Homegrown Learners

Homegrown Learners is Moving!

2012-05-28T09:39:00.001-04:00

I've been working behind the scenes the past few weeks to make the change from Blogger to SquareSpace.

This change will take place next weekend (6/3).

What does this mean for you as a reader?

1. If you are an email subscriber you will need to RESUBSCRIBE when the change has been made. {I do hope you will resubscribe!}

2. If you subscribe to my RSS Feed, this feed will be changing. Again, you can resubscribe when the change has been made.

3. If you follow this blog via Google Friend Connect, this will no longer be an option. You can subscribe via email, Facebook, or RSS.

Next weekend I will make sure you are aware of this change again... I want to make this transition as easy as possible.

Aside from these changes, you can always find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. New posts are always added to these feeds.

BOTTOM LINE: NO WORRIES!

You can ALWAYS find me by simply visiting http://www.homegrownlearners.com ~ nothing like the old fashioned way!

Image credit

A Final Review - Dive Into Your Imagination

2012-05-26T22:49:00.000-04:00

Our most recent review for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Review Crew is from Dive Into Your Imagination.

The creator of this product, Annie Crawley, is an undersea photographer, dive instructor, and boat captain. Her mission is to help children fall in love with the sea.

Three DVD titles are available from Dive Into Your Imagination:

1. Who Lives in The Sea?
2. Dive Into Diversity
3. What Makes a Fish a Fish?

What Makes a Fish A Fish? (the video we reviewed) will teach your children all about amazing fish from all over the globe. The DVD

teaches children about astounding fish from around the world. How do fish take a bath? Learn the truth about sharks. Play hide and seek on the reef. The underwater realm provides boundless opportunities for parents to learn and laugh with their children. An upbeat original score celebrates the ocean and brings it to life.

The DVD (which runs approximately 40 minutes) is divided into 8 sections and teaches children all about different kinds of fish, fish anatomy, and also scuba diving. Watch excerpts of the video at Dive Into Your Imagination.

{ I thought the video was well done, although the beginning was a bit preschool-ish for my children. Once we got past the first few minutes it was MUCH more interesting. }

Included with the purchase of a DVD is a HUGE .pdf file of educator guides that go with the DVD (I'm talking over 300 pages HUGE). There are two sections (Pre-K/K and 1-3). A WEALTH of information is held in these teacher guides, covering reading, science, math, social studies, and much more! You can extend each section of the DVD with review questions and printable coloring pages, reading comprehension, and other activity sheets.

This is an entire curriculum based off of the DVD -- so much time and care has gone into these activities. I was most impressed with the depth of activities included.

The Basics:

What Makes a Fish A Fish? ~ $19.95
Educator Guides ~ $200/complete set OR $69.95/individual sets

* The good news is that now YOU can receive the educator guides for free with any purchase of a DVD. As you order the DVD just mention you homeschool and the .pdf is yours!

To read what my crew mates thought of this product, please visit the crew blog.

*This is my last review for the Old Schoolhouse Review Crew. I've very much enjoyed my time on the crew and am grateful for the opportunity to work with them for the past year. Read my previous reviews to learn about other products we have tried.

I received this product as a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew. No other compensation was received. The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.

When You Can Finally Let Down ~ Collage Friday

2012-05-25T05:00:00.000-04:00

We've been going since last August. Non. Stop.

Even our vacations were learning adventures. California. North Carolina... great memories, but planning "lessons" every bit of the way.

We did take a little trip to Disney World, but somehow when you are traveling, it's not always relaxing.

{Please don't think I am complaining... I am blessed to have these opportunities}

This week I've finally given myself permission to just take a break. Relax.

I've let the kids sleep in (no 7:30 a.m. alarms this week), and I get up ahead of them and sit on the porch for Bible study, coffee, and quiet time.

The bunnies, chipmunks, and birds have a regular meeting each morning in my front yard. They don't even know I'm here! I love watching everything come alive so early in the morning.

There are several home projects that need my attention around the house. Painting is going on this week. The house is getting pressure washed. The deck and driveway are going to be sparkly. I deep cleaned downstairs. There is something therapeutic about washing windows - inside and out.

A freshly painted upstairs bathroom {Sand Fossil} and Miss B's bedroom {Sparkling Waters } are long overdue.

We have been cleaning out my daughter's room. She's picked things to give away, sell, and keep. I'm taking this picture she had in her bookcase and putting it in MY room... look at my sweet *little* girl.

Speaking of my sweet girl -- we found out this week that she was accepted into a SPECTACULAR children's choral program in our area.

She will be in the Young Artists' Choir (there are three choirs total). I'm so very excited for her. She auditioned nearly a month ago. The rehearsals will be once a week, and there are almost an hour from our home. This is a BIG COMMITMENT, but I feel certain this is just one of those experiences that will shape her in a big way. If you're interested, you can listen to the Spivey Hall Children's Choirs online - it's a treat! Children singing always reduces me to tears. I imagine I will be a mess at her first concert next year.

The kids have been happy to have a break this week, too. To my delight they have drifted in and out of the piano room all day to each practice their pieces. We've been swimming laps, reading aloud, and not really sticking to a schedule.

Here are a couple of collages from our week... no fancy resources this week or fabulous learning links, just lots of "letting down" and regrouping.

1. An early morning nature walk at a local park and lake

2. The American Girl dolls in a basket ~ in cleaning out Miss B's room she has decided to keep them all in a basket in a corner of her room and pack away all of their accessories. {She's growing up!}

3. A little bit of Elemental Science this week - an experiment: "Which Weighs More? Hot Air or Cold?"

4. Lots of "friends" at the bird feeders this week - we have the same brazen chipmunk that visits each morning!

1. This was the scene every day in the backyard - GMan practicing his batting and pop flies. I am SO thankful for a big, level backyard with plenty of room to play baseball!

2. Miss B has been picking and arranging flowers a lot. These blue Hydrangeas were her favorite.

3. The Apple and the Arrow is our current read-aloud. Notice the LEGO Kingdoms sets to match. It makes me think of Stacey's guest post this week: Empowering Children To Narrate Through Play

And, in case you missed some of the events on the blog this week:

1. Did you enter to win a copy of SWIPE (Middle Grades Fiction) from Thomas Nelson?

2. I participated in the iHN's 10 in 10 blog hop... did you read all of the great posts about our favorite online resources?

3. Are you making math fun? I shared some ideas about teaching the Metric System this week, too.

4. My daughter had her piano recital last weekend - I was such a proud mom... and this post ("Mom MADE ME Quit") was born.

How was your week? I'd love for you to join me. You don't need a formal "collage", just a collection of pictures that tell us about your homeschool week. Be sure to grab the button below, sign the linky, and then visit others on the list to offer encouragement and gain ideas.

5 Creative Way to Teach The Metric System

2012-05-24T05:00:00.000-04:00

Both children have been learning about metrics in their math books.

As with everything at this age, I'm not aiming for creating experts in the subject, but a broad understanding of the concept, and - more importantly - a love of math!

We've come up with (quite accidentally, really) fun ways to reinforce what they are learning about the metric system. I want them to understand the units of liters, grams, and meter and how to convert them accordingly.

1. Measure LEGO creations

Use the tape measure to see how many centimeters a LEGO creation is... once my youngest finds that measurement, I have my daughter convert that to millimeters, meters, and so on.

Compare the lengths of different LEGO pieces.

How many centimeters tall is the tallest LEGO tower you can build?

