The Homeschool Desk

Handwriting ~ Fine Motor Skills FREE Resource

2010-03-10T08:18:00.000-06:00

While looking for something to help with my daughter's handwriting, I came across this site: Fine Motor Skills from an Occupational Therapy perspective.

The author of this website is a Certified and Licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant with over a decade of experience in pediatrics, most of which has been spent in a school setting.

This web site contains ideas and activities to help elementary-aged students to develop their perceptual fine-motor skills, with an emphasis on handwriting.

Topics include:

Positioning
Handwriting
Motor

Links to fine motor toys and activities including:

Car Maze
Sponge Bob Tracing
Vehicle Puzzles
Car Tracing
Fine Motor Tools

Be sure to check out this FREE resource!

*All ORIGINAL text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk*

Schoolhouse Store March Madness and Schoolhouse Expo!

2010-03-09T20:44:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for homeschool encouragement, resources, and fun, check out all that is going on at The Old Schoolhouse!

Right now March Madness and Win Big are going on in the Schoolhouse Store. During March Madness, over 240 items are 10 to 40 percent off!
Click here to read the details.

Then, if you're customer 139,000, 139,500, or 140,000, you will win over $348 in prizes. Prizes include a 5 year subscription to TOS (U.S. only), Scripture Sleuth literature series, guitar lessons on CD, and more! Hurry, they are just past customer #137,818.

The BIGGEST news of all--The Schoolhouse Expo is coming in May!

Pre-register now and save $5!

As homeschool teachers what do you need to learn?

More about teaching multiple grades?

All about different homeschool methods?

Transcripts?

Could you use some help with reading, language arts, math, and more?

Are you intimidated by the idea of teaching middle school and high school, those dreaded, advanced courses?

Would some encouraging words and motivational Scripture help you on your way?

Get answers when you attend The Schoolhouse Expo, a 3-day, online conference, presented by The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse® Speakers Bureau.

Pre-register today for only $19.99 through March 31.

You do not want to miss this unbelievable, virtual homeschool convention! PLUS, you'll receive over $300 in free gifts when you register.

I’ll be there, won’t you join me?

Get the details and preregister here.

*Disclaimer: I am receiving free admission to the Schoolhouse Expo for sharing this information with my readers.*

*All original text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk*

Paws for Poetry Contest

2010-03-09T06:25:00.003-06:00

pril is National Poetry Month. The 3rd Annual “Paws for Poetry” Contest challenges kids to write their own poetry dedicated to their pets.

To enter, children ages 5-12 are to write a poem to, and provide a photo of their favorite animal friend. The contest is cosponsored by kids’ virtual field trip Web site Meet Me at the Corner and Flashlight Press.

Original poems of any length may be submitted in one of two categories:

Group One (ages 5-9)
Group Two (ages 10-12)

One grand prize winner in each category will receive a prize package worth $50.00.

Two runners-up in each category will receive a $25.00 gift package.

Children’s author, poet, and Iraqi war veteran Thad Krasnesky, writer of the upcoming “That Cat Can’t Stay” (Flashlight Press, 2010) is the contest judge.

In addition to the prize packages, winning poems and pet photos will be highlighted in an upcoming Meet Me at the Corner video pod cast. The pod cast will be videotaped at New York’s Angellicle Cat Rescue Center. Local students will present the winning poems.

All submissions should be mailed to:
“Paws for Poetry” Contest
c/o Meet Me at the Corner
20 West Del Norte
Colorado Springs, CO 80908

The contest deadline is April 15, 2010.

For more information, rules and submission guidelines, please visit PawsforPoetry.org.

Support me by reading more articles like this one at my Homeschooling Examiner Page.

**All original text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk**

How we organize our homeschool

2010-03-08T08:21:00.000-06:00

This week’s blog question from the TOS Blog Cruise is “How do you organize your space or homeschool room?”.

There have been a variety of ways that we’ve used to organize our school materials over the years. Since we began homeschooling over 5 years ago, we have lived in 3…yes 3 different homes, and that’s just during the school year.

Our first year, we had a playroom/schoolroom, and it was nice having all of our materials in once place. We painted part of one wall with chalkboard paint, and used that for demonstrating math problems and other copy work. We had bookshelves, and the children each had their own school desks to keep their materials in. There was a sofa and recliner in our playroom that we would use to cuddle on while reading and having read aloud time. We had educational posters on the walls, and a number line all around the molding. It was nice and organized having all of our materials in one room, that we could clean up, and walk away from at the end of the school day, as it was downstairs in our split-level home. The rest of the time, the kids used the other part of the room as a place to store their toys and play.

The second home we lived in, there wasn’t an extra room for a schoolroom, so we tended to have school all over the place. Eventually, we added on, and we were able to move most of the school materials into the extra room, and get our living room back. School was done at the kitchen table, which was never a problem, until lunchtime when we had to stack it all up somewhere till lunch was over. It tended to be a bit more messy than when we had our schoolroom in the previous house. But, at the end of the day, all of the books and supplies were put away. I kept one large cabinet in the kitchen for math manipulatives, art supplies, paper, pencils, and anything we needed regularly. Our maps hung on the walls of our laundry room which was adjacent to the kitchen and living room. The kids each had a desk in their bedroom, and could go there to do their schoolwork if they wanted to be alone or to be in a more quiet environment. Usually, we’d read on the couch, or sometimes the kids would just go lay on their beds and read.

Learning at the kitchen table together.

In our current home, we do things similarly to the way we did in our last home. Except, now we have a dining room in between our kitchen and living room, so we do most of our seatwork at the dining room table instead of at the kitchen table. This has made it much easier for snack and lunchtime, as now there’s no need to clean up all of the books before we eat. They use mini-offices as dividers or as an easy to store reference when doing math or language arts.

Learning in the dining room together.

Using a mini-office.

Most of the kids’ materials are in their workboxes. I even have my own workbox just like theirs filled with file folders or worksheets and activities for the kids, as well as all of my teacher's guide, and anything that I use regularly. They stack on top of each other, which is nice at the end of the day. Also, on Fridays, I move them to our school closet so that they are out of sight, and I have my formal dining room back, at least for the weekend.

Stackable workboxes that “work” well for us.

In the bottom cabinets of my dining room hutch, I keep books, boxes of file folders for lapbooking, dictionaries, binders, and whatever else we use fairly regularly. In one of the cabinets is a drawer with 3 dividers, where we store our pencils, scissors, glue runners, etc.

We recently purchased some bookshelves and will be putting our books that are still unpacked in boxes on them soon. For now, they serve as a nice charging station for the laptops, and storing more school supplies. One of the bookshelves has doors on it that close nicely, for a neater appearance. I also have a few plastic drawer containers that can hold supplies, as well as a basket for educational games and activities. These are kept in our school closet.

We also have my daughter’s large art easel in our dining room corner, which has a whiteboard on one side, that I will use for demonstration or copywork. I also have a large magnetic board that we use to store our All About Spelling Tiles. This goes on top of our hutch out of sight when not in use.

We still use the kitchen table, for working one on one, and science experiments. I’ve also used it to set up educational centers, like this one, that the kids can “visit” during their school day.

Science center at the kitchen table.

Working one on one with my youngest daughter.

We use our living room for read alouds and we have a nice big cozy chair for reading alone too, with a reading lamp overhead.

Reading in the big comfy chair.

Sometimes the kids, especially my oldest, will take their workboxes to their rooms to be alone and have some quiet while working independently.

I also have a nice cabinet desk in my bedroom where a computer is. It is an armoire computer cabinet, so it closes nicely and neatly when not in use.

I think by now, you've realized that I like things neat and organized. Even though we don’t have a schoolroom and we have a lot of materials, they are not scattered everywhere. Everything has a place. Anyone who stops by during the week can tell that we are homeschoolers by the things that we have around, the bookshelves, the globe, the workboxes, books here and there. But by the weekend, most of these things are put out of sight, or at least cleaned up and stored neatly. I have a nice size closet right off the kitchen, where I store as many school supplies as it will hold. On the weekend most of the materials go into the closet out of sight.

