Homeschooling

Our Curriculum Needs

January 22, 2018 By Annette1 9 Comments

I think that when one looks at curriculum posts, it’s great to know the reasoning behind why people make the choices they do with their curriculum. As I introduce you to what we use, I hope to tell you why we use it.

The reasons we choose our curriculum varies, sometimes it is chosen for us by the Homeschool Review Crew, using a math they need tested, or books they need read. Sometimes my lad lets me know what he wants to learn so I look for something to fulfill that need. At other times I have a skill set I want sharpened, or a mindset I want developed, and so more curriculum is discovered.

Not our choice:

Some of our curriculum is determined by the reviews that we do. It’s part of reviewing homeschool curriculum right? Trying to find something that will fit but also needing to meet the needs of the current crop of companies and what they want reviewed. I will only mentioned that which we are currently using.

Unlock math: independent, incremental learning. Sometimes goes too slow my lad says so I give him permission to skip ahead as needed.

Innovator’s Tribe – Engineering Course: My son loves this course. It is so much fun to see him enjoying this course, recently he had to make a fidget spinner. This boy who NEVER schools any longer than he has to, worked on it again after supper, wanting to get the bearing in the middle done. “I wish I had a 3 D printer mom, then I could make my own spinner”.

Digital Savvy: When I told my lad he only had the course until the end of February he was less than impressed. “I’m sorry mom, I forgot about it for a while. I’m not going to get done!!! How much does it cost to get it again?” I told him just to work on what he most wants to learn and let the rest go.

Chosen out of a specified request:

Good and beautiful: MOM! Can I learn how to spell better? He’s not keen on looking at the art pictures, but he loves the spelling lists and their approach to learning the spelling rules. You can learn more about them here. His enjoyment and the fact we can work through it as fast or as slow as we want makes it a keeper, I am considering buying the already bound set for next year instead of using the free one.

Once a month country study: “Mom, can we continue learning about a different country every month? I like trying new foods and seeing new things from around the world”. We’ve done Korea, Azerbaijan, Finland, Sweden, Georgia, Russia, Australia and Iceland. We’ll be doing Spain soon. For a while we used a simple geography program for ideas, but then just started picking countries. We’ve missed a lot of months, but it’s easy enough to pick up again eh? 🙂

From Sea to Sea: “Can we finish off that book we did last year? I want to keep learning about Canada.” He is even wanting to do the tests and quizzes this year. That’s a nice thing eh? It’s such a “boring” curriculum in a lot of ways, but we are both learning a lot and we can supplement however we want.

Material I chose:

God’s design – an overarching science that would cover the various topics depending on what the lad was interested in at the time. Independence with supplementation. Covers all grades through highschool, so he can easily work at the level that he is at. You can find parts of this series on Amazon.

Holy Land on SchoolhouseTeachers.com. – his pick of the 8 or 9 options that we had. He likes the video and the simple question and answer worksheet. He’s learning some history and some geography. This MIGHT (if we get selected) be replaced by the Adventures Series being looked at by the Review Crew.

Research projects – gave the lad a list of different types of ways to present research, every week he needs to do a project and meet a new project type. Some of these projects have been natural extensions of his interests in life (mice, ants, engineering, STEM projects) some have been the result of his studies (like making a poem of vertebrates).

Studying the Heidelberg Catechism using the book Comforting Hearts. Good to know the doctrines of the church. I have a friend who had her children memorize the confessions of the church starting at an early age. I don’t need my lad to memorize them, but having him very familiar with them is a good thing. Good talking points to be made through this book.

We read a longer chapter book together almost every day, one chapter at a time. Right now we are reading the book Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter. We are enjoying this book, it frequently has us looking up different birds and flowers. Some favourites: Nest for Celeste, Irish Chain, and others that are just slipping my mind at the moment.

