Frugal Homeschooling

Have a Great School Year!

2008-09-10T10:53:00.004-05:00

Well, this has been an interesting experiment, and I've found a lot of cool resources. But I have definitely spread myself too thin. I guess I need to focus on my specialty, which is math --- so I will be limiting my blogging to my Let's Play Math! site for now.

But for those of you looking for great homeschooling resources, Diane Flynn Keith has been ferreting them out for years. Check out her lists:

The Best of ClickSchooling

ClickSchooling Yahoo Group

And best wishes on your family's homeschooling adventure!

Labor Day Weekend / End of Summer Bash

2008-08-30T21:36:00.001-05:00

Don't miss it! Pop over to the Homeschool Freebies site for free downloads galore. Time is limited, so act quickly --- the fun ends Monday night.

Women's Suffrage, and Playing with Wordle

2008-08-27T10:47:00.003-05:00

[Image created using Wordle.]

When things calm down, I plan to get back to posting mini book reviews each week. For now, I'm doing good to get anything posted at all! But I have been looking for an excuse to play around with the Wordle online "toy," so I copied the carnival of homeschooling into it, just to see what came our. (If you have trouble reading the fine print, click to enlarge the image.) This ended up taking much more time than I thought, because my old screenshot capture program couldn't handle the java image. I had to install Jing, which worked like a dream.

This week's homeschool blog carnival celebrates women's suffrage. Stop by and enjoy the history and the wide variety of carnival entries:

139th Carnival of Homeschooling- Women’s Independence Day Edition

I haven't had a chance to read even a quarter of the posts. The carnival seems to grow longer every week, and there are always so many interesting articles that I have trouble choosing where to click first. But I like to post highlights each week, passing on a little link-love to my favorite bloggers. (Every little link helps, right?)

So here are several articles that drew my attention:

Your Year in Preview: Starting the School Year Off Right
"Don't write off the fantasy just yet. Allow yourself to see the possibilities of what could be, instead of wallowing in what is. We are capable of doing so much more than we think we can. The secret is to work smarter and make choices that reflect your priorities. Here's the challenge... pick just one thing. That's right, which piece of our fantasy scenario tugged the most at your heart-strings?"
180 Poems
"A poem a day for each day of the school year..."
Adventures with Alice - Another amazing free programming tool for kids and teens!
We tried this program, but didn't have as much success as Jennifer's boys had. Still, my dd is taking a college programming class that uses Alice, and I am interested in giving it another try. Meanwhile, we'll look into the scriptwriting link at the end of the article...
Waiting to Be Discovered: Primary Level Artist Appreciation-A Free 36 Week Art Curriculum from Little Acorns
Wow! This deserves a post of its own. Check it out!
iTunes U
University courses on the iPod? This is an article I must pass on to my dd.
Frugal Homeschooler: Preschool Printables
Our kids are past that age, but NerdMom offers five great links for anyone with littles.
Practicing Spelling: Yes, It Really Can Be Fun
"I know there are some homeschoolers who don't bother with weekly spelling lists. I suspect that my kids wish that their Mom was one of those homeschoolers. But, in case weekly spelling lists are a reality of your homeschool as well, why not try a new activity next week with your kids while they study their words?"
Home Spun comic strip #257
What do you call a homeschooler who is always on the run from one activity to another?
If you want to share give the author credit
A timely article, since just this morning I found one of my most popular (math) blog posts copied yet again---this time, it was passed on to a homeschooling Yahoo group, without attribution. In that case, I was glad to see that another group member recognized it and posted a link to the original. But it is good for all of us to remember that blog and forum posts are copyrighted, just like books. The content belongs to the original author, and they should receive credit due. For more information, read I Love Your List! I’m Going To Copy It!

Carnival hostess Renae is a homeschool mom of three in East Texas. She writes, "My days are consumed making a peaceful and nourishing home for my family. I desire to renew my mind according to biblical principles. This will be my life long pursuit. Truth is my passion. When my children are grown, I intend to go back to school to officially become a teacher, so I can inspire more generations to live in liberty. I will also finish at least half of the scrapbooks and sewing projects I’ve started."

