Homeschool this week Nov. 18, 2011

 

In my life this week…
Had something every night!! Youth small group for my oldest on Sunday night (got most of my Thanksgiving grocery shopping during that time : ) ), basketball practice for the youngest on Monday night (ran to Walgreens), homeschool mom's meeting Tuesday night, Communication Club for the oldest Wed. night followed by volunteering at a local cat shelter, and yesterday we were gone for 12 hours! We had our last co-op, followed by lunch and then off to see the amazing Rockettes,  followed by dinner and Family Night for co-op.
In our homeschool this week…
We studied the Trail of Tears, Tipecanoe and Tyler, Too. One morning I just let our youngest run barefoot through the small patch of woods behind our house and pick up colorful leaves. My oldest is very frustrated with week after week of graphs in Algebra. I basically let his math slide this week. I am really, really trying to embrace the fact that I am in charge and not to be a slave to curriculum (which is one of the biggest complaints about public schools!)
Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
I am going to the beach sans family for 4 days beginning on Sunday. I hope they do okay and eat things other than pizza and do things other than video games. My oldest is being baptized on Sunday!!! I will see that and then leave for the beach with some friends.
My favorite thing this week was…
Watching my child be thrilled with how pretty it is outside during this time of year. Our house is in a neighborhood yet we do have a small patch of woods to call our own.
Questions/thoughts I have…
Is my house too sterile?? Tuesday night, the house I was in belonged to a veteran homeschooler whose children are now grown. In every place you looked, there was an invitation to look at items, or read a basket of books. Her house tells a story. The goal of my house is to be as easy to keep clean as possible. I really, really love a clean house. Should a house be clean or tell a story and issue an invitation? I guess I can't change who I am;  children have to learn to live with our personality quirks, right??
I’m reading…
Hot off the presses... Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay Clarkson and Sally Clarkson, third edition. The lady who hosted Tuesday night had gotten her copies from Sally Clarkson herself and was selling them for less than Amazon. It is a huge book, but I am happily attempting to read it and it is definitely inspiring. I become more and more dedicated to homeschooling each day, and this book reinforces that. I am also (don't judge) reading book 4 of the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn. I've been reading each one before the movie comes out to stretch them out.
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Not entirely appropriate, but it made me laugh out loud.

Workboxes on Display 11/9/11

Our morning is spent together; we do History review, journaling, Bible study and memory verses and then they begin their boxes. My 8th grader's boxes for today:

 Box #1= Words on the Vine (root words). This weeks root word = cap (head)

Box #2 = Physical Science (we use MFW's plans for a 4-day week)

Box #3= Spelling

Box #4= History. Read about the islands of the US, did map work also.

Box #5= Math (Algebra, Math-U-See). y= mx + b. I have had to relearn all of this to help him. It's been painful but good for my brain. (does anyone use this info in regular life??)

Box # 6= Spanish. He completes one lesson a day.

#7= Purpose Driven Life. He is getting a break from Grammar to do this study his youth pastor wanted  him to complete.

# 8= reading/ writing workshop. Sets timer for 20 minutes. He's been reading at night and forgetting to record the pages he's read. Also working on typing a final copy of a long story he wrote about an animal society.



HS Journal Week of 9/5/2011

In my life this week…
Battling some major depression and loneliness.  

In our homeschool this week…
The boys have done better with doing their school work without complaining, and we've done history together as opposed to my oldest reading it on his own.
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
bought an art book to go along with our American History curriculum. It's a huge book that shows examples of art from all the periods we are studying. This is an easy way to get some art lessons in.
Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
Settling into co-op. Met two other "2 boy" families at a nearby park yesterday and they played "disc golf" which is golf using Frisbees. My son is packing for a weekend youth retreat. Having him gone always makes me nervous.
Things I’m working on…
Getting this house cleaned according to a schedule. Starting school at the same time each day.
I’m reading…
stuff on the Internet about 9/11. Not helping my depression.
I’m grateful for…
getting out of the house more!