The lad is also doing a book called “Who is God” by Apologia. I’ve looked at it off and on for a couple of years, the lad thought it doable so we got it. It’s giving him a good grounding in aspects of God he doesn’t always think about. He tells me “it’s good”.

I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t remind you that SchoolhouseTeachers.com is on sale until the end of January. Don’t delay eh? It’s a great deal. Here’s my affiliate link. Use the codes to get the deal. SchoolhouseTeachers constantly adds new classes, many of them with videos. It’s an excellent “backup” for me when I’m looking for something quick to fill an interest the lad has, or to continue giving him options for things like geography, art, and science. I like giving him some independence in what he wants to learn.

The virtual homeschool fair is hosted by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds.

Looking for more curriculum ideas? Visit my fellow homeschool bloggers!

Note: all posts will be live after 8 am EST on Monday, Jan. 22nd.

Our Homeschool Plan for 3rd, 6th, 8th, & 12th Grades by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds

Our 10th Grade Plans by Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool

Planning Out Our Unschooling Studies by Jen @ A Helping Hand Homeschool

The Details of Curriculum by Michele @ Family, Faith and Fridays

Reflections of a Curriculum Junkie by Brittney @ Mom’s Heart

Freedom through nature journaling. by Kim @ Good Sweet Love

How I pull together a homeschool curriculum without packaged curriculum by Dana @ Life Led Homeschool

Our Favorite Curriculum and Resources – An Annotated Bibliography by Sabrina @ Kids, Crunch, and Christ

Our 2018 Homeschool Curriculum Choices by Amanda @ Hopkins Homeschool

Top Home Educating Resources by Sarah @ DeliveringGrace

Homeschooling Curriculum We Are Using This Year by Laura O @ Day by Day in Our World

Use the Force and Complete the Course by Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break

Choices, choices – how to choose your curriculum wisely by Lizzy @ Peaches@Home

Our Curriculum Needs – grade seven by Annette @ A Net in Time

The Heart of Our School by Laura @ Four Little Penguins

What I Use with 7th and 9th Grader – Virtual Homeschool Fair -Week 3 by Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory

How to Avoid Gaps in Education by Kristen H. @ Sunrise to Sunset

Tricky Subjects and Starting the Decision Making Process by Lori H @ At Home: where life happens

High School Syllabus by TrueNorthHomeschoolAcademy @ GoldenGrasses

Review: Betty Before X

January 20, 2018 By Annette1 3 Comments

Do you know one of the good things about going to the ER? It gives you a chance to read an wonderful middle school book. It’s good to read while you wait you know? The book in this case is Betty Before X. Ilyasah Shabazz with some help from Renee Watson.

Betty is a young negro girl who for the first few years of her life was raised by her auntie. She then moved in with her momma, new siblings and momma’s husband. She moved out of the south to Detroit in 1945. Betty isn’t sure of her momma’s love, or her momma’s want of her, and thus the story unfolds, spilling out into school, church and community.

This is a story that has real pain and sorrow in it, but it isn’t kept at the forefront of Betty’s life. The forefront of Betty’s life is the Lord and seeing the blessings he has provided. This book had so many blessings along with hidden questions and ideas in the heart of this girl child. Hardships she needed to face up to, but life that she needed to live.

Most of this book is just about Betty, as a youngster, growing up. What helped to formulate her mindset and shaped her day to day life. A book that draws middle school students into the life of a black child in Detroit in the mid-1940’s.

The largest part of the book is simply black and white. Numbered chapters that varied in length, it is divided into six sections, the first five containing a quote and a set of years. Just like you see below.

At the close of the story, we find the image to the right, after the image we find a section talking about characters and places in Betty’s life, as well as an timeline overview of her life. Betty grew up to become the wife of Malcolm X. In the story we are introduced to ideas that are more fully explained her without the ease in telling that you’d find in a story.

This quote from the book just sits with me… making me wonder… where do uncried tears go?

