No Place Like Home

Start your own preschool right in your home!

2012-01-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

So here it is, my dream...one day, I hope to be able to open my own in-home preschool. Not a daycare, mind you, but a preschool. I currently teach in a local daycare. Starting this Friday, I will move out of my current position as a helper in the two's and three's, and into the four's and five's as their preschool teacher. I love my job; I love the kids; the staff is super and the director is a godly woman who tries to keep all of us happy at work. Even still, I dream of my own place. Not a center atmosphere, not to compete with local day cares, nothing big, just me in my own little classroom, teaching a small group of children godly values and kindergarten readiness. So when I finally finish my ECE degree, that is my eventual goal. This may be years away but it's fun to dream. :)

In between taking my college classes I also take training from a bubbly, enthusiastic preschool owner/teacher named Joy Anderson. She is the one who introduced me to the idea of working from home as a preschool teacher. I love to watch her videos and see the ideas she has. She is a wealth of information. She is also very business-savvy, bringing in a wonderful income. She just opened her second preschool, with plans to add a kindergarten class next year.

Feel free to check out her info. You can get a session from her for free and see how easy this job can be. I can't wait until I graduate from college and can get my preschool started! If you are wanting to work from home, or be home with your kids, this might be just the opportunity for you.
Blessings,
Lynn

I want to find out how to start my own preschool at home

It's bittersweet but official

2011-12-24T07:42:00.000-08:00

My homeschooling days are over. This season in life is over. Gone are the read-alouds on the couch, daily Bible lessons, and my favorite--unit studies. I have been a working mom for over a year now, and just began selling off my curriculum---I think that's when I really accepted in my heart that this new life might be a forever life. It's that hard to let go of what you know, of what's familiar and comforting.

For eleven years I was "homeschool mom"...my whole identity was wrapped up in my schooling and I loved every minute of it, even the struggling days. I know God had me homeschooling to give my children the best Christian education they could get, aside from private schooling, which was not in my budget. I will never regret my homeschooling days and the training grounds they provided me with; my only regret is that my younger two children will miss out on much of what I was able to give to their older brother. I feel as if if they (and especially my baby girl) have been "jipped" as we Southerners like to say. I will just have to work harder to teach them about the love of God among the worldly attributes they have grown accustomed to seeing every day.

I knew my season was over when my husband got sick, one illness after another, even having heart problems, bleeding ulcers that almost killed him, you name it. He went for a long spell not able to give his physical best at work, and his work demanded him to pull 60-plus hours a week. For 13 years he had pulled those shifts and I think his body just began to rebel, in some very dangerous ways. I began my return to the workforce by doing cleaning jobs while trying to continue homeschooling but more and I more we struggled until I had no no other way out than to enroll my children in school and go to work full-time. We needed my income to grow and my children needed more schooling than I could give at that point. This just about broke my heart, as I had so many plans for our homeschooling. I wanted my younger children to experience scouting, co-ops, field trips, all the wonderful things an active homeschool group can supply. I wanted to have that snuggle time with each of them, a time to really impact them for Christ, and in my heart I had decided there was no other way to really do that than to homeschool. Now here is is, over a year later with me working full-time...how do I feel today? I know I still would jump at the chance to homeschool my youngest children, but I know for this season, and here's where dedicated homeschool mom's gulp--maybe forever--I will be a career mom. My husband eventually lost his job and he has started over working for himself from home repairing car ECU's and game consoles. I am proud of him for taking those old sour lemons life gave us and making some sweet lemonade. I am proud of him for trying to learn new skills. I am proud of the way he has gotten closer to God since losing his job (maybe the job loss will turn out to be a blessing after all!), and I know it it my time to support him, the way he supported me those eleven precious years at home.

I was bitter on many levels at first but I have learned to see God's blessings in the midst of the upheaval. Jarred now has time for home and family, church and growing in God's Word, which was my prayer for a long time while he was pulling 60 and 70-hour shifts. I have a wonderful job in a local daycare where I get to assist and teach a lively bunch of lovable two's and three's, under the guidance of a wonderful Christian boss. I love my class and really enjoy each child. My younger children have a wonderful school with some marvelous, godly influences. And I returned to college this year to finish my Early Childhood Education degree from Western Governors University online.

I am also taking Joy Anderson's Start a Preschool training. I have always loved working with little ones; even when we homeschooled I found myself among younger children at church and in our co-op. My dream job is to eventually open an in-home Christian preschool--not a daycare--a PRESCHOOL, where I can educate 3-5 year-olds in a love of God and get them kindergarten-ready. I spend much of my driving time praying about and daydreaming about it, from the way my classroom looks to the set up of the playground area. Nothing big, just small classes of about 8 children, two rotations a day, 5 days a week. I can't help but smile every time I start to picture it. I guess that's kind of how you know what you need to be doing...the thought of that "work" brings a natural smile to your face. My homeschooling made me smile, and working with little ones makes me smile too, plus it is a ministry of sorts. Planting seeds in these little hearts for God is a good thing. Now I think maybe I've been making lemonade, too. :)

I guess the point of all my rambling is sometimes God seems to throw a fork in our path, or open a new door, or put some unexpected food on our plate and gently say, "Taste it." We are often resistant to these changes, but they can be for a reason, and we can learn to use them in new ways to serve Him and our loved ones. Not being at home makes it more difficult to counteract all the nasty things my kids see during their day but that just means I have to work harder when I'm with them to show Satan what I'm made of. I have to have a dedication to really raising them right and to keeping them active in service to Him.

Life has certainly changed considerably in only one year, but it's not all for naught. It's just a new road, a new path, a new direction, a new food to taste, and God is still sovereign over all. God may be waiting for you to make some lemonade this year!

Merry Christmas friends, and a blessed and productive New Year,

Lynn

In times of economic crisis, do what you know!

2010-12-26T07:48:00.000-08:00

The economy dip hit my family hard early on, as my husband works in the automotive industry and I was a stay-at-home mom with one child still a preschooler. We were able to survive for a while using money from our savings and from selling off an extra vehicle. At first things were ok. Not great, but ok and I am used to a budget, so it didn't feel like a strain. But then, just as overtime was picking back up and things looked brighter, my husband got sick. He was out of work for 3 and 1/2 months in 2009. When my husband and I had used all of our savings and our bills had mounted to the point where I could no longer be JUST a stay-at-home mom, I tried to think of things I could so with my children at home to allow me to continue homeschooling them.

I already had two Etsy shops which provided a little spending cash, but clearly not enough to live on. I had wanted and tried to run an in-home preschool but finding children was harder than I thought, despite my years of experience with pre-k and homeschooling and my large, fenced-in back yard. I guess everyone else, like me, was trying to avoid spending the $85 a week fee that childcare in my area runs.

I needed cash and fast. What skills did I have after being out of the workforce for so long? Other than some teaching skills, crafting skills, and childcare skills, I had years of experience cleaning my own home. My kids were always underfoot, always making messes. So I put my experience to work. I located a few busy friends who needed a break and were willing to pay for a cleaning. I made a list of all I needed to do to get each home clean. I had a basic list (vacuum, dust, mop, sweep, clean bathrooms, general pick-up, etc.) and this service ran $40 and took about 2-3 hours to accomplish. For $60 I would add in dusting blinds/ceiling fans, doing some laundry, changing bedsheets, cleaning up after pets, sweeping porches/decks, etc. This one was called "the works" because it was pretty much (within reason) what the owner wanted done most. A "works" house took about 4-5 hours to clean, maybe a little more. Also, any two story home automatically was charged the $60 rate due to size. I cleaned those few homes and then used that as a spring board to finding more, all the while bathing the endeavor in prayer. Within only weeks I had 12 or so rotating locations. Not all were regulars but it was still more money than I'd had at home. My only problem was it was getting harder and harder to accomplish any schoolwork with my new jobs. I'd have to leave home by 8 or so to get the jobs done, and wouldn't be back most days until lunch time. By the time I had gotten settled in to helping all three children, it'd be time to go pick up my husband at work (we'd sold the extra vehicle for extra money). For the first time in our homeschooling lives, I felt someone was always getting "jipped". My then 5 year- old needed to learn to read; my highschooler needed help with at least two subjects a day, and my then 4th grader was getting into harder math and language. I never had time to do the fun extra things we always had. It was becoming bare bones and no fun at all. It was with a heavy heart, tons of tears, and hours of prayer that I decided, for a season, we needed to make changes in order for me to be able to be there for my husband and our finances and really give it my all. So I enrolled the children and focused on getting as many cleaning jobs as possible.

I occasionally cleaned two locations in one day. If they are small jobs, two hours or so, it's very workable. But if you have two 4-hour homes for example, it's very physically draining. Yes, you may think, that's only an 8- hour work day for $120 at my rate. But lifting and tugging the vacuum, climbing stairs all day, and bending over scrubbing tubs will kill your back if you don't take a break. So I never recommend two large homes in one day. (I have a curved spine and what I think may be a heel spur and two homes a day will about kill me. I ache all night when I do that. Think moderation and remember your health).

Why one earth would anyone want to clean for a living???

The pros....

1. Good pay. If you can find the right clients you can easily make between $10-20 an hour.

2. It's fairly flexible. Got a sick kid? Most clients understand and will let you come another day. You can generally work the hours you want to; my hours were sometime between 9 am and 2:30 pm. Not bad at all and allowed me to get kids to and from school. I've even been allowed to bring my kids along. They pack a lunch and toys and play while I work.

3. It's honest work and you know you're making a difference in someone's life. For me it wasn't just about the money. I wanted these tired, over-worked moms to come home and breath a sigh of relief that I had been there.

4. As you expand you can hire someone to help you. But that is a whole other issue and can get complicated. My husband and sister and my own kids have all helped at one point or another. My sister and kids I pay in combo meals at the drive through. :) My husband and I split the money equally.

5. You're a neat freak and like to clean things. This job might just be for you!

6. Added bonus...weight loss! I have lost about 20 pounds in the last two years. Admittedly, some of it was stress-related but the last 5 lbs. or so have been from the constant cleaning. I'd get up and drink a breakfast drink or have a small bowl of cereal. Then clean for hours 5-6 days a week. Even with my daily fast food 3 pm "lunch" I still lost weight. Imagine how much I could have lost on a good diet and cutting out sodas combined with my cleaning!

7. Instant payment. At most homes I was paid immediately. Meaning I could buy some groceries right away, hand out lunch money, or fill the gas tank if needed. That is a big perk for those living on a very tight budget.

Now for the cons....

1. It's physically hard

2. Even if you like cleaning, you may soon tire of it.

3. You can't please everyone all the time, but try to do your very best to clean each home to the owner's expectations. Some of us are more detail-oriented while others are more concerned with the big picture and over-all pick up of the home. This one abhors dust; another lady a clean tub. Women tend to be very different in what they expect of a house keeper.

4. You'll have to be careful to calculate gas, cleaners, and other expenses to make money. Packing a lunch to take along will certainly help. Try to plan out the day's errands according to where you'll be cleaning.

Legalities

Don't forget also to figure out the legalities of running your own business. Do you need to make sure you're legally protected in case you break something? What happens if you are injured? What if your vacuum sucks up a necklace or toy and breaks? What about taxes? Will you need a DBA account? Make sure you check with a professional on these issues.

Growing your business

Do some research in your area to find out the going rate. Get business off social networking sites and through word-of-mouth. Clean a few friend's homes for free or at a reduced rate and ask them to be references. Hang fliers in beauty shops and grocery stores. Offer holiday or birthday specials. Give regular customers a discount off their next cleaning for every referral or for booking you 2-3 times in advance. Allow clients to purchase a coupon for a free cleaning as a gift for a friend.

Naming it

Think of a catchy name for your business. One mom of 5 children, all under the age of 12 said to me, "I clean but the mess is right back the next day. It's not as if the cleaning fairies are going to pop out during the night and clean it all up again." What a cute image I thought....a cleaning fairy! I could picture the logo...a little fairy with a sparkly feather duster in her hand instead of a wand. The slogan: "The Cleaning Fairy--working her magic to make your home spotless."

Ground rules and basics

You''ll need to decide some ground rules. How far are you willing to go at each home? What would you not be willing to do, if anything? Are you willing to pick up children's rooms for an hour just to be able to get to the dresser top to dust and see the floor to vacuum? Or would you rather toys be cleaned upon your arrival? Are you willing to clean hardwoods the way each owner wants them to be cleaned (such as with a spray bottle and cloth, on your hands and knees) or use certain cleaners? Who will provide the cleaners? And what will you use? (From my own experience I found some of the best bathroom cleaners are also the most dangerous to inhale. On more than one occasion I thought my lungs were going to burn out before I could exit an enclosed shower to get fresh air. There are some great recipes for all-natural cleaners online. Vinegar is an excellent cleaner once you get past the smell).

Things I wish I'd known....

I am now entering a different job that is more steady than cleaning is in my area. But before I go I wanted to give a few last tips, things I wish I'd done differently:

1. Have a contract. Make it very detailed. Discuss how you'll handle the cleaning, what your client can expect, how many hours you think you'll be in their home, and what to do if an accident occurs or an item gets broken (I have had 2 broken items in 6 months of cleaning and almost toppled from a staircase landing-better to be safe than sorry!). Also, will there be a door left open for you? Will you have a key or alarm code? Can your children come along if they happen to be home on school break or are slightly under the weather? Do your clients mind you having helpers?

2. If you want toys and clutter removed before you arrive, say so! This was one of my worst mistakes. It is SO hard to clean a home that is filled with clutter, loose toys, and knick-knacks. It adds a lot of extra time sorting and even after cleaning, if you put all the owner's items back where they were, it still looks dirty. I cleaned a home with a live-in hoarder of sorts. All I was allowed to do was lift the items, clean under them, and put them all back because this girl would have a fit if things were not in their places. You couldn't tell I'd even been there!

3. Have a home walk-through. Go to each new client's home with a notebook and follow them through each room asking what they want done. Then you can decide how much to charge. It will also help you to make notes on where bedsheets are located, which cleaners to use where, etc.

4. Compile a notebook with all your contracts and checklists. I wish I'd made a check list sheet for each home. If I had it to again I would so this and leave a copy of what was done each week for my client, also keeping one for myself so I'd recall which rotating items were done and which needed to be done. It is extremely difficult to keep up with whose blinds were dusted, which baseboards were wiped, and which beds were changed in multiple locations who may not need these things done each time you arrive.

5. Ask owners where you need to put loose items in each room. My big pet peeve is clutter...little odd things everywhere. I believe every thing has its place and I stick to that pretty strictly in my own home. I just can't function if there is stuff everywhere. When I clean I have the same philosophy. I want the owners to come home to a home that looks inviting and relaxing. So what to do with the things that aren't trash but don't have an obvious place to go? I suggest each owner have at least one basket for oddball items, perhaps even one basket per room. This would be where random toys, homework, library books, receipts, loose change, etc. would go. You can't imagine how many times I've confused a home owner by putting something where I feel it would go, and then she can't locate it upon arriving home.

6. Clean from top to bottom. Work yourself into a routine at each house. You might choose to do all the dusting in every room, then all the mopping, etc. Or you might find it easier to carry your supplies from room to room and completely clean one room from top to bottom. I have done it both ways but tend to do all like chores at once. I start most homes with general pick-up, then dusting/wiping counter tops. Then bathrooms, laundry, etc. I finish with sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping. At first homes took me forever to clean but the more often I went, the more into my routine I got.

7. If you have helpers, make sure they clean thoroughly. And make sure they are reliable and honest. My helpers and I divide the workload. Each person knows what they are to do and we do it. We try to pick the chores based on what we are best at and like. I hate dusting but love a clean bathroom. My husband likes to dust and can reach high places. My sister enjoys Windexing. With each person doing what they like best, you're sure to have a clean home.

8. Look into cleaning churches and businesses. I find it is much easier to clean a church than a home. Most of the time the offices and churches will be very predictable and routine. You just never know what you're going to see in a home from week to week. Also, if you can't be away from home by day, cleaning churches and offices is usually an evening job.

9. Last of all, you might want to lock yourself in while cleaning. I hadn't thought much of it until I began to clean a beautiful, 2- story Georgian brick way out in the country. I'd be cleaning away, music blasting, never imagining anyone could be around. I'd often take my 6 year old with me to this house as it was very child-friendly and the owner didn't mind. Anyway, she had gone out in the backyard to play one day while I cleaned downstairs. She came running back in and told me that the woman outside had waved at her. I immediately went out to see who she was talking about and saw no one. Talk about chills! From that point on I made a rule she couldn't play out at a house unless I was working where I could see her and I began locking doors behind me. Coming into a home that has been left unlocked for you could also be dangerous. I prefer to enter a locked home and leave the same way. I found out, after months of cleaning a certain home, that this lady has a neighbor who keeps close tabs on everyone, including me. He seems to know when I come and go and has a history of going in and out of people's basements, gardens, etc. You can be sure I locked myself in there. Maybe he's just a harmless, lonely man, but better to not take chances.

I hope this helps those of you who may be searching for a side job or a new business. House keeping is not easy but it tends to pay well. You just need a good reputation, be willing to work hard, and build your business steadily. It can be a very rewarding business.

Lynn

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T16:26:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all!

I pray the Lord keeps you and blesses you in 2011. He has certainly blessed and kept me and my family this year. I am so thankful His love for me isn't conditional, based on my actions and weaknesses. Not that I haven't been disciplined a few times. Ok, a lot of times. :)

I am trying to adjust to life being a working mom after 11 years of being a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom. I will never regret our time at home and still believe God called me to it. For 11 years I was able to be my husband's help meet in the areas of keeping meals prepared, seeing to his personal needs such as having his laundry clean, budgeting, shopping, house-keeping, and caring for and educating the children. I am now called to be my husband's help by providing a steady income. I do miss our homeschooling; I miss the days of snuggling on the couch with a great book...building models in the kitchen...nature walks and field trips and co-op classes with friends. But I also feel good knowing I can help financially and free my husband of some of the burden he has carried so long as our sole provider.

I began housekeeping in July of 2010 and actually enjoyed it. It is hard work, very physically demanding, and sometimes emotionally draining as I tried to learn what each mom wanted done. I plan to continue cleaning a few of my regular homes as I merge into my new job with the school system as a special education teacher's aid. I could write a book on residential cleaning; I learned that much in only 6 months and still have so much to learn. It is good money but not the most steady job. Still, it helped when I needed it and I was glad to have some alone time to think and just do something mindless. I hope to post on tips for starting your own cleaning job, in case there are other moms trying to find some work that can fit into their schedules.

I was pleased to get the job as an aid. I was especially pleased to pass the parapro test with a very good score. I always say I am not all that smart, but I am a pretty good test-taker. And that's the honest truth. But maybe 11 years of schooling three different grade levels also paid off. I have always said if I couldn't homeschool, I'd love to be a preschool teacher, kindergarten teacher, or maybe an elementary social studies teacher. Who knows what doors this might open for me. I've even toyed with the idea of finishing my degree. I'll just have to hop on the train and ride it out.

As for my new job I am a little nervous but excited. I enjoy teaching and so if I couldn't teach at home, it was only a matter of time before I found myself in a different classroom setting. Knowing I am on someone else's time frame makes me much more thankful of the spent homeschooling and setting my own schedule based upon our family's needs. To all my homeschooling friends---enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! I can't tell you how much I DON'T do mornings and that has to be one of the worst parts of my working outside the home (think waking up while it is dark and cranking the car on mornings when the temperature is 27...brrr!). I also miss our daily devotions. I have still not mastered the art of a family quiet time on school days and that is a true shame as a Christian mother. On the other hand, public schooling gives my kids a chance to meet and make new friends and be part of some activities we couldn't do at home. I think they needed to see life on the other side to appreciate the sacrifice their father and I made for them all these years. I was so looking forward to homeschooling my daughter into godly womanhood; she is strong-willed and needs some extra training but is such a beautiful person. I am glad that my sons got so much Biblical training but I feel she is getting cheated. I'd love to hear ideas from public school moms about getting in some meaningful, daily Bible study when you're schedule is already bursting at the seams. Meanwhile I take every chance I get to teach her to be obedient to us and God.

I have no idea what God is doing in my life right now. A popular contemporary song says, " Whatever You're doing inside of me....it feels like chaos, but somehow there's peace." I have really experienced the "peace that passes understanding" this year. I have truly been through some valleys and yet, I'd feel this indescribable peace. And mercy. And love. And gratitude. And blessings. Not that I haven't felt worry...and fear...and sorrow...and emptiness. Christians can get weighed down by the burdens of this world, too. But underneath it all, I have hope. I know I am God's child, a daughter of the King of this universe who owns "the cattle on a thousand hills"...He cares for me and knows every trivial detail of my life.

I have a plethora of verses I have been posting around the house to encourage me. I got that idea from a friend who has scripture verses written and painted on the walls of her home. Such a blessing to me! I'd go to clean and perhaps was having a horrible day and just the right verse would be there. I'd read it and be moved to tears because I knew God was speaking to me through His Word. So many prayers sent up...so many prayers answered...many more to come I'm sure. Thank you Lord, for Your patience with me!

Jarred is feeling better and will be able to return to work in January. I know he is ready.

Nick is growing every day and really is becoming a man. He has been my right-hand man this past year and is a big help at home. Its hard to believe he is 15 already. He is ready to take his permit test. I think I'll die. :)

Adrian is really coming out of his shell. He can crack some comebacks with the best of them now. He's still my sweet boy though; easy to please and not very demanding. That is a breath of fresh air for me.

Ashleigh is six going on sixteen. She is sweet, prissy, and very girly. And did I say emotional?? Girls sure do change moods easily. Raising boys might be a little easier. Ask me again in ten years. ;)

Only a few more days until my 17th wedding anniversary and the New Year. I have no way of knowing what the new year will bring but whatever it does, I can't wait to experience it with my friends and family.

Luke 2:10-11

Blessings!

Lynn

Vocabulary Cartoons: SAT Word Power

2010-09-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

Vocabulary Cartoons: SAT Word Power

Learn Hundreds of SAT Words with Easy Memory Techniques

by New Monic Books, Inc.

(941)575-6669

info@vocabularycartoons.com

http://www.vocabularycartoons.com

(I received this book, free of charge, as another delightful review product through the TOS magazine's Homeschool Crew).

This book has been a wonderful tool to help my oldest son prepare for the vocabulary portion of the SAT. Recommended for grades 7-12, this book does just what it claims to do: the child views a cartoon that teaches the meaning of an SAT word. For example, on page 115 we see a visual of a man clinging desperately to a tree on a tiny speck of land in the middle of the ocean, as sharks circle him and one tries to bite him. The vocabulary word to be learned is "dearth" and the linking word ( a word that rhymes with the vocabulary word) is "earth". The definition for 'dearth" is given: it means scarcity or lack. Then under the cartoon of the poor man the caption reads "There is a dearth of earth in the middle of the ocean." If that's not enough to help the student recall the word there are three example sentences given under each cartoon as well.

