Homegrown Learners

Collage Friday - STINK! and Too Much Rain

2012-03-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Collage Friday!
This week was truly a "homeschool collage" for us. We touched on every subject area and will end the week with a homeschool day at Turner Field (home of the Atlanta Braves). We are HUGE baseball fans, so we are all looking forward to this.

There was A LOT of reading going on this week. GMan discovered the Stink books - you know Stink, right? He's Judy Moody's younger brother. I was very impressed with these books, and G read two of them this week. My favorite thing in the second book was the glow in the dark bacon and egg pajamas! No wonder my son couldn't put them down. (I also just discovered a discussion guide to go with the first book, and it's really good - putting that on the "to do" list for next week!)
Miss B finished Saddles, Stars and Stripes: Chance of a Lifetime. I'm not sure she LOVED it, but she read it and said it was pretty good. I'm still struggling to find books for her to sink her teeth into that AREN'T Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. She has read those books several times each.

I am almost finished reading Kisses from Katie. All I can say about this book is GO GET IT AND READ IT NOW!

Yes, that would be my crockpot buckled into my van. I had to cook for co op this week -- every mom is responsible for bringing food one week, so this week I made Paula Deen's Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese and Squash Casserole (the theme for lunch was Southern Cooking). I wanted to make SURE the food stayed in place on the drive to co-op, and GMan suggested I just buckle it in. Clever boy.

1. It rained this week in Georgia. A LOT. I'm glad I have cute rain boots. That's the only good thing about so much rain.
2. Miss B and I made a very productive trip to IKEA. Did you read how this little trip and a cupcake pulled me from the homeschool abyss. Maybe you can relate?
3. My daughter is still responsible for one meal each week. This week it was VERY simple, but she learned how to put it all together from start to finish: grilled ham and cheese, fresh fruit, and chips. This is one of those "clean out the frig" meals for our family. She was a little intimidated by the griddle, but she got used to it.
4. GMan was VERY excited to begin learning cursive. Right now I'm just using some basic printables from Donna Young's site. That is working well. I may switch to Handwriting Without Tears (I used this for Miss B), but for now I'm going to try and save some money and piece my own handwriting curriculum together. Donna Young's whole site is full of great resources -- it wins my Favorite Resource This Week - thanks, Susan for hosting this linky each week!!
5. Our sweet dog, Gizmo, had a seizure Thursday morning. It came out of the blue and really scared me. Miss B is VERY close to Gizmo. (He came to us right when we took her out of school -- kind of like her first homeschooling friend.) She laid with him most of the morning to make sure he was going to be ok. Needless to say, a vet appointment has been made.
6. GMan saw this quote from MLK when we were downtown Monday. "Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve." I love that he pointed it out to me, and we all had a good discussion about what it meant. We've been learning a lot about MLK recently and I'm so happy to see them understanding what he stood for.
7. We have been reading The Railway Children aloud from the iPad. The book itself is a free download in the Kindle store. I love that I can highlight quotes and use the dictionary with a tap of my finger. This quote really struck me this week:

Grown up people, even Mothers, often make remarks that don't seem to mean anything in particular, just for the sake of saying something, seemingly.

Guilty.as.charged.
8. Both children made good progress in math this week. I'm not above a little bribery, either. They each have a favorite candy (G's is the Lego bricks pictured above) which I will let them snack on as long as they are focused during their math lesson. It seems to work. Somehow gummy worms take the edge off of reducing fractions!
9. Maple Bacon Yogurt - my new favorite - and I'm not kidding.
How's that for a collage of a week?
I'd love for you to join me this week! Feel free to link up your collage from this past week's activities. Make sure you grab the button from my sidebar and use it in your post or your sidebar, or link back to my blog in some way. I think Collage Friday is getting to be a great resource for some homeschool bloggers and that makes me very happy!

Keeping Little Hands {and Big Hands!} Busy During Read-Alouds

2012-03-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

I am a HUGE advocate of reading aloud to your children. I have posted often about this topic.

Many days go by where our biggest accomplishment is reading aloud.

That's OK with me.

I know that if my husband and I raise readers and seekers of knowledge we will be equipping them to be life long learners. If my children experience the great joys of learning alongside their parents they will pass this along to their children.

Reading aloud to your children will
last for GENERATIONS!

I know, however, that sometimes reading aloud falls into "last place" in some homeschools. There are math workbooks to complete, grammar lessons to finish, and spelling words to learn.

I've also heard moms say that it just takes too much TIME to read aloud, and why should they read aloud when their children are independent readers?

This makes me sad.

I love learning WITH my children! I am modeling good reading when I read aloud.

I have witnessed my children's vocabularies SOAR because of read-alouds. They have a frame of reference for SO MANY things in history, science, and life in general. They are turning into wonderful writers (I'm not trying to brag -- well, yes I am - brag about the benefits of reading aloud!) and speakers because of the examples they hear in GOOD BOOKS.

The biggest question I get is this: "How do your children listen for so long when you read aloud?" I'm going to try to answer that question today.

Five Ways to Keep Little Hands {and Big Hands!}

Busy During Read-Alouds

Geometric Coloring

1. Make the environment cozy. We have two big fleece throws in our family room and lots of comfy pillows. Everyone now has their own SPOT for when I read aloud! I have a good light for me and have a couple of "mood lights" to relax everyone else.

2. Coordinate read-aloud time with snack or meal time. A huge bowl of grapes or other healthy snack keeps little ones busy and quiet! My daughter (who is 10) loves to make herself a cup of tea. Many times I will also read-aloud at lunch time - I have a captive audience for 15-20 minutes; why not capitalize on that?

Viking Mask

3. Give those little hands something to do. Here are some of our favorites:

Legos

Blocks
Puzzles

Knitting/handicrafts

Coloring (check out these COOL geometric coloring sheets we've been using!)

Crafts - my kids made Viking Masks while I was reading aloud to them about The Vikings.

4. Keep notebooks for your children to work in while you read. We use Story of The World for history and my children keep a notebook. We just finished learning about Charlemagne. I challenged my kids to draw something pertaining to the story while we read and then we added it to their notebook. You can also search for free notebooking pages for whatever subject you are working on.

5. Choose interesting and fun read-alouds and BE ANIMATED while you read them. I learn about read-alouds from blogs (Amy @ Hope is the Word is my #1 resource) and just talking to other moms in our co-op. I also love Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson and Jim Trelease's Read-Aloud Handbook. I try to choose books based on the period of history we are studying, or just based on interest. My daughter has listened to many baseball greats read-alouds, and my son has listened (with great interest) to Caddie Woodlawn. I love that they share each other's passion for certain subjects!

I am always on the lookout for good books at used book sales. I have one bookshelf downstairs that is full of treasuries and books that we want to read-aloud. Notice the Childhood of Famous Americans Walt Disney book -- we are reading this now... and my kids have NO IDEA they will be going to Disney World in three weeks!

There are SO MANY POSSIBILITIES with reading aloud. I am so thankful we embrace this lifestyle of reading. I will miss reading aloud to children when my have grown and left the nest!

Do you have any read-aloud tips you'd like to share?

Linking today with Amy... click her button to see what others are reading aloud this week!

They've Been Having Fun Reading!

2012-02-29T08:25:00.000-05:00

Every now and then I have a review that is truly WONDERFUL. Reading eggs has been just that. I will admit I was skeptical at first. My children already KNOW how to read. They both read very well.

Reading eggs (and Reading Eggspress), however, is for those learning to read, and for those who LOVE to read. We have thoroughly enjoyed Reading eggs; it has been a valuable addition to our homeschool for the past few weeks.

Reading eggs is an online reading program broken into two different parts:

Reading eggs: This portion is for children preschool-7 years of age (those not reading or pre-reading). It focuses on introductory activities for reading that are fun. Since my children are not in this age range we did not use this portion. If it is anything like the section we were using, however, it was well done, clever, engaging, and motivating.

Reading Eggspress: This section is for older children (all the way through middle grades) with hundreds of reading activities and games. My children LOVED this, so I wanted to share more about it with you.

The whole program consists of a floating island, where there are four different areas to choose from: The Gym, Stadium, Library and Apartment/Mall.

The very first thing your child does is complete a reading assessment. A comprehension/word usage test is given and then their reading level is assigned for all of the games and activities. I watched my seven and ten year olds take the test, and it pegged their reading levels perfectly. This question was one of the first questions on the test (they get progressively more difficult):

Once the reading level has been determined, your child is free to ~~play~~ learn!

In the Library there were activities that dealt with (obviously) books. Children are asked to make inferences from looking at a cover of a book in COVER STORY, they practice dictionary skills in DICTIONARY, and determine CAUSE AND EFFECT.

My daughter was learning about a book "Hitler's Daughter" - which sounded so interesting to her we ordered it for her Kindle!

The Gym offered activities to literally exercise their minds. One of the games I watched my children play was a memory game which they LOVED. As my little guy put it, "I get more eggs for doing stuff, so I'm going to play a lot!"

{The "eggs" can be used to purchase things in the apartment/mall.}

Here's the gym:

In the Stadium, students have a chance to compete against the computer or against or other students. Spelling, grammar, and other questions are completed in a race against others. This was also a favorite in my house.

Finally, the Apartment and Mall is the place all the kids want to be. This where you can customize your avatar , buy things with "eggs", visit the Trophy Room, get Trading Cards, and lots more!

The biggest thing I appreciated about Reading Eggspress was that it was comprehensive. In just a short review period I witnessed my children learning about the following:

synonyms/antonyms

grammar usage

comprehension

punctuation

spelling

memorization

inference

dictionary skills

genre

.... and much more!

Pricing:

Reading eggs/Eggspress is available for $75/year. It can also be purchased for 6 months ($49.95) or monthly ($9.95). See more details on their pricing page.

Book packs can also be purchased. The books were of particular interest to my daughter. It seems to me we could make an entire reading curriculum from this one resource.

You can sign up for a 14 day trial. I would highly recommend this. I think you might just be sold. There is also a lot more information on this page.

Any questions you might have are quickly answered by customer service. I had a question about my daughter's account and my email was answered within the hour.

* I don't often purchase items we have reviewed, simply because we have used them and then we've had enough. I'm strongly considering, however, purchasing this program because my children loved it so much and were learning a huge amount each time they sat at the computer.

It is also something that frees me up to do other things... which is always good if a mom isn't feeling well or just needs to fold the laundry!! For $75/year it might just be a good investment.

To find out more, visit the TOS Crew review blog to see what my crew mates thought.

Disclaimer:I received the above named product from TOS Crew in return for my honest review. I have not been compensated in any other form.

How a Cupcake {among other things} Pulled Me From the Homeschool Abyss

2012-02-28T05:00:00.000-05:00

Last week something just wasn't right in our house.

It seemed that ~~everyone~~ I was in a funk, which definitely trickled into our homeschool. We had one really good day (a field trip), but other than that I was very discouraged all week.

I had to step away from blog reading for several days - simply because it was upsetting to me. I was starting to doubt our increasingly interest led learning style... there have been so many "curriculum" posts out there lately that it makes my head spin. I wanted to shout:

"Don't you get it? Read to your kids! Foster their interests! Make learning exciting and real to them!! No one curriculum will do that for you!"

It's hard, though, when lots of people are talking about CURRICULUM for next year, or this shiny new CURRICULUM they are reviewing. I have to remind myself that LESS is MORE and not to fall into the curriculum trap!

(Ok -- I just stepped off the soapbox.)

Add to this the fact that everything in my house felt disorganized. No one was "getting" the big things we had been working on all week. I (being very selfish) felt unappreciated. I was basically holding a pity party for myself all week, but no one else wanted to attend.

Have you ever done that?

I had thoughts of enrolling the children in a local Classical school (one day a week - but still "school" in my opinion) and even went so far as to contact the director and get more information.