My thoughts:

I really appreciated that this was a book filled with looking for the positive even amongst the hard things of life. Not diminishing the hard things, but not making them a point of hate or anger, just a longing for something more and better and seeing the good in what you have. This makes it an easier read of black history that I would want my middle schooler to read. The close of the book doesn’t skirt the truth, it gives the facts so that we know the behind the scenes of the story. Sharing them so we know the pain of that time, a knowing of the history. If you pick this book up, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and learn much!

Betty Before X
Ilyasah Shabazz with Renee Watson
Farrarr Straus Giroux
Trade paperback, 256 pages, 
Middle school, Upper Elementary, Fiction, Black History

Reviewed for: Raincoast books. 

Where to find: Amazon Link.

On Being a Writer – Arrange

January 18, 2018 By Annette1 10 Comments

The question this chapter asks us is this: How do you arrange your life to show that writing is important to you? It also asks, how does writing spill out of you and are you comfortable with how it does so?

How does writing spill out of you and are you comfortable with how it does so?

For instance, do you like writing long hand? Or does a computer work for you? Maybe a typewriter is where it is at. Do you need to play around with the different methods until you find what works best for you?

Do you write at a desk? A table? Sitting in a comfortable lazy boy? Maybe you have a roll top desk that sets the mood for you?

Is silence golden or do you like the sound of your family about you or a radio/tv on for background noise?

Does clutter annoy or does it add to the creative process? Is cleanliness the key to unlocking your creativity?

You know what the thing is right? EVERYONE is different. My hubby works best with noise around him, he can watch TV well and write and research all the time. Me on the other hand… prefer silence when I write but I have learned during the course of our marriage, to tolerate noise, but I often miss what is happening in the TV show if I am really concentrating as I write. BUT one thing I do love is writing and chatting with a friend online. For some reason that brings out my creativity and SPEED. Go figure eh? 🙂 Can I sustain that though? No. Works for about a half hour and then one or the other has to stop. Hubby, if the house gets too messy, gets stressed and tense. Me.. I just ignore it and move forward until I can’t find something and then suddenly it’s too horrible for words and the house gets cleaned top to bottom (or honestly until I get distracted by something). 🙂

How do you arrange your life to show that writing is important to you?

Admittedly, this can be a hard one. One has to make a living right? One has to school their children, raise them, keep the house in order, keep up friendships, indulge their hobbies, spend time with family, and all that other daily living stuff. So how in the midst of all that good stuff….do you find time to write? It’s hard!

Sometimes it’s a real balancing act, as you work through real life needs and real writing needs. It is work to try to figure out what type of job you can do that will also allow you to be creative in your writing. It’s a struggle to understand how to care for the needs of your family and still grab writing moments.

Solutions that writers come up with: Grab 15 minutes here and there throughout the day. Find a job that doesn’t use up your creative energy. Book time away, a weekend if you must, an afternoon that is just yours to enjoy. Get up earlier in the day or go to bed later at night. Forgo movie night with the kids so they can chill with dad as you write in your favourite spot. What solution fits you?

What it all comes down to.

Take the time to see what works best for you, learn what you need, help your family see it’s importance, get friends who will understand when you need to write instead of go to the latest movie. The key is this, work to understand the following: What time works best for you to write? Where do you write best? What space is important to your creativity? What do you need to do to spur on the creativity of your mind? Do you have special tools that make the process go easiest?

I made up a printable to help you work through these questions. Click here or on the image below.

Other posts on writing that you may find helpful.

Organizing how you put your words to bring emphasis.
Your Identity. 
Begin Sentences with Subjects and Verbs.

Liking to give credit where it is due, the original photo I used came from Photo by Neven Krcmarek on Unsplash.

Review: Bold Women of Medicine

January 18, 2018 By Annette1 2 Comments

Imagine, wanting to do something and being told that you can’t. Determinedly sticking to your guns being degraded by fellow classmates. Imagine treating the unwanted, the hurt, the broken that no one wants to touch. Imagine finding ways to treat people that haven’t been done before and changing lives of the one or two. Imagine these things, now… go grab a copy of Bold Women of Medicine. Be impressed by these women pioneers.

