Labor of Love --TOS Subscription Time

Homeschooling Is a Labor of Love

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine knows how seriously homeschooling parents take their conviction to homeschool.  Their “Labor of Love” subscription sale is a celebration of the commitment to homeschool, and they want everyone to know about the sale. 

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is offering a one-year print subscription for just $7.95 or a one-year plus current issue print subscription for only $12.95!

This sale to obtain Homeschooling's best magazine lasts from August 31 through midnight PDT on September 15.  YOU can take advantage of our crazy prices, and please share the word with your friends as well!

SO if ever you wanted to subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine NOW IS THE TIME.

There are ONLY 5000 of these subscriptions available!!!

Once they're gone, they're gone. 

If TOS reaches 5,000 subscriptions BEFORE September 15, the sale could be over.

A full year subscription for only $7.95!  

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In exchange for helping with this promotion and for helping with the Schoolhouse Expo and Expo to Go Events I will be receiving a free Expo to Go ticket from TOS.

Stop Tracing & Gain Fluency- Peterson Directed Handwriting Review

Do you feel comfortable with how to teach your children handwriting?

Do you sit your children down and have them trace letters 
that are already printed in a book or on a worksheet?

Do they draw over the top of dotted letter forms in order to "learn their letters"?

Did you know that there is ANOTHER WAY?

 

Peterson Directed Handwriting 

has been teaching handwriting successfully 

 since 1908!!!

Located in Greensburg, PA.

As a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew,
I received a free copy of Peterson Directed Handwriting Print Step 1, Print Step 2 and Print Step 3 in e-book format and for review purposes.  I also had a meeting with Mr. Rand Nelson from Peterson Directed Handwriting for explanation purposes.


Each of these e-workbooks sell for $19.95.  They are available for download immediately and can be printed as you chose.  No more consumable workbooks that can only be used for one child.  No more running out of practice pages when your child struggles on a specific stroke or needs to review a certain letter.  No more messy sheet protector over the top of your worksheets so that you can re-use them inexpensively.

Peterson Directed Handwriting believes that

the use of symbols as a tool for learning is greatly enhanced when the user has integrated motor patterns for the symbols. Without instruction, a child must invent his or her own production process. If you can give 10 minutes of direction to your class each day, we can help your pupils maximize reading, handwriting and composition skills.

What does this mean?

It means our children need just a few minutes of direct instruction to teach them how to properly form their letters.  It means that the path for a child to become fluent (AND FLUENCY IS THE GOAL at Peterson Directed Handwriting) is to first describe the strokes, name the strokes and then practice the strokes in GROSS MOTOR WAYS.

Peterson Directed Handwriting believes that first the large muscles must gain muscle memory of the strokes.  Once there is large muscle memory the fine motor movements will flow naturally.

What's wrong with tracing?

According to Peterson Directed Handwriting, tracing letters on paper does not allow muscle memory to kick in.  Instead tracing promotes **drawing** the letters.  When children draw the letters they are focusing on the point of the pencil to see if it is following the correct path at that given minute.  If instead, children have muscle memory and internalize the stroke patterns they are then looking ahead and determining the next needed stroke.  This increases fluency and eases the task of writing.

Peterson Directed Handwriting uses a 4 step process that only requires approximately 10 minutes a day of direct instruction.  However, Mr.Rand Nelson stated on several occasions during our on-line training that "there is no right way to do this" and that it needs to be "catered to where the child is at."   Each step needs to be MASTERED before moving on in order to properly train the muscles correctly: a lesson may take more or less time depending upon where your child is at that day.

Here are the steps:

1) Illustrate and Describe the stroke to be practiced.
Peterson Directed Handwriting even has Animated Letter Cards to show you HOW to illustrate each letter.

2) Air Writing the strokes in the air with the full arm and extended index finger trains the large muscles.

3) Finger Tracing transitions the large muscle memory into fine motor skills by tracing the letters with the index finger.  How is this different than tracing letters?  It is different because this step is training the index finger muscles how to pull, push, and otherwise move.  The muscles are developing proper memory.  When a child traces letters using a pencil he is focused on the tip of the pencil, is drawing the letters instead of relying upon muscle memory to fluently write the letters. To test the mastery of this muscle training a child is encouraged to write letters without looking down at the paper.  "Writing blind"  A child who traces and draws their letters will not be able to do this.

If you would like to learn more about finger tracing check out this link to find out how pencil tracing blocks fluency.

4) Write and Say.  This is when the children first write the strokes and letters on paper. Prior to this step, the children have been building muscle memory. A child should not move on to this step until they have mastered and become fluent with steps 1-3.  Most handwriting programs skip the first 3 steps or only briefly visit them as if they are mere games and are not very important.

Peterson Directed Handwriting has the BEST Customer Service!

There is more information that you can possible FATHOM on Peterson Directed Handwriting website.  This is a huge strong point for this curriculum.  Not only do they provide everything you wanted to know and more but they have provided on-line viewing of every page of the items they have for sale! 

Their person to person customer service is beyond anything the current generation has ever seen.  There is a meeting/conference room on the website that is staffed most of the week for drop in questions and training.  Mr. Rand Nelson stated that anyone who purchases the materials is privy to a private informational/training session with him, one just needs to drop him an email to arrange for it to happen.  No question is left unturned with this curriculum when you utilize their customer service "Meet Live Now" or their emailing options.  They are in the business of TEACHING children how to write fluently and you can tell that it means more to them than the money they make from their products.   

Here is a quote from their website:

We are committed to helping those who recognize that handwriting skills are holding students back and are anxious to share the information with you. For that reason we maintain a meeting room through Adobe Connect that supports live cooperation via the internet. The Connect Meeting interface allows collaboration with voice over the internet, video, white boards for illustration, application sharing, keyboard chat and much more.

Customer service is beyond anything I have ever experienced or imagined and Mr. Rand Nelson is the most helpful business man I have ever encountered!

This curriculum IS designed for classroom usage and you can tell as much by looking at the website and the curriculum, however it is easily adapted and the offered training sessions can supply much help to adapt their products to your unique homeschooling situations.