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Division Flashcards, and Free World U

2008-08-26T10:23:00.007-05:00

This week's freebie from CurrClick is just the thing for my 4th grade daughter. We can print these on index cards, clip them together with a linking ring, and practice on the go. (It seems like we are always on the go to somewhere. What ever happened to home schooling?)

Division Flashcards

If you like this product, be sure to check out the other flashcard sets from Homeschooling with Index Cards.

And if your students enjoy learning with flashcards, here is one more resource to consider:

Free World U

This website offers a wide variety of online flashcards for K-12 students. I spent some time browsing and tried a couple of their card sets (high school biology, and 4th grade social studies). I don't know whether we will end up using the site, but it is an interesting concept.

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More Computer Trouble...

2008-08-21T08:49:00.007-05:00

[Photo by S Baker.]

Ah, the joys of antique equipment! Between computer problems and an urgent list of things that need to be done before school starts (okay, I missed that deadline!), blogging has become temporarily impossible.

While I'm gone, I hope you will take some time to browse some of the other excellent educational blogs out there. Here is a list of edublog carnivals, copied from the sidebar widget on my math blog.

What is a blog carnival?

Carnival of Education

Carnival of Homeschooling

Carnival of Mathematics

Other Edu-Carnivals

Active Learning Blog Carnival

A Teacher's Life

Carnival of Canadian Home Educating Bloggers

Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers

Charlotte Mason Carnival

Learning in the Great Outdoors

Teacher Potluck Carnival

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Math Caching Game

2008-08-14T05:53:00.000-05:00

In the treasure-hunting game of Geocaching (pronounced "geo-cashing"), players use GPS systems to locate boxes hidden at different geographical locations across the country. Now, the creative people at Mathbits.com have created online activities for junior high and high school students, called MathCaching. Students solve mathematical problems to find hidden "boxes" on the Internet. Each box reveals clues to the location of the next one.

Here are the MathCaching levels now available:

MathCaching for Basic Math Skills
The "BasicCaching" game covers prealgebra skills such as fractions, ratios, percents, order of operations, signed numbers, exponents, sum of angles in a triangle, mean, median, and probability.

Algebra
The "AlgeCaching" game challenges students with order of operations, equation solving, integer and consecutive integer word problems, slope, distance, midpoint, area, radicals, exponents, factoring, quadratic equations, and rational equations.

Geometry
The "GeoCaching" game requires knowledge of angles, reasoning, parallel and perpendicular lines, triangles, congruent triangles and proof, quadrilaterals, area and volume, polygons, similarity, circles, and transformations.

Algebra2
The "Alge2Caching" game tests such topics as absolute value equations and inequalities; radical equations, functions, logarithms, exponentials, quadratics, complex fractions, asymptotes, rational equations, sequences and series, Binomial Theorem, and probability.

Trigonometry
The "TrigCaching" game covers right triangle trig, angle relationships, conversion between radians and degrees, reference angles, exact values, area of triangle, Law of Sines, Law of Cosines, amplitude, frequency, period, vertical shift, phase shift, inverse trig functions, and identities.

PreCalculus and Calculus levels are coming soon.

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Highlights from This Week's Carnival of Homeschooling

2008-08-13T05:36:00.013-05:00

The 137th Carnival of Homeschooling kicks off the school year with a trip down 'homeschool memory lane' with a collage of photos from several years of raising kids and home-educating them.

"The memories are priceless... and I wouldn't have traded ALL my burnout, stress, or bad days for any one of these smiles in the pictures."

While not priceless, the many articles by homeschooling bloggers are well worth browsing, too. Here are a few of my favorites:

The Montessori Method
Sadie compiles a helpful list of links to Montessori resources.

Name That Unschooler
Can you identify this mysterious philosopher of education?

Book Arts Bash: An Unlikely Explosion
Lydia offers an update, and an impressive list of judges. Are your kids working on their entry?

Why They Shouldn't do Their Work in Front of a TV
When copywork goes bad...

Bridging the Gap: Mother-Daughter Time
Jacque offers a fine list of girl-bonding-time activities.