In my head it boiled down to my children needing more STRUCTURE and more ACCOUNTABILITY. .... or so I thought.

It's amazing how a little organization, a lot of prayer, some encouraging texts and calls from other homeschool moms, an uplifting homeschool mom book club meeting, and a couple of days of nothing helped clear my head and give me some much needed perspective. It is so true that God's promises are new each morning. Why, though, is it so hard for me to remember that?

Saturday my husband took Miss B with him to work (he never works on Saturdays, but they are having a huge software rollout next week and needed to prepare). She helped watch some of the other little ones that had come with their parents for the day. Meanwhile, I had a very quiet day at home with GMan.... spent the morning cleaning (and making plans for our Disney surprise trip in just a few weeks!!) and then met friends for lunch and ran errands with my sweet boy.

A huge cupcake will always make me feel better!! We have a Gigi's Cupcakes here... I had resisted the urge to go, but finally gave in.

{Coconut Macaroon - oh.yum}

Sunday I declared a NOTHING day -- and while I did accomplish more cleaning and organizing, it was relaxed and productive. We had a dinner of meatloaf, carrots, and crescent rolls (my family loves this meal) in the dining room and ended the day with the first few chapters of The Railway Children. (I know I've said this before, but I think a good read-aloud cures a lot of ills. Did you see this great blog post by Sally Clarkson about reading aloud? Go read it... now! )

I knew everyone needed to be in bed early because we had to be up and out by 7:30 a.m. Monday morning. The dog had a grooming appointment, followed by a doctor's appointment for me. After lunch GMan's Lego class met in Midtown Atlanta (about an hour from our house) from 1-4, and Miss B and I would go to IKEA to get some much needed Expedit shelves for our family room.

It turns out Monday was just the day we all needed. It was one of those magical days that reaffirmed WHY WE HOMESCHOOL in the first place.

Being at the doctor at 8 a.m. on a Monday morning isn't the most exciting thing in the world, but I'm thankful for my two bookworms who read the entire time.

After the doctor, groomers, and a few errands we had enough time to come home and do math and spelling, plus roller skate for a bit.

In the van on the drive into town we listen to a fabulous audio science book!! I would HIGHLY recommend this book if you want to laugh and just learn some really interesting (and gross) stuff! This book was given to us by my sister-in-law who is a public school science teacher. She thought we would enjoy it... I would never have bought this on my own, but I'm telling you - it's informative and funny! Your boys will really like it, too.

We laughed the entire drive there.... and back!

Once downtown Miss B and I dropped G off at his Lego class (which he LOVES) and headed to IKEA. First order - LUNCH!! I couldn't get her to try the Swedish Meatballs, but mine were great!

After finishing at IKEA we still had an hour before GMan was done with his class. We parked and started walking to the building where his class was going on - but instead I decided to take a detour. I have always seen the First Church of Christ - Scientist when I am in Atlanta. I have wondered about it, but have never gone in.

We changed that today. We visited the Reading Room and met a very nice woman who told us all about her religion and invited us into the reading room. I must say that while we do not agree with many of their beliefs, we do share some similarities.

It is important for my children to know that there is more to the world than being a Lutheran in suburban Atlanta! Yes, I hope they adopt the faith they are raised in, but I want them to have an awareness of other beliefs.

We perused the reading room and learned a little about Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science.

When the woman guiding us through the reading room walked us out she told my daughter how lucky she was to be homeschooled. She looked her right in the eyes and said,

You are so lucky to have a mom who wants to spend so much time with you. I hope you know how lucky you are.

I could have HUGGED THIS WOMAN!! How did she know my daughter and I had been struggling last week? How did she know this is just what we BOTH needed to hear?

As we left to pick up G we stopped for frozen yogurt. While sharing it, my daughter asked me if she'd been extra good and what she had done to deserve such a fun day? I told her she deserved it just because I loved her - and because every now and then we just need to break out of the mold and do something different.

When we got to Camp MODA, GMan was having a great time (as usual). He had made a Lego WeDo airplane this week. He had time to "free build" and play Lego games with his friends. He was in heaven.

By the time we got home from downtown it was nearly 5:00 - just enough time to feed everyone and send my husband and G off to baseball practice.

That left enough for me to.... BUILD THE SHELVES FROM IKEA! I got two Expedits done in an hour. Woo hoo!

Now some of the homeschool clutter is under control in the family room. Yes, we have a schoolroom, but you know how that goes.... we school all over the house! We especially love to be downstairs by the fireplace and with a nice view of the bird feeders on the back deck.

The baskets contain all of our card and board games (that get used frequently). Can you tell that we love notebooking? The far shelf contains science, history, 50 states, and writing notebooks. I have another large bookshelf in the music room that houses our classics, and the shelves in the schoolroom hold all the other books.

I have a serious addiction to books!

I know it's just 2 shelving units, but it sure gave me some peace of mind! My husband and I sat downstairs when the kids went to bed and just enjoyed the organization and QUIET.

Homeschool isn't always a bed of roses. Some days it is the LAST THING I WANT TO BE DOING. But I always know that it is what I SHOULD BE DOING. The best things in this life aren't easy. We were never promised easy though, were we?

I'm thankful for those magical days that make the hard ones fade into the distance!

How is your homeschooling going right now? Are you in the late winter slump? I'd love to know...

My First Devotional ~ Our Favorite Bible Resource

2012-02-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

This has been the scene in my home for many nights now...

He's been reading until he can't keep his eyes open.

I was thrilled to receive My First Devotional, published by Thomas Nelson, for my seven year old son.

He reads a story to me each night, and then wants to keep reading more! The funny illustrations, humor, interesting facts, and mysteries keep his interest peaked. I like the scripture references and discussion topics to apply each short story to HIS own life.

There are just over 75 pages of devotions - and each little story is 3-4 pages. Each devotion is broken down into the sections:

Who? Me? - how this relates to the reader
Bible Verse - additional scriptural reference
Did you Know? - interesting facts
Challenge - applying the word to the reader's life.. thinking more deeply
Prayer

Included in "Did You Know?" are interesting facts such as:

Archaeologists have proven Jericho's destruction happened at the end of the fifteenth century BC - precisely the time when the Bible says it happened.

and

In ancient Greece and Rome, fried locusts, cicadas, and grasshoppers were considered superior to the best meat or fish. Locusts are a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals and are still eaten in Asia today.

It is little facts like this that my son LATCHES ONTO and loves to share! I'm sure I'm not alone in having a little one who ~~obsesses~~ takes great interest in something.

Take a look at the flip book to see for yourself what a great resource this is for your young children (I would think ages 5-10 would be perfect - a bit older or younger depending upon the child). I consider this to our FAVORITE BIBLE RESOURCE right now for my little guy!

I'm thankful to be a Tommy Nelson Mommy, and thankful to be able to share some wonderful Christian training resources with you!

Collage Friday - Field Trip!

2012-02-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

This week has been one of preparing for Lent, spending a lot of time with math, getting to know about several Presidents, and also taking a special field trip. Most of our reading centered around Presidents. We read a biography of John F. Kennedy and also one of George Washington. We still have Lincoln's to finish next week. The "Who Was..... ?" series is my Favorite Resource This Week! (I found them on sale at Sam's Club - 2 for $5!)

Most of the local school children are on "winter break", which means it's a perfect time for us to be doing school! We will take a two week break at the end of March, so we are going full steam ahead right now. This time of the year is typically hard, and this year is no exception. Our homeschool is busy, my husband's job is exceedingly busy, and it seems as if everyone is overwhelmed. I am trying to say NO a lot and make plenty of time for play and rest.

I had a Mission of Motherhood bookclub meeting this week, too - this group of homeschool moms has been such an encouragement to me. I feel blessed beyond measure to live in an area where there is such support for homeschooling. It's very nice to spend a couple of hours with like minded moms, talking about training our children for Christ.

I have to thank Nicole, from Journey to Excellence, for blogging about Pic Collage - an app for iPad that makes creating collages a SNAP! (IT'S FREE!) I made three fun collages today in about 15 minutes. So, if you're an iPad user this is a good way to join Collage Friday. If not, using PhotoBucket still works wonders.

Does anyone have any other ways to make collages I don't know about?

Now for the collages... I had fun making them this week! I chose to just highlight our field trip to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Little White House, since it was by far our FAVORITE activity this week!

The weather was 75 and sunny (it's February!!) and we were basically the only people at The Little White House. This allowed us a lot of time to talk with the tour guides and hear interesting stories. Most of these people have lived near Warm Springs their entire lives and have great stories to tell.

The Little White House (in Warm Springs, GA - about an hour from where we live) is truly "little". What made this trip special was hearing from Granddaddy (my husband's father) before we left. He told the children about how he remembers seeing FDR (my father-in-law was born in 1933) driving his car and stopping to talk with people. Granddaddy grew up in rural Alabama, not far from the Little White House. What a neat memory.

After touring The Little White House and the museum we could just about picture what my father-in-law had seen. I was so impressed with what a "people's President" FDR was and his sympathy and concern for the poor of this country. Several exhibits focused on The New Deal and his innovations for a country pulling out of the Great Depression.

His love of children (especially children stricken by Polio) was quite obvious, too. We also saw footage of him playing water polo in the pool at Warm Springs with many children - we heard he loved the children there and many of them didn't even realize he was the President of the United States!

The museum before you visit the house is very interesting:

1. GMan posing outside the museum

2. FDR's favorite car - we also got to see how the car had been specially designed (by FDR himself) with hand controls.

3. Lots of information about FDR's life in Georgia - as America was trying to pull itself out of the Depression, FDR being in Georgia put him in touch with common Americans. He was shocked at the lack of education, training, and money.

4. The timeline as you enter the museum is well done and informative. Since Miss B is taking a President's class at our co-op she was very interested in this.

5. You could feel the WARM springs temperature (on the left) and the normal springs temperature (on the right). FDR found much relief in the warm springs here in Georgia. There is still an extensive therapy/rehab center in Warm Springs today.

6. Simulating "Fireside Chats" - how cool is that?

7. The children counted the canes FDR received as gifts over the years - over 100 in all. They were all hand carved and beautiful examples of American folk art. This was my favorite part of the day.

The Flag Walk was also very interesting. I hope you can see that there were 50 flags on this path. For each state there was a sampling of stone from that state, along with a plaque containing the state emblem and date of statehood.

This was just PERFECT for our 50 states study. The kids were so excited to go from state to state and recognize shapes, mottos, and feel the stones. I think Hawaii (the upper right - volcanic ash) was their favorite.

I want to close with two pictures that have a lot of meaning for us. The first is from the very end of the tour... this man, so obviously distraught after FDR's passing, made an impression on us. As we stood looking at this photo, my sweet G put his arm around me and told me his "eyes felt wet".

The second is the unfinished portrait of FDR. He had a stroke at The Little White House while he was sitting for a portrait... he died that same day and the portrait was packed away and never finished. I think it's amazing. Miss B said this was her favorite thing of the day.

How was your week? I'd love for you to leave a comment and/or link a collage. Reading these collages over the weekend gives me so many ideas for our homeschool. Please be sure to grab the button from my sidebar and use it somewhere in your post or on your blog. Also - visit some other blogs in the linky and leave them a comment!

*** I have updated the button code for Collage Friday so that it now points to my Collage Friday page on the top menu. Please grab the new button code if you'd like!! ***

Have a wonderful weekend!

Something To Pamper Myself

2012-02-23T23:20:00.000-05:00

The latest review for the TOS Review Crew had absolutely nothing to do with my children. It had everything to do with me - and I LIKED THAT!! I know that sounds a bit selfish, but every now and then it's just nice to have something for MYSELF that pampers me just a little bit!

