Homeschooling
Playing with the bunnies
01/02/10 12:23
Our 4-H club had a guest speaker in January from Magic Happens Rabbit Rescue. We decided to do a service project for them, going out to their adoption home and cleaning cages and playing with the bunnies. It didn't take long to clean all the cages and give the bunnies a fresh place to hang out. They're cages were kinda smelly, though. Rabbits make a lot of poo! But they are just soooooo cute! How can you resist? Once the work was over, there was plenty of time to play and pet the sweet bunnies.
Volunteering at a rescue group is a great idea for a 4-H group! The littler ones can play with the animals while the older ones help with the more difficult jobs. It works out well for everyone. Something you may not even consider is the encouragement you give to the workers at the facility. Seeing young people involved and willing to help out is a wonderful boost to those who work at rescuing animals. It is a hard job and thankless to boot, and the children enjoying the animals is a welcome sight. Give it a go!
Volunteering at a rescue group is a great idea for a 4-H group! The littler ones can play with the animals while the older ones help with the more difficult jobs. It works out well for everyone. Something you may not even consider is the encouragement you give to the workers at the facility. Seeing young people involved and willing to help out is a wonderful boost to those who work at rescuing animals. It is a hard job and thankless to boot, and the children enjoying the animals is a welcome sight. Give it a go!
4-H Camp T-shirt Contest Winner!
15/01/10 16:24
Here is a shot of my awesome son, Noah. He won the Louisiana Camp Grant Walker T-Shirt contest with his drawing and slogan. All three kids entered the contest, and the judge said that theirs also made finals. Great job, Noah! I'm proud of you!
I encourage all homeschool families to consider 4-H. You can learn more about 4-H on my CHEF 4-H page. It is a great venue for the children to learn competition, speaking skills, and leadership opportunities. The project books can be done as unit studies and the kids love them! There is something for everyone, from photography to fashion, to of course, livestock. The involvement is minimal compared to other clubs, and there are also opportunities for the children to serve their community in volunteer projects.
Awesome Unit Studies: Amanda Bennett
17/11/09 14:08
Some of us use an all-in-one curriculum, some of us forge our own paths, some of us use a combination of the 2. I like doing unit studies for 3 reasons: the intense study of 1 major topic creates a long-term knowledge much more than memorizing facts and figures. Reason 2: how will your children learn in college and in real life? They’ll study things in pockets and packages of information. And 3: they make learning so much fun!!!
Personally, I am not very good at creating unit studies. I can research info and give the kids a direction with websites and library books, but what makes a unit study awesome: devoting the time to it. I have very little precious time. So, who do I turn to for unit studies? One source is Amanda Bennett. She has studies for a wide range of ages, grades, and interests. Sign up for her email list and get cool specials that you won’t want to miss. I have her photography unit study, journal, birthday unit study, and others. They are truly worth the money, especially if you have more than 1 child. Check her out!
http://www.unitstudy.com/
Feel free to leave comments about what you use for unit studies and your sources for inspiration. You are welcome here!
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Personally, I am not very good at creating unit studies. I can research info and give the kids a direction with websites and library books, but what makes a unit study awesome: devoting the time to it. I have very little precious time. So, who do I turn to for unit studies? One source is Amanda Bennett. She has studies for a wide range of ages, grades, and interests. Sign up for her email list and get cool specials that you won’t want to miss. I have her photography unit study, journal, birthday unit study, and others. They are truly worth the money, especially if you have more than 1 child. Check her out!
http://www.unitstudy.com/
Feel free to leave comments about what you use for unit studies and your sources for inspiration. You are welcome here!
blog comments powered by Disqus
Signs of the times...
12/11/09 20:27
This happened in NC. What blows my mind is the last part... that teachers have been giving incentives to children for brining in school supplies like hand sanitizer and Kleenex. What in the world does this crazy world think when we will spend money on new cars, eating out, and cable TV, and our kids have no money for school supplies and they have to bribe people to get necessary funds and materials? Shouldn’t school come first? On the flip side... I will admit to the occasional bribe myself: “finish your math and we can have a bowl of ice cream.” Does that compare to grade adjustments for money?