My son was able to read it in only a few days while waiting on his computer schooling to load. Most of the cartoons were really funny and helped him to easily recall the meaning of the words. It's not overwhelming to read just a few pages a day, even for the child who doesn't enjoy reading and the added visual of the cartoon really locks the words into your memory. And what child doesn't like to read cartoons or comics?

There are other vocabulary books available from the company at www.vocabularycartoons.com.

You can also see sample pages which will give you a much better idea of how the product works and how simple it is to add into your daily school routine:

http://www.vocabularycartoons.com/home/pages/Cartoon-Samples.html

The books in the series are only $12.95 each. You can also get the books in a computer cd-rom format.

Math Tutor Video Series

2010-09-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

After homeschooling for almost 12 years, I had to stop recently to return to work due to a family illness and its lingering effects. While waiting for my children's public school enrollments to take affect, I continued to receive a few items from vendors to review for TOS magazine, free of charge, in exchange for my honest opinion of these items. Two videos from the Math Tutor company were among the supplies received.

Unfortunately, I was unable to use either dvd. One was a pre-algebra level and the other, a Texas Instruments Calculator usage video. None of my children are at the pre-algebra level and the oldest has not yet been introduced to any sort of specialty calculator. We did put them into the dvd player and watch each briefly, skimming through the chapters and seeing how these videos compared to others from this company.

While I was unable to dive into this set, my oldest son, who has used other videos from the Math Tutor series with great success, said both dvd's were very similar to previous lessons he had. Jason Gipson is the instructor on the dvd's, and he is thorough and works through problems slowly. By the time a child is done with a Math Tutor video, he or she should have a good grasp of the basics of the course. Mr. Gipson has a friendly, laid-back approach to math which helped my son get over some the anxiety he associates with it. We used the Algebra 1 and 2 dvd's with great success.

While not a lone program (the name "tutor" says it all), this is a great supplementary curriculum to add to your regular math program. Depending on how slow one moves, there are only a few months of lessons (maybe even days or weeks if the student is really fast) on each dvd. You can add the companion worksheet cd-roms to your video series to flesh it out a bit. But overall, it is not meant to be a complete, core curriculum. Use the Math Tutor series with a child struggling as an alternative to a pricey tutor and you'll likely be impressed.

The price for most dvd's is around $26 for 5-7 hours of video-much less than you'd pay a private tutor- and we found the dvd's we have used to be extremely user-friendly and helpful. Mr. Gipson has courses ranging from Basic Math all the way to Calculus 3 and Physics.

Visit www.MathTutorDVD.com to see detailed lists of what each video includes as well as samples of actual video clips. The site says "Raise grades or your money back." Give it a try!

-Lynn

The end of the homeschooling journey?

2010-09-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

After 11 years (almost 12) of homeschooling, I returned to work this year. At first I tried working and homeschooling but my younger children needed more of me than I could give. So at present my 10-year old and 5-year old are in public school. My high schooler is registered, records have been transferred, and we await placement testing. If all goes well there, he should be in school by next week. There have been many hold-ups along the way that make me wonder if this is God's will for him; still praying that if it isn't we'll know soon. As in by this week.

I will try to journal some of my thoughts, feelings, and even helpful hints along the way for those of you contemplating homeschooling or putting homeschooled children into a public school setting. I hope to be able to return to homeschooling all my kids in the future but until then, journey with me into this new season of life.

Lynn

TOS Planner June 2010: Travel the World module

2010-07-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

If you have never used one of TOS Magazine's Planner modules, you are in for a treat in your school day. This is the fourth one my family has tried and they are always a hit, especially with my elementary-aged children.

Each module, available online at www.theoldschoolhousestore.com, is a mini-unit study that is easy to use, requires virtually no teacher prep time, and works well with multiple ages. For the busy mom (and what homeschool mom isn't busy?), these short units are a fun break from textbooks that kids will learn from and enjoy.

This 56-page unit comes to you in the form of an enhanced E-book with hyper links to various child-friendly websites with games, puzzles, and other activities to reinforce the theme of Traveling the World via the seven continents. Pages can be printed as many times as needed, and teacher answer keys are included.

There are informational pages, recipes, resource lists, extensive hyperlinks, rebus puzzles, and even coloring pages children. There is also a variety of crosswords, both manuscript and cursive copy work, word searches, and even lap book ideas and templates.

My upcoming 5th grader could read and do most of the work independently, and my preschooler enjoyed the coloring pages and online games (her favorite was a map matching game). A separate section called "High School Expansion" presents more in-depth information for the older students in your home. I found the sections on lapbooking and Letterboxing (a pastime we've wanted to start for years) particularly helpful and interesting. We broke our study down over a period of about three days but these modules could be easily stretched out or shortened.

My middle son is a highly visual learner so the colorful format and bite-sized pieces of information made it easy to understand and grasp. He also benefits from online educational sites and retains information better when it is presented to him in a visual way, so for him each hyperlink was a highly effective educational tool. He just thinks the games are fun and forgets he's learning! And I didn't have to take the time to search out these safe sites for him to explore.

As a mom, I appreciated the ease of use and the way all the information had been gathered for me. The resource link list in this module is outstanding! I really like paying the low price of $7.95 per module and being able to save it to my computer and print only what I need, when I need it, using it with my children again later. The only item called for was a globe and even that was optional, as we were referred to a photo of one in the unit itself as we covered the topics of latitude and longitude.

There are many other modules available, too many to list. There are units on Remarkable Art, Let's Be Scientists, and Liberty: the Founding of a Country, just to name a few.

Many moms I've met shy away from unit studies because they can be so much prep work. Not these modules. Trying a TOS Planner module is the perfect way to ease into the world of unit studies and theme-based learning.

Give it a try! I am sure you'll like it as much as we did.

-Lynn

Disclaimer: I received the TOS Magazine June 2010 module free of charge to use and review.

New product line coming soon: Kids Love Mail character letters

2010-06-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

Children love to get mail. My 5 -year old enjoys checking the mail every day, always hoping there will be something in it for her. To actually receive a piece of mail addressed to her is a true joy and really makes her day. It's such a simple thing to send a letter but in our world of text messages, emails, and Face Book, it is quickly becoming a lost art. Yet children can learn so much from reading or composing a simple letter. It is an activity that boosts creativity, penmanship, proper grammar, and can be downright enjoyable. That is especially so if the letter the child is reading comes from a friend or pen-pal.

Thus an idea was born.

As a homeschooling mom of three, I appreciate any chance to squeeze in some educational activities into my children's day. I know the few times my children had pen-pals they were excited about it. Unfortunately pen pals don't always write back faithfully and before long, we find that all correspondence has stopped.

As a small business owner specializing in hand-crafted products, I am constantly aware that a hot selling craft may become tomorrow's least desired object once the general population learns how to copy the product for themselves. I have two Etsy crafts stores and most of my sales come from the same two items: lip balms and bottle cap jewelry. Most everyone I know in the teen/tween realm has learned to make caps already, so I anticipate that in a few years, this current fad will die out. I am always on the lookout for a new product, a new idea. Because we homeschool and live on one income, I try to find ways to be able to stay home in my God-given role and still be a little bit of a financial help-meet to my sweet husband.

As a Christian mom, I long for good role models for my children. Especially for my daughter who is growing up too fast in an age of often less-than-ideal Hollywood women to model herself after.

When all these ideas merged (and with some help and ideas from fellow WAHMs over on the www.bizymoms.com network), I decided I could try to meet all these goals with one new simple idea: a character letter writing service for children.

You've probably seen ads where you can send x amount of money and get a letter from Santa at the North Pole or a letter from the Tooth Fairy. This is a similar idea but so much more. I have spent a few sleepless nights developing a series of characters to interact with your children by mail through one-time letter sales or via a yearly subscription service.

Just to give you an overview of what is to come, I'll have two services geared towards different ages.

The first and most basic service will be seasonal monthly letters to children ages 4-8 or so. These will be from characters such as Santa and the Tooth Fairy, but also Patty the Leprechaun, Hug-a-Bug, Sally Sunshine, Lady Liberty, Bubbles the Clown, Frostina the Snow Princess, Hoppy the Bunny, and more. Each letter packet will include some sort of coloring sheet or activity page, the personalized letter to the child, and fillers such as a simple craft kit, stickers, balloons, notepads, pencils, etc. On the child's birthday there will be a special letter with a small gift enclosed. Children will be encouraged to write back or draw pictures to send to me (the character) which will be acknowledged in the next reply letter. This is an early start to reading and writing letters and hopefully will plant some seeds in young minds. When my children were little I bought a subscription to a company that sent an educational packet by mail. They so looked forward to getting that little packet in the mail. I would be delighted to find out my character letters were sparking the same kind of interest in another child.

As excited as I am about the younger letter service, my heart is thrilled over the idea I have for my older character letter service. At present I will only be marketing it towards tween and elementary girls. It will not only plant the seeds of letter writing but will also be a way I can encourage girls to be godly and be their best. I am calling it the BFF Club and I am looking into getting a graphic artist to draw out the 6 characters I have floating in my head.

Meet the characters:

Chloe-fun-loving, friendly, popular, a true friend who throws the best parties

Lily-a dreamer, artsy, crafty, creative, always has a vision and sees it through

Laurel-loves to read and is an excellent student but also makes time for hanging out and having fun

Star- a naturalist and animal lover, she likes to take care of God's world and all the living creatures in it

Adrienne-a fashionista and shop-a-holic, wants to be a fashion designer and live in Milan or Paris; she teaches girls how to be cute and trendy while dressing modestly

Alex-fitness and sports are where its at; she teaches girls to be healthy and fit and to glorify God with their bodies

My newsletter software will allow me to produce a nice letter from a different girl each month. The characters will share all sorts of things from tips on doing well in school to themed-party ideas to recipes and volunteer opportunities. There will also be a Bible verse to memorize each month and a section called "Hear it, Learn it, Live it" where girls learn to apply the memory verse to their lives. Another regular feature will be the "Be a Better Me" section where each character learns to work on an aspect of her life to be more godly. For example, Chloe is everyone's best friend, but sometimes she feels caught up in the other girl's squabbles. What does God's word say about being a friend? About being a peacemaker? As Chloe examines her own life and its problems, she will be able to give practical advice to other real girls like her who might be going through a similar experience. Short articles and graphics will hold girl's attention. There will also be links to safe websites where girls can learn and grow and receive free items.

On top of all this, each letter will include something fun--a small trinket or gift, a craft kit, a homemade beauty product safe for young skin, a jewelry item, etc. And on the child's birthday, parents can request a custom letter from the character of their choice written to the child, along with a birthday gift. The BFF Club is part character letter service, part pen pal service, part craft club, all rolled into a fun, Christian theme. It will available soon at www.whimsylanecreations.etsy.com so be sure to check it out.

I welcome your feedback and comments on this endeavor.

Blessings,

Lynn

craft classes

2010-06-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

Mc Minnville:

Watch for postings from me about future craft classes for kids and adults...coming soon to Et Cetera on Main Street.

TOS Crew: my second time to be a mate

2010-06-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to be chosen again to be on the TOS Homeschool Crew. This is the third year of the voyage and my second time around to try out wonderful free products. God provided this opportunity for me as a confirmation that, yes, I am to homeschool again this year. My husband has been physically ill for months and is now back at work. We are blessed to see him able to work again, but it has been a hard year emotionally and financially. We have had some very trying lessons to learn about God's provision and our own faith-walk. I know I spent more time on my knees this year than I have in a long time. I think God likes to remind us that this world is not our home and there is a much better place to look forward to. If we never had trials here, we wouldn't feel as though we need Him or Heaven. The trials are hard to go through and hard to understand but they keep us grounded in Him. My mother-in-law is a godly woman who says we can choose to become bitter or better after a trial. I am hoping we learn to be better.

My friend Angela likes to remind me of how diamonds are created through intense pressure and heat. Look how beautiful they become! How rare and of how much worth. How much more beautiful are we to our Lord after a period of refining by fire!

I pray blessings upon all moms and those who are going through a difficult leg of life's journey. But I especially pray and hold dear to my heart those who are committed to the cause of homeschooling and all the details it encompasses.

-Lynn

Etc! on Main Street

2010-04-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

So excited to be approved to have my crafts and b&b goods sold in Etc! on Main Street in McMinnville. I am currently crafting, bagging, and tagging about 40 items to put in, from glass necklaces to soaps to lip balms. Hope to have all items in by the end of this week. Go by and visit if you get a chance. They are located across from the fire hall and have a lot of pretty things to sell. The painted plaques are adorable! Tell them Lynn sent you.

I also was invited to join my first Etsy team. I am still learning what it involves but hopefully it'll mean even more exposure.

Held a two-day promo at www.whimsylanecreations.etsy.com and racked up about 40 sales. One sale was for 20 caps! That's what I'm talking about. Thank the Lord for the blessings.

Nick is away at church camp in Florida while the littles and I pet-sit for the youth pastor and his wife (who are also on the trip to Florida). While on the trip Nick spent the first 24 hours with ice pick headaches and bad nose bleeds. Day two he thought he broke his toe. I wonder what today holds? Hopefully safe fun! Back home here it's been an experience taking care of the two tiny bundles of energy on top of my dog and her six pups, crabs, fish, frog, and two cats. Is this a zoo or what? I am thinking of charging admission. :)

In between all that and recent Easter fun, my new shop at www.whimsylanecreations.com is in the works. It will feature a drop-down menu that will make it much easier to order personalized items and give discounts than it is on Etsy. Plus it will be ultra-girly!

Take care until next post,

Lynn

My friend's blog is holding a give-away

2010-03-09T07:02:00.001-08:00

GIVE AWAY!!!

You don't want to miss this! Jennifer, over at The Trendy Spot

http://www.thetrendyspot.blogspot.com/

is hosting a give-away this month for this adorable, hand-made cloth baby doll and a super-fab new key chain/mini change purse she just invented. Gotta get one of these ladies! If you are on-the- go but don't want to mess with lugging a purse, this is for you. This is Jennifer's take on her own creation:

"A fabulous new item! The other week we went to a concert at the Sommet Center. I didn't want to carry my purse for obvious reasons but since I was the driver, I needed my license, insurance card and of course I needed my cell and money. So, I drug my purse along with me. When I got home, I had an idea in my head and set out to create it. So, this is what I came up with... A small keychain/ID holder that has plenty of room for your debit/credit cards and money and a roomy pocket on the back for your cell phone!"

Go check her out and tell her Lynn sent ya. ;)

Sampler Village

2010-02-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

Both my shops will have samples in the March and April Sampler Village boxes.

So go check it out and order your awesome sample box today!

www.SamplerVillage.com

Our "typical" school day, part 2

2010-02-18T08:19:00.000-08:00

Note: We are night owls by nature, although since hubby got moved to day shift, we are trying hard to make the transition after 11 years. So first off you'll see that we sleep later than most people and wake up later. The getting in bed earlier and waking earlier...well, its not really working yet. Its just so hard to get past 11 years of staying up late. I find myself having more migraines in the last few weeks, especially on the weekends when I get up at 4 am to take hubby to work. Barring we don't have a migraine day or any place to be, and everything goes smoothly, this is usually what a typical day looks like for us.

8:30 am...Mom wakes and heads to computer. This is my time to work on listing items in my shop, catch up on Facebook, and emails.

9 am...kids wake up. They begin chores/showers while I finish my stuff.

10 am...we "clock in" (yes, I count our hours...I get lots of strange looks when I tell people I do this; apparently its viewed as sort of anal. lol But here's the thing: I get easily distracted. There is always some new website, or a book, or a craft calling my name. If I didn't keep up with our hours, I'd never get schooling done because I'd never leave the computer, and Nick wouldn't have any high school credits. )

We usually begin on the couch together doing devotions and prayer. We didn't always put Bible first and sometimes we still don't, but our day seems to flow better when we do. It sets the stage for the rest of our day. We're reading through the Bible in a year along with our church family. Ash is too little to really comprehend our daily reading, so she usually plays. I try to make sure she gets some little kid Bible stories in each week so she's not left out.

After Bible, we scatter. Nick goes to one computer to work on Switched on Schoolhouse for language, another Bible study on the NT, and history/govt. Adrian, meanwhile, is on the internet working at www.time4learning.com on his core subjects. This is when Ash and I cook lunch or squeeze in some pre-k stuff.

12 noon...lunch break and recess. Kids can go outside or play a video game. Sometimes we cut it short and start right back in school if we have an afternoon errand. Or we'll frequently eat while working if we have to leave early in the day. But if there is no place to be, we take the whole hour free. I love to be able to catch up on chores halfway through the day.

1 pm....back to work. Nick moves to internet for Learning Upgrade's Algebra online program or to the laptop to work on Tell Me More Spanish. I like to take this time to sit with Adrian and Ashleigh and do some Five in a Row. When Nick is done with computer work, he works from either his Artistic Pursuits art lessons, silent reading, or his Apologia Biology. When the FIAR lesson is done, Adrian catches up on random worksheets and Ashleigh plays or gets a little TV time.

If there is still time left to get our 4 hours in, we'll do some silent reading. If the kids will be good and read for thirty minutes of DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time, I can sneak in some additional Bible study time or parenting books. This is when Nick is trying to get in some classics and books from his 9th grade reading list.

If we stick to our schedule we can be done by 3 pm. But often Nick's work takes longer or we'll get absorbed in our FIAR lesson and keep going past the 4 hours. We have been known to start as late as 11 am and end at 4 or 5 pm.

Late afternoons and evenings are for family time, church, youth group, 4-H clubs and sports. Generally the kids are in bed by 11 pm, while Dad and I finish up a rerun of Criminal Minds. I often stay up until 12 or 1, crafting new items to add to my Etsy shops. It's my only really quiet, 100% free time.

**Side note: I could sleep about 5 hours and be raring to go again but for some reason, Ashleigh still gets up every night to find me. She sleeps through the night only about once every 5 months, no kidding. I'm exhausted most days. We're not sure why she doesn't sleep solidly. Doesn't seem to matter what she eats or drinks, or how early or late we put her in bed or how busy she's been.

I try to dim the lights every night and settle in her with rocking, snuggling, and stories. Still she'll awaken about three hours after falling asleep. Sometimes this happens multiple times, and so I am up and down putting her back in bed. Then I get up at 4 am long enough to make sure Jarred is awake and see him off. I think this up- and- down sleep pattern is killing me slowly. I look forward to a day when I get a good 4-5 hours of SOLID, uninterrupted sleep. ;) Then maybe we can get up "on time" and be more "typical". lol

Today was a "not so typical" day. Long night last night; lots of ups and downs with Ash and Adrian , who has a bad sore throat and couldn't sleep well. Got behind on my Etsy store work this morning and my chores, and let kids way over sleep. Started with lunch first today because we were so hungry, then schooled from 12 noon until 4 pm without breaks.

As long as we get our four hours in, it really doesn't matter when or how. :) Again, the beauty of it all. I prefer to have a similar schedule every day but sometimes things get mixed up a bit and we just jump in head-first and make it work.

Well , there you have it. Hope you enjoy planning your homeschool day according to YOUR needs.

-Lynn

Our "typical" homeschool day part 1

2010-02-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have been asked a lot lately what a typical day at our home looks like, mainly by those interested in homeschooling their own children. So I (finally) decided to open our lives up here (scary!) for those who are curious.

Things to keep in mind:

1. In TN, a homeschool day generally consists of 4 hours of work. This may sound preposterous but trust me, with only a handful of kiddos to instruct, fewer bathroom breaks, no milk money to collect, and very little down-time, we can get so much done in that short time. In fact, if you took a typical public school day and removed all the distractions, trips to other rooms/restroom, breaks in between classes, lunch/recess, and teacher duties such as taking attendance or collecting monies, I dare say you'd end up with about 4-5 good solid hours of instruction. I used to do some subbing in our elementary schools and I do recall quite a bit of non-instructional time. My Special Education teacher pals tell me that the paperwork they have especially is horrendous and takes a large amount of their time.

For younger children most of this can be hands-on. As the kids tend to age, the work also tends to be more bookish. My high schooler *sometimes* takes 5-6 hours a day to finish his work load. Part of the length of time involved will be determined by how fast your child grasps the work, how focused he is on the task, and the type of curriculum you're using. Some homeschool textbooks contain a lot of busy-work, as they were written and geared towards use in a Christian school classroom.

2. What is typical? No two homeschool families are alike. Try reading Rhonda Barfield's Real-Life Homeschooling or Nancy Lande's Homeschooling: a Patchwork of Days. Homeschoolers have real-life interruptions...a sick parent, emergency room visit with a younger sibling, unexpected phone calls and visits, or even a cranky baby can upset the day's plans. What is "typical" this year may not be next year if Mom is expecting another child...or Grandpa is in the ICU for weeks...or dad gets a new job and the family has to pack up and move. Those types of things certainly affect any family, but even more so a homeschool family, because the kids are right there during it all. I don't feel this is a bad thing; this is what real life is and these are the struggles children will turn into adults to find placed upon them.

3. What works for one family might be a disaster for another. My thoughts on it are to first follow the laws set forth in your area, and then use the flexibility of it to make homeschooling fit your family, not the other way around. Not an early bird? Then don't try to teach at 7 am. Have to work part-time? Do schooling when you're home or have Dad or a friend teach a few classes here and there. Have a really busy week? Do some work on the weekends. Like to sleep in? Focus on using your afternoons or evenings for the majority of your school load. The beauty of it is in the flexibility.

Join me again later for part 2.

-Lynn

Don't feel sorry for my kids

2010-02-17T06:53:00.001-08:00

Ahh, its good to have a chance to blog again!

Today's blog post is part venting in love, part confession. Hoping it shows everyone a glimpse into our lives so you can understand us a little bit more. ;)

Please don't feel sorry for my kids....

Yes, we homeschool. No, it isn't torture. Believe it or not I've asked them would they ever want to try public schooling and they always answer "no".

Yes, we enjoy being with each other a lot. We have our moments, though. We make sure to get out around our buddies frequently so we don't get on each other's nerves too much.

Yes, we argue and fight like any other family, although probably not as often as some do. My kids are pretty quiet to begin with. They also know the rules, so they usually don't push them too far.

Yes, our school schedule is kind of different. But it works for us and that's why we do it. I don't plan my days around public school breaks, snow days, or flood days. Not to say that we never take off for those but I don't intentionally plan to take off, just because public schools are out. If it really does snow and is a good one, then usually we'll have a half day. Hubby and I share a vehicle and I won't drive on ice/snow unless I have to anyway. So unless a friend wanders over to our home, we are generally stuck here on snow days. Why have the kids sitting in front of the tv for 6 hours or playing video games all day? My kids already have (unfortunately :( ) plenty of time to do that stuff every day.

So the kids go out to play and then come in to warm up and do a bit of school. School on those days tends to be easy stuff, educational board and file folder games, lots of read aloud time, or educational Netflix videos. It's not me standing over them for 6 hours cracking a whip! LOL I am beginning to think that's the perception people may have, and if so, its not at all correct. And yes, from time to time we'll take a whole day off when public school does, and have friends over. It depends on the circumstances and if we are currently behind or ahead.