2. Notice metric measurements in everyday life

Who knew that a trip to Bath and Body Works would spark a discussion of the Metric System? (GMan was quite excited that he got some "Dragon Blood"!) Hand sanitizer is measured in milliliters - how many liters is that? We also saw a sign at the pool about how far a swim across the Mediterranean Sea would be... we talked about kilometers.

3. Bake!

I know, very cliche, but baking has really helped with liquid measurements. I love the glass measuring cups with milliliters on one side and ounces on the other. We have fallen in love with these Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. The website also allows you to convert all of the measurements to metric. We thought that was interesting.

4. Read Math Story Books

Our favorite is Millions to Measure. The Metric System (New True Books) also gave us a fantastic overview of The Metric System and why it is important for us to know BOTH systems of measurement.

5. Don't isolate math to "math time"

I've challenged the children to pick out examples of the metric system everywhere we go. It's a kind of game now -- and I love this because they are applying their learning to LIFE!

And.... how cool is this? My daughter just learned to crochet. She has been making a very long chain. We're measuring how many METERS she can crochet.

Have your children learned about The Metric System? What was your favorite resource for teaching?

Empowering Children to Narrate Through Play

2012-05-23T05:00:00.000-04:00

Can you recall the first time you watched a child play…like really play?

For many parents, it’s those first few moments an infant starts to purposefully place hands together to manipulate a toy or engage with a caregiver. Remember that beautiful spark in the child’s eye that signals to you “I am alive, curious, and want to engage in my world.”

And I too remember watching my infants for hours on blankets, but the first time I really studied children playing was as a graduate counseling student desiring to use play therapy techniques with children and teens in a therapeutic setting. While adults communicate primarily through verbalization, children’s natural communication medium is play. Play is universal and does not require an external reward. It is the way children explore, become oriented to the world, experiment, and learn in their individualized ways. Play is a window to a child’s stream of consciousness and is often how they organize experiences. If a child feels safe, strong emotions can emerge. There is a sense of empowerment and engagement that comes from control in play. Is there anything more beautiful than an ordinary child extraordinarily empowered and engaged?

From Professional Counselor to Professional Homeschool Mom

{Yes, I did say professional homeschool mom!} Fast forward 10+ years and I begin reading Charlotte Mason’s philosophies of education. I resonate with the idea of education being an atmosophere, a discipline, a life. I begin implementing many of her practices including utilizing quality living books, nature studies, and narration. And the challenge becomes to train my children in narration. I begin to notice a pattern though, even when verbal narrations are concise with a few details…I often find my children “playing through” their stories during afternoon quiet times or acting out a portion of the story. These spontaneous moments have more details and emotional passion than their verbal narrations. In fact, the stories they “play out” often become their favorites. I see my children empowered and engaged. So as a mom of a 5 and 7 year old at the beginning of my homeschool journey, I begin to cultivate opportunities to narrate through play. Can I share what I’ve learned?

1. Choose high quality literature. Ms. Mason suggests that literature should stimulate and nurture the mind. I’m going to suggest that there should also be an emotional response. The emotion evoked while reading is going to help with storage and recall of the information. This means literature is stimulating intellectually, but also might mean that conflict in plots would represent challenges in moral development (character-building), adventures would stimulate imagination, and artwork induces mood and creativity (in the case of picture books). This emotion is also going to be the trigger for re-creating or playing through the literature.

2. Provide a few small tools to stimulate the play. The tools should not require elaborate expense or planning. Teach children to use what they have. But maybe you can help make a simple costume from scrap supplies. Maybe it’s a suggestion to get out a toy they already have and use it in a new way (blocks, Legos, Lincoln Logs are good for this…even stuffed animals or miniatures can get recruited as resources). Look for opportunities to say “Yes” to a child’s request to use objects or symbols with which they might not normally play….is it really going to hurt if they unmake their bed to make a toga from their sheets?

3. Don’t direct the child’s play. Just like we avoid too many leading questions in asking for narration, we also want to avoid too much involvement in the narration through play. It’s okay for you to help summarize what you have seen them play. A simple statement like, “Oh I see, you’ve built a lighthouse right underneath the great big bridge," affirms their initiation. {Notice it’s not, “Why did you put the bridge there, why not the other side.” Or, “I think you should have built the bring going the other way.”} Just because you picture it differently in your mind doesn’t mean that’s how the child imagines it or depicts it in his play. Less is more here. ;)

4. Look for opportunities to discuss setting, point of view, mood, or theme of the story. While the plot often gets much of the attention, truly learning from literature requires more than just restating a plot. Maybe we can work together to turn a child’s bedroom into a “Salamander Room” {setting}, or maybe a child will act out/play through a story from a character’s perspective other than the main character {point of view}. Maybe we can help set a {mood} for play by offering alternative lighting or music. Again, keep it simple…we don’t do all of these with every story…I would suggest just offer one small idea and let the children build from there.

5. Encourage and look for growth in narration through play. Just like an 11 years old’s free-time play looks different than a four year old's, so should their narration through play. I hesitate to share specifics because play and growth are both so fluid, but here are a few thoughts:

a. 2-4 year olds- Most play will be simple, may involve one character, dress up, and one or two events. Narrations may be the parent stating what they observe the child(ren) playing.

b. 5-6 year olds- Play will still be simple, but more than one character and several events may be managed. Parents engage child(ren)in beginning verbal narrations as child demonstrates ability.

c. 7-8 year olds- Children will more naturally think about setting and mood and multiple characters and events may be evident. Verbal narrations formally begin.

d. 9-12 year olds- Play will be quite complex with multiple shifts in plot depicted. Children are developing abstract thinking abilities and so play with reflect a shift away from simple concrete depictions. Literature becomes more complex including more biographies and non-fiction. Moving toward more independent play. Verbal narrations should be increasingly substantial. Creative play may the spark for verbal narration {example: Egyptian pyramid made from legos may be the way a child introduces a narration about Egyptian history to a friend or family member}

e. 13+- Teens can play too, but most of this will be independent creations. Verbal narrations will be main focus, but creative narrations such as blogging, video recordings, photography, creative writing, etc. are great opportunities to allow for teens to narrate through play.

Are you feeling inspired to encourage your child to

be engaged and empowered in their learning

by narrating through their play?

I know I am!...now go play!

Stacey homeschools her two children in the midwest

using mostly Five In a Row and other literature based methods.

She blogs at brainintrainin and tweets as @staceyruberg.

Top Ten Sites for Homeschooling

2012-05-22T05:00:00.000-04:00

Each week for the next 10 weeks, many bloggers in the iHomeschool Network will be linking their top 10 lists. Inspired by Angie's weekly meme at Many Little Blessings, this fun event is going to provide me with TONS of great resources, ideas, and inspiration!

This week's topic is:

Top 10 Favorite Websites to Use for Homeschooling

There are so many sites I visit... many of them personal blogs, where I get ideas for read-alouds, crafts, and so much more. For the purpose of this post, I have not included any personal blogs, but rather general sites {most of them full of free resources} I hope will benefit you.

Of course -- the biggies: Netflix, Amazon, Pinterest -- those just go without saying... I think our homeschool might be dead in the water without those {well, not really, but you know what I mean }.

Here they are.... in no particular order:

10. The Well Trained Mind ~ When planning our school year (and frequently throughout the year, too) I always consult The Well Trained Mind. From this site you can find out about all of the curriculum pieces and also join the Well Trained Mind forums. I also find the curriculum map to be invaluable!