District nixes cash-for-grades fundraiser
BY LYNN BONNER - STAFF WRITER
Selling candy didn't raise much money last year, so a Goldsboro middle school tried selling grades.
However, the fundraiser came to an abrupt halt today after a story in The News & Observer raised concerns about the practice of selling grades.
Wayne County school administrators stopped the fundraiser, issuing a statement this morning.
"Yesterday afternoon, the district administration met with [Rosewood Middle School principal] Mrs. Shepherd and directed the the following actions be taken: (1) the fundraiser will be immediately stopped; (2) no extra grade credit will be issued that may have resulted from donations; and (3) beginning Novermber 12, all donations will be returned."
A $20 donation to Rosewood Middle School would have gotten a student 20 test points - 10 extra points on two tests of the student's choosing. That could raise a B to an A, or a failing grade to a D.
Susie Shepherd, the principal, said a parent advisory council came up with the idea, and she endorsed it. She said the council was looking for a new way to raise money.
"Last year they did chocolates, and it didn't generate anything," Shepherd said.
Shepherd rejected the suggestion that the school is selling grades. Extra points on two tests won't make a difference in a student's final grade, she said.
It's wrong to think that "one particular grade could change the entire focus of nine weeks," Shepherd said.
State education officials, who typically shy from talking about grading at individual schools, were not pleased to hear of Rosewood's effort.
Rebecca Garland, the chief academic officer for the state Department of Public Instruction, said she understands that schools are struggling in the recession.
Tight state and local budgets have put extra pressure on schools to raise their own money. Teachers giving extra test credit to students who bring in classroom supplies is a longstanding practice at some schools.
Carmen Zepp, a Raleigh parent, said there should be policies against offering students test credit for anything other than what they've learned.
Zepp objected this year when her daughter's social studies teacher at Knightdale High School had students bring to school tissues and hand sanitizer. The supplies counted for 25 percent of a "supply check" grade.
"It's awful," Zepp said. "It's indicative of the fact that our schools don't have enough money. They can't get tissues or hand sanitizer or whatever without bribery. And that's pretty sad."
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District nixes cash-for-grades fundraiser
BY LYNN BONNER - STAFF WRITER
Selling candy didn't raise much money last year, so a Goldsboro middle school tried selling grades.
However, the fundraiser came to an abrupt halt today after a story in The News & Observer raised concerns about the practice of selling grades.
Wayne County school administrators stopped the fundraiser, issuing a statement this morning.
"Yesterday afternoon, the district administration met with [Rosewood Middle School principal] Mrs. Shepherd and directed the the following actions be taken: (1) the fundraiser will be immediately stopped; (2) no extra grade credit will be issued that may have resulted from donations; and (3) beginning Novermber 12, all donations will be returned."
A $20 donation to Rosewood Middle School would have gotten a student 20 test points - 10 extra points on two tests of the student's choosing. That could raise a B to an A, or a failing grade to a D.
Susie Shepherd, the principal, said a parent advisory council came up with the idea, and she endorsed it. She said the council was looking for a new way to raise money.
"Last year they did chocolates, and it didn't generate anything," Shepherd said.
Shepherd rejected the suggestion that the school is selling grades. Extra points on two tests won't make a difference in a student's final grade, she said.
It's wrong to think that "one particular grade could change the entire focus of nine weeks," Shepherd said.
State education officials, who typically shy from talking about grading at individual schools, were not pleased to hear of Rosewood's effort.
Rebecca Garland, the chief academic officer for the state Department of Public Instruction, said she understands that schools are struggling in the recession.
Tight state and local budgets have put extra pressure on schools to raise their own money. Teachers giving extra test credit to students who bring in classroom supplies is a longstanding practice at some schools.