When the review package came in the mail the kids anxiously watched me open it -- my daughter thought it was for HER and I quickly scurried the items into my bathroom and declared them MINE! (very mature, huh?)

Beeyoutiful's goal is to help you "bridge the nutritional gap between our modern diet and our bodies' nutritional need". All of the products on their site are all natural - and range from skin and hair products to nutritional supplements. If you have a specific health concern, chances are there is something there to help you.

I received two products from Beeyoutiful - and I love each of them!

The All-Natural Orange Lip Balm is the only lip balm that has worked on my chapped lips. Right now I have a terrible cold, and I have kept the lip balm in my pocket so I can have it with me at all times. It lasts for a long time and smells REALLY good. At a price of $3.00 (or if you buy more than 3 you get them for $2.70 each) that is much cheaper than another popular brand I buy. I also notice they have Peppermint Lip Balm, too!

The second product is the Milk and Honey Facial Bar. This gentle cleansing bar smells so nice and fresh and keeps my skin smooth and not too dry in the winter months. The facial bar combines bee products and goat's milk. This bar costs $10 - which I would pay in a heart beat for such a quality product.

The entire Beeyoutiful website has lots of wonderful things for you to check out - I know you won't be disappointed in their complete line of skin and health supplements.

To read more reviews from my crew mates, please visit the crew blog!

Disclaimer:I received the above named product from TOS Crew in return for my honest review. I have not been compensated in any other form.

Fun With Fractions

2012-02-22T09:02:00.001-05:00

Both children have been working with fractions. GMan has been learning the very basics (numerator, denominator, shading in the fractional parts). Miss B has been comparing fractions, working with mixed numbers and improper fractions, and reducing fractions.

Rather than stay in the math book (which gives my children the BASIC understanding), I decided to seek out Living Books and interesting activities to make our study of fractions more FUN and APPLICABLE.

In addition to these resources I've just been trying to make the children aware of how we use fractions in everyday life... and isn't this the best thing about homeschooling? Our children are living EVERYDAY LIFE with us and we have the opportunity to use every singe teachable moment!!

1. The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Fractions Book - a very basic fraction book, but it's enough to get the children inspired and listening! I actually did some activities beyond the book, too.

2. The Phantom Tollbooth - we actually read this a few weeks ago and when they were talking about fractions I could see the smiles on my children's faces... if you're studying fractions this is a great read-aloud that will show your children how fractions work in real life.

3. Go, Fractions! - I love this reader book, and my little guy did, too.

4. Apple Fractions - by the same author of the Hershey Bar Fractions book - I thought this book was slightly better.

5. Fractazmic! We reviewed this card game a few months ago and it's coming in handy now!

6. Homeschool Share Chocolate Unit Study - this incorporates A LOT of math activities, and a great minibook about fractions, too.

7. Baking cookies - our favorite recipe we made was Nestle's Tollhouse Cookies.

8. Hands-On Fractions - a Squidoo Lens by Jimmie, of Jimmies Collage - TONS of great ideas here, with fraction bar printables and notebooking thoughts.

9. We incorporated fractions with a literature fair project for GMan - he read The Chocolate Touch and used that book as a basis for a project all about chocolate (which then led to fractions as well) -- I don't think he'll be forgetting this any time soon!

10. MathArt Projects & Activities - We received this book for Christmas and next week will make some fraction flags from it... looks like a very good resource.

Linking with the following:

Shrove Tuesday and A Collection of Lenten Ideas

2012-02-21T08:29:00.000-05:00

image credit

Today is Shrove Tuesday. Traditionally this day marks the last day of indulgence before Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent). We will be making pancakes tonight in honor of the day before Lent.

Beginning tomorrow we will be a bit more somber and reflective about our faith and about Jesus' death on the cross. I have printed a Lenten calendar for each of my children and will be doing a special activity each week with them to dig deeper into the true meaning of Lent.

These next couple of months will be spent focusing on some of our harder academics "buckling down" a bit more. I want everything to take on a more serious and reflective tone in our home (not losing the wonder, mind you - just adopting a slightly more pensive attitude).

No, my family isn't Catholic - but we are Lutheran (which is almost Catholic but not quite!), so we Lent is perhaps the most important season of our church year.

I heard a couple of years ago maybe we should focus on taking something ON for Lent rather than giving something up. I take this to mean perhaps we should adopt more of a spirit of self control, generosity, and thoughtfulness during these 40 days of Lent. It's not about giving up chocolate or Coke!

I love this list of 40 Ideas for Lent by Rachel Held Evans... you will get some wonderful ideas here.

One resource we will be revisiting is Amon's Adventure - we read this last year and it was an amazing gift to our entire family.

I also found a craft for Jesus' Crown of Thorns - which we will be making this weekend and then pulling out the thorns when a child does something loving, caring, or generous for someone else.

Do you observe Lent in your homeschool? What will you be doing over the next 40 days to prepare for the Resurrection of our Lord?

The Literature Fair - Part 1 (I created a Squidoo Lens!)

2012-02-19T15:24:00.000-05:00

The 2012 Homeschool Literature Fair was a great success!

I promised I would write about each of the children's projects. I hope you can gain some ideas for your own homeschool and get inspired to dive even DEEPER into quality living books.

Miss B's book this year was The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong. I have created my very first Squidoo Lens (this has been a goal of mine for several months now!) about the book which you can see by clicking here.

I'm so proud of my daughter - she won 2nd place in her age group this year! What makes me even more proud is that she completed this project independent of me... from the writing and typing of her book and research report, to painting the "school" and putting together her own display board.

One of Miss B's closest friends won first place in their age group. It did my heart good to see my daughter being more happy for her friend than she was for herself. Her friend (pictured below) dressed up as Effie (from The Hunger Games) and did a fabulous project. (Now, I fall into the category of moms who won't let their children read The Hunger Games, but that is neither here nor there... this child did a great job and deserved first place!)

The requirements for the literature fair included a log book, research report, book report, bibliography, tri fold display board, and a "hands-on" project. My daughter chose to construct and paint a model of the school from her book. She also made all of the characters and a nice little display of tulips (since the book takes place in Holland).

As we walked the fair we took pictures of some of our favorites --- as you can see, some of the upper grades projects were AMAZING! With OVER 70 STUDENT PARTICIPATING, there wasn't time to snap shots of all of them, but these stood out to my children:

Stay tuned later this week for GMan's project - inspired by The Chocolate Touch!

Collage Friday - The Week of the Literature Fair

2012-02-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

What a blur... that's all I can say about this week!

TONS of learning occurred, but my house is messy and we have had no schedule whatsoever. The Homeschool Literature Fair is today and we have been knee deep in finishing projects and completing research!

I have to admit I've been a little crabby because of the lack of "structure" - I think this is what one would call a week of personal growth? (There was one day this week that was glorious - read about it here.)

{ The news here in Georgia this week was that President Obama has let the state out of meeting its requirements for No Child Left Behind. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I'm not really sure, and to be quite honest with you I have stopped keeping up with the political nonsense that surrounds the precious lives of the nation's children. Perhaps I should be more informed - but I really like to keep my blood pressure down. }

I saw this cartoon (snagged it from Facebook) and thought about what is going on right now in most public schools. Amid all of our chaos here this week it put things into perspective!

Now for the collage...

1. GMan helped me grocery shop on Sunday afternoon. We needed many things for his literature fair research (it's all about chocolate and The Chocolate Touch!). I was so proud of him keeping up with the list. I use Plan to Eat, which makes shopping so easy!

2. Miss B spent a large chunk of the weekend painting her school for her project (The Wheel on the School). I am so pleased with her independence and creativity. This book will be remembered by her for the rest of her life. I'll blog about their projects more fully next week.

3. I loved finding the Old Fashioned Hershey Bars for an activity we did with fractions. Who knew there was a Hershey Bar Fractions Book?!?!

4. At the library GMan found a Lego book - The Lego Ideas Book. Wow! What a find. He and Miss B stayed up late one night working on their own house (which came from an idea in the book). As I type this, GMan is in his room trying to build a Lego chess set. I love it! Ever since I received a poor evaluation from G I've been trying to let him lead the way a little more with his learning - and it's working. His first Lego WeDo class is Monday, so we will make the trek to downtown Atlanta for the afternoon - I can't wait to see how he likes it, and Miss B and I will get to have a little time together while he's in class.

5. We made molded chocolates (for the literature fair AND Valentine's Day) and used this handy little book by Wilton. We have also worked our way through Download N Go's Chocolate Challenge. What an awesome resource! It wins Favorite Resource This Week! We have done another Download N Go study and will be doing more!

6. More research... Nestle's Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies. Henri Nestle was an interesting chocolatier!

7. The kids helped pack a Valentine basket for a family in need (with 11 children)! Miss B and I went to Wal-Mart over the weekend and stocked up. She realized how much more we needed to buy than we usually do just for the four of us. GMan's Sunday School teacher delivered the basket to the family on Valentine's Day. We had a nice dinner out for Valentine's Day - with not a single picture taken. I told you my week has been a little crazy.

8. This one just made me smile. For a few days we had very cold weather - a baseball practice for 90 minutes in 30 degree weather is tough, but apparently the boys did great. GMan was giving me his game face - he claimed it wasn't cold at all.

9. Some computer schooling was done this week. We are reviewing K5 Learning and a favorite thing was completing enough spelling words to earn a La Linnea movie. They are pretty cute (and I didn't tell my kids you can just watch them on YouTube... I figured if they would spell 50 words to watch a three minute movie, then FINE!).

How was your week? I hope you can make a collage and link up this week. By Sunday of each week there are lots of wonderful collages, so be sure to keep checking back. I am gaining SO MANY IDEAS from my fellow bloggers! Thank you!

*linking with Susan, for Favorite Resource this Week; Kris, for The Weekly Wrap-Up, and Dawn for Camera Phone Friday.

A Day of Mystery Reading

2012-02-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

Read to Me

By Jane Yolen

Read to me riddles and read to me rhymes,

Read to me stories of magical times.

Read to me tales about castles and kings.

Read to me stories of fabulous things.

Read to me pirates and read to me knights,

Read to me dragons and dragon-book fights.

Read to me spaceships and cowboys and then,

When you are finished - please read them again!

There is a preschool where both Miss B and GMan spent many days. I was so fortunate to find this sweet little school (which wound up being where we would go to church as well) and it occupied a very special place in our lives for five years. I like to tell the director that this preschool ruined my children for public school!

In that time I watched my children learn to read, develop friendships, and form relationships with teachers that still love and care about them to this day. When they walked into the building they received hugs, kisses and warmth.

For me, being a part of the school was a HUGE part of my life. I was always very active in their classes, and for two years served as the president of the preschool board. When I was very ill one year the entire staff and many parents rallied around me and took care of my children, fed my family, and even dried a few of my own tears.

Just a few weeks ago this school mourned the loss of one of its former students...it was an enormous comfort to sit at this sweet child's funeral with a strong, Godly group of women. I hated that we were there ~ but I was thankful I was there WITH them.

{I hope you can tell this place is TREASURED by my family. I am THANKFUL for these "roots" for my children - and thankful for this school that helped me in the early years with my children.}

My children had the pleasure to "Mystery Read" to each of the classes... which meant they were the surprise guest in the class. We spent some time earlier in the week choosing books we thought the little ones would like. (Just going through their picture books took up an hour and we have been reading them all week - it's like visiting old friends.) Miss B was also asked to play piano for opening chapel... the very same chapel she attended six years ago!

They read to each class. As you can see, Miss B is much more experienced! GMan was very intent on READING the book, and I had to remind him to stop and show the class the pictures and to pull the book down from his face. By the time the morning was over he was engaging the class and making silly faces for them.

The teachers thanked the children profusely - most of all they were thankful for their students getting to see children who learned to READ and read well.

Our Favorite Preschool Read-Alouds:

It's My Turn Smudge!

