Bits of Treasures - Homeschool Blogger

End of school year!

Tue, 19 May 2009 19:56:00 -0500

Okay, so sometimes teachers and homeschool moms are happy to see winding down of organized learning. I love that learning can happen anytime, anywhere -- without anyone supervising.

But since I've been teaching two classes at a small high school, I also see the many students need direction for their work. Even those that are excellent readers...often will read only one type of book and never be exposed to other genres of literature. So, all my years of homeschooling have been pretty structured, and I think I'm glad they were.

But I am looking forward to days without lessons or lesson plans or grades. Days to sit outside enjoying the sunshine, working in the yard, reading something I'd like to read, going camping -- even getting ready for the new grandbaby that is coming this summer -- our very first. And this one is supposed to be a girl...after five boys, I am going to enjoy this "pink" experience!

Wendy

Ready for November

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:37:00 -0500

I am ready for November.

I am ready for the election to be over. I feel saturated with phone calls and advertisements for candidates.

I am ready to stop wondering who is telling the truth in those advertisements and who is lying.

I am ready to stop hearing "I am XXXXXXXXXXXXXX and I approve this message."

I am ready to think about family and holidays and being together.

I am ready to see my boys who are away -- but that won't be in November. They can't get home until Christmas, but that's okay - I did get to see both of them in September and of course there are cell phones!

I am so ready for November that I already have my November worksheets on my website.

Hope you enjoy them.

I'd love to hear from you if you've been able to use the worksheets in your homeschool or classroom.

ENJOY!

Wendy

Missions and money

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:50:00 -0500

Many missionaries have problems with funding. It seems that now a large percentage of money that supports missionaries comes from those in the "older" generation...the realization of the need for missionaries doesn't seem to have been passed along to the newer generations.

Maybe it's just the problem of "Me-ism" that permeates our country. It's pretty hard to send money to missionaries when we look at all the "stuff" that invades our stores and our advertising -- and makes us think we NEED to buy it. Did you ever look at how many things are made just so people will continue to buy a new and improved version? Video games are one of the biggest culprit of this -- if you buy a sports game, it is named for the year -- such as "2008" -- of course, that means that you can no longer play the "2007" version which you paid $50 for a few months ago.

Perspective -- some kids say, "But it's only $50." Have you ever looked at a catalog from Samaritan's Purse? Do you know how much you could help a family in another country with that $50 that someone thinks he/she must spend on ANOTHER sports game? (with very few differences except maybe the players!)

Time to teach our children that some things are WORTH sacrificing for --like playing an old game so that the extra money can help a family can eat -- or buy a goat -- or warm clothes.

Buying a coffee everyday at Starbucks or Wawa or Sheetz or wherever -- why not take a little extra time and get up in the morning and MAKE your own coffee?

Adults need to become examples of being willing to give up a few of those unnecessary items -- then doing something constructive and helpful (not just buying other stuff for self) with that money.

We have a long way to go in this country...but maybe with all that is going on, God is doing it for us.

~Wendy
www.ToytownTreasures.com

Boys and promises

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 07:10:00 -0500

I have an old friend that I haven't seen for many, many years. Her little boys were a part of my wedding, and their pictures as little ones at the wedding has been on my dresser for a long while. Today I received pics of those little boys -- one with a wife and two children and the other with his fiance. All grown up. But as I looked at the pictures, I could still see little boys in the faces of those grown up men.

This just reminded me of how different life is now than I may have thought it would be those many years ago. But, God is good -- even when things don't seem to turn out like we thought they were going to. He always has a plan and is always in control, no matter how the world may portray life.

His promises are true and we can trust them.

~Wendy

Election project

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 20:04:00 -0500

For the rest of October, Presidential Election 2008 is on SALE for just $2.99. It's an interesting project for your student to do that will help them find out more about the candidates and elections. It is probably best for upper elementary - high school...the younger ones might need more help with finding information for the various pages.

The Civics class I'm teaching is using this as a project for the first trimester. My youngest is in the class and he has been researching the candidates, various parties, political symbols (well, he drew the elephant and the donkey...they sort of look like the animals) and he has been watching some of the ads on television for one of the pages. It's a good introduction to the world of elections -- he has labeled his US map with the state names, but the coloring them red/blue and electoral votes will wait till election night...or the next day!

