This is a compendium of favorite resources, techniques that have worked well for us, and sometimes funny accounts of our homeschool activities, written by a mama who splits her time between homeschooling an 8-year old boy, working part-time, and running a homebirth midwifery practice. The blog title comes from our home, a renovated trolley depot. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:38:00 -0500 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:38:00 -0500 We finished our "official" schooling last Friday! I had hoped to finish by the end of May, but May was busy and we were able to stay on track but not catch up on where we had fallen behind. I've started compiling Keegan's portfolio, which has helped me realize just how much we covered in a limited amount of time! It's so easy to get caught up with thinking that only the time spent with a curriculum is homeschool time. I'm still working on unschooling myself and realizing how many learning opportunities normal daily activities provide. Especially reading books from the library, playing Lego's, and playing with friends. Now I'm already thinking ahead to next year! I already ordered Math Mammoth and LLATL for next year. Like always, we won't use a curriculum for the rest. I have some wonderful books that we picked up at a used book sale with fun nature-based science experiments. For history, Keegan is looking forward to studying Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, which we'll combine with readings from the New Testament. We also plan to study the Middle Ages, using a curriculum I designed for a co-op class. But for now, summer is at hand. It's time to garden, explore, splash in rain puddles, and play at the beach! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/700443/ Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:38:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/700443/ We've almost finished our unit study of Ancient Egypt! Since I had the summer to prepare for our fall units, I took the time to gather all the materials we might use for this study into one kit. It included any worksheets or instruction sheets in a white folder that he could decorate himself, a few of the books we used ("Pyramids," a book about the discovery of King Tut's tomb, and "Mummies in the Morning"), materials for making the game Senet, materials for making a "Pharoah Fruitenkhamen" (a mummified orange), and ingredients to make a salt dough cartouche. It was all pretty simple, nothing glorious, and Keegan loved it. Even though the books were ones we already owned and ones he had already looked at, presenting them in this manner renewed his interest and he spent the next 2 days looking through them. He couldn't wait to get started on the mummy. I had to keep resisting my urge to do things "in order," to at least learn the basics about Ancient Egypt first (where was it, that life revolved around the Nile, that the rest of Egypt was desert, that this was the land of Moses and Joseph, etc.), and just go with his momentum. At the same time we started this unit, it was time for Keegan to begin building a Lego project to enter in our local county fair. He decided to create a pyramid, and with Daddy's help built a really neat structure that opened up to reveal a sarcophagus and Indiana Jones inside. The outside of the pyramid was covered with various Lego people working on or studying the pyramid. Batman was sweeping the side, while Robin held a magnifying glass to examine the building. It was really neat to see how Keegan took a plain pyramid and personalized it, yet really demonstrated a basic understanding of how archaeologists studied pyramids and the tombs within. The salt dough cartouche seemed like a fun project when we started, but in the end the dough never dried and we were never able to paint it. Keegan enjoyed writing his name in hieroglyphics, as well as translating a secret message written in hieroglyphics. We also watched several movies about Ancient Egypt, including one put out by the Discovery Channel that examined different periods in Egypt's history and included some reenactments, as well as a video about the Nile River and life along the Nile. I found a great book at the library called "Who Built the Pyramid?" This vibrant book presented a variety of characters (all men) claiming to have built the pyramid - from the pharoah who commanded it be built, to the foreman who oversaw its construction, to the artist who carved the writing, to the water boy who carried water to the workers, ending with the new pharoah who oversaw his father's burial and the closing of the pyramid. It demonstrated some of the complexity involved in constructing a pyramid, and gave a glimpse at some of the non-royal people of Egypt. This study coincided with our reading of Exodus. It helped provide context for understanding Moses' experience there, as well as for understanding the significance of declaring that God is the one and only God. Next year, we'll move into the New Testament and do a similar study of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. As part of this unit, we also studied simple machines. We used a book called "Wheels and Levers" to inspire some experiments about simple machines. Keegan's favorite part of this study was watching the "How Things Work" videos on screws, wheels, pulleys, etc. One of the nice things about homeschooling is that you can manipulate the materials you work with to fit with your personal views. One of the experiments we did was to make butter by hand (shaking cream in a jar) and by machine (using a mixer). The lesson plan I was using was trying to make the point that machines help us do work. However, in this case, I was able to extend that further by pointing out all the work involved in both methods. When making the butter with a mixer, we then had all the mixer parts and a bowl to clean up. Much more work than simply pouring off the buttermilk and storing the butter in the jar! Yes, machines help us do work, but in some cases they actually cause more work! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/601717/ Wed, 8 Oct 2008 09:49:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/601717/ Recently, Keegan and I were putting away some tires. Naturally, the easiest way to do this was to roll them across the yard and down our very small hill. Naturally, this led to a race. We had 6 tires, so that meant three races. We both struggled to keep our tires going in a straight line, and with giggles and laughter, sent them rolling down the little hill to crash on the grass. What fun! This led to Keegan's fantastic idea of hosting a field day. We called a few friends, who were all excited to participate. There was no prep work. When everyone arrived, we pulled out the tires, a couple beat up pumpkins, some boards, and some logs. The kids set to work designing their own obstacle course, which included a wobbly balance beam, tires to step through, logs to weave around, and a frisbee to toss into an empty garbage can. Of course, Sam, our labrador puppy provided an additional obstacle as he would steal any frisbee that didn't land in the trash can. Fortunately, we've collected a large pile of frisbees. We also had pumpkin rolling races. The pumpkins were little, so we tried a race with pushing them and another race with kicking them. Since there were 6 kids, it worked well to team up in pairs and have a relay. Again, Sam provided an additional obstacle as he usually spied one pumpkin to claim as his own. Next came the tire rolling races, again done in a relay style. This led to many other tire-based activities - roll a kid in a tire, stack the tires around a kid, bumper tires (like bumper cars), tire flinging (spin and throw), and just plain old fun. We took a break to eat some apples and cherry tomatoes from the garden, then the kids discovered the stilts and can walkers (two cans with a long rope tied through each to help the walker take a step with each foot on a can) that Keegan and Daddy had recently made as part of a Cub Scout project. Everyone gave the stilts a try but only one kid had any luck. The cans became a favorite, but since there was only one set, there could be no races with them. We had allowed two hours for the field day and this seemed to be plenty of time. It allowed 20 minutes or so for everyone to arrive and to build the obstacle course, about 40 minutes for races, then an hour for free play using the materials on hand. This was definitely an activity we'll do again! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/601710/ Wed, 8 Oct 2008 09:31:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/601710/ Nearly two weeks ago we brought home our new puppy, Sam. He's a chocolate lab and is now 10 weeks old. It has been a long time since I last trained a puppy, but that seems to be going well. He knows to do his business outside (just not to not go inside), to sit on command, the word "outside," the word "inside," and the command "come." He knows which toys are his (and which things are not his, although that doesn't stop him from taking them). What is not going so well is patiently teaching Keegan how to train the puppy. I just want to take over. I constantly find myself reprimanding him, and struggling with his inability to do things exactly the same as me. What is God trying to teach me here? Clearly, I must learn more patience and understanding. I must also not be so much of a perfectionist, trying to impose my ways on others. He'll get it in his own time. I have had to put a couple rules in place, though, for his safety and Sam's. No picking up the dog (he kept getting growled at for disturbing Sam in his sleep) and no laying on the floor with the dog (submissive position = very, very bad). Keegan is doing much better with training Sam to sit and has learned how to clearly communicate a command. He has done very well with keeping his many little toys (namely, Legos and model soldiers) off the floor, out of harm's way. The two have bonded quite closely. Neither can bear to sleep a night without the other's presence. Thank you, Lord, for bringing "man's best friend" into our home. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/565290/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:56:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/565290/ When I first started homeschooling my son Keegan in kindergarten I didn't use any curriculum. We used that year as a learning experience, an opportunity for me to learn more about him and his ways of learning, as well as to learn about my strengths as a homeschool educator. I discovered two areas where I felt I needed additional help with teaching - phonics/reading and fine arts. Fortunately, there is an arts center with excellent kids' programming located very close to my house and my husband and I signed Keegan up for group classes in theatre and clay. Check, one problem solved. That left phonics. Keegan and I already did a lot of reading together. Even though he couldn't read most of the words, he loved looking at books and often went to bed with a stack of books by his side. But I knew that, in order to help facilitate his ability to read (without pushing him before he was ready), we needed a phonics curriculum that we could follow. Since his attention span is short and he learns best from activities, not worksheets, I was a little hesitant to consider Explode the Code, which consists of a series of workbooks. However, I knew that we needed something that taught Keegan how to decode words with phonics. Explode the Code does just that. It starts off with the basics, teaching consonant sounds and short-vowel sounds, then moving on to initial and final consonant blends, digraphs, trigraphs, dipthongs, and compound and multi-syllabic words. Kids start reading small, short-vowel words right away. Words get more complex as they move through the workbooks. Each workbook is divided into a series of lessons. Each lesson consists of 7-9 workpages that address the lesson subject in different ways. The exercises incorporate identification, matching, copying, reading, and writing. Students can complete every page, or for those who grasp the content quickly, can complete just the most difficult pages for each lesson. A Teacher's Guide accompanies every two workbooks (eg, Books 1 and 2). Additional workbooks are available for students who need more practice before moving on to the next level (eg, Book 1 1/2 follows Book 1). The Teacher's Guide provides a variety of techniques to reinforce each lesson, such as a ball toss game that reviews phonic sounds (for kinesthetic learners) or comprehension questions. What's great about the guides is that they include a lot of different ideas so that you can pick those techniques that best suit your child. Explode the Code (ETC) is designed for Kindergarten through Grade 4, but can be started at any time. It's not necessary to start at the beginning. A placement test is available to help teachers select the appropriate level for each student. ETC can be used for one-on-one instruction or in a group/classroom setting. Supplements, such as Picture Letter Cards, Code Cards, and Wall Chart Activity Book, are available but are not necessary. Another wonderful feature of Explode the Code is its low price. A whole year's curriculum (two books and one Teacher's Guide) can be purchased for merely $22.75. If you also use the workbooks for additional practice, plan on an additional $15.20 per year. With prices that low, who can go wrong trying this product? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/557588/ Mon, 7 Jul 2008 09:34:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/557588/ I've finally decided to start a blog to be able to share some of my learnings and my family's homeschooling adventures with others. I currently homeschool one child, an active 7-year old boy. My husband and I are also currently in the process of adopting another child, probably a toddler or slightly older. We've been homeschooling for two years and each year I learn more. We follow a bit of an eclectic approach. We like unit studies, hands-on activities, and field trips. I design a lot of our curriculum myself, referencing lesson plans and units found on-line. A lot of our units focus on an aspect of history or science. Come springtime we switch to more of an unschooling approach as the outdoors beckon us to other activities and we have a much harder time focusing on preplanned lessons. Currently we use Explode the Code for phonics instruction. In the fall I plan to also utilize Learning Language Arts. In addition to homeschooling, I'm also a home birth midwife (Red Tent Midwifery). My son has been blessed to hold new babies and enjoys playing with other kids during appointments. He trudges along to the State House with me when I'm working on legislation to protect birth options, comes to meetings with me, and loves the potluck gatherings with other families. He accepts that when my phone rings at night I might be off to a birth, and that occasionally he may find me gone when he wakes up in the morning, but we cherish all the time we have together. Homeschooling is a blessed gift from God. Prior to homeschooling my son was in daycare 3-5 days a week. In the beginning he wanted to ride the yellow school bus with his friends, but once he realized that homeschooling meant more time with mom and more time to play with his Legos, he never said another word about going to school elsewhere. I love that I learn with him, I know what he learns, and because his schooling is really geared toward his way of learning, he retains a lot of what he has learned. I had always known I would homeschool my children, but never could have dreamed I would get so much out of it myself. Sure, we have our days that just aren't fun, but overall I know this is God's will for our family. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/557548/ Mon, 7 Jul 2008 08:32:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/midwifesusi/557548/