January 7,2011

Wow, what a year!!

Many changes have been made this year.  We actually 'seem' somewhat organized!!

First of all, we're waking up at 8am.  Well, I'm waking them up at 8am;) they drag out of bed after about 30 minutes of being pushed around.

I am also making breakfast,

usually.

So this is a shocker!!

We have decided to do 'cooking day/unit study day' on Wednesday, so the followers that joined for the curriculum, I will add a day once a week.

I found this awesome site created by Kaplan. (the tutoring company)  It can be either a supplemental or a curriculum. 

http://www.theheadoftheclass.com/SplashPage/SplashPage.aspx

It's called, 'Head of the Class' and has everything from Spanish, Art and Math.  A little more traditional then animated but it works and the kids really enjoy it.  Best part, Rachel decided to move to grade 5, as most of her friends are older.  Is that a problem? No, i simply have her take the grade 5 assessment (which actually won't be out till later this month) and it will fill in the gaps with what she doesn't know.

I enrolled Gracie in grade 3.  The had those weird birthdays so i started them late, but I think they've caught up.

Next post-

Day 1

December 10, 2010

I have begun to get real interested in products that are made in this country.  Not so much 'health food' products.  But brand names like

'Skippy'

'Peter Pan Peanutbutter'

and such...

Anyways, does anyone know what typical, grocery store brands are 100% American?

Also...

For those waiting for my curriculum postings..

The goal is to get it started by January. 

Happy Homeschooling!!

December 5, 2010

I was sitting down at work the other day with a jug of apple juice when I noticed something written on the bottle in barely visible writing

'apple concentrate from China/Argentina'

What!!??

On the label it read, 'Made in the Usa'.  Apparently that was only the bottle!

I went to other juices, including Mott's, all generics, and noticed the same pattern.  They were sneaky, including it on the bottle, smaller than size 10 print, Mott's didn't even have it in black.  You had to hold the bottle to the light to even see it was there!

Anyways, I'm just sending this as an FYI.  If China can not even produce toys that aren't poisoned, can you imagine what they are doing to our food?  Not to mention their public relations issue!

Welches products use their own fruit.
I am still not sure if that means their fruit is 'grown' in China, however??  But if they are, I can only assume it means they oversee it a little.

Apple juice was difficult, but I finally found

Musselman's.

It read clearly on their label that all apples are American grown.  Their juice is not the cheapest, as opposed to those shipped from other countries, but it does make me feel better I am supporting our business' that haven't sold out on us or our health!

Anyways, an FYI to those that didn't know.  I had no idea till I got bored and started looking at the bottle.  The print size couldn't even had been 8!

Look for writing like this

That above is about the right size.

December 1, 2010

We're trying a different approach, and I think it's working!

We've been slacking on this reading, so we read an entire chapter of

Little House in the Big Woods together,

worked on our 1800 book math/First Language Lessons

Today we read the 'Christmas' chapter

I don't really 'bother' to do much with the First Language Lessons. I simply ask the kids, 'remember what a common/proper noun is? Give me an example.  Do the same for the rest that is covered.  It can be monotonous. 

We also did copy work for

'Twinkle Twinkle'.

Before, copywork was a hassle.  I would just give up on it, as it was just too much of a negative impact on our day.

:) Then I discovered bribery, LOL...

For each line they copy, they get 5 pieces of (their choice)

mini m&m's, reses pieces (3peices), gummies/sour patch are only 2.

They can stop wherever they want, and that has eliminated the whining!:)

I have also come tot he conclusion that since Abeka is a grade or two ahead, why are they doing a full page?

I let my 9yo know that half a page would be just fine, and this wouldn't put her behind at all.  It may take her two years to finish the book, but that wouldn't put her behin, it would just put her at grade level!

We also made the Molasses Snow Candy!!

Snow Candy

"Laura and Mary each had a pan, and Pa and Ma showed them how to pour the dark syrup in little streams onto the snow."


- Little House in the Big Woods




You will need:


1 cup molasses


I cup brown sugar


Fresh, clean snow (or crushed ice)
(we didn't have a blender that could crush ice, so we used icy-semi frozen water on a saucer, and it worked fine!)






Measuring cup


Large pot


Wooden spoon


Candy thermometer, or cup filled with cold water


Shallow pan, such as a cake pan


Clean towel


Boil the molasses and sugar together in the large pot until the mixture reaches the "hard crack" stage on a candy thermometer, or until a spoonful dropped into cold water forms a hard ball and cracks. Remove the syrup from the heat.


BE VERY CAREFUL. THE SYRUP IS EXTREMELY HOT AT THIS STAGE.


