Where we’re at…

10. March 2010 by Shannon.

Things have changed so much since I posted last, even being that it was in January and we’re only in March.  I’ve had a little bit of a homeschool mom nervous breakdown over … I’m not sure, just life in general I guess.  Anyhow, we had to change things up when the Bigs got back from England (in mid-February) so we did the Amanda Bennett unit on the Vancouver 2010 Olympics as a whole “little schoolhouse” group… Bigs and Littles (obviously working on different levels)… and it brought back some very good memories of unit studies of the past.  So, I decided that maybe I needed (for this season) to focus on the Unit Study approach. 

Now, I like Amanda Bennett’s studies, but I absolutely LOVE Brandenburg Studies… they are absolutely excellent… very rich and research oriented.  Totally adaptable to upper grades (just expect a little more, that’s all.. the research is so open-ended in layout).  I love that they come with a schedule that you can print for your older student which not only serves as a “keep on task list” for them, but an outline of what they’re learning about for Mom (or a curious Dad?).  So, with that in mind, here is a little update on what we’re up to in this thing called homeschooling.

The Bigs:

Math: Ev is doing Math-U-See Algebra 1 (yes, he’s behind in math, but it was because the program he was using wasn’t making the math “stick” in his brain the way it should have, so we switched to MUS mid-year), and Kenzi is doing MUS Pre-Algebra.

Science: right now we’re just starting a Brandenburg Studies on Cell Biology

History:  another Brandenburg Study on Robin Hood and the Crusades

Writing and grammar come into those units, as I assess the work that they do.

The Littles:

Math: Greyson is doing AOP’s Horizons math grade 1, and Chaeli is doing Kindergarten

Grammar: First Language Lessons (both together)

Penmanship: A Reason for Handwriting (G is on book A, Ch on book K)

Writing: Writing With Ease level 1 for both Littles)

Phonics: Explode the Code (G on book 2, Ch on book C)

Spelling (and phonics practice): All About Spelling level 1

Social Studies: Story of the World book 1 (Ancient Times) plus the activity guide for maps/colouring pages

It sounds like the Littles are doing much more than the Bigs, but the Bigs’ work takes much longer, and the Littles lessons are often really short and go rather quickly. 

So far things are working… next year I’ll be changing things for the Bigs… I’m considering switching to Switched on Schoolhouse by Alpha Omega for them both.  Not completely decided, but it’s looking good to me, it grades almost everything (except essay questions, but then gives me guidelines with which to grade).  It sounds too good to be true, but I do have a Very Good Friend who uses it with her two daughters and she loves it (and they don’t even mind school anymore!).  SO… we’ll have to see where this goes.

So that’s where we’re at… what are YOU up to?

Blessings!

Posted in Curriculum Choices, General Homeschool | Print | No Comments »

Celebrities who homeschool their kids

25. February 2010 by Shannon.

Celebrities who homeschool their kids

I just found this excellent article about celebrities who homeschool their children (no, it’s not just another of those lists of the hundreds of famous, SUCCESSFUL homeschoolers… it’s a real article with quotes and everything! LOL!).   Maybe as more celebrities embrace the homeschooling lifestyle, the general public will be less wary of the rest of us.  I’d like to mention that throughout history, even when schools were available, the elite homeschooled their kids with “governesses” (read: tutor!!) because they knew that it was an exceptional choice for their beloved children.

http://www.famoushomeschoolers.net/index.html

And here is a website dedicated to lists of famous homeschoolers… all categorized on the left.  So, if you want to see more Famous Parents (homeschool, that is) you click that link on the left, if you want scientists, click that on the left.  Enjoy!

Blessings!

Posted in Great Finds, General Homeschool | Print | No Comments »

Getting back to Nature…

22. January 2010 by Shannon.

Okay.. this is time limited folks… so act fast! 

