Sunday, July 27, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Lapbooks and Notebooking
Recently I posted about how we are implementing more of Charlotte Mason's methods for school. I was quite pleased earlier today to find a www.currclick.com This is a wonderful site. Not only do they sell books and products to help make notebooking and lapbooking much easier, they have FREE downloadable files. This is such a blessing.
Last year when we discovered lapbooks, it renewed joy in our school. It allows the children to learn and study while creating something that will be treasured for years to come. They will be able to show it off to visitors in our home, and share it with their own children, if the LORD tarries. Besides increasing their memory and retention of information, it pushes their curiosity button, and stimulates their creative natures. My children are extremely artistic. I am constantly amazed at the interesting things they make, the pictures they paint or draw, and more recently their writing has taken on a new depth. It's a blessing.
We are looking forward to having fun doing more lapbooks or notebooks over this school year.
Even if you don't think you can do this, I assure you you can. If you NEED to stick to the lesson plans or a text book to keep your sanity and keep your children from getting off track, let me encourage you to take even a week to do a short study and make a lapbook. It only took us making one and we were hooked. My chidlren were so excited when I showed them some examples online that they made some on their own!!!!
Last year when we discovered lapbooks, it renewed joy in our school. It allows the children to learn and study while creating something that will be treasured for years to come. They will be able to show it off to visitors in our home, and share it with their own children, if the LORD tarries. Besides increasing their memory and retention of information, it pushes their curiosity button, and stimulates their creative natures. My children are extremely artistic. I am constantly amazed at the interesting things they make, the pictures they paint or draw, and more recently their writing has taken on a new depth. It's a blessing.
We are looking forward to having fun doing more lapbooks or notebooks over this school year.
Even if you don't think you can do this, I assure you you can. If you NEED to stick to the lesson plans or a text book to keep your sanity and keep your children from getting off track, let me encourage you to take even a week to do a short study and make a lapbook. It only took us making one and we were hooked. My chidlren were so excited when I showed them some examples online that they made some on their own!!!!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Rock Collecting-Edible Rocks
Science Fun:
Edible "Rocks"It's official... I've heard of almost everything now! Here's a great way for teaching about three different kinds of rocks ... and making a unique snack at the same time.
Please note: take note of the ingredients listed and be aware of possible food sensitivities and allergies of the children involved.
Edible Rock Recipes:
Igneous Rocks
1 can evaporated milk (6 oz.)1 1/2 cups sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup chopped nuts1 1/4 cups tiny marshmallows1 1/2 cups chocolate chips1 teaspoon vanilla
Grease an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 inch pan. Combine evaporated milk with sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to aboil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring for 5 - 9 minutes. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients and stir gently. Pour into prepared pan. Let cool. (Refrigerate) 1 pan (8 x 8) makes 30 1 inch squares.
Metamorphic Rocks
1/2 cup shortening or margarine1 cup brown sugar1/2 teaspoon vanilla1/2 cup chopped nuts1/2 cup well-drained crushed pineapple1 egg, beaten1 cup whole wheat flour1 cup flour1 teaspoon soda1 teaspoon salt
Cream the shortening and the sugar. Add the beaten egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix. Stir in the fruit and the nuts. Drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake for 7 minutes at 375 degrees. Note: Chocolate chips, coconut, wheat germ, etc. can also be added.
Sedimentary Rocks
1 1/4 cups crushed flake cereal1 1/2 tablespoons sugar1/2 cup margarine
Melt the margarine. Mix with the cereal and the sugar. Press into an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan.
1 cup chocolate or butterscotch chips 1 1/4 cups coconut 1 cup chopped nuts 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
Sprinkle the chips over cereal layer. Sprinkle the coconut over chips. Sprinkle the nuts over coconut. Pour condensed milk over the layers. Bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees. ------- Edible Rock Recipes by Cindy Downes. For more recipes and other "fun stuff", check out her website at http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/funstuff.html
www.easyfunschool.com/
Edible "Rocks"It's official... I've heard of almost everything now! Here's a great way for teaching about three different kinds of rocks ... and making a unique snack at the same time.
Please note: take note of the ingredients listed and be aware of possible food sensitivities and allergies of the children involved.
Edible Rock Recipes:
Igneous Rocks
1 can evaporated milk (6 oz.)1 1/2 cups sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup chopped nuts1 1/4 cups tiny marshmallows1 1/2 cups chocolate chips1 teaspoon vanilla
Grease an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 inch pan. Combine evaporated milk with sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to aboil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring for 5 - 9 minutes. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients and stir gently. Pour into prepared pan. Let cool. (Refrigerate) 1 pan (8 x 8) makes 30 1 inch squares.
Metamorphic Rocks
1/2 cup shortening or margarine1 cup brown sugar1/2 teaspoon vanilla1/2 cup chopped nuts1/2 cup well-drained crushed pineapple1 egg, beaten1 cup whole wheat flour1 cup flour1 teaspoon soda1 teaspoon salt
Cream the shortening and the sugar. Add the beaten egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix. Stir in the fruit and the nuts. Drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake for 7 minutes at 375 degrees. Note: Chocolate chips, coconut, wheat germ, etc. can also be added.
Sedimentary Rocks
1 1/4 cups crushed flake cereal1 1/2 tablespoons sugar1/2 cup margarine
Melt the margarine. Mix with the cereal and the sugar. Press into an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan.
