Schooldaze - Homeschool Blogger

Homeschool Tracker

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 17:00:00 -0500

Okay, ,so we're still here and I have most everything planned out. I have things written down and know where I want to go in just about every subject. Now I have to figure out how to document this year. I have the wonderful organizational planner of Home School Tracker (HST), but since I'm in Indiana I don't really need it. I've used it off and on, but I haven't really been disciplined enough to use the assignments section like I could. This year, since I'm trying to be more on schedule, it would seem like a perfect time to schedule out our whole year and actually follow it. =) Only thing is, I have the basic version which doesn't let me do something I love to do. If I had the upgraded Plus version, I'd be straight. So I'm debating whether it's even worth it to try to start planning in HST. I should just get eh Plus version and be set for the rest of our home schooling days...but I can't right now. I think I might be able to get it before the school year ends, so maybe I'll just hold on until then....on the other hand, I do need to learn to keep better records. The children are in 2nd grade now. I'm trying to do everything more official-like...=)=) I have this idea that we've just been playing so far and now it's time to get serious. =) It's absurd since they're doing far better than I would have thought or planned. I guess I'm just still looking at the P.S.'s and comparing ourselves to them in the academic area...I guess I'm just afraid. I'm still afraid people will see our deficiencies and see there is a failure somewhere and accuse me! Or even take our children away because of it!!! Wow...how'd I get this off subject...so that's the underlying fear of all HS Moms I guess. I will just remind myself of Who I'm following and know that He is pleased and that's all that matters....

So did I make a decision?....I'm still contemplating. I have until the 16th (the day before our official start day) to decide I guess. One more wish on this HS Mama's wish list....Homeschool Tracker Plus.....

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Blessings,
Violet

Blogging <a href="http://www.homesteadblogger.com/VioletsHomestead">here</a>, <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheReviewer">there</a> and <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LooseEnds">everywhere</a> (incuding <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Persecution">here</a>).

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God is in control

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:29:00 -0500

I sometimes forget that simple fact. I was starting to worry about our home school when our family hit upon seemingly hard times. I was tempted to jump to conclusions and believe that our home school was in trouble. I shouldn't have worried, because once again I'm seeing how God is in control. He orchestrates plans and even random happenings so that everything will work together for the good. It's really amazing to see Him pull our home school together in time for next year. My desire is to be more organized with schooling and scheduling and He's meeting me where I'm at! Whatever curr. I didn't think I'd have, He's bringing much more to me for our use. The principle of rejoicing in trials has always eluded me, but as I'm seeing Jesus work out our lateest hiccuup, I'm realizing that believing in His ability to make it all owrk for His good is how we can rejoice in our trials. We have no idea what's going on, what will happen next or how we're going to come out of it, but we do know that as long as we are called according to His purpose (home schooling for His glory definitely counts) He will take care of it all. I think I'm getting used to things and situations looking crazy, but still keeping my peace in God. God is always up to something, so He's not going to leave us in the trouble. He's going to make it okay. So here I sit, with wonderful materials that I couldn't have picked out better myself and I'm thankful. My God has proved Himself to me yet again and my fears have rolled away. =) I'm ready for next year!

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Blessings,
Violet

Blogging <a href="http://www.homesteadblogger.com/VioletsHomestead">here</a>, <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheReviewer">there</a> and <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LooseEnds">everywhere</a> (incuding <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Persecution">here</a>).

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The Conservative Homeschooler Ning Group and Contest

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 17:30:00 -0500

I've found a new place to hang out and speak my mind (you don't know how stifled I feel on Facebook)! The place is a Ning network group and it's called The Conservative Homeschooler! A FB friend of mine posted about a group she's in on her wall and I clicked the link and have found a most wonderful atmosphere to have my iron sharpened! =)

I also saw that they are having a contest and the winner will receive Child Training 101! This is such a coincidence because I've been wanting to purchase this DVD. I have the books, but there's nothing like seeing it acted out for you to really get the picture. My children need better parenting skills from me if they're going to grow up to be the men and women God wants them to be. So far I've been the gestapo-type Mom - very harsh and very undisciplined myself. They need a better example and I'm hoping this DVD will help me to change that. Ultimately, it has to be a heart change because that is what is lasting (and where the root of the problem is).

