October 6, 2010

Doing great here!
I think we found our schedule:)
It's really a hit and miss, kind of the way we work! LOL..

Mondays, since I work the night before, I leave it up to them.  They can do their binder work if they like, just remember, if they get too far behind, there will be summer work.  Or, they can do it later in the week.  That concept is doing good so far!!

Tuesday we do the full day!  Rosetta/spelling city (the kids are enjoying this, and mid week last week Rachel went from 42 spelling words to 14, Gracie went from 23 to 2!  So they are learning:)  Also do the oral math/First Language Lessons/Binder work (but they still decide how much they need to do)

Wednesday is movie day.  We watch educational shows and catch up on those penpals.  They still do their spelling city/Rosetta, though.  It's all oral, and they enjoy that. I will leave the written portion up to them.  So far, they haven't been too interested in that.  But to understand a language is the key, so they're getting this!:)

Thursday is another full day.

Friday is 'Baking Day'  I found these great books-

They have several versions, low sugar/low cholesterol/meals/appetizers...so I told them to pick a recipe each week and we'd give it a try.  This is a fun way to learn math!!

So what are we doing now? Absolutely Nothing! ;)
No, actually we're getting ready to move next week.  I know...that is 'next week', but there are boxes EVERYWHERE and we can barely get on the couch. So, cancel school out;)

I will start recording more as we move in.  Post the spelling words and such.
Happy Homeschooling!

September 25, 2010

What a change!!

We started on the Lifepac, convinced we were going the semi-traditional route..it got boring!!  Monotonous.  Since my work schedule had changed, we added/dropped some ideas.  We still use the Lifepacs for math, but had some other ideas that I think work better for us.

The stories are short-but challenging!!  I also have Gracie on Grade 1 (I would say these books are at least a year or two ahead of our school system now)

I also have them using McGuffey's Spelling Book from grade 2.  This book starts out very easy, but by the end of the book, I would say, they are learning words that our grade 5+ are learning!  So I started my 9yo at this as well.

What I do is plug these words in spelling city

www.spelling city.com

You can create your own spelling list, and the words are plugged into games/fill in the blank pages.  I have them work on them everyday.  At the end of the week, they take their test (online).  The words they missed are then put onto their next weeks lesson!

 I get the words from their reading and their spelling.

Rachel had words like-

perseverance...objection...entangled

Gracie's words are quite easy now,

list...test...ask...  

but they move forward fast!

So this will be a challenge, and they will be having fun.  They enjoy unscrambling/hang man the best for games to do with their spelling words.  I also have them do fill in the blanks now and then, too, to get the meanings taught.

Happy Homeschooling!

September 17, 2010

Okay, I think it's fairly clear...traditional just isn't us!;)

But we're keeping part of it..

The kids found a 4-H group the other day that we love!!  The leader is excellent, and anyone that lives in our area, let us know if you're interested, and I'll send you her number.  There are fundraisers for all, no one has to pay a dime. (And we all know the price to get into those fairs!)

The first day, she had them.  That is rare for my kids that take a while to warm up to kids/adults.  I knew we found our club!  She also got them interested in an exhibit. Gracie, my 7yo, can not enter yet but can enter under her sister name, so we may have them work together on some projects.  We're already entered for the horticulture exhibit.

I'm not sure if you can see them or not, but the kids are excited as their teacher said it could take 2 weeks, and they grew faster.  

Happy Homeschooling!!



September 14, 2009

Rachel pretty much taught herself division today!!  She wanted to play a game, and so I gave her an idea of how division works (basic division) and she did it all on her own.    Here is the site she was on.  They like the penguin game where they help build the icecream scoops-
http://www.fun4thebrain.com/addition.html

Gracie likes this for the addition. 

Happy Homeschooling!

September 13, 2010

What a year!!

