Join Me Next Week for the Back to Homeschool Blog Hop!

Hello, my friends! While we homeschool (mostly) year round, I decided that this summer we would take a little bit longer of a break.

Trust me. We needed it.

This week I've been doing some extra deep housecleaning (if you count cleaning out underneath my sink, extra deep) and trying to get all of my curriculum and plans in line.

I am still dreadfully behind.

I one of those strange, homeschool moms who head into a school year with more than a bit of trepidation.

It probably has more to do with Josiah's different learning needs than anything else. After all, there is nothing I like better than school supplies.

"Will this math help him?"

"How can I challenge him without completely freaking him out?"

What I have found the longer I homeschool is that I don't need as much inspiration for why we are homeschooling. We are pretty much lifers.

I just want some practical advice. What can I do today? What resources do I have at my fingertips? I am never going to have that beautiful schoolroom (at least, not this year). And our homeschool is going to look different than most everybody else's. I know now not to waste time with things that only burn my energy and brain space.


There are a few things that I know. I need to feed my family. I need to take care of myself. I have more success by introducing the material Josiah needs to learn using a visual and kinsthetic model. I also want to fill our home with quality literature and living books. I am going to stay true to my own educational philosophy and the spiritual needs of our household.

I am going let you pick my brain a little and supply a few of my favorites concerning some of these needs I have listed above.

This is what I am going to share with you this week.

Monday: Cheat Sheets for Good Eats ~ Tips for Homeschooling Mommas and Their Hungry Families

Tuesday: Have You Heard This One? ~ My Very Favorite Audio Books and Dramatizations

Wednesday: Popcorn and A Movie? ~ Worthwhile Documentaries, Videos and Movies for the Homeschooling Family

Thursday: Seeing Is Believing! ~ Links and Tips for Some Pretty Awesome Lapbooks, Notebooks and Printables

Friday: What Your Momma Never Told You: ~ My Favorite Tips for the Worn Out, Burnt Out and the Just Plain Fruity Momma.

My little contribution to this Back to Homeschool is minor. You can see below that I have many friends who are going to bless you with tips, helps and inspiration.

Mark your calendars - 10 to 14 August - it's time for this years Homeschool Blog Hop.  The Schoolhouse Review Crew will be joining forces with Homeschool Blogging Connection to bring you a week full of back to school encouragement.

We have 56 homeschool Mom's sharing their combined wisdom and insights covering everything Homeschool related. That's 280 posts of encouragement and information just for you!

Meet Your Back to Homeschool Blog Hop Hosts

Marcy @ Ben and Me

Debra @ Footprints in the Butter

Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses

Amy @ Homeschool Encouragement

Missica @ The Open Window: An Autism Blog

Misty @ Year Round Homeschooling

Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life

Heather @ Only Passionate Curiosity

Clarissa @ Counting Our Blessings

Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool

Monique @ Living Life and Learning

Rebecca @ Raventhreads

Karen @ Tots and Me...Growing Up Together

Rebekah @ There Will Be A $5 Charge For Whining

April @ ElCloud Homeschool

Brenda @ Counting Pinecones

Tara @ This Sweet Life

Tara @ Embark on the Journey

Jennifer @ Chestnut Grove Academy

Annette @ In All You Do

Lisa @ Farm Fresh Adventures

Tauna @ Proverbial Homemaker

Joanie @ Simple Living Mama

Aurie @ Our Good Life

Jennifer @ A Peace of Mind

Jenn @ Treasuring Life's Blessings

Kemi @ Homemaking Organized

Wendy @ Life at Rossmont

Katie @ DailyLife

Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory

Kim @ Homestead Acres

Melissa @ Mom's Plans

Annette @ A Net In Time

Cristi @ Through the Calm and Through the Storm

Meg @ Adventures with Jude

Dawn @ Double O Farms

DaLynn @ For the Display of His Splendor

Monique @ Mountain of Grace Homeschooling

Steph @ Indy Homeschool

Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break

Tawnee @ Adventures in homeschooling

Lisa @ Tales of a Homeschool Family

Jennifer @ Organized Home Organized School

Callie @ Mama's Coffee Shop

Erin @ For Him and My Family

Lori @ At Home: where life happens

Margaret @ Creative Madness Mama

Nicole @ Some Call It Natural

Crystal @ Crystal Starr

Bonnie @ Write Bonnie Rose

Shawna @ Tenacity Divine

Carol @ Home Sweet Life

Kelli @ Adventure Homeschool 

Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning 

Leah Courtney @ As We Walk Along the Road

Hope to see you back here next week!

