22. April 2008 by Shannon.

Yesirree… I finally got to making up my mock-up of the timelines for lapbooks…

Thank you for patience!!!!

Alright… in this first picture, I have cut an 8.5X11 sheet of cardstock (okay, I’m lying, this is just construction paper, my kids used up all the cardstock.. gotta buy more… *grin*) in half widthwise.

Attach the smaller cardstock pieces end to end as long as you need to to cover the time line you want. If you stick masking tape (as I have, without cutting it, someone ran off with my scissors too.. sigh.) to one side only, you get a nice clean line on the reverse for your timeline…

Tape one end to one inside seam of your lapbook…

Add your line and you have yourself a Time Line in a Lapbook! Of couse, you can add as many sheets as you need to the timeline to accomodate the time period you are studying.

Fold accordion style to “put away” your timeline.

OH! And I have an idea of what you could put on the reverse side if you are not going to be continuing your timeline on it… stick more minibooks, sticik photos, small drawings, make a bibliography list of the books you used on the unit, maybe a calendar of “events” you did while doing your lapbook… the options are limitless!! I also thought, if you were to draw a vertical line halfway through each “page” as it flips out, instead of putting a timeline bar across horozontally… you could use it as a “sequence of events” timeline for younger children… like “what came first in the story” “what came next” .. and have them draw the events ON A SEPARATE PAGE (critical, because if they are like my kids and mess up their “good timeline” they will be crushed!) which can then be cut out and put in to the different “squares” of the sequence timeline… I’ll probably use it this way in the autumn when I am working with Greyson for Kindergarten. I can’t wait!!! *grin*

And Greys would like me to share with you what HE was doing while Mommy was playing with her lapbooks… *wink*

Doesn’t he look proud? He tells me, “It’s Santa and a Christmas Tree bringing presents to Chaeli” (okay.. this I don’t understand, we DON’T do Santa, that looks like a Palm tree to me.. and well… IT’S APRIL!!! Gosh goodness, we finally got rid of the snow and the kid is talking Christmas again!!!! YIKES!)

Before I go, I’d like to add a little plug for a fellow lapbooker here who has come up with a very nice “digilapbook” on creepy-crawlies… very cool! I have to look more into this one!

I hope my ideas have inspired you in your lapbooking adventures… I probably won’t be around mcuh for the next week and a bit - but I’ll be THINKING, and BRAINSTORMING new ideas to share with you!!!

And NEXT week I’ll be attending the Ultimate Homeschool Expo!!! I REALLY hope I will see you there!!! Don’t miss this incredible event - a homeschool convention in your computer, perfect to either participate in LIVE - or to take along with you as you wear the many hats of your day! Get your ticket here for your own membership site with so many goodies to help you on your homeschool journey!

Blessings!!

Posted in LapBooks, Great Ideas, Greyson, General Homeschool | Print | 3 Comments »

17. April 2008 by Shannon.

YES!  Spring has finally SPRUNG (even here in Quebec!)!!!! The kids “escaped” yesterday and brought me home probably the only three flowers in my lawn brave enough to peek their heads through the snow… I love Spring!  Here’s a picture of the one Kenzi brought me… unfortunately the Littles’ flowers didn’t “make it”… *wink*  Pretty, huh?  (btw, it was VERY tiny… that’s the grain of the wood of my desk under it.. I got a reeaaaaaallly close up shot - I love my camera!)

One of my FAVOURITE (and sometimes least favourite as I will explain later) parts of Spring is SPRING PLANNING!  That’s when all next year’s stuff gets planned out (okay, loosely) and books are planned to be purchased.  It is when I seek out inspiration and encouragement more than ever, because… (which brings me to my LEAST favourite part)  I really hate the End Of Year drudgery. 

We always are just dragging along - trying to get all our “things” finished, when really what we want to be doing is going OUTSIDE - as you’ve seen above ^^.  