The stories in the book are amazing, spanning the globe, showing us the determination and grit of these pioneering women. I learned about hospital and college start up, pioneer nursing stations, innovations in osteo medicine and more. Women fighting and learning and working. Striving hard to meet their goal of easing the suffering of others.

Just who are these women? Florence Nightingale, Mary Edwards Walker, Elizabeth Kenny, Virginia Apgar, Jerri Nielson, and Adele Levine, just to name a few. Women from the early 1800’s through to the late 1900’s. Women, boldly pursuing their dreams in medicine.

Images dot the pages. These images give us glimpses into the lives of these extraordinary women.

My thoughts:

This was a engrossing book to read, the lives of these women, their determination, it sticks with you. It would be a great book to give to any girl or women interested in the field of medicine, inspire them and help them make wise decisions as they start their journey. I found it inspiring read their thoughts embarked on their journey, sometimes choosing a discipline for conducive to families, sometimes seeing a need and then working to fulfill it, and finding ways to work around help problems to meet the patients needs. These women were galvanized into action, and their stories should inspire the same from us.

Bold Women of Medicine
   21 Stories of Astounding discoveries, daring surgeries,
      and Healing Breakthroughs.
Susan M. Latta
Chicago Review Press
Hardcover, 230 pages
Medicine, women, healing, young adult
Series: Women of Action
Reviewed for: Chicago Review Press.

Where to find: Amazon Link.

STEM: 3D viewer by Tinker Crates

January 16, 2018 By Annette1 6 Comments

My son and I have been doing KiwiCrates for a while now, and last year finally upgraded to doing the TinkerCrates. Tinker Crates are for kids 9-16. They are a bit more involved and have a fair number of projects available to them in the TinkerZine.

When we first started doing the crates, the lad needed a lot of support from me in order to finish them, so I think it is just superb watching his confidence blossom. It admittedly took a while for my sensitive minded boy to realize that as much as mom LIKES building these crates with him, I also LOVED watching him branch out on his own with Tinker Crates. Now of course, there is no stopping him.

Recently he took on this project “3D Viewer”

It was great to watch him work through the stages to building it, step by step. He played close attention to the instructions. The instructions are so clear, and the images show the pieces exactly, so properly making the3D viewer is pretty easy to do “as long as you pay attention, make sure you tell them that part okay mom?”. So pay attention, don’t miss steps, and you can make your own 3D Viewer.

Slowly but surely it came together. Piece upon piece, fitting together just perfectly.

It hardly seemed like anytime had passed and he was calling me “come see mom, come see”. And low and behold we had a 3D viewer.

Once he finished this big build he turned his attention to the smaller activities found in the tinker zine. Here he learned about perspective by looking at some art, and playing with 3D mirrors.

My son really likes the tinkerzines because “they tell you stuff, like more about what you just built, and teach you new ways to look at stuff”. “They give you good small projects to try too”.

After seeing how perspective was influenced by a 3d mirror he had a chance to try his hand at drawing within that knowledge. It worked! I’m glad he figured it out because I struggled with this one. He’s got a better grasp on the spatial aspect of things I guess.

To see this viewer being built, check out this video.

Anyways, Tinker Crates are a great monthly addition to our home. I hope you will consider them for your home as well. They are a great way to involve your children in a monthly STEM project and have fun learning. Foster that independence, learn some good science, you never know where it will take you.

In case you are curious, Kiwi Crates also makes crates for children of all ages and interests. Cricket, Koala, Kiwi, Doodle and Tinker. I am tempted to get the doodle crate as well….just to see what type of activities they put in them for artists to do. But so far, the Tinker Crates are a hit.