9. Squidoo ~ Do you Squidoo? Basically, anyone is free on this site to create a "lens" - similar to a blog post - of a topic they know much about. I've linked you to the homeschool lenses... so much great information!

8. Ambleside Online ~ This is an online Charlotte Mason curriculum for FREE. There are booklists, reading schedules, and links to free e-texts. It is a treasure trove of information. I always consult Ambleside for reading selections and to locate free resources. I was just looking through the Grade 6 plan in planning for next year - I love their science recommendations.

7. Dance Mat Typing ~ Both of my children have made their way through these free typing lessons (several times!). They are short, funny, and just well done. Do your teach keyboarding to your children? This is just the resource you need.

6. Spotify ~ This is like the Netflix of music! For a small fee each month ($9.99) you can have access to ALL music. All you do is search by composer (artist), song, or genre. The music can be played through the Spotify app on your iPhone or iPad - and also through your computer. If we are studying a particular composer, I can pull up many selections of music to match. It makes our SQUILT time a snap!!

5. Homeschool Share ~ I think we use Homeschool Share EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. It is an excellent site for all things lapbook, notebooking, and printables. It is a site where many moms have collaborated to share the resources they have created. I first discovered this site two years ago, when I was searching for Five in a Row resources. They have everything FIAR, and much, much more!! At the Homeschool Share blog you can learn even more, and their Show and Tell section is great. My son's dinosaur lapbook was featured one week. I also love their monthly calendars.

4. Project Gutenberg ~ Since I'm all about FREE, I love this site. You can download so many books here (in the public domain) for free. Recently we discovered some great composer biographies to download. If I find something I want to read with the kids, I always head to Project Gutenberg to see if we can get it free of charge!

3. NotebookingPages.com ~ A membership to Notebooking Pages is a wonderful investment in your homeschool! (There is currently a very good sale going on until this Friday, and there is also a Facebook party TONIGHT to unveil a very exciting new feature for members!)

What I love about Notebooking Pages is that whatever subject we are studying, I can go to this site and find printable notebooking pages to go along with the topic. This week we are delving further into Joan of Arc... guess what? I found a lovely set of notebooking pages... for both my seven and ten year olds. These pages are all so well done. I am excited that my children are creating beautiful notebooks that are keepsakes of their learning journeys!

2. Dogo News: Fodder For Young Minds ~ This site makes it very easy to incorporate current events into your homeschool. There are articles, videos, and much more. We usually watch these at lunch time each day. Our most recent favorite is about a girl who invented a cure for the hiccups!

1. HSLaunch.com ~ Again, a free site that is a file sharing MECCA! Sometimes I search for specific things on this site... I use these state notebooking pages quite frequently. Other times I just browse the files and always find something I can use. The site requires a registration (free), and then you can start sharing files, too.

What is YOUR favorite site for homeschooling?

More Middle Grades Fiction ~ Win a Copy of SWIPE

2012-05-21T14:50:00.000-04:00

My 10 year old daughter has been enjoying the latest review from Thomas Nelson publishing.

This was something very different from what she normally reads. I liken it to the Left Behind series for adults. After she read the book we talked about it and she said it was "disturbing, but not in a scary way - in a good way". When I asked her to elaborate she simply said, "I loved it because it was such a thriller!... How come I have to wait until the fall for the next one to come out?"

Apocalyptic dystopian fiction at its best. Angler’s sharp wit and dexterity with political themes are matched only by the thrilling suspense on every page.

—Lis Wiehl, New York Times bestselling author and FOX News correspondent

I love that Thomas Nelson is offering CHRISTIAN fiction for middle grades children. Finding good reading material for this age isn't always easy, and I'm thankful for these books we are getting because I am a Tommy Nelson Mommy.

Watch the trailer here:

Preview the book here:

If you'd like to win a copy of this book, please leave me a comment answering this question:

Do you assign your middle grades student "required reading" in the summer, or do you let them read just for fun? I'm curious, because I'm on the fence for this summer.

This giveaway will be open until Sunday, May 27th at midnight.

And The Winner Is....

2012-05-21T06:52:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Tracy, from Following His Lead Today!!

She won the Maestro Classics giveaway of Casey at the Bat, and also a labpook to match from A Journey Through Learning!

Mom "MADE ME" Quit!

2012-05-19T18:39:00.000-04:00

The Spring Piano Recital represented so much MORE than a studio of students playing pieces they had worked on for several months.

It represented:

a commitment to an act of beauty

the ability to present oneself in a public situation with grace and ease
a skill that had been practiced daily for years, slowly improving with each lesson

I feel quite strongly about playing a musical instrument, and the piano just happens to be our instrument of choice.

My daughter has been taking lessons for three years now. She practices 20-30 minutes every day. She takes a lesson once a week (yes, even in summer) and attends group theory classes.

In the beginning this was something I just declared she would DO... a part of what her dad and I believed was essential for her to learn. Yes, there have been times where she has felt like throwing in the towel, but (since I have been there myself and know these feelings usually pass) we have encouraged her to keep going and provided motivators along the way.

This is now a skill SHE has chosen to practice and perfect. I love seeing her hard work come to fruition. I believe these performances are invaluable. I watch her approach the piano with confidence, play with grace, and see the pride in her sweet smile.

Here is the footage of the recital. {When will I learn to hold my iPhone sideways? I was a little nervous and forgot this at the recital!}

My brother played the piano quite well, but he quit lessons somewhere along the way... he now jokes with me, "I'd be really good at the piano if mom wouldn't have MADE me quit!" I happen to know it didn't quite happen THAT way.

Thankfully, my mom was older and wiser by the time I was involved in piano lessons - she made me keep going, and I cannot thank her enough.

*Image courtesy Crouchy69

We're Done (Don't Tell The Kids!) - Collage Friday

2012-05-18T05:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Collage Friday! Have you finished your school year? We have {technically} completed our 180 days, but I didn't tell the kids. We are going to keep schooling for another two weeks and then take a break for a few weeks. Our summers are always scheduled around swimming classes, so I squeeze other things in between those.

I'm trying to get everyone to a good stopping point in math, Writing With Ease, and The Story of the World, then we will continue bits and pieces during the summer. Learning is a lifestyle and it never technically "ends".

{ Have you entered to win the Maestro Classics CD? The giveaway goes until Sunday evening. }

A few of my blessings this week:

* breakfast with a friend who has decided to homeschool ~ I loaned her two of my favorite books: A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning, and Seasons of a Mother's Heart, 2nd edition. I believe these two books should be in every homeschooling mother's library, and they were my favorite resource this week.

* the kids being so excited about history - GMan has declared he wants to be a Plague Doctor for Halloween this year. Ummm... ok? We also read DK Biography: Joan of Arc, which was VERY enlightening. I love the informal narrations the kids do for their dad each night... such a valuable assessment tool for me, too.

* having the chance to guest post at MODsquad... about helping your daughter cultivate Godly friendships?

* sharing my friend Monica's thoughts about Homeschooling as a Calling... she put into words what I could not

*the strength to work out 4 times this week - most of those times were swimming, which I truly enjoy

* special times with friends for each of my children... now that our co-op has ended they don't get to see their friends as much, and we have to make more of an effort to get together

1. Bible lanyards and memorization pins from church... GMan's class memorized the 10 Commandments and Miss B's class memorized the 23rd Psalm and the Lord's Prayer. I love our church and the true family it is for us.