Another thing to know about this product is that it requires a bit of initial research and training for the one who will be teaching the method.  I have provided the links that I found to be the most helpful here in this review to give you a head's start.  Once you watch some of the presentations and fully understand the philosophy, method and process for Peterson Directed Handwriting you will be able to use these e-workbooks with little nightly prep and minimal instruction time.  But please remember this initial training is essential, this is not a purchase and GO curriculum until you understand the method behind it.

Do you have a left-hander?

Peterson Directed Handwriting has resources for you.  Among the TOS crew several had questions about left handed children or special needs specifics.  Mr Rand Nelson was so kind to offer extra teaching sessions and one on one training sessions.  THIS is included in your purchase, one just needs to reach out and ask for help.  Before asking for help, a great place to look is this link for lefties.

Adapting Peterson Directed Handwriting to fit our current needs:

Our family had already started using another program with my oldest.  That program had very specific wording for the strokes.  During our training session Mr. Rand Nelson stated that "any words would work as long as you are consistent and the child understands what the wording means."  So we used the Peterson Directed Handwriting philosophy and method but used our own previously learned words.

I love the concept of muscle memory in regards to handwriting.  In my research on learning styles and how children learn these concepts make sense.   I will be changing up the way I teach pre-writing and beginning writing to my youngest two by adding much of the Peterson Directed Handwriting Methods.  I also love the emphasis on proper utensil holding and paper placement.  I already emphasized these with handwriting lessons but I hear that other programs do not teach how a person ought to turn their paper and hold their pencils.

This fall I plan to use the printable worksheets from the e-workbooks.  What a gem of a resource to have the pages I need and want when I need and want in the quantity I need and want them.  What a great aspect to this product.

Print e-workbook 3 transitions the child into slanted printing so as to improve fluency and speed while prepping the child for cursive.  This is a philosophy that some hold but I personally do not and so, although Print book 3 is a great review book, we will not be using this book personally in our schooling.  If you choose to continue on with Peterson Directed Handwriting into their cursive books Print Book 3 would make a great book of transition!

Peterson Directed Handwriting Print Step 1, Print Step 2 and  
Print Step 3 sell for $19.95 
and are immediately accessible for download to your computer.

Peterson Directed Handwriting sells Cursive materials as well.

Want to look EVERY PAGE of the e-workbooks?

Click here to learn more about Peterson Directed Handwriting E-Workbooks

Scroll down until you see in bold print "PDF By Hand E-Workbooks For Print Writing"

Want to learn EVEN MORE??

Here is the Peterson Directed Handwriting Homepage.

Click here to learn more about the Peterson Directed Handwriting Methods.

Click here to access FREE training sessions and even more information

FREE online accessible E-Book:  Handwriting - A Complete Guide to Instruction

If you would like to read more reviews on Peterson Directed Handwriting please visit TOS Homeschool Crew's Website.

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Disclaimer:  I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Homeschool Crew and receive free products and services in exchange for a thorough and honest review.  Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews.  My reviews will always reflect my honest opinions, findings, beliefs and experiences on the products and services that I receive.

Blog Walk! Blog Walk!

(Thanks to Debbie, over at Debbie's Digest for the great picture)

Blog Walking is a great way to meet new people and read about their experiences homeschooling.  You might find someone who schools or thinks like you.  You might find great information on a new resource, curriculum or teaching technique. Blog Walking is a great way to learn more about the world of home education.

Please click around on the links below and feel free to leave a message or two if you feel led.  We bloggers like to see that other homeschoolers have found us and like what they have read.

This week's Blog Walk List:

1. Creative Learners
2. The Homeschool Desk
3. Ramblin' Roads
4. The Stewards Steno
5. Mama Manuscripts
6. Train Up a Child
7. We Love to Homeschool
8. Day by Day in Our World
9. Acorns - or Homeschooling Nuggets of Gold
10. The Berry Patch

Technology in Homeschooling

Today I am bringing you a new post written for 

The Old Schoolhouse Blog CRUISE.

So, roll your sleeves up, lean back, pull down your shades (unless you can't read when they are down in which case put them back on your head), kick back and prepare to set sail.

Welcome Aboard This Week's Blog Cruise topic is: 

HOMESCHOOLING & TECHNOLOGY: "How do you use technology?"

At I first I thought my answer to this question was that we don't use it all that much, after all we are a TV-less household.  We chose to get rid of our television in 2000 before children.  We were spending too much time not being productive and too much time filling our heads with silly stuff.  A pretty amazing decision to make BEFORE Reality Shows or the recession squeezing pennies tight.

After some thought however, I realized since he was 4 my oldest has loved books on tape.  He has listened to the Indian in the Cupboard series, Secret Garden, Mark Twain, Stuart Little, Alice in Wonderland, The Little Princess and so much more.  I have to MAKE him stop listening because at 6 he would sit and listen to 3 classic books a day if I let him!

We also use our library to request and check out DVDs from the library such as  Sid the Science Kid, Handy Manny and other semi-educational shows.  My children get to choose one movie a week (with mom sometimes adding in an extra for fun because SHE needs it).  The other days of the week they get an "episode" or 45 minutes of a DVD.  These are not always educational but lately with the shows mentioned above they are VERY packed full of knowledge.

We have a Leap-Frog hand-me-down toy that talks and asks the child to turn a dial to the correct letter being requested.  (This is more of a free time reinforcement activity.)

We have Chirpy the Clock (aka: The Learning Time Cuckoo Clock from VTech).   At this point in time is only a play toy.  This year when my son knows how to tell time better I will be tapping into the games on it to help him reinforce time telling.

Of course then we use the almighty computer and internet.  I think we currently average about once a month on an educational game site.  Next week when our library story time begins my oldest will have computer game time once a week while the littles are at Preschool Story Time.  (They will still only be about 8 feet apart from each other at our very small library.)

I use the internet much like the library resource section of old. When our studies pull up the topic of something we are interested in we "Google" it.   OR RATHER we USED to Google it, now FIRST we Swag Buck it and if we don't find what we need we move back to Google.  Wikipedia gets most of our stops!  We have found some amazing videos of octopus, elephants, meerkats, Schooner ships, Outer space and much more using the amazing electronic resource center otherwise known as THE INTERNET.