Now, some have asked why we don't take off every time, a whole day every time. For that answer you'll need to come back and ready my next blog post, 'A Typical (Ha) Day in Our Homeschool Lives".

Yes, we have to answer to an authority. First and foremost, my authority to answer to is God. I need to do everything as if I'm doing it for God, and that includes homeschooling. Next I answer to my church-related school. I have to report my attendance and grades to them twice a year and submit my sources/books used. At certain grade levels the kids can get tested.

Yes, my kids are normal. The boys are really quiet, but Ashleigh jabbers 24/7. My oldest son Nick is shy most of the time, Adrian is almost never shy, and Ash acts shy because people think she's cute when she's acting shy (which actually gets her MORE attention--it's a plot). They laugh, they play. They go places and meet people. They have full schedules and a variety of peers and friends. They are strong in some subjects, weaker in others. They can have genius moments. Then again they sometimes do dippy things. They may even say very dippy things (usually it happens in front of someone who is opposed to homeschooling, making me smack my own head and ask, "Why now?"). They don't always know things that public school kids know, like going through a lunch line (which is not too important in life anyway). But they do just fine on work and tests, and where it counts, they are just as normal as other kids.

Yes, we plan to keep going as long as it is God's will. I am surviving the first high school year. Its wasn't as hard as I thought, although Algebra gave us some trouble until we found the right program for Nick. He is using the computer for most all of his work, via Switched on Schoolhouse. He basically self-teaches. This curriculum assigns and grades all the work submitted. I hardly have to help him anymore. Which makes me feel proud and also a little sad. He enjoys working solo at his own pace. He makes all A's and B's on his SOS work. My only problem with this is that we miss him! Up until this year, for the majority of our schooling, we used unit studies and worked on most all subjects together as a family. So I kind of miss having Nick around more. I was afraid to use units for his freshman year, but I plan to go back to them next year now that I have a grip on high schooling at home. We will use the third volume of Learning Adventures together. I am eager to get back to this time.

Yes, I have to strive to make sure that my kids don't pick up my quirks. I have some OCD type issues, maybe some anxiety disorder mixed in. There are things I just don't enjoy, although I can usually make it, such as being in large groups. I don't like to drive in large cities or on the Interstate. I am also an introvert, but again, I can come out of my shell if needed.

To make sure my children have plenty of opportunities to grow, God has clearly blessed them with mentors who can offer things I might not think to or desire to. Family and friends tend to invite them on trips where I might spaz driving. They travel with family and church youth as far as the ocean or just a few hours away to ice skate or see a hockey game. I never have to ask; the opportunities just pop up. I like to stay home and "charge my batteries" with quiet time more than they do, but again, I am adjusting to being on the road a lot more and having kids in and out more frequently. And locally I make sure my children have church activities, 4-H, and homeschool group time to keep them busy. I watch for signs to make sure my habits don't rub off on them. I've commented to my kids many times that driving my big old Suburban is not something I enjoy. My oldest son now seems nervous when he thinks about driving it. I can see where he is picking this up from me, so next week we are going out for a driving lesson.

You don't have to homeschool to rub off on your kids; we tend to turn out like our parents more every day and most of us were probably public-schooled. It just happens. And its not all bad. ;)

So don't feel sorry for my kids. I think they'll all be okay in the end. :)

finally got a class set up

2009-10-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I have had time to blog! I miss it! Over summer we have experienced so much, some good, some great, but truthfully quite a bit was hard to bear. Thankfully, after some humbling of my heart and through many tears and prayers, life seems to be getting back on track. God is listening, answering, and sometimes putting me back into my "waiting room" so He can work on refining me some more. Refining hurts, but it always serves to bring Him glory and is better for us in the end.

A new pet came into our lives last month. We got a 6-month old black lab/beagle mix named Callie. This happened after both Countess and Teddy Bear died within a month of each other. She is super smart, super sweet, but is a big lug of sorts, a little baby trapped in a big body. Training her is...well...interesting. She is pretty destructive with her non-stop chewing, has a tendency to jump/scratch, and is SUCH a scaredy cat! :) We'll keep working with her and maybe I'll post some photos soon. She'll be a good, loyal dog if we ever survive the first year. Her heart is tender towards us and she bonded with us instantly. I just need some good training techniques and loads of PATIENCE with her. It's like raising a baby again...a BIG one!

I have wanted to hold crafting classes since last year but something always comes up. Well, our church secretary asked me about them and so I decided to hold one at our church. It will be on November 7 at 10 AM at CBC. Please come if you can. Its $5 each and we'll learn how to melt, scent, color, and mold glycerin soaps. Deadline to sign up and pay is October 25.

That's all for now.
-Lynn

Craft workshops Fall Lineup

2009-07-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

Crafting classes beginning in September
For the last two years I've held kid's crafting classes at my home on and off. This year I am planning on beginning them again. Its a great time for you to get in a little babysitting/errand time and your child comes home with a unique, hand-made item as well.

They'll be held Monday nights from 7-8:15 PM (barring nothing changes in my son's schedules, such as sports practices). Whether they will be weekly or bi-weekly classes, I am not yet sure.

For children grades k and up in the Warren county area. We'll work with hot liquids in some classes so ask ahead if you are unsure of whether a workshop is too advanced for your child.

Cost will usually be $5 per child per class. Payment is needed at time of drop-off but number of children attending will always be needed in advance so I can have time to order supplies.

Boys are welcome to attend any classes. Some classes can easily become very unisex in the end result as long as I know to plan for boys and make adjustments before-hand.

My plans for fall classes as loosely as follows:

September:

bath tub fun: make bath paint and bath jelly
altered clip board: alter a plain clip board into a beautiful note/photo display

October:

Bottlecap bling: make 2 necklaces from bottlecaps
Decoupaged desk/vanity tray
Sassy initial tote bag
cotton paper casting (use for cards, crafts, etc.)

November:

Mosaic picture frame
alter a brag book/photo album
make a girly wall plaque with hook for hanging items
make "sweet shoppe" clay beads

December:

whipped layered bath butter
"flirty purse" paper album
"Pixie Dust" bath fizz and glitter gel for hair/body

More details to come!
-Lynn

Craft & Create Parties

2009-07-17T22:38:00.000-07:00

Craft & Create Parties
Childcare is not exploding as I had thought it would, so back to one of my first loves, teaching crafts.

I am now offering a service to birthday parties, mother-daughter days, ladies days, church events, community clubs, scouts, homeschool groups, etc. called Craft & Create Parties. I will come to your location in Warren county and stay for 1-2 hours, teaching your group a simple but enjoyable craft. This is especially great for birthdays/sleepovers as it frees up mom and dad a bit to just enjoy the party, and lets the kids not only be entertained and busy, but allows them to take home a nice favor to keep.

Please book your party TWO WEEKS in advance to give me time to clear my schedule and order supplies.

All fees must be paid up front and are non-refundable unless in the unlikely event that I have to cancel. If an individual must cancel fees will not be returned but event can be rescheduled OR I will gladly deliver crafts and instructions to your door.

Don't need me to teach for you but you still want to make the crafts? For the same price I will deliver your kits to you with complete instructions (this option may not be available on ALL parties).

I will add new crafts choices over time, but for now I have a list of about 8 group activities from which to choose:

Spa Day (ages 8-adult; we will be pouring HOT liquids) Make at least 2 glycerin soaps, a sugar scrub, and a lip balm--2 and 1/2 hours cost: $10

Soap Making 101 (ages 8-adult; pouring HOT liquids) Learn the basics of making glycerin soaps. Color, scent, and mold your own soaps to take home. 2 hours cost:$8

Blending Bar Party (ages 4-adult) You will take pre-made 2 oz. lotion, perfume, body wash, bath crystal and/or other bases and scent and color them to make your very own unique bath and body products. 1 and 1/2 hours. Cost: $10

Bottlecap Bling party (ages 5+) Turn bottlecaps into pretty pendants and necklaces. Each guest makes 2 and gets a ribbon "necklace". Cost: $5 (silver plated ball chain necklaces or ribbon-cording necklaces an additional $1 per guest)

Scrabble Tile Pendants Party (ages 5+). Each guest will turn 2 scrabble tiles into trendy wearable art. Comes with a length of ribbon to tie into a "necklace". Cost: $5 (silver-plated ball chain necklaces or premade ribbon-cording necklaces an additional $1 per guest).

Glass Pendant party (ages 5+) Guests will make one glass scrabble tile pendant necklace. 1 hour. Cost:$5 each. Ribbon for tying will be provided or for $1 extra per guest your choice of silver-plated ball -chain necklaces or ribbon-cording necklaces will be provided.

Altered Brag Book Party (ages 8+) Guests will be given a brag book type photo album and choices of scrapbooking embellishments to "alter" their album covers with. You'll get papers, stickers, fibers, rub-ons, ribbons, etc. 1 and 1/2 hours. Cost:$5 each

Memory Can Party (ages 8+) Guests will "alter" a new paint can using scrapbooking materials, to be used as a keepsake holder. 1 hour. Cost: $7 each

Brown Bag Album party (ages 8+) Guests will turn a stack of paper bags into a simple album and then embellish it with scrapbooking supplies. 1 hour to 1 and 1/2 hours. Cost: $5

Bath Tub Fun Bucket Party (ages 8+; hot liquids) Kids will make a bath and body paint set, bath tub "jelly", small lotion, body glitter, and soap, and then will put it all in a "bucket" with fun bath accessories. 2 hours Cost: $20 each

As noted above we'll be working often with hot liquids. I will not be held responsible for accidents or spills. Parents or party leaders may need to help supervise if we are working with hot liquids.

Likewise, I am not responsible for damage done due to misuse of products.

When working with children and hot liquids, a small group of 8 or less is preferable, unless there are adequate adult helpers on hand to assist.

You will need to provide adequate space to seat your guests and a good, well-lit work area. Cover your work space with a cloth or waxed paper for easier cleanup.

I have one folding table (which seats about 4) that I will bring upon request.

In the future watch for paper quilling classes, decoupaged wooden initials classes, and soda can tab jewelry classes.

homemade dishwasher detergent

2009-07-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Lately, I am hearing my friends talking about using homemade, green, inexpensive, effective, and easy-to-make laundry detergent. I haven't tried it yet but plan to.

I found this blog with a recipe for homemade dishwasher detergent:
http://iamfrugal.blogspot.com/2008/11/homemade-dishwasher-detergent.html

Let me know if it works! ;)
-Lynn

craft updates

2009-07-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

Double Bubble Happy Skin Foaming Whipped Bath Butter

Sweetened, flavored lip balms make great party favors in many flavors kids and adults love

Popsicle-shaped glycerin soaps are fun

For all you Edward and Jacob fans, these lotions are my interpretation of each character's scent

Bottlecap jewelry is very popular with kids right now

I have held crafting classes in my home and at churches. I have attended camps where I was involved in crafts. I have always enjoyed working with crafts in our homeschooling and with our group. In VBS, I have become one of the craft station leaders. Does it sound like I like crafting a bit too much? This is me at TN TECH 4-H Line and Design Camp

A lady at a soap-making class I taught for an FCE club gave me an idea months ago when she suggested how well it would go over at children's parties if I came in and taught a one-hour crafts class. It would free mom up a bit. Take some pressure off the parents to entertain. Give the children a creative outlet while ensuring they each have a nice party favor to take home (how many of those tiny yo-yo's and bouncy balls end up in the bottom of the toy box after only minutes of bringing the goody bags home?).

I liked the idea a lot, rolled it around in my head for a bit, and then promptly forgot it. I was needing to bring in some additional cash flow and had been trying to find some children to keep. I have experience in that arena too, and figured it was a sure-fire job. All of my energy was invested into this, from rearranging the house to passing out flyers. I even had a schedule and handbook ready and conducted a few interviews. For months I've had nibbles but nothing solid. In hard economic times when many have lost jobs already, I am finding more and more that parents who once used daycare services are getting creative when it comes to their childcare options. I have noticed a few daycares who always stayed full suddenly have openings.

I became temporarily distressed. I had a few custom orders coming in from my Etsy stores but nothing huge. Then I went to 4-H camp where another teacher there pointed out that I was the "crafting party lady" to some of the children. I had forgotten all about doing parties! I so enjoy crafting, but even more so I enjoy teaching others to craft. I am no expert mind you, but my love and passion for my hobby spill over enthusiastically to others.With this in mind (and considering most of my life I have spent with children in some capacity), I am going to try this route as a side-line job. I could offer to come over to a local party and teach a craft from a list of kid-friendly possibilities for as little as $5 per child plus gas. I really think this would go over well, considering the crafts would be higher-quality than your typical camp or VBS type crafts.

Once I think on which activities would be best I'll post them here.I still have plans to do my weekly craft classes for ages 8-adult (see previous blog entries for list of potential classes). So watch for all this action soon!

-Lynn

http://www.sugarsweetbathshoppe.etsy.com/
http://www.whimsylanecreations.etsy.com/

4-H Line and Design Camp 2nd year
I had the priviledge of teaching at 4-H Line and Design camp again this year. Last year I taught about 60 girls how to make lip balms, soaps, and sugar scrubs (MESSY!).

This year the committee chose to have me teach bottlecap jewelry.

I had 4 classes with a total of 80 young ladies who all love crafting!

I couldn't have asked for a better group.
They were polite, attentive, and overall VERY creative.

It is a always a great experience for me.

Can't wait 'til next year.

-Lynn

In Memory

2009-06-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

Countessa Doget

"Countess"

May 1997-June 2009

Faithful friend, loving companion, and guardian

of our children and home for 12 years

Baby Countess and her litter-mate, CoCo, came home with my sister and I. Coco died at age two and after a series of events, Countess came to live with us. She had been with us ever since. The dogs' mother was a golden retriever and the father was a neighborhood black lab. This is a very good mix of dog breeds for their loyalty and protectiveness of children.

Nick and Adrian grew up with her.

She loved to roll in the yard and scratch her back on brisk mornings...she always looked she was dancing.

From pup to Momma Dog to Granny Dog, we watched her fur turn gray, her teeth fall out, and her eyesight begin to fail.

"Granny Dog's" last Christmas

easy ways to keep little ones busy

2009-06-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

As long as your preschooler is supervised properly or beyond the age of mouthing items, sorting Grandmother's button jar contents into an egg carton BY TWEEZER is a great math activity. This kept the Princess busy for quite some time. Older brother tried it for a mere minute or so, declared, "This is just annoying!" and went off to work a brain bender puzzle.

Window clings are great cheap manipulatives. My daughter likes to play with them on the glass coffee table as kind of a matching activity. This one was money.

-Lynn

photos of workbox system and chore charts

2009-06-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

I have had a lot of free time on my hands this week thanks to our local youth group having a busy week and my two youngest going to soccer camp. I can't believe how much work can be done with all the kids out of the house for a mere 4 hours!

I was tempted to spend my free time cleaning baseboards or the fridge but then I realized....in a mom's life free time doesn't grow on trees. I decided to have a little ME time instead. After all, dishes and mopping will always be there.

I have gotten to tackle a stack of encouraging magazines I've been hoarding since last year, and made it through three in an evening.

I've also had time to work on some creative organizing for our upcoming school year (I am hoping since I am taking the time to make this year's system pretty, that alone will encourage me to stick with it longer than my record of two weeks). I am very organized on paper but in reality, well...we just won't go there. I'm on a euphoric high right now of being prepared for next year. I choose to remain on my cloud as long as I can.

Okay, now for some updates and pictures for those who may be trying one the variations of work boxes.

I am using the Sterilite clear boxes for my system, one per child. I just can't add in all the shoe boxes and racks needed for this system as the author wrote it. I am using this one-box method from Jessica's ideas at her blog, Color Me Orange. You'll find the link to it in another of my work box posts.

Each child used scrap booking papers and a grid I printed from the work box files to make their own chart. They enjoyed personalizing their charts and picking their papers.

This is kind of how the sheets will look when laminated and attached to the box front. I haven't gotten that far yet. The numbers on the grid will correspond to the numbers I will put on 12 different Manila envelopes using velcro. The grid will eventually have velcro on it too. As the child completes the work inside folder #1, she will take the no. off and place it on her grid. This way all the days work is contained in the box in small, manageable bits, and she can track her progress by seeing how many numbers are done. My son, very visual and easily distractable, will enjoy using it and I hope, will help him stay focused more.

For items too big to fit in an envelope to put in the box, the envelope will contain a note to "play Monopoly Jr. with sis" or a photo card of that item. Timers can even be added to the box. As long as kids know where the items are and have easy access to them so as to not interrupt the flow of the day asking where things are, I don't see why this can't work.

Let me make a correction on an earlier post: the author and developer of the workbox system, Sue Patrick, does not recommend variations on her method without first trying her method as it is written. Then make changes if needed. She is very adamant about using the shoe boxes/racks and filling each box with everything the child needs for the day, down to pencils and crayons. I believe this method works just as she says. But for a large family to buy separate shoe racks and 12 shoe boxes per child might not be feasible for the budget. Likewise, many have space restrictions. Rather than be discouraged because you feel you can't implement this wonderful system down to the "t", take what you can, tweak it, and go with it. If a family can pull just one idea from this that makes their lives and home school year go more smoothly, then in my opinion, what Sue has set out to do, which is to help families work better and more efficiently, has been successful).

My oldest son is pretty focused and self-sufficient, and won't be using the work box system unless we see he needs it.

Instead he'll have this work strip. It is a simple strip made from cardstock with a library card pocket at the bottom. The yellow and blue squares are just index cards cut in half. I plan to laminate the whole thing and use dry erase markers to write the day's schoolwork on the cards. Velcro dots on both the strip and the backs of the laminated cards will help them stay in place, until the work is completed. Then Nick will move them off, one by one, and place in the pocket.

Now, an updated photo of the homemade (revamped Dollar Tree) Antonyms matching games from yesterday. These are the ones that I plan on using the Bendaroos with, in place of drawing lines from card to card to match. For the photo, I've laid pieces of ribbon from card to card, just to give you a better image of what I am talking about:

Not pretty in its current state but I still think my kids will like it. One could tape ribbon or yarn down instead of Bendaroos or glue onto lighter paper, laminate, and use dry erase markers to draw connecting lines.

All this creating has been so much fun I decided to make pretty chore charts as well. I used Microsoft Works to create a table and insert clip art into each one. These too, will be laminated and small pieces of velcro will be added to each box.
I have made chore cards in the same manner, using Microsoft works tables and inserting clip art.

After cutting them out, laminating, and adding velcro, these cards can be affixed each day to the children's charts, rotating chores as needed. As the work is complete and the chore cards come off the grid, the child will see a checkmark, heart, etc, showing. This is an instant "good job!" visual praise. The cards that are completed will be placed in a box or baggie or envelope. Each morning I'll refill the charts according to the needs and schedules of the day.

Fun, games, outdoor play, and spiritual development are also worked into the cards.

W.I.L.D. cards, an idea from another blog, are good to add. W.I.L.D. stands for Walk in, look and do. So you tell the child to pick a room and "Go wild!"

I also added in Mystery Job cards.

This will go on our Do It Door, which I also borrowed from another blogging mom.

This chore system might be an item I eventually add for sale in my Etsy store, with the option to personalize names and change some of the chore cards. All components would come laminated and have velcro already applied. I have to check the clip art and make sure none of it is copyrighted first. :)

-Lynn

Teaching Tree brand posters

2009-06-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

The brand of educational items found at many Dollar tree stores is Teaching Tree. I enjoy these inexpensive aids to our schooling.

My favorite Teaching Tree item is probably the posters. They sometimes come two to a pack for only $1. What's so cool about them is on the back of these particular posters, you get 4 different reproducible worksheets! How awesome is that?!

I got my oldest son an elements poster pack. This is some of what the backs include:

At only .50 a poster with 4 worksheets too-- what a bargain!

-Lynn

revamping Dollar Tree educational items; uses for Benda-Roos/Wikki-Stix

2009-06-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

I have been buying some educational items at my local Dollar Tree to use with my schooling this upcoming year and as "fun" activities for my work box system.

One item I bought about 6 of is little matching cards in topics such as analogies, synonyms, chemical elements, US History, etc. You can play matching games with the cards. I thought the cards look too flimsy to hold up for long and also, I wanted to make the game a little more inviting to play.

So I started by photo-copying the cards while they were still attached correctly together. These copies will become the self-checking answer keys.

Then, I went on to sorting the question cards from the answer cards and gluing them onto a piece of card stock. The questions are on one side, the answers down the other but in random order.

I will laminate these sheets and place them with the answer keys, into a pocket folder.

Here's what my kids will like about using them: I plan to add in either a packet of Benda-roos or Wikki-Stix to use to match up the correct cards. Or I may simply put 10 or so lengths of yarn or ribbon into the pocket to use for matching the items. Now you have a sturdy, reusable matching game that uses strings for matching instead of drawing lines.

My daughter has been begging for Benda-Roos, so I will definetely grab some to use for these types of games. Also, they are handy to use for "tracing" outlines of letters or pictures. I have lots of clip art/bulletin board books with large patterns. I can tear out a page (or copy it), place it in a sheet protector, and let her outline the shape with the Benda-Roos.

-Lynn

What we did over the past two weeks

2009-06-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

We had our very first Muffin Tin Monday (except it was Friday). :)

The kids thought it was neat to eat all these little portions from a Muffin Tin. This would be a neat thing to do with unit studies or with Daycare children.

Tree frogs have gotten into our pool and laid eggs. Now we have loads of tadpoles that must be saved before Dear Hubby puts in the chemicals and cranks up the filter.

We spend a few minutes each day scooping the little buggers out and placing them into our homemade pond habitat.

My sons have raised tadpoles before but this is a first for my daughter. Two already have legs and she loves to hold them in her hand.

We went fishing with our cousins at the pond at our old house.

Adrian caught a fish at last year's family fishing rodeo but a cousin let it go before I could snap the photo. I caught it this year.

Ashleigh learned to make her great-grandmother Kilgore's famous and delicious cabbage rolls.

And she tried her hand at pottery. She ended up with a little basket.

-Lynn

attention homeschoolers and educators: Dollar Tree ROCKS

2009-06-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

I am on two Yahoo "work box" email lists where I have been hearing all these moms talk about the great educational finds at their local Dollar tree stores. For about 2 weeks now I have gone every couple of days and found a few things, but nothing like the treasures they found. Then bam, I went yesterday (Friday) afternoon and stumbled upon these jewels of education...what a sight! There were file folder games, little matching games, charts to use in binders or on min-offices, their usual assortment of posters, simple board games, flip charts, writing prompts, you name it. I was almost swooning in the school supplies aisle.

I spent WAY more than I probably should have, but with a little lamination, these products will be usable for years to come and can be resold one day. There will always be educators on a budget looking to buy used.

Here are some of the things I found:

These are math related money games, window clings, dice for adding/multiplying, etc.

Here we have reproducible workbooks in a variety of subjects. Each is 32 pages. I may use them inside page protectors with dry erase markers in some of my work boxes.

File folder game Heaven! I was getting ready to make a bunch of these.

I love the fact that they are full-color and on card stock.