Carmen Zepp, a Raleigh parent, said there should be policies against offering students test credit for anything other than what they've learned.
Zepp objected this year when her daughter's social studies teacher at Knightdale High School had students bring to school tissues and hand sanitizer. The supplies counted for 25 percent of a "supply check" grade.
"It's awful," Zepp said. "It's indicative of the fact that our schools don't have enough money. They can't get tissues or hand sanitizer or whatever without bribery. And that's pretty sad."
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Book review: DRIVE
09/11/09 14:56
Book review: Drive: 9 ways to Motivate Your Kids to Achieve by Janine Caffery
This is an awesome book! I borrowed it from the local library, and there is a link to Amazon if you need it. This book is about re-evalutating how you parent your children, in order to create children who not only want to move out and be adults one day, but who also have a motivation to succeed at life (not necessarily in financial terms).
The book begins by giving a history of Ms. Caffrey’s background and why she is qualified to write such a book. Then it goes into the state of our culture, and how we have raised a generation of children who have no drive or motivation. Isn’t that the truth? Her basic premise is that we have raised children who never feel discomfort and so they do not feel any need to get out of the nest. They are content to sit around and do nothing. She brings to light much of the plight of parents and illustrates exactly what we are doing to create these problems in our children. What an eye opener!!!
Next, there is a survey to pinpoint exactly where you are at parenting a child who has drive. I did pretty good, but knew there were some things I would need to work on to help my children succeed.
The book then goes into detail about 9 different strategies you can use to develop motivation in your children. I really woke up to these. I won’t go into detail about the strategies, because you owe it to yourself and your children to read this book.
Here is an excerpt from Oprahselects: Drive: 9 ways to Motivate Your Kids to Achieve by Janine Walker Caffrey
The quality of drive provides the momentum for a person to dream and achieve, creating a unique, independent life. Without it, a person is like a rudderless boat, drifting around a flat lake. In Drive, nationally renowned educator Dr. Janine Caffrey shows how to inspire your children and develop this vital characteristic. How do I get my child excited about learning? To enroll in a good college? To move out of the house? To create his own life? Designed to assist parents, educators, and counselors to get kids of all ages off the couch and into the world, Drive outlines nine specific steps proven to beat boredom and foster self-motivation and resourcefulness. Filled with quizzes, anecdotes, and practical strategies, Drive helps parents turn “Generation Me” into “Generation Move.”
Bottom line: what did I learn and work on changing?
1. Assignments in school take precedent over appointments whenever possible. I often get into the habit of running a few errands when I’m at an appointment, which takes away valuable school time. I make excuses about already being out, and about how bad traffic is after school, and then I’m upset when the kids don’t finish school! It is an easy trap for us.
2. Punishment should be swift, severe and complete. I often threaten until I turn purple, and then punish so much that it messes up all our lives. “You’re grounded forever!” Well, that was practical. I now understand to punish completely and not to take away something for a long period of time.
3. Let my kids fail. I want to catch them and heal them and protect them, and I have not let them fail enough. I watched my son cook quesadillas for the first time last week, and he made a mess and flipped one and saw the consequences of it being flipped too fast. He stomped around mad, but he corrected it himself. Sounds silly now, but at the time, I wanted to rush in and take over.
4. More let my kids fail, sort of. I try to teach the kids critical thinking, rather than giving them the answer, but I may have not succeeded so well with the 3rd child. Myself, as well as the older kids, easily step in and give him the answers. He now says, “How do I do this?’ handing you the paper and watching you do it for him. It is insidious, and I need to be more aware and let him think problems through rather than giving him the answer.
5. Allow my children to make more daily decisions. Give them more freedom to mess up and choose their own path, even if it is an inconvenience.
And I’m not even finished with the book!!! Seriously, I also learned to apply it to my marriage: don’t rush in to do something for your spouse just to help them out. Step back and let them do it themselves occasionally. They will be blessed by it.