Of course I also use technology to make a form here and there, to make a spreadsheet of our primers, to find and print off Letter of the Week worksheets and activities for the littles, to do some tracking and other organizing.  And of course I use the internet to blog about our school and our life in effort to share with others and give out our ideas.    Sharing is a great thing.  :)

How do you use technology in your homeschooling?

A Glance at our 2010 Weekly Schedule

IT'S HOMESCHOOL WEEK.
 
At least it is here on my blog.

I have spent the last several weeks trying to plan and get organized for school to start.   I've spent much time creating charts and forms.  I dread starting and not having the tools to keep me organized along the way.  So instead of doing housework, I have been typing and printing and punching holes and organizing and re-organizing.  I really hope that I can feel settled soon.  My house and family depend upon it.

Yesterday (okay fine!!  TUESDAY)  I discussed what curriculum I have chosen for this year.  Today I will share the weekly schedule that I have decided upon.

After reading about how many homeschool parents have arranged their days and weeks I decided I wanted to include chores and breakfast into our normal routine.  We have just started to ramp up chores for the boys.  Otto actually has his very own flock (7) of Bantum chicks that he is solely (with supervision) responsible for and he is now also gathering eggs from the chicken coup and feeding the new barn kitty.  Abram I need to add a few more things onto his chore list of feeding the inside pets.  I think that if we have this in our routine we will not as likely forget to do our jobs as we sometimes do. Once I know what they will be doing I will write them in order on my 7 Day Tracker that currently sits blank on my fridge!

Group Time is memory time and Pre-K time. Otto (6) still LOVES to do pre-k review so we will do Pre-K instruction time all together and then Otto will go with me to do more academic stuff and I am hoping that Abram will be fine with a crate or two of Letter of the Week games, activities and worksheets that I have prepackaed just for him.

On Tuesdays we go to a nearby University college where the Physical Education Majors run "classroom gym classes" just like in the schools and just for HOMESCHOOLERS!!!  The boys LOVE IT.  I go and drool over all of their REALLY COOL equipment and fun games.

Wednesdays our library has Preschool Storytime.  Otto has always gone to hear the stories in the past. This year, because I feel 6 is WAY too old to be with 2 and 3 yr olds, I will log him into a computer (right beside the story area) and will bless him with on-line educational games.  My hubby and I thought he would be THRILLED, instead he began to cry because he likes storytime SO MUCH.   I think once I get him hooked into some fun games he will have a different opinion.

By the way:  Anyone have any favorite, wholesome, educational sites out there for a non-reader (or far from proficient reader)????

So, Monday, Thursday and Fridays will be heavier on desk work (Meaning: I add Math!)

 I will review/direct teach handwriting on Monday and then reinforce that lesson during the week during copywork and assignments. Then we read from Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, then Math from Saxon 2, then memory work from Story of the World (time line entries) and then we finish by reading a section from Story of the World.

Tuesday after lunch we learn our new spelling words and practice using techniques from Spelling Power, we read and then we do a science experiment learning scientific method along the way.  My husband also bought some REALLY COOL Preschool Journals. Bound with stitching on the inside and the papers are 3 line ruled on the bottom with places for pictures on top.  I will be using one of these (or sectioning it out and using one section) for a science journal like Sid the Science kid uses.  SID ROCKS!

Wednesday Otto practices his spelling words, reads and then we will be using Veritas Press Phonics Museum Art Cards as the catalyst for learning more about artwork and the artists who made the masterpieces.  The first 26 cards have a letter so we will use them as they correspond to the Letter of the Week. I will get Art picture books and biographies of the artist and we will just absorb the who and what of that artist.  Once we are through the letters we will start learning other sounds that make up reading (ch, sh, th, etc).  I have cards for all of these and corresponding artists.  :)

Thursday is spelling practice, Copywork for the scripture of the week, reading, math, history memory work and read aloud Story of the World.

Friday is the same as Thursday except we will be testing the spelling words.

As most of us do, I expect that this schedule will be tweaked, added to, taken away from or other wise altered.

But for our start.....that is what I have.

What are you doing?  What does your schedule look like?  How do you teach several kids at several spots? (I know, I know=UNIT STUDIES...... someday I might NOT HATE unit studies!  Some day!)

FYI:  Pictures and links to the curriculum mentioned above can be found on yesterday's blog post.

Wednesday Wonderment

Here's is our weekly chance to wonder like a child.  Go ahead, join me.  Just wonder aloud (or through your fingers).  Come on ... you can do it!


I wonder, if my body can talk, what it thinks about all the extra standing, stretching, bending, and maneuvering that occurs during harvest (tomato)....


I wonder if there is a recipe for zucchini coffee crumb cake....


I wonder if Hubby was serious when he answered "With BLUEBERRIES" when I wondered the last thought aloud....


I wonder what zucchini, blueberry coffee cake would taste like......   but I'm pretty sure that I'm not in the mood to throw away that much flour and sugar if it goes bad.


I wonder when tomatoes are going to stop ripening ...


I wonder if I will continue to throw 1/2 the tomatoes to the chickens because of little critters.........


I wonder...........


What do you wonder?

Our 2010 Homeschooling Curriculum

This week I am going to focus on Our Homeschool

Below I will list out our curriculum choices (at least for now) and tomorrow I will share how they all fit together in a typical week....... that is at least the first 2 weeks until I realize that it's just not going to work, I cut it apart, toss it in the air and try it in the order if falls!

What are you using?  Have you used any that we are?  And did it feel to you that you were choosing between life and death as you debated between books and curricula???  I am so thankful that I do not have a school board that decides my curriculum for me, but there were moments where I thought for just 1/2 a second that it might have been nice. :)

This year I have two children to educate.  To those of you out there that have a handful to teach I first off tip my hat to you and second of all think "Holy Cow!  2 is hard enough."

 Abram

turns

four in Nov. 2010.

The elements are "Me" "Me" "Me" "Me."  Toward the end it changes to "Myself" "&" "I"  It was a gift but sometimes is perfect!

I think in the school systems Abram would not even be allowed into Pre-K this year but I think he is ready to start basics so we will be focusing on phonetic sounds, letters, numbers, shapes and the few colors that he does not already know.  As is typical with many 2nd borns....he has picked up so much more at his young age than his older brother knew.  Learning by osmosis rocks!

