A TOS Review: ARTistic Pursuits

 Does teaching art intimidate you?  Yeah, me too. I can do a few things to get by, other than that I’m lost.  I know it’s tempting to count the crayon drawing in your hallway as “art education.” I have had plenty of those in my time as Josiah Bevan’s mother.

That being said, it is important for me to make sure my son has a well-rounded arts education (not including hallway drawings). ARTistic Pursuits understands the need for quality homeschool art education.  They have a complete line of art curriculum books for every age.

I was fortunate to be able to review their Middle School 6-8, Book 2:  Color and Composition, which focuses (obviously) on color and composition, but also teaches students how to use hard pastels and oil pastels.

This curriculum is intended for Middle School students in grades 6-8. It is the second book of the series on Art and Composition. It comes in a large, spiral bound book  that is full of inspiration, challenges and instruction.

The “mysterious language of color” is explored. Students learn to use color pastels, work with textures, observe hue and intensity, space and depth and much, much more.  

There are 16 units in the book; each unit containing 4 lessons. Each lesson focuses on elements of art and principles of design. The first lesson will help establish a visual vocabulary. The second will study art appreciation and art history. The third lesson will work on technique and the fourth lesson will an opportunity for the complete a final project using what he or she has learned throughout that unit.

You can read more about the Units by checking out the Middle School 6-8, Book 2:  Color and Composition page. Just scroll down to the bottom.

The book recommends that you schedule two Art classes per week and spend about an hour with each class. This, of course, depends on the enthusiasm of your artist. Some projects just need a bit more time and attention!

To start our art classes we needed to get some art supplies together. These were:

Pastels, Oil Pastels, Pastel Paper pad, drawing paper, paper stump, kneaded eraser, a vinyl eraser, a sharpener and Natural Chamois. We also used aerosol hairspray, masking tape and cotton balls.

I’m just a little bit blessed. My momma is an artist and has a whole closet full of stuff ready for the pillaging. I simply took my list to her. It’s like having my own personal shopper.

I decided that I, too, wanted to do the Art lessons right along with Josiah. I had a few reasons. He is dyslexic (and dysgraphic). It was easier for him to enjoy doing art without having to concentrate on reading. If you have a student who doesn’t struggle with reading I have no doubt that this can be a self-study. On the other hand I wanted to play as well! If you can, I suggest you do the lessons right alongside your student.  They were so much fun!

Before I show you a whole gallery of our projects I need to say that pastels were a really good medium for Josiah to work with. He has dysgraphia and struggles a bit with his fine motor skills. The pastels are a bit messy, but they are forgiving. There were never any disasters. I think he is quite proud of what he was able to accomplish. 

One of the assignments was to draw an animal with chalk pastels. We drew a pair of adorable cartoon cats. I can't find mine. I took a picture of it a few weeks ago, but I think the both the original and the picture ran away from home.

Here is Josiah's castle. I think it's quite lovely and story "bookish." He did a nice job with his colors..

Here is mine. I'm not sure why my mountains look like they are residing in the tree tops.

We loved the little challenges given along the way. This particular lesson had us coloring in an apple and a pear with a main color, applying hair spray and then going back after it was dry and layering the color.

I have to tell you that I haven't seen that much hairspray fly since my days as a teenager in the 80's.

Some of the neatest aspects of this book is that it gives us some history right along with the lessons. The assignment for the above picture came with the explanation that German artist experimenting with bright colors under the Nazi Occupation.were labeled "degenerate." Can you imagine?

 This next group of pictures came from a still life we set up from objects around the house. 

Josiah kept threatening to eat the orange.

 These are my favorite projects we did. In fact, they are in the process of being framed and hung in my bedroom. 

We moved ahead a little bit to work with oil pastels. I love oil pastels. They feel so smooth. 

This little challenge had us using different kinds of strokes to create texture on the page. 

Josiah had a bit more difficulty with this. He seemed to only to have one "note."

He worried about staying in the lines. I think that this will be a good exercise for him to continue. It will help work on his control.

 This was a lesson on how to draw in broken color using the oil pastels. 

If you squint really hard it almost looks like art.

 You can see that we really had a good time with Middle School 6-8, Book 2:  Color and Composition   My mom teaches art to Seniors in a nursing home and she is interested in looking at it for her classes. It's appeal goes beyond Middle School!  It is such a well done curriculum. Check it out! 

You can read more reviews of this product (and more!) by clicking on the banner below. 

A TOS Review: Orphs of the Woodlands

I just had the opportunity to review a fun interactive online program from Star Toaster called Orphs of the Woodlands.

This is one of the most unique programs I have ever come across.

It is no secret that I am a big fan of reading. It has been challenging for me to get my son (who is dyslexic) as excited.

I understand his concerns and frustrations. I also don’t want him to miss out on great stories. What he does lack in reading skills he more than makes up for in problem solving. He loves games.

The Orphs of the Woodlands combines both an exciting adventure store with fun games. There is even some strategizing involved.