I have a long way to go, but every day is an opportunity!
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Writing Book Reports for High Schoolers
06/11/09 12:26
Do your children do lots of reports? In our homeschool, we often use reports as a way to measure work done as well as comprehension. They are a great way to improve writing skills and prepare for college. Here’s my plan for essay and report writing:
Start out young ones with easy book reports. Not every single book, but several throughout the year. I aim for 4-6 which is really about 1 every other month. I keep a list of books they’ve read, which helps them to see how many books they’re reading. This has been a great encouragement to my youngest, who thinks he can’t read very well. When he sees he’s read 50 books, he is excited and wants to read more. But back to book reports: they should be simple and easy to write. Require that your children answer in complete sentences. I have posted a sample of a book report form I made up for my elementary aged children under the heading File Sharing on my webpage. You are welcome to have it and reproduce it all you want.
Another thing I have my children work through is outlining books. There are a couple of really great ones available that we have used and the kids enjoyed doing. Here are some links to them. If you can outline, it makes it easy to assemble a quick essay or paper.
My last book report form is for around middle school. You can use it in 5th or 6th grade if your child can handle the writing. It is a leading form that they fill out step by step. When they are done, they will have enough information to write a good book report from the material they wrote. I use it as a rough draft for their report, then they go back and write a final draft. It works great! Again, you are free to download it and use it as much as you’d like. It is under the File Sharing page and it’s called Advanced Book Report Form.
Now, my son is in 8th grade and he is working on a high school level. I am counting all work I consider high school level and I am in the process of making my own writing and revising checklist. I have yet to find a really awesome, solid checklist, so I’m making one up. I found one site that has a pretty good checklist for essays: http://grammar.about.com/od/correctingerrors/a/editchecklist.htm and another one for writing book reports: http://www.infoplease.com/homework/wsbookreporths.html. When I get a good checklist together for writing and revising, I’ll post it here.
Thanks for reading! You’re welcome to leave comments and let me know what you think or give me your advice about this subject.
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Start out young ones with easy book reports. Not every single book, but several throughout the year. I aim for 4-6 which is really about 1 every other month. I keep a list of books they’ve read, which helps them to see how many books they’re reading. This has been a great encouragement to my youngest, who thinks he can’t read very well. When he sees he’s read 50 books, he is excited and wants to read more. But back to book reports: they should be simple and easy to write. Require that your children answer in complete sentences. I have posted a sample of a book report form I made up for my elementary aged children under the heading File Sharing on my webpage. You are welcome to have it and reproduce it all you want.
Another thing I have my children work through is outlining books. There are a couple of really great ones available that we have used and the kids enjoyed doing. Here are some links to them. If you can outline, it makes it easy to assemble a quick essay or paper.
My last book report form is for around middle school. You can use it in 5th or 6th grade if your child can handle the writing. It is a leading form that they fill out step by step. When they are done, they will have enough information to write a good book report from the material they wrote. I use it as a rough draft for their report, then they go back and write a final draft. It works great! Again, you are free to download it and use it as much as you’d like. It is under the File Sharing page and it’s called Advanced Book Report Form.
Now, my son is in 8th grade and he is working on a high school level. I am counting all work I consider high school level and I am in the process of making my own writing and revising checklist. I have yet to find a really awesome, solid checklist, so I’m making one up. I found one site that has a pretty good checklist for essays: http://grammar.about.com/od/correctingerrors/a/editchecklist.htm and another one for writing book reports: http://www.infoplease.com/homework/wsbookreporths.html. When I get a good checklist together for writing and revising, I’ll post it here.
Thanks for reading! You’re welcome to leave comments and let me know what you think or give me your advice about this subject.
Read More...