Otto just turned 6 in June.  He will be in 1st grade although last year we finished most of our Saxon 1 so this year he will finish the last few lessons and then move on to 2nd grade math.  He was bored and I couldn't stop him.

I am again thankful that my son can do math right where he is ready to do it!  :)

I LOVE HOMESCHOOLING.

So without further ado.....  HERE IS OUR CURRICULUM FOR 2010!

Abram - Pre-K
Each morning we will begin with group time.  We will begin by singing the alphabet song while pointing to our poor abused Alphabet Train.  We will then work on calendar skills with patterns and time of day, season of year, today-tomorrow-yesterday.

We are adding "Memory Work" into this year's curriculum.  I am choosing verses that have a significant word in them that begins with the letter of that week.

A= Romans 3:23-25b "all have sinned............."  I am not your typical mom.  I do NOT shorten verses and actually often tag on a few more.  My sons have proven that they CAN do it so I push them to do what they can. 

We will read a scripture.  At this point I really WANT to do a psalm or a proverb but also want to stick with the bible stories that correlate with Little Hands to Heaven (LHH) as well.  We shall see how it all shakes out, I might read both.

So I will read some scripture, discuss the letter shapes and sounds and will likely sing the song from "Leap Frog Letter Factory."  We will then work on the memory jingle with hand motions from LHH which both my boys loved 2 years ago when I did it with Otto.  I think they will pick it up quickly.  LHH also has very fun activities, but by week 4 you have done them all and by week 10 you are completely sick of them.

So, I will be augmenting activities going first to Erica at Confessions of a Homeschooler.   I will be using some of her ideas to make an activity bag (or 2 or 3) for each week.  These will be activities and games that I am hoping Abram will eventually be able to play with on his own while I transition into direct instruction with Otto.

I also plan to read the corresponding letter page from The Great ABC Treasure Hunt with both boys.  This book is JAMMED PACKED with words for each letter.  I am trying to think of a way to incorporate the usage of some of those words into our 1st grade curriculum. The Alphabet Band will be a carrot to be used not so frequently.  The Senses book will be used along the way to help him learn that topic and the 101 Things about Reading I will mostly use to assess where we are and where we need to go.  I only pulled this out a few times with Otto and was always impressed at how he could do most of the activities in the book without me really having to TRY to teach him those skills.  :)  Osmosis learning rocks!

And then I have these:

EVERYONE needs a Captain Kangaroo Numbers (matching) Game!!!  And the Match a letter cards that we use crayon on are also super sweet activities that I don't have to cut, glue or create.  I think I got each of them for $0.50 at a garage sale.  I RARELY pull them out which makes them even more effective.  :)

I also have Ed Hirsch, Jr's books for Kindergarten and 1st grade.  I hope to teach the boys some of the classic children's rhymes from these books, perhaps peruse them for art, pull them out to explain a topic here and there and otherwise just keep them handy for those times when I feel like I am not teaching enough or for those times when I don't know what to teach next.  These books are great for me as teacher to sit back and assess and look for holes that might be there.

OTTO

READING:
LAST Year we had chosen to use Veritas Press' Phonics Museum.  I had heard great things about it.  I had interviewed a mom who said it was tough, rigorous and thorough.  I had seen it, touched it. I was excited about it.

HOWEVER, last summer before Kindergarten Otto was wanting to start reading.  Using "The Well Trained Mind" as my referral source I picked up "The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading."  (OPG)  We started this book and got through the lessons with short vowels.  We then started Phonics Museum and it was like a slow, painful review of all that we already knew: letter sounds, short vowels, letter recognition.

BUT...........as a newbie who is headstrong and doesn't easily take advice I painfully finished out the year with the curriculum.  Otto LOVED the worksheets but we really were just treading water last year in reading.  We really did not progress.  For this I grieve a bit.  I KNOW that it is not the end of the world but my human nature every once in awhile wonders how well he'd be reading if we had just stuck with The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading (OPG).

So here is my plan:   Read 5 days a week for just a short time (20 min. max or even shorter if there is pushback) from OPG.

Supplement FUN (FUN=with pictures and super easy) reading primers on occasion to sweeten the load and reward hard work.  I was given a large handful of primers that a virtual school had used. I also have a few Public School "Reading Text Books" with fun colorful pictures.  We will use these for motivation.  I LOVE that OPG does NOT have pictures but merely black words on white paper.  I think this son learns best without the temptation to look for cues.  I will save the fun pictures for motivation and encouragement.  I will also use Starfall.com for such rewards.

In this picture to the left are the simple one page primers.  To the right are "Sliders" which also came from my friend who did a year with the virtual academy.  One or two of the letters are on strips of paper.  When you slide the strip it changes the word by showing a new letter.  Otto likes them and they are great short vowel review activities.

And then  because of buyer's guilt and because I think the historical references are amazing, we will be keeping the 1st Grade Veritas Press Phonics Museum Primers and their corresponding comprehension worksheets from the 1st grade workbook.  I am in the process of typing out a spreadsheet of name, author, main historical background, story line and phonetic skills needed for each of these primers.  Because Veritas and OPG introduce phonics rules in differing orders, Otto will not be ready for these books until later in the year but my goal is that when he is ready we will spend a bit of time learning about the historical background to these books before he sits down and struggles through them.  The primers for Phonics Museum are VERY TOUGH.  I might just pull out a few of last years for him to work on now and then as well.

WRITING:  
In the past I have used Handwriting Without Tears philosophy and teaching style without buying the consumables.  I will continue this and will mix in a dash of Peterson Directed Handwriting Philosophy.  We will have a formal lesson (review) once a week and he will practice what was reviewed the rest of the week when he does spelling and copywork. 



MATH:

My plan last year was to do 1st grade Math (Saxon 1) in two years very slowly.  By the end of the year we were doing two lessons a day because Otto was begging for us to do more.  :)  (He doesn't take after his mother!)

The lessons that we are missing from Saxon 1 are ALSO in Saxon 2 but are presented as "review" lessons are are a wee bit less thorough.  So my plan is to do the last lessons of Saxon 1 then skip those repeat lessons in Saxon 2.  My plan is to then skim through the first 1/3 of the book (the review section) being sure to pick up new information but skipping over items that Otto can do off the top of his head.  Math is going to be a blast this year!