As you can see, school takes place all over the house. When the weather is nice, we’ll even take it outside. I’ve also told the kids we’ll take a nice day or two towards the end of the school year, pack up our books and head to the beach for a day of beach-schooling. We may even end up at the park with our schoolbooks. It’s nice to take school out of the home and especially enjoy the nice weather when the opportunity arrives.

Recording weather observations.

Reading outside on the swing set enjoying the sunny weather.

Releasing butterflies from our butterfly habitat.

“Mining for gold” while learning about The Gold Rush.
Yes, my kids are in their pajamas. We do school in pajamas a lot around here. Learning can happen anytime, even in our PJs. Homeschooling isn't just about school, it's our lifestyle too.

One of the benefits of schooling all over the house, and even outdoors, which we enjoy greatly, is that my kids are learning that school can take place anytime and anywhere, which means that they can learn in any environment, in the car, at the library, outside on a sunny day, while visiting family, wherever we may happen to be.

I’d love for you to share with me in the comments section what YOU do to stay organized. I always love hearing new ideas from other homeschoolers. Do you have a schoolroom? Or are you like us, schooling anywhere and everywhere? Do you have any tips for keeping it all organized?

To read more views from my crewmates on this week’s TOS Blog Cruise Question, as well as previous weeks' questions, please click on the button at the top of this post!

Be sure to check back next week when my crewmates and I answer the question, “How do you find time for everything? (homeschool, housework, time alone, etc.)”

**All original photos and text belong to The Homeschool Desk**

Danny the Dragon DVD and Author Interview

2010-03-08T06:43:00.000-06:00

Last week, I reviewed Danny the Dragon “Meets Jimmy” written by author, researcher, and humanitarian Tina Turbin. One of The Homeschool Desk readers even won their own autographed copy of the book!

Today, I’m going to share information about the Danny the Dragon “Meets Jimmy DVD to be released March 15, 2010. I had the pleasure or previewing this DVD.

On the DVD, the story is told while the pages of the book are shown. There isn’t any “live action”, just to be clear. However, it is still a wonderful way for your children have the story read to them, especially with a story like this one, that little ones will enjoy over and over again. An added bonus is a sign language interpreter that tells the story along with the reader.

Another wonderful thing about this DVD is that half of the profits will be used to increase awareness and support of literacy and education awareness for the Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf and half the profits to other causes which support literacy and education for the welfare of all children.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Tina Turbin, the author of Danny the Dragon. Here is what she had to say:

When did you first become interested in writing children’s books?
I was always very imaginative and into the Arts from as far back I can recall but I wrote my first children’s story at age 16.

What inspired you to create and write about the character Danny the Dragon?
I had made a decision when I saw on my first born child, that I wanted to set aside my personal goals like writing. I found being a mom so wonderful, satisfying and fun. I soon had three children, we loved to read and play games with books and ideas were rolling around in my little head. I always knew that as they got older I would someday get back into writing again. When the time came I just started creating my characters, how they looked and knew their exact personality.

Is there a message or theme in the book that you want readers to grasp?
So many people share such different “ideas” they got from the book or different “pleasures”, so that I leave that up to the reader. I do enjoy writing without adding in the all too common bad guys.

What advice do you have for young writers?
Follow your dreams and do not give into any barriers and people who say you can't accomplish them. It can take time and a bit of hard work to be an author, but so worth it.

Will there be more Danny the Dragon books in the future?
Oh yes! This is the first in the series and the ending of this book opens the door for many possibilities. I also have a kid’s cook-book and kid’s gluten-free cookbook in the works, and soon to be published!

Can you tell us more about your cause for Celiac Disease?
I am passionate about raising awareness to Celiac Disease and the many adverse effects that gluten produces in many children and adults- even animals! One in every 120-130 people have this disease which means about 2.35-2.85 MILLION Americans to this date have not yet been diagnosed. It takes an average of 4-10 years (depending on your reference), to be properly diagnosed and in the meantime other auto-immune diseases can kick in and a whole mess evolves. People find out about celiac or gluten intolerance and start researching it themselves and then bring the topic up to their doctors, after many years of tests and troubles to no resolution. I was one of these people! Also, many kids with autism are taken off of gluten for a very good reason. Much more is on my resource site about these topics: http://GlutenFreeHelp.info .

To learn more about this DVD and other Danny the Dragon products and books, please visit the website.

*The blog author’s review and honest opinion is entirely her own. This product was provided to the blog author for free for review purposes only. No further compensation was received.*

**All ORIGINAL text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk**

Homeschool Library Builder (Review)

2010-03-06T08:25:00.006-06:00

I don’t think I can name one homeschooler that doesn’t love books. Most of us have a book obsession, or addiction to say the least. I am personally obsessed and addicted to books. I’ve so generously passed this on to my children as well. Books are our collection, and we’re always looking for great deals on them too.

We use the library extensively, of course, but there’s just something about owning a book, being able to keep it as long as we like, or even read it over again if we so wish. Sometimes the library doesn’t even have the book we need for our literature based studies, or for reading pleasure.

Homeschool Library Builder is a Christian family-run book business created by a homeschool mom. They sell new and used, hardcover and softcover titles. Most of the new titles they carry are publisher’s remainders and overstocks. The used books are rated by condition and priced accordingly. Most of the titles are in good or better condition. They also offer a 30 day money-back-guarantee.

Membership is FREE. Yes, that’s right, FREE. When you become a member, for each dollar you spend on merchandise at the Homeschool Library Builder, you earn a Book Point. Fifteen book points is equal to $1 in your account toward future purchases. The mover you purchase, the more you earn! There is also a savings program where you have the opportunity to earn extra Book Points by telling your friends about Homeschool Library Builder.

So whether you use a literature-based curriculum and need to get your hands on inexpensive books, or you’re a homeschool parent, homeschool student, or you just love to read or collect great works of literature, Homeschool Library Builder has an extensive selection for you to choose from at affordable prices. Another benefit of Homeschool Library Builder is they carry “Book Adventure” titles. I have been using Book Adventure online since we started homeschooling. Sometimes these books can be difficult to find at the local library, now I have Homeschool Library Builder to turn to for these books.

To learn more, please visit the website. To read what my crewmates had to say please visit the TOS Crew Page for Homeschool Library Builder.

*The author’s review and opinion is entirely her own. This product was provided to the author for free as a member of the 2009-2010 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. No further compensation was received.*

Danny the Dragon Giveaway Winner!

2010-03-06T08:16:00.001-06:00

Debbie, Random.org selected YOU as the winner of The Homeschool Desk's Danny the Dragon Giveaway with this comment:

Debbie said...: My favorite book to read to my children was "Good Night Moon." My own favorite as a child was "Petunia."

Congratulations Debbie! I will be contacting you for your information for mailing your autographed copy of Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy.

Thank you to all who participated in this giveaway. I enjoyed reading each and every one of your comments, and appreciate the follows and new fans. I hope you'll stick around for more giveaways coming soon from The Homeschool Desk.

I loved The Boxcar Children when I was young. They were my favorite, and I love how my kids enjoy them today!

*All ORIGINAL text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk*

Graphics Toolbox (Review)

2010-03-06T07:27:00.002-06:00

Members of the TOS Crew, including myself received Graphics Toolbox for review. However, I was not able to use this product due to the fact that it is not compatible with my operating system. I am running Windows 7 64-bit. This will be more of an informative review, rather than my opinion. I encourage you to visit the TOS Crew Page for Graphics Toolbox to read the reviews of my crewmates that were able to use this product.

Graphics Toolbox System Requirements are as follows:

Windows NT, 2000, XP, or Vista 32-bit.
512 MB RAM
80MB of free hard-disk space

Graphics Toolbox has many functions and applications to enhance and use color with your images, as well as create.