2. I began Hello Mornings this week. Why have I not done this before? I'm enjoying the Love Like Him Bible study and accountability online. I've been up before 6 a.m. every morning this week - that's good for me!

3. The kids and I are memorizing 1 Corinthians 13 (goes along with my Hello Mornings challenge). I've referenced the chapter so much during our week, and I've found the Holy Spirit inserting it into my thoughts so often. The week has been peaceful and productive because of that, I know.

1. Cookies baked by Miss B - I went to swim laps at the YMCA on Saturday and when I returned she had made these wonderful frosted Peanut Butter Cookies all by herself. Happy Mother's Day!

2. Mother's Day - I'm so blessed by my own mother and my children. I look at my daughter and see so much of myself. This is humbling.

3. Lots of music this week. I love that her piano teacher requires music theory! Miss B's piano recital is tonight - can't wait to hear her play and to hear some other great young pianists, too. Speaking of music, did you get the printables I made for you about the orchestra and band?

1. I have turned over more household jobs to the kids the past few months. GMan is learning how to unload the dishwasher... and Miss B is responsible for one meal each day (breakfast is easy!), while GMan always walks the dog and takes out the trash.

2. I can't stop my guy on the piano now - woo hoo! He loves to practice and has been making up his own music, too. It's interesting, though - he's a very bright boy and things comes easily to him, but the piano is more challenging. What intrigues me is that he is largely working through this beginner book on his own, and it's going well for him. I would recommend Piano Adventures Lesson Book, Primer (by Faber & Faber) for self teaching piano.

3. In math both children have learned about The Metric System. We have been measuring everything, converting liters, meters, etc... I'm going to write a post about this soon, because I've found some living math resources and fun activities. I'm not normally a creative math person, but I like this! We read Millions to Measure, which was a favorite this week.

4. We have a chair on our front porch where the kids like to sit and eat popsicles, watch birds, or whatever strikes their fancy. Last week while I was sitting with GMan, a hummingbird came right up to the flowers. It sounded like a bee and we both instinctively ducked our heads. When I looked up, the hummingbird was about a foot from us - amazing.

I've also added some of our favorite resources in an Amazon box at the bottom of the blog... but I'm inserting it into today's post so you can get a feel for what my favorite things are:

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Learning through Music and a Maestro Classics giveaway!

2012-05-17T05:00:00.000-04:00

Interest-Led Learning is a lifestyle for our family. When a child of mine has an interest I am going to CAPITALIZE on that interest and squeeze out every bit of "learning"!

We are combining sports, music, and literature all in one. It's very fun and VERY meaningful.

Baseball is a HUGE part of our lives. This obsession has lasted for three years, and I don't see it waning anytime soon. My grinning little guy (this photo is a couple years old, but it's my favorite!) was reluctant to copy names of family members (proper nouns), but copied the entire Atlanta Braves roster instead. The same little boy learned how to compute a batting average and watches MLB TV incessantly. I can't even compute the hours spent throwing the ball with dad, teaching me how to bat, and practicing with his team.

As you know, we are huge fans of Maestro Classics. The first CD we listened to was Casey At The Bat. I purchased it over a year ago because I have a baseball fanatic on my hands!

The CD kept both of my children's interest for several listenings (we usually listen in the car, but this one I brought inside)... and I appreciated the simple music theory lesson that was incorporated on the CD.

From Maestro Classics:

When the Mudville Nine are almost certain to lose the game, Mighty Casey takes his turn at bat, and the fans hold their breath as each pitch is thrown.
The upbeat, jazzy music performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra is highlighted by cheering crowds, vendors hawking their wares, the cheers of spectators and the sounds of the ball being hit, which bring the story to life.
A 24-page activity book, included with the CD, contains the complete Ernst Lawrence Thayer poem, amazing facts about baseball, sheeet music, as well as games and puzzles

Maestro Classics is giving this CD to one of my lucky readers!

{I hope you read the rest of the post before you skip down to the giveaway!}

The pictures below show you the recipe for "March Sundae" which teaches children about the form of the march on the CD. Each of the Maestro Classics CDs comes with a great insert with lots of ideas for teaching... you can make the listening as passive or as active as you want. I usually choose a listening first without the guide; after a few days have passed we then listen again with the guide.

Listen to excerpts from the CD on the Maestro Classics website.

When we first listened to the CD I found Casey at the Bat, a great book that has the original ballad with fun pictures. My son loved to sit with the CD player and the book.

Last week we found Casey Back at the Bat, by Dan Gutman. (We love his sports books, by the way). This witty sequel to Casey at the Bat is the perfect read-aloud!

It's amazing to me how everything just "comes together" in our learning. Baseball, music, literature, math, history, geography - they all presented themselves through a simple lesson facilitated by Casey at The Bat, by Maestro Classics.

Did you know that you can also purchase a lapbook (through A Journey Through Learning) of Casey at the Bat (designed specifically to go with the CD!)?

UPDATE! A Journey Through Learning is ALSO giving away a copy of their Casey at the Bat lapbook to this giveaway winner!

Now for the fun part! Maestro Classics is giving away a copy of Casey at the Bat to one lucky reader. To enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me why you want to win this CD.

2. Subscribe to Homegrown Learners (via GFC or email in my sidebar) and leave me a comment.

3. Like Maestro Classics on FB (when they get to 3,000 likes they will be having a $9 CD sale - this is a good deal!) and leave a comment.

This giveaway will be open until Sunday, May 20 at midnight.

Homeschooling As A Calling

2012-05-16T05:00:00.000-04:00

It's a day of guest posting ... of course I have a friend here for Homeschool Guests. Also, join me today at MODsquad, where the topic is cultivating Godly friendships for our daughters.

Now for the GUEST!

I'm happy to share a post with you today from Monica, a blogging friend and also a fellow member of the iHomeschool Network. I admire Monica's serene attitude and the joy that shines through in her blog. I know you'll enjoy her post about being called to homeschool!

During a conversation about homeschool, a friend recently asked me a question that has sparked a lot of thought. Her question was, “Do you think that homeschooling is a calling?”

I can answer that question from a personal perspective that, yes, homeschooling is most definitely a calling for me and my family.

My husband and I were convinced even before we had our first children that we would homeschool them. This decision was more deeply confirmed as we began our journey as parents desiring to “train up our children in the way they should go.”

Homeschooling is a Biblical choice for our family based on our understanding of scripture’s guidance and principles for families.

Homeschooling as a calling has allowed us to have more confidence, freedom, conviction, and flexibility. We are free from the stress of having to make the choice from year to year as to whether we will school our children at home, in a private school, or public school setting. The confidence that we have in our calling releases us from this stress.

We are able to view our homeschool with a long-term perspective when it comes to making curriculum and other education choices. Because of our calling, we have a more long-term goal in mind for our children and their home school experience. This helps tremendously in the day to day running of our school time.

Because we know we are called to homeschool we can be discouraged, but not despair when problems arise. When I hit a spot of struggle, I turn to problem solving and finding solutions rather than throwing in the towel because I know this is God’s will for our home. Problems will arise and there will be struggles, but when there is a confidence in your calling you can work through them instead of giving up.

Homeschooling as a calling also frees me from looking at non-homeschooling families with judgment. I cannot judge another person or another family based on calling. A calling to do anything, whether it is homeschooling or anything else is a very personal thing that we come to understand through the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. I can homeschool with a confidence in knowing without a doubt that this is a calling for our family, but without criticism or judgment of families who have not been called to the same.