So, If you wanted a place to talk about your conservative political views in the context of home schooling, then this is the place for you! Come on over by clicking here: The Conservative Homeschooler Ning Social Group

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Blessings,
Violet

Blogging <a href="http://www.homesteadblogger.com/VioletsHomestead">here</a>, <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheReviewer">there</a> and <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LooseEnds">everywhere</a> (incuding <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Persecution">here</a>).

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Scared no more...

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 16:57:00 -0500

So it's been a looooong time since I last posted. I've been scared to post since it's been so long and the update would be huge.....I'm thinking of changing all that. I want to make changes to our home school for next year and I'd like to document it somewhere...

We are coming up on the end of our 1st grade year and while they're still ahead in certain areas, I really slacked off in others. I was just lazy. I didn't want to do the same thing day in and out also. Consistent work just makes me bored. I'm praying about this character flaw for next year because our children need more structure to help their learning.

So, I managed to veer away from Right Start Level A so much that we STILL have not finished the whole book. That was my text for K. Next year I'm hoping to buy the B book and all the stuff I need to add to the manipulatives. So, since we weren't following the book anymore (in places it seemed to go too slow), I just had an idea to teach them their multiplication tables. Thanks to the book they already knew how to count by 1's, 2's, 5's and 10's. All I taught them was their 3's and I used what I used to reinforce my learning when I was learning multiplication...Multiplicatoin Rock! =) I know some Moms disapprove, but for my children (who seem to be auditory learners), this helped them memorize it well. I also found Timez Attack (a free multiplication game) and Tux of Math (another free math game to download but it has addition, subtraction, mult. and division as well as fractions and other stuff) to help them out too.

There's other stuff we did, but I just waned to start with that.

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Blessings,
Violet

Blogging <a href="http://www.homesteadblogger.com/VioletsHomestead">here</a>, <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheReviewer">there</a> and <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LooseEnds">everywhere</a> (incuding <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Persecution">here</a>).

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Getting Resources

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:02:00 -0500

SWR = Spell to Write and Read

Little by little Jesus is bringing the things I want to use for this next year into our home. Either from EBay or classifieds or the products' main home page. Praise the Lord for His guidance and provision.

I've been trying to figure out how to use SWR like it's supposed to. I'm still kinda confused, but I guess the more I go over it the more it'll sink in. It seems like we don't start right out with the spelling words. I think we just do the phonograms which is good since they already know most of them. I just didn't do any spelling rules with them last time. Plus they'll be writing in cursive which is probably going to take a while. That will make the lessons drag and I'm not looking forward to that part.

In everything else our home school is shaping up. I keep reminding the children that their summer of fun and doing basically nothing is almost over. I think they'll like the change though because they always seem happier on a schedule. Our new baby is integrated into the schedule by now (those first six weeks he wasn't though) so starting back with school should be easier. I do have a 1yo. as well, but she likes to tag after her brother and sister and do what they do so I'll just give her something that looks like what we're doing and she can still listen in to the lessons. She actually retains a lot of what's going on...

So, the year is shaping up. I still need money for new notebooks and pencils and stuff. I don't have anymore printer cartridges to bring into Staples and Office Max for free coupons so I'll be missing those this year. I'll just ask Jesus to provide.
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Blessings, Violet

Blogging <a href="http://www.homesteadblogger.com/VioletsHomestead">here</a>, <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheReviewer">there</a> and <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LooseEnds">everywhere</a> (incuding <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Persecution">here</a>).

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Do not be weary in well doing..

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:36:00 -0500

Anyone else need a revelation of this Word in their lives? My last year of home schooling proved that I need to really study this Word and let it become me. I slacked off little by little by little until we were hardly doing anything at the end of our year. I felt so bad but had gotten into such a rut of doing less that it just continued and snowballed. Man, I felt so bad, but tried to rationalize it and tell myself that they had gotten far so if we slowed down a bit it wasn't bad. I'd really like to have the same amount of stamina and excitement at the end as I did at the beginning. The year just seemed to drag on. We had lots of memorable moments and times that we loved what we were learning, but it was just the sheer consistency of formal learning everyday that wore me out. I'd take breaks in between when I just couldn't stand it anymore, but it still was hard. I wish I were more like this scripture so I'd just find the course and stay it till it's finished having complete confidence and joy in what I'm doing. I know I'm doing right, it's just the right seems to be boring after a while. Anyone else feel like that or is it just me? Maybe it's the way I think about "school". I probably need a new perspective. I guess I just need to learn more discipline too. I tried not to show my drudgery and dreary attitude to my children. They naturally have a dreary attitude when something doesn't look fun, but then they warm up to it. They got through the year okay, it's just me. They probably caught some of my drudgery this year too. I know more is caught than taught so I REALLY need to get this in check....like NOW!

