I am a Catholic homeschooling mom of 4 girls. We have used a variety of curricula and methods over the past ten years but we always return to the traditional classical model. Our morning studies focus on the basics - Latin, Arithmetic, Spelling and Writing. We spend our afternoons reading, knitting, baking, sewing and biking. Isn't homeschooling wonderful? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:10:00 -0500 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:10:00 -0500 DD7's reading ability has really taken off.  She has read the following books "all by her own" *The Tree House Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner *The One-Eyed Giant (Book 1 of Tales from the Odyssey) by Mary Pope Osborne *Little  House in the Big Woods (she is currently reading this one) I am amazed at how her reading just clicked!  DD9 could not bring herself to finish Mary Poppins so she laid it aside.  She has been reading non-stop! She has read the following: Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace (another book I read to her when she was smaller, she LOVED it) Bety-Tacy and Tib The Mouse of Amherst Victoria: May Blossom of Brittania (The Royal Diaries Series) by Anna Kirwan (in progress) ********* "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." 2 Thessalonians 2:15 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/546550/ Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:10:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/546550/ We began our Summer Term on Monday.  Since it IS summer (!), I decided to make Wednesdays a fun day.  We are up early on both Saturdays (it takes almost all day to do yard work and our weekly cleaning chores) and Sundays (we usually go to the 8am Mass at our Church)  so I thought it would be great to make this our "sleep in" day.  I didn't tell the girls about it till they woke up this morning.  The oldest two got up at 9:30 and the littlest one woke up at 10am!! My 9yodd made biscuits for breakfast and then we all sat around eating her delicious biscuits and drinking chocolate milk.  Then I told them our plan - we would play this morning and do our school work after lunch!  They loved the idea!  ************** "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." 2 Thessalonians 2:15 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/542816/ Wed, 4 Jun 2008 11:21:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/542816/ In the past few years, we have used the zone method of keeping our house clean.  Each daughter (as soon as she was old enough) was responsible for a zone.  Our house is VERY small (1400 sq. ft) so we only have three zones:   Kitchen, Living Room/Dining Room and Bathrooms.  Each girl was responsible for one zone for one week.  They traded every Sunday morning.  This has worked very well in our home but the girls and I were ready for a change.  Our oldest is often travelling and the constant disruption of "who's going to do this zone"  was making a shambles of the whole system.  After spotting an unused box of Jumbo Craft Sticks on our school shelf,  the beginnings of an idea started to emerge.  Instead of the girls being responsible for a whole room,  they would just be responsible for individual tasks.  That way when DD18 was out of town, the housework would still be done.   I compiled a list of  individual chores and wrote them on Jumbo Craft Sticks.  I put the lot of them into a cup and the girls pick their chores, one at a time, from the cup.  It is a great way to get them to do their chores AND it is not overwhelming to the younger ones.  Now that we have started Summer School, I have added a new twist to the Pick-a-Stick Program : )  It is linked to the way we "do school".   I like to work through our school day by Subjects instead of working through it by Grade.  Everyone does Religion at the same time, then Math and so on.  It helps me to stay focused and I don't have to constantly switch gears.  Basically, the girls work independently until I am ready for them.  After their teaching time with Mom, each girl  picks-a-stick and does the chore listed on it.  After she finishes that specific chore, she has a few minutes to go to the bathroom, get a drink or a snack, or read a few pages from a book while I am working with one of the other girls or until I am ready to start the next subject.  They are NOT allowed to take off and play.  The first few times we did this, they immediately went to their room and started building an elaborate Barbie City.  They were VERY disappointed when I called them back and were not as cooperative in their studies.  Imagine that! : )  At the end of the day, we have a general tidy time before Daddy comes home from work.  Everyone just grabs one of the left-over sticks and does that chore.  We keep working until all of the sticks have been chosen.  That way all the chores are done each day.  The girls love the system and I do NOT have to nag them about getting their zones done!       "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." 2 Thessalonians 2:15 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/541920/ Mon, 2 Jun 2008 16:55:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/541920/ Rising 5th Grader (9yodd) The Story of Doctor Doolittle by Hugh Lofting  (I read this aloud to dd7 & dd4; she picked it up one day and finished it on her own.  She said I was "taking too long"! ) All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor More All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown by Sydney Taylor (She loved this series!  Our library doesn't have All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown.  She was very disappointed!  I looked on Amazon and the cheapest copy I could find was $20!!) Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers (in progress) (This is her second attempt to read it.  She was "put off" the first time because Mary Poppins in the book is very different from Mary Poppins in the movie!  Which is  why I always insist they read the books FIRST!  This one slipped by me ) From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsberg Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lundgren (reading it herself, I read it to her in the first grade) Dangerous Journey (A Re-telling of "The Pilgrim's Progress) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (My absolute favorite book when I was in the 5th grade!) Little Men by Louisa May Alcott Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott Journey to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron Stowaway to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron Rising 3rd Grader (7yodd) (Independent Reading) (We're BIG Cynthia Rylant fans!  These are wonderful for building fluency and confidence.  She has read many more Henry and Mudge books but I didn't keep track of the titles) Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant Poppleton and Friends by Cynthia Rylant Poppleton Everyday by Cynthia Rylant Poppleton Forever by Cynthia Rylant Poppleton in Spring by Cynthia Rylant Poppleton in Fall by Cynthia Rylant Poppleton Has Fun by Cynthia Rylant Henry and Mudge and Mrs. Hopper's House by Cynthia Rylant Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea by Cynthia Rylant Mr. Putter & Tabby Stir the Soup by Cynthia Rylant Mr. Putter & Tabby Write the Book by Cynthia Rylant Mr. Putter & Tabby Paint the Porch by Cynthia Rylant Mr. Putter & Tabby Bake the Cake by Cynthia Rylant Mr. Putter & Tabby Take the Train by Cynthia Rylant Reading Practice with Mom Christian Liberty Press' Nature Reader One The Beginner's Bible (in progress) The Robinson Crusoe Reader Rising Kindergarten (4yodd) I read the book to her several times.  