George Washington Carver Copywork & Notebooking Pages (FREE)

I was searching through some of my files (in preparation for the Blog Hop) I have coming up next week and found this Treasure!

How did I forget to share this?

Or did I and it's lost somewhere in vast caverns of what is my Blog?

Anyhoo.

We live just about an hour away from The George Washington Carver National Monument. It is really one of the best National Parks we've ever been too. It is inspiring, educational and FREE!

I was inspired by our trip last fall with a group of homeschool friends to make this set of printables for a further study of this inspiring man of God.

There are 9 pages of copywork, notebooking pages and a time.

I used them for our little Reading Club that meets once a week. The kids had just taken the trip to the Monument so everything was fresh in their minds. We also read a biography to complete our study.

Enjoy!

A TOS Review: The Conversation

When we first began our homeschooling journey I dabbled in giving Josiah a Classical Education. While it didn’t quite fit his particular needs, the model is quite impressive. As Josiah grows older, I am also anticipating the challenges that homeschooling in High School will bring us. We recently had a chance to review a brand new book from Classical Conversations  Written by Leigh A. Bortins, The Conversation, talks about homeschooling during the high school years.

You might have heard of Classical Conversations . It is a community of Christian believers that help support homeschooling parents and students using the classical educational model.

Classical Education divides learning into three distinct stages. These are the grammar, dialetic and rhetoric. A Classical education has always emphasized a study of Latin and philosophy. However, Classical Conversations center all education on the Word of God.

The Conversation focuses on those rhetoric years (or High School years).  The five canons of rhetoric include: Invention, Arrangement, Elocution, Memory and Delivery. There is a lot of information in this book!

My concern when I initially signed up to review this book was that I didn’t want to bogged down with information about an educational model we did not follow.  However, this is much to be said of the classical model. The grammar stage allows children to learn and memorize facts. During the dialectic stage, students are encouraged to start asking questions and evaluate what they are learning. The rhetoric stage allows teens to apply that knowledge practically. I think that the whole style is a fascinating study. I have seen great results among friends using the classical model.

I think that one of the big thing I struggled with (and still do) is confidence in my ability to homeschool my son successful. The very first chapter in the book is called Confident Parents. Mrs. Bortins talks about those things all of us struggle with in homeschooling a teen. I found advice that I found extremely helpful. She suggests to using easier materials if your child is struggling. This helps them develop good study habits that are invaluable. I have been guilty of pushing content throughout our homeschooling journey.

The following chapters talk about how to use the five canons with reading, speech and debate, writing, science, math…all the subjects that a High School student will be expected to take.

The final chapter, A Graduation Conversation, gives advice to help guide the student at the end of High School. The book finishes with a good number of appendices that are filled with helpful information.

If you are a classical homeschooler this book will be invaluable for your high school years. Even if you’re not classical, I think you will be encouraged and find many good little nuggets in between the pages.

Here is a quote from the book that I absolutely love.

As classical parents and educators, we sometimes forget that we really only need four things in order to educate someone.  We need pencil, paper, good books and time for great conversations.

Sounds like wonderful advice!

You can connect with Classical Conversations via the following social media outlets. Click on the banner below to read more reviews.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/classicalconversations
Twitter: https://twitter.com/classicalconv
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/classicalconv/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/117616164250444350670/posts
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ClassicalConv

A TOS Review: Funtastic Unit Studies

Science has never been my favorite subject.  In fact, one of my only memories of my 7^th grade science class was the boy who sat in front of me. His name was Eddie Maxwell. He had big brown eyes and black hair. Not sure that was the educational experience my parents were hoping for.