Homeschool Journal 9/2/11

 
In my life this week…
fatigue, fatigue, fatigue. Co-op week 2 went better. I am adding the "homework" they have for co-op into their boxes so it doesn't seem like too much additional work.
In our homeschool this week…
Again, work isn't taking very long but both boys are doing 8 boxes daily so I really think they are covering enough material.
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
I have been beginning each day with a discussion to review what we learned about in history the day before. Seems like a good review for all of us. Also, 2-3 x per week they write in a learning log. I try to pick a topic related to history or some writing prompts I purchased that go along with US History. Sometimes they have to do a drawing; free-handing a map of the area we are talking about is a good spatial exercise (they did one of the Great Lakes and had to label them, etc.)
I am inspired by…
The boys and I were watching a 9/11 special on Nat Geo last night. I am inspired by the survivors, those on flight 93 that sacrificed their lives for us, and all the phone calls to spouses. I still can barely wrap my brain around all the events of that day, 10 years later.
My favorite thing this week was…
The boys are now doing reading/ writing workshop as a box and are in charge of what 2 days they do writing and which 2 they do reading. I made a chart for them to fill in. They are doing well with the autonomy thus far.
Things I’m working on…
Attempting to keep to a daily schedule. I am becoming a little more comfortable embracing the fact that flexibility is a good thing and that it's one of the perks of homeschooling and not a personal failure.
I’m reading…
2 Kindle books I got for free:
Stress Proof Your Life (52 Brilliant Ideas) by Elisabeth Wilson
The Promise: God Works All Things Together for Your Good by Robert J. Morgan

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...


This is what shopping at Walmart is like with my youngest. Before you know it, he is sporting shades and a fedora. He begged me to buy this fedora; I told him 9-yr-olds have no place to wear a fedora. He then suggested he could wear it to funerals. I am really hoping we don't have another of those in the near future!!



Homeschool this week!

In my life this week…
I had 2 great weeks of sticking to routine/ schedule and fell off a little this week. I will do better next week! In January we rented a storage unit so we could "stage" our home by storing unused crap possessions to make our home look unlived in nice. We didn't even get our home market-ready until the first week in May, but luckily we sold it in 10 days and moved into our current home July 12. Well, it was finally time to unload the storage unit. I enjoyed my false sense of unpacking accomplishment that preceded all this new stuff being added to the mix. My husband suggested just burning the stuff since most of it we've lived without just fine. Also this week, we began our Thursday morning co-op. We were having what felt like our first day of school while many other kids in the area were too. Luckily today I found the box that had been in storage and contained the boys' back-packs.
In our homeschool this week…
We enjoyed discussing the Great Lakes, Pocahontas, and the Pilgrims. We also did some work outside on one of the nicer days. Jason is now doing Physical Science labs at co-op; yippee!
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
Keeping our workbox subjects in the same order has been a great thing; easier for me to prepare and more predictable for the boys.
My favorite thing this week was…
Working to unpack boxes for several hours this morning and not starting school until late. The boys did great and I was happy to be able to take advantage of a rare productive moment for me. Maybe this is my way of pretending Irene isn't barrelling towards us.
Questions/thoughts I have…
Will I ever be able to stop threatening a return to public schools? Will the boys buckle down and stop complaining?
I’m grateful for…
Getting in the co-op. Hearing that other mothers and women feel overwhelmed, too.
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Saw this on a bumper sticker: "If we outlaw guns, can we use swords instead?"

In my life this week…
Week 2 of homeschool year 2. I am a rule follower. If I read something in a book/ magazine that I am "supposed" to do, I feel guilty/wrong if I don't do it. When I signed up to homeschool, I read all the recommendations from the state of NC. While our state is pretty lax about what we "have" to do, they still suggest doing homeschooling first thing in the morning because that's "when students learn best." Well, I am saying that doesn't work for us. By starting school at 10 or 10:15, I have nearly an hour each for cleaning and exercising in the morning. I start school without those hanging over my head and the most important things already checked off my "To Do" list. My kids can do morning chores and still have free time, and since none of us are morning people, we do better school work. Yay! I must learn to embrace what works for  us! But it's so hard to do...
.
In our homeschool this week…
We are getting into our routine. We are enjoying history but it is mainly an overview now and paced so quickly that we aren't learning a ton of facts. I think that's okay for now.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
Not many. We stay home a lot : (. We did tour the colossal church where our co-op meets (beginning next week). We also went to the dentist : (.

My favorite thing this week was…
Joel answering a personal question with one word: "me." The question, in an attempt to get them to personalize, said, "Answer this question using 'I' or 'me'." He chose "me," but didn't answer the question! We laughed and laughed about this one.

Questions/thoughts I have…
Every single day I have the thought that my youngest would do better in public school. He loves people, attention, and is frequently bored. He insists that going back to public school would ruin his life. Am I doing the right thing? Our relationship has not been good this week. I am constantly frustrated and so is he.

I’m reading…
Cooking Light magazine trying to meal plan for next week, and Galloway's marathon training program. Also reading the last part of Jeremiah.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Would this happen in America?