SCIENCE:  YEP SCIENCE FOR MY PRE-K AND MY 1ST GRADER!!!

Preschool Pathways to Science: Facilitating Scientific Ways of Thinking, Talking, Doing, and Understanding by Rochel Gelman, Kimberly Brenneman, Gay MacDonald & Moises Roman.

Here is a new book to me and likely to many of you.  I LOVE this book and need to keep searching on Swagbucks so that I eventually get enough $5 Amazon cards to buy my own copy.  This research rocks the preschool world of science.  Past experts have said that young minds CAN NOT process complex ideas and thus science is not needed in schools until middle elementary school. This research says what my heart has always told me: THIS IS NOT TRUE!  Little Preschool minds make amazingly complex lines of thinking.  Are they still concrete thinkers?  Yes, but they can reason and they can make assumptions.  They are FULLY CAPABLE of scientific thought!  Sid The Science Kid from PBS comes directly from this research!  This book not only explains past theories but it explains new theories and then helps the PRESCHOOL instructor to develop Science pathways that FULLY engage those brilliant preschool minds.  We will be doing Science using the PrePS format (I hope!  I really need this book to highlight and draw all over so that it FULLY sticks in my brain.)

I LOVE the process that is presented and shout kudos to those involved in this proposal.  With this process both the boys will have SCIENCE JOURNALS (YEP!  at 6 and 3 you bet!) and I can't wait to teach scientific method!  Can't Wait....although I am getting tired of people telling me that youngers can't understand science and do not need science until they are older. 

HISTORY:

We (Abram if he wants to) will have Mom Read Aloud time from Susan Wise Bauer's The Story of the World Vol 1 (and likely Vol. 2 after Christmas).  Each day I will read a small section of the book, we will read the note cards that go with the sections and then we work at memorizing the title of the cards in chronological order.   The goal it to have my children with a memorized World Time line in their memory that they will be able to draw from for the rest of their lives.  I did not make it up.   I believe that Classical Conversations does this and I find it to be amazing.  I am praying that we do well at it.  (And yes, I hope to memorize along with them!)

And last there is ART:

I am sure we will do random drawing, crafts and other art work.  But formally this year we will be learning about famous artists and their artwork that is featured in The Phonics Museum.  Above is a picture of the beautiful Veritas Press Fine Arts Cards. Each card has a letter on them Aa, Bb, Cc. We will use the card that corresponds to Abram's Letter of the Week and we will go to the pages from the workbooks. Each worksheet has a brief biography of the artist and then information on his/her style of art as well as other historical tidbits.  We MIGHT color the sheet.  I am hoping to find library books about the authors or coffee table books with more works by the author reproduced in the book.  So far with week 1, despite bragging heavily upon my library system, I can not seem to find a book with artwork for the Aa author: Levi Wells Prentice in my library system.  *pout*

And if anyone is STILL reading at this point..........I thank you for remaining with me.  I think the above is what we will be doing.  If I end up cutting the schedule apart and tossing it into the air as if casting lots........I'll try to remember the camera!

What curriculum are you using this year?

Expedition Earth: A Journey Through God's World

Does anyone remember me bloging about this curriculum the other day?

NOW, you have a chance (actually MANY MANY CHANCES) to win a free copy of this curriculum.

Visit MAMA JENN's Website.    Read the awesome post she wrote and then sign up for up to TEN CHANCES TO WIN!

While you are in a give-away sign up mood click over here to Midwest Mama at her site:  Homeschool Heart & Mind.    She is celebrating her blog's 2nd year anniversary with a full week of curriculum giveaways!!  Lot of fun, click and go say hi for me.  :)

Don't forget to tell them who sent you.  

Thrifty Homeschooling

Dear Readers,
Please forgive me.  I have led you astray.

I do not have the post that I promised for today.........

..........BUT DON'T LEAVE ME!

DON'T LEAVE ME OR YOU WILL MAKE ME CRY.....and then my kids will freak, and they will cry and then Tom will hear us and he will start to cry too!

Nope, I don't have the promised list of 2010-2011 Curriculum.  I promise that will come tomorrow (with a TON of pictures).  Yep, I know that you no longer believe me!

Tomorrow: Our Curriculum Choices
Wednesday: Wednesday Wonderment & Our Weekly schedule
(A Two-fer!  Whoo hoo)
Thursday: Probably a Blog Walk.......and beyond that I am pretty clueless.

WHAT???  YOU THINK I'M CLUELESS NOW???  Well, I never...

Okay I digress.

Today I am bringing you a post written for The Old Schoolhouse Blog CRUISE.



So, roll your sleeves up, lean back, pull down your shades (unless you can't read when they are down in which case put them back on your head), kick back and prepare to set sail.

Welcome Aboard This Week's Blog Cruise: 

HOW TO SAVE money while Homeschooling

Here are a few random ways that I pinch our homeschooling pennies.

--->  Look for curriculum that has few worksheets and has few printing needs.  We all know that it is not our copy machines that are expensive but all the ink we pour (or rather, click) into them. If you are in the market for a new copier/printer research wisely.  The copier/printer I have copies cheaply in black and white.  Unfortunately, it only prints in color or monochrome (meaning it pulls ink from all the color cartridges and mixes them to make black instead of pulling from my black high capacity ink cartridge).   SO, print/copy little and research MUCH.

--->  Instead of writing on worksheets themselves, slip them into clear sheet protectors and use wet erase markers or erasable crayons to do your worksheets.  (Be sure to test your supplies first.  Some markers do not come off and some do not actually stick but sit like colored water on top of the plastic.)

--->  Shop back to school sales.  This year I did not need a ton of the typical back-to-school supplies but found the above sheet protectors for $0.39/for 10,  Poly 3 ring binders (my favorite) for $0.30/each, Poly 2 pocket folders for $0.10 and 16 pack of glue stics for $3.  I am sure there were more sales out there but those were my super awesome finds for this year.

--->  Shop used books.  Use online companies, shopping search engines, homeschooling forums or even better.... a nearby homeschooler so you can save shipping costs.