These are flip charts, an Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? card game,

and 4 packs of little trivia games similar to Brain Quest decks.

Next you see grids in many subjects (where there are blanks under questions, a child inserts paper and writes in answers, then flips it over to check their work against answers on back), and lots of colorful reference charts ready to be put in a binder or on a mini-office.

These are packs of Writing Prompt picture cards with questions on back to encourage the child to investigate, think about, and write about the photo.

Last of all, I found these nifty little matching cards. I think I will glue them into file folders and laminate. Then attach different colors of yarn to the word on one side so the child can pull it across to match the correct word on the other side. The one with the glare is American History.

Have fun shopping!

Lynn

workboxes...my newest obsession

2009-05-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, so if you've known me any length of time you know how I get carried away over new ideas sometimes. No matter what the idea or craze, I tend to jump in with 150% of myself and give it all I've got, and then burn out on day three. I get so into the visualizing, the planning, writing every idea and detail down on scraps of paper or in my notebook. I think I expend so much energy then that there is none left to make whatever it is I am trying to accomplish actually last.

I hope this time it's different. I think it might be. This program, which I blogged about recently, is called Sue Patrick's workbox system, and the more I read and study, the more ready I am to try it. Many moms, just like me, have found discipline, orgianization, and a smoother school week using these boxes. The kids are said to be as enthralled with finding the surprises inside as on Christmas day.

I thought it might be too good to be true. But it seems to be a very useful and valid organizational and planning method. Many say it works better than checklists, assignment sheets, etc.

My main concern (besides the cash outlay) is space. And how "cute" the system can be made . I don't like ugly things in my school room. I like a pretty, calm, uncluttered room. I couldn't imagine using the system exactly as Sue intended, with 12 plastic boxes per child on shelving. That's 36 boxes for us!

So to save space and money, and yet still retain the visual appeal, I chose to use fellow blogger Jessica's variation. It involves filling up to 12 large ziploc bags/manilla envelopes per child and putting the bags or envelopes inside a Sterilite container. So each child has this clear container with all their items inside. It's hard to describe so let me give you a link to her system instead.
http://vegaadoption.blogspot.com/2009/03/this-is-best-system-ever.html

As soon as I set it all up, I'll post photos. This blog also explains this workbox variation very well:
http://rubyslippersschool.blogspot.com/

If I were more open to the idea of using the system exactly as written (12 boxes on shelves), I'd at least jazz up the boxes like this creative mom at http://heatherpreckel.blogspot.com/2009/03/workbox-system.html. I love her system! It very pretty and pleasing to my picky eyes. I think her color choices would actually complement my school area. I am jealous.

Anyhoo, the workbox craze has taken off and while other methods usually fizzle out, this one seems to be sticking around with great success. I have seen threads on the FIAR and Well-trained Mind forums, not to mention a few others. A Google search yielded pages of results...I gave up after page 20, when my eyelids were so droopy I could've used toothpicks to prop them up.

I am so curious to see how others are using workboxes. If you have a blog and are trying them, feel free to leave a comment for me. I'd like to know how its going for you.

-Lynn

Sue Patrick's Workbox System

2009-05-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

I was listening to a conversation between two moms at our homeschool meeting recently, when the conversation turned to workboxes. I had never heard of these before, and only got to listen in for a moment before the meeting began. I heard enough that my interest was piqued however, and came home that very night to learn more online.

I cannot tell you everything about the system, as that would be a huge disservice to Sue Patrick, who spent years researching and formulating this system of organizing and implementing your school day. She has a website at http://www.workboxsystem.com/ but truth be told, her site didn't give me enough information to decide if I really wanted (or needed) to try yet another system. Reading the blogs (and glowing testimonials) of the many moms who have begun using this system is what made me want to try it, and so last night I bought the e-book from her site.

It's 122 pages and a very quick read really, as you can skip straight to the topics that speak to you most. You soon discover that this is much more than an organizational system; you get many helpful hints and tips about homeschooling in general, about learning centers, how to use posters more effectively as REAL learning tools, and even how often-neglected file folder games can play a big role in education and review.

I want to give you just a bit to go on, to decide if the workbox system might work for you at all, but not enough to give way Ms. Patrick's work.

Basically, you have plastic shoe boxes on a shelf or rack, up to 12 boxes per child. These boxes are numbered in the order you want them worked. Each night you fill the child's boxes with their work for the next day, a math sheet in one box, language in another, etc. But the neat thing is you also throw in some snacks in one, maybe a board game in another, those never-used-but so-cool-you-just-had-to-buy-them manipulatives, a file folder game, that Play dough that you never bring out of hiding for fear it might actually get messy, a card that says, "Read a book to sister", etc. You vary these throughout the day between the harder schooling and the easier, fun boxes. The child visually sees what they have lined up to accomplish and that they have fun items as well as the empty boxes signifying the work they have done. This makes them want to work more efficiently to get to the "good" boxes.

Mom can vary the boxes so that while one child is doing independent work, another can do a box that requires mom's presence. This makes for less stress on the part of mom trying to be everywhere at once, and less waiting for one child as mom finishes up with a sibling. Also, this method helps one to utilize toys, games, and items that are educational but rarely get pulled out of cabinets and used.

Perhaps the biggest plus to this system as it looks as though it would help a child stay focused better on the task at hand and be a more-organized individual.

I'd tell you more but buy the book instead, or at least go sniffing around some blogs and see what moms are doing with this system. There are lots of great photos of families using workboxes or even changing the system to fit their budgeting and space needs (something the author does not recommend doing, just so you know). Just Google "workboxes" or "Sue Patrick workboxes" and you'll turn up plenty to get you going.

I can see us trying this come fall, at least with my two younger children first, after a Summer of tweaking and getting it ready. If it works for them I can always add in my highschooler. I am the Queen of "paper organizing", meaning I can organize like crazy in writing. I'm quite obsessive about list-making and planning, but it's the actual carrying out of my plans which fail 95% of the time. I lack discipline, will power, and consistency. If Sue Patrick can get my homeschool running smoothly after all the "methods" I've tried since 1998, then she is my new hero!

-Lynn

nothing to do can be a good thing

2009-05-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

Day three of DH working day shift and me and the yay-hoos being home with no car. But I am finding its all good. This absence of daily running the roads has actually been a blessing to me (and the kids, whether they realize it or not). Yes, when you've spent years staying overly-busy, visiting friends almost daily, meetings here and there, running little errands, being very active in homeschool groups and church activities and scouts and 4-H and sports (all good things mind you, as long as they don't keep me from being the Keeper at Home that I have been called to be) suddenly just sitting home can seem like being trapped and isolated. Yesterday I was in that stage. But by this morning I realized we're all sleeping better and rising earlier, starting our school day more efficiently. Chores are getting done. We are playing more...the kids have no one else to play with (for a change) and they are actually enjoying each other's company more...we're planting a little...reading more for pleasure...hatching tadpoles....having lengthy Bible readings and history discussions. It's amazing what one can do with a freed-up schedule. Why do we do this to ourselves? No one is immune, not even homeschool families. For some reason we as parents are taught to believe that our kids need to sample it all. And that we, as moms, to be fulfilled, have to serve on every board and be involved in every ladies' group in town. Afterall, it doesn't seem like enough to just be a mom. And other times we get overly involved because there are true needs to be filled, and because we know we are called to be servants. Nothing is wrong with activities or serving (and indeed we need a dose of each in our lives for proper growth). But just like flowers, too much water will rot them, too much sun will burn them up; they need a balance to grow healthy and strong. Why do we think we are so different?

In a few days after I've read all the magazines that accumulated last year, after we've played every board game in the closet, and I've made all my lesson plans for next year, then I guess I'll even be ready to come out of my forced cocoon and emerge back into the overly-busy, overly-stressed world. But I will know now what has been true all along...my ministry is this home, and this family. When I give away too much of myself helping everywhere else but here, and when I allow my kids to give their best time to the peers and social groups they are in and come home with nothing but grumpiness and attitude for me, we have gotten the scales tipped out of balance... again.

I was so afraid it'd be hard on us to get our family on this day-shift routine after 11 years of nights and I dreaded it all weekend. But now I see (as usual, after the fact) that the Lord always has a plan and His will is always better for us in the end. Did I mention my DH is doing pretty well adjusting to his new shift and has been granted some much-needed overtime hours? My husband needing the car this week wasn't an accident either; I believe God was giving me a taste of much-needed rest and time to think, so that when we do jump back into the grind, we can always remember to keep that proper balance in our lives. I've known this balance was important all along, but every few years I find that the Lord tends to need to refresh my feeble memory about how it all needs to work. :)

-Lynn

I was watching a preview for a new show and saw myself...YIKES!

2009-05-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Yep, its true. I was watching a little TV (rare) and saw a commercial for a new show on OCD called Obsessed, and there I was....the woman who has panic attacks while driving on the freeway. Well, for me it'd be the Interstate, IF I drove on it. But I don't. I don't drive on the Interstate or in big cities. I admit...I have never driven in downtown Nashville and only to the edge of Chattanooga. I take back roads everywhere that I can. I actually sit around thinking of how bad its going to be when one day, someone I know ends up needing me to take them to a Nashville doctor. Then I may be like thay poor woman on the TV show sneak peek, crying her eyes out and gasping for air on the side of the road.
Okay, so now the world (well, at least my three followers) know I am very quirky. But it least it feels good to get that secret off my chest. I DON'T LIKE TO DRIVE. OR COUNT BACK CHANGE. There, I said it. Ahhh....feels better already.

I began having panic attacks as a child but didn't know they had a medical name. I just thought I was dying or having a heart attack or something. Over the years it has progressed to more of an anxiety issue than full-blown attacks. Just like the migraines in my previous post, anxiety disorders and OCD can be hereditary also. Great...my poor kids. Maybe its past time for a complete overhaul--er, I mean doctor's visit, to just unload ALL my wierdness and medical problems once and for all. I better start making a list....

-Lynn

What day is this?

2009-05-20T03:31:00.000-07:00

It's 5:30 AM and I am (almost) wide awake. Strange for me to be up so early by choice. But considering I just slept for the past day I guess I should be awake. I had one of my longest migraines EVER yesterday. It actually began Monday morning when I awoke, but went away. Then it came back before bed Monday night, but again, responded to some OTC meds and went away (that's what I thought anyway). But yesterday (Tuesday morning) I began dreaming that I was talking to a neighbor who told me I didn't look so good...I asked her, in my dream, to go to the pharmacy and get my Maxalt as my head was pounding. Like so many times lately, I awoke to a really bad, full-blown, head-splitting migraine. I only had one Maxalt left yesterday and was so dizzy I knew I wouldn't make it to the pharmacy without running into a ditch, so I stayed home and tried to fight it off with various ideas...tried to rest, took some Melatonin, didn't use my eyes any more than I had to, assigned the kids all independent work and LOTS of outdoor free play, you name it. But this one stuck around until into the night last night, making it my longest one that I can ever remember. What's more, the dizziness with this one was the worst I'd ever had. Moving from the bed to the couch and waves of blackness would wash over me. I haven't felt like fainting since my last food poisoning. LOL Thank the Lord above for my oldest son who took the reins and watched the younger kids for me all day, pouring milks and fixing salads for lunch.

I had been doing so much better this month. This was actually my first bad case. I had just been bragging on my combination therapy of YAZ, Melatonin, and reading glasses when my body decided to show me that it was still in control of my life. I began to see a few blemishes over the weekend and wondered why that was happening as usually my YAZ bocks them. Then the tell-tale headache from the pit of Satan knocked down the door. I know these kinds of headaches...they are called Menstrual Migraines and they are probably the worst migraines ever. Unlike a regular migraine, these kind don't respond well to ANYTHING and they tend to linger for days. Which means, to those of you who do not suffer from them, you will be out of commission until its over. No driving, no reading, no work, no TV, no family life, no life of any kind, because this thing now has your life in its control. I sound bitter I know, but I have had migraines since my childhood and I do not look forward to having them the rest of my life. I am tired of them stealing my family time, my work time, my health. I am tired of canceling plans. I am tired of spending my good days waiting apprehensively for the next one.

I guess its time to reevaluate whether the YAZ is really helping or not. At first it seemed to be. Now the migraines have gotten used to it I think, and rather than the YAZ being their mortal enemy, they shake hands with it and say, "Good day." Problem with going off the YAZ and saving that money is I've tried to more than once, and my head feels 5 times worse than yesterday to the point I literally feel like my brain is about to split in half. At least the headaches are dulled a bit by the YAZ.

So here I am, finally awake. I missed saying goodnight to DH, who has already left for work. He took my car because his was acting up (again), and I just discovered we are out of milk. Its a good thing we live close to a little market that takes debit cards, as I suppose we'll be hiking there in a few hours to shop. This sharing of the daytime shift (and the family vehicle) is going to take some getting used to.

I pray I feel better today so I can get on with life. I can sympathise with those who live with any sort of incurable medical condition. In my case these migraines somewhat rule my life. I always wonder when the next one will hit, and it will, and how bad it will be. I think to myself about how little by little, all the meds have stopped working as well as they used to, and I wonder will they all stop working completely for me one day? I remember my grandmother, who suffered from them until a few weeks before she died at age 88, holding her head in her hands when she thought no one was looking during family visits...will that be me someday? I really hope not. I remember my sister being part of a headache study group at Vanderbuilt hospital, hers were so bad. I know that not only my sister but my mother, mother-in-law, oldest child, 4 year old, and husband all have frequent headaches, and am reminded that they are all around me.

A friend suggested I try adding magnesium supplements to my diet. When DH gets home with my car tonight, I guess I'll be visiting Walgreens. I am curious as to how others out there are dealing with these monsters.

-Lynn

Changes all around

2009-05-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, a weekend of changes has me a little off-track. But I think it's all going to work fine.

After 11 YEARS of night shift, my husband was asked if he'd like to come to days. We are natural night-owls. I kid you not. As a baby I was up all night. My husband also has that tendency as do our kids. Our body clocks just tend to be different than most people we know; even when we've tried to shift them, it never lasts and we don't feel refreshed during the shifting phase. I can go to bed at 10 pm and sleep until 6 and feel downright nasty upon waking and groggy all day. But I can go to bed at 1 or 2 am, sleep until 8:30 or so, and wake up feeling energized...not one yawn all day! Not only that, but I am fully charged and can go full-speed until into the night again. Dear hubby is worse than me, because he has slept all day for so long. I am wondering how he is doing at work right now.

It may be that in an odd way God is answering my prayers about our finances. Day shifters are getting overtime and some don't want it. We could certainly use it to build our savings back up.

Around the same time hubby got called in to work days I found out that my one sure summer daycare child might have issues in coming here due to a shift in her mother's job. We don't know yet how that will play out but I can't help but wonder if either God is saying no to daycare---just be a hard-working homeschool mom OR if He is freeing up our days to welcome in some little preschoolers while dad is not here sleeping. Hmmm...too early to see the big picture, at least on this end!

I went through a rearranging mode this weekend. About once a year I completely change my school area. When I can't control everything else in my life, rearranging rooms gives me at least one area I can control! I decided I could make our school area a little better organized to benefit not only my family but any daycare kids I might end up serving.

This resulted in also changing closets and the kid's rooms, as I tend to pull items from their rooms to use or put items in their rooms that had once been in our school area. Since I can't imagine it quite right in my head, I just grab the furniture and start dragging away, moving it here and there until it clicks. It becomes an obsession until complete. I am very picky about my school area looking neat and uncluttered. It also has to meet the needs of three different kids while not looking out of place with the rest of the house. I cannot stand it if things look too busy or chaotic...it begins to distract me. Must be a little OCD coming through. We have a very small space for an actual school room, and even that space is open to all the main living areas and has very little wall space for hanging posters and things. My kitchen has a long wall that I am seriously considering painting with magnetic paint and using that wall to hang posters and charts from.

Anyway, here is the before picture from last year. We had cubbies and desks I had made for the boys...they were not used at all, except for me to stack things on all day. The boys tend to work at the kitchen table or on the couch with clipboards. All our manipulatives and games were hidden in the closet and never got used. Out of site, out of mind. The cubbies were too small to hold many of the boys' textbooks and larger items such as binders.

I took out the cubbies and added in two cheap bookshelves. I also moved my filing cabinet from the closet into the room. I was a little concerned about this as I really am not going for a home office decor as you enter my home. However, I needed the hall closet space for other items. So here is the new look....not too bad. I added some plants and a small lamp and tried to make the file cabinet look less conspicuous. It now holds our school books. Each of us has a drawer and inside we keep our daily books. My themed file folders, hundreds of them, found new residences in large plastic totes in my garage. I also took out any books we won't be using for next year and out them in totes in the garage.

This is my school cabinet. it holds the basic daily needed items like scissors and glue sticks, plus any reference books or teacher's aids for the year.

This hall closet also holds school supplies...I can't stand the way it looks. This will be my next project! The inside door is Ashleigh's "learning wall"...that's her name for it. We can open it to do her ABC's and circle time, if daycare works out.

The old cubbies worked out very nicely in Ash's room for all her small baskets of toys.

One leftover cubby made a great night stand.-Lynn

free E-book for those considering home education

2009-05-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

I just read the most wonderful little e-book. It's called Why You Should Homeschool Your Child: a Public Schoolteacher's Confession by Lisa Preston. It is available, free of cost, to download from www.homeschoolhelper.com If you have ever wondered what a typical day for a modern-day public educator must be like, this book will open your eyes. Pardon my grammar but we ain't talking Mayberry here. Oh, we like to think that the things that happen in large, poorly-funded, inner city schools just don't happen in small, Bible-Belt rural schools....maybe we need to be shaken, not stirred, and shaken hard at that. This book should shake you and then make you think twice before shoving the idea of home education down the garbage disposal.

I love the strength and courage it must have taken for this author to go against the grain, and admit the failings of the public education system. Yet she never bashes the educators and administrators who have tried so hard to make education what it ought to be. In fact, she highly praises her former colleagues for their hard work in that system all these years.

I have a relative in public education. I have never for a second doubted this is her calling in life. I know she will greatly impact the school she works in, as will doubtless others. I feel certain she eats, sleeps, and breathes education. So in that respect, and because I, too, had dreams of being a public school teacher once upon a time, I cannot bash those who give 150% to improving their students' way of life. However, I can and openly will bash the system that places too many children under one teacher's care, that pays teachers way too little, that expects teachers to not only TEACH but spend most of their day being a referee to all the dangers and woes that are carried into today's classrooms. My hats go off to these women and men who daily go into what I consider to be a spiritual, moral, and oftentimes physical battlefield, to try to do what they were called in life to do: educate. How can any education at all take place when you have so many obstacles to overcome? I can see why so many teachers are exhausted and ready to throw in the towel. Thank goodness they are in it because they truly love it, or it might become very difficult to justify remaining in that profession.

Whether you already homeschool, are just curious about it, or are thinking about trying it, this book will open your eyes, fill you with passion for raising up a Godly generation, and call you to act.

Thank you , Ms. Preston, for being brave enough to show us what others perhaps could not. And after 9 years and dreaded high school fast approaching, thank you for renewing my homeschool vision and reminding me of why I do what I do.
-Lynn

hard economy calls for creative thinking...and FAITH!

2009-05-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

I have decided, well I think I have, to open a very small, in-home childcare over the summer. I have one little girl from church that is probably coming and I hope to get 2 more full-timers.

People know we homeschool and that we have homeschooled for around nine years. They ask how will I be able to homeschool and run a childcare if I continue on with daycare children in the fall. Good question. I ask myself that same thing everyday. All I can say is I don't really know. I have a plan formulating in my head but its really up to the Lord to provide me the strength to do both. If this idea is in His will for my life at all, then I have to trust He will give me the wisdom to carry it out. And if its not in His will, or this is not good for our lives, then I pray He'll never let it come to pass. And if its NOT in His will, then I have to accept the fact that He has a different plan and trust Him. That in itself would be a challenge for me, as I so often identify myself with the man in Mark 9:24 who was lacking in faith and belief as he cried out, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." No sooner do I cry out "I believe!" then I am begging for His help to get me over my lack of faith. It is not a true test of our faith when things are going easy; our faith can only be truly tested in times of trial, because it is then our inner heart is made known.

So when the bills come in and the savings is all gone, Lord, help my unbelief. When sickness rears its ugly head and the future is uncertain, Lord help my unbelief. When the road forks and both paths seem right, Lord help my unbelief.

There's just not a lot I know right now. Our futures, for so many of us, are quite uncertain. I, the almost anal control freak, has lost control. I feel sometimes like I am driving behind the wheel with my eyes closed, hoping I don't go over the edge of the mountain. Why do I fear? God is my guard-rail, always present to help me. But maybe its time I climb out of the driver's seat. Maybe its time I give up the wheel.

I remember how He called me into this ministry called "wife" and "mother" and "teacher"....that call, I feel, is just as strong today as it was nine years ago. I haven't felt it leave me, so therefore, He has it in control. The money will come; although the "how" of it I don't know for certain. The wife in me sees my husband's efforts at caring for his family and he has given 150% for months. No, make that years. He is tired. The wife in me sorrows for him when he needs a rest and tries to jump in and fix it all. The wife in me begins to think on how I can help, and thus, the childcare idea is born. It may or may not be the "how" of getting our finances back to a comfortable level. Or perhaps we're not meant to be comfortable right now. Perhaps there is a lesson we are to learn first.

The Proverbs 31 "superwoman" as I like to call her, was certainly industrious. She was not only a wonderful keeper at home but a business woman, a crafter, a worker. I like to say if she could do it, then through God I can, too.

In my life, the thorn in my side is money. Others have job losses, loss of homes, loss of family members, cancers and illnesses. Whatever the future holds, we must all pray God's perfect will in our lives. Only then can we know in our hearts that whatever comes, it will work for His purpose and His glory.
-Lynn

review of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's WeE-book/E-book product line

2009-04-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

I so enjoy reading but am always pressed for time and am sorely lacking in book shelf space already. The Old Schoolhouse magazine's WeE-books and E-books to the rescue! They are inexpensive, quick reads but in digital E-book form. You can download and store them on your computer for reading while waiting for appointments or on long car rides. Or even print them if you wish.

E-books also have the advantage of linking directly to the internet. Your E-book or WeE-book will open on screen, usually with colored links, that will lead the reader directly to websites containing even more information. It's like getting twice the information for half the price.

As part of the trial process to becoming a member of The Old Schoolhouse magazine's second "TOS CREW", I was given 3 free WeE-books and 1 free E-book from the company's online store to use and review.

The first WeE book is called Transcripts, CLEPS, and Other Ways to Get into College by Claire Novak. Only 21 pages in length but packed with useful information on subjects such as Do you really need a college education?, Sitting out the SAT, and Advice from Current College Students. First off this book tackles the idea of not attending college in order to obtain a career, but lists the alternatives such as apprenticeship, internships, the military, and certification.
I found the section about gaining credits via taking the CLEP test very helpful. A quick overview of transcripts and what they involve is also brought up. This is followed by helpful advice from current college students (who once homeschooled) and links to resources on the Internet. Definitely a practical, easy read for those with children entering the middle school or high school years. As an adult, I found the idea of the CLEP test interesting enough to check into using that option myself someday.