One of my favourite resouces out there is www.homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com … they always have some excellent book of the past, or a link to a freebie offered by a wahm.  Every day is something new.  Well, this week it was Anna Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study (yes, that the one the Ambleside Online people always rave about.. with good reason!).  WELL… the generous people over at HomeschoolFreebie have been offering the book in chunks all week long, and now… they are opening up the entire week’s worth of links for the ENTIRE weekend!!!  Meaning?  Well, if you are just hearing about it now, OR if you missed one day this week… you can go BACK to www.homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com and just scroll down to get all the links!  What a fantastic gift!!!

One suggestion I heard for using the book (especially if you already own a print copy) is to print off pages as needed for images/etc to use in a nature lapbook… or if you are doing a Nature Notebook, you can put in 3-hole punched card stock, and stick mini-books to it.. while maintaining the continuity of your notebook.

Why is this so timely?  Well, lots of people think of Nature Study as something to partake of in the summer months, or spring through summer… maybe even into autumn… but really, the best “cycle” of Nature is to start studying it in the WINTER months… (perfect timing is right now!) since your child can then observe the entire cycle of life… winter is a dormancy time, but allows us to see the trees without all the busy foliage, we can find animal tracks easily in the snow as local wildlife searches out food during these leaner months.  Soon spring will “sprung” and with it the trees and plants will start their growing cycle… first buds, then blossoms, then fruit (if they produce fruit)… animals will be birthing their young, and we look forward to a summer of watching baby animal antics - squirrels chasing each other all over the yard, new little flyers coming to check out birdfeeders, and sometimes catch a glimpse of a baby deer following close behind his Mama.  Then Summer with it’s insects galore, flowers, fruit, and hot lazy days perfectly designed for sitting and observing the world around us.  And of course, my favourite season, Autumn.  When the weather cools to a more comfortable level, the bugs are less of a bother (sorry, but it’s my blog and I say bugs are a bother! LOL!), a bountiful harvest to be collected (if we’re blessed), and small animals scurrying around collecting up their winter stores… oh… and the colours!!! OH the COLOURS!  I love Autumn for the richly dressed foliage of the trees.  I love walking in the woods soaking in all artistic talents of my Heavenly Father!

What better time to embark on a lifelong study of Nature, in all it’s glory, than right now?  And with this fabulous resource… you won’t be left not knowing what it is you are observing… Ms Comstock walks you through with beautiful words.  Her passion for Ecology will inspire you in your journey of discovery!

While you are on the topic.. someone far more knowledgable than I has a great blog about this very book!  Check out Barb’s blog at http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/ .

Blessings!

Posted in Great Finds | Print | 1 Comment »

A pretty time waster… *grin*

17. January 2010 by Shannon.

 

My dear friend Katrina had a pretty wordle on her blog… so monkey see, monkey do!  LOL!

Blessings!

Posted in Random Thoughts, Great Ideas | Print | 1 Comment »

The whirlwind that is my life…

14. January 2010 by Shannon.

I’ve been gone a LONG time, haven’t I?  Well, I’m finally back on solid ground.  Ah, but the journey’s been fun! :o)

What am I talking about?  Well… we’ve moved!  In face, I feel a little deceptive even blogging on this page since we are no longer “homeschool on the hill”… in fact, we’re far from any hills that I can see.  Maybe we should call ourselves “The Little Homeschool in the Town” LOL!  It’s a strange, yet wonderful, change.  We’re now “in town”… a small town to be sure, but a town just the same.  There are “local” things… like a library, a post office, a GROCER!  I can’t believe how much things have changed… but it’s all been for the good.  I do miss my trees, I miss the mountain, I do… but this new home is just what our family needed, so I am Very Thankful.

As for school.  Well, sometimes Life is enough of a learning experience, eh?  My Bigs have learned about moving, about expenses, about the work involved in setting up a new home, about all kinds of important things like that, so I’m trying to let go of my paper pushing compulsions and just enjoy this season in our lives.  We’re just now getting settled into our school rhythm.

