Diane Allen Homeschool Reviews

It Pays to Plan Ahead

2013-06-14T14:45:00.000-04:00

I interrupt this blog --- oh wait...... I haven't posted for a month! Where in the world has the time gone? In a flurry of spring activities that's where. At any rate, it's a beautiful day here. I just love low humidity days in the 80's when the cicadas are humming but it isn't hot outside. I can turn off the AC and enjoy the ambiance of open windows while I catch up on tons of odds and

Why do you need this? A little perspective on the essential elements of math.

2013-05-04T14:03:00.001-04:00

At the end of the school year, the days can become l.o.n.g........ Amidst the general distractions of spring and end of the year fatigue it is easy for both parents and children become discouraged and questioning. One particular area of whining complaint questioning is often the area of math. "Why do we need to do this................. ...............................square roots, algebra,

Totally Random, but really Interesting!

2013-05-02T11:47:00.004-04:00

Having grown up on a farm; studied wildlife biology as a major in college; married someone who majored in wildlife biology; taught biology for many years; had two sons who worked as junior curators at the science museum and lived in the woods for 30 years --- well, I found this totally fascinating. I hope you enjoy learning how snakes move in this video from the National Science Foundation. I

Raising Leaders

2013-04-30T22:33:00.002-04:00

I have read much of this research before, but it is so well described and organized in this post, I thought I would pass it on. This is one to put your notebook and review once or twice a year to remind yourself why you want to let your kids do somethings - like fail - or fall - or function without a lot of direction and oversight in some situations. This article by Tim Elmore summarizes

Long time no see?

2013-04-24T15:30:00.000-04:00

Long time no hear -- I know. Actually, I had quite an adventure doing Biology Intensives with Landry Academy in the month of April. I was on the road for over two weeks and my family muddled through without me in their exercise in independent living. It was a good lesson for me too -- the first time I was gone, for 5 days, I worried about things constantly and sent frantic messages to

2013-04-01T01:00:00.000-04:00

Last year I reviewed a very student friend Algebra program called No Nonsense Algebra. Honestly, we were sinking in a quagmire of despair when it comes to algebra in our house. This program saved my sanity and my daughter's schedule. Math Essentials produces many other fine products and this month they are having a sale! I wanted to be sure you knew about this in a timely manner. The

2013-03-29T14:46:00.001-04:00

Long time no hear! Where has March gone? Oh - yeah, shall I list the ways? For me a big hunk of March has been traveling with Landry Academy conducting Advanced Biology Intensives, two day science labs for homeschooled high schoolers. Between the week I was out and the separate four day trip I've been busy trying to do all the things I usually do in homeschool/home-manager mode -- from a

Schoolhouse Review: College Common Sense

2013-03-04T13:26:00.003-05:00

This week I'm starting a series of articles on Homeschooler and the College Decision. A great way to start this series is with a wonderful product I've been reviewing called Going To College And Paying For It Online Workbook and DVD published by College Common Sense. Denise Aims was a college financial aid counselor for 10 years and has produced these products in order to reach a broader

Schoolhouse Review: Flowering Baby

2013-02-19T22:48:00.003-05:00

The most surprising event of my past decade is the joy I have found in becoming a grandmother -- two times over in the last 6 months! Not only is this a new adventure, but being around babies again has brought back memories of my own early days of motherhood. I was brought up before pre-school was part of the landscape of childhood. However, my grandmother was an experienced teacher from a

Are Local Conferences Worthwhile!

2013-01-28T20:33:00.002-05:00

Despite the proliferation of one line support, virtual conferences, and email loops I believe that nothing can substitute for a real live conference. In-person conferences provide an intellectual and emotional respite as well as an educational opportunity for moms who spend every day meeting the multiple demands of homeschooling. The Heart of Homeschooling is a mainstay in Wake County. For

Tough decisions......

2013-01-13T22:07:00.003-05:00

Today our church started a new series based on the book Greater by Steven Furtick, pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte NC. Our pastor used a quote I remember resonating when a read the book: Good is the enemy of Great! It might be better interpreted "Good enough" is the enemy of great. When we settle for what is good, we often shut the door on achieving something great. This quote

Is it January already?