How do you know if this is something that your family has been called to do?

Pray

Seek the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit to direct you to know God’s will for your family and how you will educate your children. Homeschool is more than an educational choice, it is a way of life for us as well as many other homeschool families, so also pray for God’s will for your home in general.

Read

Read scripture and ask God to direct you as you discern it in the light of God’s will for your family and your home. You can also read homeschooling books and resources. But first, go to God’s Word when you’re looking to discern His Will.

Ask

First ask your spouse and seek their counsel. Homeschooling is a calling for the entire family and you and your spouse should be on the same page with this decision.

You can also seek the counsel of other godly homeschoolers, trusted friends and family members, and wise counselors in your life.

Monica is a Child of God, Army Chaplain Wife, Homeschooling mom to four little blessings, avid reader, digital scrapbooker, and coffee addict striving to "dwell" on what is true, honorable, right , pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, and worthy of praise. You can visit her at Daily Dwelling.

Prepare to LEARN!

2012-05-15T10:14:00.000-04:00

The latest Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival is up!

I'm happy to be participating in the current carnival. Check out all of the wonderful submissions... grab a cup of tea, and prepare to LEARN!

Music Notebooking & Lesson - Band vs. Orchestra

2012-05-13T21:24:00.000-04:00

A recent trip to a high school band concert sparked a discussion about the difference between a band and an orchestra.

I wanted to teach a little more about this to my children, so I developed a short lesson. {Be sure not to miss any of the music lesson I will be adding by subscribing to Homegrown Learners.}

Have your children listen to this BAND PERFORMANCE: The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa (The March King). I like this video because they can SEE the band and watch the instruments being played.

Maybe they could fill out a SQUILT listening sheets as a part of this lesson, too?

After watching the band performance have your children then listen to this ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCE: Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar. This recording (by The National Children's Orchestra of Great Britain) should be very interesting for children.

Encourage your children to listen for the differences between a band and an orchestra, and then do some research, too. The short story is this:

1. Orchestras have been around much longer than bands.

2. A band does not have a strings section.

3. Most music written for orchestra is longer than pieces for band.

Here is your Band vs. Orchestra Notebooking Set.

(I've included a seating chart for the orchestra so your children can easily see the presence of a lot of STRINGS in the orchestra.)

We have also been using the Compare and Contrast Notebooking Pages from The Notebooking Fairy, which are PERFECT for this lesson!

If you have any questions, just let me know. I hope you can incorporate a little music into your homeschool this week!

Make sure not to miss any upcoming music lessons or other posts... subscribe to Homegrown Learners!

On Mothers, Motherhood, and Loss

2012-05-12T18:30:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day is (obviously) a day for celebrating motherhood.

I have been amply blessed in this department.

My own mother (who had me after she already had been a mother for 13 years) is the person who inspired me to be a mom. She is all those things you think of when the term "super mom" is thrown out there.

As I matured into an adult, I remember her supporting me in my every decision, even those I knew she didn't agree with. She taught me how to care for my children when they were newborns, and came to my rescue a few times when I just needed that extra help only a mother can give.

I know I am blessed beyond measure to have a mother like mine.

{I think she's beautiful, too... she will be 77 this summer and I think she looks wonderful, don't you?}

My own journey as a mother has been such a blessing, too.

My first born, Miss B, is bright, sweet, nurturing, and very strong-willed (kind of like her mother). She's always the first to notice if someone has their feelings hurt or needs help. She is growing into a young lady I am proud of. She is growing too quickly.

My GMan is a lovable nut. I adore this little boy. This is my child who had me on bed rest during pregnancy and was born 6 weeks early. I don't think I've ever gotten over the fact that I missed several months of his early life due to postpartum depression ~ but my own mother helped see my family through that dark time.

While Mother's Day is a joyful day for me, I am mindful of the fact that it is a HARD day for others.

My husband lost his own mother eight years ago to cancer. She was a mom who taught her son to love his wife and children. She never got the chance to meet my youngest and barely knew my oldest. Tomorrow will be a hard day for my father-in-law, sister-in-laws, and husband.

There is a mother in our community tomorrow that needs your fervent prayers. She lost her beautiful six year old daughter in a tragic accident just over three months ago.

My heart aches for her. Please pray for this mother... a homeschooling mother just like me who lost her youngest child too soon.

Whatever your circumstance, I pray peace for you.

If you have a mother, I pray you will love and cherish her.

If your mother is gone, I pray you have some quiet time to reflect on good memories of her.

If you are a mother, I pray you take time to just enjoy your children.

And, if you are suffering from the loss of a child, I pray that God grants you peace.

I plan on simply enjoying my children on Mother's Day {and every day, really}... savoring the homemade cards, cookies, and hugs and kisses. I have been blessed, and I am thankful.

Homeschool Motivation & Cello Wars!

2012-05-11T05:00:00.000-04:00

Lots going on this week....

Sometimes you just have a few magical homeschool days in a row. That happened here this week. My daughter decided she wanted to learn a certain pop song on the piano. She printed the music and spent several hours learning it... it is hard for her level of playing, but she DID IT.

As I type she is in the piano room with her friend making a video of the song. We've been having a little trouble with motivation recently. I know this just goes with the age, but I was so glad to see her really EXCITED about something. This creativity and inspiration wouldn't have happened if she was in school. There would have been NO TIME to just sit at the piano and create.

Have you seen the new tab here, "Music Notebooking Printables"? I'm adding to these printables weekly, hopefully to encourage you to incorporate music in your homeschool.

I've been neglecting science recently (to everything a season, right?) ... but we've started something new -- Elemental Science. You'll hear more about this, but this classical driven science curriculum seems to fit us VERY well.

We've also been working on a few home projects - nothing major, but getting some painting done, blinds hung, estimates, etc... The kids are learning valuable lessons in price comparison, dealing with workmen, and patience. I'm also learning to deal with a bit of a mess (this is SO HARD for me!) and exhibit some patience myself.

On to the collages...

1. GMan's last baseball game ~ followed by a pizza banquet and trophies. He had a great season and still plays a solid first base. He is even giving ME batting lessons in the backyard.

2. Playing Bible Drills in Sunday School ~ this is such a fun game and a great way to learn your books of the Bible. This basically is the kids holding their Bibles up (called "drawing their weapons"), then the teacher calling out a verse. The kids repeat their verse and then find the verse as fast as they can. My husband has been teaching in this class of 4th-6th graders all year, and next year he and I will be teaching the class together. I think it's going to be a lot of fun!

3. We're ALL trying to be more healthy. My husband is incredibly fit.... he works out almost daily and is very self-disciplined. I have cut way back on what I'm eating and we got to the YMCA to swim laps this week. While there the masters swim coach asked if I wanted to start swimming on their team - it meets at a time that is very convenient for me, so I think I'm going to give it a try! I swam quite competitively growing up and it something I enjoy doing. I am not doing anyone any good by being a "homeschool mom martyr", know what I mean? It's time I got myself in gear and back in shape.

4. After the used book sale last week I still had some more books to get rid of, so we donated them at a local book drop. I'm thinking that I might have a few more boxes to take next week, too.

1. We played a LONG game of Monopoly last Sunday afternoon. This was as good as an entire week of math lessons in my opinion. It was a very close game... but it's so funny how results wind up very close to our money personalities in real life!

2. We listened to a wonderful free version of Tom Sawyer this week while completing history review cards for Story of the World. I love the review cards... my kids wanted to turn them into a little book. Hopefully I'll have pictures to show you soon.