Then she "reads" the book to me.  Actually it is an oral narration which she embellishes just a bit!   Woody, Hazel and Little Pip by Elsa Beskow Peter in Blueberry Land Flower Fairies by Cecily Mary Barker (Poems) We have the CD with the poems set to music.  It is lovely.  She listens to this frequently while she is playing. 20th Century Children's Book Treasury The Beatrix Potter Treasury I downloaded the free copybook from The Old SchoolHouse Store a while ago.  She LOVES to do copywork!  I will find the link and post it later. High School GRADUATE!!! The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (in progress) Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers (She is currently interested in mystery/detective stories.)       "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." 2 Thessalonians 2:15 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/537283/ Sat, 24 May 2008 07:49:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/537283/ I haven't blogged much lately this month, but I have --- *watched our beautiful 18 yodd graduate from our homeschool, *delighted in our ballerina dancing in The Sleeping Beauty, *enjoyed (!!!) a cruise to Cozumel and Calica with my oldest daughter, *visited my sister and her children, *attended the high school graduation of one of our relatives, *drooled over books in the Exhibit Hall at our annual Home School Convention, *had fun at a graduation party/cookout with family and friends, *taken dd18 to her first job interview, AND *cleaned house for our upcoming Memorial Day company and party. I am now ready for our Holiday weekend and am (im)patiently waiting for the 2nd Edition of The Latin-Centered Curriculum to arrive!     "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." 2 Thessalonians 2:15 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/536290/ Thu, 22 May 2008 08:20:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/536290/   The Ascension  9And after He had said these things, (A)He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  10And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, (B)two men in white clothing stood beside them.  11They also said, "(C)Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who (D)has been taken up from you into heaven, will (E)come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." Acts 1:9-11 Crafts and Activities for Feast of the Ascension - Fortieth Day after Easter Memory Verse:  "Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven."  Luke 24:51 Additional Verses Mark 16:19 and Acts 1:2 Catholic Encyclopedia - Article on the Feast of the Ascension http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01767b.htm For 3 to 6 year olds The Ascension of Jesus Lesson Plan Printable Activities http://www.first-school.ws/activities/bible/ascension.htm Memory Verse, Word Search, Worksheets and Crossword Puzzle http://children.calvarychapel.com/site/pdf/New/Curr244.pdf Puzzle http://www.emmanuel.kiev.ua/Kids/site8_p1pE.html Print out puzzle on card stock, color and cut out.  Children can put the puzzle together.  Store in a ziplock bag. My girls will love this one! ****************************************************************************************************************** "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." 2 Thessalonians 2:15   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/525414/ Thu, 1 May 2008 09:15:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/525414/   Now, I am the first one to want to get rid of our TV in our family.  But sometimes, sometimes, it does work itself out into a nice educational side trip that we might not otherwise have taken!  A week or two ago we were watching a documentary on the Titanic.  It was called Titanic's Final Moments: Missing Pieces.  Maggie, our 9yodd, watched the entire episode.  Now here is the great part, she walked over to our bookshelves (without any suggestion from me) and found a book on the Titanic.  It belonged to her great-grandfather Grundy.  The Story of the Wreck of the Titanic:  The Ocean's Greatest Disaster - Memorial Edition.  It was actually published the same year the Titanic sank.  Papa Grundy bought it from a door-to-door salesman.  In four more years that book will be 100 years old!!!! Anyway, she spent the next hour pouring over it, reading bits here and there and sharing the information and showing the pictures to the family.  Yesterday, when we went to the library, I told the girls that needed to pick out a subject that they would like to learn more about.  Maggie checked out several books on the Titanic and is going to do a short presentation about it to the family on Sunday. Hooray for TV!  I thought I'd never say that!! ********************************************************************************************************************** "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." 2 Thessalonians 2:15 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/524992/ Thu, 22 May 2008 19:19:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/524992/   Made from wrapping paper, leftover bulletin board border and LOTS of Scotch tape . . . Pixie's first fashion design!        ****************************************************************************************************************** "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." 2 Thessalonians 2:15 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/524986/ Fri, 16 May 2008 15:53:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/524986/    After we read  "Theseus and the Minotaur", my oldest daughter and I created a "labyrinth" for the youngest 3 girls.  We used a couple of skeins of yarn and strung it throughout the house.  The girls had to climb up, over, under and around furniture and obstacles to find the "Minotaur".  Big sister was decked out in a furry blanket and horns waiting to pop out at them!  They didn't know where they would find her -- their quest led to Mommy and Daddy's closet --- but (WOW!) lots of screams when they finally did!  I was laughing so hard I forgot to take pictures! *****************************************************************************************************************  "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." 2 Thessalonians 2:15 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/524979/ Fri, 2 May 2008 19:57:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/524979/ We are taking a break from our Latin studies until fall.  We worked through Latina Christiana I this past year.  We only memorized the forms and vocabulary so we will go through it again next year to solidify the forms and also do the grammar and translation exercises.  Maggie (dd9 who will be in the 5th grade) will be required to complete the workbook.  Snickers and Pixie will continue to do the work orally. To review our Latin vocabulary this summer, we will play hangman and charades.  I also plug in their Latin vocabulary into the list generator at Spelling City.  The girls love to play the computer games there, especially "Hangmouse"! **************************************************** "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." 2 Thessalonians 2:15 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/524959/ Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:06:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HoldFast/524959/