We’ve made some changes from what we’d planned to do this year to what we’ve actually settled on, so let me give you all a little update:

Ev (16) is working through Sonlight Core 200 as planned, but we’ve switched his math to Math-U-See Algebra 1.  Apparently he has retention issues where it comes to math… and although Life of Fred was engaging and he understood it in the moment and did very well on the immediate assignment, he quickly lost what he had learned and was unable to bring back stuff he’d “mastered” earlier.  I don’t think it’s an issue with Life of Fred, I think it’s more his learning abilities.  He’s just not a mathematical kid… I remember once when he was about 8 and had a math word problem along the lines of “if Johnny has to go get 24 apples for his mother, but his wagon only holds 8 apples, how many trips will he have to make to bring them all home?” and Ev just sitting there (looking like he was daydreaming).  When asked what he was finding so hard about the question, he - looking surprised - answered, “oh, it’s not a hard problem… I was just trying to figure out how he could fix his wagon so he’d only have to make one trip!”… ya.  That’s my boy! :o) 

*Ahem* … back to lessons.  SO, he’s still working through his novel, which is complete (all 36 chapters of it!) but in the editing stage.  He’s editing it once, and then a very good Editor friend of mine has agreed to edit it in exchange for Ev working for her for a few days.  This could be a good trade off!  Then it’s through the process of manuscript submission with publishers, and lots of praying that it’s accepted.  If anyone “knows” anyone in the business who would like to encourge a young author… please let me know!

Kenzi (14) is working through Sonlight Core 5, Math-U-See Pre-Algebra and working on a huge dog training project.  She’s read some pretty hefty books on the subject and watched countless hours of DVD lessons (oh joy!).  We’ve also applied to the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind to be puppy walkers (basically raising a pup from 7 weeks to about 18 months till they are ready to go back to the centre for Guide Dog instruction).  Attending dog obedience classes with me and the pup will be part of her project.

Speaking of projects… I stumbled across an amazing site the other day, and I’m adapting the concept to my children… I’m hoping to be able to afford to work with this gentleman at a later date, but for right now the move has eaten up our “school budget” so we’ll have to make do on our own.  Luckily there is enough information there to get me started.

Ev and Kenz will be heading off to England later this month, a gracious invitation by my father-in-law, to meet and get to know some of the family we have living over there.  They have a great-grandmother who is 99 years old who they haven’t seen since they were 6 and 4 years old!  This will be an exciting learning experience for them… just getting used to the changes in vocabulary will be interesting!  My wonderful husband has tried to give them a British Primer with some words they may encounter that are different (such as, “boot” meaning the trunk of the car, or “rubber” meaning an eraser).  We’re SUPER excited for them and can’t wait to hear their reaction and memories when they come back.

Greys (7) and Chae (4.5) are focused on phonics, play, numbers, and drawing at the moment.  I’m trying to be as relaxed as possible with them in their education… without going “unschooling” altogether.  Do I think that unschooling is bad? No… not at all.  I know several unschoolers who blow my socks off with their passions and intelligence… but it’s just not my style.  I like some structure to know I’m covering at least the basics. 

Greyson can read words such as “activity”, “platform”, “calendar” and of course most smaller words.  He is a very eager reader if he’s not asked to read… meaning, if he comes to me to show me how he sounded a word out, but not being asked to read.  Greys loves numbers and what they represent and how they all work.  Recently I was assuring a friend of mine that the main education of Littles comes from their play, and that they can learn and practice many of their “school” skills in play:

Greyson and Chaeli are sitting on the floor playing with their wedgits. No school happening here. BUT.. let’s listen in…

C: do you want to build a crystal?…

G: No.. you are the scientist. I will buy what you make.

C: okay… (builds up a pretty “crystal” with a pattern of all the wedgit colours) do you want to buy this one?

G: well, yes. But I have to check my money (counts up the small and large white “diamonds” he has). How much is that crystal?

C: 3 diamonds.

G: (I’m not kidding, he said this!) OH! I have 5 diamonds, so, if I give you my diamonds you owe me 2 diamonds back in change!

C: okay! Can I use the diamonds to make more crystals?

G: Sure! (hands over the diamonds, Chaeli makes “change” and gets busy working on more “crystals”).

That’s suply and demand/manufacturing/economics/math(subtractions),and customer service… all wrapped up in wedgits!