AND, on that note: If you have any questions about how we use The Story of The World, please leave a comment and ask. I am planning a post about how we use this history curriculum. I don't see us changing history curriculums anytime soon. I'm not claiming to be an expert, but we are finishing our second year of using SOTW and it works so well for us.

3. Read-alouds for a chapter in the SOTW about Marco Polo and the Mongols. We read Daisy Comes Home, The Emperor and the Nightingale, and The Five Chinese Brothers.

1. Oh my goodness ~ Black Bean and Corn Tostadas were my favorite meal this week. You can see the recipe via Plan to Eat.

2. One of my piano students invited us to her high school band concert this week. We went, and it was really good! It was a good chance for me to talk to the kids about the difference between a band and an orchestra. If you're interested, I'll be putting out a little notebooking set on that very subject next week!

3. In a basement cleaning spree I found a lot of my childhood books. GMan loved reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and he also found my entire boxed set of Paddington Books. I have challenged him to read all five by the end of the month. He loves any kind of challenge with a time limit - I love that little stinker.

4. Something else you'll be hearing more about in the future is Clever Dragons. (I've already blogged about Always Ice Cream) This online community for boys has been such fun. GMan's favorite thing (via Clever Dragons) this week was Cello Wars -- I loved the cello playing light sabers! Clever Dragons definitely wins our favorite resource this week!

Remember that Interest Led Music Study of the music of Star Wars/John Williams?

In fact... I've embedded the video for you here. I just love it. My little guy wants to play the cello now (squee!!)

Free Read-Aloud Resources ~ How We're Listening To Tom Sawyer

2012-05-10T05:00:00.000-04:00

The Writing With Ease selection for GMan for the coming week is Tom Sawyer. We choose many of our read alouds based on this writing curriculum (and also from The Story of the World).

With so much classic literature, we can download the book for free on Kindle.

I thought with this, book, however, that I would search for a free audio download. We tried the Librivox recording, but after about 5 minutes the kids told me they didn't like it so much, so I continued to search.

This free recording, from Open Book Audio, is fabulous! The performance of the different voices is so authentic. I'm finding that I need to stop every so often and explain some of the vernacular and vocabulary. I had forgotten what gem of a book this is... how it forces us back to our own childhoods, and the beautiful way in which Mark Twain describes the life of Tom Sawyer.

I supposed it might bore the children a little bit, but they have happily just laid on the family room floor listening. The quality writing just draws them into the story.

The entire book downloaded into my iTunes and we have been listening happily this week. (It's kind of nice for me to be able to do some housework while the kids are doing art project, etc... and listening.)

Do you use audio books for read-alouds?

What is your favorite book on audio?

Wednesday Feature ~ Homeschool Guests

2012-05-09T05:00:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to introduce a new Wednesday feature... Homeschool Guests. Each Wednesday (for as long and often as I can keep it going!) I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine whom I admire and learn from. Hopefully these guests will give us a fresh perspective on homeschooling topics ~ maybe areas we aren't so strong in or need a little motivation for perhaps.

My sweet friend, Hope, is kicking off this feature. Hope was one of my first homeschooling friends. We are in the same co-op. I got to know her very well when I was her teaching assistant! We also live just a mile from each other. She just "gets" me... we both share a love of books, education, and our iPhones! I'm blessed to have her in my support system.

Hope's passion is NATURE. I am in awe of how she shares this love with her children. I think you'll see from this post that she is a talented, creative, and caring mother. I KNOW you'll learn some wonderful things, too.

What small child doesn't have an interest in animals, the changing seasons, an interesting rock, a beautiful garden, the ecology of the ocean, a winding creek, the starry sky-simply all that makes up our natural world God so beautifully and carefully created?

I am ever so thankful I ran across Charlotte Mason's philosophy early in our homeschooling journey. She places high value on Nature Study, the door it opens to all things scientific and its connection with our Creator. If you are not familiar with Charlotte Mason's ideas on Nature Study consider reading A Charlotte Mason Companion. Karen Andreola devotes three chapters to the subject.

Ms. Mason viewed consistency as an important aspect for exploring and observing changes like the seasons. So besides our own backyard, we regularly visit a nature area close by with trails, a rocky creek, granite outcroppings and a fishing pond. Of course, one must also visit other places for grand adventures and explorations, too!

We get outside whenever possible! Our traditional subjects are completed on the picnic table, hammock and sitting in the grass as weather permits. Additionally, I don't mind if we are in the middle of a lesson and a child finds a daddy bluebird going into the nesting box with a piece of food interesting. It's ok to stop for a moment and listen closely as the nestlings tweet noisily in excitement. It's ok if a lizard scurries by and an intrigued four year old must take a moment to try and catch it. As long as we complete our original lesson, this mommy does not mind!

However, not every outing has to be a formal lesson with nature journaling.

We regularly explore and enjoy discovering and observing just for the pure joy of it. Of equal importance to note is not everyone will be interested in the same things. Nevertheless, we should all try very hard to show appreciation for what is important to another - even if it's an 'ordinary' rock. In the picture below, our six year old is interested in leaves, our eight year old birds and four year old sticks. (Yes, sticks.) Each has their own nature journal. For the older two it's a spiraled watercolor notebook and for the youngest it's a few index cards stapled together or printer paper or both.

We have our handy the Handbook of Nature Study and usually one more reference book. If we decide to journal, we take an art supply kit if we are going to be in our back yard or not hiking very far (it's bulky.) Otherwise, we pack watercolors or colored pencils.

Below is an example of one of my eight year old daughter's nature entries. She has written about what she has personally observed, not just read out of a book for this particular entry. She has also included an original poem.

A nature journal should be as unique as the child.

In this picture, my just turned six year old is showing off his leaf rubbing. I added a poem of his choosing to the top portion of his entry.

Here's another example of an entry, done on the same day as the Bluebird because she wanted to.This one is about Chickadees. We are observing both Bluebird and Chickadee nestlings. She drew the mother and what she observed as the first baby hatched. She chose to copy a short paragraph from More Fun with Nature (Fun with Nature) and then composed an original poem.

Once home, we typically pull out a couple of living books and find a chapter about one of the day's exciting discoveries. For example, a few resources we often use are The Burgess Animal Book for Children, The Burgess Bird Book for Children (both by Thornton W. Burgess) or Jim Arnosky's Crinkleroot books. Most Crinkleroot Guides are out of print but can be found at the library. Both authors have given us great examples of living literature, which by the way were first introduced to us by our dear friend Mary, right here at Homegrown Learners!

As I conclude this glimpse into the way we enjoy Nature Study, Charlotte Mason style, I will leave you with this quote from Ms. Mason, my nature study hero:

"It would be well if we all persons in authority, parents and all who act for parents, could make up our minds that there is no sort of knowledge to be got in these early years so valuable to children as that which they get for themselves of the world they live in. Let them once get touch with Nature, and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life. We were all meant to be naturalists, each in his degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things."

(Vol 1, II, Out-Of-Door Life For The Children, p.61)

Hope is the mother of three elementary aged children. Prior to becoming a mother she was an RN. She now spends her days exposing her children to God's wonderful creation! She blogs at Homeschooling 3.

* The button image for Homeschool Guests is courtesy Your Secret Admiral.

Being the Mom of a Boy (In Which You See Me on Video)

2012-05-08T05:00:00.001-04:00

Being the Mother of a Boy is Perhaps One of The Greatest Joys of My Life.