Break the Rules. Just Do it Well.
An excellent post about high school essays, teaching, and how to repent when you've been an idiot.

Chore “Time Cards”
Are your children learning real-world skills (also known as chores)? Here are downloadable pdf time cards to help them keep track of their work.

Carnival blog hostess Heather of Sprittibee says, "I'm a Christian Homeschooling Mom who likes to spend free time thinking through my fingers on the keyboard. I update this site daily, so come on in and enjoy the buzz."

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Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, and More Freebies

2008-08-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

[Photo by ldcross.]

Be sure to check out this week's freebies at:

The Homeschool Freebie of the Day

Each download is available for one day only, so don't procrastinate! These are wonderful resources.

Tuesday, August 12: "The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever... Made Simple!"
Amazing tips for baking the perfect cookie, from Lorrie Flem - yum!
Wednesday, August 13: "Ancient Literature about Alexander The Great"
A compilation of primary historical sources by Laurie Bluedorn
Thursday, August 14: "Aunt Mary's Primer"
Vintage 1800s reading primer, loaded with great pictures
Friday, August 15: "The Story of Siegfried for Children"
This mythical story, retold for children - great color illustrations!

And you won't want to miss this week's free resource at CurrClick:

August Book Bag

The August Book Bag is packed full with 129 pages of fun. According to the authors, "It may say August, but it can be used year round and for years to come." Includes:

unit studies on apples and sunflowers
Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh
bar graphs, pictographs, and comparison charts
story wheels, and a book to make
mapping activities and timelines
personal weather trackers
calendar materials, and a sunflower clock
quilting activities, life cycles, oodles of yummy recipes, and many more activities

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Spelling it Right - Learn to Spell Confidently

2008-08-11T05:52:00.012-05:00

[Photo by anomalous4.]

Are you concerned about your child's (or your own) spelling skills? Even good readers can find spelling difficult. Unfortunately, spell checking programs donut work two will fur a week spiller, if ewe no watt eye men.

We all know that people judge us by our spelling. Poor spelling creates a bad impression, and no one wants to look stupid. But what can a weak speller do? Whether you are an adult who has always struggled with spelling or the parent of a child who needs spelling help, here is a website that you may find useful:

Spelling it Right - Learn to Spell Confidently

Author Roger Smith offers advice about dealing with spelling problems and a collection of free printable worksheets. Topics include syllables, consonant blends, prefixes, suffixes, and more.

Check out these pages

The skills you need to be good at spelling.

How parents help children become better spellers.

Help for adults who are weak spellers.

Master the most important words

The 150 Most Commonly Used Words
The top 10 words make up about 25% of all you read and write, and the whole list will cover nearly 85% of the words you need. Learn them, check them, and re-learn them to perfection.

Games for spelling practice

Shannon's game
A teacher-guided game that helps children recognize common spelling patterns.

Word chains
A pencil and paper word game for all ages.

Look, Cover, Write, and Check
Practice your spelling words online, or use a pre-programmed list. (An Ambleweb game.)

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Computer Trouble

2008-08-06T08:47:00.003-05:00

[Photo by youngthousands.]

Oh, dear! My computer has died again, and I'm afraid this time it may be for good. It has been hobbling along for the last 2-3 years, throwing occasional tantrums but usually working well enough. I will certainly miss the beast! Fortunately, I can use my daughter's computer to check email and other emergency stuff --- but I may not be able to put together a blog post for awhile. See you later!

The Overachieving Homeschooler's Quiz

2008-08-05T16:48:00.004-05:00

While waiting for the Carnival of Homeschooling, I read some other posts at The Homeschool Cafe. And discovered a link to this hilarious online questionnaire:

The Overachieving Homeschooler's Quiz

Be sure to click the "Grade Your Answers" button at the end. Enjoy!

Free Lectures in Honor of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing

2008-08-04T05:30:00.003-05:00

An announcement from The Teaching Company, one of our favorite resources for high school history:

Ancient Origins of the Olympic Games

"In celebration of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, The Teaching Company is proud to present a pair of free commissioned lectures.