SO… in the spirit of motivating MYSELF to get into the Spring PLANNING and less into the END OF YEAR (and to help past the avoidance issue of going out to play instead) mentality… I would like to share with you a resource from the “sneak peek” on the membership site of the Ultimate Homeschool Expo for this year.  After the postive response I got from the last set I shared with you, I got Cindy’s permission to share another little “freebie” with you - she really can relate - she’s in the process of preparing for her second homeschool graduation with her sweet daughter, Elisabeth (her son graduated a couple years back, and in fact is graduating again THIS WEEK from his Basic Training for the MILITARY!  Way To Go Matthew!!!).  She’s been there, she’s got it all figured out (okay, not all the answers, but, Boy, is she good!) 

So, without further blah blah from me, here’s HER description of this FREE gift!  This is an ebook AND an audio set to help you  get all “orgamanized”  - and remember, there are LOTS more free gifts when you sign up for your own ticket to the Ultimate Homeschool Expo - in fact, a whole “Mommy Grab Bag”!!!!

Let’s Get Ready for a New School Year Super Set!

Let’s Get Ready for the New School Year Mommy Planner…
Ebook by Cindy Rushton

Need some help gearing up for the new school year? Wish you had a friend to take you by the hand and help you plan your year? You will LOVE this! It includes a quick Mommy Planner with a potpourri of planning sheets from all of Cindy’s products to help you get started on the right track with your homeschool planning. It is full of goodies!

Download Part One
http://www.cindyrushton.com/pdfs/GearingUp1.pdf

Download Part Two
http://www.cindyrushton.com/pdfs/GearingUp2.pdf
PLUS! Companion Audio!
Let’s Get Ready for a New School Year–Audio

Download by Mp3
http://www.cindysdesktop.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/GetReadyNewSchoolYear.mp3

Isn’t that cool?

And, just think…this is only ONE of the awesome gifts included on the Membership Site… There are hundreds more!!!

Take my word for it, you will WANT a ticket to this event and access to all of the wonderful resources. Grab your ticket here:

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

16. April 2008 by Shannon.

<pasted from a post I made in Lapbooking7up at Yahoogroups on why I love lapbooks so much> 

I love webdesign… and when I heard of lapbooks, gosh, 10 years ago… I totally “got it” because it was like a website. You “click” (life the flap) on thigns to get further information... like when y ou click a link on a website to learn more… it just seemed so intuitive… and prepatory for internet technology (really!). My kids totally “got” the net at a very young age, even down to how we don’t click just anything, because when the “flap is closed” we don’t know what’s behind it… so we are particular about what we “open”…. it was a natural connection for my kids… (not that we put scary things in our lapbooks.. grin!

I was thinking, after doing lapbooks, when thety feel like they are “outgrowing”the cutting and pasting stage (some do)… they could move on to learning html… maybe creating a “virtual” lapbook on their area of study…

<end of pasting>

<new pasting from same group>

… all you’d need to do is get them to put up a webpage, then add a little javascrip that would allow for small popup windows when people clicked on certain areas of the page… like on a picture or whatever, but instead of getting a whole new page (unless it was for a lot of information), thye’d get a “ballloon” popup, which has a small X to close it, and the main page is not lost…

<end of pasting>

I also have to add a little idea here that a new friend of mine, BJ (who can’t remember just yet where she got the idea from so I’ll add that info later or she can add it as a comment if she remembers, *wink*) did with a lapbook on Spain.  Here’s how she did it:

“Another way to make a fabric flag lapbook style: We used the lapbook flag of Spain which some nice person posted (on other site?) but he wanted his flag to be of fabric. What he did instead was cover the lapbook flag with 2 layers of a used dryer anti-static fleece sheet, traced over the flag & then coloured it with felt pen - sure did look like fabric to some people ”

OH!  And we came up with a good name for those Lapbooks IN Notebooks idea… we’re officially (with the help of my Lapbooking7up friends) calling them NotePacks.  *grin* … and to take it one step further (here I go spiralling inwards again, I’m definately part Fractal!)… notebook pages IN said NotePacks would of course be called LapNotes.   Alright, alright… I’ll stop being so silly! LOL!