WeE Book number 2 is called Career Exploration for High School Students by Carol Topp, CPA. 14 pages in length and also equally easy to read and follow, this little gem teaches students how to go through the 4-step career exploration process. Students will investigate their personalities, abilities, and priorities. Next they will match possible careers to their personalities. Then research potential careers to see if there is a fit. Lastly the student will prepare a plan to pursue the chosen career. While this book is written toward the teacher/parent, I don't see why a high school student couldn't read it himself and do additional research by looking at the website links in the end. Overall, another useful and practical download.

The third WeE book is also by Carol Topp, CPA, and is entitled The Pitfalls and Possibilities of Being a Work-at-Home Mom. This is my personal favorite because I manage two craft shops on Etsy.com. I often have a hard time balancing my homeschooling and keeping my shops running, so I was thrilled when this is one of the topics she goes into.

Along with how to balance your many priorities as a homeschool mom and a WAHM, she also gives clear guidance on how to find more time to devote to a business, how to decide what type of business to begin, how to set up a business plan, and how to set boundaries so you can actually accomplish something while being home! Ms. Topp discusses the difference between working at home and owning a home-based business. She lists some wonderful opportunities in the direct selling world such as Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, and Usborne Books at Home. This books finishes with a much-needed section on avoiding those ever-present work at home scams, and like the other WeE books before it, feature Internet links and general homeschooling information.

The full-sized download of the 95-page E-book called Homework: Juggling Home, Work, and School Without Losing Your Balance was another anticipated read. This is much like the WeE book I just reviewed but much more in-depth. And the perspective is interesting: you learn from reading examples of how other families work from home while homeschooing. 16 families share with your their tips and frustrations. I enjoyed peeking into what a typical day in each homeschooling/home-business was like. You'll come away from this E-book armed with much more than just stories and inspirations; you'll come away with ideas to cultivate your skills and real businesses opportunities that you might be able to start.

For example, the first contributor and I share a common bond-we both own Etsy stores. But I have never seen one quite like hers. She recycles old jeans into purses. Her unusual business, prompted by the urging to recycle, go green, and upscale cast-off products into usuable items (called "trashion") made me think about what items I might be able to offer to help our planet.

I also shared a bond with another mom, one who sells Usborne books. Although I no longer sell them, I love their quality and am glad to see her making her business work so well for her family.

You'll meet other equally hard-working, creative moms in this book...a mom who is a leisure travel consultant...an industrious family who manage a bed and breakfast from a family fruit orchard...for the animals lovers there is the story of a pet-sitter...using the computer and writing skills to make money are also covered.

I found that faith in God is woven throughout each story in this book, and the parents often speak of personal experiences which led them to choose homeschooling.

Overall, it is an encouraging, heart-warming look into the lives of real people, just like you and I, who are living their dreams and making it happen, all while having the best of their time with their children. Let this E book inspire you to push ahead and meet your dream face-to-face with your family by your side.

Cost for an E book varies but they tend to be less expensive than printed books. TOS WeE books are generally only $1.95 and with free shipping, too! So go ahead and splurge! With a wide variety of great topics, I know I will. :)

-Lynn

review of Tapestry of Grace: Colonial America unit study by Lampstand Press

2009-04-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

Wow...where to begin? In the words of the company website, Tapestry of Grace (TOG) is an "award-winning multi-level, integrated, 4-year, classics-based Christian curriculum for the whole family. " Whew! What a unit study program this is, quite unlike any we've ever tried. I believe it is one of the most thorough, detailed studies we've used to date. We received a digital download version of year 2, unit 3, Colonial America, or as it's called in the study, "Of Crowns and Colonies".

It covers:

Early New World Colonies and Eastern Europe
Puritans in New England
Charters, Creeds, and the English Civil War
Restoration Colonies and the Age of Louis XIV
Dissenters in America and the Age of Reason
Colonists and Native Americans
Empires at Odds
Thirteen Established Colonies

It is a massive 500+ page study geared toward lasting 8 weeks.

(If you're not familiar with unit studies, I highly suggest that you learn about the basics of the unit study method before tackling such an in-depth curriculum. I love them-- highly recommend them--and see them as a significant blessing in our school day, but they are not for everyone. Perhaps someday I'll get on here to blog about them. For today, I must assume you have knowledge of this method of schooling and move on).

As with other unit study programs, all your children can be taught a few subjects together each day. In this case, all students, grades k-12, will be on the same subject matter in history, church history, literature, geography, fine arts, government, philosophy, and writing & composition, each on their own learning level. You will need to add in a phonics program, science, math, grammar, spelling, and foreign language, if needed. Teaching multiple ages together (as much as it is feasible) can be a huge time and sanity saver for mom.

As with other unit studies, you can repeat the lessons later on. This is called "cycling though" and is very popular among unit study users. You simply use the lessons now, doing what your children are able, and then repeat the entire course/volume in few years when your children are on a higher grade level. Don't fret about children being bored during a repeated course; public schooling is all about repetition. Children learn well through repetition. Besides, when they repeat the course there will be new literature assignments and new, harder projects to tackle.
Cycling through a unit study is also a frugal use of homeschooling dollars. You buy the study and use it over and over again.
Here is an excerpt from a Tapestry of Grace (TOG) flyer explaining how cycling works:

"Tapestry of Grace is a homeschool curriculum: a plan of study that helps

parents provide a Christian, classical education using a guided unit study approach,

with the history of the world as the core organizational theme. From Grades K–12,

all students cycle through world history every four years, with all ages studying the

same slice of history each week, each at their own learning level. Detailed lesson

plans and discussion outlines enable parents to be their children’s primary

teachers and mentors and shape their students’ biblical worldviews."

The teacher's portion/guide is very detailed. I found that I needed to read it, then put it aside for a bit, only to reread it multiple times later on to really grasp all that it covered. This unit study will not let the parent down as far as guiding you and giving you information. Keep in mind that, TOG, is mostly a teacher's guide with loads of detailed notes. You will need additional books/items to use TOG. It is not an "open and go" curriculum; it will take a few days of planning.

Visiting the TOG website for resources is a MUST. I found their website to be a wonderful help in organizing our study. You'll certainly want to visit the entire website, especially an area called The Loom. I would suggest you do not plunge head-long into TOG without reading on your own first, or you may find yourself confused. The writers have worked very hard to keep this study easy for parents but if you do not use the website resources, you may end up in unnecessary frustration.

Again, as taken from the website:

"The Loom is a crucial Internet & CD resource that serves as a framework for its year-plan. On the Loom, you’ll find...

Summer reading list: assignments for students to complete before starting the first unit of each year-plan

An important Year-Plan Introduction, with in-depth information about our philosophy of education and many useful tips for getting started with your new curriculum

Digital copies of all the Student Activity Pages (which are also in your year-plan), so that you can print out work pages, instructions, or student questions as many times as they are needed week to week or year to year

Digital copies of all Supplements: print and use as needed, or access digitally

Digital resources to provide important helps for teaching rhetoric-level Literature

Extra hands-on activity helps for some projects

Writing Level Overview: a helpful tool for placing your students in the proper writing level at the start of the year

Detailed information for figuring out how to give high school credits for Tapestry work, or write a transcript

The Book Updates Index, which offers information on replacement books in case the ones listed in your curriculum become unavailable, as well as updated reading assignment charts. "

Again I advise: DO NOT SKIP OVER THE LOOM. It is your best friend when using TOG. :)

TOG will largely appeal to many learning styles. From your wiggly child who needs hands-on projects to your auditory learner who enjoys read-aloud and discussion, TOG covers it. That's yet another appeal of unit studies for many families.

What does it cost?

Individual digital units from any year of the plan run about $45.

An entire digital year will cost $170. Keep in mind that this will be used by all family members from k-12 and can be used again and again, making it fairly expensive in the beginning, but very cost-effective over time.

The best buy seems to be the bundle. For $250, you get one full Year-Plan including the Loom and all four units plus Map Aids plus the Option: your choice of Writing Aids, a full year of Pop Quizzes, a full year of lapbook kits, or every level of Evaluations and
the Bonus: your choice of a Unit 1 Pop Quiz, Unit 1 Lapbook Kit, or Unit 1 of Evaluations.

*Please note that the digital edition is not for resale. This is an important factor for me to consider before purchasing any curriculum, in case it is not a good fit for my family.

How did it work for our homeschool: This is tough one. As I mentioned before, we use unit studies. In fact, for over 9 years or so, unit studies have been our core. I have used mini units by Amanda Bennett and Jennifer Steward, FIAR, A World of Adventure, tried a KONOS sample, made my own units, will have a high-schooler using Blessed is the Man this upcoming fall, you name it. So I really thought I could just dive in and begin this study. But there was so much information I often felt overwhelmed. I am still not 100% sure I have grasped all that this study has to offer. I am not too familiar with the classical method of study either, and TOG is very classical in nature. It does take a few days, maybe even weeks, to look it over and gather your supplies.

I really didn't like reading the digital edition, yet to print all the pages would've cost me a fortune in ink. So early on, I read what I could on screen and printed only what I really needed. Due to my home business, homeschool group events, blogging, and emails, I am already on the computer too much. I really think I would have preferred TOG in print form. Even taking the time to sit at the computer and pick through the information to decide what I need to print overwhelmed me.

When you open a unit, you'll see a nicely laid out PDF screen with direct access to teacher's information, scheduling, and even the student activity pages. I did like the list of projects and additional reading for each grade. It was easy to glance at the grid and see what I wanted to try to do for the study. Those pages have nice little check boxes included, so you can check off what you have accomplished. I like checklists to keep me on track.

**One note to mention was after I picked out the books I wanted to use to supplement our study, my local library didn't have too many of them. We settled for reading the books and completing the worksheets on The Courage of Sarah Noble and one of my old favorites, The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Although for general learning I am sure you could substitute other books on the same subject matter, to complete the student sheets you'll need the books listed.

The projects are well-rounded and balanced with the other aspects of the study. Unit studies are notorious for being heavy-laden with almost nothing but hands-on projects. With Tapestry there is a balance. The activities are fairly easy to carry out, for example, making a travel brochure or drawing a picture of Pocahontas. Its nice to give the children a break from reading to complete a project.

Overall, I like the idea of TOG. I think it would be very cost-effective given time. I feel it is adequate and thorough. However, I would like to see a print version and be able to compare the two.

Check out what other TOS Crew members are saying at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew

-Lynn

review of Critical Thinking/Bright Minds Beginning Mathematical Reasoning

2009-04-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

My 4-year old daughter is really enjoying this thick, colorful beginning math book from the Bright Minds/Critical Thinking company. It's a softcover workbook, with 235 pages of lessons in all areas of math reasoning, from counting to comparing and estimating.

So far we have enjoyed each preschool book we received from Critical Thinking. They are always colorful and with only a few problems per page, they don't make my children feel overwhelmed.

This book is meant to be used and written in, but I like to place a page protector over the pages needing written work so my daughter can use them again if she wants. Add a wipe-off marker and you're set to go.

Working 2-3 pages each day only takes a few minutes of the child's time and there is no parental prep work. Just open the book and go. Easy to understand and explain, easy to use.

Critical Thinking has a wide range of curriculum for all ages and subjects. Whether you're ready to teach a 1st grader to read, prepare a 5th grader to take an achievement test, or to help a high schooler learn about wars in our past, this company has a lot to offer on a lot of levels. By using books or software, from the youngest to the oldest, teach your child how to really THINK using products from Critical Thinking.
There are free items to try so give them a visit at:
http://www.criticalthinking.com/index.jsp

-Lynn

learning patience through daily trials

2009-04-27T11:52:00.001-07:00

Well, if my kids were in public school, I highly doubt what we're doing today would really count as much in the way of academics. I guess sometimes that's okay though. We are learning patience in many ways today.

Nick spent the greater part of the morning reading a novel while Adrian learned to clean old Roman coins. I meanwhile spent the morning grieving that most of my TOS magazine reviews this year had never gone through to the magazine editor. I had emailed them off as my blogs were written, but something somewhere went horribly wrong and she never received them all. So before I could even work with the children on any formal schooling, I had to set things right there. Good thing I keep lots of educational CD-ROMs on hand, and lots of paperback books to use for independent study!
Fixing that small error didn't take long, but it took patience on my part, and on the parts of my boys as they awaited my help with their work.

Nick moved from his novel into working with me to tentatively plan his 4-year high school education. We are going toward credits to prepare him for college. Whew, high school at home might cost one as much as private school, if it weren't for used curriculum sites. Sciences with labs...hundreds of dollars; higher level math on DVD for the mathematically challenged teacher-mom...also way up there. If you are a genius and don't need everything spelled out for you, you can teach your child fairly cheaply. Likewise, if you scour the internet and used books sales, you can rack up a few points there also. But if you can't find what you need used or, like me, must rely heavily on computer or DVD learning to do high school at home, this could cost an arm and a leg! However, I look at it as a challenge and a chance to get creative in my shopping. :) I will not be defeated!!!
Nick got slightly impatient looking through the stack of curriculum catalogs for potential elective courses he'd like, but I steered him back on course with a short lecture, ;) and now he seems to be enjoying the idea of taking some additional art, literature, and photography classes.

Adrian's bag of Roman coins, supposedly 2,000 years old, came off Ebay. We are not so much interested in the dollar value of these little dirt-caked bronze pieces but in their historical value. We have spent the morning soaking them in olive oil, then soapy water, then rubbing lightly with baking soda. Rinse, repeat. And again. Finally, out of twelve coins, one is beginning to show some nice detail. This will certainly take patience.

Lunch is late today, just like everything else. I am trying to use my new microwave's "grill" feature to cook a steak. Stomaches are growling. More patience needed.

Its funny how God teaches us lessons in the small stuff.
-Lynn

Write Shop Primary Book A

2009-04-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

From the same company that sent me Story Builders comes the newest in what will be a three-book series, Write Shop Primary Book A. http://www.writeshop.com/

This book is used for children in grades K-3 to lead them into writing through crafts, activities, and picture books. It is a gently approach that is easy to implement and has several schedules to use to accommodate each child's skill level.

We never got to use this book. I was sent the down loadable version and for some reason, it got lost in my email when the company first sent it to me. By the time I realized my review was due, contacted the company about the lost email, got a new email, and got it finally downloaded, here we are at the end of the year. My younger son (grade 3) is finally writing well, and I believe this program would be too easy for him. Had we gotten this product during the first semester when he was struggling so with writing, I am sure we could have used it with success. Somewhere along the way his writing, just like his reading did the previous year, after many struggles, suddenly just clicked. One of those homeschool mysteries I'll never understand. :)

My youngest daughter is only four, but she is already writing/copying words well and expresses a strong interest in reading and writing. I had thought about putting it off but since the activities in this book are so simple I may try the book on her come fall. Or even over the summer. Just introduce it as a fun thing to do on those hot, humid TN afternoons.

As with the few other products we were unable to use, I will still report as much as I can on it here and of course, follow up with updates as we go through the program.

My set came with PDF versions of both the teacher and student books. The cost for each printed book is between $26.95-$29.95 plus a small cost of around $5 for the student activity set. E-books are a few dollars less, running about $25.

The first section of the teacher guide tells the parent how to work with multiple ages, set up the schedule, and get supplies ready. Looks like to me that most supplies would be available at an office supply or teacher store, or in your own home already, and that setting up a writing center would be easy.

Depending on the chosen work schedule and child's abilities, it can take between one-three years to work through all three books. You'll have around 160 pages of lessons to complete in book A.

Every lesson will teach your child a new skill and lessons are theme-based (animals, trains, rhymes, etc). But even the themes are flexible to accommodate other studies you may be doing. An example of this is taking the Write Shop lesson on bugs and easily adapting it to your study of birds instead. You make a bird house rather than a bug house, hold a nature walk looking for birds rather than insects, etc. I like this because I can see how Write Shop could work with our current unit study program. I also like that quite a few of the picture books it calls for go right along with our Five in a Row curriculum.

Each lesson is split into 8 activity sets. These activity sets will always contain the same elements (as in Activity set 1 will always be a guided writing activity). I also like this because once I begin using the program, we will kind of get into a routine and there will be no surprises for mom!

There are worksheets included to reinforce concepts, evaluation sheets in case your state requires a grade, additional activities for the child who is hungry for more, and my favorite...little projects that allow your child to publish her finished writing.

Overall, I think this will be an easy addition to our day and will teach writing, creativity, editing and revision, without a headache or hassle. I think it will be perfect to use as a go-along to the programs I have already planned to use next year.

Waiting to try it!
-Lynn

Auralog Tell Me More Spanish

2009-04-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

Review of Auralog's Tell Me More Spanish Homeschool Beginner-level 5. http://www.tellmemore.com/

This product came packaged very well and included two CD-Roms and a computer headphone/microphone combo. I was able to quickly and easily set up the beginner cd on both my laptop and desktop, each computer using different operating systems.

Right from the start I had trouble, though. I popped in the CD-ROM that a beginner was to use (the other CD was not labeled with anything that stood out or indicated that it would be a big help to install it first instead. *sigh*). If only I had known then...you MUST pop in the correct CD to figure this program out without A LOT of trial and error and guess-clicking on icons just to see where they lead you. The CD I put in last was actually the start-up manual/help CD and it really should've gone first as it gave Internet access to weekly online continuing lessons, a progress test, language learning guarantee, activity guides, and so much more.

Since beginning with the CD I was instructed to, I made it easily enough to the home page (I chose guided learning when prompted). This led me to a screen with a progress chart called a learning path (you can choose path 1 or 2 in guided mode, each teaching different skills). I like this screen as it shows the lessons you've done, the percentage of work done and the percentage of work correct. I know I can check my progress as well as my son's. Off I went to lesson 1. It began well with photos of people and audio recordings of their speech. I can handle this, just looking at pictures while hearing corresponding words and phrases, I thought. But because I had not taken the training CD yet, just moving around the screen's interface immediately caused trouble. Some of the icons are ghost-like, meaning they don't appear to you clearly until you accidentally scroll across them. With some of the icons I had NO idea of their purpose. You also have to know where to click to go on in the lesson or else you find yourself lost. There are various places to click to advance and one must be careful to decide if she is trying to move to the next lesson entirely or only to the next activity in that particular lesson. If you mess up, as I often did, you can always go back to the previous screen, but it was still frustrating having to search for the correct destination. Not to mention time-consuming.

(Of course, had that training CD been installed first, I would have found the program much more user-friendly).

Once I learned my way around the icons and screens, there are many different activities to choose from, such as fill-in-the-blanks, crosswords, comprehension questions, scrambled words, speaking aloud to test your pronounciation, and vocabulary files. When you give your answers they will either turn green or you'll hear a chime when correct. Red means keep trying!

At times the directions themselves were clear but carrying them out wasn't. For example, the game scrambled words...it's hard to get the words to go where you need them to. I am so used to clicking and dragging things in my everyday computer use. You don't drag the words in this activity, but no where does it tell you that. So I sat and tried multiple times to get those crazy words where I wanted them (and finally did). But even when I completed an activity successfully, I often felt so flustered from the general use of the program that I didn't care to go on.

My son, an eighth grader, tried the program multiple times before I did, and he also had trouble with it all because he, too, didn't realize he needed the training on that random extra CD to manipulate the screens. If you are buying this please don't go into the program for use until you have located and looked over the extras on that other CD! You'll save yourself time and frustration and probably end up liking the program a lot, if you do so, as it does have much to offer. There is much variety in the activities presented in this program so it should appeal to a range of learning styles.

I would suggest to Auralog that they clearly label the software training CD to be installed first.

Whether it be due to my lack of experience with Spanish, my lack of training in the program, my own personal learning style, or just that this old dog has trouble learning new tricks, I have to say that from what I've seen and used of both Tell Me More and Rosetta Stone, I personally prefer Rosetta Stone. I felt a bit rushed with Tell Me More, as if I was moving quickly without having grasped all the concepts completely. As I said before though, you can move back to repeat a lesson, and score higher.

My 8th grader also prefers Rosetta, although he is currently using this program simply due to the high price tag behind the Rosetta program. Good news is the more he uses it and understands the interface, the better satisfied with it he becomes. On the other hand, my 3rd grader caught right on during my first lesson and was soon telling me the answers! Go figure. Could be due to his age or his learning style. The bottom line is you just never really know how a program will work until you test it with each child. This might end up being the perfect program for him, and for all of us, now that I am getting familiar with it. If I had it to do over again, I'd take the assessment test first, sign up for the weekly online lessons, learn to use the software correctly, and THEN really dive into it whole-heartedly.

This program should be complete for high school credit, and the cost is not quite as high as other programs considering how many levels you get. Ten levels of learning are about $374.99. Even our version with only five levels should cover at least 2 years of high school language, but if you are pursuing credits and have questions, don't hesistate to email the people at Auralog. I had a question and got a thorough reply within a few hours.

Visit their site and try a demo. I found their customer service top notch and lots of reviewers love this product. It has been used with many large corporations with great success.

-Lynn

botched-up review of Write Shop Primary book A

2009-04-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is truly making me sick. I had written about Write Shop for more than an hour when I accidentally clicked on a link in my Write Shop Teacher's Guide e-book, and my internet browser window went to that site before I could stop it. I immediately came back to my blog to find all my work erased!!

I am already behind on two reviews, not to mention a host of housework and etsy store orders, and really need to get caught up. Guess I'll jump back on AGAIN tomorrow and hopefully squeeze in my two cents about this neat program. My other review will be about Tell Me More Spanish, so be sure to come back often and soon.

-Lynn

review of Apologia Science texts

2009-04-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

I was very excited to get to review 2 science texts from Apologia, as a few moms in our group who use this curriculum had nothing but glowing reviews of it themselves. I had already planned to possibly add a text or two into our high school curriculum, and seeing this product now has made me certain I want to do so.

I never forget what an awesome experience this is, as these vendors really have gone out on a limb to send so many of us so many (and mostly expensive!) products, hoping we really will utilize them and spread the word about them. I occasionally receive a product that just isn't a fit for our family, no matter how wonderful, and writing the reviews is just a tad harder. But then along comes a product that is so nice I am not sure how we ever made it this far without it. That is how I feel thus far with Apologia.

We have used many textbooks in our unit studies as supplemental reading; oh what we could have learned if we had used these texts instead! They are presented from a Christian worldview, saving parents the frustration of weeding through scientific "facts" found in secular texts. They are written in an approachable manner so that the children enjoy reading them. The author of the upper level text, Dr. Jay Wile, noted homeschool advocate and professor, has a sense of humor and it comes out in the readings as well.

The texts we received were Exploring Creation with General Science (middle school level) and Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day.