--->  Join Homeschooling forums.  Here you can solicit no cost advice, after all most of us homeschoolers like to think we have the BEST advice.  Forums supply support, hand holding, constructive critisism and giggles most any time of the day and who knows....... you might even strike up a new friend or two.  These forums not only exchange advice, support, and free resources but they usually have a swap/buy & trade room where you can find great used curriculum

--->  USE YOUR LIBRARY!  USE YOUR LIBRARY!  Did you hear me??? USE YOUR LIBRARY!! My library Rocks.  (Love you Lisa, Jenny &  Kris!)  My library is part of a consortium of over 30 other libraries. They receive shipments of requested books three times a week.  So even though my little one room library rarely has the books I want, I can request them in my Pj's on my home computer, wait for my "they're here" email and then go pick them up.  I can also return my books at any library drop off box in the group.  SO, if I am in the "big town" I can drop my books in their box at the grocery store and not have to drive out of my way to drop them off where I picked them up.  This has saved me OODLES of money as MANY of my topical study supplements come through this process.  I also frequently hear of a homeschooling book that I want to check out.  I always look at a library book before deciding if I should spend my PRECIOUS spending money on a book that might not be as beneficial to me and my way of homeschooling.

IF the library can not get the books I want from the consortium they can request them from a state-wide group of libraries.  There has only been one time when the library system could NOT find the book we requested.......and they ended up purchasing it!

Another great reason to use your library is that often they host educational opportunities.  Last spring I took my children to the library where they got to meet an owl and learn lots of fun facts about the nocturnal creatures.  YEP, you bet: science for free!!!

The big town library has a teacher resource room. I hear this happens elsewhere as well.  Our research room is full of fun teaching books and activity ideas but also houses a paper die cutter with many fun shapes, big industrial sized staplers and hole punchers, a large paper slicer (drrrooooooollll) and a spiral binder that they charge a bare minimum to use!!!  

---> Find Teacher Websites that you like and sign up for their emails.  When you sign up for their emails you don't have to try to remember what site had what and where it was.  It is RIGHT THERE for you in your email.  Yes, it IS one more thing to check but if you are not interested in looking at today's free lesson plan or this week's favorite game you simply delete without a blink.  There's no worry, it will come again and you can go explore the site more when you have more time.

---->  Sign up for Swag Bucks.  Swag Bucks is a legitimate search engine that awards you points "Swag Bucks" when you search.  Searching is something we have to do anyway, right?  So why not accumulate points which you later can trade in for goodies.  I just earned my first free $5 Amazon Gift Card.  It's easy.  Sometimes I DO have to do the same search in google for a quick find, but if I earn points in the process I don't mind too much.  :)

--->   Sign up for MoneySavingMom or similar websites.  I get an email everyday.  She lists the deals contained in the email at the top.  Each day I skim the top lines and most days I merely delete..........but some days she has listed free curriculum deals.  I have received some really awesome stuff in the mail from these freebies.  LOVE FREEIES that I CAN USE!

--->  Research your area for local free and low cost educational events and use them as field trips: "Early American Days" at a historical museum or site, "Lumberjack days,"  "Storytime," "Music in the park"  So many opportunities are available if you search for them and nearly all of them can turn into an educational activity and outing.

--->  My last suggestion is less directly related to homeschooling.  Learn how to cook with staples and garden food.  Grow a garden, learn how to preserve that food.  Use it as you cook.  Create a competition with yourself to see how LITTLE you can throw away while you create meals for your family.  If you don't like garden food and food from pantry staples.............(gulp).............learn to like it: it's cheap, it's easy, it's more nutritious for you and your tastes WILL change with multiple exposures.  Learn to cook with cheaper, less processed, more healthy food.  The money you save in groceries can be transfered to other areas of need.... LIKE POST-IT NOTES!   :)

---->  Have fun with everyday moments.  There's no time like the present.  Dig in and have fun teaching.  :)

Don't have a Cow Man! Oh WAIT, too late.

INTRODUCING THE NEWEST ARRIVAL:

 TOM

THIS is how Tom arrived.  

We have two trucks.  

One is not licensed because we are trying to sell it.

The other needs some welding done to the frame.

I now have pictures of chickens, goats, lambs and 

now a STEER in the back of this VW Golf!

 TOM thinks he's a puppy that must lean against Hubby at all times.

This is what it looked like as I passed Hubby some bug spray.

 Can you tell who the animals think is the lead?

Can you also tell why my children are required to wear shoes ALWAYS outside?

THIS is Tom running to the house

because Hubby had walked to the house.

 And this video is what we listen to EVERY time Hubby comes into the house.

 Tiger the goat was assessing how yummy my camera would be for a treat.

I was videoing out my kitchen window.

Join me tomorrow as I lay down the foundations of our INDOOR ZOO, 

errr...... rather........  

what we are doing curriculum wise for HOMESCHOOLING this year!

I've Got Sunshine.....(Awards headed my way)

I guess...
You'd say...
What can make me feel this way?
Blog Awards.
Talkin' Bout...blog awards.
Oooohh yeah!

If you didn't sing that to the Temptations Tune for "My Girl" you are excused now so that you might go back up and sing it.     

No REALLY.    

Really! I'll wait.

Did you go?

OKAY!!  Okaaaaaaay!!  Can you please stop singing, now??

I've got something important to type here!

Sister Tipster at Tell'n It! Just gave me my second Sunshine Award. 

(You can read about it here.)

You know what that means?

1) I thank her kindly.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  So glad I can make someone laugh at my blogs and so glad you think I deserve an award.  :)

2) Share 7 things about myself and

3) Pass it on to 7 other Sunshiny folks.  :)

7 Things About Me:

1) I am an only child who is married to an only child.

2) I don't share well.

3) The keyboard on my Dell Mini doesn't work and is disconnected and so I type on a second USB keyboard that has sticky keys and today the space bar is not working properly.  It get's rather confusing to scroll on the Mini and have to move off of that keyboard onto the one that works.  But it was free and I manage.

4) I sleep with a stocking hat over my eyes.  I started when I worked nights to block out the daylight and now I am addicted to the cozy darkened state.

5) Before I gave sugar up for Lent 2 years ago I would put 3 TABLESPOONS of sugar in EACH cup of coffee! (Bluck!)

6) I LOVE to eat out!!

7) Things that are not placed in "their spot" can drive me to the breaking point.  Good thing God is expanding my tolerance levels.  