Just some of the things you can create with Graphics Toolbox:

personalized cards and invitations
science diagrams
photo editing
posters and business flyers
photo cartoons
scrapbook pages
blog headers and buttons

Graphics Toolbox gives you the tools you need to:

Tonally change color in your image
Combine and customize your photos.
Color tools such as color fill, pattern fill, color pen, swap colors, and many more.
Basic image manipulation tools to copy, move, repeat an image, rotate, reshape, and much more.
Advanced graphics tools such as a pattern pen, cloning, watercolor, airbrush, shade, and smooth.
Embellish images with fancy lines, ribbons, apply texture, and life images.
Work with scanned images including the ability to scan directly into Graphics-Toolbox, group colors, and removed scattered dots from unwanted single pixels.
Help messages for guidance through the program.

This program was created to be user-friendly, and even though I wasn't able to use this product, the creators were very helpful to the crew working with this program. There are also tutorials and a tutorial page for help with using Graphics Toolbox.

Graphics Toolbox is available for purchase and download from the website for $149. There is also a 30-day free trial for you to decide if this program is right for you.

*The author’s review and opinion is entirely her own. This product was provided to the author for free as a member of the 2009-2010 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. No further compensation was received.*

Free Music Resources

2010-03-05T08:35:00.000-06:00

FREE elementary music resources are available from Making Music Fun. Making Music Fun offers TONS of free music resources for elementary music classroom teacher, private music instructors, and homeschool parents.

The site owner/teacher, Andy Fling, is a graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Theory and Composition, and graduate studies in Music Theory and Composition and K-12 Music Education. He has taught in Christian schools, as well as public schools, and private music lessons. Currently, he offers instruction to a studio of private music students, and weekly homeschool music classes. He enjoys sharing the fun through his website. Andy and his wife, Tricia share a love for Christ. And, Andy shares his music expertise and knowledge on the web for homeschoolers and all students. There is a wealth of free information and printables available on Making Music Fun.

Some resources included are:

Fun, arcade style games
Coloring pages
Printable sheet music
Printable award certificates
Printable manuscript paper including blank, treble clef, bass clef, and grand staff
Music theory worksheets
Practice sticker charts
“Meet the Composer” biographies and worksheets
“Meet the Orchestra” scavenger hunt worksheets
Studio store including recommended best selling music books, instruments, accessories, etc.
Quick reference teacher’s guides
Songbook
Lesson plans
Video lessons
Desktop software
Help find a private teacher in your area
Music theory software reviews
Email newsletter

Whew! That’s a long list. Be sure to stop by Making Music Fun and check it out for yourself!

**All original photos and text belong to The Homeschool Desk*

Can a Windmill Generate Energy Science Project

2010-03-04T06:00:00.002-06:00

**This is the latest installment in a series of science fair articles contributed by Super Science Fair Projects for The Homeschool Desk. To view previous weeks' science fair articles, please click here.**

Can a windmill generate energy science project is going to examine how wind energy is transformed into electrical energy using a turbine.

Can a windmill generate energy science project is a good starting place for a module on renewable energy or on energy in general. This project will not only help students to understand how energy can be transitioned from one form to another, but it will also help them to learn more about clean energy sources like wind energy. This project is appropriate for students of all ages, and it can be modified to make it more or less challenging.

Identify Energy Topics

If you are using this project as a classroom teaching tool, then your first step will be to figure out what science concepts to cover in this lesson. For example, you can cover topics like what is energy, how does energy transition from one form to another, how is electricity produced and what is renewable energy. You will need to introduce each topic to your students before the windmill project begins.

Supplies

Windmill science projects require a few basic supplies. These supplies can easily be gathered by using discount packages for wind turbine experiments kits. These kits will provide your students with everything that they need to both build a wind turbine and to conduct several different experiments. In addition to turbine kits, you will also need basic items like data collection sheets, stop watch, wind meters, etc...

Procedure Sheet

Since your students will be working in teams to complete their windmill energy science project you will need to compose and print out a procedures sheet. This sheet will first list the supplies required for the activity and secondly provide a step-by-step guide to completing the experiment or activity. Make sure to add diagrams and measurements as needed.

Groups
When you are ready for your students to complete their project you will first need to break them up into groups. These groups can be made up of between two and four students. The size of the groups will depend on how many windmill kits you have available. If you do not want to assign groups you can give your students the chance to form their own groups, however, give them only a few minutes to do this.

Explain the Activity

The final step is to break down what the activity will involve. You will first want to explain how the activity is to be completed. Then you will need to explain what you need from each group so that they can be graded. For example, you may want a report written by the group or you may want the group to come up with a presentation that they will need to deliver in front of the class.

**A big thank you to Super Science Fair Projects for writing this post for The Homeschool Desk. To learn more, please visit the Super Science Fair Projects website.**

*All ORIGINAL text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk*

Homeschooling Assistant

2010-03-03T13:13:00.000-06:00

Homeschooling Assistant is a site that has FREE homeschool help and tons of resources. It is a new, but growing new resource site for homeschoolers, or anyone looking for educational resources.

Curriculum supplements
Unit Studies
Geography
Language Arts
Math Worksheets
Alphabet Worksheets
Fee reference library
Planners and teaching helps
Resource Directory
Outline maps of the US
State research form
Co-op ideas
Local Resources
Curriculum suppliers
Much much more....

*All ORIGINAL text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk*

Keeping Homeschool Grades

2010-03-01T07:53:00.000-06:00

This week’s TOS Blog Cruise question is “Do you keep grades?”

If you’ve been here before, you that know I’m a bit of a stickler when it comes to our homeschool, and I’m not afraid to admit either. I am particular about certain things, such as: sticking to our schedule/routine; I like my kids to be keeping up academically with their public school counterparts..somewhat…; I like looking at the results of my kids’ standardized test scores to see what we need to work on; and I’m not a big fan of co-ops. I am a Type A personality, (hard to believe, I know, right?) so, you might find it surprising that I have never kept grades for my children. That’s right. Never. I do keep attendance though, just started this year, and only to fulfill my own curiosity about how many full days of formal schooling we get in each year. I’m crazy that way, sometimes.

In both states that we have homeschooled in, Arkansas and New Jersey, there weren’t any laws requiring me to keep grades. I am a rule follower, and since there weren’t any rules requiring me to keep grades, I never really worried about it.

Working with 3 children one on one or even as a small group on a daily basis makes it very easy for me to know how they are doing. I don’t have to “teach to the test”, because there aren’t very many tests in our homeschool. I don’t want my children to study just to get a good grade, but to study to learn for life. Since there’s no pressure to learn the material for a good grade, they are learning for mastery of the subject matter. That’s more important to me than grades. I expect a good effort from my kids, and as long as they are trying hard, they will learn something. I am satisfied with that. Sometimes they don’t get things as quickly or as easily as I’d like them to, and we’ll have to work on those areas, but it’s all part of the learning process. I can see what they’ve done right, praise them for it, and see what they’re doing wrong, and help them to improve…all without giving them a grade. Of course, if they do a fantastic job, I be sure to let them know that too, the younger ones might get a sticker on their paper, they all get a lot of praise, and get to listen to me brag to daddy about their hard work. Nothing like making your parents proud of you in our household, my kids love that.

My kids, on occasion over the years, have asked why they don’t get report cards. I told them that if they really really wanted them that I could make up report cards for them, but I never have. They never really really wanted them, after all. Learning is more than just a grade for them, it’s about acquiring new knowledge on new things each and every day. It’s about finding joy in discovering something or attempting and succeeding at something new. It’s more about learning to read for the first time, or figuring out a math problem on their own, or remembering what species an animal belongs to, or who fought in The Revolutionary War and why. It’s about those “light bulb moments” when it all clicks together. That’s what learning is about in our home, not about a grade on a report card.