"Although the modern version of the Olympic Games has been around for over 100 years since its revival at the 1896 games in Athens, the Olympics have a rich and exciting history that goes back to ancient Greece. A crucial aspect of Greek culture, the ancient Olympics emphasized the ideas of heroism and honor established by Homer's epic poetry. The games were meant to celebrate physical strength, speed, and manhood. Most importantly, they embodied the spirit of competition (agon) that defined ancient Greek life.

"The games as they were played back then bear a striking contrast to the Olympics as we know them today:
Athletes originally represented their families and not their communities.
Women were not allowed to compete and only unmarried women could watch the games.
There were no team sports; rather, individual athletes competed against each other.
The games never moved to different locations; instead, they were always held in the city of Olympia in southern Greece.
"Despite their differences, the ancient Olympics were as celebrated as today's games. The first Olympics captured what it meant to be a citizen of Greece. The Olympics of today capture what it means to be a citizen of the world."

You can download Ancient Origins of the Olympic Games any time until September 4, in mp3 or iPod format. Enjoy!

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Carnival Of Homeschooling - The Boy Scout Edition

2008-07-30T06:13:00.000-05:00

How frustrating! I am having computer problems, so there will be no "Book of the Week" or new post today. But don't forget to visit this week's Carnival of Homeschooling at Consent of the Governed:

Carnival Of Homeschooling - The Boy Scout Edition

As always, there are plenty of great articles for your browsing pleasure. Enjoy!

The Book Arts Bash: A Summer Writing Program

2008-07-29T05:34:00.003-05:00

[Photo by gotplaid?]

Are your students eager to put their thoughts on paper? Or do they struggle, intimidated by that blank, white page? Or are they like me --- a little of both? Even the most reluctant writer may be motivated by knowing that a real person (not "just Mom") will read his creation. In case you missed the announcement a couple of weeks ago, I would like to highlight a wonderful opportunity for writers of all ages:

The Book Arts Bash

From the website

" The Book Arts Bash is a brand new writing contest for homeschoolers, unschoolers, upschoolers, and outschoolers! Our goal is to have fun writing and illustrating, and to stretch book arts across the curriculum.

"The deadline is October 1, so get scribbling! Explore 20 categories, and enter as many as you like! There are five age groups, from kindergarten kids to homeschooling moms and dads."

Browse the list of contest categories

Look over this delectable list to get your creative juices flowing. Which of these would you like to write? As a bonus, the guidelines for each category include teaching tips!

Picture Book: Original Story, Familiar Tale, ABC Book, Pop-Up, Fractured Fairy Tale, or Non-Fiction

Blog: Entire Blog or Single Post

Drama: Classic Revisited or Original Skit

Fiction: Short Story, Original Fable, Original Legend, Novel Excerpt, or Novel Cover Art

Poetry: Single Poem or Collection

Storytelling: Original Story or Familiar Tale

Comic Book

A few contest details

Parents and homeschool graduates can enter, too, so be sure to get the whole family involved. There are five different grade levels in each category: K-2nd, 3rd-6th, 7th-9th, 10th-12th, and Adult.

Prolific writers may enter more than one category. Simply fill out one form for each entry, and then send them in together. There is a small entry fee: $5 for the first entry per family and $3 for each additional entry.

The organizers are still working to find sponsorships and finalize assorted details. Several well-known authors, editors, and storytellers have signed on as judges. See the list here as it is updated.

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Bridge to Reading

2008-07-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

[Photo by The Jamoker.]

Is your child ready to learn to read? Here is a downloadable program that can help your student make the transition from letter sounds to true reading.

Bridge to Reading

From the first screen, the child is reading and writing a (very simple) fairy tale adventure. Pictures, sound, and animation help hold a child's interest. Bridge to Reading has a continually increasing reading level, beginning with small words like cat and dog, and building to 10-15 word sentences.

A quote from the website

Words are gradually introduced through the events on the screen that provide a meaningful context for their comprehension. Introduction of new words is carefully spaced out, so that previous words have become familiar, but there is constant learning... By the end of chapter seven, children will have learned 105 of the most common English words...