Harry The Dirty Dog

Hot Rod Hamster

Llama Llama Red Pajama

Not This Bear!

(If you ever get the chance to purchase Not This Bear!, jump on it! This is a wonderful old book - we read my copy from childhood. It is one of our favorite books of all time!)

I treated the kids to a few books from the used bookstore across the street and also a chocolate croissant from The Fresh Market. I stumbled across Stories of Roland Told to the Children for $.89, too!

I had to laugh because I told the kids before going into the bookstore to remember that "mom only goes for deals"... meaning I will only buy used books that are CHEAP. GMan saw a brand new Lego sticker book and asked the woman working in the store if "it was a deal"!

After a full morning we came home - it was nearly 70 degrees outside, so we sat on the deck and finished Son of Charlemagne (another GREAT read!) and called it a day.

Have I mentioned how I LOVE homeschooling?? (I might also mention I'm EXHAUSTED this week, but I guess that goes with the territory!)

A Guest Post ~ Interest Led Learning

2012-02-14T06:53:00.000-05:00

I've written so much recently about "Interest Led Learning" in our homeschool. Maybe this is something that interests you, too - and you want to learn more about this way to truly INSPIRE curiosity in your children.

I'm very excited to have Christina Pilkington, the creator of Interest-Led Learning, guest posting today. Thank you, Christina, for sharing your thoughts at Homegrown Learners!

How did you grow up learning? Did you spend a lot of time with textbooks? Did you have to complete endless workbooks? How many projects or assignments came out of your own curiosity and how many were assigned because a teacher thought you needed to learn it because you were now 12 years old?

I used to be a public and private school teacher. I started out assigning questions to answer, papers to write and projects to complete the same way I had to do when I was younger. It really was all I knew at that point.

Then gradually I grew to hate the horrid monotony of that learning ? even though I wasn't doing the actual assignments myself! So, I started bringing in more games and asking the kids what projects they wanted to do. Little by little I came to realize that when the kids brought in their own questions and their own ideas, my days were calmer and I really enjoyed what I was doing.

When I had my own kids, I knew I wanted their days to be centered on exploring their own questions and learning more about the world in interesting ways. I didn't want the pre-planned lessons, the textbooks or anything that didn't make learning come alive or wasn't relevant to their everyday life.

It's a scary thing to throw out strict lesson plans, to not follow a pre-planned curriculum, and to follow your child's lead. But when you see it working, when you see the joy and connections that come from living life to the fullest, from immersing your family in your community and the wider world as much as possible, it?s such an amazing, wonderfully natural way to live and learn.

You might be saying, "Well, that sounds nice, but I need something a little more practical. Can you give me some specific things I can do to make that work?

Sure! Here are five ways that you can create an interest-led learning environment in your house.

1. Develop a deep curiosity and imagination of your own.

We?re all born intensely curious about our world. We have to be otherwise we?d never survive, right? But it seems like for many people, after about the age of 6 or so, that curiosity often disappears or at least loses most of its intensity.

But it doesn?t have to be that way. If you?re able to stay home and learn with your children, you?ve been given a huge blessing. Not only do you get to spend a lot of time bonding with your kids and learning with them, but you get to learn the things you?ve always been curious about but never had time to explore before, too!

The next time you find yourself wondering about something, look it up. Read about it, watch DVDs about it, and find ways to do it. Show your kids how many questions you have. Show them how many things you?re interested in, too. I share as much as I can with my kids about the things that excite me. Most of the time, they want to jump right in and explore those same things with me, too.

2. Observe your kids closely to see what excites them, what they're passionate about and what keeps them asking questions.

This seems like an easy thing to do, but when our lives are really busy, we often forget those things that we wanted to remember if we don?t write them down.

I?m a writer so I?m used to keeping a notepad (now on my iPhone) where I write down ideas. So now I?ve trained myself to write down the questions my kids bring up (usually the ones where they ask about the same topic over and over again), the things they get excited about when we?re out on a trip, and the things that they want to do a lot.

It?s fun to look at that list every so often and see if you can find a pattern in their interests. What seems like a hodge-podge of interests at first usually have an underlying theme or skill set somewhere.

3. Respect your child's individual timetable for learning new skills and knowledge.

This is so important. The biggest thing in non-coercion learning is not pushing your kids to do something they really don?t want to do.

If they are reluctant to read, they might not be ready for it, or they might not have found things to read that really excite them. If your child doesn?t want to learn to read yet, just surround him with lots of books and print. Read a lot, listen to a lot of audio books, and occasionally, and gently, ask him if he wants to sit down and try to read with you. Find as many books about the subjects that interest your kids. If they don?t want to read them, ask them if they?d like you to read them out loud instead.

If your child really doesn?t like to do math, get to the heart of the reason why. Do they not like doing a lot of writing? Would they like playing games and doing lots of mental math instead? Does the math you?re introducing have any relevance to their lives? How can you introduce some math concepts that involve projects, activities or goal they already have going on? Do they love the computer? Are there any really great computer games that they would like to play?

Introduce skills and topics in a gentle way. If there?s resistance, then either find another way to approach the same skill or topic, or simply drop it for now. Just because they?re not interested now doesn?t mean they never will be.

Also, always ask, is this really essential for them to know to be successful as an adult in no matter what profession they choose? If it isn?t, is it that important that they do it in the first place?

4. Dedicate time to introducing as much of the world as you can to your kids.

For me, interest-led learning doesn?t mean I wait until my kids ask to learn something new before I introduce it to them. How are our kids going to ask questions about World War II if they?ve never heard anyone talk about World War II before? How will they know they have a natural gift for sailing if they?ve never been on a boat before?

Obviously, you can?t introduce all there is that?s interesting and good in the world to your kids. Even if they had a dozen lives to live, they?d never come close to discovering all this world has to offer.

But you can always keep your eyes open for the new and different. Look for things that interest you, too. Look for things you know your kids haven?t been introduced to yet.

Don?t necessarily discount the list of things that public school children are required to learn either. You might want to scan through the standards of your state as a way to get ideas of topics you might not have thought of otherwise. Don?t use them as your curriculum ? instead show the topics and skills to your kids and find out which ones they find interesting.

5. Be open to seeing the learning that happens in everything.

For one day, write down all of the different activities you kids did that day- even those that are routine. Then look at each activity and challenge yourself to find at least 5 ways they were learning through that activity. This might be easy to do if they are sitting on the couch reading The Giver, but what if they are watching an episode of Scooby-Doo, or taking a bath, or dropping off a letter at the mailbox with you?

I honestly believe there is learning in everything we do. You can learn just as much as watching something on TV as you can by practicing a math problem.

I think the problem comes when we get stuck in a rut and just do the same things over and over again. Reading for days on end can be just as unhealthy as watching TV for days on end.

See the learning that happens in everything your children are doing. Look for ways to extend and connect the things they are learning to other things they are learning and to new things you come across.

Thank you, Christina.... now I'm curious... how many of you are pursuing Interest-Led learning in your homeschool? We are finding ourselves learning this way more and more!! It's very exciting!

Christina lives a life of passion, adventures and connections with her husband and 5 year old boy/girl twins. She has written an e-book called A Thrift Store Curriculum which you can get for free when you sign up for her newsletter. You can also connect with her at Twitter and Facebook.

*Image courtesy cogdogblog

These Make Me Smile

2012-02-13T09:18:00.002-05:00

There are times when I just cannot believe how quickly my children are growing. Looking back at pictures brought me to these of my son... particularly the first Valentine picture.

This was SIX YEARS AGO. Oh my goodness. Where does the time go?

Looking at these must MAKES ME SMILE. I'm going to look through my photo archives for some magical pics of Miss B next!

*On a side note -- if you can leave me a comment I would appreciate it... I have recently removed DISQUS (it never integrated with my Blogger comments fully and I'm tired of trying to fix it!).... and now I'm hoping I can revert back to Blogger commenting without a problem.

Streamlining Weekly Planning... Easy Ideas For Valentine's Day

2012-02-12T14:51:00.000-05:00

It's going to be one of those crazy busy weeks here - two afternoons of teaching piano, one day of co-op, another morning where the children will play piano and read to classes at our former preschool, preparing dinner for a family in need, AND preparing for the Homeschool Literature Fair on Friday! Oh, and somewhere in there I need to get some serious piano practice in because I will be subbing for our church pianist next Sunday!

Our weeks are not usually this busy, and it got me to thinking about the importance of PLANNING.

I wanted to share a planning tool I'm using to make the week run more smoothly:

I spend time each Saturday or Sunday getting my menu plan set with Plan to Eat and importing my recipes for the week. {Plan to Eat has revolutionized my life and I'm not kidding. You can try it for a month for free! and if you use the link I gave I will get a small credit on my account!}

Basically, you can add your own recipes to Plan to Eat, or you can import recipes from almost any website with their nifty little button on your toolbar. Those recipes go into your recipe box and you can then click and drag them onto the calendar for the week. My husband can log into Plan To Eat and know what we're having for dinner (so he doesn't have pizza for lunch and then pizza for dinner!). You can also keep a shopping list on Plan to Eat (more about that later).

I am using my Pinterest Yummy Goodness board and adding those recipes into Plan to Eat; I can then add them to my planner for this week and it AUTOMATICALLY CREATES MY SHOPPING LIST. I love this! I also have a few friends who use Plan to Eat now - I can view their recipes and add them to my queue if I wish.

I do think it's worth your time to investigate Plan to Eat - it is just $4.99/month (even less than that if you pay for the whole year). It saves me in time and I always have what I need for my recipes!

I also want to celebrate Valentine's Day with my children.

Once again, Pinterest to the rescue!! I've found a few cute ideas (you can see all my pins for Valentine's Day here) that we'll definitely be doing:

Morning Read-Aloud Time: How about some Cinnamon Cider and Valentine themed read-alouds?

Valentine Math: I think we will play Valentine Yahtzee!

Learning About St. Valentine: We read a Living Book about St. Valentine a few months ago, but I found a nice story about him along with a follow up worksheet that we will do.

Of course my children will LOVE BEING BOOKWORMS on Valentine's Day, too!

Dinner: I needed something quick because I teach piano on Tuesday afternoons/evenings. I found a recipe for Tuscan Pasta With Tomato Basil Cream; this along with a nice bottle of wine... followed by a make your own Sundae Bar.

*I was not asked by Plan to Eat to write this post. Any sign ups from the links in this post result in a small credit to my Plan to Eat Account. I have received no other compensation.

What Exactly is ALEKS?

2012-02-11T14:20:00.000-05:00

The latest review for The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew is ALEKS: Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces.

I had always heard a lot about ALEKS... through reviews and other things out there in the blog-land. I never, however, quite understood what it was about. According to ALEKS:

Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces is a Web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system. ALEKS uses adaptive questioning to quickly and accurately determine exactly what a student knows and doesn't know in a course. ALEKS then instructs the student on the topics she is most ready to learn. As a student works through a course, ALEKS periodically reassesses the student to ensure that topics learned are also retained. ALEKS courses are very complete in their topic coverage and ALEKS avoids multiple-choice questions. A student who shows a high level of mastery of an ALEKS course will be successful in the actual course she is taking.

To put it in much more simple terms - ALEKS assesses your child's knowledge and adjusts the instruct accordingly. In this way it is supposed to target your child's exact needs.

ALEKS offers many different instructional options, but for this review we just looked at the homeschool portion. If you want to learn more about ALEKS, click here.

The basics of the homeschool program:

ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) can provide you with the instruction and support you need to homeschool your children in mathematics for grades 3-12. ALEKS is accessible from virtually any computer with Internet access, making it a flexible and mobile educational solution for your children.
ALEKS is a Research-Based Online Math Program:
Complete Curriculum Solution for Math with Access to Full Course Library
No Textbook Required
Artificial Intelligence Targets Gaps in Student Knowledge
Assessment and Individualized Learning for Grades 3-12
Master Account - Monitor and Direct Learning Progress
Unlimited Online Access - PC & Mac Compatible

An additional feature is the QuickTables, which is basically a math facts drill for grades 3 and up.