Chae on the other hand is starting to read blends (words like “hand” “flat” “this” and “toad”), but is definately my science kid.  She’s constantly asking questions, contantly wanting to know how stuff works… she’s learned so much on the topic of scientific classification just because she thought it was neat that scientists make groups like she does.  She loves patterning, building, all that mathy-sciency jazz. 

I’m slowly working through First Language Lessons and Story of the World (Ancient Times with the Activity guide) with them… but we’re defiantely no where near Ms. Bauer’s schedule in The Well Trained Mind.  Oh well.. if it takes me two years for each of the 4 books, we’ll still end up in grade 9 ready to start the 4 year cycle again, won’t we?  It’s all good.

SO.  That’s my update!  I will be back more often now that everything is settled down… see y’all then!

Blessings!

Posted in Chaeli, Greyson, Kenzi, Everett, General Homeschool | Print | 2 Comments »

Figuring out the plan…

24. July 2009 by Shannon.

Okay.. because it’s homeschool planning time, I thought I’d put my plan out there and hope to get some feedback on what people think.

As a basic framework, I’m somewhere between The Well Trained Mind and Sonlight (not that they are that far apart in philosophy… really) and we use workboxes (8 slots per kid per day) to “organise” it all.

Everett, Grade 10:

Sonlight Core 200 - 5 days a week

Latina Christiana - 5 days a week (one long day and 4 review days)

Rosetta Stone French - 5 days a week (doesn’t take long each day)

Life of Fred Advanced Algebra (moving on to Geometry when completed) - 5 days a week

History (Middle Ages through Early Reformation) - Civilizations 2 pgs X 3 days a week with outlining, History of Art 2 pgs X 2 days a week with outlining

Great Books (following TWTM, ending with a Shakespeare unit in the late spring) - 3 days a week

Science (suggestions welcome, was considering Apologia Biology, but he’s supposed to be doing Earth Science and Astronomy but I don’t know of any curriculum at the highschool level for that) - 2 days a week

Grammar (Latin Road to English Grammar and read through the Elements of Style) - 5 days a week

Writing (working on his novel) - 5 days a week

McKenzie, grade 8:

Sonlight Core 5 - 5 days a week

Latina Christiana - 5 days a week (same as Ev)

Rosetta Stone French - 5 days a week

Bible (Grapevine level 4, Old Testament) - 5 days a week

Math (suggestions welcome, can’t really afford Teaching Textbooks again this year, but was thinking Math-U-See might be as effective and cheaper in the long run… opinions? LOF won’t work with her) - 5 days a week

Grammar (same as Ev) - 5 days a week

History (1850-Present using DK History of the World, if I can find a copy) - 3 days a week with outlining

Science (supposed to be computer sciences and physics, TWTM) - 2 days a week

Art (using Spears Art Studio and various prints) - 2 days a week (one for arts & crafts and one for a CM style picture study)

Music (Simply Music piano course) - 5 days a week - (Composer study and Listening to a classical piece) - 2 days a week  (yes, I know these are going to overlap… but Kenzi can do music practice after “school”)

Greyson, Grade 1:

Sonlight Core K - 5 days a week

Bible (Grapevine Beginner OT) - 5 days a week

Math (Math Mammoth and RS Math Games) - 3 and 2 times a week (MMx3, RSMGx2)

History (Story of the World, Ancients, with a notebook page) - 2 days a week

Science (suggestions for following TWTM year 1 welcome) - 3 days a week

Music (Simply Music piano course) - 5 days a week

Reading (Rocket Phonics) - 5 days a week

Grammar (First Lessons in Language) - 3 days a week

Art (Spears Art Studio) - 2 days a week

Spelling/Writing (Explode the Code, All About Spelling) - 5 days a week

Chaeli (TECHNICALLY too young for formal school, but so she doesn’t feel left out), Junior Kindergarten:

Sonlight Core K - 5 days a week

Reading (Rocket Phonics & SL K Reading) - 5 days a week

Math (number readiness and Right Start Math Games) - 3 and 2 days a week

Bible (Grapevine Beginner Old Testament) - 5 days a week

Memory (games and verses/poems) - 5 days a week

Writing (Get Ready Set Go for the Code) - 5 days a week

History (Story of the World, Ancients) - 2 days a week

Science (Nature Study, Classification concepts) - 3 days a week

Basic Skills (cutting, colouring, etc) - 3 days a week

Art (Spears Art Studio K) - 2 days a week

I still need:

Math for Kenzi

and to buy:

First Language Lessons Vol 1

The Well Educated Mind

DK Encyclopedia of Science

DK History of the World

Grapevine Level 4 Old Testament

SO… any thoughts?  BTW, to all my friends in the planning stages, I am praying for clarity of mind, availability of resources, and courage… and I’m praying that the Lord blesses your homeschool year so abundantly - I hope you will pray the same for us!

Blessings!

Posted in Chaeli, Greyson, Kenzi, Everett, General Homeschool | Print | 4 Comments »

For Today…

26. June 2009 by Shannon.

Today…

Outside my window… the sky is grey, but the weather is lovely and comfortable

I am thinking…  that my Littles are such good guinea pig “parents”

From the learning rooms… the Bigs are still finishing up some work, and the Littles are learning about their new pets

I am thankful for… a peace-filled house today (so far!)

From the kitchen… I’m trying to get out of cooking for today, it’s so warm already in the house.  Salad sounds good

I am wearing… capris and a pink t-shirt that Tony bought me for my birthday last year

I am reading… How do I love Thee by Nancy Moser (for a review)

I am hoping… that it doesn’t rain tomorrow for my birthday

I am creating…  our new school plan for next year

I am praying… that my house sells soon so we can move to Lancaster

Around the house… we need to get a good bedroom cleaning in - it’s Zone 4 this week!

One of my favorite things… the quiet time in the evening after the kids go to sleep when Tony and I snuggle up on the couch.

A few plans for the rest of the week… it’s the end of the week, but for next week we have the Canada Day Parade, soccer juggling, Living Room cleaning (Zone 5 till the 1st, then Zone 1 - Entrance and Diningroom - till the weekend), and a visit with one of my bestest friends, Stephanie ♥ .

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you…

Prince (in the background) and Pauper (front and center!) enjoying some outdoor time.

Posted in Random Thoughts | Print | 1 Comment »

ANOTHER “Notepacking” idea…

24. March 2009 by Shannon.

When it’s been a while since I’ve posted a real “how-to” notebook/lapbook post… but I was just so inspired by a “nothing” thing that my friend had lying around on her kitchen table.  I SNATCHED it up as fast as I could and BEGGED her to show me how she did it… and now I’m gonna show you!  (Yes, I asked her permission to share it, she laughed at me and said, “of course”.. the poor girl didn’t even know what she had sitting in front of her.. so simple, yet so brilliant! LOL!).  SO.. here, my dear Readers, is ONE MORE WAY to include those unit notebook pages into your lapbooks:

(in steps)

STEP ONE:  Take a LEGAL sized folder (it has to be LEGAL… I don’t do illegal around here.. *wink*)

 STEP 2:  Open the folder.

 STEP 3:  Fold up the bottom quarter till the side edges meet (see next picture before pressing that fold down!)

 MAKE SURE THE BOTTOM EDGE MATCHES THE ‘CURVE’ OF THE LABEL SECTION!  This is critical, and it also makes it much easier to have this little “guide” for your fold:

 STEP 4:  Resume normal lapbook folding - fold both flaps in to the middle seam.

 STEP 5:  Voilà!  A Notepack pocket to put those little notebook pages in.  NOW… before I get “comments” that the pages will just fall out, you can ALWAYS slip a little paper clip at the top of the folder to hold the tops of the pages in.  You can also stick all your minit books around it, behind it, on the flip up bottom, same as usual.  AND if you cut off a mere 3/4 inch off a letter-sized folder, it’ll stick side edge to side edge just right and you have yourself a double lapbook with notepack on one side.  PERFECT!

So there you have it… Enjoy!