What about math or other kind of worksheets or workbooks? I do grade math, and sometimes other worksheets or workbooks, occasionally with a percentage marked at the top. I don’t keep a record of these grades, however. And, if I see that one of them did very poorly, I don’t embarrass them by putting a low grade at the top of their paper, but rather sit down with them, and go over the problems with them, till they understand how to do them correctly and arrive at the right answer. They already know that if we are going over that many problems, that they didn’t do so well, and there’s no need to put a big D or F at the top of their paper, which would only discourage my children.

Now that my oldest is entering high school, I will have to keep grades for transcripts. It will be new territory for us, but I think we will be fine. I’ve already begun grading her Apologia Physical Science, and keeping records for this subject, as it will count towards high school credit. I’m confident that she’ll do well enough to receive the grades she hopes to achieve in her high school years. Since up until this point, she has been learning for mastery, I don’t think it will be an issue for her to get good grades.

So that’s about it, no grade keeping for us, not till high school at least. What about you? Do you keep grades? Why or why not? I’d love to hear from you, please kindly leave a comment.

If you’re a homeschooler or even considering homeschooling, please be sure to check your state’s homeschool laws to determine if you need to keep records, such as attendance or grades.

To read more views from my crewmates on this week’s TOS Blog Cruise Question, as well as previous weeks' questions, please click on the button at the top of this post!

Be sure to check back next week when my crewmates and I answer the question, “How do you organize your space or homeschool room?”

**All original photos and text belong to The Homeschool Desk**

Danny the Dragon ~ Children’s Book Review and Giveaway!

2010-02-25T12:22:00.001-06:00

I was so excited to receive a new children’s book Danny the Dragon “Meets Jimmy” by author Tina Turbin. We love books in our home. We are avid readers, and even though I’m grown, I still love children’s picture books and sharing them with my young children is a wonderful bonus. There’s just something special about cuddling up in our favorite comfy chair and reading a book together.

We were pleasantly surprised when our package arrived not only with the book and CD, but a DVD to be released in March, as well as extra little fun goodies for my kids!

Danny the Dragon is a delightful story about a boy named Jimmy, his sister Sally, and their parents. They take a trip to the beach where Jimmy finds a special shell to take home. He is surprised to meet Danny and his pal Skipper who have been living inside the shell. Danny the Dragon shows Jimmy and Sally how to be a good helper, as well as a good friend.

My youngest child enjoyed snuggling and reading this book with me. It was a cute story, that was very well illustrated, and entertaining. I thought it was well written, and can be enjoyed by little boys and girls alike. A fun read, and a book that will last for years to come.

We also had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook “Dreams” Danny the Dragon on CD. The story is told, then followed by ten classical pieces. A different, yet still enjoyable way to listen to this story, with beautifully composed music added in. The reader’s voice is nice to listen to, and the realistic sound effects help the child visualize the story.

A little about the author:
Tina Turbin is a humanitarian, radio spokes-woman as well as an award winning children's author. She helps many people in the allergy, celiac, autistic and gluten-free "world" and works hard to make these topics more known. I had the pleasure of interviewing Tina for The Homeschool Desk, and will be sharing that interview with you soon, including information about a DVD release of Danny the Dragon.

To help her cause for celiac disease, Tina is donating all profits from the CD to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Tina through emails, and she is just a mom like most of us, that has a strong focus on family, kids, and education. She is very dedicated to her cause for Celiac Disease, and has a resource site too: http://glutenfreehelp.info/

Danny the Dragon “Meets Jimmy” book can be purchased in hardback for $18.95, softback $8.95, Dreams audiobook and songs CD for $8.95, softcover book and Dreams CD set for $14.95, and they are all available on the website. Don’t forget that all profits from the Dreams CD will be donated to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center.

Would you like to win your own autographed copy of Danny the Dragon book? Tina Turbin, the author of Danny the Dragon would like to send one to one of my lucky readers. U.S. entries only, please. All you have to do to enter is:

Leave a comment telling me what your favorite children’s book was when YOU were a child, or maybe one you still enjoy today. Please leave your email address, twitter username, blog address, or another way for me to get in contact with you should you be the winner.

For extra entries, do one of the following, and leave me one comment per entry telling me what you did!

Follow Me here at The Homeschool Desk with Google Friend Connect (Just click "Follow")
Subscribe to The Homeschool Desk via email or RSS
Follow me on twitter @TheHSDesk
Become a fan of The Homeschool Desk on Facebook
Tweet about this giveaway, leave me a link in your comment
Share this giveaway somewhere like Facebook or your own blog, leave a link in your comment

The contest will end Monday, March 6th@ 12:00 AM EST. A winner will be chosen by Random.org and announced and notified shortly thereafter! Please be sure to leave me an email, twitter username, blog address, or some other way to contact you should you be the winner!

Good luck!

Thank you! And, be sure to check back next week to read my interview with author of Danny the Dragon, Tina Turbin and learn more about the DVD to be released!

*The author’s review and opinion is entirely her own. This product was provided to the author for free. No further compensation was received.*
*This book’s author Tina Turbin kindly provided the prize for this giveaway.*

**All ORIGINAL text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk**

What Are Some Science Fair Projects on Renewable Energy?

2010-02-25T08:17:00.001-06:00

**This is the latest installment in a series of science fair articles contributed by Super Science Fair Projects for The Homeschool Desk. To view previous weeks' science fair articles, please click here.**
Completing science fair projects on renewable energy is a great way to gain attention at a science fair as well as a great way to learn about the next phase in energy production in the United States.

Science fair projects on renewable energy can focus on a number of topics. These topics can include types of renewable energy, applications of renewable energy or the development of new renewable energy sources. In order to win a science fair, the student will need to develop a topic that is unique, innovative and useful.

Windmill Projects

One of the most popular projects used in renewable energy education in the classroom is the basic windmill project. A windmill project can be designed to fit the academic skills of the students. They can examine how a windmill produces energy or they can be used to teach engineering and problem solving skills to students.

Using What You Got

One of the drawbacks of using renewable energy sources is that many renewable energy sources are not consistent. Solar energy, for example, only is produced when the sun is out and wind energy is only produced when the wind is blowing. A good idea for a renewable energy project is to design a renewable energy system that can operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week regardless of weather and light conditions. This may involve the rallying or connecting of a variety of renewable energy sources around the globe.

Which Is Better?

Another approach that you can take to your renewable science fair project is to find out which renewable energy source is the best. A simple project can compare two sources, while more advanced projects can compare a wide range of renewable energy sources. You can also target a single renewable energy source, but compare different ways of extracting energy from that source.

Local Projects

While globally applicable projects can be valuable, students need to realize that local issues can also be valuable to explore in a science fair projects. Not only will these issues provide students with easy access to test sites, but they will also enable the student to develop a longitudinal project that can evolve over their middle school and/or high school years. This is a great way to cut down on the amount of work that is required to complete a project year after year.

Using Kits

Using renewable energy science kits is an option that is appropriate for this type of science fair project category. Since many younger students do not have the skills to build a turbine engine for a windmill, a kit is a good option. However, to be usable in a science fair, the student will need to devise an experiment that is unique and that uses the turbine as a supplement to the overall project design, instead of being the focus of the project's design.

**A big thank you to Super Science Fair Projects for writing this post for The Homeschool Desk. To learn more, please visit the Super Science Fair Projects website. And be sure to stay tuned for next week's Science Fair Project installment!**

*All ORIGINAL text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk*

Homeschool Kid Bloggers ~ Pedranti Online

2010-02-24T09:14:00.000-06:00

I love blogging, it's so much fun, and I've met so many wonderful people. I recently met a mom blogger that has 2 homeschooled children that have their own blog!

On Pedranti Online, siblings Alexander and Paola share their homeschool experiences, as well educational posts and information for other homeschoolers. Most recently, they have been sharing several posts about the 2010 Winter Olympics.

There are plenty of project ideas and resources for fellow homeschoolers, or anyone who wants to learn. The posts are well written, and a lot of thought are put into them. I think it's wonderful that they're taking the time to write and share their knowledge and information with others.