My little guy brings me so much love and happiness... he brings kisses and winks and all kinds of things that melt my heart. The background noise of hummed Star Wars music and getting whacked accidentally by light sabers all go with the territory of being his mom!

Even when the day is over and I sit down... he has left surprises on my camera phone...

Last week he and I went to "Date Knight", a special evening for mothers and sons from Chick fil-A restaurants. This was so timely, because we have been studying Medieval history. We have talked about chivalry and the knight's code of honor.

My husband spoke to my son before we left about opening the doors for me and being a good date. It was very cute, I must say. My date looked so handsome.

We had a lovely evening. GMan was famished by the time we got to the restaurant... he ate in about 2 minutes flat and then asked if he could go and play in the play place. I said to him: "A sweet boy waits for his date to finish eating." He replied (ever so sweetly), "I will wait for you.... in the play place." How could I argue with that logic? So, off to the play place he went. I was left to talk with the other moms whose sons had left them. It was rather humorous.

(Did you happen to read 5 Things I've Learned as a Boy Mom? It was so timely.... I finished writing this post and stumbled on it a couple of days later. What an "a-ha" moment for me. )

The road to training this little boy will be too short I know... for now I will do the best I can to help him be the person God intends.

{ And I will always remember fondly his obsession with the Chick fil-A Cow and how we have called him the "Cow Stalker" since he was just able to walk! }

I bribed him out of that play place (where tons of little boys were wielding their balloon swords) about 30 minutes later with a brownie Sunday. We enjoyed a wonderful dessert together. At least he can be bribed with chocolate.

Another thing I can always bribe him with is Legos! He'll always want to sit and build something with his mom, and for that I'm so grateful.

My friend, Melissa, had the great idea to have a LEGO Friday challenge each week between her son and my son. Each week they take turns issuing a challenge and then report to each other via a YouTube video.

This past week the theme was "Mother-Son Time"... featuring something we love to do together. We also had to build the creation together. I hope you enjoy the video we created. Pardon my novice video skills - next time we'll hold the iPhone sideways to get a more full picture. I'm still learning!

Making these videos is also a great time for me to talk with my son about speaking in complete sentences, using the word "yes" instead of "yeah", and other speaking skills.

Oh -- and I'm also a little nervous to actually be on camera for the world (well, at least those that read my blog!) to see... I'd love to try vlogging, so maybe this is getting my feet wet for that.

What are some special things you enjoy doing with your son? (or daughter, if you don't have a boy!)

The Power of Blogging

2012-05-06T18:26:00.002-04:00

Writing this blog has been one of the biggest blessings in my life since I have had children.

{ Stick with me for today's post... I may ramble, but I'll get around to my point eventually. }

Last year, Rachel had the fabulous idea for a meme, Me & My Blog. In that post, I said,

"I'd like to think that the longer I blog, the wiser I become, about real life and online life, too. "

I would make the same statement today, too. I do think that I'm blogging smarter, using my time more wisely, and learning so much about "real" life, as well.

I have made SO MANY friends whom I learn from and share ideas with ~ the interactions in this miniscule corner of the internet have been amazing to me. I look back at old posts and see friends I've now had for nearly three years.

My blog is entering a new season now.

Joining the iHomeschool Network and writing a 10 Days series changed the way I looked at blogging.

Homegrown Learners welcomed its first sponsor (thank you, Maestro Classics!) last week.

A new section of the blog has been created. Music Notebooking Printables is a page I would like to update weekly.

I've started writing in other places.

When bloggers wrote about "managing their online time" and basically speaking of their blogs as a business I never quite got that. I couldn't understand how these busy moms (especially the homeschooling ones!) had time for everything.

I thought that surely they must not be doing their jobs as homeschooling moms.... and that they certainly couldn't have a life outside of their blogs. I'm ashamed to admit I thought this way. I apologize to the bloggers out there who successfully juggle so much each day.

I never ceased to be amazed at God's perfect timing ~ and abundant grace. Every blog post and every interaction online has shaped me into the blogger I am today... and He's continuing to shape me into the servant He wants me to be.

That person is learning to be:

a better steward of her time
a more patient and forgiving wife, mother, and friend
increasingly humble
a more intent listener and less of a talker
less judgmental (that's a biggie for me)

All this rambling is to say that I'm thinking about my blog differently now.

Yes, it is still my online scrapbook and a way for me to document our days.

But, it is also a way for me to be a Homeschool Ambassador , give and receive homeschool ideas, and yes... make a little extra money. It also causes me to stay up WAY to late.....

More importantly, it's a tool I'm using to further something about which I feel very strongly.... HOME EDUCATING!

If you're reading my blog for the first time, welcome and I hope you'll subscribe to Homegrown Learners! If you're one of my friends who reads this on a regular basis - THANK YOU! You have no idea the way you have enriched me and shaped me these past three years.

How has blogging affected you? What have been the blessings (and/or curses?) you have experienced?

Image credit

Sponsor Shout-Out - Maestro Classics

2012-05-05T05:00:00.000-04:00

A very warm welcome to Homegrown Learners' first sponsor, Maestro Classics. You might remember the part they played in The 10 Days of Teaching Music, and the insightful words of Bonnie Simon.

Have you visited Maestro Classics on Facebook? Once they reach 3,000 fans they will be making a very special announcement.

In the next few weeks there will also be another special giveaway right here of our family's FAVORITE Maestro Classics CD. Stay tuned!

I'm very excited to be working with Maestro Classics to bring quality stories in music to your homeschool!

The Week of Books! ~ Collage Friday

2012-05-04T05:00:00.000-04:00

The theme of the week was BOOKS! Our local homeschool group had our used book sale. I was a seller, shopper, and volunteer. What a great morning! The sheer number of books and homeschooling moms in one place would give you the shivers... most people I saw had a glazed-over look as they entered the gym... so much potential learning crammed into one tiny space!

{ I was so busy organizing books and searching for books that I forgot to take a single picture! I did take some as I tagged my books... see what a neat spreadsheet system we had this year? I just entered my books into the spreadsheet and the tags were automatically created. }

I'm also so very thankful for our local homeschool group and how hard so many people work to make events like this possible!

As you can see, I got a lot of the classics, a wonderful art game, and our next volume of The Story of The World (in mint condition!). Lots of the books I bought aren't pictured, either! The break down was as follows:

Amount Made at Book Sale (by me): $77.00

Amount Spent at Book Sale (by me): $25.00

________

Profit (for ME!) : $52.00

We also grabbed a few books at our local library's book sale, as well. Paperbacks were .50 and hardbacks were $1.00. I had $10 in my wallet and let the kids go to town with the $10 limit. They did great. So, all in all a great book week!

On to the collages. From left to right:

1. Two exciting things happened this week. I got a new laptop (which will be wonderful all things blogging, homeschool, etc...). My husband took me to "look" on Sunday and I loved one so much I said "Can't we just get it today?". My husband said he was planning to surprise me for Mother's Day -- my response was "I'm not one for those Hallmark holidays in the first place, so why not just make it Mother's Day all year round?" (I'm pretty clever, right?)

You will also see the website on the computer is "In a Nutshell". This is a blog run by About One ~ I am writing a couple of posts a month for this site now. I have never thought of myself as a "writer" per se, but I'm now adding that word to my self descriptive vocabulary.