As you can see, once a student completes an assessment, it gives them a pie -- clearly outlining what they already know and what needs work. In this way, the instruction is incredibly focused and accurate.

Here is an example of what a typical screen would look like... everything must be read by the student. I think my little guy might have liked some of it read to him, even though he is a fluent reader. I didn't see anywhere that there was an option to have the lesson read to you.

As a parent you will be able to see EXACTLY what your child has completed. Here is a view from QuickTables:

Pricing:

* $19.95 per student/month OR
*$99.95/6 months or
*$179.95/12 months

You can sign up for a free 2 MONTH trial here.

Our opinion:

From the get-go (which was an initial assessment for each child), the interface was difficult for them. It is very "academic" - and by that I mean no bells and whistles for kids.

I found myself needing to sit with them and instruct along with the computer, which in some ways defeats the purpose of computer instruction.

I can see where this would be good for older children, but for my elementary aged students it just didn't cut it.

The focused instruction and intelligent design of each lesson is appealing... everything is very well done... just not for my little ones at this point.

If you are looking for serious math instruction with no "extras" this might be for you. There are many features that make it appealing for parents - accurate record keeping being the biggest plus.

You can see what other crew members are saying here.

* I received this product via The TOS Review Crew in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was received.

Collage Friday - More and More Interest Led Learning

2012-02-10T08:30:00.001-05:00

Lots of learning... I made a few small collages so I could share by topic what we have been up to this week.

1. LOTS of history... Son of Charlemagne is a story we are all enjoying! We have also read the section about Charlemagne is Trial and Triumph (a book recommended in the Ambleside Online curriculum).

2. Ronald Regan's birthday was this week. GMan noticed it on a calendar and pulled out the President's book to read about him... then Miss B did a Regan notebooking page to go in her notebook for the Presidents class at co op. More and more of this spontaneous learning is happening in our house!

3. More history - the maps in Story of the World are wonderful. We also watched The Dark Ages on Netflix and it was a SUPERB review of the first 15 chapters of Volume 2.

4. GMan and I took a walk during Miss B's piano lesson. We observed all of the foliage that was blooming EARLY - and there was A LOT. We especially wanted to identify this tree. We used our Handbook of Nature Study when we got back to the van to learn some more about what we had seen and I also took pictures so we could remember. I was struck during the walk how blessed we are to have the TIME to admire God's creation. I know this learning cannot occur within the confines of a traditional school.

1. GMan reported for spring training this week... he is a Cardinal this season - playing with the same team he did in the fall. This child LOVES baseball! I think I have two baseball fanatics in the house (my husband coaches and plays fantasy ball).

2. Lincoln Logs were used a lot this week... in observance of the upcoming President's Day, GMan wanted to build Abe Lincoln's house.

3. Did I mention history? Both children love history notebooking. While listening to Son of Charlemagne, GMan made this drawing of Charlemagne's family... if this isn't a case for "living history", I don't know what is.

4. GMan is growing up - he takes the dog out each morning and has been helping more around the house. This week he tackled the garbage can proudly.

Miss B's favorite thing these days is crafting. She made chocolate lip gloss for Valentine's Day (did you read the post?). She is also making rolled flowers in her "Beautiful Things" class at co op. She has a whole crafting station set up at the desk her in her room. She has invited two friends over to craft with her - what fun!

The piano is never quiet in our house... between my giving piano lessons and Miss B's practicing. She will be in a competition (Federation) in a few short weeks and is working on her pieces diligently.

She and her dad also went to the Chick Fil-A Daddy Daughter Date Night last weekend. I look at this picture and feel so many things - mostly fear at how quickly she is growing! I am grateful for the relationship my husband and daughter share.

Chick Fil-A is a Christian fast food chain (if you're not familiar with them) and they do so much good in our community. Especially impressive this past weekend was the fact that they dedicated the date nights to our son's friend who passed away three weeks ago. My husband said there was a large picture of our sweet friend and her father as you came into the restaurant.

When I can find the words, I want to write about a few things my son has shared with me about his friend, and how I KNOW I can see the hand of God working in G's life. It's truly amazing, but for now I just can't bring myself to blog about it.

Other highlights of the week include spending tons of time with fractions! Reducing fractions, comparing fractions, and improper fractions. Miss B understands them and is doing well, but she doesn't love it. I have some fun fraction activities I will pull out in a couple of weeks to cement the concept.

We continue to make our way through Writing With Ease and Spelling Workout. I am noticing, however, that there is LESS and LESS learning from curriculum and MORE and MORE interest led learning. A little voice in the back of my mind questions this, but a bigger voice is cheering me on. Do you know what I mean??

Literature Fair is next Friday, so the upcoming week will be spend finishing our projects, working on displays, and writing reports.

We also started listening to The Saturdays. It's my favorite resource this week because I downloaded it onto my iPhone and we listen in the car and also in the afternoons during quiet time. We have an abundance of iTunes money from Christmas and I wanted to spend it wisely... the audiobooks are expensive, but VERY nice. Have you used them?

Speaking of books, a friend and I were commenting that we get most of our reading selections now from Writing With Ease. The Saturdays was GMan's selection last week and the selection last week for Miss B was Swiss Family Robinson. Based on the snippet in the lessons, she thought the book sounded good - and it was available as a free download on her Kindle. She has almost completed the book this week and keeps telling me how good it is. I may need to read it next!

Whew - what a long winded post. I hope you made it to the end and gained a few ideas along the way.

I hope you can join me for Collage Friday... please link up your collage below and then grab the button or mention this somewhere in your Collage post. Be sure to visit other bloggers in the linky - so many wonderful ideas to be shared!

{Linking with Susan, for Favorite Resource this Week, Dawn, for Camera Phone Friday, and Kris, for The Weekly Wrap Up}

I'm also joining Moments 2 Remember for the first time this week... looks like fun!

The JOYS of Homeschooling (Chocolate Lip Gloss and Civil War Bridges)

2012-02-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

I don't think you have any idea what JOYS homeschooling holds until you have been at it for some time.

After three years I am finally embracing my children's desires and teaching (well, really it's facilitating) to their hearts.

I am immensely grateful for this lifestyle we live. I am grateful for a husband that makes it all possible. I am grateful for a hugely supportive community. It seems like everywhere I turn someone is starting to homeschool or asking me about homeschool.

Remember when I talked about being a homeschool ambassador? I feel that is my God given mission right now: to share the joys of this life with others so that they are not AFRAID to give it a try, too.

One of the largest blessings since I have been homeschooling has been the gift of friendships - friendships not only for my children, but also for myself. I am finding that we all have time to form more DEEP, LASTING relationships as homeschoolers.

My friend, Hope, is one of my blessings. She has three children - the oldest of whom is GMan's age. We adore Hope's family and do a lot with them. Hope is also an encouragement to me (as well as a huge idea person!).

We decided this week to swap children for a morning. She gave me her oldest daughter, and I gave her GMan. Hope took the three boys to a local nature area for a hike, while I kept the girls at my house and made chocolate lip gloss for Valentine treat bags.

As another friend of ours put it - "This is co op in the truest sense of the word!"

The children were learning about nature, following directions, being creative, fostering friendships, and so much more (plus I DID make sure to torture with some math and writing before all the fun started!).

Here the boys are at a local Civil War Bridge. I never knew this existed until Hope told me about it (it is only a few miles from where we live)... GMan thought this bridge was pretty cool. I think he's trying to be a human bridge, too!

I'm very thankful for iPhones - Hope and I are both slightly addicted to our iPhones - we love to text pictures of the kids, Tweet, Instagram, and anything else!

While the boys were hiking, I got to make lip gloss with the girls. Aren't these adorable? I am so thankful for Pinterest, which is where I found this idea through Meet The Dubiens. (If you do this project, I will give you a hint... don't pay a lot of money for fancy lip gloss containers. I bought mini paint pots at Hobby Lobby - 12 for $2.99... and if you have the 40% coupon - even better!)

{Note: I did not take pictures during the creation of the lip gloss. Working with liquid Vaseline is MESSY... so I decided to put the camera away!}

{ I linked this idea with LOVE-ly Ideas for Valentine's Day... have you seen the great ideas there?? }

I love it that Miss B chose these sweet Valentine cards from Dayspring... she enjoyed filling her treat bags for her friends at co op and assorted other girlfriends she knows.

Hope's daughter is so pretty - she is a bit younger than Miss B, but I think they have a great friendship. My daughter pictures herself as a mentor of sorts - it's really sweet.

We had a good time making the lip gloss, then the girls disappeared upstairs and were creating videos with the iTouch using Splice (this is great fun!)

My heart overflows with happiness as I watch my oldest creating and following her passions... and wanting to share her talents and creations.

It makes me happy to see my son exhausted at the end of the day because he had a good time outdoors with friends.

I love that I could sit and eat lunch with my sweet friend while our children kept each other occupied.

I could go on and on... but for now I'm just plain grateful.

* linking with Thankful Thursday at Red Oak Lane...

A Strange Finding

2012-02-08T08:52:00.000-05:00

Magnolia stellata {Star Magnolia}

This tree generally blooms in late March, but we spotted this on February 7... a very warm winter indeed!

A nature walk proved quite interesting. There are so many things blooming. We wonder what will happen if we get a hard frost or snow?

So thankful we had the time to walk, talk, and ponder.

Do you take regular nature walks with your children?

God has given us a beautiful creation to enjoy.

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;

the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;

or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;

and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

Who among all these does not know

that the hand of the LORD has done this?

In his hand is the life of every living thing

and the breath of all mankind."

Job 12:7-10

Having FUN With Math Facts

2012-02-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

My children have been practicing their math facts with our latest review.

With MathRider they are able to practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts (0-12) by going on quests with their horse through the Mathlands.

When my children login to their account, they begin a quest... the quest consists of taking their horse through the Mathlands to reach a specific goal. To get through the Mathlands their horse must clear poles with math facts on them. My children have to type in the answer as quick as they can (this is a HUGE part of the appeal for them) to clear the pole. They receive bonus points for speed.

As you can see from the screenshots (2 different quests), children know their time, poles remaining, poles cleared, and poles not cleared, as well as total points.

Our opinion:

* This program is a wonderful supplement any math program. I can ask the kids to go the computer and work on their quest and I know they are getting focused practice with their math facts.

* The graphics and voices are VERY well done... the accent of the speakers makes my children feel like they are "doing something fancy" (GMan's words exactly!).

* Feedback is immediate and easily accessible. You can view exactly how long each problem took to answer - a feature my children really liked. As I mentioned before, they earn bonus points for speed. As a parent I can look at all of their statistics to see just what facts need work and which ones are solid.

* The drills are intuitive - making sure my children are receiving more problems that they need to work on, versus just drilling facts at random.

* Installation onto my Mac was EASY... click here to see the system requirements.

* Many video helps are available for any questions you may have about the program.

** The only problem I had with MathRider was that it was sometimes hard to get my children away from the computer if they hadn't completed their quest!! I guess this is actually a good thing, right?? **

More information:

* MathRider is available for instant download (until Feb. 15 only!) for just $37. After that the price goes up to $47.

* You can try Math Rider FREE for 7 days. What do you have to lose??

* There is a 30 day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied.

I happily reviewed this item for The Old Schoolhouse. Please visit the crew blog to read more reviews!

Disclaimer:I received the above named product from TOS Crew in return for my honest review. I have not been compensated in any other form.