~ Wendy

NEW LOOK

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:31:00 -0500

I've finally completed a "new look" for Toytown Treasures. I was testing out the new Frontpage extensions... and something is not working right, but we'll get it fixed. (It is me, not the program!)

You'll find a new ebook to use during the presidential election. It's 23 pages of a guided notebooking ebook...which means it has directions on each page
vs. regular notebooking pages. (Everyone has different ways to homeschool.)

You can see a preview on Currclick.com: Presidential Elections 2008 ebook

Another new ebook is a Study Guide for the Cat of Bubastes by G.A. Henty. This study guide includes discussion/review questions for each chapter, plus there are guided notebooking pages and notebooking pages interspersed throughout the ebook. Includes a quiz at the end of the ebook.

~ Wendy
www.ToytownTreasures.com

Just about PA

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:20:00 -0500

I've started a new blog for those who live in my state, Pennsylvania. It has links to information, sites,
and even some curriculum for studying Pennsylvania.
Check it out at Just About PA

And soon...a class for PA homeschool 4/5th graders on Pennsylvania State Study.

~ Wendy

That Insidious Honeysuckle

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:28:00 -0500

Honeysuckle...the terror of my backyard. Honest. Some people seem to love this vine that grows along the ground, then wraps itself around fences or bushes.

It has a fragrant, sweet smell...some people even take the petals from the flower and put them in their mouths to get a sweet taste. And the white flower blossoms on the green leaves create a beautiful background.

However, I must spend a lot of time each year cutting it out of my Rose of Sharon bushes and off of the
fence. If it doesn't get cut out, it can choke the life out of a bush.This year, I waited a long time before I got around to cutting it out. The vine was wrapped around the branches of the bushes, it zig-zagged through the fence and curled around the posts. It took me hours and I still didn't get it all out.

It kind of reminds me of how sin can get into our lives. Sometimes it can creep in and grow slowly, almost as if we don't notice. If it isn't cut out early, it can wrap its tendrils around our lives until it chokes our spiritual lives.

I do like honeysuckle, guess I just have to remember to keep after it early, before it becomes such a burden to clear away!

And I still have more to do!

~ Wendy

Mnemonics

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:07:00 -0500

I just wrote an article called "Memorizing with Mnemonics"...you can read it on my site if you're interested. But I was hoping I'd get some more ideas about using mnemonics - what are some ways mnemonic devices have helped you or your children in the learning process?

The ones I've come up with so far:

For the Great Lakes:
HOMES =Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior

For the order of operations:
PEMDAS or
PLEASE EXCUSE MY DEAR AUNT SALLY =
Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction

For the Planets:
MY VERY EDUCATED MOTHER JUST SERVED US NACHOS =
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

For classification in biology:
KING PHILLIP CAME OVER FOR GREAT SPAGHETTI =
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

For colors in the spectrum:
ROY G. BIV = Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet

For Treble clef notes on the lines:
EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FUDGE or
EVERY GOOD BIRD DOES FLY = E - G - B - D - F

If you have others you can add, please do so. You can add ones that you might have created yourself for your students to learn something.

Wendy

They're going by too fast

Sat, 5 Apr 2008 21:36:00 -0500

What? The years...

I agree that sometimes the days seem to go by slowly. Especially when you're up to your elbows in teaching, disciplining, cleaning, cooking...and having fun.

But today I went shopping -- alone.

I used to think that I couldn't wait to do that...and I do admit, it is easier to shop alone than with a five little
boys all around. But today, I missed them being around. I missed them being young and talking and laughing and making me laugh with them.

I miss their daily presence in my life.

Our oldest is now on the other side of the country from us, one of our 18 year old twins is at this moment in Coast Guard boot camp. The other 18 year old is busy with college classes, working and running for the fire department.

The other two are still at home, but they are no longer "little". And they're growing older every day!

When people say, "enjoy them while they're young" -- they are so right!

Be sure to take those precious moments just "being" and playing with your little ones.

Hmmm....I sure am thankful for cell phones and email!!

Wendy