When I was in college I took a Science for Teachers class. That was fun! Our professor had us do all manner of hands-on projects and experiments. I can remember thinking, “Did all my science teachers have to take this class? And if so, why didn’t our classes look like this?” I think some of it gets lost in all the bureaucracy. Not to mention the hustle and bustle of a public school classroom.

I really believe that those hands-on experiences is what makes Science real to most kids. Josiah and I recently had a chance to review Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers from Funtastic Unit Studies.

The author of Science Unit Studies is Susan Kilbride. She is a homeschooling mom who also happens to have a degree in biology.  She wrote the book especially with homeschoolers in mind, but the activities inside could be used in a classroom with relative ease.

I knew it was going to be our kind of curriculum from the word, “Go.” It comes in the form of a paperback book. It contains 20 unit studies. The first 10 are intended for ages 4-7. The last 10 are for ages 8-13.

The units build on each other, so it’s best to do them in order, but we decided to take a walk on the wild side and do a unit entitled “Chemistry Fun Unit.” It is for the kiddos ages 8-18 and it does help if the student has had some basic chemistry.

The unit starts (every unit is the same) begins with a materials list. Most of the materials are easy to find. I liked that I didn’t have to go searching for rare and unusual chemicals and equipment. The materials for Chemistry Fun were things I mostly had around the house.

Each unit also is divided into parts. The Chemistry Fun unit has 8 parts. Each “part” has a variety of activities to complete.  I loved that I could do as many or as few as I needed to (or had the materials for).

Each activity also contains some “teaching.” I found the explanations were easy to read and understand. Especially for a non-sciency person like me. Is non-sciency even a word? 

For our purposes, I let Josiah conduct the experiments and complete the activities and I read the explanations out loud. 

Here he is measuring a cup of water. He is learning about density. 

Next he had to measure a cup of oil. Which weighed more? The oil or the water?

The 'hows and whys' are easily explained.

The next part was about Surface Tension.

Will it sink or float? How does surface tension play a part?

One of the big favorites (for both of us) was an activity that taught us the difference between a mixture and a solution.

Would you know that it all led to making a big batch of cookies?

Sign me up!

I think if my 7th grade science teacher had introduced science in this manner there would have been less daydreaming about boys with brown eyes on my part.

For those of you who need more pencil to paper activities there are plenty of those.

There are tests, as well, so you can keep track of your students progress. We didn't take any of them. I used this review as our fun summer science. Tests smests. 

For our needs, this was a perfect fit. The activities aren't time intensive. They can be used with any science curriculum. Because we concentrate on a hands-on experience it is something I can (and will) use. 

Mostly, they are just fun! You can check 2 free units out for yourself. The Funtastic site has a great Freebie page. 

Don't forget to click on the banner  below to read more reviews. 

I'm featured at Family, Fun & Homeschooling Today!

I am occupying my corner of the couch today.

I had a little medical procedure done earlier this morning and I am taking it easy.

Things just happen as you get older. And no! I didn't have any kind of plastic surgery.

Not to worry. Josiah is taking care of me with plenty of ice water and ridiculous conversation.

In the meantime, I thought I would let you know that my friend, Melanie from FinchWren, featured me today on her Family, Fun & Homeschool series.

Go take a look-see. She is a fellow TOS Reviewer and Homeschool Mom.

Have a great day!

A TOS Review: With Lee In Virginia

We are such a fan of the Audio Book. I can’t even tell you. Many happy moments have been spent draped over the furniture listening to a great book.

Some of Josiah’s favorites are those performances that have been dramatized. Among those in that field of “favorites” are the wonderful adventures from Heirloom Audio Productions we’ve been blessed to review (here and here). This time around we had a chance to experience With Lee in Virginia from our friends at Heirloom Audio Productions.