Japanese Return Millions Found in Quake Rubble

abcnews.go.com

The earthquake and tsunami that walloped Japan left much of its coastline ravaged, but left one thing intact: the Japanese reputation for honesty. In the five months since the disaster struck, people have turned in thousands of wallets found in the debris, containing $48 million in cash. They have a...

Our curriculum for the 2011-2012 school year

My 8th grade boy:

MathUSee Algebra I  http://www.mathusee.com/

Getting Started with Spanish (from Amazon)

Exploring Creation with Physical Science 2nd ed. http://www.apologia.com/

He will get to do most of the labs with our Thursday morning co-op : )

Spelling Workout Level H (Amazon)

Words on the Vine (root words) from Amazon

THINGS WE ARE DOING TOGETHER

Bible Study Guide for all ages. Comes with timeline and maps, as well as a fun worksheet to do with each lesson: http://www.biblestudyguide.com/

Notgrass "America the Beautiful." I'd love to become an honorary member of this family. They publish homeschool curriculum as a family business. I was very excited to find this at the SE Homeschool Convention. It does have a text book, but it's not boring; it includes tons of photos and is a conversational read. There are 10 novels that work in conjunction with topics from the text. It also comes with a book containing source documents including songs, journal entries, newspaper articles, etc. to read in conjunction with the text. Additionally, it comes with a separate time line book and map work, all coordinated with the daily lessons. There is an answer key but no instructor guide is needed; the book is divided into 150 lessons with the assignments listed at the end. My 8th grader has to complete them all while I select certain ones for my 4th grader to complete. I read most of the lesson aloud to my 4th grader, which makes sure I know the material too, and I can stop and discuss with him to make sure he understands. Oh, it also has an age appropriate workbook with a review sheet on each lesson. This is the bulk of our curriculum this year and I am very excited about it!

http://www.notgrass.com/index.php

WRITING WORKSHOP

Writing Workshop Activity Kits
 I used these when I was teaching in the 90s. They are all published in the mid-1980s and I tracked them all down on Amazon. They are divised to be mini-lessons, so they will be perfect to do in conjunction with our writing workshop, which we plan to do at least 2x per week.

 My 4th grade boy:

http://www.apologia.com/

Handwriting Without Tears Level 4  http://www.hwtears.com/hwt

First Language Lessons Level 4 (from Amazon)

MathUSee Delta (http://www.mathusee.com/)

Spelling Workout Level D

I am also doing some vocabulary units with him, some SuperStar Speech, and eventually typing. Both boys get a Logic exercise once a week as well.

Our School Room

WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL ROOM!!!

We moved into this house less than a month ago, and still have some unpacking/ decorating to go. I still have work to do in the school room, but here's where we are at this point.

Our desks pushed together, my plan book, our journals, and the boys chore cards

My 8th graders Workboxes (history supplements in magazine holders on sides). Both boys typically have 8 boxes.

I use the straight up Workbox system that Sue Patrick recommends for my youngest

IKEA organizers for my supplies

laminated wall maps from Costco, computer and desk, bookshelves to the left

We have nearly all of the books we own on this bookshelf wall; this shelf (with the globe on top) is dedicated to homeschool

Time line and wall maps for our Bible study

Across the hall is the dining room, where we will also be working. Large tables shouldn't just be reserved for Thanksgiving!!

The first day of school

We began what will be our first full year of homeschooling today! (The boys went to public school for over a month last year). I felt pretty prepared, but again I worry our days aren't taking long enough.

Things I'm doing to make this year easier:
*purchasing curriculum that has most of the planning done
*letting them write in workbooks instead of making copies (the $ I might be able to make in reselling them simply isn't worth the extra time, ink, and paper it takes)
*writing out their assignments for the week on one card on Sunday so I don't have to add to it each day (they have the entire week's assignements written out for each subject; technically they could work ahead)
*eventually aiming to have a 4-day week with only the "S" subjects on the 5th day: spelling,science, Spanish (Jason)
*doing more subjects together so less for me to at least attempt to learn

Joel working in the sunny school room at his desk

Since  most of Joel's workboxes are "Work with Mom" Jason will probably end up doing much of his work at the dining room table, which is right across the hall from our school room, to have some quiet

Homeschool this week April 9, 2011

Now that I feel like we are coasting to the end of our school year, I am hoping to blog a bit more!! I am finally feeling in a place where homeschooling isn't all I do, yet that we are doing "enough." I am glad I went to the Southeast Homeschool Convention in March. It motivated me and helped shape my curriculum choices for next year. I found a great journal template (site link below) that I think would be a great thing to try and fill out each week. We shall see if I can stick with it; I think my motivation and discipline for nearly all things are leaking away (and not even slowly~ they're just gone.)