Scoop fresh, clean snow (or crushed ice) into the shallow pan. Dip up a spoonful of syrup and dribble it onto the snow in "circles, and curlicues, and squiggledy things" as Laura and Mary did. It will harden and become candy. Lift the candy off the snow and onto a clean towel to dry.

November 18, 2010

 Tried out a very easy bread recipe today and it worked great!!  Wanted to share-

Easy Bake White Bread     

1C very warm water        1 1/2 t salt
1 envelope dry yeast        2 T oil
1 t sugar                             3 C flour


Pour water in bowl, add yeast, sprinkle over water.  Stir until dissolved.  Add sugar, salt and 2 T oil.  Stir.  Add 1 1/2 C flour.  Beat well, stir in rest of flour, put on lightly floured board.  Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.  Form into a ball.  Place in a greased bowl, brush top with oil.  Cover and let rise 45 minutes.  Punch down and shape into loaf.  Cover, let rise 1 hour.  
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake 40 minutes.
Delicious!             

November 18, 2010

I am using McGuffey Spelling 2 and 4, and am surprised how fast the words move.

I have decided to start noting these spelling words.

Gracie's spelling words

(She decided she also wanted to learn a few states)

California

Oregon

Florida

favorite

spelling

date

jade

late

fade

mate

rate

came

dame

same

cage

page

sage

ace

wake

the ones that don't end with an 'e' are also her choosing;)-she wanted to learn them!

Rachel, Grade 4

(she has a few reading words.  Her words started out very easy, but are gradually getting more difficult.

envious

borrow

inquired

endure

squall

fatal

pagan

baby

lady

lazy

navy

racy

Satan

usually

legal

regal

real

penal

taper

dial

trial

final

vial

local

cubit

duel

human

unit

fury

jury

puny

pupil

duly

They will have their pretest on Monday and I will note how they do:)  I let them have a pretest on Monday (which will erase their words), another Wednesday, (which will erase even more) and those  that are missed go to next week:)

We've all been sick, so no school this week. 

Getting better!!

Happy Homeschooling!!

November 11, 2010

It has been a while, and I only wish I had time to update this!!

As for now, I am working extra to get some Christmas money, so I am a little more tired than usual.  But there have been some interesting changes/realizations going on as well.

Rachel and Gracie have both found a pen pal, a set of sisters, that love to write back.  Gracie is not too much interested in writing herself, but her pen pal doesn't seem to mind her short letters.  They also exchange stickers/pencils and other neat things. 

Colette has even found herself a pen pal!  Feeling left out at her sisters getting pen pals, we found a 3yo little boy that felt the same way.  They exchange stickers and the last letter she received she got a bookmark as well.  There are short letters, also included, that us parents write;)

Our days have gotten more relaxed, yet we find the kids are still learning/retaining what was taught a day or so earlier, so haven't really been going traditional at all. 

We found "Always Ice cream"
This is a great site for girls where they play educational games to earn scoops to play a lot of fun, entertaining games.  My kids love this!

http://www.always-icecream.com/login

Rachel has gotten up to level 32, Gracie I believe is around the upper 20's  in the geography of the states.  All having fun, accidentally learning.  Wow!!

I finally broke down and got the paid version for Colette.  Colette loves studying her 'preschool', and although we don't do anything formal, this is really all she needs!

https://secure.nickjrboost.com/about.php

Colette loves it and has learned quite a few letters and numbers.

I am also using words from their letters and grocery lists that they've misspelled and putting them on Spelling City. 

Once you sign on, you make a list.  You can change this as often as you would like.

Your child will have the option of taking a test, 'Teach Me' which will introduce the words to your child, or fun, educational games to help them learn the new words.  The site will even test them for you! 
Here is a game mine both enjoy

www.spellingcity.com 

Worried about the meanings?  They have games for those as well.

I also pull words from the McGuffey Speller, Grade 2. (It starts out easy, so there is great review, but by the end of the year the words are more grade 5, than 2!)  So, needless to say, I skip a few words for Rachel.

We are still reading 'Little House in the Big Woods', but our plans to use any kind of guide have pretty much 'blown up';)  We do very well on our own and decided to just read together as a group.  We do activities as they come up.  Gracie does her best, and I even get a turn to read. 

We  are also following the the reading list for Ambleside Curriculum, although not following their reading schedule.  It sounded a little too hectic, how many hours of reading can one do in one day??  Two stories is enough!  But the reading is challenging, so we decided to give it a try and read it together, taking turns so it doesn't seem like too much.  We started at Year 1, because even at that level, they have Little House in the Big Woods..which is grade 3 in regular schools! (for them it's considered grade 1).  I have limited the stories, and the kids seem to enjoy the time spent together.
http://www.amblesideonline.org/01sch.shtml

I will keep you up on what books we are reading.
Happy Homeschooling!