 

 

Heirloom Audio Productions has such a terrific job bringing history into our little world. They produce wonderfully made productions…complete with superb acting and a terrific story.  Their plots come from the works of G.A. Henty. G.A. Henty (1832-1902) was a British war correspondent and novelist. His books were deliciously adventurous and historically based.

With Lee In Virginia is adapted from Henty’s novel and is set in the time of the Civil War.

 

What did we get?

We received an audio CD (2 disc), a downloadable Study Guide and Discussion Starter (52 pages) and tons of bonus materials. They included printable copies of the cast poster, the official With Lee In Virginia soundtrack MP3, an ebook of the original With Lee in Virginia (from Henty) and a printable quote from Robert E. Lee.

That’s a lot of goodies!

 

The story features Vincent Wingfield. He is a southern aristocrat who wrestles with some of the more vile practices of the folks in his social class…namely slavery. He, however, does his duty to his home state of Virginia and joins the Confederate Army. I was curious to see how this would play out. There is always a Christian message of perseverance and love in all of Heirloom Audio’s productions. I didn’t want the slavery issue to be in anyway justified or downplayed.

I was so grateful that we got to see Vincent struggle with those very issues and convictions. He also learned forgiveness and about God’s sovereignty. The story also deals with Duty and seeing a commitment to something or someone through to fruition. This message is so important for our boys (and girls!) to hear.  

I must say that this story doesn’t shy away from the brutality of war.  It is not light and fluffy. There are humorous moments…but don’t expect everyone to come out unscathed.  The intended ages are 6-adult. You have to make that determination if the subject matter is appropriate if you have a sensitive kiddo. 

Just a bit about the Study Guide. It does provide biographies of the author and all the characters involved. There is a map showing all of Vincent’s travels and even historic photos and illustrations.

There are plenty of questions to use along the way and are divided into chapters. There are Listening Well questions and Thinking Further questions. The Listening Well questions ask what the student heard and remembered. The Thinking Further questions require the student to think a little more about what is happening.

In addition to all of the historical material and comprehension questions there are 2 Bible studies. I think there is enough here to really do a nice study.

 

Just a Few Thoughts

This has turned out to be one of Josiah’s very favorite Audio Productions of all time. Considering we’ve listening to a whole bunch…that’s saying a lot!  We did a lot of “car listening” and he has asked to listen to it several times.  He even asked if we could study a little more about the Civil War.

That, my friends, is hunky dorey with me. You want to learn some more? Okay! That is every homeschool moms wish.

There are also some well-known actors among the cast. Josiah was so confused when I pointed out that a certain character was played by Sean Astin. Of course, Mr. Astin plays Sam in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Josiah wanted to know where his accent went. Kirk Cameron plays Stonewall Jackson. Josiah knows Mr. Cameron from Fire Proof and Monumental. I was introduced to Mr. Cameron as Mike Seaver.  Does this date me?

A few of our favorite voices from other Heirloom Audio Productions could be heard. It was like visiting old friends. We are fans! Can you tell? Just a little aside. Brian Blessed could read my “to do” list every day and thus inspire to me to do great things. His voice is just butter. And cream. And hot chocolate. With marshmallows.

This is such an inspiring story and an excellent production.  Every time the swelling musical score begins, Josiah gets a big grin on his face. He knows it is going to be exciting

We can’t wait for more to come! Please Heirloom Audio…we need more!

You can follow Heirloom Audio Productions via the following Social Media outlets. Don’t forget to click on the banner below to read more reviews.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Lee In Virginia (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/WithLeeInVirginia

Heirloom Audio Productions (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/heirloomaudio

Heirloom Audio Productions (Google+): https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114534826166314080647/114534826166314080647

Heirloom Audio Productions (Twitter): https://twitter.com/HeirloomStories

 

 

I am a Guest Blogger at Ben and Me!

This week I have been blessed to be a Guest Blogger at Ben and Me!

Marcy is a dear (you might remember her from her wonderful Delightful Planning book).  Her blog is so encouraging and I appreciate the opportunity to be able to contribute.