Our Homeschool Schedule: How we schedule the day
02/02/09 22:27
Schedule1
pastedGraphic
I make a table with every item that is redundant, and then I copy and paste it 35 times so I have all 36 weeks. Then I go through and add what needs to be done. Each day we have school, the child marks off his tasks as he does them. I can quickly see what is getting done and how much is left to do. I can also schedule events such as game practices, church events, and other appointments so that we all know what we are doing that day. I have used this system for 2 years now and I like it. It takes some time to set up, and sometimes I have to stop and change things around. For example, I scheduled my 7th grader to read a book that turned out to be too hard, so I went back and erased the lessons on the schedule. I only print out 2-3 weeks at a time in case I have to make changes.
Two classes I have in my schedule that are unique are Skill Time and Chore Time. Skill Time is a time when the child picks a skill to learn and works on developing it. It could be drawing as long as he is working to draw better, like using a drawing book to draw better hands, for example. It could be cooking, weaving, woodworking, dog training, gardening, or any number of things. As long as they are experiencing something new and working on getting better at it. This gives the kids a chance to explore things they are interested in rather than always being told what to study. It has worked out well for us.
The other item I have in our schedule is Chore TIme. These are not normal chores that are a part of everyday life. Normal chores like walking the dog, taking out the trash, vacuuming, or loading the dishwasher are not done during this time. These are chores that are more work and not done as often. Things like spring cleaning, carpet cleaning, re-organizing closets, etc., are done during this time. What I found over the last year is that we don’t always have a lot of hard work to do around here that the children are adept at doing. We keep a print-out of a “Spring Cleaning” list, and when it was gone through and marked off, we ended up with nothing to do. So, I expanded Chore Time to also include helping neighbors (the kids helped rake a yard and clean up a dog park after a hurricane), and spending time with shut-ins or elderly people. They may make cards and cookies and then we go visit someone on the church shut-in list. It has been a wonderful way for us to spend some time focusing on other people’s needs. I find that the children are more in tune to how our family runs, and more willing to be kind to others. It has been a wise addition to our schedule.
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Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1
26/01/09 19:27
http://www.teachingtextbooks.com/
We began Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1 last week. In the course of my 7th grader’s homeschool “career,” we have used 3 math texts. We started first grade with A Beka, then changed to Saxon in sixth grade. This year, he completed Saxon 8/7 early, and for the first time I realized he was not bad at math! A Beka is a tough program and can get students down, and by fourth grade, we were struggling to get any math done at all without whining and balking. We switched to Saxon for 2 books, 7/6 and 8/7, and did wonderfully! The books are great, but this is not a Saxon review.
I was going to put my son into Saxon Algebra 1/2, but I decided to take a leap and have him take the placement tests for Teaching Textbooks. Some of my friends do TT, but I always cringed at the price. I figured when my child reached the point of needing Algebra, I’d better get him a curriculum that provides a bit more support. Until then, I could make it with less expensive options. I could “relearn” Algebra, but who has the time? Besides, I could use the program for my next 2 children. So, my DS takes the pre-algebra placement test and flies through it. Takes the Algebra 1 test and flies through it, too. When I pick myself up off the floor from shock, I give my DS the Algebra 2 test. Not so great. So, I bought the Algebra one set and off we went!
Okay, enough about me, let’s talk text. The text is divided into 129 lessons, sub-divided into chapters for testing purposes, and 17 tests. No speed drills or Investigations like Saxon. Each lesson has a lecture, practice problems and a problem set. They go quickly and are easy to digest. If your child needs it, there is a set of CDs that cover the lecture, each practice problem, as well as the problem set. You also get a solution manual with answers to all practice and problems, and tests with answers. There is also a CD that has the walk-through of each test question. Very comprehensive.
We have only completed a few lessons, and they are going well. I introduced each item in the Algebra 1 package to my child, and walked him through what a typical math lesson would be like. I only need to interact with him for a few minutes while I call out the answers to the daily math lesson. He checks his missed problems and determines if it is his error, or a lack of understanding. Easy!