Now on to the awarding.  Here are 7 blogs that I feel are worthy of The Sunshine Award:

1) Lostview Farm:  Charis, Jay, Becca and Chris- smack dab in the middle of NOWHERE.  Amazing scenery, the cutest kids & so great anecdotes on life.

2) Training Children Up For Christ: A veteran homeschooler, a reviewer and an all around super insightful and helpful gal.

3) Buckaroo Days : A great stop for Blog Hops and Reviews.  :)

4) Growing Fruit : A super fun blog about family, homeschooling and more.

5)  Circling Through This Life : Family, food, blog walks and more.

6) Journey to Love :  A dear friend from yesteryear who blogs on their family and their journey in foreign adoption, advocating and busy life.

7)  Two by Two :  A sweet blog by a mother of twins, expecting #3.  The pictures and stories here are to die for cute!

Congratulations.... you have now been passed a BRIGHT RAY OF SUNSHINE and are now proud owners of the SUNSHINE AWARD!  :)

Now your job is to do the 3 things above so that the world of blogs remains bright and sunny.

Congratulations.  :)

Some Of My Other Charts

Here's a couple  of my other charts.

Can anyone tell that I like poster and chart making? Cutting, gluing, re-designing?  Yep, I'm addicted to playing with office supplies.  (I'm kind of amazed that I don't like to scrapbook!!)  In grade school and high school  I actually won a few competitions for poster making.  Giggle.  I think I remember my mom making me do them and crying because I didn't want to ... until I got started and then I would obsess over them in order to make them AMAZING.  :)

ENOUGH reminiscing ..... this first chart I made over a year ago to help me remember who's turn it was to do certain things.  We watch one movie a week (usually) and the other 6 days the boys get to choose "an episode," otherwise known as a dvd of a shorter TV shows. If the dvd is long then they are allowed to choose pieces of that dvd which shake out to about 45 minutes.

Whose Turn Is It?

None of my kids were reading so I pulled out the marker and my "not-so-fabulous" drawing skills in order to demonstrate what each section was for.  There is a square for movie (top left, green), one for episode (top right, yellow), one telling us who got to go alone with Daddy on special errand car trips (bottom right, purple) and then the red one on the bottom left was to be filled in later with whatever we needed to keep track of.  I purposely chose different colors for each because at the time my oldest could not read, but knew his colors and he could recognize his name and his brother's names.  So I could send him off to see whose day it was to pick for the GREEN part and he could tell me.  :) 

Our problem with this chart is that we would forget to turn the dial or the 2 year old younger brother would PLAY with the dials and we would have no idea whose turn it REALLY was.  So, the chart ended up going off to the side of the fridge where we never saw it.

When I made THE TRACKER, I took the "Whose Turn is it?" chart and I cut off the "Car Ride" section.  It is now on the side of the fridge up high and we DO use it.  Because Special 1:1 car rides are pretty rare we change the dial when they happen and then we don't touch it again until the next time.

One of my favorite charts to date is the next one. When both the boys took afternoon naps I would go out and work in the garden, or walk the 150 yards to the mailbox.  Otto, my oldest, would wake up and panic because he didn't know where I was.  I had seen a similar chart some place and I made up my own.

Otto got really good and getting out of nap and checking the chart right away.  I still use the chart in the early mornings on those days that I get up before them.
It is a lot rarer but it does happen.

HERE'S A CLOSE-UP

There is a clothespin on the left side of the chart that says:

Mommy is ----->

Again I made this one before anyone could read and thus the magic pen came out to draw those silly pictures.

When the chart is not being used the clothespin rests at "In the house." 


Do you use charts in your home?   Have you made any that are unique??

Blog Walk! Blog Walk!

(Thanks to Debbie, over at Debbie's Digest for the great picture)

Blog Walking is a great way to meet new people and read about their experiences homeschooling.  You might find someone who schools or thinks like you.  You might find great information on a new resource, curriculum or teaching technique. Blog Walking is a great way to learn more about the world of home education.

Please click around on the links below and feel free to leave a message or two if you feel led.  We bloggers like to see that other homeschoolers have found us and like what they have read.

This week's Blog Walk List:

1. Ramblings from the Crazy House
2. Chicagoland Homeschool Network
3. Marine Corps Nomads
4. Faith, Family and Fun
5. Books and Bairns
6. Chatter, Clatter and Things That Matter
7. Canadianladybug Reviews!
8. Life at oak Grove
9. Home Sweet Home(school)
10. a glimpse of our life

Wednesday Wonderment

Wednesdays are the days that I take  some time to outwardly wonder like a child.

As adults we have  been taught to supress so much that might come across as silly, unrefined, immature or what-not.

Wednesdays are the day that I give you permission to wonder with me.

I wonder........ if I will have any cucumbers or zuchhini left in the garden to take to a family gathering with my newly discovered super yummy veggie dips.

I wonder........ what I would do without pets hair in my house.

I wonder ....... if I will get last year's homeschooling paperwork filed away BEFORE we start doing school full time this year.

I wonder ...... if I will remember next year that people warned me to put those papers away on the LAST day of school in the spring because it's hard to do it in the late summer/early fall.

I wonder........ when we will actually *start* school full time.  I probably ought to figure that out.

I wonder......what is going through my cat's mind when she is carrying someone's sock in her mouth after we go to bed and cries a loving cry to it like it is her baby.

I wonder.......

What do you wonder?

The Schoolhouse Expo & Expo to Go

I have been independently contracted to review products for the Review Crew of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

In the works at our house currently are reviews for:
Peterson Direct Handwriting: Doing handwriting since 1908
Iseecards: Pyramath:  They have an addictive on-line version of Pyramath.
Schleich Figures: Beautiful play figurines
& Salem Ridge Press: Reprints of literature from the 1800-early 1900's

However on occasion those at The Old Schoolhouse request that we help them spread the word on some of their unbelievable happenings.

This is one such occasion.

It's back to homeschool time and registration is open for the online Schoolhouse Expo, October 4-8. It's five days of top homeschool speakers, fellowship, and fun door prizes.

Save $5 per ticket! Register between August 16 and midnight August 22, and you'll pay only $19.99. Plus you'll receive over $200 in free E-Books.
You'll be inspired by speakers including: Zan Tyler, Dr. Jay Wile, Jeannie Fulbright,Carol Barnier, Diana Waring, Todd Wilson, Davis Carman, Kim Kautzer, Lee Binz, and many more!

