Elliott Academy of Excellence - Homeschool Blogger

Tons of Free Math Videos

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:56:00 -0500

I believe someone posted a link to this website on the LivingMath! yahoo group a while back. I took a look at Khan Academy and was amazed at all of the math help available there.

Salman Khan, the founder of the website, has made YouTube videos for many math topics, from basic addition to calculus. These are basic chalk on blackboard style lectures, but the concepts are clearly explained and follow ordered lessons that are labeled by topic.

These videos would make a great supplement to a math program and might help students understand concepts they are struggling with. You might be able to use these as a basis for a custom-tailored math program along with other resources and practice problems. However, I am not a math expert. If anyone uses the videos this way, I would be interested to know how it works for you.

There are also SAT Prep videos that offer explanations of the problems in the practice tests of "The Official SAT Study Guide!" You will need the book. The Khan Academy SAT Prep page gives suggestions for using the book and videos.

Enjoy!

Please go to this post on my new blog to comment. Thank you!

~Andrea

Summer Reading Programs and Contests

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:14:00 -0500

I like to give my children the opportunity to enter summer reading programs and contests. They all read quite a bit, but it's nice to have a little incentive sometimes. It's a bit late, but here are a few programs that I found this year (As always, check out the sites first to see if you are comfortable with having your children use them.):

Scholastic Summer Challenge - Kids sign up, take a quiz to get sorted into teams, log minutes read and read for a cause, Save the Children. At the end of the year, the winning reading team gets to choose which Save the Children U.S. program will receive a donation.

Summer Reading Splash - This reading program is hosted by HomeschoolBlogger and includes Splish's Blog, where children may share their reading lists, enter weekly contests and interact with others. Download the reading log for younger students here and for older students here.

Barnes & Noble - Children in grades 1-6 download a reading journal to keep track of the books they read and record their favorite parts. Return the completed form (8 books) to a local Barnes & Noble for a free book (books are pre-selected by age and based on local availability).

Don't forget to check your library! All of the libraries around us have summer reading programs with prizes.

To post a comment, please go to this post on my new blog. Thank you!

~Andrea

Tornado Video

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:07:00 -0500

We studied tornadoes yesterday, and today I saw that Kris at At Home Science posted a video that shows inside the top of a tornado! I love it when that happens!

The team that recorded the video is from Vortex 2, a field research program studying tornadoes.

Here is the video:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Amazing, isn't it?

To post a comment, please go to this post on my new blog. Thank you!

~Andrea

Free Writing Webinars

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 15:21:00 -0500

Tapestry of Grace is offering a free 2-hour mini-seminar on teaching your children to write by Marcia Somerville.

I own her Writing Workshop CDs, and I found these workshops to be extremely helpful! Marcia has a baby-step way of explaining how to teach your children to write that makes you feel like you are never behind. It looks like this webinar is the same as the Writing Workshop that I own, but it is free! You do have to register, and "seating" is limited. Here are the links to read a summary of each session and register:

Writing Workshop I:

June 15, 3:00-4:00 pm (EDT)

Session 1 Registration and Workshop Summary

Session 1 Handout (pdf)

Writing Workshop II:

June 15, 8:00-9:00 pm (EDT)

Session 2 Registration and Workshop Summary

Session 2 Handout (pdf)

Click here and go to the "Workshops" tab to keep up on all of the current webinars offered by Tapestry of Grace. You will find several virtual conference workshops available:

"Teaching with Tapestry of Grace"
"Introduction to Tapestry of Grace DE (Digital Edition)"
"Writing Workshop I"
"Writing Workshop II" (free download available - Windows Media Player needed)
"The Nearness of God is my Good" (free download available - Windows Media Player needed)
"Teaching Devotional Techniques to our Kids: a Toolbox Approach"

There are several handouts available for the various workshops: Materials Download Page These virtual conferences will be going on throughout the summer, so be sure to check back at this link to stay updated! Enjoy!!

To post a comment, please go to this post on my new blog. Thank you!

~Andrea

Menu Plan Monday ~ May 4

Mon, 4 May 2009 17:52:00 -0500

I put my menu plan on Google Calendar with daily cooking notes and links to recipes. I have that set up to e-mail me an agenda every day. I also keep it current each day if I change meals. My menu planning calendar is available here if you are interested in seeing it.

Monday

Breakfast: oatmeal with homemade applesauce
Lunch: leftover chili on homemade ww tortillas
Dinner: Crockpot Chicken and Quinoa

Tuesday

Breakfast: green smoothies
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Curried Sprouted Lentils with a Ginger & Garlic Cilantro Sauce (this will be moved to Wednesday if the lentils & wheat aren't sprouted yet)

Wednesday

Breakfast: cooked millet
Lunch: salmon patties, celery sticks
Dinner: Garlicky White Bean Soup with Dark Greens

Thursday

Breakfast: green smoothies
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Crockpot Taco Soup (scroll down to "Thursday" for recipe)

Friday

Breakfast: kasha (I am going to try soaking and drying the buckwheat before toasting this time)
Lunch: leftovers or sandwiches
Dinner: spaghetti with meat sauce, salad

Saturday

Breakfast: eggs, toast, fruit
Lunch: leftovers or sandwiches
Dinner: not sure yet :-)

Sunday

We usually eat a late lunch/early dinner after church and graze if we're hungry later. :-)

Breakfast: toast, hard-boiled eggs
Lunch/Dinner: grilled spareribs, baked potatoes, salad

For more menu plans, go to orgjunkie.com.

Please post comments at my new blog. Thank you!