Just some of the topics they write about:

dinosaurs
horses
countries
our country
olympics
Sweden
Ancient Egypt

Stop by and say hi to Alexander and Paola. As bloggers, we love getting comments, I'm sure kid bloggers appreciate them too! Show your kids, there's plenty of fun, educational information there, I'm sure they'll enjoy reading something written by other children. Maybe even follow them or add them to your reader. I did! And, I'm looking forward to reading more from these two talented young writers!

**All ORIGINAL text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk**

All About Spelling Beehive Reader (Review)

2010-02-23T08:21:00.000-06:00

You’ve heard my rave about our favorite spelling program All About Spelling here. And, I shared with you my excitement over the new Beehive Reader 1 to go along with AAS here.

We finally received a copy of the Beehive Reader 1 of our own for review for the TOS Crew. Let me just say that this reader is just gorgeous. It is a beautifully illustrated, high-quality hardback book. Perfect for young readers.

Here’s some general information on the new Beehive Reader 1:

It was created for the beginning reader.
It is a collection of 10 short stories on 160 pages inside a high-quality hardcover book.
Each page is printed on non-glare paper, making it easy on the eyes for children.
The reader correlates 100% with All About Spelling Level 1.
When one is using AAS Level 1, instructions are included in the corresponding lesson when it is time for the student to read a story in the reader, making it easy on the parent for scheduling reading time.
The reader can also be used independently of the AAS program.
It is written with natural phrasing and line breaks, making for smooth, enjoyable reading for the student.
The subtle underlining helps with tracking if needed, but otherwise easily ignored if not needed.
Beautiful illustrations throughout the book are included, and the stories use simple words and sentences.
Natural language and real storylines, including some funny stories make reading enjoyable for both student and parent.
Beehive Reader 1 was recently awarded a Silver Medal for The Moonbeam’s Children’s Book Awards.

From All About Spelling:
“Your beginning reader will delight in finding out what happens when…
…a busy cat lives in a windmill
…a sleepy bear cub takes a nap
…a grumpy duck demands a snack
…a singing bat befriends a lonely king
…a curious boy shrinks from tall to small
…and much more!”

I love how the Beehive Reader correlates with All About Spelling Level 1. In my AAS Book, it will tell me when it is time for my child to read the particular story that goes with the spelling lesson that we completed. An excellent and enjoyable reinforcement that my 2nd grader loves. The stories are cute, not too difficult for my child to read, and the illustrations are so well done. Did I tell you she loves this reader?? We both do!

All About Spelling has offered up these wonderful sample pages for me to share with you:

The readers are part of a new series developed by All About Spelling called All About Reading. A new website for All About Reading is in development and will be available this summer.

Beehive Reader 1 is available for purchase for $19.95 at the All About Spelling Website. It is a little pricey for a reader, in my opinion, at first glance. But.....the fact that it correlates with AAS, and the high-quality it is composed of, including the fact that it’s a durable hard-back book that can be read for years to come, it is well worth the higher cost. You will not be disappointed should you decide to purchase this reader.

To learn more about this and other products from AAS, please visit their website. To read what my crewmates had to say about The Beehive Reader 1, please visit The TOS Crew Page for AAS ~ Beehive Reader.

*The author’s review and opinion is entirely her own. This product was provided to the author for free as a member of the 2009-2010 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. No further compensation was received.*

*Disclosure - the author of this review is an affiliate for All About Spelling and will receive compensation for any products purchased through clicking the All About Spelling embedded links in this review.*

Homeschool Co-Ops? Thanks, but no thanks..

2010-02-22T08:13:00.000-06:00

This week’s TOS Blog Cruise question is “What do you think about Co-ops?”

Honestly, we’ve only participated in one co-op since we started homeschooling, and I have to say, it wasn’t for us. It was our first year homeschooling. We were part of a homeschool group that decided to start its first co-op. Ever. It was an enrichment co-op, where the parents, including myself, taught the kids enrichment classes like Phys. Ed., Music, and 4H Club, I believe. Honestly, I could be wrong about the classes, because the only one that sticks in my head to this day, was Phys. Ed. for several reasons I’ll get into later, but one of them was because I had to teach a class. The rest were just a blur, and probably better off forgotten.

Once a week on Fridays, instead of doing school at home, we would show up at our church where we would meet with other homeschoolers for these “enrichment” classes. The parents were required to teach as part of this co-op. As the P.E. teacher, I did my best to come up with fun, interesting activities for the kids in my group, which were the 4-8 year olds. I borrowed several books from the library, brought hula hoops, and a jump rope, and was prepared to give the kids some fun Physical Education. I had a co-teacher, and she was great, she also came prepared, and introduced my little ones to what became one of their favorite games – Hullabaloo. Our class was fun, and the little ones had a great time.

My oldest daughter was in the older P.E. group, and all that parent had planned for her P.E. class was dodge ball. Indoors. With my 9 year old little girl, and a whole lotta boys. Boys almost twice her age. She looked terrified. I probably did too. She actually did very well at it, because she was so afraid of getting hit by the ball by one of the bigger boys, that she was able to “dodge” very quickly. Thank God.

So, this continued on for a few weeks. Then one week, during lunch break at our co-op, the same dodge-ball parent, (no I’m not making this up) yelled at my 5 year old for touching something he shouldn’t have touched. Nothing breakable, this lady just didn’t want anyone touching her stuff. Sure, she could have handled it better, and yes she apologized to me, which I then in turn told her she needed to apologize to my child, because he was the one that she screamed at over touching some paper. It was not pretty. I think every parent was upset, and this lady was embarrassed as well over her own behavior.

That was it for me, I’m afraid. The co-op just wasn’t our thing. I didn’t have my kids in school where adults I didn’t know could yell at them, I sure wasn’t going to participate in a homeschool activity with another parent yelling at them at free will, while I stood there with my jaw on the floor. We stopped going to the co-op after that, and starting doing some real learning on Fridays again. At home. No more dodge ball. Needless to say, my kids were thrilled. They weren’t enjoying it anyway.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This particular co-op was not for our family. It was their first year, and our first year, and I’ve heard that it’s going really well now, they have all kinds of other classes too, and sound like they are much more organized. No more dodge ball or mean ladies that think it’s ok to yell at other people’s 5 year olds. Since we moved back to the area, they’ve asked us if we were going to participate. I told them, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

There are several co-ops in our area to choose from. There’s even an “Academy” where homeschooled students can take all of their classes in one day, do their work at home, then return in a week to learn some more. They can even earn an “official” diploma. It costs a fraction of private school tuition in this area, and this works well for many busy homeschool families. I just prefer to do the teaching here at home. I prefer to be at home. We don’t go to any activities during the day during the week. The only time we go out during the day, during the school week is for a doctor or dental appointment. We stay home and learn. That’s where God wants us to be. If not, I’m sure another plan would have showed itself by now.

There are co-ops that teach classes like Lab Chemistry and Geometry, and some days that sounds really inviting. I have have flashbacks of geometry class, and let’s just say that I’m not a mathlete. It would be nice for someone else to teach my children those harder, more difficult classes. But then again, maybe teaching them or learning them alongside my children is God giving me another chance to really learn them well this time around. It’s amazing how much I’ve learned while homeschooling my children. I am the eternal student. And, I appreciate it all so much more as an adult too. It also helps that my husband, bless his heart, has the math gene. He helps them when I just can’t figure it out. I think that’s nice, because then he can be included in their education too. God knows what he's doing with our family.

So, even though Co-ops aren’t for us, and my my oldest is probably scarred for life, (just kidding) over having to play dodge ball with a bunch of tween and teenage boys, that doesn’t mean that it’s not right for everyone. I know many homeschooling families that love their co-ops. It fits their style. It fits their family, and their homeschool. It fits the plan God has for them.

Homeschool support groups are a completely different topic, and another question for another day, but I just want to say that our homeschool group that we left behind in Arkansas when we moved was such a blessing to our family. Being part of a homeschool group as opposed to a co-op for classes was a very different experience, and a much more positive one. If you can find a group to socialize with, that you and your children can click well with, then I highly recommend it. It’s just not as much fun to homeschool without one. It’s a great place to make lifelong friends and find support to get you through those rough days now and then!