A special teen track is planned--the entire family will definitely want to listen to these special sessions. We've also planned a special focus on a topic that touches every homeschool--writing. Plus, an array of other topics that will inform and inspire you throughout your homeschooling years.

Don't forget, MP3 copies of each session comes with your LIVE event ticket.

Two special preconference shows on August 24 and September 21 with Dr. 
Jay Wile, Jeannie Fulbright, and Kim Kautzer!

Register started 12:01 a.m. on Monday, August 16.

The theme this fall is "Celebrate Homeschooling!" We're going to celebrate the unique blessings of homeschooling, the beginning of another school year, our families, and the freedom to tailor our children's education to best meet their needs.

If you cannot make the Live event,  then the October Expo To Go is just your ticket! You'll reserve MP3s from all of the workshops. This week only, pay just $14.95.

This site will take you to where there is more information.  Including THESE speakers.   While you are on the pages above click on the FREE GIFTS link to be BLOWN AWAY. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In exchange for helping The Old Schoolhouse promote this event I will be receiving a free Expo-to-Go Ticket.  I CAN NOT WAIT for October!

Art Corner

This week I am on an organization kick.......... so we are off to my Art Corner.

Oh!  Who am I kidding?  It's the *school corner* but we hang our "ART" up there too.

Here is a picture of my kids *free painting.*  Someday I might learn how to teach technique but for now the fact that I only minimally have to be present while they do this is glorious and I plan to dwell in that for as long as I can.

Here is the masterpiece drying line.  (I stole this idea from a Pre-K classroom).  I hung a simple cord with clips.  Mine goes from an outer corner of one window to the outer corner of another window across a corner.  That's all I need.  I have actually hung them back to back before when then they were painting way too much.   :)

Some day I am going to pick up a cheap package of clothesline pins and take back my fancy black paper clamps! Someday.






 The boys each have their own Museum Exhibit.  It is merely a clear plastic page protector stuck on the wall with sticky putty.  Some day I will get around to cutting off the holes for a binder but for right now I seem to be too busy doing other things....like taking pictures of paint scribbles and black paint blobs.




So far our masterpieces are only 8.5 x 11 inches and are on paper. When we start to build 3D pieces I'm going to be in trouble. 

 I'd welcome any solutions to that dilemma.

Organizing Makes Me Happy -- My Planner

Some people I know think it is a HUGE waste of time...  but when I am organizing something in a crafty way it calms me, makes me feel like I have a little bit of control in my life and brings me peace.

Well at least I'm in peace until I come out of the project and realize the state of the house around me............thankfully Fly Lady can help me with that.

I purchased my back to school spiral planner awhile ago but was just not feeling like it was "exactly" what I wanted.  After all, the cover was an ugly black compared to a groovy pink bullseye cover I had several years ago.

I then overheard someone on a forum say that they unrolled the spiral of a book and added additional pages.  A light bulb went off which led to this:

Note: the diaper cream was not part of the project but were mere gifts from Girlie while I worked.

I unwound the spirals from the pretty bullseye planner as well as the ugly black one I purchased this year.  I then copied important TOS Crew papers and then cut them down to the correct size.  I removed pages (websites, *must know* info) that I did not want, added in lined paper for a note section and graph paper for an address section. I re-arranged the cool see through plastic dividers from the old planner, took out the plain ol' black new ones and stuck it all together.

I then went to Office Max (a pre-planned trip to purchase some church supplies) and I had them punch new holes and give me a larger spiral.

And NOW I have a pretty amazing planner!   Take a look.

This is the front.  I added a pencil bag that our firefighters handed  out one Halloween.  I like to use the same pens and pencils as I attempt to color code my life and this is a place where they are less likely to be used by others and put down where ever.

After the pencil bag and a personal information sheet I put in graph paper.  For years I have cut down and then GLUED graph paper over internet pages in my smaller planners and used that graph paper for often used addresses.  I can get more on a page than traditional "address pages" this way.

I left the "class schedule" pages in because when I put this together I had NO IDEA what our school days were going to look like and was undecided on several curriculum choices.  I likely will not be using them but thought they were cool so I left them in.

Next is the alternating full month and weekly calendars/planner pages for the entire school year.  I might use the weekly sections for my school planning.   I am debating between this and using a form that I make with the days of the week along the top and the subjects down the side (or vice versa).  I really am torn but am trying to focus on the excitement of having my weekly schedule sketched out.

Next is my special TOS Crew section. This is the reason why I got so darn excited when I was told it's POSSIBLE to take spirals out and put them back in!!  A cover, key handbook pages, note graph paper, my tracking form and special rule changes.  YAY!

 I then cut down and added a dual sided poly folder. (Which I find to be absolutely dreamy!) It is here so that if I need to add in special notes about TOS they will be in the right spot.  Beyond the folder is blank loose leaf paper and a few of the "Must Know for School" pages such as world maps, US maps, maps of our planetary system and a few pages on simple grammar to help me remember a few rules I can often forget..............such as.....................the proper usage..................for..........the..........repetitive........... period mark!
Giggle. (My closest friends might spew their coffee on that one!!)

While I was cutting and organizing I seriously believed THIS would be THE perfect planner!

That is after I found a nice flower or butterfly sticker to plop on top of the 2008-2009 square in the center right.

BUT then The Old Schoolhouse gave me THEIR 2010 PLANNER !

Now I realize that this one is better than the ugly black one I originally purchased but is COMPLETELY INFERIOR to the one that I want to make with NEXT YEAR'S 2011 Schoolhouse Planner.  
(I think I will start saving my pennies now!)

Maybe they will make pretty covers that can be color printed and laminated??

NEXT year I will create the most perfect planner ever possible to humankind AND the spiral holes will all be nice, neat and uniform unlike my current one where the round and square holes are trying to just work together.

Who would have thought holes on a planner would reflect much of real life?

I'll give The Old Schoolhouse 2010 Planner one more plug.  If YOU wish you wish you could make your very own planner and do it even better than mine?  Check out a planner created by one of the best homeschool magazine companies around.  Check out The Old Schoolhouse Store for their 2010 Planner.