I’m bubbling over with ideas for this now… expect more soon, now it’s a matter of making a mock up of each idea and taking pictures to put on here… I hope you are all liking these ideas as much as I am.  I’m all inspired now!

Blessings!

Posted in Notebooks, LapBooks, Great Ideas, General Homeschool | Print | 2 Comments »

15. April 2008 by Shannon.

I stumbled across this today, thought you might like it…

Blessings!

Posted in General Homeschool | Print | No Comments »

10. April 2008 by Shannon.

HAPPY SPRING!

(okay, I know that was technically last month, but up here in Canada we’re FINALLY seeing signs of spring - LOTS of MUCK!) 

Previously I posted a way to use duct tape to put lapbooks into your notebooks… but sometimes there are lapbook specific pages you’d like to include IN your lapbook (which is now IN your notebook… we’re spiralling inward now! *grin*).  I took pictures too..

As you can see, I’ve used brads to hold the notebook closed. It is secure and doesn’t slip open at all because it’s wrapped across twice. It also looks pretty *grin*  I would suggest (if you are going to add this to a notebook, though, that you put duct tape BEFORE you add the brads, as if you put it on after, then the brads will be rendered useless for helping keep the lapbook closed.  You might need to use a sharp edge to make “guides” for the brads to get through the duct tape too… that stuff is tough!). 

Opening up…

As you can see the page protector doesn’t pass the right side of the back of the lapbook, so it doesn’t interfere with closing the lapbook.

As you can see, the brads on the front cover become “duotang” type fasteners on the inside left cover which holds the edge of clear page protectors… as many as you see fit to add (obviously there is a limit or your lapbook won’t close easily - but still, it does let you add those special “unit related” pages to a lapbook - you can probably add about 10 or so, which gives you - double sided - 20 notebook pages to add to your lapbook).BTW, I used a “fake” lapbook to demonstrate, so no, this is not one of our real lapbooks - I just wanted to demonstrate my idea - but we will be adding pages this way in out next lapbook project “Art Appreciation” by Hands of a Child - this will be our very first HOAC Co-Op!  I’m so excited!  When we are done, we will be sure to post pictures!!

I hope you like my idea! Let me know how you find it works in YOUR homeschool!

Blessings!

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

8. April 2008 by Shannon.

I just took a very interesting quiz from motherstyles - and well, yes, I’d say this pretty much sums me up.  Although I have to admit, I tend to direct a little more than it would appear in this “type”, only because I’m always concerned with schoolboard evaluations and stuff… as much as *I* know my kids are learning, *they* may not agree.  Sigh.

But this is still very cool…. Blessings!

Your type is: intp  —The “Love of Learning” Mother

“I keep the encyclopedia in the kitchen so we can look up things together while we eat.”

• Intellectually curious and patient, the INTP mother relishes those times with a child when they are learning something interesting together. Whether they’re at the zoo or computer terminal, she sparks to answering his or her “whys” with in-depth responses or new knowledge.
• The INTP mother is also objective and introspective. She listens to and discusses children’s ideas and questions as she would those of a peer, fostering self-esteem and confidence. Open and non-directive, she allows children the freedom to do for themselves and quietly encourages them to believe they can do it.
• Independence, autonomy, intellectual development, and self-reliance are probably the INTP’s highest priorities for her children. An avid reader, she naturally imparts an appreciation and love of reading as well.
• Drawn to all types of learning, the INTP may also value her mothering experience for all the new insights about life it provides her.

Posted in General Homeschool | Print | 2 Comments »

3. April 2008 by Shannon.

Well, sometimes God just makes me laugh.  He knows our struggles so well, and is already sending “help” before we’ve even asked for it.  I was so stressed out last week - ready even to call it quits… when along came Help.  I stumbled upon a really unique curriculum that was just too revolutionary. I was hesitant to start something new, but seeing as we were finished up Egypt, and really ready to go on to something new and as McKenzie had declared an all out strike at my plans… I figured a change of pace couldn’t hurt.