So, what say you? Do you just love your homeschool co-op? Do you think I chalked up one bad experience? Do you prefer to do all the teaching, like me? Or do you get help from your local co-op? I’d love to hear from both sides on this particular issue. Please leave a comment and share your experience.

To read what my TOS Crewmates had to say about this week’s question, just click the TOS Cruise Banner at the top of the page. I know I can’t wait to read all of their responses!

Don’t forget to stop in next week, when I answer the question, “Do you keep grades?” I think you’ll find my answer very surprising.

**All ORIGINAL text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk**

Math Mammoth ~ Review

2010-02-20T16:43:00.001-06:00

Math Mammoth is a math product that I’ve had my eye on since the beginning of this school year. I was looking forward to reviewing this product, as I had already utilized some of the sample pages offered on the website with my 4th grader. I requested the 3B and 4A of the Light Blue Series for my child to review for the TOS Crew.

The author:
Maria Miller, the author of Math Mammoth wanted to offer math instruction that was affordable. She also wanted to help parents and teachers teach math so that their students and children could understand it. So, she created the Math Mammoth series.

The products:
Math Mammoth has several different products to choose from.

The Blue Series

Worktexts with both explanations and problems.
Each book is on a particular topic, such as clock, multiplication, or geometry.
Cover topics in grades 1-5.

The Blue Series books contain explanations of the topics and are like a textbook and workbook in the same book. They can be used for initial teaching, remedial teaching, or for review.

The Light Blue Series

Covers grades 1-5
Mastery-oriented
Emphasizes conceptual development in a logical sequence.
Practically self-teaching – only a little teacher involvement needed.

The Light Blue Books are a complete mathematics curriculum for grades 1-5. They contain explanations of the topics and are a worktext just like the Light Blue series. Each grade level includes two parts of a worktext, test, cumulative reviews, answer keys, and a worksheet maker.

Worksheets By Grade ~ The Golden Series

For grades 3-8, organized by grade.
Contain problems only.

The Golden Series are worksheet collections by grade-level (from grade 3 through Algebra 1), and provide variable problems in a convenient one-topic per sheet format.
Unlike the previous books, The Golden Series books do not teach the topics, and are best suited for teachers or tutors. They work well for classwork or homework, general review, reinforcement, or practice material.

Worksheets By Topic ~ The Green Series

For grades 3-7, organized by topic.
Contain problems only.

These are worksheet collections by topic, and provide very variable problems in a one-topic per sheet format. The Green Series does not teach the topics, and like the Golden series, is best suited for teachers or tutors. They work well for classwork or homework, general review, reinforcement, or practice material.

Our experience:
I had already been using the sample sheets offered by Math Mammoth, and I encourage you to try these before purchasing to make sure this program is a good fit for your child. I received the Light Blue Series 3B and 4A for my child. I also decided to purchase the Blue Series book on multiplication on my own.

We have never used a worktext in our homeschool, so this was a first. A worktext basically teaches the student a concept, then the student does practice problems. It is a text and workbook in one. There are plenty of practice problems per topic. My son would read the instructions to himself, while I would read them over his shoulder silently to myself. I would explain anything he didn’t understand, and then he would do the practice problems. I liked that there was a lot of practice problems per topic, but for him, it was overkill. I ended up either crossing some of them off, so that he didn’t have to do them, or just broke it up over a few days. I have done this with other math curricula in the past, so this personally is not a problem for me. I would much rather have too much math practice offered, then not enough. I felt that the instruction in the worktexts were pretty basic, didn’t go into great depth, but as a parent, sometimes I need a little bit more guidance on how to explain topics to my child. To help with this, Maria offers free emails with videos on teaching math concepts. I found the videos to be very helpful. Maria comes across as someone who generally loves math, and loves helping others learn and enjoy math!

Some Free Extras:
You can sign up for Maria’s Math Teaching Emails for free here.
It includes:

a package of 280 free worksheets and sample pages;
7 math teaching articles on various topics ranging from coherent curriculum to fractions;
2 emails discussing the books;
Homeschool Math newsletter.

And, if you’re confused about the different options from Math Mammoth, you can sign up for a free 7-day virtual email tour around Math Mammoth’ which you’ll receive:

a package of 280 free worksheets and sample pages;
7 individual emails on 7 subsequent days that answer the most commonly asked questions, including “What is the difference between all these different-colored series?”
Homeschool Math Newsletter.
This way, you’ll have time to digest the information over one week, plus an opportunity to ask Maria personally which book would be right for your child.

There are free placement tests available on the website.

Pricing and how to buy:
Math Mammoth products range in price from $2.00 on up to $70.00, depending on the version and package that you order. There are downloadable, as well as CD or printed copies, and SoftPak software. Click here to learn more about the SoftPak option. A wide range of grade levels and topics are available. Please visit this page on how to order.

To learn more, please visit the Math Mammoth website. To read what my crewmates had to say about the products they reviewed, please visit the TOS Crew Page for Math Mammoth.

*The author’s review and opinion is entirely her own. This product was provided to the author for free as a member of the 2009-2010 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. No further compensation was received.*

**All ORIGINAL text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk**

Solar Energy Science Fair Projects for Kids

2010-02-18T06:00:00.002-06:00

**This is the 5th installment in a series of science fair articles contributed by Super Science Fair Projects for The Homeschool Desk. To view last week's article, please click here.**

Solar energy is one of those free resource that everyone on the planet has access to, at least for part the day. With fossil fuel shortages and pollution problems associated with their use on the rise, it is time to turn to more environmentally friendly energy options. Kids can help find ways to make solar energy more accessible to people in their communities by completing solar energy science fair projects.

Project #1 - Power House Experiment

The first science fair project that can be completed using basic supplies for solar energy for homeschooling is the power house experiment. The concepts of this experiment will enable students to develop a project around the application of solar energy to running a household.

After learning about how solar energy is transformed into electricity, the student will need to devise their own prediction of what would happen if an element in the basic process was manipulated. For example, they can examine what would happen if the amount of sun exposure was increased or decreased. They will then need to modify the original solar power house experiment to test their hypothesis.

Project #2 - Running a TV on Sun Power

A fun science fair project to complete is to develop a solar energy system that will produced enough electricity to operate a television. For this project the student will need to build one or more solar panels to collect solar energy and they will also need to design and connect an electrical circuit and a power converter. To increase amps and voltage the student will need to figure out what components of their circuits need to be manipulated.

This project will involve both trial and error and scientific calculations. To complete this experiment students will need to learn how to use physics formulas for watts, volts and amps in order to manipulate their experiment's design to operate a television set. They will also need to learn how to manipulate electrical components like electrical resistance and insulators in order to produce good results.

Project #3 - Hybrid Power

If the student lives in an area that does not get a lot of sunlight during certain times of the year, such as those students living in Alaska, then a hybrid power science fair project is a good option. This type of project will focus on the supplementing of solar power capabilities with wind power capabilities. For this project the student will need supplies to create both a solar panel set up and a wind turbine set up.

The hypothesis for this project is going to be that wind turbines provide a reliable backup source of energy when solar energy is compromised. To test this hypothesis students will need to first devise a control experiment for solar energy only. They will then devise a wind power energy experiment and a hybrid energy experiment. The results from each test will be compared to the results from the control to see if wind energy is generally more reliable than solar energy and to see if hybrid systems provide 24 hour energy opportunities.

Conclusions

Solar energy science fair projects are hot right now. This is because everyone is interested in finding cheap and clean energy sources. However, since it is a popular topic you will need to make your project interesting and unique if you want it to stand out from the others at your local science fair.