2. My daughter's favorite book from the past few weeks is Knight's Castle. She finished it this week and then I (the mean mother) required a book report. We've been having some motivation (ahem) issues around here. I understand this is age related, but we must keep pressing through and keeping our expectations high. Interest Led Learning is great, but you have to have INTERESTS to make that possible. I'm gently suggesting interests! We think so much about moms losing motivation in these spring months, but I think the same goes for our children as well.

* I do have to say that Miss B has expressed an interest to learn about England, so I think I'm going to put together an Adventure Box about England and let her explore.

3. GMan is going strong with his piano lessons from me. I wondered how he would do when we first started and he has amazed me... loving to practice and a very natural sense of the steady beat and musicality. It is my greatest joy to hear both of my children practice each day. (Do you remember what I said about piano lessons?)

4. Both kids have still been a bit under the weather this week. I've been trying to make lots of healthy smoothies for them. The favorite this week was the Cinnapear Smoothie!

1. I have a very neat spice cabinet. (It is probably one of the only neat places!) Guess what? It was a lesson in ALPHABETICAL ORDER!

2. After doing three chapters in The Story of The World this week we read Who Was Marco Polo?. I love all of the "Who Was" books and this one was no different. While I was reading my little guy hopped up next to me on the sofa with his LEGO bow he had made ... that stinker built a Mongolian Composite Bow. I adore homeschooling.

We also did some music notebooking with history - download the Medieval Music Notebooking pages for yourself!

3. Another history picture - map work of Marco's journeys across Europe and Asia.

Our favorite resource this week was a series of videos we discovered at the library. Countries Around The World are short videos that take children throughout a country - and they are guided by another child. We have watched Iceland, and checked out United Kingdom and Italy (in honor of Marco Polo).

All in all it was a good week... trying to get my little guy feeling better after walking pneumonia and just tying up loose ends of the school year kept us at home most of the week and not doing anything "fun". Next week I'll be the fun mom - I kind of missed her this week.

I had an email from my own mom this week that praised me for doing a good job with my own children and told me to keep up the good work on my blog. That praise meant so much to me... and in an instant I realized what it feels like to be one of my children... how much they crave praise and how they must feel when they get it from me (which isn't enough).

How was your homeschool week? Please feel free to link with me... no formal collages necessary, just a compilation of photos that tell the story of your adventures in learning.

As always, please grab my button from the sidebar or link back to this post in some way. Please visit the person who has linked ahead of you to offer encouragement and gain ideas.

Medieval Music Notebooking Pages

2012-05-03T05:00:00.000-04:00

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As we study the Middle Ages we are learning about the music of this time period. My children keep notebooks of their Story of the World activity sheets and any supplemental map work, journaling, lapbook elements, coloring, or notes.

I've asked my oldest to research music of the Middle Ages and to find out specifically about the composer Hildegard von Bingen (listen to the music here), minstrels, and the instruments used in the Middle Ages.

You can download the notebooking pages I've created. The set includes:

1. Music of the Middle Ages

2. Minstrels

3. Instruments of the Middle Ages

4. Composer - Hildegard von Bingen

Music of the Middle Ages

Please let me know if you use these notebooking pages and if you have any requests for music notebooking pages!

The Gift of Godly Play

2012-05-02T05:00:00.000-04:00

I've written before about the excellent Sunday School curriculum our little Lutheran church uses. Godly Play is a very Montessori-like approach to teaching Sunday School. My children love it, and I love teaching it and watching the way Bible stories reside in our children's hearts after repeated and intentional exposure.

A dear friend of mine at church is solely responsible for implementing this program, obtaining the resources, and advocating for Godly Play instruction. It is/was probably the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT Bible training resource in my children's lives.

Godly Play instruction in our church continues through the third grade.

{ To see a Godly Play story being told, visit Living Montessori Now, where there are lots of pictures and also videos. It is a beautiful thing to watch. It is also something that can be used in your homeschool! }

Our story last Sunday was Jesus and The Twelve... such an interesting explanation of the 12 Apostles and the story surrounding each of them. The painting of The Last Supper forms the backdrop of the story, and each Apostle is described by his shield. My favorite is John, who was supposed to drink poisoned wine, but a serpent drank it instead and saved his life. Or, there is Matthew, the tax collector, whose shield has three bags of money on it.

I never cease to be amazed at the quiet WONDER the children have as you tell the story... each story of the Apostles so intriguing and tragic.... all but one of Jesus' Apostles was killed for their belief and support of him. In a class of K-3 students this point was not lost, believe me.

The children then heard The Great Commission, from Matthew 28:

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

The children took outlines of different continents and painted, colored, or whatever their little hearts desired. We also talked about ways we could help spread the Good News.

What have you been using for telling Bible stories in your home or at your church?

Are You Guilty of Math Torture?

2012-04-30T05:00:00.000-04:00

After the 10 Days of Teaching Music, I've been missing blogging about the other subjects in our homeschool. I do hope, however, that you listen to some great music this week and decide to incorporate SQUILT time! ( Do you need a refresher course and the printable? )

After three years of homeschooling (yes, it took me that long) I've learned to CHILL OUT about math. Yes, you read that correctly. CHILL OUT.

I know math is a big concern for homeschool moms... my most popular post ever was about Unifix Cubes and math!

{ For a good two years I subjected my precious children to MATH TORTURE! }

I have one child who is very good at math and another who is average. I was the mother that would make her child do ALL of the workbook problems, and we would keep plowing through the book NO MATTER WHAT. Yes, I heard the advice from seasoned homeschool moms about math, but I didn't really LISTEN.

{ Thankfully my children have now escaped math torture. }

For what it's worth, these are the things I've learned about math instruction in our homeschool - and maybe these observations will apply to your homeschool as well.

There is no need to complete all of the problems in a math lesson. Really, if my child is great at subtraction and can complete 8-10 problems correctly, why do they need to do more? Blank problems no longer bother me.

It's perfectly fine to go at our own pace. The earth will not spin off its axis if we stop and spend a few extra days on a concept that is just covered for one day, or vice versa. Recently, I've found that we need to STOP on the concept of long division. Lots and lots of practice with this concept has helped my daughter tremendously. I found some free printable worksheets that have made it varied and colorful.
(By this same token, since one of my children is very good at math I don't make him stick to the book a whole lot.... if he's understanding more difficult concepts then I let him tackle them. He started multiplication in Kindergarten and totally understood it. In fact, he teaches me daily about how to better approach solving math problems.)

Incorporating Living Math books is a NECESSITY. Some of our favorites include the Sir Cumference Living Math Series. Another great resource Living Math. My friend Jimmie also has a list of living math resources on her blog.

Seek Out Real World Math Applications Whenever Possible. My husband and daughter have been volunteering at the concessions stand at the baseball fields ~ talk about a great way to put your math knowledge into action! This is the kind of math that REALLY COUNTS, too. I'm also putting my children in charge of baking and cooking certain things to help them with their fractions and measurement conversions. Last year we set up a candy store to work on making change - they kids had so much fun!

We play a lot of math games! There are so many games you can play with a deck of cards. We also love Yahtzee, and one of our most recent favorites is Fractazmic! for converting fractions.

In the younger grades, if my children have a firm grasp of money, time, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions they will be equipped for math in the middle grades. I am focusing on a lot of the basics and real world math... and if that means not getting to some things in our math program, that's ok. I like a math program to guide us, but it's not the end all - be all.

Now, the big question is.... are YOU guilty of math torture? Do you feel like confessing? Leave me a comment if you do (I promise there is no judgment here!) ... or if you have a great math resource to share let me know that, too.