I would say it's doing great, and really, it is.  The kids are enjoying their lifepacs, Rachel is almost done with hers for the month and has already finished one. Life is good:)

At first I started with a mandated amount of work each day.  After all, I didn't want them to fall behind.  It didn't work out all that well, though.  I got the cranky, 'I don't want to.' 'This is too much, I can't!' arguements...so I gave up.  The new rule goes this way- there are 10 lifepacs.  One for each month.  Do what you think you need to do to keep up.  Fall behind?  Looks like you're going to do summer school!  Very simple.  Rachel (9yo) has figured this out and is keeping up.  Gracie (7yo) is the one that only likes to do a few rows of math at a time...she may be falling behind.  But we'll see.  I know unschooling works best, and really do wish I had the funds/car to do it correctly.  I taught them how to keep up, they'll just have to deal with this till then.

Happy Homeschooling!

August 25, 2010

Well, what can I say, but
Thank God for Gigatribe! lol..

Big changes due to all the things we have found.  We're having a GREAT first week!! I went short the first day, as usual, and 9yo asked for a longer school day:)  Gracie has even decided she likes this better than time4learning. Yeah!!
We're in transition now..so it's a little choppy.  I'm hoping to somehow encorporate 3yo into picture tomorrow...

I am not sure which pics I have posted, so will repost;)
What I plan to do is read short Bible stories with 3yo/kids first...but keep having a hectic start..

First 9yo goes online for Rosetta French :)-another Gigatribe gift!!

She is really enjoying this.  We are moving slow, and I am having her do the first lesson over and over (all animated) until she gets it right.  Then we'll move to the next exercise. 

First there is AOP Bible, grade 3 (I heard this is a good place to start.  Is a great intro!)


Then she goes and does AOP Language arts written


She seems to be doing great at this.  It's a little challenging, but good.  Not too happy about the 8+ letter words to look up in dictionary;)

She then goes back on the computer for  AOP online version- SOS (Switched on Schoolhouse). I have grade 3 language arts on there, it will be good for her, I figured, since she has not really done anything formal.  I am planning on just staying with this curriculum from now on.  Tired of jumping around! She is enjoying this, so I may try to go online next a little more for her.



Then she goes back and does her AOP Math (grade 4). 


7yo Plans....
She starts her day with the AOP Bible  She does this while 9yo is on her French
(I guess it won't do much to show pic;) pretty much the same!

She then goes onto her Rosetta Spanish

This is challenging for her as well, but she does enjoy it.  Much better/easier than working on a book.  I just have them doing the same lessons until they match the words correctly.  I also step into help as the directions are not all that clear, and  it just assumes that you have good deciphering skills to figure out the words.  I am teaching them to do that now.

After this she goes back to her schoolwork.  She does her AOP Language arts and Math (both grade 2).

Today we read the first 6 pages of Little House in the Big Woods.  We alternated reading, and 7yo did have to have help with a few words, but did great!  I found that this is a grade 3 book, so it will be challenging for her. 

We had a lot of fun.  I will remember to take pics tomorrow!  We read on how they preserved the deer meat, and did a little experiment of our own with bread.  We put moist/dry bread in baggies on the counter/fridge and freezer.  Kids are predicting and can not wait to see what will grow the fastest!  We also had a copy exercise for vocabulary words.

We're not used to this kind of thing, so we're taking it a day at a time, but having fun!!  This is  going to be an exciting year!:)
Happy Homeschooling!:)

August 11, 2010

Okay, it figures! LOL

Change is in the air!!

Although this change is for the better.

I was all excited to get into Laura's past.  After all, her books would be great, so would the books on her heritage.  Was I right?

Oh, I was so wrong!!! 

I finally got the books from the library and I could barely read them myself, let alone read them to my kids.

They just weren't interesting!!

:( Very sad!!

So we're just going to do a fun study on Scotland.

 This will mean maybe we can finish Little House in the Big Woods this year.  I have begun to look at the activities...I'm going to do them all!;)  Have to have fun, and they are all very exciting!!

(Okay, not all...just 80-90%)-there will be no throwing pigs bladders in this house! Yuck!!;)

We're still going to do the AOP plans, though. And I still plan on veritas press, but that won't be till next year sometime when I can get the money. It is expensive, but it is 'so' worth it!!

Happy Homeschooling Everyone!! 

I'll get my act together pretty soon;)