**A big thank you to Super Science Fair Projects for writing this post for The Homeschool Desk. To learn more, please visit the Super Science Fair Projects website. And be sure to stay tuned for next week's Science Fair Project installment!**

Zeezok Publishing ~ Chopin

2010-02-18T05:19:00.000-06:00

Zeezok Publishing offers a wide variety of educational products for the homeschool. I received something from The Great Musician’s Classic Composer Series. The package is titled Frederick Chopin Early and Later Years Special Offer, and includes:

Frederick Chopin, son of Poland, Early Years
Frederick Chopin, son of Poland, Later Years
Combined Study Guide for both books
Chopin Companion CD

What I liked about this package is that it’s geared towards teaching young children about this great composer on their level. The writing in the books is geared towards children; the illustrations are beautiful throughout the books as well. The companion CD offers a multi-sensory teaching aspect, so that children not only learn about Chopin, but can also listen to his music. This year, our family has been studying the orchestra, as well as classic music composers. This comes as a wonderful addition to our curriculum, and it was a delight to receive this particular product from Zeezok Publishing.

The Frederick Chopin Early and Later Years Special Offer is available from Zeezok for $30.00 on their website.

To learn more, please visit the Zeezok website. To read what my crewmates thought of this and other Zeezok products they received, please visit the TOS Crew Page for Zeezok Publishing.

*The author’s review and opinion is entirely her own. This product was provided to the author for free as a member of the 2009-2010 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. No further compensation was received.*

**All ORIGINAL text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk**

Apologia ~ The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling

2010-02-16T07:40:00.000-06:00

Whew! I remember well our first days, months and even that first year of homeschooling. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on. I wanted to be the best I could be at educating my children. I still do, so I continue to read homeschooling guides from time to time for ideas and motivation. Recently, I read an excellent resource guide in regards to homeschooling. And, I’m so excited to be sharing my thoughts on this book with you.

I received The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling for a TOS Review sent to me by Apologia Educational Ministries. Yes, Apologia, as in Apologia Homeschool Science which happens to be our favorite science curriculum. Recently, Apologia Educational Ministries has added some new products to their ministry. One new addition is the Apologia Academy, which offers online classes in Bible, Apologetics, and Worldview. Apologia Press offers curriculum and parent resources. The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling is another new product from Apologia Educational Ministries.

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell has been revised and updated for today’s homeschool family. Included in this book, you will find:

Six ingredients of a successful homeschool
Subject-by-subject guidelines and program recommendations
Keys to unlocking your child's learning potential
Ten ways to motivate the reluctant learner
Creative solutions for burnout, budgeting, and managing your time

This new edition includes a guide to using the Internet and new technology in your homeschool. Also, you’ll find the latest information on teaching middle school and high school courses, including a list of academic contests and competitions. Included are plenty of tips on multi-level teaching and engaging little ones. A helpful resource guide with current contact information makes this the ultimate guide for any homeschooler, new or experienced.

Meet the Author:
Debra Bell is a best-selling author and former public school teacher. She homeschooled her four children through high school. She has led two homeschool co-ops and has taught literature and composition classes for over twenty years. She teaches advanced placement English online, and directs Debra Bell’s Homeschool Resource Center. She has helped numerous homeschooled students, including her own four children, gain college admission and win substantial scholarships to their schools of choice. She is a Christian, and her faith is reflected throughout this book.

My thoughts:
I found this book to be overflowing with information and ideas. It was well organized, honest, and helpful in many areas. Debra Bell took the time to cover many questions and areas that affect both those just starting their homeschool journey, as well as those with years of experience under their belts. Tons of resources were included for each area of schooling, from elementary through high school at home. I especially enjoyed the section on homeschooling a high school student. As we are entering unchartered waters with a soon to be high school student at home, I believe this guide will be at the top of my go-to list for information and resources. I wish I had a copy of this book to give away to all of the new homeschoolers I meet. It’s so nice to hear Debra Bell’s voice of experience carry over in the book, I felt like I was sitting over a cup of tea with her, learning all I could from her own personal experience she received while homeschooling her children. The added in tid bits from her children, as well as her homeschooling friends makes this book even more well-rounded, with input from all sides.

I highly recommend this book to new and experienced homeschoolers alike. You can purchase this book for $20 at the Apologia website. It is an excellent buy for a resource that can be used for years to come.

Coming out later in the year is Debra Bell’s The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens. I can’t wait to get my hands on that one!

To learn about this and other products that Apologia Educational Ministries is offering, please visit their website. To read what my crewmates thought of this book, please visit The TOS Crew Page for Apologia.

*The author’s review and opinion is entirely her own. This product was provided to the author for free as a member of the 2009-2010 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. No further compensation was received.*

**All ORIGINAL text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk**

Our One Room Schoolhouse

2010-02-15T09:04:00.002-06:00

This week’s question for the TOS Blog Cruise is “How do you handle multiple ages?/How do you homeschool with a baby or toddler?”

I feel very strongly about the benefits homeschooling has on a family. Schooling together helps us grow in ways we might not otherwise. I’ve been able to witness friendships blossom between my children. Don’t be fooled, they have sibling rivalry issues too, but that’s part of being a family. The time they spend together is precious, and it makes my heart warm when I see them doing things together, as friends. The learning that takes place as a family is wonderful too, especially when mom and dad can both get in on the learning right alongside them.

This is one of my favorite photos, taken in our 2nd year of homeschooling, all 3 of my children working together at the kitchen table.

With 3 children, I do have a very busy homeschooling day. However, since we began homeschooling 5 years ago, I’ve done things a certain way to make things easier on myself as their teacher. School needs to run smoothly, as it’s taking place in our home. We still have to live here, together, and since we are together most of the time, I need all the help I can get.

First, and foremost, I pray for my children daily. I pray for their hearts and their minds. I pray for our school day to go well, and even though it isn’t always peaches ‘n cream over here at our home, we are still here, on this journey together, and I am learning as much as they are. We have our good days and bad, but I rely on the strength of the Lord to get us through them. I rely on one of my favorite verses.. "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31. I live by this verse daily.

Here’s a sampling of what we do to make our “One Room Schoolhouse” work for our family. My children are now 13, 10, and 8 years old. When we began homeschooling, they were 9, 5, and 3.

I teach my children together whenever possible. The benefits of teaching them together are tremendous. Being able to share the same books and materials saves me time as well as money. Sharing information and ideas together gives us great opportunities for discussion and further learning.

I combine my children in as many subjects as possible. The subjects we do together are: Bible, History, Science, Read Alouds, Art and Music. Now, my oldest is at the point where she does her own Bible, History, and Science independently. Before this year, however, all 3 of my children did these subjects together. When combining with my children’s ages, I teach “from the middle”, and supplement up or down as needed. I’ll add in picture books, coloring pages, activity sheets for the younger children; and assign more reading, writing, and research assignments for my older child. Everyone learns, everyone benefits, and everyone gets an education appropriate for their age and grade level. There are many different types of curricula available for teaching children together. A few that we have used are: Sonlight, Apologia Science, Story of the World, Literature Unit Studies, Amanda Bennett Unit Studies, as well as various Bible Curriculum and Devotionals, such as Grapevine Studies, Step Into the Bible: 100 Bible Stories for Family Devotions, and Leading Little Ones to God. Anything that covers a wide range of ages can be used with children of multiple ages. Unit Studies, especially, are an excellent way of teaching multiple ages the same material. Children will typically need grade appropriate math and language arts, as well as books at their reading level.

Fostering independence is very important in the early years, and makes it much easier to teach multiple ages when children learn to be independent. Because I did this with my oldest when we first started homeschooling, she is now able to complete most of her schoolwork independently. I still help her on occasion as needed, but she is very self-sufficient and self-reliant, which frees up my time to school the younger children, who tend to need more instruction from me at their age. This will also benefit her in high school, as well as college, and in life in general. I’m raising my children to be productive, responsible adults one day.

Some ideas for fostering independence include:

Workboxes, as they provide organization, and promote independence. All of their work is readily available to them in their “boxes”. To see how we adapted workboxes in our home, read this post.