2013-01-08T00:47:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year yall! Today is the first day back to school for the spring semester. I'd show you pictures of a truly wonderful Christmas here but I can't seem to get them uploaded from my phone and I'm way to tired to figure it out right now. Ginger started a new online class, did a lot of math, started The Great Gatsby, practiced the worship team music and did other stuff I'm sure I

Media Analysis Group with Student News Daily

2012-12-20T23:45:00.000-05:00

In the Past we have used God's World News and I love that magazine, especially for younger children. Our family has a subscription to W0RLD Magazine and it provides the balance we need in news coverage plush a focus and range of topics we couldn't find anywhere else. Ginger enjoys WORLD, which I initially found surprising since this is a serious magazine (remember she's not a "reader"); this

Of Puppies, Ponies and Children

2012-12-20T00:37:00.002-05:00

I once shocked a client when I said that training children was very much like training puppies. Ok, I can see how one might find that a bit of a disconnect; nevertheless, it is true. In the particular incidence I referenced I was making a connection to the importance of giving a beginning learner - be they puppy or young person -- of any skill a task that is somewhat enjoyable and absolutely

100 Things To Do With A 100's table

2012-12-12T21:06:00.001-05:00

If I had to list ONE math manipulative I couldn't teach without it would be a basic Hundred Table. This is a 10 inch square chart with one numeral written in each 1 in square box. Do not start with zero -- the last number on each row should be a multiple of 10. My own ideas for instructing young children using a 100's table came from Dr. Ruth Beechick. Back in the early days of homeschooling,

Skip Counting for visual learners

2012-12-10T12:21:00.000-05:00

A friend on a forum asked for suggestions for a skip counting cd. Immediately I thought of how I taught skip counting using our Hundred Table. Using a table like this works better for visual learners than a cd alone, which only offers auditory stimulus. I also think hundred's table provides a visual cue that will cement the fact mentally. This visual component is essential for visual

Flipping Your Classroom

2012-11-20T18:52:00.000-05:00

One of the new trends in education is the concept of the "flipped" classroom. This term mainly refers to a traditional classroom setting. Rather than the teacher standing in front of the class during limited face time with their students to lecture, they assign students video lectures to watch at night and then invest the precious class time in interactive activities. This concept has really

Cyber Monday? Math Sale!

2012-11-19T12:29:00.000-05:00

I understand that today is Cyber Monday -- a day when we are encouraged to shop online, get ahead of the shipping rush, etc etc. This came across my desk this morning and I decided to repost her in the spirit of hour. Math Mammoth is having a sale. It's a significant sale too -- 25% off all products. If you are frustrated with your math program, or feel your child needs a little "

Schoolhouse Review: Vocal Coach

2012-11-15T23:35:00.001-05:00

Another year of product reviews comes to an end with a product my daughter could get truly excited about. For over a year she's been thinking about taking voice lessons, so when an opportunity came to review a series of voice lessons on mp3 by Vocal Coach, Ginger jumped at the chance. Vocal Coach Singer was designed for anyone who wants to learn proper voice control - singers or speakers -

Schoolhouse Review: Journeys of Faithfulness

2012-11-03T21:08:00.001-04:00

Apologia Press has again teamed up with young author Sarah Clarkson, this time to produce a devotional book for teen girls and their mom called Journeys of Faithfulness: Stories of Life and Faith for Young Christian Women. The book is structured into four parts with three chapters each. Each part revolves around one Biblical woman: Mary and Martha, Mary Mother of Jesus, Esther and Ruth.

2012-10-30T22:56:00.000-04:00

My daughter's writing teacher showed this to the group today. I make no endorsement of any of this humorist's work, save this one, which will cause you to fall into the floor laughing. If you are going to teach Shakespeare to your teens this year I can't think of a better introduction.

"Wherever you are - be all there"

2012-10-29T13:46:00.001-04:00

Today Ginger is at an all day event and I'm at loose ends at home. Once I got over the testing client who failed to show up on schedule, and decided a day alone was a God-send I felt a sudden sigh of relaxation. I have a LOT to do with my class, my blog, my cluttered closets etc; but with more than enough for 8 hours of found time I don't feel as stretched and rushed. The house is unnaturally

Schoolhouse Review: Crossbow Education Reading Rulers

2012-10-25T23:38:00.000-04:00

Everyone who's taught a child to read knows that using a straight-lined reading guide, or a convenient finger tracing along under the words, helps keep young eyes focused on the words and tracking left to right. The truth is, students who continue to struggle with reading often can benefit from continued use of some type of reading aide. Crossbow Education has produced a set of colored,

Left Brain, Right Brain: How Do You Know and Why Should You Care?

2012-10-03T00:20:00.000-04:00

The information and links on this post go with the talk I give locally by the same title. I want to thank the following people for helping gain understanding of my children's learning style, as well as my own. Dr. Diane Michael - my son's Orten Gillingham reading tutor 20 years ago who became a mentor and friend. She encouraged me to continue homeschooling despite discouragement. She taught

Saturdays at Home

2012-09-29T22:42:00.001-04:00

I'm not a natural domestic and because I really don't like decorating, much less re-decorating, you won't find many posts on any of my blogs about the newest thing I've done with paint and fabric. However, I have this year accomplished two things I feel are share-worthy because they might be solutions someone else can benefit from. One is about saving money: With the excessive heat this