Jesus, please help me to be more like You this year. Give me a deeo understanding and desire to not be weary in the well doing of teaching our children this coming school year.Change my heart so that I look forward to everyday of learning and teaching in Jesus' name, amen!

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Blessings, Violet

Blogging <a href="http://www.homesteadblogger.com/VioletsHomestead">here</a>, <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheReviewer">there</a> and <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LooseEnds">everywhere</a> (incuding <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Persecution">here</a>).

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Gearing up for next year

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:26:00 -0500

FACE - Foundation for American Christian Education
PA - Principle Approach
AiG - Answers in Genesis
SWR - Spell to Write and Read

It's about that time again. I'm getting things ready for next year. I bought Diana Waring's Ancient History activity book (for the youngins) and her What in the World's Goin On Here? Part 1 CD set. Last year we didn't have much history going on although A is for Adam really helped in laying the foundation of a true biblical worldview of earth history. I also used my knwoeldge from reading Unwrapping the Pharoahs to continue that biblical worldview when watching ancient Egypt movies (like Prince of Egypt). This year I'm hoping to do a bit more and have it be more consistent and dedicated (I'll talk more about that in my next post). Along with Diana Waring's stuff, I'm trying to get the History Through the Ages timeline book and figures for the same time period. I like teaching history chronologically. It helps me understand it better which means I can teach it better. I went to the Homeschool Classifieds website and found a few of the figures books available. Only thing is right now I'm only able to swap stuff since funds are non-existent. Oh well. Jesus will provide with what we need when we need it. If I don't get it I guess we'll just have to make our own for this year. That'll be real sweet! I'm sure they'll remember it more. It'll make it more fun. I wish I had learned history like that...

For science I was trying to decide between Apologia's Astronomy curr. and AiG's science curr. Lo and behold, Jesus blessed me out of the blue with an older version of Considering God's Creation! I had it on my wish list at Paperback Swap (PBS) and someone wanted to swap it. It has all the worksheets and notebook page helps right in the back of the book (I think now you have to buy it separately). So my science curr. for next year is complete! I joined the yahoo group for it and there's a wealth of helps for every lesson in the files section! I'm all set! I even heard of one woman taking 3 years to finish all 36 lessons! I was just thinking we'd do one lesson a week and be finished in a year. I had no idea that curr. is that meaty that you could stretch it out that far! I'm glad about that because if this year goes bad then I can always revisit topics or even re-do the year again and it not get boring.

I'm continuing to use Right Start but I'll need book B this year. We didn't finish book A, but we're more than half way through so we'll probably finish before the year ends. That's kinda good because now I don't have to scramble around trying to get everything ready for August 18 when we start back (that is kinda early, but I'm leaving room for week vacations during Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's as well as anything else that might come up). I saw a book B at that classifieds place, but again no money to buy it and the person is not wanting to swap right now...

Hmmm....I'm seriously considering swapping some of those big PA books for the things I need this year. Either that or selling them. I'm trying to figure out if I'll ever go back to them. I know the Homeschool Companion I can probably swap or sell with no dire consequences as well as the reading aloud book too. I'm holding onto those couple red books I have because those are really invaluable. I'm trying to decide if I should sell the curr. guides from FACE, but I'll probably need those in the future. They are exactly what they say they are, curr. guides. They guide me in what curr. I should be doing with the children. That's key.

