good teacherβs repertoire. Children love games. Chess motivates them to become willing problem solvers and spend hours quietly immersed in logical thinking. These same young people often cannot sit still for fifteen minutes in the traditional classroom.
7) Chess supplies a variety and quality of problems. As Langen (1992) states: βThe problems that arise in the 70-90 positions of the average chess game are, moreover, new. Contexts are familiar, themes repeat, but game positions never do. This makes chess good grist for the problem-solving mill.β http://www.youthchess.net
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Aug. 25, 2006 - Another School Year Has Arrived!
Another school year is upon us! We had our first day August 15. We have ten students:
1 in first grade
1 in second grade
1 in third grade
2 in fifth grade (my sons)
1 in seventh grade (and another to enroll soon!)
And 4 in tenth grade (one of them my son)!
It is such fun to be their teacher! They are such eager learners and while learning is work -- it can be fun sometimes, too!
We
have been very busy with nature studies, ancient history, speech
classes, Latin and Greek studies, ancient literature and more!
People are often curious about our day and how we manage a "one-room cottage school." It's not as difficult as you might think!
We
start the day with pledges, singing patriotc songs and learning sign
language to them. Then, we sing a hymn. After that we pray for our
missionaries and martyred Christians as well as our own prayer
concerns. Following our Bible lesson (we are currently studying
Creation from the book, Considering God's Creation
by Mortimer and Smith), we pray the Lord's prayer. While the older
boys set up the tables for lunch and Math class, I check students'
homework.
By 9:00 the younger students are all doing Math-U-See with two different teachers and the 10th grade boys stay with me for English and Life Skills. We are using the Foundations LifePac from Alpha Omega and Man in Demand by Wayne and Emily Hunter for Life Skills. We are using Daily Grams and Institute of Excellence in Writing for English. We also rotate Latin & Greek from http://Greeknstuff.com as well as logic lessons from Fallacy Detective. Another life skill we are learning is during their speech class. We are using The Art of Eloquence
by JoJo Tabares. I love it, and my son, who has always had more of a
problem with social skills than the average person, has already learned
a lot about himself he never thought about before!
At 10:00 AM we break for a snack and recess. Everyone has recess because everyone needs fresh air!
We
come back inside for a read-aloud time. Right now I'm reading the
Burgess Animal book. Even the older students seem to enjoy this time.
The younger students are even more enthralled and we are all learning
so many new things about animals! I love Thorton Burgess' books!
After
I read for about thirty minutes, the students break up into reading
partners and the younger students read aloud to the older students. I
work with the beginning readers and then I check all the grade school
homework notebooks and write down their reading assignemnts for the
day. (I try to give very little homework -- and never give it to
younger children on the weekends or on church nights.)
After reading we break up into three groups again. The older boys have Math-U-See
with one teacher and the younger students go with their teacher while I
work with the seventh and tenth grade girls for English skills and Life
Skills. We are using Daily Grams and IEW just as the older boys are.
We are using What Every Girl Should Know by Myklin Cox. We also rotate Greek and Latin just like the boys.
Then
it's time for lunch and recess. Following recess I read aloud again.
Right now since we are studying ancient history this year we are
reading the Old Testament. We are up to Genesis chapter 20. The
reason we are only that far in 9 days is because I stop and explain
things the students don't understand.
After the read aloud
time, we break up into two groups. The Elementary go with their
teacher (my friend, Mary Ann Sharp) and I stay with the Jr. High and
High School kids for history, science and any other supplemental work
we might have to do.
We work on timelines, on maps, on lap books
and more. We are using Alpha Omega for Science and for History the
younger girls are writing their own texts and the older boys are using
a text book for the very first time in the history of our history
program! :-) The younger students are using Mystery of History.
The older students have already been through that, and since one of the
boys is going to test for his GED this year, I thought it was important
to expose these gentlemen to a text book. Naturally I supplement it
plenty!
On Fridays we have Show and Tell or field trips. On
Thursday afternoons we have gym class at the college where they provide
students to teach home schoolers a gym course and the college students
get credit for it!
We will be going on a camping trip in
September and we have many other trips and projects planned. Come back
later so we can fill you in on all our projects!
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Jun. 21, 2006 - Reasons to Homeschool
May. 26, 2006 - New Photos!
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Check out the new photos in our photo gallery!
Go to our cottage school website:
http://libertyscholars.com
Click on 2005-2006 Photo Gallery
It will take you to the new albums!
Enjoy!
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Mar. 9, 2006 - State Capitol Trip
Tuesday we took a trip to Indianapolis to the State Capitol. I was very proud of all the kids. They were very mannerly and cooperative, and they made me very proud to be their Mom and teacher!
Here is a picture outside the Capitol. George Washington is the guy in the middle.  
Here is my son, Noah, imagining himself as a lawyer in the Court of Appeals. The podium is original to the State House. This room was my favorite. I wish I would have taken more pictures in it!
The State House was a worthwhile trip. It took us longer to get there and get back home (six hours total) than it did to actually tour it. (About two hours but that included visiting with our Representative and Senator.) The biggest challenge was finding a place to park. We prayed, and God opened the doors! (Well, the parking place anyway!) It was a great trip and I'm so glad we took it!