The story begins with The Treasure of High Tower. The main character is a squirrel. Josiah got to name his squirrel. He named him Squirrel Wilson. I was pleased he didn’t name him after a famous football player. That is progress, my friends.

The story starts by telling us that the Night Creatures had orphaned many other animals, including (in our case) Squirrel Wilson. The Night Creatures have terrorized the land and Squirrel Wilson becomes a spy.  This requires Squirrel Wilson to interact with other interesting characters and complete many odd jobs. Squirrel Wilson has taken on the responsibility to care for the little Orphs (orphaned animals).  He must take on projects to help feed and clothe, provide security and more. It is quite involved!

The recommended reading level is 4^th – 7^th grade.

I want to share a few highlights and features that make this program truly special. 

This page starts us at Chapter 7. The pages are "turned" by clicking the arrows at the bottom right or left. Throughout the page the reader will find highlighted words or special features that can be clicked on to go to find a definition or learn more about a certain subject. This page has a letter than the reader needs to open up. 

After clicking on the envelope in the middle of the page, we just see a few words on the page. We can tell from a previous lesson by the bottle of purple liquid at the top of the page that this letter has been written in invisible ink. 

Viola! There is the rest of the letter. Pretty cool spy work if you ask me! 

Every page of the story is filled with interactive things to try and to learn. There are even recipes to make! 

Which brings us to the next few screens. After the chapter is read (it can be 20-50  pages long) we have a whole list of jobs available. They include jobs that use math skills, vocabulary skills, memory skills. science and more! 

Some of our favorites have been the Life Skills. Maybe it's because we like to cook and eat.

At this point in the job listings, Josiah has already completed several jobs. The ones left are Life Skills and The Arts. 

When Josiah gets to the job for "Bean Specialist," this recipe comes up. It is one that he previously read about in the last chapter. "Stomachache Stew."

He reads all of the ingredients and pertinent information about the dish and clicks on the little recipe icon. It brings up the recipe itself. 

After he is done training for the job (there is always a little review beforehand) he gets to answer the question for gold coins.

 After hitting the "Get Paid" button it lets him know if he answered correctly and how many gold coins he received. After he has answered so many of any job skill correctly he gets a pay raise. Now don't you wish it was like that in real life?

After Josiah has completed all the jobs listed he can then go buy land or projects to help take care of his orphs. This is so much fun...I can't even begin to tell you.

Obviously, Orphs of the Woodlands has been big hit at our house. I do have a few observations. 

Because Josiah is dyslexic this isn't a program I could let him loose with. I had to sit with him and assist him with the reading. He is doing beautifully with his reading, but he still gets overwhelmed with small font and the amount of reading he is required to do. 

Also, there is quite a bit of memory work. What I did appreciate so, so much about this program is that they teach the student how to practically memorize a piece of information. I love that! 

I also love that there is focus on life skills, art and music. This isn't a "one note" curriculum. 

I have heard that there is another book coming out (Yay!). In the meantime we are thoroughly enjoying our journey in the Woodlands with Squirrel Wilson. 

I do need to mention that regular purchasers of the program will get a two-month subscription (for up to 3 children) One month extensions are available for those of us who might need more time. You can check it out for yourself with a FREE trial! 

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A TOS Review: New American Cursive: Penmanship Program Workbook 1

I recently had the opportunity to review New American Cursive: Penmanship Program Workbook 1 from Memoria Press. 

Memoria Press has produced some fantastic products so I knew that this was something I wanted to try.

When my son was first learning to write his name and his ABCs it was obvious we had a longer road to go than some. As he developed his writing was not only labored, but it was nearly illegible. He had difficulty copying something. His spacing was nonexistent and his letters were a varying heights and widths. He couldn’t stay in the lines. It was discovered that not only is Josiah dyslexic, but he is also dysgraphic.

Strangely enough in my research, I found that the experts suggested cursive writing for those students who struggle with dysgraphia. Cursive has very few reversible letters. Word spacing isn’t nearly a problem and doesn’t require as much strain on the hand.

New American Cursive offers more than 26 fewer strokes than traditional cursive. I was curious to see if this method would be easier for Josiah to practice and eventually master.

Of course, the idea behind New American Cursive is to introduce cursive to kiddos as young as First Grade.  The methods are not torturous (according to my son) and are presented in a way that encourages creativity and excellence.

There has been a great movement afoot to eliminate cursive from main stream curriculums. I, of course, freaked out just a little. Think of all those wonderful historical documents that won’t be read in their original forms. Not to mention the beauty of cursive writing itself. These things are even above and beyond the benefits it has for kids like Josiah.

This workbook is easy to use. The lessons are short. Our lesson generally took no more than 20 minutes a day. 

The book begins by teaching proper hand, paper and pencil position. This was REALLY important.

Each lesson starts with a page similar to the one below.  You can see that the student is instructed to:

1. Say the letter.

2. Feel the letter.

3. Write the letter. 

This multi-sensory method is used throughout the book. 