One other thing I picked up from PBS was my daughter's new Bible. The FACE catalog has the revised NIV being used for Bible reading. My daughter is a bit advanced in her reading so she used the first grade book during her K year and will use the second grade book for her first grade year. I hope I got the right one. It looks just like a regular Bible with chapters and verses. Her Bible last year was still Bible stories written in language she could read. They were a bit long (longer than the K Bible), but she did well with comprehension and keeping her focus while reading. She's become very fluent as well. I'm hoping she has no problem with the new Bible but for me it looks kinda overwhelming. I'd like her to read through her Bible throughout the school year and I think I saw that plan on some website, but I don't know where. I'll just have to do a google search for it I guess. My son will take her old Bible and use that for his first grade year.

That brings us to art. I got the book Joseph the Canada Goose for last year and was kinda disappointed. I wanted something teaching the basics but at the level of my 5 and 4 yr. old. I got something completely different and I'd swap that if I could for the I Can Do All Things book in a heartbeat if someone didn't mind that one page was taken out (my scanner was broken so I had to run the page through the printer to copy it) and one was almost all colored in (I made the mistake of starting to color on the real lesson page instead of the copy). I might put that up in Homeschool Classifieds when I find the page that was torn out. I hope I Can Do All Things can just teach us the basics of drawing and color theory. If not I'll just have to take out those Draw Write Now books and use their step-by-step drawings as well as some nice art books I got out before. My daughter really liked those fun art videos that teach you about the artists' lives. I forgot the name of them, but there's a series of them. She loved Monet's video....

We'll still be using the Premier Pas de Francais this year. It goes up to second grade so I don't have to look for anything until two years from now. I'm hoping to move on to Rosetta Stone. By that time they'll be in third grade and Rosetta I think is for fourth and up (I have to check that). Anyway, I want them to still be learning French till fourth and then we can do Latin like everyone else. I never learned Latin and always wondered what the big deal was and why so many hs'ers were learning it. Now I know what the big deal is and am happy that FACE has decided to introduce the Latin through French for the younger children. I love French and it's been fun re-learning it and reviewing it with them. I'll be asking around about the best way to teach Latin in a few years, but for now I'm in French heaven!

We'll also be continuing with SWR again. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this program and will be using it all up! I probably won't need anything else till fourth grade. I might go straight from this to that ever so popular Institute of Writing program. I wonder if I can do that switch cleanly... Oh well. I'll hop on some hs board and get the skinny on all that.

For all the other subjects (P.E., Music and Literature) I'll just be winging it again. Winging it kinda went well. My children are now choreographing steps to the Nutcracker Suite and have good sportsmanship so that went well this past year. I hope to get more into some of the sports they love to play. Maybe I'll do something like during the winter we can read about the sport and get books on the sport and then when Spring comes we'll be able to play with understanding. Music is going to be more listening again and probably get more into different genres. For literature I'm just going to read them classic books and we'll notebook about what we're learning. I really don't think I need any curr. for those subjects.

Now Geography is my stumper. I have no clue what to do for this. We already learned about the continents and my children know our 50 states by sight. They have a very good grasp of compass direction so I'm kinda at a loss as to where to go next. I might just get this one book that has all these geographical terms and focus on a few terms at a time and have them notebook them and stuff like that. I could do a unit study on certain terms....yeah...this is looking doable.

So anyway, just wanted to write out a few things about getting prepared. That helps me organize things in my mind a bit.

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Blessings, Violet

Blogging <a href="http://www.homesteadblogger.com/VioletsHomestead">here</a>, <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheReviewer">there</a> and <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LooseEnds">everywhere</a> (incuding <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Persecution">here</a>).

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One more week!

Mon, 9 Jun 2008 12:31:00 -0500

Well, we're just about done...legally. Here in Indiana we have to school for 180 days to be called a private school. Home schools are called private schools here. I haven't made it to 180 before, but I was determined to do it this time...
Now that I'm here I'm thinking we might as well school all year round. I just can't let my children go off and do basically nothing all day just because it's summer so I'm having them read and write (cursive) and review their math (they're up to adding double digit numbers to single digits and they're learning to carry the one to the next column) maybe at least once a week to keep them on their toes. Then when they do nothing I can justify it by saying that they do work hard so it's okay if they play hard. At least that's what my husband says.

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Blessings,
Violet

Blogging <a href="http://www.homesteadblogger.com/VioletsHomestead">here</a>, <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheReviewer">there</a> and <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LooseEnds">everywhere</a> (incuding <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Persecution">here</a>).