The only thing I have not seen is extra problems. I did not see any supplemental exercises on their site, either. In my 9 years of homeschooling, I have only used extra practice 3-4 times, so I doubt it is a big deal.
Oh, and for you (wonderfully enlightened) Mac users, the CDs work on a Mac. They are flash driven, so everything works wonderfully.
Overall, I am very pleased with TT. I think it is a great transition from Saxon. I plan to put my younger ones in Saxon from 4th grade to 7th grade, and then transition them from there to Teaching Textbooks. My reasoning is two-fold and money driven. First, I already have 2 Saxon sets to use with my next 2, and second, I see no need to spend such a large amount of money for math that I am capable of teaching them. When we get to higher math such as Algebra, that’s the point I need some help, so it’s a great place to transition to TT.
One of the things my DS finds hilarious are the problems they give you. They make up the funniest work problems. “The hippos back was so filthy that 1/4 of the parasites voted to migrate. If 126 parasites voted to migrate, how many parasites were there in total?” TT makes algebra at least a little fun.
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My First Post...a little about this blog
25/01/09 17:50
Wow. My first post. I am so scared and clueless about what to write and how to develop my blog. First, let me talk about me so you'll know who I am. My name is Tammy and I live with my DH, 3 children, 2 dogs and a cockatiel in Baton Rouge, LA. We just moved here in 2008 after my DH retired from the Air Force. What a wild life we have led! We've lived all over the country and even lived in our motor home for a few years. We love to explore and see new things. We decided to give up our dream of full-time rv-ing and settle down in a home. We are now working towards getting our kids ready for college.
I have home-schooled for 9 years now, and I love it. Each year brings new challenges and rewards. I began my experience by using a boxed curriculum, and have since gained the courage to make my own schedule and plans for each of my children. We do some radical stuff, which I will discuss in my blogs. I don't want to follow the norm unless I know it works. I like the trivium and Well Trained Mind approach, but I mix it up some. I feel that the most important thing I can do is prep my kids for college and maxing out the ACT and SAT.
I prayed about having a blog because it takes up a lot of personal time, and because sometimes blogs get very personal. I feel led to start one based on Titus 2:4-5. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
I could spend an entire lifetime just on getting this verse right! Wow! I will talk about Scripture that God brings to my heart in my blog, I may discuss personal things as well. I will talk about how I home school, funny things that happen, about encouraging things, about home making issues like cooking and saving money, reviews os of home school materials, and awesome websites that need to be shared. I hope you will share your comments as well so that we can have a personal connection and opportunity to train one another, just like the Scripture tell us.
I have a sense of humor and think life is not worth living if you can't love and laugh. Please bear with me as I learn to use RapidWeaver to blog, and I learn how to develop my website. Thanks for stopping by!
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I have home-schooled for 9 years now, and I love it. Each year brings new challenges and rewards. I began my experience by using a boxed curriculum, and have since gained the courage to make my own schedule and plans for each of my children. We do some radical stuff, which I will discuss in my blogs. I don't want to follow the norm unless I know it works. I like the trivium and Well Trained Mind approach, but I mix it up some. I feel that the most important thing I can do is prep my kids for college and maxing out the ACT and SAT.
I prayed about having a blog because it takes up a lot of personal time, and because sometimes blogs get very personal. I feel led to start one based on Titus 2:4-5. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
I could spend an entire lifetime just on getting this verse right! Wow! I will talk about Scripture that God brings to my heart in my blog, I may discuss personal things as well. I will talk about how I home school, funny things that happen, about encouraging things, about home making issues like cooking and saving money, reviews os of home school materials, and awesome websites that need to be shared. I hope you will share your comments as well so that we can have a personal connection and opportunity to train one another, just like the Scripture tell us.
I have a sense of humor and think life is not worth living if you can't love and laugh. Please bear with me as I learn to use RapidWeaver to blog, and I learn how to develop my website. Thanks for stopping by!
Read More...