Let's begin with the Flying Creatures text. I had a few doubts how long a study on birds and flying creatures could possibly take. This is a year-long course. I wondered if my son would understand the reading or whether it would be too technical, and if we would become bored with it at some point. I began by reading the first few pages aloud to all my children, regardless of age, and this is how I had planned to continue on, as I figured each child can glean something by listening in on the other's lessons. But as usual my best-laid plans were thwarted by life's busyness, and I end up having to let my third grader start reading solo. About twice a week I turn him loose to silently read for 30 minutes or so and then come back and tell me what he has learned. I also have instructed him to read over every experiment listed and pick a few random ones to work through. The book has easy experiments, clear-cut instructions, and LOADS of color pictures to break up the text. Reading doesn't seem so laborous when broken down into bite-sized "nuggets".

Now whether is it because this particular child has been given a heart for animals, particularly birds (thank you Lord for sending EXACTLY the book You knew my son would desire to read!) or if he just understands what he is reading, I don't know, but something is working! Not only does he read and tell me what he's learned (and its clear from looking over his text that he has truly grasped it), but he has begun, on his own, to write down his observations in a notebook. You have to understand what a struggle this child has had with penmanship and how much he abhorred writing. Suddenly this happy little scientist is reading, observing, and taking really clear notes too! I am thrilled! All with a MINIMAL amount of time on my part. :)

As with my younger son's text, I began reading aloud to all levels from my middle school son's text as well, just to kick us off. I also did this to make sure he was going to understand what he was covering, as the first "module" in the book was a bit dull. The author warns the reader that this first section may be a bit dull, as it covers mostly the history of science and famous scientists. He assures the reader that future modules will be more exciting, but he also makes it plain why we study these scientists and thinkers of the past: so we can learn from their mistakes. Nick is still reading alone his text twice weekly, and we haven't come to the point of taking a test yet, but since they were also included with this packet, we are going to use them. He too, enjoys his reading and likes to come and report on people or stories he's read. I am also making him add diagrams and reports for his science work; he especially enjoys sketching some of the diagrams for his own records.

I can see that there is no way to work only two days a week and get through these meaty books by the year's end, especially considering we've only had these texts for a couple of months. But they are simply too good to waste so we'll either use them as general reading all summer, or get back into them next school year.

As a Christian mom and lover of nature, I have a true desire to understand and pass on facts of God's creation and world to my children. These books are one great way to do that. Even if all one did was buy the books for general read-aloud or supplemental reading, you'd learn so much just from going that route. I give this company an enthusiastic thumbs up for making the complex things of this world fun and easy to understand, and helping children see God's hand in all things so they can build a firm foundation for sharing the Gospel, based on truth and fact.

To view more products or to see what topics these texts cover, please visit the Apologia team at:

http://www.apologia.com/

-Lynn

new crafting classes coming soon

2009-04-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

I can't help it: crafting is in my blood and I want to share my passion with anyone and everyone!

Its been a few months since I have held any sort of classes, and I am eager to start them again. These will be available mainly for children but I also enjoy holding occasional classes for adults and community clubs. Dates and costs are being finalized and will be updated ASAP.

basic soap making
whipped, layered, and embedded soaps
Spa Day-sugar scrub, soap, lip balm, bath salts
painted pet place mats (to hold food dishes)
Mug 'Ems jar gifts
altered notebook
altered clipboard
altered frame
altered vanity tray
hard candy
Bath Fun Bucket (with tub jelly, soap paints, etc)
wall plaques
altered memory can
scrabble tile pendant necklaces
bottle cap pendant necklaces
duct tape no-sew recycled t-shirt purse
Painted whimsical initial tote bag
80's retro vintage suit coat
Painted canvas shoes with ribbon laces
recycled magnetic memo board
padded fabric brag book
brown bag scrapbook album

I'll keep you posted. :)
-Lynn

FIAR vol. 3 winner

2009-03-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who participated in my first blog give-a-way.

The winner of the FIAR vol. 3 book is.... Emily S.!

Congrats Emily; this is a marvelous curriculum for gentle, thorough learning. Hope you enjoy it, and thank you, Lambert family, for furnishing me with this volume to give.
-Lynn

Better with age?

2009-03-17T22:47:00.000-07:00

Byron taught us in high school English lit class that "The days of thy youth are the days of thy glory." Ain't it the truth?

I found out in the early part of my twenties that I had some hearing loss. Not damage per say but loss due to continual allergy drainage and a clogged head.

By age 30 I saw this lone, scraggly, frizzy, albino hair peeling out of my brown tresses. He moved in and brought all of his kith and kin with him. "The White Family" now numbers about thirty strong and, like the descendants of Abraham, I think soon they will be too many to number. Did I mention they have an aversion to hair color? And they are "just as proud" (as Bill Cosby once said of his own collection). They stand straight and tall so everyone can see them. I tried plucking them one at a time but true to my mother's old wive's tale, two grew back in that place.

So lately my migraines have been increasing, despite being a frequent user of Maxalt and being on YAZ. I have tried to make sure I get enough sleep, have good lighting when I read, etc., but nothing really stops them. After over a year of almost weekly headaches, I decided it might be time to pay a visit to the eye doctor, mind you, JUST IN CASE I needed glasses, not that I did of course. My eyesight is stupendous. I could shoot an ant out of a tree down in the woods behind my house....well, okay, so that might be an exaggeration. But I can see a bird on a branch in a tree pretty far into our backyard.

My eye-doctor is super-nice. He knew I had an aversion to wearing glasses from the moment I walked in the door. He says I have 20/20 vision and my distance vision is excellent, but that my eyes are straining to do up-close work. So in I go to pick out my new "reading" glasses. I veered straight to the hip, trendy, silver-pink "chrome with mucho-blingage" glasses. Meanwhile, the poor man who was trying to help me, grabbed a different pair and said, "Why don't you try these on?" I did and turned to see my grandmother's face with cat's eye glasses looking back at me from the mirror. "Nice," he says. And you know what? Sadly enough, he was right.
In two days I go back to pick up my glasses, and then I'll officially look like all the girls from a 1950's yearbook.

To top things off, a few days ago I awoke from sleep with such an intense leg cramp in my left calf that it brought tears to my eyes. It actually left my leg sore for a few hours. I hobbled into Walgreens and went to look for Potassium pills as I was always told people experiencing cramps need more potassium. Along the way I discovered a pill especially formulated for leg cramps. I eagerly grabbed it and read: "Relieves leg cramping associated with lack of potassium and leg cramps experienced by the elderly."

After that I just turned and went home. Then I crawled into my favorite rocker, pulled my shawl around my thin shoulders (is it cold in here?) and squinted at the evening news through my faulty eyeballs. I'm suddenly craving prunes....

Maturely,
-Lynn

Homeschool in the Woods New Testament Hands-On Activity Pack

2009-03-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

What a nice lapbook kit/activity pack download I received from the Homeschool in the Woods company! Our somewhat eclectic but mostly unit study oriented family happened upon our first lapbook about three years ago. Although we don't make a lapbook for every single unit we cover, I do find that we enjoy making them and we retain more information when we do.

A lapbook is simply a file folder that has been opened and refolded, plus extra parts of file folders added, to fold shut in a new way, like a little book. inside the flaps are great places to glue in small bit of information, trivia, coloring sheets, facts, mini books, etc. These become nice for reviewing information learned, for wowing the relatives, for paperwork "proof" of learning, and for fond keepsakes. They are a bit scrapbooking, a bit coloring, part cutting and gluing, and lots of fun to make.

Used to be when a homeschool mom wanted her kids to make a lapbook she'd have to sort and dig through websites, reproducibles, magazines, etc. to find cute cut-outs, clip art, and facts sheets to reprint for the books. I'm sure there are families who prefer to do it this way but hey, I'm a cheat...on top of a busy day, last thing I need or want is to spend hours net surfing for lapbooking resources. Nowadays they are right at your fingertips. For a minimal price, mom can just download an entire lapbook onto the family computer and voila! Lapbook central.

This particular pack from Homeschool in the Woods is geared toward teaching children about the New Testament of the Bible. This is a good one. it is packed full of resources and the graphics look nice too.

Your kids will cover topics such as the lineage of Jesus, miracles of Jesus, the Beatitudes, Fruits of the Spirit, Armor of God, parables of Jesus, last Supper, Crucifixion and Ascension, the prophecies Jesus fulfilled, and even delves into Paul's missionary journeys. This project pack is amazing! I would highly recommend it to anyone...homeschool parents, anyone who works with children through missions or church activities, those involved with backyard Bible clubs, etc.
I especially like showing the kids all the prophecies that were fulfilled proving Jesus is the Son of God. Another part of the pack I enjoyed is a little Bible Times Newspaper" that has some cute illustrations and captivating headlines filled in; students must use their creative writing skills to be journalists and write in the rest. This is almost a test of sorts as they fill in what they have learned.

Lapbooks are great for so many learning styles. They are very affordable. They can become treasured keepsakes as your children grow. I cannot recommend them enough to go along with a unit, or just to veer off for a vacation from your regular texts and do more hands-on learning.

This grade 3-8 level hands-on activity pack download only costs $18.95; a CD version is available for $19.95.
Visit http://www.homeschoolinthewoods.com/HTTA/AP/NewTestament.htm to see more details or to order.

review of products from Bonnie Terry Learning

2009-03-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

From http://www.bonnieterrylearning.com/ I received 4 spiral-bound books to review: Making Spelling Sense, Ten Minutes to Better Study Skills, and Five Minutes to Better Reading Skills, both student and teacher editions.

It was quite a bit to go over, with such a large package of information (I also received a CD-ROM video of Bonnie Terry herself, reviewing the ways she teaches. I would've really enjoyed watching more of the video but mine must have had a slight glitch in it; the volume of her voice would not increase and so it was hard for me to hear it over the background music).

Allow me to begin with the book we were able to use most, the Making Spelling Sense book. This is a simple approach to teaching children to be able to spell any word by using 8 basic spelling patterns. You learn to spell the 500 words in the book and then are enabled to spell thousands of other words using the same patterns. This book incorporates visual, auditory, and tactile learning and is phonetically and sequentially based. Next year we will try this as our sole spelling curriculum. If it had arrived earlier in the year before we got so engrossed in our current curriculum, we would have used it this year. I really don't like my third grader's text anyway, but am loathe to changing directions so close to the year's end.

I like the fact that I can use it with all my children who are of writing and spelling age. It does start off very easy, as it is sequential. So your first lesson contains words like "if" and "has". By the book's end you're spelling words like "distance" and "usually".

Each day's lessons are so easy to teach and incorporate.
I used a white board to post the list of words that we were going over and also gave each child a copy of the sheet to write on directly. I taught the lesson on the white board, showing them the pattern. For example, the first few lessons use the vowel/consonant pattern. After writing the words on the whiteboard and teaching the pattern, then I allowed to boys to help me work through the lesson, them on their papers, and me on the board. They simply write the words once each and the write them again, labeling the pattern parts the second time. After this they get a handout of little puzzles to do to quiz them over the spelling words. My 8th grader was finished in about 2 minutes and it only took my 3rd grader about 5 minutes to do. They easily learned the patterns and liked the puzzle pages. The tests are done a little bit differently than I am used to. There is a sample test plus reproducible test pages in the book as well.

At the end of the lessons you'll find additional sections on over 300 suffixes, open and closed syllables, and prefixes, also homonyms, antonyms, and synonyms lessons. I didn't make it far enough to try those pages yet, but it looks like there are some fairly simple activities for teaching these concepts.

I hate to write reviews when I didn't have adequate time to really dig into a product. Its just difficult to try to work with new products coming in while still getting regular work finished. I will try to come back and update my Bonnie Terry review in the next school year. I have high hopes that if we start with this curriculum next fall and use it faithfully, I will only have to teach each child spelling once in his lifetime. Then he would retain most knowledge needed to spell most other words. Wouldn't that be amazing?

I can't wait to go see what others are saying about this. I'd love to hear more from moms who were able to really dig into it and give it a deep testing.

Now on to the other books.

These I used a little less. Again, perhaps next year or over the summer I can really dig into them more deeply. I know my 8th grader can definitely benefit from the study skills book. He is really lacking in this area at times. This guide teaches students how to take notes (he severely dislikes note-taking, yet he needs to use it daily in his studies), how to write paragraphs, and how write essays. In part I she teaches students how to get started studying. You know, as parents we assume this all comes naturally to kids; after all, everyone just knows how to study, right? Wrong! Ever see an ADHD child trying to work in a room with a preschooler playing noisily while the tv blares and someone else is talking? It doesn't work. Sometimes we have to start with step one and teach children how to set up a study area with room to work and essential items nearby.

Once children have gathered the listed items for studying and cleared out an area that meets his needs, then a planning calendar is given. It breaks down the afternoon and evening into hour-long increments. There is also a monthly calendar given. Copy them and give them to your students to use. This will help them to become more organized and set a regular study time.

Part II has lots of reproducibles to aid students as they work through their regular workload. There are cause and effect sheets, book reports, outlines, a text book note taker sheet, compare and contrast sheets, and more. Each type of page has a sample page, filled in, and with explanations as to when to give that particular page to your child for use.

For example, at this point my boys are studying colonial America via a unit study. I could give my younger son the book report form to use with one of the many books we're reading on the 13 Colonies. My older son could benefit from using the Text Book Note Taker sheet to sift through the history texts we use as supplements to each unit. The formal outline page looks very helpful for high school essay writing.

Part III has more study tips and note taking tips. It also has tips on test-taking (no more panic!) and writing better paragraphs.

Part IV is a handy-dandy little reference section to look up spelling patterns, capitalization rules, punctation rules, helping/being verbs, clauses, how to write a bibliography (whoa!), and much more. This book is a keeper and I highly recommend it for students who really need to learn to write and study more efficiently, or for students entering middle and high school.

Five Minutes to Better Reading Skills:
I am ashamed to say that I never got to use this one with my 3rd grader, although he probably needs it. I was able to look through it numerous times and am aiming to really give it a go this week. Once I do, I'll post an update.

This book contains short (as in five minute) lessons called "drills". You use these with a student at least twice a week but you can use them daily. These drills begin by having students read aloud a list of words. You'll notice the drill list word characters are spaced further apart than in normal reading; this extra spacing of the letters helps students with visual perception difficulties. After the pre-reading of the list, the child is given a "one-minute timed read". The teacher has forms to use to log how many words were read correctly, plus how many words were read per minute and how many errors were made per minute. The goal is not only to be able to read fastre but to have accuracy. The mastery guide lets teachers know when to move the student on to the next drill. This program can be used for grades 1-adult because you can adjust the words-per-minute mastery level.

Bonnie Terry Learning carries other products such as The Sentence Zone, The Math Zone, Super Spacers, and more. She is a Board Certified Education Therapist who started Bonnie Terry Learning in 1992 as a way to help share her learning support materials with teachers and parents around the world! Ms. Terry says, "Our philosophy is that all students can learn; they just need the tools and the encouragement to find their wings to reach their goals. And we have results to prove that this is true."

-Lynn

Noah's Ark Toy

2009-03-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

As if one free play set weren't enough, the people over at http://www.one2believe.com/, who sent us a nice Nativity playset earlier this year, surprised us a second time with another tales of Glory playset, Noah's Ark.

As before, my preschool daughter couldn't wait to tear it open. I had to remind her that the box has a bonus points coupon printed right on it to help you save money on future purchases (and who doesn't like to save money?). So we carefully removed the playset, then she flipped out! She likes it, well, because she knows the Bible story and of course, all little kids just like new toys.

Mom likes it because it's cute, helps me "tell the tale" in a touchable, hands-on fashion, and best of all, all the pieces store inside the ark! Easy cleanup. Another TOS Crew mom mentioned it floats so we'll be trying that out at our next bath.

I also like the fact that inside every box is a guide to assist parents in teaching the gospel and Bible stories to their children, based on the age of the child. Plus the children get a mini storybook that contains the Bible story relating to the toy. Just open the box and read aloud as the children interact with the 3-inch PVC characters and build not only Bible understanding, but imagination.

It's really cute and very child friendly. The animals are a bit silly-looking but that gives them even more appeal. We've been playing with it for over a month now and it has held up to typical four year-old wear and tear. This set is part of the Tales of Glory collection and contains a Noah figurine, 14 animals, guide, mini story book, and an ark large enough to hold everything inside.

This set costs $29.99. Great for home, church, or preschool use.

www.one2believe.com also sells Proverbs 31 dolls, playmats, and an assortment of other toys. Check out their website for parent and child resources as well.

-Lynn

SpellQuizzer review

2009-03-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

This is a neat computer program. So far, neither of my boys have had much trouble spelling (thankfully). But I will still enjoy using this product to help them review their weekly spelling lists.

It is so simple to use and only took a few minutes to download. You can try it free for 30 days by going to
http://www.spellquizzer.com/ and click on Download Free Trial. To buy SpellQuizzer the cost is only $29.95. You can use it over and over, year after year, with new children and new word lists.

How SpellQuizzer works: the parent begins by entering in the child's weekly spelling word list and then makes audio recordings of the list words (using your own microphone---not a necessity..more on that in a sec). The SpellQuizzer software then quizzes the child, playing each word back to him, checking his spelling as he types in the words. SpellQuizzer corrects him when he types in a word incorrectly, and re-quizzes him on any words he missed once the first pass is completed. Just set up the child's list on Monday, and have him spend no more than five to ten minutes a day letting SpellQuizzer quiz him. By the end of the week he will be ready for his Friday spelling test at school. SpellQuizzer is also ideal for spelling bee preparation and even summer-time review.

SpellQuizzer works well for children who don't like to write and is a fun way to review lists of words.

*Note from Lynn--SpellQuizzer works much better in my opinion if you have a microphone for your computer. Reason being is parents can actually type in each word and then say it in a sentence to use as a clue. When the child plays the game, they will be able to hear the word and clue being spoken aloud. Due to a recent computer virus and the recovery of our system, we didn't have a chance to re-install our microphone. So in our case, SpellQuizzer asked me to type in a clue that the child could read to remind them of the word. As opposed to using the pre-made word lists with built-in playback feature, it just wasn't as effective without hearing the words and clues being spoken. While not a necessity to use SpellQuizzer, I'd certainly make the $10 investment and run to the local Wal-mart and grab one.

I liked reading the tips that pop up when you use the software. One tip was to make silly clues to playback. For example, for the spelling word "pickle", your spoken aloud clue could be "Get that pickle out of you ear!" This would be right up my 9-year old's alley.

Overall, a fun and cost-effective method to getting children prepped for spelling tests and bees. I give it two thumbs up. :)

review of Artistic Pursuits Senior High level book 1

2009-03-05T17:06:00.000-08:00

My oldest son, Nick, is an 8th grader pursuing some early high school credits. One of the latest test products we received is going to be extremely helpful in getting a jump start on that. The product is a complete art curriculum called ARTistic Pursuits. Visit their website at http://www.artisticpursuits.com/ to see their wide variety of complete art curricula.

We were given the first senior high level book called The Elements of Art and Composition. The spiral-bound volume contains enough self-directed art lessons for one full school year. This schedule has a student working on art for about two hours per week.

Each unit is broken down into 4 lessons. The first lesson is always on Building a Visual Vocabulary, followed by lesson 2 on Art Appreciation and Art History. Lessons 3 and 4 always cover Techniques and Application.The book begins with an overview of how to get started. This is written to the student and is very easy to follow.

Nick's first lesson was on the use of space in art. He sat at the kitchen table with his book, paper, and pencils. After reading through the non-threatening one-page lesson he began the first assignment: drawing an outdoor scene with use of both active and non-active spaces in the drawing. After about 45 minutes he was able to not only tell me what he had learned but to show me a very nice sketch he had produced. He also commented on how easy the lesson was to understand and how much he liked it.

The book has some very nice art reproductions in it. I appreciate the fact that Nick can do this on his own and free me up to work with the "littles" at our house.

The back of the book contains two very useful pages: one on how to evaluate the student's work to obtain a letter or number grade, and also how to gain high school credits from this course.

Both senior high volumes only cost $42.95 each. There are volumes for all grade levels each costing $42.95. That's a great price for a year's worth of quality student-led lessons.

-Lynn

review of Heads Up! frames

2009-02-28T08:41:00.001-08:00

http://www.headsupnow.com/

Heads Up! frames are just one of many products meant to help "all kinds of special kids". The Heads Up Now company sells organizational helps (like timers and colored notebook paper for coordinating subjects), memory helps, books on helping distractable children, and books on children with sensory integration issues, speech and language therapy aids, and vision aids such as the Heads Up frames I reviewed.
These are little colored plastic overlays that a student can place over words or problems on a page. They help block in pertinent information on a page while the colors help the student to sustain attention. The frames come in many different colors and sizes. I was happy to get to try these as my son, with some vision problems, seems to need something to put under the lines on the paper he is reading or he tends to lose his spot. So we have tried the frames in different shades and shapes, on and off for a few weeks now. I can tell he reads better and more efficiently when he uses a frame (he prefers blue) but getting him to remember to use is the hard part. The smaller sizes would be a great book marker. I may try leaving one in each of his books all the time so he has them handy.
For children who get overwhelmed seeing what looks like a ton of work to them, especially those math fact sheets, you can help them focus on one problem at a time using these frames. With my children, when they think a task is impossible, they tend to give up before they even begin. Blocking out a few problems at a time makes the task less daunting and much more manageable.

I like the way the frames keep the distractable child on task. Reading is one of those things that my son easily loses his place in. Its no fun to read when you look away from the paper continually and then look back, only to realize you're lost. I was a fairly fast reader growing up; I'll never forget how much I dreaded classroom read-aloud time because I knew not everyone read so fast and I'd be sitting and waiting. I have to admit in times past, reading with my son, I have had that same feeling of exasperation again, not because his reading skills have upset me but because I am upset for him. I really like these frames and I think they will help him to become much more focused, and a much more efficient reader.
I really like the looks of quite a few of Heads Up Now's books. I'll probably be back to order from them at some point.

I have given away a few of the extra frames to friends to try. If you tried them with your children, I'd appreciate your commenting and telling me (and other readers) what you thought of the frames. I have other frames that we won't use for give-away also, so if you'd like some for your class or personal use, let me know. Thanks!
-Lynn

I love it when I have a plan!

2009-02-26T10:35:00.000-08:00

I love it when I am briefly organized and have a plan. I always enjoy planning out our next school year. Sometimes I think I like the planning of it much more than actually trying to implement it, but oh well. It always looks so perfect and do-able on paper. I'm sure I'll be tweaking it all repeatedly before the first semester is over.

My plan for next year is to use Blessed is the Man for my oldest son, who will begin 9th grade. I have always loved unit studies but I get a little squeamish thinking about using them for high schooling. Nonetheless, it looks thorough and so we are going to give it a try for 9th grade. We'll add in a complete math program and be done there. In one year, if it is a failure, we'll switch to a correspondence course, online-schooling, or all video-schooling for him.

My two younger children will use Five in a Row together for at least one year. I'll beef it up a little for my 9 year old with additional reading, math, projects, and worksheets, whereas the 4 year old will use it for kindergarten with an addition of only some phonics.