OH… and if your fingers are just itchin’ to do a lapbook now, head on over to Currclick and check out this week’s FREEBIE!  Hands of a Child has been gracious enough to offer up their fantastic Amelia Earheart Project Pack as this week’s free download!  Don’t miss out, download it today (it’ll be changed to a new freebie on the 30th of March!).  Also, while you are there, be sure to sign up for the Currclick newsletter which keeps you up to date on the latest freebie being offered!

Blessings!

Posted in Notebooks, LapBooks, Great Ideas, General Homeschool | Print | 1 Comment »

March Break

20. March 2009 by Shannon.

WELL!  We had my neice, Bethanie, staying with us this week to give her mom a little break… and what a blast we had!!!  We visited a museum, went to a nature preserve (kinda, it’s for wounded animals from the St Lawrence Seaway), made the St Patricks’ Day lapbook from Hands of a Child (our favourite school activity!), played games, played outside in the wonderful spring weather, laughed a LOT (Beth has a contagious laugh!) and just enjoyed having her as part of our family for the week.  It makes me want to steal her more often! *grin*

Here are Greyson and Chaeli’s First Ever in their Lives LAPBOOKS! *applause*

Blessings!

Posted in LapBooks, Chaeli, Greyson, Bragging, General Homeschool | Print | 3 Comments »

My Concerns about the Homeschooling Community

19. March 2009 by Shannon.

A good friend recently posed the question, “What are your concerns for the homeschooling community?” 

I’m ashamed to say that one of my biggest concerns about/for homeschooling is the unfortunate lack of proper social skills (not socialization, which is how we relate to others, but social skills as in “we do not pick our noses in restaurants” and “we don’t barge to the front of the group so we can see, we wait our turn”).

These are areas that although many homeschoolers have well covered (it’s easy to teach in a small group), SO many more have not. Every child who is homeschooled is an Ambassador for homeschooling… and their behaviours reflect strongly on the rest of our still very fragile community. I’ve seen places actually REFUSE to take homeschool groups because even though it seems reasonable to think that with all the parents there, the kids will be better supervised, it does not work out that way. Homeschooler parents tend to congregate for “moral support” and many children take this “distracted teacher time” to show off all that is wrong with the “school yard” mindset… and it makes us ALL look like a bunch of slackers with no social skills.

This has been playing on my heart heavily lately as I’ve been to a few gatherings of homeschoolers and watched the children act like zoo animals at feeding time while the parents sit over here or over there deep in conversation. UNFORTUNATELY this is something that I kind of like about school kids… they learn how to be quiet and listen when the “teacher” (museum guide, animator, workshop leader) is talking and to wait their turns in asking questions, and file patiently past the exhibit to get their chance to see it. YES, sometimes that means that the student that is most interested gets the same amount of exposure as the absolutely couldn’t care less student… and that is where we *can* be different… we can let the interested student have more time, but that not interested student should ALSO know to behave in an appropriate manner, EVEN when he’s not the most interested in the crowd rather than tearing through the place with his voice at a dangerous decibel level wreaking havoc every where he goes. You know?

I think EVERY STUDENT, schooled or homeschooled (with the exception of one small lesson, the one on profanity, I just duct taped over that one), should take the Connect the Thoughts Manners course. It is an excellent course which addresses issues on manners from personal hygiene to behaving politely to (get this) THANKING your parents for all they do for you!!

I know that it *is* possible for children to go to a museum or other activity and behave civilly… my children do most of the time, and when one of my chidlren starts to get excitable and I start to see the warning signs that they’re about to step into dangerous grounds, I reel them back in, give them a reminder of what it means like to behave politely, and send them back out again… but keeping my eyes peeled for more warning signs.

In schools, the teachers and other chaperons do their best to remind students of the rules, briefing them before leaving, upon arriving, and reprimanding students who break the rules… why can’t we do the same… prep our kids, remind our kids, and then reprimand them when it is needed when THEY go out into public places.

Remember, our children might be the only OTHER homeschool family someone’s non-homeschool-friendly-in-laws might ever see! We need to think bigger than our own little homeschools.

Off my soapbox…

Blessings!

Posted in General Homeschool | Print | 3 Comments »