Bridge to Reading is fundamentally different from most of the educational games and 'edutainment' programs currently on the market. It has no 'shoot-em-ups', high scores or other distracting elements. In most educational programs, the reward, in sound and animations, is extrinsic to the action the child is supposed to perform; it is a treat given for a trick. In this program, the reward is intrinsic.

Programs for Pre-Readers, Too

Bridge to Reading does require children to have basic familiarity with letters and their sounds. If your student is a complete beginner, try playing with these games first:

Learn Letters
Free Software for learning the alphabet.

Letter Sounds part 1
Free Software for learning beginning phonics.

Letter Sounds - Blends
Blending consonants to make the initial sound of a of a word.

Letter Sounds - 'S' Blends
Blending 's' and another consonant to make the initial sound of a word.

Letter Sounds - Short Vowels
Selecting the correct short vowel to begin a word.

Letter Sounds - Long Vowels
Selecting the correct long vowel to begin a word.

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Just for Fun

2008-07-24T05:33:00.001-05:00

[Photo by Ernst Moeksis.]

Princess Kitten finished her daily FreeRice and multiplication drill games and started exploring my computer. I peeked over her shoulder, and the two of us had a blast browsing my old bookmarks...

When cloning goes wrong

I think Kitten would give almost anything to have one of those cuties as a pet!

We enjoyed ourselves so much, it inspired me to share a few of our other old family favorites with you. Most of these were discovered via StumbleUpon. (If you are not familiar with Stumbling, you should check it out. It's a fantastic way to waste hours on the web.)

Interactive play

Singing Horses
Our very first Stumble bookmark, and still a favorite.

Dog
Move your mouse to see him in action.

Jackson Pollock by Miltos Manetas
Move your mouse, and click it every so often, to create your own Pollock-style masterpiece.

For origami fans

The Shirt
How cute!

Gift Box
"This box made from two bills. The bills/box can be the gift itself, but it is also just about the right size for a ring box. (Perhaps a dollar-bill ring?)"

And if you have a good connection

Princess Kitten has already written about her all-time favorite video. I'm sure she would love to have you visit her blog and check it out:

Funny but dangerous

Finally, here is one of our favorites, a truly phenomenal juggling act:

[If the player doesn't work, go to Amazing Juggling Finale.]

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Homeschool Co-ops: How to Start Them, Run Them and Not Burn Out

2008-07-23T05:11:00.009-05:00

Frugal Homeschooling Book of the Week

Yesterday, I wrote about homeschool co-ops, so today's Book of the Week is devoted to that topic. Carol Topp is a homeschooling mother, Certified Public Accountant, and author of...

Homeschool Co-ops: How to Start Them, Run Them and Not Burn Out

It's a useful book at a bargain price, but you don't have to buy it to benefit from Topp's advice. Check out these pages:

Highlights from this week's Carnival of Homeschooling

Be sure to check out The 134th Carnival of Homeschooling - The 12 Labors of Hercules.

"Most people (and especially most homeschooling families) have at least a passing knowledge of the 12 labors that Hercules had to complete for Eurystheus. I would propose that, as homeschoolers, we face a no less daunting set of tasks..."

So many interesting articles! Here are a few of my favorites, but remember, they are only a small taste of the smorgasbord:

Alasandra is taking nominations for the 2008 Homeschool Blog Awards.

Lydia offers a free pdf unit study, Treasure Island Homeschool Seminar: Literary Lesson Plans and Nautical Worksheets.

Thomas J. West shares some great Music Practice Tips.

Laureen made me laugh with Upside Down and Backwards.

Jena goves Advice for First Year Homeschoolers.

Lori speaks for (and to) many of us with What I Wish I Had Known.

The Princess Mom weighs in with Advice for Newbie Gifted Homeschoolers.

Carnival host blog Life on the Road features the adventures of a full-time RV family --- homeschooling two kids, running a home business on the road, life in an RV, interesting travel and dining experiences, and cats. Tiffany writes, "Our intention is to travel the country doing some sightseeing, some educational trips, visiting our spread-out families, and working our business (everyone in the country has teeth, right?)."