I Love Being A Bookworm ~ Printable

2012-02-06T14:21:00.000-05:00

In the LOVE-ly Ideas post yesterday I mentioned making treat bags for quiet reading time.... in honor of Valentine's Day approaching.

I'm not one for making a lot of printables on my blog {you probably already know that}, but several people wondered if they were available for download.

Since my learning curve for printables is STEEP, I just took a picture of what I created, added it to a Word document, converted to .pdf and uploaded to Scribd. {clear as mud}

I've included the download link, and the page contains three of these little bookworm notes for your children.

I gave mine to the children today for quiet reading time and they were in SHOCK (I never buy candy) and just love me to pieces. That's worth something, isn't it?

The best part: they are in their rooms reading right now. Miss B is enthralled with Swiss Family Robinson on her Kindle and GMan took two Magic Treehouse books to dive into.

Let me know if you use these with your children - I think they're a quick way to make the day different and fun... and for us as moms to catch some quiet time!

If you have a fun Valentine idea, please join Meghan and I and link up - it can be old or new - we'd just love to see all of your ideas!

Bookworm

linking with Three Thinking Mothers!

LOVE-ly Ideas

2012-02-05T22:01:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is just two weeks away. In preparation, I've been decorating a bit and planning Valentine activities with my children. Most of my ideas have come from Pinterest (you can see all my favorites here), but others I'm pulling out of my memory and files from my days as a public school teacher, too.

I'm very excited to tell you about a special February event. My friend Meghan, from The Tuckers Take Tennessee, and I will be hosting a month long blog hop called "LOVE-ly Ideas".

Have you been Pinning a lot of wonderful Valentine crafts, recipes, and decorating ideas? Or, maybe you are creative all on your own and have come up with some fun activities.

Meghan and I want to see your "LOVE-ly Ideas"!

Come link up! Here is how it will work:

1. Blog about your favorite Valentines craft, activity, recipe, or idea. {Make sure you link to this blog-hop and/or grab the button code (in my sidebar) to share in your sidebar or post to spread the word}.

2. Come link with us! This blog-hop will be open the entire month of February so you have time to share your ideas before and after Valentines Day. You can make one big post about different ideas or link up multiple times with each project/activity/recipe/idea you create.

*Ideas can come from your own creative brain or from any other source... please be sure to give credit where it is due in your post.

3. Most important, HAVE FUN and visit as many entries as you can from this blog-hop. I know you'll find lots of "LOVE-ly Ideas".

Here's a little inspiration.... I re-pinned this idea several weeks ago, and did it myself last week. I love it because it was quick, easy, and CUTE. It was as simple as glass container I already owned and Valentine candy corn... I modified the idea a bit from the original.

Or, how about this quick and easy idea for quiet reading time? I'll give these out one day this week during D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read)! {Here's the pin that was the inspiration!}

My daughter is planning to make something special for her friends for Valentine's Day.... and I want to do this for my children the night before Valentine's Day.

Meghan and I can't wait to see what everyone will share... so start spreading the LOVE and link up soon!

Collage Friday - Building Relationships

2012-02-03T07:52:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Collage Friday. Last week some hard working moms submitted their collages - did you see them?

Collage Friday is a great way to recap your week and keep a record of what you have accomplished in your homeschool. I encourage you to join us.

Create a collage of the week's events and link it up here. Be sure to grab a button for your sidebar or post. Visit some of the other blogs on the linky list, too. There are so many great ideas out there.

Happy Weekend!

This week was so much better than last -- I knew it had to be because we had a fun weekend to start things out. With a surprise party for a friend of ours and lunch with friends after church on Sunday, the weekend was full of laughter, friendship and not many worries. I NEEDED THAT.

If anything can be taken away from the death of my son's friend two weeks ago, it is that we need to be more present with our children, appreciate the time we have, and work harder to build strong relationships with them. I feel our homeschool has taken a turn for the better in the past two weeks. Please continue to pray for the family that has lost their precious six year old.

On to the collage:

1. Learning about the Presidents: I have mentioned my daughter is taking this class at our co op and what a marvelous class it is. She is INSPIRED beyond belief. This week she read through Smart About Presidents (a super little book) several times and has been spouting information about the Presidents all week. This book comes from the Smart About History series; it is my favorite resource this week!

2. Coincidence this week - we are learning all about the Vikings, and one day GMan put on his Viking shirt and didn't even realize it until we were almost done with our lesson about Leif Ericsson. We completed a chapter in SOTW and the children drew their own longboats and we read some Norse Mythology.

3. I have been giving Miss B more responsibility in the kitchen recently. She must make dinner one night each week. Wednesday I taught her to make Crockpot Spaghetti and she chose to make S'Mores Bars for dessert. Yum! On days when I give piano lessons this is a huge help to me... dinner is ready when my last lesson leaves, and my daughter is so proud of what she has accomplished.

4. Swimming! I took a water aerobics class at the YMCA with a new homeschooling friend of mine, and our children swam together while we were in class. It was a WIN - WIN! While there my son pulled me aside and showed me a picture of his sweet friend who died two weeks ago... the swim team had put her picture up (she was quite the little swimmer) and everyone had written special notes around it. My children and I had a quiet moment reading them all... then G just patted me on the back and gave me a kiss. I know this is all so hard for him to understand, but God is presenting little ways for his heart to heal.

5. During Miss B's piano lessons I took GMan to a park nearby. He ran into a friend of his from preschool - and they remembered each other! They played and had fun for quite a while. It was pretty neat to see how they had both matured.

6. Kisses for Katie is my new read - have you heard about it? Watch the video! I think you may to read it, too.

7. Learning about bats in Flying Creatures... this little experiment showed how bat's hearing is made so much better by their large ears.

8. We are working on literature fair projects - read more about them here.

9. Interest Led Science - static electricity - the kids were playing with balloons all week, so we decided to research more. Good times!

Happily linking with Kris, Susan, and Dawn!

DIY Lego Instructions

2012-02-01T06:51:00.000-05:00

Do you remember that poor teacher evaluation I received from my son? I told you I was on a mission to make his learning more fun and interest led.

(By the way, my daughter has constantly informed me this week she LOVES school... her favorite things are history, piano, and cooking. Whew.... at least 50% of my students are satisfied!)

In searching for Lego activities, I stumbled upon Home Made Lego Instructions from A Mom With a Lesson Plan. I have taken her simple little idea and used it with GMan. It's a winner!!

I asked GMan to design some simple Lego creations (preferably 9 steps or less). Then, I photographed each step as he built and made into a collage. Voila!

Home Made Lego Instructions!

He made seven creations on the first day, but I've only gotten around to photographing and making the collage for this first creation: The Standard Baby Gate (don't you love his creativity with the name?)

This is the first in a series of Lego instructions. G has informed me he would like to make a book of his own instructions, and I'm ALL FOR THAT!

He also told me when I put this on the blog to make sure "other little boys could get these directions", so per his request I have made the Standard Baby Gate available for download. Click here for the .pdf file.

Every so often I stumble upon an idea that is just pure genius. I'm so thankful to Jillian for coming up with this one... gotta love the sharing that goes on between bloggers!

Linking with Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.

I'm also linking with the BRAND NEW linky from Three Thinking Mothers, Look! What We Did!

The Big Projects

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-05:00

Each Febrary my children participate in a homeschool Literature Fair. Last year it was such a wonderful experience; I knew we would make it a priority this year. We were reminiscing earlier about learning to knit and raising ladybugs last year - so many good memories. Click here to read about last year's fair.

Getting ready for the projects this year has been fairly stress free (so far!). This is an integral part of our learning. It is not something EXTRA, it is what we do. We have read each child's book aloud (completed in December) and now work on pieces for their display boards and a large hands on project. We solicit help and expertise from family members ~ the children get so excited that everyone is learning.

Even though my daughter is more than capable of reading her book alone, I want my son to also benefit from her project (and vice versa). Literature Fair books are always read alouds in our house.

The older children who participate are responsible for a report and bibliography, as well as a personal interview about their project and book selection. They must follow a strict format and keep track of the time spent on their project.

We always fall in love with the literature fair books, and this year is no exception. Miss B has chosen The Wheel on the School (which ties in very nicely with our year long study of birds) and GMan chose The Chocolate Touch.

There is something very special and intimate about spending so much time with one book. You feel as if you truly know the characters, and it allows my children to become experts on a particular subject. In this case, my daughter is very interested in Holland and Storks, and my son is learning all about chocolate production and comparing the King Midas story to The Chocolate Touch.

Pinterest has been a huge help. I created a board for each book we are studying, and then as we found ideas I just pinned them to that specific board. My daughter has even become interested in pinning things, too!

The Wheel on The School Pinterest Board

The Chocolate Touch Pinterest Board

Two other invaluable resources have been Homeschool Share and Download N Go Unit Studies. You can design an entire interest led curriculum through these two sites! Homeschol Share had a whole lapbook about storks, and GMan has been doing the Chocolate Challenge Download n Go unit. Perfect!

Now that we are just a couple of weeks away from the actually Literature Fair, the children are completing lapbook pieces (for their display boards), working on reports, and their hands-on projects. (I don't want to give away too much, because they each have something big they are working on for the big day.)

Each project gets its own Ziploc bag where we keep the book and any completed pieces for the display board. We will spend a good amount of time each day getting ready.

I LOVE the accountability and accomplishment this activity provides. I love going to the Literature Fair and seeing all of the wonderful projects and so many children excited about sharing what they have learned. The experience of speaking with a judge about your work and also staying with your project and explaining it to the people who come to view the fair is invaluable.

Do your children have any big projects in the works right now? What are they?

Piano Lessons w/Kinderbach

2012-01-30T21:28:00.000-05:00

Our latest review for TOS review crew is Kinderbach - an online piano/music instruction program. Kinderbach states:

Research clearly shows Piano is the best instrument with the most benefits to brain development.

KinderBach is a unique method of teaching very young children to actually

PLAY PIANO, read NOTES, learn INTERVALS, RHYTHM & music PATTERNS.

As a formally trained piano teacher and elementary music teacher, I agree 110%!

I also know that private piano is EXPENSIVE and not always easy to fit into a schedule. Kinderbach solves both of these problems.

Kinderbach is definitely geared for the preschool aged child. My youngest (who is seven) wasn't very interested in the program, but I think this is because he was just too old for it. He has also had a lot of piano instruction from me and much of this was a review. The music teacher in me, however, was VERY interested.

I like that this is an affordable program and you do not need a fancy piano for the online lessons. A simple keyboard and some rhythm instruments are sufficient. Children are not just learning to play piano, they are learning some music theory, singing, and lots of other little skills that are being "snuck in the back door".

In the first lessons, your child is introduced to the names of the notes on the piano keyboard. Cute characters are assigned to each key - here is my son playing D (which he easily remembered because Dodi lived there).

As the lessons progress your child is learning songs and playing quite early, something I found very impressive.

I am sorry I didn't know about this just a couple of years earlier. Yes, I have always done music and piano with my children, but this was just something fun and comprehensive. The woman who leads the lessons is pleasant and encouraging, and the characters are quite cute. The lessons are QUICK and simple - you won't worry about your children's attention wandering during a lesson.

Kinderbach also includes printable worksheets, downloadable songs, and can also be viewed on your tablet or iPad. I liked this option, because we sat with the iPad in our piano room and did several lessons.

Keep in mind, however, this is probably best for the 2-6 (maybe 7) year old child.

More details about Kinderbach:

Monthly subscriptions are available from $7.99/month. There are also DVD and CD packages from $40.95. Kinderbach has many options for delivery. I would recommend their free trial so you can determine if this would be good for your child(ren). The website is a great source of information. Watch this video to learn more.

You can also learn more from my crew mates who are also reviewing Kinderbach.

* I received a three month subscription from The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest opinion. No compensation was received.

Am I Inspiring My Children?