Oh my goodness…. what a change this week!  Okay, things aren’t PERFECT, but they are a dang sight better than what we were doing!  I came across a curriculum called “Connect the Thoughts” (CtT).  It is completely unique to anything I’ve ever seen before… it gives the student ownership of their own education, in a directed, yet respectful of their individuality way… instead of writing what they need to “regurgitate” or “narrate” or even using “copywork” (which although helped my daughter tremendously in the area of penmanship and her pencil “allergy”…. it certainly wasn’t getting her to think and ponder the things she was studying.  CtT does just that… instead of being concerned about the mechanics of writing, it encourages the student to really THINK and PONDER and CONSIDER whta they believe, know and need. 

In one week, no - in a few days, I’ve seen such changes in McKenzie.  Deeper thoughts, more responsibility, more ownership of her education…

One of the things I’m finding incredible is watching my daughter “own” her education.  Today she said the most insightful thing I’ve heard out of her in months…. all related to one of the assignments in her CtT book.  She said to me “Mom, this brick wall I drew means that when you rush through your studies, and you just keep going even when you don’t understand something, you are leaving out a brick in your wall… and if you leave out enough bricks, your wall is going to fall down!”  And she went on to explain that that was exactly how she felt in public school, like some of her bricks were missing and she felt unstable (in her learning, like she was faking knowing something because everyone else seemed to know it - I reminded her that maybe some of those other people were faking it too… so no one would know unless everyone spoke up). 

One of the saddest aspects of my education was not learning how to tell time on an analog clock… I missed that week in grade 2, I guess, anyhow, by the time I figured out everyone else could do it I was too embarrassed to admit I couldn’t… it took a friend to teach me when I was in my early 20’s…

Guess what I make sure my kids learn early?  LOL!

One other thing we’ve implemented this week, which has helped as well, has been a “goals” sheet.  On Friday evenings, Mom, Dad and Kenzi sit down with a sheet of paper with all her subjects listed on the left side.  Beside each subject, she determines (with our guidance) what her weekly goals will be.  During the week, she is responsible for her time.  I will remind her that it is still school hours and that she should make best use of that time, but I will not tell her WHAT she needs to be working on.  She is responsible for her own education - I’m just here to encourage and facilitate.  At the end of the week (Friday evening again) she needs to take a little time to review her past week and write on the bottom of the form her self-evaluation - how she felt she did on meeting her goals, including things such as attitude towards her work.  Then we go over the work she did that week and Tony and I write our own evaluation notes below her notes.  Then she puts that in her notebook, at the begining of that weeks work, and takes a new sheet for the upcoming week.. and she writes her goals for the upcoming week again. 

Now, that being said, this is Week One of this new system, but it’s run so smoothly I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner!  I’ve been saying for years that her education is her responsiblity… yet I guess I was too thick-headed to trust her enough with the logistics of her education.  It is so much more meaningful to her to be in control of how much or how little she gets done.

Please understand that last sentence though…. she still has minimum requirements… for example, she must do one math lesson a day.  SO, in her goals, she can write 5 math lessons OR she can CHOOSE to move along faster, and write 10 math lessons and plan her time to do two math lessons a day (if she were so inclined…. which didn’t happen this week, and I don”t expect to happen any time soon - but there you have it, the option is there, and she’s only really accountable to herself, with us as mentors and encouragers). 

I don’t think this would work with a student too young, but I think somewhere around 10 - with guidance - would be a beneficial homeschool addition.  After all, if we’re the only ones with any say, then as soon as we stop saying, they’ll stop doing.  I want a lifelong learner, and I think ownership and a little CtT might just be the ticket!

I’m so pleased today!  :o)

Blessings!

Posted in Curriculum Choices, Kenzi, Great Finds, General Homeschool | Print | 1 Comment »