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Mar. 3, 2006 - What We're Learning Now
It
has been a busy year and I haven't gotten to write about what we do at
our cottage school as much as I'd like to. You can learn more
about our cottage school at http://LibertyScholars.com.
We have a lot of fun and informative field trips
planned. Last week we went to the Wabash Museum and to the county
court house. I would like to insert a picture but I can't figure
out how to do it in this program! (I'll keep working on that
issue.)
Our "spine" this year is American History. We
were hoping to cover colonial times through modern history but I am not
sure we're going to accomplish that.
Right now we are also studying Indiana History, and
that's why we went to the museum last week. It is a new county
museum for Wabash County and it was refurbished and VERY nice! I
was pleasantly surprised and impressed that our little rural county
could have such a nice museum.
After the museum we went to the county courthouse
and I got some good pics of the students. Then, on to McDonald's
-- a real treat since we usually brown bag it -- and the kids had a
great time.
Next week we are going to the Indianapolis State house.
The following week we will be going to the Lincoln Museum.
We
have several projects in the works for history. First, the
students are writing and illustrating their own text book on Native
Americans and Colonial Times. If we have time we will also do one
on Westward Expansion, but I don't know if we will get to yet or
not. They are also constructing their own timeline that includes
important dates in American History and people who made that history
happen. The students each have their own little file box where
they are learning to categorize and file information they print off the
web, etc.
In Biology this week we are studying Biomes and Food Webs.
The 9th graders are working hard in Algebra. Everyone is doing very well in our Math-U-See curriculum.
Typing, Greek, Latin, Home Ec, Nature Studies
(nature journaling), ettiquette, logic and Sign Language make up
electives for all the students. We are busy, busy, busy!
Even more future field trips include:
- Amish Acres -- to see the play, 1776 and eat the "Little Thresher's Dinner." We love going there each year and we are so blessed that they are doing 1776 this year!
- Wild Winds Buffalo Preserve.
I love this place! We went there two years ago and it was
awesome. I didn't want to leave. We ride out in a wagan
that you can stand up in and watch the buffalo being fed by a trained
caregiver. Buffalo are very dangerous and you should never ever
approach one. But they are so majestic and I love their big brown
eyes. They are just gorgeous.
- We will go to Gene Stratton Porter's home in Wild Flower Woods.
Several years ago we went to both of her homes, but this year because
of time limitations we will just go to her last home. We love her
books. I am struggling with what to read to the kids this
year. I am thinking about reading Laddie because we read Girl of the Limberlost and Freckles several years ago. Laddie was actually written about the time that she lived in our area as a little girl.
I did not grow up in Indiana and have only lived here for seven years. I grew up in Kansas and picked up Limberlost
at a garage sale when I was about 12. I fell in love with Gene
Stratton Porter and I'm still in love with her work. She is a
super author to use for nature studies.
- Conner's Prairie.
This is one of our favorite places to take the students when studying
American History. I can't say enough good about this place!
It's a living history museum, and it's a long exhausting day, but the
kids learn so much more than they can learn just reading about
it. The younger classes are reading Little House on the Prairie
and they will really have fun at Conner's Prairie!
We will also be going to Salamonie State Forest for
our usual nature studies. We love it there. It is just
beautiful and there are plenty of foot prints and scat to track, plants
to study, and things to see. There is even a gorgeous rock
pavillion with two huge fireplaces in it. Next year I'd love to
go out there and have a fire and make a meal and eat it there. I
think it would be great fun to have school there for a week, but it's
not something that's very easy to accomplish logistically.
There may be a few other field trips in the planning stages. I will post them as things are finalized.
Hopefully this will catch you up on what we're up to and I will try not to wait so long between posts!
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Aug. 26, 2005 - It Has Begun!
The New Year has begun at
LCA! We have 14 wonderful students this year. All of them bring their
own talents and needs to our cottage school and I am really looking
forward to working with them!
We have so many neat things planned for this year. Our "theme" for the
year will be "America." All our history and literature will surround
this theme. We will start the year out by learning about some of the
very first explorers of North America: the Vikings. We will move on to
Columbus and other explorers and by Thanksgiving time be with the
pilgrims on Plymoth Rock.
Last week we went swimming. Tomorrow we are going to go see the movie,
THE MARCH OF THE PENGUINS. Next Friday we will go swimming again.
Thank-you to the pool company, INDIANA POOL for the use of their
wonderful swimming pool!
We will be going camping in September. I have a lot to do to get ready
for that! Getting ready is a BIG job and unloading is even worse. But
it is so worth it! It gives the kids a frame of reference for the
pioneers and those who lived with no electricity. We will spend three
days electricity free! We will make our own food and sleep in tents. I
love this trip. It is a real bonding time. We have a gorgeous spot
picked out in the Salamonie State Park for this. It is "our" spot, and
in my opinion, the very best spot in the park.
Every student is so precious and bring such great things to us. Those
with disabilities teach us so many things every day! Parents are
tickled that their nonverbal kids are speaking so much more -- even
after only a week of school!
(See my other blog at homeschoolblogger.com/KarlaKayAkins.)
It's really fun to see how excited the older kids are about their
curriculum. We had the cutest comment from a 7th grader the other day.
He says to his math teacher: "Do we have math today?"
"Yes," she said.
"Ah darn," he said. "I want to do Greek."
How great is that?
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