I'd like to hear from those who have tried Blessed is the Man.
Off to search through my FIAR resources! Any local FIAR buddies want to do some activities together next year?
-Lynn

update to Five in a Row, FIAR

2009-02-25T21:02:00.000-08:00

I found this wonderful homeschooling site that I can't wait to stay up reading until 2 am!!!
Best of all, it has FREE resources for the Five in a Row books so you can add-in other materials if needed. This is just what I need for my 3rd grader to be able to do FIAR with my preschooler next year!!!! YAY! Not to mention all the other neat stuff. :)

Check it out ladies:
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/

review of Math Tutor DVD series

2009-02-25T17:41:00.000-08:00

Up tonight on Lynn's homeschooling product review....the MathTutorDVD.com Video Series! (applause) Okay, I know...cheesy intro. I just get tired of saying, "Today's review is about (fill in the blank)." Can't blame me for trying to liven things up a bit. ;)
Let me just get to the review (and if you find teaching mathematics difficult in any way, then reading this review will probably liven your perspective up A LOT).

I am NOT a math loving mom. If you have read ANY of my blogs you must know that. Okay, I like basic math fine, and every now and then a light bulb flicks on in my head on some more difficult grade level math problem, and suddenly I actually GET a concept, and then, for a mere moment, math looks a bit entertaining to me (*side note-I am glad I homeschool; maybe now I will finally learn all those things I didn't learn in public school!). Doesn't it feel good when you see that "ahhh" moment in your children when you know they've finally "gotten it"? But what about those times that they just don't...when no matter what you try, tears flow down little cheeks (or big cheeks) and self-esteem begins to plummet. Ever wish you could hire a really good tutor? Take a peek at what http://www.mathtutordvd.com/ has to offer.

Personally most math gives me the heebies. Anxiety disorder at its worst. Unrelenting flashbacks to that old green chalkboard in Algebra II...standing mortified, as snickers (or yawns) erupted from the mouths of my genius fellow-classmates, who were waiting on me to solve that crazy half letter-half numeric problem. It was kind of like the TV show "Name that tune" with all of the waiting (but none of the annoying elevator music). You know how the contestant stands there, mouth opened slightly, eyes shut tight, grasping desperately at straws for an answer that lies no where in his mind. Yep, that was me in parts of Algebra. And parts of Algebra II. And Geometry.

Now at age 35, I refuse to let my children feel that badly about any subject so long as I can help it. I have vowed to use whatever resources God has provided, even if it means switching curricula with each child, until I find their "fit". Above all else, I want to be certain they never feel nervous or anxious about math, such an important subject which builds upon itself as the years go by. So many kids like myself were passed through classes with C's; why not go for true mastery learning?

If you find your student lacking skills in any area of math, the Math Tutor DVD series can certainly help.

We have used two of the company's titles, Algebra II and Word Problems. My sons, ages 9 and 13, both went through the entire Word Problems video each day as a supplement to their regular math courses. I am glad they did because word problems can be an area where students get easily confused. I watched some of the episodes with them. While I can't say I was enthralled with the subject matter itself, I was excited to see the concepts explained so thoroughly. These videos are lengthy, about 8 hours worth of tutoring, if you will. The author and teacher, Jason Gibson, who holds both a BS and Masters Degrees, stands at a white board and works problems step-by-step, multiple times. It is like having a personal tutor come into your home. He is a very mild-mannered, calm man who makes you feel confident in the material you are learning.

My boys also took a few lessons in Algebra II. It was way beyond anything they have covered yet, so we'll save this one for later.

The videos are not a complete curriculum. Mr. Gibson assumes you have been taught the concepts listed at some point; he will simply go over them again in various ways to practice them and explain them differently. They are all for practice and review.

The problems in the videos progress in their level of difficulty. All the DVD's play in standard DVD players and in computers. The videos I received contained a combined total of 14 hours of in-depth instruction and there are 19 videos in the total product line. The average length of a course is 8 hours and the average cost of each course is about $27! Can you imagine spending only $27 for a personal tutorial lasting 8 hours?

The website at http://www.mathtutordvd.com/ has free clips from each course video. There is also a money back guarantee which certainly makes this series all the sweeter. MathTutor guarantees raised grades or your money back.

What I like most about this series is the thoroughness...this man leaves no stone unturned! Boy, when he covers it, he COVERS it and that's not a bad thing. I think I could grasp even some harder math concepts myself if I had had these videos to go along with my traditional programs in school. Those returning to college would also find these extremely useful for dusting out the mental cobwebs. These videos can be used to teach or refresh any age level.

Blessings,
Lynn

homeschooling co-ops: gotta love 'em!

2009-02-25T17:12:00.000-08:00

We SO enjoy our weekly Wednesday mornings at co-op. My kids like picking their classes each semester and being with someone new as a teacher. I like the fact they are having to sit under another Christian parent's feet and learn to obey someone besides mom! And I like getting to teach classes that my children might not enjoy. Our co-op is also a great way to get the kids into some classes that I might not feel capable of teaching well, such as high school level sciences.

Boy, our little preschool co-op class has really grown. We always have about 17 children, ages 2-5, for two hours. They are getting bored inside and I can't wait to get them back onto the playground to burn off steam! Come on, sunshine!

There is never a typical day at co-op either...coffee pots overflow onto floors...kids swing from trees in the survival skills class...preschoolers escape the room...special guests show up as pirates and teach them how to knots (so they can tie up their siblings later on at home, I'm guessing)...kids taste green eggs and ham...science experiments go awry...its just wild but so much fun.

For the next two days both of my sons get the excitement of day trips to hike, rappel and go caving with their survival class leaders and classmates. I am not sure which they are more excited about--the trips or the fact that we can count is as field trips/school days with no bookwork!

I thank God often for our local homeschool group and co-op. These moms and dads work hard to have so many fun and educational activities for their children. I cannot imagine not being part of it all.
-Lynn

review of Bible Story Songs: David

2009-02-23T16:45:00.000-08:00

Bible Story Songs presents...DAVID: Shepherd, Psalmist, Soldier, King!

From the Bible Story Songs website:

"This delightful 1-hour length album is a compilation of new songs on David. Thirty-one new songs about the stories of David's training as a shepherd boy, his singing and psalming, his faithful service as a soldier, and his kingship. This is the 6th double-length album from Bible StorySongs, Inc.; a music company started by two grannies who discovered that kids can learn about the Bible easily and effectively by singing!"

This was an easy review to do.

I received the David cd, which is one of many this company produces, such as Moses and Matthew.

I have always used songs to teach preschoolers in our church, VBS, and with my own children. I also learn things easily if set to music and I like to buy all sorts of cd's with educational songs on them. How much time do we spend driving when we could be using a musical cd to sharpen our minds? My little girl enjoys playing in her room solo at times and will stay a bit longer if I let her play her cd's. So I like having useful, good-quality music on hand for her, and its even better if that music is taken from God's word! When we're children with minds like sponges, it is so much easier to "hide His word in our hearts". This one went straight into her collection and she has asked to listen to it often.

It has 31 songs sang by both children and adults. Before each song there will be a little snippet of information pertaining to the song or from the Bible story from which the song is derived. Some songs are originals while others follow familar tunes such as When Johnny Comes Marching Home. The ones I have listened to are simple, easy, and catchy tunes.

The thing I like best about this cd is the website resources that you can get to use with it. http://www.biblestorysongs.com/ has free lyrics for each of their cd's, plus sheet music, song books, puzzle books, projectable lyrics, and more. This would be an excellent way to use music with preschoolers or elementary students in a group setting like a homeschool co-op or church choir.

The costs for the David material are:

David CD - Order $9.99 (Free David e-Lyric Sheet)

David e-Sheet Music - Order $9.99

Bundled Set - Order $16.99 David CD plus David e-Sheet Music

DAVID e-Transparencies FileAdobe PDF - Order $4.99

-Lynn

review of Homeschooling ABC's

2009-02-17T21:14:00.000-08:00

Whether you are new to homeschooling, debating over homeschooling, or already fully immersed and needing some really helpful hints, tips, and links, we all need Homeschooling ABC's!

http://www.homeschoolingabcs.com/

Homeschooling ABC's is 26 email "lessons" for parents involved in or about to become involved in homeschooling. Each week parents get a new lesson delivered to his or her inbox that will contain basic homeschooling tips, links to great sites, links to free products and curriculum, action plans, and wonderful advice that seems as if it is coming from veteran homeschool friends over a casual cup of coffee. :)

I SO looked forward to each new ABC. I have been homeschooling for about 8 years now but there is always room for improvement and wisdom. Homeschooling ABC's motivated me to think outside the box, try new ideas, and see clearly again just why I chose to homeschool in the first place. If it helped me after being involved in homeschooling for such a long period of time, I can't imagine how much it would've helped me had I been starting out! I spent countless hours searching the net for homeschooling information since way back in 1997 when I first began considering it. These emails contain all you need to know to get started in much less time. Not to mention that you'll get $200 worth of curricula which will be given to you over the course of the next 6 months after signing up for "classes".

Here are some of the topics you'll cover as you work your way through the alphabet:

Determine YOUR philosophy of education

Understand your children's learning styles

Learn the ins and outs of buying & selling curriculum

Find out how to get and stay organized

Learn how to teach multiple ages at the same time

Make the most of field trips

How to handle the "S" question - Socialization

How to start each day WELL and keep it going that way

Get hundreds of dollars of free curriculum

Homeschooling ABC's comes to us from husband and wife team Todd and Terri at http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/. Some of you may already be familiar with other products from this wonderful site such as maps and the How It Really Happened history lessons.

You know what I would like if I were just setting my feet down on this homeschooling journey? A close friend to help me down the road with gentle nuggets of wisdom, exciting websites, and more. Or you could just buy me a subscription to Homeschooling ABC's! The cost to join the Homeschooling ABC's class is only $10 a month for the duration of 6 months. That's only $2.30 per class session.

Kudos to Todd and Terri for finding out what new homeschoolers need and helping them to succeed!

-Lynn

review of Math Mammoth

2009-02-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

Let's talk about Math Mammoth. Math Mammoth is available at http://www.mathmammoth.com/. These are a series of inexpensive down loadable math workbooks for grades 3-8 and complete down loadable math curricula for grades 1-5. There are four series of these math e-books, written by Maria Miller, a math teacher. The series are Blue (math presented by TOPIC for grades 1-5), Light Blue (this is the complete set for grades 1-5), Golden (worksheets organized by grade for grades 3-8; not a complete text), and Green (worksheets for grades 3-8 organized by topic). Please note that there are no explanations in either the Green or Golden series, just problems.

The website goes into great detail about which item to use with your children. You can sign up to receive the Math Mammoth emails/newsletter and you'll get a bonus of 280 free worksheets and sample pages.

I got to download two products, the Golden series grade 7/pre-algebra set and the complete Light blue 3rd grade set. I really think these could be a very useful and cost-effective tool for homeschooling families. My only setback was I didn't have as long as I usually do the test the products extensively. Math texts are not something I want to skip around in so we began...where else? At the beginning, which is, as Maria sang in The Sound of Music, a very good place to start. Unfortunately we have only covered about 20 pages of the third grade book. There have been a couple of times where I wasn't sure what my son was supposed to do on a certain section of a page but overall, I felt the set would be worth the small investment. The sheets for this grade are grouped into little sections with plenty of practice work in each area. All your basic grade-level topics are covered in a mastery approach fashion, with plenty of emphasis on multiplication.

As for my older son, we tried to tie the Math Mammoth sheets in with our current ALEKS.com pre-algebra lessons and it made it very confusing for him. The ALEKS site doesn't necessarily present the material in the same order as the Math Mammoth site, and although I think I could look into the topics presented in each and try to correlate them, I simply didn't have sufficient time to do so.

I am no math whiz...ask me about history or language or spelling even, but not math. Ugh. So I always find the need for a very detailed explanation of each section or I cannot teach it to my children. In the older grades you get the worksheets and answer keys but no explanations. If I remember correctly, some of the author's material was originally written to coincide with tutoring sessions rather than as a complete stand-alone text. With both of us being weaker in math than other areas, I found within the first 2-3 days of use that the Golden and Green series would not be suitable for my oldest son alone, nor are they meant to be. But I am sure that if you have a child who just needs some additional practice (but already has a decent grasp on pre-algebra) these sheets would be great. Again, the prices for these products is outstanding for what you receive.
I hope that after my son has a thorough grasp of pre-algebra then we can return to the Math Mammoth sheets for review and drill work.

I would be more inclined to purchase this product for my younger son, for whom the complete set is available with explanations. :) The Blue series electronic books only cost between $2-5.50 each so it'd be pretty inexpensive to try. I would suggest getting the newsletter with the free pages/samples and then going from there into perhaps purchasing one of the Blue books to try.
-Lynn

review of Five in a Row

2009-02-10T09:22:00.000-08:00

This is an overall review of the Five in a Row products by Jane Claire Lambert. You can find more reviews of this product and others on the sidebar under TOS Crew. To see sample lessons, pricing, and all available FIAR products visit http://www.fiveinarow.com/

I have used Five in a Row vol.1-3 (FIAR), FIAR Vol. 4, the Christian Character supplements, the recipe book, and Beyond FIAR for years, on and off, and will be using all FIAR vol.1-4 as my daughter's main curriculum this upcoming year. I will also allow my third grader to use it with her by adding more "meat" to it to get it on his grade level. I have purchased Above and Beyond for my oldest but didn't use it because we jumped into Learning Adventures unit studies after leaving FIAR. I might pull it out as a nice summer supplement.

I was overjoyed to receive another copy of Vol. 3 from the Lambert family, which I plan to pass along to someone else via a contest on my blog here, just as soon as I figure out how to hold one. :) We have not used Before FIAR (ages 2-4) but I am sure my daughter would have enjoyed it if we had. We borrowed a copy of FIAR Holiday-Through the Seasons from our library and used it a few times around specific holidays.

Ahhh...where to begin? I have found this curriculum to be relaxed, enjoyable, highly educational, with little-prep time needed, low-cost, easy to implement, and it brought happiness and joy to my homeschooling! We started out our homeschool days with FIAR and only stopped using it due to my children's ages. It will be like greeting an old friend when we get back into it this fall with my four-year old!

The cover of FIAR volumes 1-4 all feature a soft painting of a family curled up in a comfy chair as a mother reads aloud. Even the family cat is listening! With 95% of the FIAR books and lessons we completed, that is exactly how we felt. I have never been so in love with a curriculum for the younger set. And goodness, we have used/tried a variety of books and supplies over the years, so I don't say that lightly.

Now that I've gushed over FIAR a little, let me explain to you how it works and how we used it for years as our base curriculum.

FIAR and its following volumes are unit studies based on wonderful children's literature. Books chosen for FIAR are often (perhaps always) award-winners with good moral messages. I found many of the books to be a bit old-fashioned and nostaligic.
There are about 55 lessons in vol. 1-4 (which is more than enough for the traditional 36-week school year). It is geared towards children ages 4-8 but you can modify it easily to be used with younger or older siblings. For example, using it with my older son I would require him to do dictation from our read-aloud (not mentioned in the book that I recall), penmanship, additional reading on the subjects we cover, additional worksheets and printables, and add in more math/grammer. Now before I scare you away from FIAR, this is NOT necessary when using it with the recommneded age levels. And finding additional resources can be done easily online under a Google search for worksheets. For an older preschooler, kindergartner, and possibly even a 1st grader, I'd say FIAR is really all you need. FIAR has a message board where parents share sites for additional free resources, because unit studies can work well when you combine all your students together using a little creativity. FIAR recently has added some new items such as digital products (I will be looking into those).

FIAR is very self-explanatory and easy for even the most sleep-deprived, frazzled homeschool mom to learn to use. It covers social studies, math, art, language, and science. You will need to add in additional math and phonics for your older student.

You won't need many unusual products to use FIAR (things like notebooks, index cards, etc. are called for); some basic art supplies are also needed/listed. *note-we really enjoyed the art with FIAR. My oldest son and I liked doing the lessons together, each of us sketching away the afternoon...

You will need the story books that correspond to each lesson. You will read the book once every day for five days; thus, FIVE IN A ROW. Many of these books were available from our local library or through ILL (Inter Library Loan). Others I bought used off EBay and Amazon, or at thrift stores/yard sales. Some we could not locate or were out of print and so we simply did without them and our program was not hindered in any way. With 55 lessons spread out between the four volumes, we didn't need every single book for a year's worth of studies. And you don't have to start with lesson 1 or even volume 1! You can begin with any of the basic FIAR volumes and cover them in any order. **I personally would suggest covering Volumes 1-3 before using vol. 4. It uses slightly harder books and is really aimed at ages 7-8. But again, that is only a suggestion. Your younger children might really enjoy it.

I bought the first three volumes very close together. That way I knew I had plenty of lessons to rotate through just in a case an occasional book was difficult to locate or was checked out. If you buy the correspsonding Bible Character books and the recipe book, you'd have a very well-rounded curriculum.

It is easy to tell at a glance what you need to do for the day. Mom reads directly from the manual, which is a combination teacher's edition and student book at once.

How it works: let me give you a sample of a typical day using vol. 3. for the lesson on the book Daniel's Duck.

I would have the book on hand. Together we'd read the book aloud.

Next I'd open the volume to the lesson and begin with a typical Monday, which is planned as social studies day (again, you can do a different subject on Monday. FIAR has the family focusing on one core area of learning per day, so Monday is social studies, Tuesdays are language, Wednesdays are art, etc.). I see five different social studies activites there. I can choose to do all five or only one or two. It all depends on the child's age and whether you want to savor it all now or save some activities and repeat the volumes again at a later date. I'll choose the first activity, which is to briefly go over the state of TN, where the story takes place at. This is followed by placing a Story Disk (found in the back of your book) on TN. This helps the child to learn geography and keep track of all the books you've read. It is also good for reviewing places you've been in your studies. The Story Disks in vol. 1-3 are unlaminated and ready-to-color by your children ( in vol. 4 you'll get the color, laminated Story Disks and the Christian Character supplements built right in. That is a great perk to using vol. 4!).

If I were aiming to complete the 4 hours per day law in our state, I might find that I need to complete more than one daily activity. I see another activity that looks good: listing all the aspects of country or cabin life shown in the book. This falls under observation, classifying skills, and penmanship, if the list is written.

On Wednesday for example, I would begin again by reading aloud the story, reviewing what we discussed on previous days. Then I'd pick an art activity. I see one that looks like fun...soap carving.

I would at this point add in my Bible study using the FIAR Christian Character Supplement for vol.3. Then finish my child's day using our math/phonics. THATS IT!

I found that reading the story each day followed by the Bible study, math/phonics, and a few FIAR activities usually filled 2-3 hours for my early elementary children. For the few years we used FIAR I never administered tests or felt overly stressed during school; yet amazingly enough, my children responded well to this study and I knew they were learning by the facts they often reiterated to me. Even years after use, my children would randomly recall facts from the books. Recently we were looking at a map of Manhattan Island and my kids recalled the story of the little red lighthouse that a bridge was built over. Another time a friend gave my middle son a set of model aircraft from olden days; my son immediately recognized one of the bi-planes from a former FIAR study.

I liked the way I could just pick it up and go, so long as I had the story book and the basic supply list on hand.

This curriculum is not for you or your child if:

your child does not like repetition, because you'll read the same book daily for five days

your are more confortable having your child work from worksheets or you feel the need to do lots of paperwork for "proof". FIAR often uses hands-on activities and discussion rather than book work.

you cannot access the books needed to complete the studies

FIAR might be for you if:

you want to try a relaxed, gentle approach to homeschooling

you want your children to love learning rather than dread schooling

you like good literature

your children enjoy being read to

your children learn well though repetition

you have multiple ages that might be able to work together

you don't have a lot of time to learn to use a new curriculum or you need something easy to use

I cannot recommend this curriculum enough. I'd love to hear from others who have used it.

-Lynn

Sunday, Sunday

2009-02-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

Today was nice, although it started out hectic with trying to get to church and Satan throwing small hurdles in front of us all the way. It was refreshing to hear our revival preacher and to see people lifting their hands to worship. Maybe we're not "dead" after all. Maybe we can be revived. Maybe I will soon be revived again.

It was especially nice to get away from the books, the computer, the to-do list and take a walk with the kids and animals in the sun....beautiful spring-like weather (only I saw it at a blur as our newest dog literally dragged me through the neighborhood). I haven't been jerked and yanked like that since we moved here years ago and trained our first dog to leash walk. Whew! I wish I could pay my sweet pastor and wife to jog him around the neighborhood as they go (Kari, if you are reading this, would you like a sweet, mildly stinky jogging partner about 2 days a week? :)).

It has been a blessed week actually. Everyone at home has been pleasant 99% of the time with very few threats from mom; we have had a good balance of busyness and rest; and I spoke with a few trusted friends about issues we were facing that made me very aware God is still there and still merciful. It was as if these conversations had all been planned by Him, as if these friends and I were planned to meet and chat and seek God's will together. I hope I was able to encourage them the way they encouraged me.

Meeting with some other homeschool moms for Bible study was especially nice this week. No one else can quite understand me like another homeschool mom. I needed that time with these women. I so look forward to seeing them again for another hour of study this Tuesday night.

By tomorrow morning, new review deadlines will come and school will be back in swing for another week. Winter is still upon us but soon spring will come. I look forward to more days like we had this weekend, porch-swing-kind-of-days with no hurry, no worry, fellowship, and reconnecting. Our weeks and even our Sundays aren't alway the day of rest we need. Sometimes we just need a little taste of a Mayberry Sunday afternoon.

-Lynn

TOS Crew review of Write Shop Story Builders

2009-02-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

Oh, we had fun with this one. I just don't do much creative writing with my kids. And that's sad, considering what a great communication skill writing is and how much I enjoyed it in school. We tried daily journaling a few years ago and soon quit. We get easily sidetracked by other new studies. Our unit studies have quite a few writing assignments built in but they can be sort of dull, especially for my third-grader. I had been thinking we needed to do a lot better with writing regularly and I needed an easy method to make writing fun again. Write Shop Story Builders was one of those free downloads that came, rather mysteriously, just in time. I got two of the programs to use; World of People and World of Animals, both by Kim Kautzer and Debra Oldar.

The concept behind Story Builders is very simple: a student from grades k-12 chooses at least 4 story cards to make a "story starter". You get two printable identical decks of cards with words on them. One deck will be in color and the other will be black and white so you can use whichever deck you choose to print. You cut the cards out after printing onto card stock (laminate beforehand if you want them to last longer). The words on them fall into categories such as characters, character traits, settings, and plots (it is suggested that you print the different categories onto colored paper for easy sorting later on. For example, print all the character trait cards on purple, all the plot cards on yellow, etc.). Store your card categories inside Ziploc bags, small jars, envelopes, whatever method works for you.

Now its time to use the sorted cards to write your story. There are six suggested ways to do this with children of writing age. You can try the Round Robin method, where each student takes four cards. You set a timer and each writes part of a story using the cards they have chosen to get the characters and plot started. When the timer goes off, have students trade papers and continue working on the story that is now in front of them. Do this swapping every 2-3 minutes for 4-6 rounds and then see the results you get. This one can make for some very silly stories that the kids love to hear aloud. Another neat method and one that we liked is the basic 4-card method with the daily add-a-card option. Children start by picking one card from each of the four categories. They use this to begin their story. Set a timer and have them write for 5 minutes or more, putting their pencils down as soon as it goes off. Then the next day they pick up where they left off, but first they add a new card from one of the categories, thus adding a new character or twist in the plot! Do this daily and at the end of the week you have your students tie up any loose ends and finish the story. This also makes for some imaginative creations.