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I'm loving AiG

Mon, 9 Jun 2008 12:20:00 -0500

AiG = Answers in Genesis

My husband and I have been watching the AiG shows on Direct T.V. (the NRB channel) and we're loving it! It goes along with teaching from a biblical world view. I always said I was saved and stuff, but I didn't really think like a Christian.How could I believe the dinosaurs lived without man around if I believe God created ALL land animals on the sixth day before he rested? My beliefs really didn't line up with my beliefs if that's possible. Now that I have children I'm reevaluating everything I know and have been taught. These shows have been the renewing of our minds that we needed. I'm reminded of that scripture she shall be saved in childbearing. I'm being saved from false ideas because of my childbearing. God is amazing!

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Blessings,
Violet
Blogging <a href="http://www.homesteadblogger.com/VioletsHomestead">here</a>, <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheReviewer">there</a> and <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LooseEnds">everywhere</a> (incuding <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Persecution">here</a>).
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Changing a few things...

Fri, 30 May 2008 10:36:00 -0500

PA = Principle Approach

Wow...my blog is still here. I've been wondering if they would just delete it since I haven't posted in here since we began our schooling for K this year in August....well I haven't posted much about our home school anyway...

I guess an explanation is in order. I've been trying to reconcile a lot of things in the PA and have come a long way, but still feel somethings fit and some things don't. In our home school we don't really ever leave God out so I will continue to allude to the Bible while we teach and keep learning myself while I teach the littles. I don't teach the principles like they have them laid out although we're always referring to biblical principles while we learn. I also don't do the studies of the words in a certain topic to glean a leading idea. I don't direct the children's thoughts in that way although I do direct them to think about how someone who loves Jesus would act, talk, think, etc.

So, I guess I can't call our school PA anymore. I wonder how many qf families are also PA ....

Anywhoo, I was thinking of doing their graduation ceremony with the other children in the neighborhood, but I don't want to seem like I'm bragging on them. I don't know.... I'm still undecided. It wouldn't be until July since I just had the baby and I'm still trying to finish up our year. We lost a week when Nana came to visit and two more weeks as they visited Grandma when the baby was born. I'm determined to be legal (180 days) this year. As of today we only have 10 more days left! That's two more weeks! Yeah!

Since we're this close to finishing I went shopping for next year. I missed our convention this year since it was so close to my due date I didn't go. I've been looking for a world history program that's young earth minded and biblically based. I finally decided on Diana Waring. I was looking at TOS store and they said the time line figures by Homeschool in the Woods went well with her stuff so I checked up on it and like it! She recently teamed up with AiG to make it better. I bought the elementary activity book of the first series and plan to buy the other books for two more years then I'll move up to the regular student workbook. Along with that I also bought Part 1 of her CD series and Ruth Beechick's history book for myself so I can learn history the right way (looking at it through the eyes of the bible). Next I'll buy another Barry Stebbing program and Apoogia's Astronomy program. I also need to up our Right Start book a level....there may be more to get, but that's all I remember for now.

I also bought my son the amusement park gears package. I've been looking foward to getting that for him for a long time. I do hope he likes it. I'll play with him with it. He's s very deep thinker and everyone can see that he'll be an inventor of some kind. I also notice he likes taking things apart. I don't know if there are any things on the market like that for children. So far I'm just letting him do certain things around the house, but I'm at a loss as to how exactly to channel that creativity of his. We don't have many things around here that need to be taken apart....hmmm...I'll be praying and contemplating that.

So, for our first year we did kinda good. I still rely heavily on computer games to teach and stuff like that. We notebook a lot and I'm preparing them to write a whole lot more and in cursive for my oldest next year. I did however get really lazy on writing down things. I had lesson plans kinda written out, but realized we don't always follow it and so I reverted to just writing down what we did. Then I got lazy with that too. I really don't like writing lesson plans because I never know where we'll go. I can write a loose plan or just follow the syllabus of the program we have. I do like writing down what worked and what all we did on a particular day so I'll keep doing that...

So, first grade here we come!
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Blessings,
Violet

Blogging <a href="http://www.homesteadblogger.com/VioletsHomestead">here</a>, <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TheReviewer">there</a> and <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LooseEnds">everywhere</a> (incuding <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Persecution">here</a>).

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