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Planning a Homeschool Co-op

2008-07-22T05:59:00.006-05:00

[Reprinted with permission from Home Spun Juggling.]

Summer is time for planning ahead to the next school year, which makes it a great time to think about starting a homeschool co-op. Would you like to get together with a few other families for semi-regular playtime or field trips? Or do you envision a large organization with several classes for each grade level?

As the Bible says, "Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with abundant advisers they are established." An excellent been-there-done-that adviser is Carolyn Morrison of Guilt-Free Homeschooling. Check out her articles:

Homeschool Support Groups & Co-op Classes: The Basics

Co-op Classes: A Primer

How to Come Up with Co-op Classes

What Makes a "Bad" Co-op Class?

...and many more!

Other homeschoolers weigh in with their experiences:

Homeschool Co-Op Know How
How to start a small enrichment co-op with a few families, plus A Thanksgiving Lesson Plan.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Homeschool Cooperative
Excerpt from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Homeschooling.

Homeschool Co-op Tips
Lots of good advice, including why a homeschool co-op may not work for your family.

Homeschooling Co-ops: Pros and Cons
"Homeschool co-ops can be a wonderful experience, but you must know what you are getting into."

Finally, I offer a few peeks at our local (rural Illinois) homeschool co-op experience:

Spring, the season for planning…
If only my kids could master the art of being in three places at once!

How To Start a Homeschool Math Club
Math enrichment classes are a great co-op idea.

How to harness metacognitive decision-making
A fun look at co-op planning in educational jargonese.

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The Periodic Table of Videos

2008-07-21T06:12:00.002-05:00

[If video player doesn't work, click here: Periodic Table of Videos trailer.]

Learning chemistry? Or simply in the mood for a little excitement? Check out The Periodic Table of Videos:

They are the unlikely new stars of YouTube --- from Sodium and Helium to Lithium, Oxygen, Hydrogen and Argon. University of Nottingham scientists have brought the Periodic Table into the 21st century with a bang, by posting lively video clips about every single chemical element on a new website.

And ‘The Periodic Table of Videos’ has already proved a massive online success, appearing on the UK front page of the YouTube website and registering more than 106,000 hits in just a few days.

More Online Resources for Chemistry Students

Tom Lehrer's "The Elements" flash animation
Even my young children love this song!

Periodic table at Wikipedia
What is the periodic table, where did it come from, and what does it mean?

Periodic Table Memory Pegs
A fantastic way to memorize the elements and their symbols (abbreviations) in atomic numerical order. Be sure to read the instructions, Using Atomic Number Memory Pegs.

Dynamic Periodic Table
Tons of information at a click: orbitals, melting points, density, conductivity, discovery date, and much more.

Visual Elements Periodic Table
A beautiful version of the periodic table, with links to information on each element. Also available for purchase.

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Crazy 4 Math Contest

2008-07-17T05:50:00.002-05:00

I heard of this contest in an e-mail from ClickSchooling:

Kids, share your creative math ideas! Describe how you use math in any activity you love to do — a sport, game, craft, hobby, or anything else.

Send in a description of the activity and how it uses math, as well as any drawing(s) or diagram(s). There are many great prizes to be won. Please ensure you've read and understand our contest's rules and regulations before entering.

Sounds like fun! If you want to enter, act quickly. Entries must be submitted online by July 30th. Visit Crazy4Math.com for more information and to check out the winners from previous years.

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Writing to Learn, and Carnival Highlights

2008-07-16T05:50:00.004-05:00

Frugal Homeschooling Book of the Week

William Zinsser's Writing to Learn will take you on an adventure of learning. "Writing is how we think our way into a subject and make it our own," according to Zinsser. This book is not a how-to-write guide, but a wonderful inspiration for writing across the school curriculum (or anything else you want to learn). Find it at your library, and enjoy!

Check out the Homeschool Resource of the Day

Each weekday, the Homeschool Freebie of the Day posts a unit study, ebook, audio program, or other free resource that is available that day only. Scheduled for this week:

Wednesday, July 16: Homestead Simplicity - A Guide for Homemakers
An ebook of homemaking help from Lisa Barthuly.