You can read my contributions by clicking on the links below. The series is "31 Days of Delight Directed Learning." Don't miss a one!

Delight-Directed Learning: Creating Something From Nothing

Delight-Directed Learning: Expect the Unexpected

Delight-Directed Learning: Creating a Curiosity Journal

A TOS Review: Shape Whiz

 

We have an enormous number of board games at our house. Through the years they have not only provided hours of great entertainment, but I’ve discovered that games are one of the best ways for my son to learn.  Games are simply fabulous teaching tools.

It’s always a good day when I can add another clever little game to my arsenal. This time around one has come in the form of a review. I received Shape Whiz by SimplyFun.

 

 

Shape Whiz is all about geometry. It is intended for ages 10 and up.  I am not sure how much a typical round would be to play. Josiah and I played together and it took us a bit longer because Josiah hasn’t had much geometry. However, Shape Whiz has proven to be a great introduction.

So how does one play this Shape Whiz?

Basically, there are two different sets of cards. One set are Shape Cards. Half of the Shape Cards are blue and the other half are green. The green cards are just a bit more complicated. We started off with the blue cards (cause that’s just the way we roll).

 

The other set of cards are Whiz Cards. These cards describe a certain aspect of a shape. 

For example,  this card will want the players to find a shape amongst their cards that has two different lengths of sides.

 

Some Whiz Cards ask for simple attributes. Others require a little more thought. Don't worry about being an 'on-the-spot' geometry genius. More on that in a minute.

To start with each player receives a stack of Shape Cards. Three of their cards need to lie face up in front of them. A Whiz Card is then placed in the center of the players. Now for this round of Shape Whiz we used our coffee table. It didn’t have as much space so I placed the Whiz Card to the side. We then had to try and match one of our Shape Card to the Whiz Card. The game is all about speed. The goal is to see who can match the Whiz Card first. The first person to go through their entire stack of Shape Cards wins the game.

 

 

Something that helped us tremendously was that the each of the Shape Cards has the shape properties on the back. Josiah has struggled with math (he has dyscalculia). Geometry hasn’t actually been high on my “to learn” list and those properties on the back of the card were simple to follow and understand.  

 

 

Each time a card was played we could review the shape card and see if it fit the Whiz Card.  You can see that the Shape Properties are easy to read and give the player exactly the information they need to determine whether or not that particular shape fits.

 

 

I mentioned before that games have been a vital part of my son’s educational process. He just learns better by doing and playing. It still isn’t a perfect process. If you are in the same boat I recommend to take it slow. We did a lot less competitive play and more exploration. We primarily used the blue cards and talked about what properties we needed to look for.

 

I am sure that in time this little game will do its job. Josiah is already becoming more familiar with geometry terms and shape properties that simply would have passed him by via textbook.

Of course, this game is not just for homeschoolers. Shape Whiz would benefit anybody with their geometry skills.

Shape Whiz is a wonderful addition to our game collection.  I recommend it wholeheartedly.

 

 

 

 

 

You can connect with SimplyFun via the following social media outlets. Click on the banner to read more reviews.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplyfun
Twitter: https://twitter.com/simplyfun
Instagram: https://instagram.com/simplyfun/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/simplyfun/

 

A TOS Review: Project Passport World History Study: Ancient Egypt

We are history fans. All the way around. We would rather study history than about anything. Except for Football. Josiah would be all over a class called “Football is Awesome.”.  Maybe I could create one. That might not be a bad idea. I could sneak some math in there somewhere. 

Nevertheless, history has always been one of the favored subjects here. One of my favorite homeschool history resources over the years has been Home School in the Woods. 

You can imagine that I was over the moon when we had the opportunity to review the NEW Project Passport World History Study: Ancient Egypt.

 

 

 

Just a little more about Home School in the Woods before I tell you about our experience with Ancient Egypt. Home School in the Woods specializes in creating activity packs, project packs and lapbooks that center around historical topics. They are a Christian company that presents the material with a Christian point of view.