1 cup chocolate or butterscotch chips 1 1/4 cups coconut 1 cup chopped nuts 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
Sprinkle the chips over cereal layer. Sprinkle the coconut over chips. Sprinkle the nuts over coconut. Pour condensed milk over the layers. Bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees. ------- Edible Rock Recipes by Cindy Downes. For more recipes and other "fun stuff", check out her website at http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/funstuff.html
www.easyfunschool.com/
Guinea Pigs or Homeschool Method Trials
I am not an expert of homeschool methods. Have read books on how children learn and I have a basic understanding of the differences. But my poor children have been guinea pigs because during the course of our continuing adventure of schooling at home, we have tried many, many things. What affect this has had on our childrens academic successes and failures is unknown. By pain and pleasure, and $$$$ and cents, we decided what to keep or continue, and when to cut our losses and try something else. My vision for homeschool was a fun adventure of loving, living and learning. That's what all the books and magazines told me. And I believed them! The first days of official schooling, when we had to begin reporting to the board of education in New York City-Queens, were joyful, thrilling, and the first of many hours, days, weeks, years, of time and memories, happiness, and expectancy. Within a short time I lost sight of our goals-rearing our children to be Godly men and women who desire to serve the LORD with all their hearts, and could can read, write, and balance a checkbook, Curriculum tends to take control. Spontaneous learning left the building! Much to my dismay, my smart children turned into idiots overnight. It was like school, in and of itself, sapped them of their ability to think, understand, obey. My dream of smiling children skipping, laughing, and learning became a nightmare of tears, and dread. I questioned my own sanity. What had I gotten us into? How would this EVER work? That's why we experimented so much with methods. I wanted my children to LOVE school. You have no idea how many times I wished that I could have been homeschooled. My parents, and I had never heard of such a thing (1970-1980). Everyone had to go to school somewhere, right?
When we started on this journey, the only curriculum companies I'd heard of, for Christian materials, were ABEKA, BJU, and ACE. ACE was our top choice because I was familiar with it from my 4 years of high school. I had the added benefit-privilege of monitor training when I was in school, so I knew the "how tos" and had practiced as well. To this day ACE is my favorite curriculum. Some will point to it and say ...... but I stand by my choice. Unfortunately, between our children being miserable doing it, and the expense for 3 children (and we wanted a dozen or more) we realized it was above our means. Somewhere the homeschool magazines came into my hands and WOW what a shock to know how many companies, methods, ideas, etc were out there. This was the mid-1990's, before most people had home computers or internet. Now you can obtain almost anything you like, for your preferred method, for the cost of a printer, paper, ink, and a good internet connection. The hardest part is deciding what to print!
As I started to explore other methods, we adopted copywork. The idea of learning grammar, punctuation etc. by copying anothers writing appealed to me for two reasons: one, it was written perfectly, and two, this was a simple way to expose them to cultural writing that many of us never read.
We also did nature journals/diaries, and journaled often for language arts. One year we did narratives of every book I read aloud for Science and History.
Each of our children have struggled with learning addition and subtraction facts, multiplication tables, and other important mathmatical information. It never occurred to me to implement copywork into our math studies. A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a blog singing praises to Charlotte Masons methods, and this Mom asked the question: If we use copywork for other subjects, why not math? She pointed out that drill sheets and flash cards reinforce errors because the child has to come up with the answer, therefore each time he/she writes or says the wrong answer, the error is cemented in his/her mind, even though the child is told the correct answer immediately afterwards. This got me thinking too. So today I searched for, and found, very nice multiplication table which are easy to read and copy. I printed out one copy each for my 3 students, on their favorite color paper, and placed in 3 prong folders. They've been cautioned not to let anything happen to their new books.
I hope this is helpful to other homeschool moms and students who are ready to scream and shout, or pull their hair out or quit. I've been there numerous times, I had entire school years that I wanted to give up...but I am here to say, inspite of all the trials, struggles, fights, tears, anger, frustration etc IT IS WORTH IT!
When we started on this journey, the only curriculum companies I'd heard of, for Christian materials, were ABEKA, BJU, and ACE. ACE was our top choice because I was familiar with it from my 4 years of high school. I had the added benefit-privilege of monitor training when I was in school, so I knew the "how tos" and had practiced as well. To this day ACE is my favorite curriculum. Some will point to it and say ...... but I stand by my choice. Unfortunately, between our children being miserable doing it, and the expense for 3 children (and we wanted a dozen or more) we realized it was above our means. Somewhere the homeschool magazines came into my hands and WOW what a shock to know how many companies, methods, ideas, etc were out there. This was the mid-1990's, before most people had home computers or internet. Now you can obtain almost anything you like, for your preferred method, for the cost of a printer, paper, ink, and a good internet connection. The hardest part is deciding what to print!
As I started to explore other methods, we adopted copywork. The idea of learning grammar, punctuation etc. by copying anothers writing appealed to me for two reasons: one, it was written perfectly, and two, this was a simple way to expose them to cultural writing that many of us never read.
We also did nature journals/diaries, and journaled often for language arts. One year we did narratives of every book I read aloud for Science and History.
Each of our children have struggled with learning addition and subtraction facts, multiplication tables, and other important mathmatical information. It never occurred to me to implement copywork into our math studies. A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a blog singing praises to Charlotte Masons methods, and this Mom asked the question: If we use copywork for other subjects, why not math? She pointed out that drill sheets and flash cards reinforce errors because the child has to come up with the answer, therefore each time he/she writes or says the wrong answer, the error is cemented in his/her mind, even though the child is told the correct answer immediately afterwards. This got me thinking too. So today I searched for, and found, very nice multiplication table which are easy to read and copy. I printed out one copy each for my 3 students, on their favorite color paper, and placed in 3 prong folders. They've been cautioned not to let anything happen to their new books.
I hope this is helpful to other homeschool moms and students who are ready to scream and shout, or pull their hair out or quit. I've been there numerous times, I had entire school years that I wanted to give up...but I am here to say, inspite of all the trials, struggles, fights, tears, anger, frustration etc IT IS WORTH IT!
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