Thursday, July 17: 5 Minute Mysteries!
An mp3 audio production. Can your kids recognize the clues and solve these classic mysteries?

Friday, July 18: Kids Fun Recipes
A PDF cookbook with 120 goodies kids can make themselves.

Highlights from the Carnival of Homeschooling

Life is moving slowly in the humid Midwestern plains, as the Red Sea Headmistress treats us to the 133rd Carnival of Homeschooling. Pour out some iced tea, pull up a chair, and treat yourself to a restful day of browsing. I especially liked the following...

Classic poetry and favorite books:

Classic Poetry Read Aloud
Two splendid resources for videos and podcasts of classic poetry.

My Favorite Poem
"My public library recently had a notebook propped up at the checkout desk. On the cover were the words, 'Tell us your favorite poem.' So I opened the notebook to the first blank page, and I did. Now I’d like to tell you, too..."

What We Learned From Laura Ingalls Wilder, J.K. Rowling, and Diana Wynne Jones
"It was like this: I had a book from the library. It wasn't getting read, by anyone. It was a good book - I was sure it was. I couldn't remember reading it as a kid, but I knew it had Potential. And it had to go back to the library. So after breakfast I started reading it to the kids..."

Hands-on learning activities:

Homemade picture dictionary
"It’s so much more meaningful when your kids’ personal dictionary reflects their own interests and vocabulary!"

How to rescue a snow leopard
"One morning your dear child goes to check the mailbox and finds..." an adventure in geography, cultures, and zoology.

Friday Find: Kids Cooking Activities
Cooking lessons with photo and video illustrations, from toddlers in the kitchen to the 16-18 year old Senior Chefs.

Planning, and implementing the plan:

Grade Two: The Very Last First Time?
"This is the year to tweak things--to remember what worked well and what didn't; to gather up and use the pieces that there never seemed to be time for."

Fish or Cut Bait Before It's Too Late
I, too, am much better at collecting books --- 12 tall shelf units, not counting those in the kids' rooms! --- than at actually using them.

Habit Reformation
"Getting back in the habit of doing our academic lessons after we have taken time off...is always like trying to keep all those bowls spinning."

Carnival host Red Sea School is the homeschooling blog of a Minnesota family, as described by the Headmistress: "We’re (almost all) Catholics, we’re Democrats, we love reading, ice skating, Prairie Home Companion, and the State Fair."

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Multiplication Drill Games

2008-07-15T05:57:00.005-05:00

Heading into 4th grade, Princess Kitten needs to master her multiplication facts. She has been enjoying these online games so much that she wrote about them on her blog:

Multiplication.com Interactive Games

Kitten's current favorite is the very girly Fairy Fun game. After working her way through some number of problems (she's never paid that close of attention, but it's more than 30), she gets to decorate her own fairyland scene. She has assigned each fairy a name and personality, developed their family relationships, and carefully puts each one "to bed" on a flower before closing the browser.

If your students aren't quite so "pink and frilly," there is still plenty of fun for them. Kitten also enjoyed the make-your-own-scene finale of Knights of Math. And Beach Rush is a great way to cool off in the hot summer, with a Mario-like side-scrolling game as a "reward" for each level of multiplication practice.

Of course, even in the summer, school is not just fun and games. So if you need a few tips for teaching multiplication:

Teach the Times Tables
From the same website as the games above.

Multiplication: An Adventure in Number Sense
My favorite multiplication resource! Explore the times table and discover some interesting things about how numbers work.

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A Student's Guide to the Study of History

2008-07-14T05:37:00.002-05:00

[Photo by docentjoyce.]

"History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illuminates reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life, and brings us tidings of antiquity." --- Cicero

"'History,' Stephen said, 'is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.'" --- James Joyce

"History is more or less bunk." --- Henry Ford

Whatever your students think about history, they will benefit from browsing A Student's Guide to the Study of History.