2012-01-29T07:24:00.000-05:00

I had a painful wake up call during one of my son's assignments last week. In his spelling book he was to write two sentences about what he liked the most about school. My glorious child wrote:

"I like lunch. I like piano lessons."

Ouch.

Now, I am glad he enjoys lunch. What he means when he says "piano lessons" is that he enjoys being able to play the Wii while I teach piano lessons.

My heart sank. Is this really how inspiring school has been for him lately? Is this the fruit of my labor?

I know a certain amount of his answer is typical, right? I guess, however, I was hoping for him to tell me how much he enjoys learning about birds this year, or how he really loves learning about place value to the nearest ten thousand. Maybe I wanted him to say he just loved those spelling lists or copywork?

Just typing that makes it sound crazy, doesn't it?

This teacher evaluation was a WAKE UP CALL. I need to step it up a notch. Yes, he does very well with math, writing, spelling, history, science, etc..., but clearly nothing is inspiring him.

Well, I can think of one thing that has been inspiring him, but I have effectively squelched it at every opportunity.

Yes, Legos are my son's passion (and baseball, but that season hasn't started yet!). I let him build while we read aloud and do try to incorporate some Lego time into each day, but I cannot tell you how much I fuss at him about bringing Legos to the table during math, or playing Legos while he should be reading or getting dressed.

I had a heart-to-heart with myself (am I the only one that does this?) and reminded myself that I homeschool to FAN A FLAME OF CURIOSITY, not just to fill my children with "required" knowledge. Sometimes I forget this important fact!

My children are both growing and changing, and it's time I adjust the way I teach, too. I really had it down when they were little, but now it's time to let THEM DICTATE MORE OF THEIR EDUCATION. They are growing into children that have their own interests and opinions. They are growing into the people God created them to be.

It is time to let their interests lead their learning.

After this little evaluation, I decided I should investigate Lego education opportunities in our area.

Lo and behold, just a few days earlier I had received an email about new Lego programming classes for home schoolers at the Museum of Design Atlanta.

We went to an open house for the program and it seems PERFECT! This is something that will combine my son's love of Legos, computers, math, creativity and design.

It is a QUALITY science and engineering program he will attend for three hours each session(right now we just signed up for two times to see how it goes). He will be learning to build a model and then make that model move and make sounds.

Watching some of the little ones today who were demonstrating what they had learned was fascinating. I was so excited, and GMan was just dumbfounded with all of the Legos in one room!

My husband snapped the above shot of GMan... he was content, busy, and so so happy. Why in the world would I not incorporate this love into our homeschool?

Now.... dare I ask my daughter what her favorite thing is about school? I think I had better - before it's too late!

Do I live by Einstein's words or just think they're just a cool little quote to have around?

I'm curious...

Do you let your children's interest drive their education, or are you sometimes like me and "stick to the curriculum plan"?

Are you a Lego mom, too? Do you have any resources or advice for me? I'm on the hunt!

Collage Friday - The Week That Was a Blur

2012-01-27T07:06:00.001-05:00

Despite out schedule being off pretty much the ENTIRE week, we did accomplish a little bit of "school". This week is not one I will fondly remember at all, but I will remember it as a week that changed us forever... and, despite the difficulties there were always the blessings that shone through.

Last night we took the time to attend a church basketball game. Our church is small. We are a close church family. Walking into the gym and being greeted warmly and just laughing for the entire game and cheering for the youth was FUN. They encourage everyone to wear a crazy hat... even my husband pulled out the Cat in The Hat for the occasion.

While the game was 30 minutes away and the weather was yucky, it was SO WORTH IT.

1. The laundry was very backed up Monday, so Gman and Miss B took turns reading aloud while I folded clothes. They got to stay in their pjs and we must have read for two hours to finish Half Magic.

2. The kids wanted to bake Whoopie Pies (Miss B received a pan, mix, and cookbook from William Sonoma for Christmas). These Red Velvet Whoopie Pies were delicious ~ who knew there was even a YouTube video on how to do this?

3. GMan has been VERY interested in writing his own stories. He wrote his own "Star Wars" one day and had me punch holes and tie it together. I love that he is writing, drawing, and just motivated.

4. Movie Night: Saving Shiloh was a wonderful book (the whole series was good). We all agreed that generally movies never live up to the book, and this one was no exception. As a movie it was ok - but it paled in comparison to the book!

5. Thursday was a huge bright spot in our week. CoOp classes are always wonderful, but Miss B's US Presidents class is exceptionally good. I have to brag a tiny bit: Miss B was the first one in her class to become a Patriot Pal. Basically, she memorized the Preamble and the order of all the Presidents. Her teacher rewarded her with all kinds of patriotic goodies. What I LOVE is that all these children are inspired to learn about our country! I'm forever grateful to her wonderful teacher.

She won a great little card game about the Presidents... I had never seen it before and it's great. That wins the award for Favorite Resource this Week! We also watched the State of The Union address this week with Miss B and talked her through the complicated hour. Explaining this to a ten year old really makes the whole thing look kind of absurd - and so very removed from REGULAR Americans.

6. Lasagna Soup - this was literally like lasagna in a bowl! You put cheese on the bottom of the bowl before ladling the soup in... yummm! This is a quick and delicious meal.

7. I haven't taken a picture of myself recently - I put this on Instagram and Jimmie commented she didn't recognize me because I wasn't smiling brightly. Ahhh.... this picture was a reflection of a difficult week and (what felt like) the weight of the world on my shoulders. So - this is me at 40 - wrinkles and all!

8. We did keep going ahead in history this week, with the chapter about Charlemagne in Story of The World. We also started Son of Charlemagne. History is ALWAYS a favorite of my children!

9. A special read aloud this week - my favorite!

How was your week? Feel free to link up a collage with Collage Friday below. Please remember to visit someone else in the linky list to say hello, and please grab the Collage Friday button to display on your site or somewhere else in the post.

I also participate in these great Friday link-ups.... lots of great weekend reading out there!

The Gift of a Read Aloud

2012-01-26T07:27:00.001-05:00

It has been a difficult week.

In times of stress, sadness, or uncertainty I always turn to books.

When my children were small and needed to be "diverted" to better behavior I would say:

"Let's pick a book to read!"

We've all needed a diversion this week, so I have one special book that I've been saving (I never knew why) for years and years.

There is something comforting about reading this book to my children, and having the memories of my own mother reading the same words to me over thirty years ago.

Reading aloud to your children is a GIFT. Don't wait to give it to them.

I am thankful to be able to share this gift with my children. I'm so thankful my children are safe and well, happy and learning.

I'm thankful for friends who know just what you need, and for friends with wisdom so much greater than mine.

In the midst of a very hard week, God has pointed out the many blessings I have, and I am grateful.

School Just Doesn't Matter This Week

2012-01-24T23:33:00.000-05:00

I had grand plans for this week - I really did. We were going to start working on our literature fair projects in earnest and make a HUGE dent in them.

Sometimes, however, you just have to veer from the course and tend to more important matters than education.

This week has been one of those times.

Last Friday we received word that a precious six year old girl in our community died suddenly in a tragic accident. We knew this child - GMan had gone to preschool with her for nearly four years. My little guy had a special affinity for this cutie with the bubble gum pink Crocs.

We still saw her occasionally in the past two years... every now and then at a homeschool class, or at homeschool PE. I would run into her mom in WalMart and we would chat about the kids and how they were doing.

In no way can I even begin to process or imagine what this sweet little girl's parents and brothers are living through. It would seem to be too much bear.

I know, however, that after her funeral today I HAVE NO DOUBT that there is a God who LOVES us, and a God who has ordained every single minute of our lives before we have even lived them.

While I don't know why God took this child from her family, I do believe HE has a purpose for her life and her death. He knew this purpose before she was born.

He knows each of our lives so much better than we know our own.

image courtesy Pinterest

This is the first time I have had to explain death this closely to my children. My mother-in-law passed away when Miss B was three. I remember this being difficult, but with her child like faith she accepted simply that she would see Grammy Ruth one day in heaven.

My dear son knows his special friend from early childhood is gone and will not return. He too, accepted it simply and with just a few questions. My ten year old daughter, however, has bigger questions. These are not questions I was equipped to answer.

I THANK GOD for a community of faith, and several strong, faithful women, who have offered advice, sent books, and helped me start this discussion. I am so blessed to be in a church where my children feel loved, supported, and cared for. I am thankful for a wonderful pastor who sat down with the children Sunday morning and spoke frankly with them about heaven. I am thankful for a former pastor who took the time to call and see how my son was handling the news.

My heart aches for this family.

It aches for the special neighbors I heard speak today whose lives will forever be different without this special little girl in it.

It aches for the children in our community who are having a hard time understanding WHY.

I am ashamed of myself for letting some minor things my children do bother me. My son's ~~incessant~~ constant chatter sounded beautiful to me today - not annoying like it does on certain days. My daughter's ~~feistiness~~ spunk as I helped her with a piano piece didn't get me worked up today - I was thankful she was here to give me that attitude.

For most of this week we have just THROWN HOMESCHOOL OUT THE WINDOW to focus on being together, appreciating each other, and just having fun. I haven't officially declared "no school", but I think we all know this is just going to be an easier week. I'm 100% ok with that.

Sometimes this business of homeschool means you have to explain life's most awful situations to your children when you yourself don't feel like talking. It means your children are not shielded from REAL LIFE or pain. It means teaching them I RELY ON MY FAITH IN GOD to get me through ALL situations, easy AND hard.

As I tried to sleep tonight, understandably it just wouldn't come. It is nearly midnight and I just hear the crickets and frogs in the woods. It is peaceful.

It really DOESN'T MATTER that the house is dirty, or the laundry isn't done, or that I need to go to the grocery store. What matters are those precious little people sleeping in the next rooms.

If you take anything from this post, I pray that it is to LOVE YOUR CHILDREN 100% every waking hour. Cherish every minute with them, and know they have been entrusted to you for such a short time.

Won't you please pray for this family that is suffering? Pray for the parents and the two children that remain. Pray they have the strength to face each day, and that each day gets just a little bit easier to bear without their sweet daughter and sister.

Are You Memorizing?

2012-01-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

Memory work has taken on a prominent role in our daily routine. A child's capacity to memorize can sometimes be underestimated by adults. (I know I have underestimated my children's abilities for the past two years.) Memorizing stretches a child's mind like nothing else can.

Memory work is often times just plain FUN for children, too. They like to impress others and themselves with their feats of memorization. If you turn it into a song or chant it's even more fun.

And... guess what else? Memorization is good for ADULTS, too. I'm pleased to see my memory getting better and my knowledge of facts expanding through doing this with my children!

One of my homeschool goals this year is to pack a lot of wonderful information into my children through memorization.

While I draw from many methods and often times feel like we unschool, we do use many elements of The Well Trained Mind each day. We also use many of Charlotte Mason's recommendations. Each of these methods advocates MEMORIZATION.

* You can read Memorization Without Pain and all about Charlotte Mason's Scripture Memory System for some ideas and thoughts. *

Each day in our home begins with devotions, scripture memory work, and some type of memory work that coincides with what we are learning that week.

For the past two weeks the children have been learning all of the US Presidents in order and the Preamble to the US Constitution. We put the presidents into chunks of five and memorized them that way. I would simply say the list OVER AND OVER each day (and sometimes at random points during the day) until they were memorized. The Preamble was memorized through Schoolhouse Rock (which we LOVE!).

*The iPod Touch is a great aid in memorization for my children. They can watch Schoolhouse Rock videos and also make a video of themselves reciting something... nothing commits it better to memory than a video of yourself! I love this picture of Miss B and GMan - they are watching the video of themselves singing the Preamble!