 Josiah is also a leftie and has to turn his paper differently.

 The lesson then gives plenty of opportunity for practice.

The end of the lesson is a fun exercise and/or chance to do some artwork.  On the other side of this exercise is a blank space for the student to create their own 'a" artwork. Josiah's is blank. He wasn't interested. 

This particular lesson (I think it was for "d") ended with an a helpful exercise that allowed the student to practice keeping his or her pencil on the page. 

“Mr. Meerkat” is the instructor throughout the book. Josiah is 13 and wasn’t too offended with Mr. Meerkat. I worried that perhaps he might think it was too babyish. Thankfully, Mr. Meerkat is “dude approved.”

  

I am really impressed with this method of cursive. The book is spiral bound at the top which helped Josiah out immensely. He didn’t have to fight with the spiral.

A big plus for me, as well, was that it isn't to difficult for Josiah to use. There are no dramatic flourishes or swipes to master. I did require him to do a few of the lessons again. He still struggled making several of the letters. This is just the nature of dysgraphia. However, I simply erased the lesson he was having difficulty with and had him start fresh the next day. Building up that muscle memory is important. 

The lessons themselves are short and the pages aren't  cluttered with a lot of "stuff." My dyslexic/dysgraphic boy doesn't  have to struggle to keep his attention on what he is doing. 

I also appreciate the extras in the back of the book. There are additional things to copy; such as The Pledge of Allegiance and the days of the week. There is also extra paper for practice. 

This little page, however, is my favorite. It helps me evaluate Josiah's handwriting. It also helps Josiah see what he needs to work on. 

I do want to encourage other parents whose children have similar issues. Josiah is 13. He would not have been able to do so well when he was in first grade. He simply needed time. I have found that recommended ages and courses of study are just suggestions. Because they aren't ready today doesn't mean that it won't happen in the future. If you have an older child who has struggled with his handwriting this is a great technique to try. And, as a former teacher of young children I feel that this method is terrific for those kiddos who are on track. 

 So far we are halfway through the workbook. There are additional Modern Cursive workbooks available through Memoria Press as well as samples for Workbook 1. I encourage you to check it out. 

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Also, I am getting ready to review another fabulous product from Memoria Press. We are excited about this one...stay tuned for my review!

No. You Can't Have a Pet Zebra: From the Diaries of a Fruity Homeschool Momma

This week I'm sharing some Real Life Homeschooling. At least, what happened during one week of our homeschool. These posts are not meant to educate. I can't tell you how to do it "right." So I am not even going to begin to try. This is just life. 

Dear Diary,

It's Friday. I spent much of my day helping a family member out. Car troubles all around. It must be catching.

It certainly wasn't part of the plan.

Then again...much of what has happened in my life wasn't part of my "plan."

Think of what I would have missed.

This evening I am sitting quietly by myself. The Muffin and Josiah have gone to swim team practice. I have been working on Easter projects and some secret Birthday plans for my Mom and niece.

I am exhausted. I figured I spend just a minute jotting down something things I must never forget.

1. Remember that Spring Break I neglected to schedule in? Next year we are taking one. I don't care if it is spent in our pajamas watching episodes of Doctor Who and Sherlock on Netflix. In fact,we might as well take a Fall Break. We need time to just "be."

2. Not every minute has to be an educational one. It's okay to go to the park just because we like to hang out there. I don't have to drag around our Nature Study stuff every where we go. Next time we go, maybe we will just swing and swing and swing.

3. I must take a little more time in the mornings to get my day in order. I don't care what order that might be. I'm tired of feeling like I'm playing catch up. I have to take my Quiet Time to be Quiet.

4. Which brings me to my next point. Not every project has to be "pinterest" worthy.

5. Sleep. I need more.

6. I can say "not today". The world and everyone in it will not fall apart because I need to stay home.

7. One can never have too many art supplies.

8. Or books.

9. I can't worry about what certain people in my life think about this whole homeschool thing. They don't walk in our shoes. I also can't get offended when they express their opinions. They haven't been called to this. The Muffin and I are in unity in this. It has made us a better family.

10. I am never going to have to worry about socialization. Is it possible to have too much? (This spoken as a true introvert).

11. Josiah has had to work twice as hard to be able to read what is on a page. I am going to work just as hard to make sure I do my best for him.

12. And on those days I feel like crying? I am going to cry.

13. I am not going to make food, a lifestyle or an educational method my god. I already serve One is Omnipotent.

14. I am going to liberally supply hugs and kisses to my guys. They need them.

15. It is okay to say "No." My son is not going to show up on Dr. Phil one day and tell the world of his sadly neglectful childhood. It is perfectly okay to say no to having a pet zebra.

16. I don't have to know everything. Thank goodness for Google,Pinterest and Youtube.

17. I am not going to be so hard on myself when I neglect to do those things I listed above.

Sweet Dreams...

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