I have used a vast array of their products and have never been disappointed.

For this review I received a download of Project PassportWorld History Study: Ancient Egypt. This is an enormous download.  You can use it as a stand-alone curriculum or as a supplement for a larger study on Ancient History. If you choose to use the product as a whole study the student will get to “visit” Ancient Egypt over 25 “stops.” There are a variety of projects at each stop. Each are designed to be interactive and “hands-on.”

The time frame suggested to complete Ancient Egypt is 8-12 weeks. Personally, I think it could be as long as you need it to be. This is one of those projects that can take you on many rabbit trails! The product is intended to be used for grades 3-8.

There is quite a bit of prep work involved. A younger child will need assistance, but an older student can certainly do much of the prep themselves. I get everything together for Josiah. He’s 13 and perfectly capable of many things. However, I knew that the instructions would be confusing for him. He’s dyslexic and dysgraphic. I wanted to make the experience as enjoyable and productive as possible.

Just a note about all the material you will receive. There are several folders containing everything that you will need; including a folder titled “PDFs.” This folder has all the printables and information you will need. The folder “Intro-Etc.” has additional resources, itinerary and more. There is also a PDF called Travel Tips. Make sure you read this. In fact, print it out and keep it in your notes. I have done many lapbook and notebook projects in my time. All the info there was so helpful! There is even a suggested list of supplies. I liked having it one place instead of trying to track down supplies with each “stop.”

 I have made it a habit to keep a binder of any materials we are studying just for me. This is not a complicated product…there are just many moving parts.

I did print materials as needed. If I had to do it again, I would do it all at once. I would have saved myself some time.

I thought I would share a few pics of some of what happened on Stop 2.  

The first thing we did was to read the text for the day. It is an informative reading (just a little over 3 pages) on the Nile and the unification of Egypt. We also read about Imhotep.

 You can see from my stylized shot (I say stylized because I am having camera issues and this is about as good as it gets!) of the intermarry that each activity is in bold.  A few of the activities are continues. The student simply adds to them each week. Josiah keeps all the finished projects and the ones he is working on in his binder. The small bits and pieces are in a ziplock bag.

 

 The first project for Stop 2 is Snapshot memories. This is basically a timeline that fits in the binder. The 'snapshot' was cut out and placed over the current tag. We then added any extra information and the date.

 

 

 

The next project is a map. The map was started in the previous lesson and the student adds to it with each subsequent lesson. I like that the places can be cut out and glued to the map. There was another aspect to the map project that we didn't complete. The student was to glue a little pepper on the banks of the Nile River. My guy wasn't interested, but I think that it is a fantastic way to add more dimension (and fun!) to the project.

 

The project below is also one that continues every week. The student will gather postcards every week from "famous folks." They are also encouraged to draw on the back and keep them in a cute postcard rack that they put together at Stop 1.

 

 

The next project is the continuing Newspaper project. I personally love this one. It probably is the writer in me. Josiah looked at me with the 'deer in the headlights' look. We are going to have to work on this. :<)

 

The next activity is creating a minibook on the Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.  It was completed and placed in the ziplock bag.

 

 The final activity on this leg of the trip is to begin an Audio Tour! This is such a neat thing. We listened to it a few times. Not to worry. All the MP3s are included in the download. I didn't have to go search for them online.

Just a Few More Thoughts

Homeschool in the Woods simply provides a superior product. The images are quality and the activities are creative and memorable. I love that they supply a very hands-on experience.

I love that I can include as many projects (or as few) as Josiah is interested in completing.  I love, too, that we are supplied with suggestions for additional resources. I am all about the books and it was nice to have a list for the library. 

Our visit to Ancient Egypt isn’t over.  We can’t wait to see what happens next.

 You can connect with Homeschool in the Woods via the following social media outlets. Click on the banner to read more reviews. Other members of the crew reviewed additional products, as well.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolinthewoods
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HSintheWoods
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hsinthewoods/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/b/109711152019235885312/+Homeschoolinthewoods/posts