I've found I need to be flexible in how we memorize information. Sometimes simply chanting with a beat will get the facts memorized, but sometimes a song will do the trick. Different children have different learning styles, so keep that in mind as you memorize with your own children.

Memory Work in Our Homeschool:

Scripture Memory each morning (This is FIRST and FOREMOST... I will have given my children very little if I haven't given them God's word.)

Memory work based on what we are studying in history.

First Language Lessons memory work (What's not to love about a linking verb chant? My kids loved that!)

Poetry memorization

Committing piano pieces and hymns to memory

Memorization of math facts (we LOVE Multiplication Mountain for memorizing facts!)

If something is particularly challenging, I will offer a ~~bribe~~ reward. This past week it was a Chick Fil-A milkshake on our way to co-op classes. I thought memorizing all of the presidents and the Preamble called for a treat.

Here's a PERFECT EXAMPLE of why I have my children memorize: We were talking the other day with another homeschool mom and her children. For some reason the topic of Presidents during the Great Depression came up, and when it did, the mom asked the children who was President during the Great Depression. My son (7) replied, "Coolidge and Hoover... I know Coolidge was before Hoover and I know Hoover was in the early 1930s.)

I was BLOWN AWAY. He had memorized the order of the Presidents, and on the bookmark we were using it had the dates of all the Presidents. I think I have a visual learner on my hands.

How many adults could have answered that same question?

Do you incorporate memory work into your homeschool day?

Do you have any resources or items for me to add to our "Must Memorize" list??

** I wrote this post entirely on the iPad - links, photos, etc... using Blogsy. It is my first time attempting this. I wholeheartedly recommend Blogsy! **

Reading Material for Your PreTeen Girl

2012-01-21T12:48:00.002-05:00

Choosing reading material for a ten year old girl has proven challenging.

We recently received a copy of Cliques, Hicks, and Ugly Sticks for review from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

My daughter read the book in two days and said she loved it and could we get more books in the series.

The book, written by KD McRite, is the second in the series, The Confessions of April Grace.

The synopsis (via Tommy Nelson):

Just when April Grace thought the drama was over . . .

After an automobile accident, Isabel St. James—resident drama coach and drama queen—needs help putting together the church play. Mama insists April Grace and Myra Sue will help. April’s fall is now devoted to spending every afternoon with Isabel and Myra Sue—if anyone is as big of a drama queen as Isabel, it’s Myra Sue. Plus, she’s dumb. (Okay, not dumb, but "older sister dumb.") If that’s not enough, Isabel is wreaking havoc in the community trying to get Rough Creek Road paved, the new boy at school will not leave her alone, and then Mama drops the biggest bombshell of all . . . April Grace is no longer going to be the baby of the family . . .

Girls will completely relate to April and love her sense of humor as she deals with siblings, boys, and the many changes that come with growing up.

If you'd like to learn more about the book, click here for a preview.

I appreciated that April Grace was given some adverse circumstances and she faced them with ADULT GUIDANCE and GRACE. This is a positive message for our girls. We want them to rely on Christian adults and the Bible in all situations.

We heartily recommend Cliques, Hicks and Ugly Sticks and are thankful to the Tommy Mom program for providing us a copy for review!

Disclaimer:I received the above named product from Thomas Nelson in return for my honest review. I have not been compensated in any other form.

Top 100 Homeschool Blogs

2012-01-20T17:44:00.000-05:00

It was a surprise to open my email and receive notification that Homegrown Learners had been selected as one of the Top 100 Homeschooling blogs. This distinction does not come from any nominations that are solicited by the blog owner (which I truly appreciate).

The description given my blog was flattering:

Elementary teacher turned homeschool practitioner and blogger intent on putting family first, Mary ponders the best way to serve as ambassador to the cause, gives credit to the great guy behind this homeschool mom and connects to the blogging community by sharing photo collages that capture a week’s worth of lively learning on “Homegrown Learners”.

While I'm not one for awards, this struck as being such an accurate description about what I want Homegrown Learners to BE ABOUT. I want it to be a blog about PEDAGOGY, AMBASSADORSHIP, and FAMILY.

The list of blogs on the list is impressive. If you're wondering who compiles the list, it is Teacher Certification Degrees. I plan to take some time this weekend to relax and read many of them. Some I am very familiar with, and some I am not. For the full list, click here.

Collage Friday - They're Trying to Pay Off The Mortgage!

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy week.

Highlights for the kids included co-op starting on Thursday. I cannot begin to express what a BLESSING our co op is to us. The friendships, support, educational opportunities, and love of God are astounding.

The highlights for me included working out with a fellow homeschool mom (doing water aerobics!) in the middle of the week, having lunch (at co op) with two great moms, and attending a Mission of Motherhood book club meeting. The friendships I have made (and continue to make) enrich me in a way nothing else can. Hands down, the homeschool moms in our community were my favorite resource this week!

1. Knitting! I'm helping teach a class at co op - "Femininity". It is a group of middle grades girls. We knit and chat. I love it!

2. We've been learning a little about the Medieval catapult. Dad and GMan spent several hours working on this Erector catapult. It was complex, but such a great learning experience!

3. I am painfully aware how quickly Miss B is growing into a young lady. Here she is with her hot chocolate and wet hair. We met friends at the YMCA early one morning. The moms did water aerobics and the kids swam. It was great, except that the POOL HEATER WAS BROKEN. Granted, the water was still 78, but it was about 40 outside. We warmed up once we got moving. (I think)

4. Writing With Ease - This writing program is phenomenal. I am watching both children's narration, dictation and copywork skills soar. It is rigorous and challenging, but it is worth every extra effort. We do WWE Tuesday-Friday like clockwork. It never ceases to amaze me the calming influence a routine has on all of us.

5. Simple Machines - The kids attended a Simple Machines class put on by Bricks 4 Kidz. It was quite good. They worked together to create simple machines. My children made a ferris wheel with a motor. They came home and were fiddling with their Legos using a lot of the terminology they had learned in class.

6. The children are on a mission to PAY OFF THE MORTGAGE! Yes, that's right - pay off the mortgage. They are convinced they can make a video and send it to America's Funniest Home Videos and win $100,000. (I'll keep you posted on how that works out for them.)

*I never would have thought the iPod Touch would be such a great thing for them. Miss B got one for Christmas, and she has loved it. This week the kids made a video of themselves reciting all of the US Presidents, and also singing the Preamble to the Constitution. We have packed it full of educational apps (and a free texting program for texting aunts and a couple close friends). We are all addicted to Words With Friends, Hanging With Friends, and Scrambled With Friends. I KNOW these word games are beneficial to my children ~ and my husband and I!

7. Miss B made smoothies for us this week out of her new cookbook. The strawberry smoothies were especially good! She is gaining more responsibility in the kitchen and enjoys the freedom and creativity.

8. We are knee deep in Medieval history now. We are basing our read-alouds on this time period and I'm picking up any and every book we can find. This particular book I found at a consignment shop for $1.00. Can't beat that.

9. The picture is dark because it was after dark... two excited girls roller skating. Miss B and one of our dear homeschooling friends were skating and chatting the night away. This little girl is one of my piano students, too... I love the precious friendships that are formed because we are homeschooling.

How was your week?

If you'd like to link with Collage Friday, please grab a button, make a collage, and tell us about your week. Can you include any helpful links for us or great ideas?

Happily Linking:

So Many Read-Alouds, So Little Time!

2012-01-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

We are a family of readers. I love that about us.

Everyone always has a great book with them, and most often we will choose to read or play a game over watching television.

I also love to read aloud to my children, but lately I've been thinking there aren't enough hours in the day for all the reading that should be done!!

Do you often have two or three books being read aloud at the same time? We do. I think that is because I spot a book (or one of the children spots a book) and we just HAVE to start it. Now. Because it looks SO good.

We generally read at these times:

lunchtime - I fix lunch and we sit at the table while I read... it's gotten to be a tradition

before bed - We try our best to have the house quiet by 8:00 or 8:30, so I (sometimes it is my husband) can sit and read for 30-45 minutes.

cold, rainy mornings - we've had A LOT of those in Georgia recently. We put a fire in the fireplace and might just read for an hour or two.

If you think read-alouds are a waste of good "school" time, I would have you think again. I can't tell you the amount of knowledge we gain from our read-alouds and how good my children's vocabulary ~and especially their writing~is getting because of the read-alouds. It is time well spent.

I have also heard people say their young children can't sit still long enough for read-alouds. My youngest (now 7) has been listening to complex book for a couple of years. He always has something to keep him busy - Legos, coloring, blocks, action figures... We have been working on developing this HABIT of ATTENTION in our children (for years now!) and it is paying off in spades.

Here's what we are currently reading/have read/want to read:

The Phantom Tollbooth - We're almost done with this one! It's a great book... and very literal at that. I downloaded it on the iPad and I usually keep it with me if we are going to have be somewhere and wait. I also like to read this one at lunch time! The tie-ins with this book for math, social studies, and language are just wonderful and intriguing. I think every child should have this book read to them at some point before they leave home. It's a classic.

Half Magic - This is the first book we've ever read by Edward Eager. I just ordered another in this series because this one is so good! I love how this book transports the 4 children in the story to different time periods in history. They get transported to King Arthur's time - which is perfect, because we're there in history now!

Knight's Castle - The 3rd in Eager's series... this just arrived in the mail yesterday and I really want to finish Half Magic so we can start this one. This was recommended for our Medieval studies, as well!

Son of Charlemagne - This is one we will be starting next week. It coincides with our Story of The World History (we are learning about the Franks right now).

Anne of Green Gables - This has been sitting on my daughter's shelf for a little over a year. I want to read it out loud to her - a special time for the two of us. I think this will be a little February project for us.

What are you currently reading aloud?

How much time you spend daily reading aloud?

I'm happily linking with my friend Amy, at Hope is the Word. Her blog is an AMAZING RESOURCE of read-alouds. I hope you take a chance to visit her and say hello.

*All book images courtesy Goodreads
*First image courtesy Photobucket

What Scares Me

2012-01-16T08:22:00.002-05:00

Learning to roller skate takes a lot of courage for some kids, and not so much for others.

One child may be cautious and move gingerly... sticking close to something to hang on to for dear life.

Another child may fly with reckless abandon the first time they put on their skates (ahem... one of my children!)

It got me to thinking about the benefits of both personality types - both approaches to life.

I want to encourage risk-taking and adventure in my children, but I want them to feel safe, too.

How do you balance the two?

I love Eleanor Roosevelt's quote: "Do one thing each day that scares you." I wondered what I do each day that scares me and I thought: NOT MUCH.

You see, I was thinking BIG THINGS -- daring and adventurous things.

I put it out for my Facebook friends and asked them what they do each day that scares them, People's definitions of what scares them were pretty different.

Here's how it went:

Me: I'm working on a little project.... need your help. Tell me ONE THING you do in a day that scares you.... be serious, ok??

Responses:

yell at the top of my lungs, scares me that I can get that emotional that quickly..

Run. I am scared that my body is too old and out of shape for this high impact

exercise.

watching my kids have a little more freedom everyday. Like walking down the street

with friends or learning how to cook.

Let my children leave me

Trusting God that he'll keep the kids healthy.

Any kind of yard work around the shrubs or deck - I'm afraid I'll find a snake!!!

Just living life involves a lot of risks, doesn't it?

Maybe we're braver and more adventuresome than we think we are.

I thought about things I do each day that scare me, and now I look at it differently.

Many of our everyday activities and natural progression of life are scary. I don't have

to take huge risks and do crazy things to make a leap of faith. JUST LIVING CAN

SOMETIMES BE A SCARY THING.

But, the good new is I don't have to afraid. I have a God that protects me. I have

faith. My God is a God of grace and forgiveness.

Just some Miscellaneous thoughts that were swirling in my head this past weekend.... you

have a lot of time to think as you're watching your children roller skate!