"History instructors tend to jump right into the subject matter without first setting the groundwork. Large questions such as: what is history? why study history? or how to write a research essay are often left up to the student to figure out... In general, the study of history requires certain skills--skills which are somewhat different from those used in other disciplines. Hopefully this Guide will force you to consider those skills as you go about your studies."

Articles include:

Another good resource: Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students.

"For all who have taken history courses in college, the experience of writing a research paper is etched indelibly in memory: late nights before the paper is due, sitting in pale light in front of a computer monitor or typewriter, a huge stack of books (most of them all-too-recently acquired) propped next to the desk, drinking endless cups of coffee or bottles of Jolt cola.

"Most of all, we remember the endless, panicked wondering: how on earth was something coherent going to wind up on the page - let alone fill eight, or ten, or twelve of them? After wrestling with material for days, the pressure of the deadline and level of caffeine in the body rise enough, and pen is finally put to paper. Many hours later, a paper is born - all too often something students are not proud to hand in, and something professors dread grading.

"How can we make this process less traumatic, more educational, and ultimately more rewarding for all concerned?"

Especially helpful articles:

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Keeping a Commonplace Book

2008-07-11T05:23:00.001-05:00

[Image from the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library.]

A commonplace book is what a provident poet cannot subsist without, for this proverbial reason, that "great wits have short memories:" and whereas, on the other hand, poets, being liars by profession, ought to have good memories; to reconcile these, a book of this sort, is in the nature of a supplemental memory, or a record of what occurs remarkable in every day's reading or conversation. There you enter not only your own original thoughts, (which, a hundred to one, are few and insignificant) but such of other men as you think fit to make your own, by entering them there. For, take this for a rule, when an author is in your books, you have the same demand upon him for his wit, as a merchant has for your money, when you are in his.

--- Jonathan Swift
"A Letter of Advice to a Young Poet"
Quoted at Blogs, Definitions and Commonplace Books

Through the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival, I stumbled on last week's post about commonplace books from one of my favorite homeschool bloggers, Harmony Art Mom:

What is a Commonplace Book? Or Another Way to Narrate

(I really must subscribe to her feed, so I don't miss these things!)

Do you have a quotation journal that you've started and left to gather dust? I have at least three of them, but now I feel inspired to dig one out and start collecting quotes again. It's great fun, it provides fodder for my co-op class blackboard, and it sets a good example for my young scholars. Commonplace books have been used for centuries by readers and scholars, and at least one professor still requires students to keep one.

If you've never kept a quote book before, here are some ideas to get you started:

Commonplace Books
A commonplace page about commonplace books, from the professor mentioned above.

The Commonplace Book: Part I
A history of commonplace books, and how they are still a useful tool today.

The Commonplace Book: Part II
What to put in your commonplace, and how to organize it.

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Free Homeschooling Lapbooks

2008-07-10T06:02:00.005-05:00

[Photo by jimmiehomeschoolmom.]

Take a file folder, add a bit of folded paper or cardstock, toss with a dash of creativity, and you have a recipe for one fantastic hands-on project. A lapbook is a summary of whatever topic your student has studied --- a book review, a science project, an era of history --- presented in bits and pieces for easy review.

If you have been wanted to try a lapbook project, but didn't know where to start, check this out:

Free Homeschooling Lapbooks from Homeschool Helper Online

Website host Amy Smith writes: "I started this site in 2006 as a way for homeschoolers to share the unit studies, lapbooks and other resources they have created with other homeschoolers. It seemed like the hardest part of creating activities was just finding an idea or getting started. With this site I get to help others by posting some of the work my children are doing. In return, I get to use all the wonderful ideas that are submitted with my children. Oh, and best of all, everything is FREE."

The site offers a wide selection of downloadable topics: Holidays, History/Social Studies, Language Arts, Math, Science, and more.

More lapbookingarticles, ideas, and tips:

To Notebook, Lapbook or Scrapbook...That is the question!

If You Give a Boy a Lapbook...

Spice up your learning by making lapbooks!

Lapbooking on a Shoestring

Multiplicaton Lapbook and more

Election Lapbook and many more

Free Presidential Elections Lap Book Folder

Sugar Plum's Lapbooks

Let's Try Lapbooking!

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