http://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/about-the-homeschool-mothers-journal/

In my life this week…
I am trying to get my home ready to put on the market. I thought I was a fairly organized/ neat housekeeper. Having to examine each room under a microscope has made me think otherwise. As I said on Facebook one day, I have Goodwill and the local landfill on speed drive!
In our homeschool this week…
We did not do writing workshop. Ugh. It's my favorite thing but always gets put on the back burner. Next year, I'm making it a box instead of a group activity. I am so distracted by moving, organizing, and a local murder trial that I let it slide. Everything else is going well though.
Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
We rarely leave home : (. I did enjoy meeting three of my high school friends for dinner on Thursday!! It's so nice to get away from my life for awhile. I appreciate it when I return.
My favorite thing this week was…
Both boys ended up doing extra reading on some days because they didn't want to stop. Joel brought out his text book (this actually was last week I think) to show some of his friends what he's learning about in science.
What’s working/not working for us…
Me being distracted by other things and not putting homeschooling first. Joel is also freaking out in math again due to 3 digit by 3 digit multiplication. I am only having him do about 5 problems a day and I use the (small) whiteboard to show him the steps when needed.
Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…
Thanks to the house business and trial, I have apparently put my obsession with next year's curriculum on hold. I am generally happy with my choices so it's time to STOP obsessing. (Right??!)
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
"Be satisfied with what is and eager for what's coming."

Frogs and Boys February 2, 2011

I am actually blogging about yesterday.... we traveled to Winston-Salem to spend the day with my sister-in-law (who has been homeschooling for four years) and her precious children. We did a Science & Writing Day. I taught Jason and Katy (both 7th graders) tips for writing a five paragraph essay. I was able to use much of my unit from my teaching days, but it is so much more fun and meaningful when you only have to teach two as opposed to 25 plus students. I enjoyed being able to pull my old materials out, and the three of us wrote a very convincing essay on why Chick-Fil-A is the best restaurant. To culminate this project, we luckily were able to eat at Chick-Fil-A for dinner!

My sister-in-law worked with both boys, Katy and her 4-year-old Kaylin on dissecting a frog. My boys were briefly introduced to this through a 3D book we have on the frog, plus Jason studied a web page in advance. I was so sad to miss the dissection. Instead of looking at this:

I got to look at this:

Which would you choose????

The boys really enjoyed learning about the internal organs of the frog, explained with expertise by Aunt Rene. They didn't make any cuts but didn't flee from the room screaming either!

We had a great day with fun learning, and I am thankful for the opportunity. Here are the three boys together:

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Things have gone well this week! We are finally getting back to Reading/ Writing Workshop, and our work has been taking right at three hours each day (not including R/W Workshop).

Joel learned about the Erie Canal and Oregon Trail this week. I have really enjoyed doing additional research about these things online. There is a group in NY actively working to preserve what's left of the original Erie Canal. Entire parts of it have been lost, leaving these researchers to speculate about where the original canal went. Parts of the original tow path are now greenways, where residents exercise on actual paths used by the tow animals/ workers.







Homeschooling has spawned some new obsessions interests for me: dry erase makers and index cards.

 I write out the boys' assignments on index cards for each work box for the day. They check off their assignments and then I continue on the same card for the week. We also make flashcards for vocabulary and Bible concepts. Jason is using them to make cards for the West African countries he is studying. I have bought every kind there is (colored, lined, unlined, multi-colored lines, etc.) Joel uses dry erase markers for math and grammar each day because I save paper by putting a page protector over the original copy. He writes on the page protector saving me from making a copy and enabling me to keep the original pristine in hopes of reselling it later. A great thing that happened to me this week was getting my Bic teacher's kit in the mail:

Yes, I was very excited to get permanent markers, three diffent colors of writing pens, mechanical pencils, gel pens, and of course, dry erase markers (and a new eraser and cleaner!!). This kit is worth $60, but sold for $20 and I had a free $10 credit through  Groupon : ). Happiness= school supplies in the mail. I am easy to please. Sometimes.

Today we were reviewing our Bible stories and I had them write the answers to the review questions on mini chalkboards and hold them up. They did so much better this way and it went quickly. I felt like a teacher of a one-room schoolhouse (I am fascinated by them).  And the boards were only $1 at Dollar Tree!!

(Jason has to eventually turn everything into a joke......)

Finally, I am relieved to be able to say that Joel is still extremely excited about learning cursive. He is doing better than I ever expected. I can't believe I put this off and dreaded it so much!

Homeschooling is keeping me learning, and giving me new surprises each day.