Assignment Sheets, that they can check off each subject as it’s completed, or a folder with their assignments, worksheets, etc.

Stick with a simple routine that is followed daily, so that your children know what to expect as well as what is expected of them each day.

When we first started homeschooling, my youngest was almost 4 years old. She wanted to “do school” too. Actually, she wanted to “go to Princess school”, but that’s a different story. Although, I didn’t do anything extremely formal with her, I let her participate whenever she wanted to. I involved her in our read-alouds whenever possible. I remember one time we were reading a book about the Revolutionary War, she was about 5 years old at the time, listening in, and I mentioned something about the British Army, and she exclaimed “…the Redcoats!”. How many 5 year olds would have known something like that? And, all because she listened in whenever I read aloud to her siblings. Here, I had no idea how much she was actually learning. More than I ever expected! You’d be surprised at how much little ones can glean from just being in the same room while the older ones are being taught.

I’d like to share some ideas to keep little ones busy while schooling. These ideas can also be used for children that need to do something independently while waiting for mom to finish teaching another child.
I like to keep a bookshelf or a book basket filled with books on subjects that we are studying. Picture books can be found easily at the local library.

Puzzles, games, videos, and educational CDs for the computer are all great helpers. I let my children use the computer at an early age, as they help with hand-eye coordination, and it has also made them very comfortable and computer savvy early on.

Coloring pages can be helpful when reading aloud, or to occupy a younger child for a few minutes. I’ve also given mine word-searches or crosswords. I try to find them on the subjects we are studying.
There are many benefits of teaching all of my children at home. But, the one I am most grateful for is the relationship that I have with them, and the friendship they have with one another. Teaching and learning, and growing together has blessed our family beyond my wildest imagination, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

If you’d like to leave a comment, idea, or suggestion on this topic, please do! I love hearing from you!

To read my Crewmates thoughts on this week’s question, just click on the banner at the top of this post!

Be sure to check back next week, when my crewmates and I answer the question, “What do you think about co-ops?”.

**All original text and photos belong to The Homeschool Desk**

Ray's Arithmetic (Review)

2010-02-14T11:35:00.000-06:00

Before the TOS Crew, I had not heard of Dollar Homeschool or Ray’s Arithmetic. When I first received and downloaded the files for Ray’s, I was taken back in time to the pioneer days.

Why? You might ask.

Let me share a little history about Ray’s Arithmetic with you. From the website:

“The Ray’s Arithmetic was originally created to be used by frontier Americans, Americans that often lived in areas where available teachers were few, often far away, or even completely unavailable. For this reason, the books are designed to allow children, once they can read, to educate themselves to a very great extent.”

I used Ray’s with my 10 year old 4th grader. He and I both enjoyed the mental multiplication exercises the most. The real life problems made sense to him, and the word problems added a story to the math. Since this particular child is an avid reader, he preferred these kinds of problems, as opposed to basic math number problems found in most textbooks. Ray’s is what I would consider “real-world” math. It teaches using real life word problems, as well as mental math. Math problems are learned while also incorporating learning in other subject areas, such as history. This program teaches math in a more natural way than a basic textbook does.

Ray’s Arithmetic contains a total of 38 books, including 12 Core Textbooks plus Answer Keys, Teachers Editions, and several books covering surveying and navigation, astronomy, book keeping, and physics. Ray's "is a complete K-12 math curriculum, from counting to calculus." You can view a list of the entire collection here.

Although I received Ray’s in a downloadable form, it is available on CD, and can be easily viewed or printed from any type of computer.

The entire collection of Ray’s Arithmetic is available on CD for $59 on their website, satisfaction guaranteed for 30 days.

If you are looking for an arithmetic program that has stood the test of time, educating over 100 million students, and still offers basic, yet valuable instruction, then Ray’s may be right for you.

To learn more, and to view the other subjects that Dollar Homeschool offers, please visit the website. To read what my Crew members had to say, please visit the TOS Crew Page for Dollar Homeschool/Ray’s Arithmetic.

*The author’s review and opinion is entirely her own. This product was provided to the author for free as a member of the 2009-2010 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. No further compensation was received.*

FREE Geography Lesson Plans ~ Maps Unit Study

2010-02-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

I found a really nice FREE resource to share with you!

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis has FREE Geography Lesson Plans for you to view and print, and use in your homeschool. The lesson plans were created using National Geographic Tools for Adventure.

Each lesson gives Objectives, as well as Materials Needed, and tons of printable educational activities.

The Introduction explains the exhibit at the museum if you happen to go there, however, it's not necessary in order to use these lesson plans.

Lesson 1 is "Picture Your World" where students create a simple map of a familiar place using a map grid, map symbols, legends, and a compass rose and scale to examine and interpret different kinds of maps.

Lesson 2 is "A Famous Explorer: You!" where students discover that maps are modified over time because of changes that take place in the real world.

Lesson 3 is "New Tools: New Adventures" where students explore geospatial technologies such as satellite imagery, GPS, and GIS.

There is also a chapter on Culminating Experiences that helps students use all that they have learned to explore a topic of personal interest.

Also included is a list of Resources that includes a list of books, websites, and a glossary.

This is a wonderful FREE resource! Enjoy!

PicoTurbine Windmill Energy Science Fair Projects - Wind Turbine

2010-02-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

**This is the 4th installment in a series of science fair articles contributed by Super Science Fair Projects for The Homeschool Desk. To view last week's article, please click here.**

Energy is one of the biggest issues right now for scientists. Not only are they looking for energy sources that are inexpensive and easy to access, but they are also looking for energy sources that are clean to both produce and use. One energy source that meets all of these requirements is wind energy, and students can help develop the technology used for harvesting and utilizing this energy source.

Project #1 - Energy Output Predictor

There are several different PicoTurbine Windmill Energy Science Fair Projects that can be completed. The first one is going to deal with producing a specific amount of energy using a wind turbine. For this project students will need a wind turbine kit, an understanding of electronics and electricity concepts and a calculator.

The first step is to make a prediction about what your wind turbine is going to be able to do. In this case the hypothesis, or prediction, is going to be that the larger the wind turbine is the more electricity it will be able to produce in one hour. In this hypothesis the variable that is going to be manipulated by the student will be the size of the windmill or wind turbine, and the variable that will be measured will be the amount of electricity that is produced by the turbine per hour. Students will measure the output of the wind turbine in Watts per hour.

The next step is to design an experiment to test the hypothesis. The control experiment for this project will be a medium sized turbine that is about seven inches tall. The test experiments will manipulate the size of the wind turbine. Students can devise test wind turbines that are either taller or that have larger blades.

Project #2 - Wind Turbine Series

Another project that can be developed around wind energy is the creation of a wind farm. In this project the way in which wind farms harvest energy from the turbines will be examined. For example, students can experiment with the way in which the energy is collected from each individual turbine, or they can experiment with the way in which the collective energy is connected or collected from all of the wind turbines on the wind farm.

A hypothesis is one of the first things that will need to be developed. Here one possible hypothesis is that serial wind turbine circuits will be more effective at maximizing electricity collection than parallel circuits. In this hypothesis the variable to be manipulated will be the type of circuit design used and the variable to be measured will be the combined electrical output from the wind farm.

Testing this hypothesis is going to be fairly simple. To start with the student will need to develop a control experiment. In this case the control experiment will be the parallel circuit set-up. The test experiment will involve the serial circuit set up. After setting up and testing each of these circuit designs the student will need to compare the results to see if the serial circuit design is better, worse or the same as the parallel circuit's results.

Conclusion

PicoTurbine Windmill Energy Science Fair Projects are a lot of fun to complete. They are also easier to set up then you might first think. The key here is to read the instructions that come with these wind turbine kits and to then make modifications based on solid electricity science concepts.

**A big thank you to Super Science Fair Projects for writing this post for The Homeschool Desk. To learn more, please visit the Super Science Fair Projects website. And be sure to stay tuned for next week's Science Fair Project installment!**