There is even a narration option for using this curriculum with your non-reader. I haven't tried it yet but it looks easy to implement. My daughter, age 4, loves to read and would probably enjoy trying to make up her own stories this way.

My boys may never come to love writing the way I do, and they sometimes dread the subject. But I have to say that using these cards sure livens up your writing and really gets the child creating! We should teach children to write well and for the goal of getting grades, but whatever happened to children just writing for pleasure, to let thoughts flow freely onto paper without fear of dreaded grammatical error? That is the killer of pleasure writing---fearing those grammar errors. Most kids, it turns out, will actually enjoy the writing process if given the chance to explore it freely and not always for grades.

I think that must have happened with me. My mother taught me to love books early on. Then I must have had a teacher who encouraged me to write for fun. By 7th grade I was completing my own novels, some of them a whopping 30 pages, with all my friends as the main characters. I knew sometimes writing was for a grade but I didn't dread it or fear it, because I had grown to love it. And being an avid reader helped me to naturally pick up some grammar and that obviously helped. By my senior year I had gotten into a Creative Writing class with a dedicated, wonderful teacher, and happily worked for the school yearbook staff, produced a few more stories and poems for a school literary magazine, wrote some song lyrics, and the official prom poem. Small stuff yes, but big to me at the time. Later in life I was able to write my own wedding vows, heart-felt letters to loved ones, have a couple of short articles featured in homeschool books, and now, am enjoying blogging. None of this is said with the intent to brag because I feel there is always room for improvement, but rather to praise the fact that I was encouraged to pleasure-write as a child.

Writing is a necessary skill. We must be able to effectively communicate. And so often we stifle the creative process at such a young age by focusing on correct use of grammar and punctuation in our children's work. Use this curriculum and bring the joy back into writing. Be silly, be serious, but just write! There is room to improve the child's grammar later, after we have let him be free to write without interruption or criticism.

You can use Write Shop Story Builders World of Animals or World of People card decks for all grade levels. Interchange them for variety and chances are you'll never use the same story card combination twice, especially since more card decks are being made. Check them out at www.writeshop.com
-Lynn

Catchin' up is hard to do...

2009-02-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

Whew. I am BEHIND. Never to see daylight again as I sit trapped at this computer desk, looking at the world through open blinds. There go the neighbors jogging...Hi Josh and Kari. That sunlight must feel good on your faces. There goes James, the chip truck man....toss me some chips, James; I need some munchies to get me through! And across the road is our sweet baby neighbor--I sigh thinking she'll be grown before I get over to visit her.

December was used up by a sick child. January went well until the last two weeks. That's when I had my first 6-day on and off migraine. Yay! Probably an analgesic rebound headache. Those are great fun. You think they're gone, that the meds have kicked in, and then BAM! Two hours later it's back, worse than ever. I spent most of a week coming out of hiding for a bit only to retreat a few hours later into a dark, quiet room...again. My kids lived on Ramen noodles and junk food. Thank goodness for a VERY responsible teenage son who can hold down the fort. Most of the time anyway...I don't think my younger two kids had baths the entire time! Blech! And my dogs never got fed, but they have survived and are rationing food lately. My old Granny Dog, Countess, takes her food bowl and sleeps on top of it, growling at Teddy Bear. She isn't so sure she won't fall upon hard times again.

Well, the snow came through and finally, my headache lifted and was gone! Thank you Lord! But during my headache pains I had literally overdosed on caffeine pills and caffeine-laden drinks to help ease the throbbing head-splitting pain. My body didn't respond well to all that Sundrop, so it decided now might be a good time for a little urinary tract infection-revenge. After 2 days of AZO pills with no real relief, I gave up and ordered some antibiotic, which I try not to rely too heavily upon. But its a good thing I had it on hand, because I needed it this past weekend when the sinus infection decided to move in. Three or four days on antibiotic and I finally think I am healed. I just hit 35 this year and that's a scary number to me; almost immediately I began to think my body had decided to fall apart!

During this time at home, our homeschool co-op held its annual International Night. I have never missed this! It is great fun and such a good learning experience. Each family picks a country to study for a few weeks and then they set up a display about that area and give a presentation. And most importantly, they bring ethnic dishes to taste. I like to eat; I like to try new things. Ok, I admit, its all about the potluck. :) By the time one of my conditions was better, we didn't have the time to finish studying and get our display and table ready.

Also during this time, almost every day for two weeks either the mail carrier drove up to the house with a package or the UPS man arrived. More homeschool products to review. An entire spelling curriculum...a reading curriculum...two unit study books...a new toy to play with...and on top of those items, three or four downloadable products came though my email. All these reviews can get very tricky when they fall back-to-back like this and are due at the same time. I worry about shoving aside our regular curriculum to try these new items. Will it cause gaps in our learning? Will we again be behind and have to hold summer school to catch up? Nick cannot afford to get behind. He is entering high school soon and I don't want him to be hindered in any way.

But then I stop, take a breath, and begin to see the Lord's hand in it. We weren't happy with our old spelling curriculum anyway, and now we have a new one. I really wanted the unit studies, too. The toy will be easy to use as will the Bible songs CD, and will keep our preschooler busy. Deadlines, yes, but these free products sure are a blessing. We may chug our old curriculum in favor of some of this new stuff if it works well. And I cannot forget the value of these free products; I have enough art curriculum for k-12, all FREE. Two nice Apologia science texts with tests and answer keys. A fun creative writing program. Lots of free e-books on every subject imaginable from homophones slavery to nutricion to Bible timelines. It IS worth it and being part of the TOS Crew is a huge blessing.

Catching up may be hard to do, but I have a new anthem...I will survive.
-Lynn

All About Homophones E-book by Marie Rippel

2009-01-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

Homeschoolers tend to collect books and educational aids that take up so much space. I have all subjects for every grade from 8th down to pre-k in my home because I cannot toss the items as I might need them as my children move up. That is one reason why I am so glad to see E-books really becoming available for homeschoolers to use. They are so easy to use. You simply download the files onto your computer where they can be stored, or you can store them on a CD, a flash drive, or use free online file storage sites. Then you retrieve the files to print and use as needed. No wasted shelf space; no wasted paper. Good for the environment and mom's sanity.

Today I will be reviewing a new E-book I received called All About Homophones, by Marie Rippel. All About Homophones is also available in regular printed book form. The cost for the paperback book edition is $29.95 and it's 250 pages long. Your cost for the e-book that I am reviewing will be $27.95. Its also convenient to buy e-books because you get immediate delivery of the ADOBE PDF file in your inbox...no waiting on the mailman to deliver your book! Just open your mail attachment, download it, and begin to study.

I really like this e-book and feel that the amount of information contained in it would make it very well worth the download. What you get are easy and fun worksheets, graphic organizers, word lists, games to print, and activities to teach homophones all the way from grade 1 through grade 8. Very economical. I think most of us homeschool moms enjoy a good bargain. I know I really appreciate items that can be used for all of my children for one low cost.

Ms. Rippel begins by teaching the parent what homophones are and then offers many suggestions on how to use the worksheets and other items she's created. She also tosses in more ideas to reinforce the child's learning such as teaching homophones with books, tongue twisters, puns, and more.

I would personally not use only the recommended grade level worksheets of this book for my children; instead I would go back to the 1st grade level and let them each work their way forward to their correct grade level, just to be sure they hadn't missed any homophones along the way. Then I'd add in the crosswords, puzzles, and games as needed for reinforcement.

An idea to save paper using this e-book might be to place each worksheet you print into a clear sleeve and do the work with a wipe-off marker. Then you can reuse the pages for each child. Unless you live in a place where you feel the need to save lots of completed sheets for record-keeping and proof of work.

I really like her use of card games as well. She explains in clear instruction how to play 6 different games using the printable cards she has included. Kids will love practicing their homophones using games like Pig, Snap!, Go Fish and more. The illustrations on the cards have an old-fashioned appeal and printing the cards on colored card stock would add to that appeal and make them durable. As I always go for making things last long enough to meet the needs of three kids, I would laminate them as well.

The worksheets have neat little trivia and facts at the bottom. I actually enjoyed reading them myself. I tell the kids they can't read the trivia until the sheet is complete and then cover it up.

I really do like this book. I can't see how any child could do the work in it and not become a "homophone expert". But I am not sure how many parents would buy a separate book for teaching homophones as most spelling or language programs cover them at some point. I know my curriculum already has a section on homophones built right into it. I would feel that unless a child just couldn't grasp the concept clearly using our current curriculum, that I might not need to purchase an additional curriculum for this one subject area.

However, if I were an English or language arts teacher or simply felt we needed more practice in this area, this book would be perfect for us.

Ms. Rippel is obviously very knowledgeable on the subject and using this book will certainly help your student.

Please take the time to read what other TOS crew members are saying, and then visit http://all-about-homophones.com/order.html to learn more.

-Lynn

Kinderbach Piano Lessons review

2009-01-05T17:48:00.002-08:00

Teach a 4-year old to sit still and learn to play piano and LIKE IT?? It can be done, and done eagerly, with Karri Gregor's delightful KinderBach music lessons.

I was very glad to get this product to review. I had been considering it for quite some time as I always wanted to expose my children to music. My only complaint is that I have to use a dial-up connection to access this site, which slows it down considerably since the lessons have downloadable videos, games, songs, and print-outs. But KinderBach is also available on DVD, which I intend to obtain very soon. :) I was able to allow my daughter and also my then 8-year old son to test the first 3 weeks worth of lessons. Both my children stayed focused and enjoyed their "music time". I heard my daughter pick up on the songs and little phrases from the lessons quickly. When presented with a coloring sheet from the site featuring Dodi the Donkey, with no prompting at all, Ash was able to tell me where on the piano keyboard Dodi "lives".

Karri is a perky, enthusiastic music teacher who has a way of capturing preschooler's attention. She founded KinderBach after wishing a piano teacher would take her preschool children in for lessons, but she was always told they were "too young". Karri's previous experience owning a studio with 150 students and video-taping her lessons for absentee students had given her the knowledge she needed to form KinderBach, her online piano instruction site for children ages 2-7.

Now parents can simply go the site at http://www.kinderbach.com/, log in, and present their children with a variety of exceptional lessons on not only piano but music theory, note reading, rhythm, ear training, hand position and much much more! There are also DVD's and activity books to go along with the lessons. Children are taught the notes and staff using characters such as Dodi the Donkey and his pal, Frisco, along with Carla the caterpillar, Edward the eagle, Felicity the frog, and many more. Lessons are fairly brief which is always a plus with preschoolers. With this system children do not have to be able to read to learn to play. And you don't even need a piano! An inexpensive keyboard will work just fine. Parents don't need any musical background to implement this program, which is intended to last one year.

Karri says,"KinderBach was designed to give your child the over all music foundation. Your child can take everything they have learned from KinderBach and apply it to another instrument or continue further with piano. KinderBach was designed to be a spring board, taking this information and just going to endless bounds with what they have learned!
I know KinderBach is a proven method. Over 5000 families have already tried it. We have received nothing but raves when it comes to our curriculum."

There are three options when it comes to using KinderBach to give you the most benefits for your students:

The KinderBach Learning Center offers Online Piano Lessons for young children through web video, printed activity pages, interactive games and unique ‘piano karaoke’ songbook participation. This is what the TOS magazine crew were given access to and I would have really enjoyed this option on a faster internet connection. The content is well worth the price and I don't have to leave home to drive my children to lessons! Yay! The videos are fun and upbeat and keep the little ones moving, dancing, interacting. This is the most economical choice.

Classroom KinderBach is a music program for early childhood education facilities or community centers. The teacher’s materials include teacher aids, lesson plans, teacher’s guide – everything needed to give quality preschool piano lessons to groups of children.

KinderBach at Home offers the same engaging piano lessons as the online videos without the interactive gaming. This DVD course is perfect for slower internet connection. The company suggests you try the online lessons before purchasing the DVD's. (This is the route my family will take to be able to really use the program). You can get the entire Year one bonus package for $217.75, and you'll be able to use it with all your children for years to come, making it more economical than traditional piano lessons.

Families can take advantage of free lessons as well as a guarantee after purchase.

The site also has lots of information on how music corresponds to learning the 3 R's.

So if you intend to use KinderBach at home, check out the value packages available. If you happen to want to teach KinderBach to a group of at least 5 students, or if you work in a daycare or preschool, you may also be able to get special package rates or funding under the Classroom KinderBach program.

I hope you'll visit http://www.kinderbach.com/ and give your early learners a bright musical beginning.

Lynn

TOS review: www.Puppetools.com

2008-12-22T21:49:00.000-08:00

Jeff Peyton, the inventor of Puppetools, deeply believes in the importance of using play in education. He has devoted years of his life to research supporting his beliefs. His website at http://www.puppetools.com/ is a wealth of information on using play in the classroom to prevent learning from becoming drudgery.

His site contains a few free downloadable puppet patterns, sections for parents and educators, ideas from not only classroom teachers but students themselves, and many videos and photos of finished puppets being used in the classroom.

He is the creator of the "paper talker hinge" system, which makes his puppets very unique.

I felt our family did not benefit as much from this product as I had hoped. Being a highly creative person with a large and active childhood imagination, I already strongly believed in the theories Mr. Peyton suggests. I already know the benefits of hands-on and active educational learning versus traditional workbook learning. So much more is retained when children actively do. My problem is not lack of creativity or disbelief in the theory so much as it is finding the time to do the fun learning activities in the midst of all the routine school work load that has to be done. The good thing about Puppetools is that puppets are shown used in unit studies, circle time, and so much more. It might be that there is time for puppet play in my home after all, depending on how easily they can be worked into our daily core studies.

I cannot see however, spending money on a subscription to this site when I can do well on my own searching for free puppet patterns via Google. I am very fond of making crafts that last rather than those that fall apart quickly and end up in the trash. I am afraid that paper puppets would not hold up well in my home. As another mom said, it'd be simple to use brown paper bags and free puppet ideas online to make puppets to go along with your studies.

I also had trouble getting the many videos to load fast enough on my dial-up connection. That might deter a few families in itself, as it seems much of the knowledge found on the site is hidden in the depths of the videos. The videos also allow us to "meet" Mr. Peyton as he explains his ideas.

Of course, other families might find the information presented well worth the cost, particularly if they are involved in a homeschool co-op or church puppet ministry.

You can get a trial subscription lasting 60 days for $20. This might be an option for parents to really delve into the site; as for me, I cannot see myself spending that much to try it.

For those involved in groups who can split the cost, up to 30 users can pay $99. This seems to be a much better option for trying Puppetools.

If you have any questions, Mr. Peyton seems to be very knowledgeable and friendly to our TOS Crew group of reviewers, and I feel confident he would love to help you in any way he can.

Lynn

TOS review: Let's Make a Web Page!

2008-12-22T21:43:00.000-08:00

MotherBoardBooks.com teaches "Let's Make a Webpage!"

Phyllis Wheeler of http://www.motherboardbooks.com/ has written this simple but highly informative E-book for 8-12 year olds to teach them, step by step, how to make their own webpages. She asks the question: if kids in public schools get to use the computer lab (or in eleven states, MUST take a computer course to graduate), shouldn't your children also be taught computer science at home? Her answer is yes, resounding through her website's many offerings of programs perfect for homeschooling children to use.

Although "The Computer Lady", as she is called, has geared this e-book towards an upper elementary-middle school age bracket, I found it highly useful as well. I have no web page design skills whatsoever, beyond using easy page builders at sites such as geocities.com. I barely understood codes and HTML at all, until using this e-book.

I couldn't believe how easy the book was to read through and understand. A motivated child over the age of 10 could complete every activity in this e-book with very little parental help.
Ms. Wheeler begins in lesson one by having the child interview someone. This interview is supposed to be the basis for the website. My son chose an entirely different topic to use...the plan of salvation. It doesn't make any difference, really, what topic the website is covering, as long as it is something the child enjoys talking about. In lesson two the reader is directed to download a free trial of Coffee Cup Software's HTML Editor. You will use this software to finish the remainder of the project. Once you have the software installed, you are off and running! Lessons 3-10 cover such topics as adding text, making tables, adding photos, animations and backgrounds; and finally, posting your work. You learn many terms concerning HTML and publishing that you might not have known before. And Ms. Wheeler makes you feel as if she is in the room with you, gently coaxing you on as you read the instructions.

I felt the book was very clearly written and easy to follow. I felt is was well worth my time to test this product and I am hoping to allow my son to finish up his webpage over holiday break.

The author also provides two additional links to free editing programs you may choose to use in place of the Coffee Cup HTML Editor.

Other computer education books are sold at http://www.motherboardbooks.com/, such as Logo Adventures and Computer Science Pure and Simple.

This program can be used on a PC (including Vista) or a Mac with Parallels Desktop.

The price for Let's Make a Web Page is $29.99.Currently this is discounted as an introductory special to $19.99. There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Lynn

reviewing www.ALEKS.com

2008-12-21T12:07:00.001-08:00

Taken from the www.ALEKS.com website:

ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) can provide you with the instruction and support you need to homeschool your children in mathematics for grades 3-12. ALEKS is accessible from virtually any computer with Internet access, making it a flexible and mobile educational solution for your children.

ALEKS is a Research-Based Online Math Program:
Complete Curriculum Solution for Math - One Subscription Allows Access to All Courses
No Textbook Required
Artificial Intelligence Targets Gaps in Student Knowledge
Assessment and Individualized Learning for Grades 3-12
Automated Reports Monitor Learning Progress
Unlimited Online Access - PC & Mac Compatible

And now Lynn says...

I can't believe I forgot to review ALEKS! I completely missed my deadline. For some reason, a load of TOS reviews were due in December, which made it a little trickier to stay on top of it all.

I had been faithfully writing my review deadlines on our family calendar, but this one slipped right by me. I never even wrote it down. I just noticed it was due last Wednesday! What's so sad is that I just got moved up from an alternate to an official TOS crew member, so I now have this late review tarnishing my super-cool writer image. ;)

So here are my many personal thoughts on ALEKS math:

I have tried so many math curricula over the years. We've used dept. store worksbooks, ABEKA, SOS, and a lot of Saxon. Math is not my strong point. I am getting better at it the more I teach it to the kids, but it isn't something I really enjoy. I'm more of the history/literature type girl. My school years were filled with math anxiety. I think it all began in third grade when I stayed sick repeatedly, and kept missing key concepts I needed to build upon in higher grades. Nowadays I would panic if I had to count back change at a yard sale! It would bring back memories of standing at the blackboard with all those eyes boring into the back of your head when the answer just isn't there. Wow, this fear runs deep....maybe I need some ALEKS help, too. The good thing is I believe it is available for parents to use as well.

I never want my children to feel so inadequate about a school subject. I am hoping that if we continue to use ALEKS for math, that will compensate for my own short-comings while giving them a firm foundation. Besides, it makes me feel "safe" to know that math is covered, freeing me up to do those unit studies that I so enjoy. As with www.time4learning.com, having the boys be able to do a portion of each day online is such a benefit to this busy mom's schedule. It gives me time to spend with our preschooler and any daycare children that might be here. And I know my son's time on ALEKS is serious stuff; ALEKS is not a game site.

In fact, you won't see flashy videos and bright colors on ALEKS. At first glance, ALEKS seems rather bland. But my 8th grader likes the simple screen, with only one problem at a time. He says its less distracting and overwhelming for him, and I can see from his progress reports that it must be true, because he is learning. We have been able to try him briefly in both middle school math level 3 and now pre-algebra.

Let me tell you some of the pros of using ALEKS.com:
First of all, the child who will be using ALEKS must begin with an assessment, usually 15-30 math problems. If the child comes upon a concept they are unfamiliar with, they can choose an option which says, "I haven't learned this yet." The ALEKS system uses artificial intelligence to track the child's progress and keep track of what he has/hasn't learned. After this initial assessment, the child is given his own pie chart. It is broken down into sections and as the child completes problems from the sections correctly, the slices are colored in, making it easy for the child to chart his own progress. Nick likes the pie; everyday when he logs in, his screen goes directly to his pie where he clicks on a "slice" (subtopic) he needs to work on. He feels he is in control of his math course just by getting to pick the topic of the day. He may choose geometry, fractions, decimals, etc. I like that the artificial intelligence is used for assessment and daily work. I really feel that feature accurately shows exactly what my son knows and where he needs help or review.

For the child who is overwhelmed by pages with 30-50 problems on them, the one-problem-at-a-time approach is simplistic and works wonders. No more tears! Some might find the lack of color dull but when a child is easily distracted, the simple design of the screen makes it easier to focus on the task at hand.

Not only can the child see his pie and progress recorded there, but parents can see a list of state standards and a comparison chart of how their child's progress stands up to those standards.

For those who like to see some paperwork or need to keep paperwork for evaulautions, there are printable worksheets.

And for extra review, ALEKS has a feature called Quick Tables which is meant to be a way to review and drill math facts, such as multiplication tables.

My cons to using ALEKS are that between letting one son use ALEKS and the other Time4learning, we will be acruing a lot of fees for subscriptions and spending an awful lot of time online. I have mentioned before that since we have dial-up, this too, can be a problem. We have three computers in our home but if any one of us is online, no one else can be. If we get DSL, this will no longer be a problem. In the meantime, family and friends will continue to suffer through the Callwave internet answering machine.

Secondly, your child doesn't get an actual letter or number grade off ALEKS. You can see on the pie chart the completed work; as the pie concepts are mastered, they care colored in. But in some states parents may find that they need to somehow assign a grade for evaluations. I would record A's as long as the pie shows that math is being completed sucessfully daily.

Third, the cost of ALEKS can be pricy for a one-income family. You can get ALEKS for $19.95 per month per child or pay for 6-months at the cost of $99.95. With one child so close to the dreaded high school years, I have to weigh the cost. SOS would be less expensive, but we used an older, bought off Ebay version for 4th grade and it had so many glitches that I have shyed away from it since (of course, newer versions may not have this problem--I'd be happy to snag a free copy to use and review, dear Alpha Omega company). Teaching Textbooks is another option for higher math, but it too, seems pricey. I have come to the conclusion that higher math, when mom must rely on a system to teach it anyway, will cost plenty. However, it must be done and I want it done well. Since I am so frugal in other areas of homeschooling, and since our unit studies cost so little, perhaps it will be workable to keep both ALEKS for the remainder of this year at least. I know my son loves it, is respoding well to it, and feels more confident in his math skills. He used to shudder at the thought of pre-algebra but now asks when he can do his daily math. I would love to use ALEKS all the way through high school if I can.
Lynn

By the way, we aquired a free trial of ALEKS via The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Anyone can get a free trial, however, just by paying ALEKS a visit.
www.ALEKS.com