Now if you want to round our your experiences with Tinker Crates, NotebookingPages.com will be on sale January 24-26. Here you can find all sorts of notebookingpages to help round our your studies with the Tinker Crate. It’s worth your time to check out their lifetime membership.

Review: Pep Talks for Writers

January 15, 2018 By Annette1 2 Comments

I’ve talked with you a bit already about what I’ve learning from this interesting book called “Pep Talks for Writers”, the most recent one being “Accept the Mess“. This book gives you 52 insights and actions to boost your creative mojo, so basically one insight you can work on per week for a year! What a way to increase your skill set eh?

So, like always, I assume you want to know what you get!

You get a well made, what I consider, attractive little book with 52 chapters, one for each topic. The chapter lengths are three pages each with a “try this” exercise at the end. Some of these activities are very short, others will take you a whole weekend if not more, but it’s all in the pursuit of being a better writer eh? Questions to answer, decisions to make, changes to encourage, writing to do. All things we as writers are encouraged to make.

Some of the Chapter Titles

you don’t need permission to be a creator
goal + deadline = magic
you are what you wear
fail often…fail better
new experiences = new thoughts
trusting in the absurd
know thyself

Does that just make you want to dive you? For instance… why SHOULD you trust in the absurd? How can you fail better isn’t failing, failing? Deadlines = magic.. I thought they equalled stress…..so yes, I want to dive into these chapters and I want my questions answered… don’t you?

My Thoughts:

I love the set up of this book, the short chapters, the interesting chapter titles, the call to actions that close off each chapter. It’s a method that works well for me, and I think would work well for you. After all, a call to action helps to cement the learning doesn’t it? The writing style is engaging and the points made, make sense. Do you want to be a better writer? This book will help.

Pep Talks for Writers
  - 52 insights and actions to boost your creative mojo
Grant Faulkner
Chronicle books
trade paperback, 255 pages
Adult, writer, writing, resource, how-to

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books.

Where to find: Amazon Link.

Give us ……

January 15, 2018 By Annette1 12 Comments

So this is actually a hard post to write…how do I talk about what homeschooling looks like when we haven’t schooled all week? It’s the subject of this week’s virtual Curriculum fair hosted by hosted by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds. Last we we talked about our reasons to homeschool.

What does homeschooling look like? I suppose it depends on the week.

Give us a household illness and homeschooling looks like three people supporting each other as we recover from the flu which has left us with no brains and little stamina.

Give us a field trip and you’ll find three people out of the house, taking pictures and making notes as we learn this history of our past, the how-to’s of how a business works, ask questions of how plants grow, experience the wonder of the world God created.

Give us a computer and we learn engineering, math, science, history, language arts, and so much more. Give us the power of youtube and ant farms are built, history is learned, science is experienced and geography broadened.

Give us a work book and we know we can move on page after page, writing, journaling, equating, documenting, filling in spaces, learning, growing, becoming someone more…

Give us books to read and our lives are filled with imagination, questions, wonder, knowledge and so much more.

Give us a co-op and you’ll find anger and laughter, learning and teaching, friendship and fun, stretching and growing and being more than we already are.

Give us a messy house and you will find us cleaning, working, renovating, tidying, rearranging, selling, boxing, and decluttering.

Give us bunnies and you will find us undertaking animal management, biology, compassion, building, carpentry, gardening, growing, blogging and all things rabbity.

Give us people and friendships will be made, toleration achieved, opinions challenges, games played, feelings hurt and felt well in abundance. Cooperating, challenging, growing, helping, healing, and fellowship deepening.

Give us a blog and research, and joy, and friendships will blossom.

Give us publication companies and reviews, reading, sharing of opinions and joy will abound. Frustration and learning how to be nice when something appeals not in the least. Commitments and timetables learned and mastered.

Give us the world…. and you will be totally surprised where it takes us.

Give it to us and we’ll fit it into our learning and our lives.

What will YOU give us?

Do you want some help on your homeschooling journey?

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