Four more days and break will be over

I have to say that they girls seemed to need the break but I hope that getting back into gear comes easily.  I am ready to get back into the swing of things as well. 

This evening I plan to take them to the library and let them pick out some of their own topics to read.  Thinking of ways to help Grace out with her math frustrations. She gets 100% on the test but is so unsure of herself.  If you have any suggestions please tell me.

Officially on Christmas Break

We will return to class time in 2011.  G will work on a couple Spelling lessons in her spare time during break but no official classes will be conducted while we celebrate the birth of Christ.

May you have a blessed and peaceful Christmas.

Officially on Christmas Break

We will return to class time in 2011.  G will work on a couple Spelling lessons in her spare time during break but no official classes will be conducted while we celebrate the birth of Christ.

 May you have a blessed and peaceful Christmas.

Disappointment this early morning

After all the preparation and hype about the Lunar Eclipse our area was totally clouded out of the experience including dropping temps and drizzle of rain.
Last week they missed the Nutcracker as the night before we had freezing rain and they could skate on their road.
At least we know that weather cannot keep Christmas from coming.

There will be some very disappointed girls this morning.

After all the preparation and hype about the Lunar Eclipse our area was totally clouded out of the experience including dropping temps and drizzle of rain.

Last week they missed the Nutcracker as the night before we had freezing rain and they could skate on their road.

At least we know that weather cannot keep Christmas from coming.

Brought from other blog but the FINALE is tonight--um..early morning!

Lunar Eclipse

December14

We prepare for the full lunar eclipse

We have taken this time to learn some basics in science about our solar system. K was funny as she was preparing the lesson.  She felt that G and F are so much smarter than the book was giving them credit for. She is correct, but lesson books are meant at first grade to be introductions to material and explore ideas; the girls already know these basics except for the phases of the moon and of course the book does not begin at this level to go through a lot as the girls just not ready for that information.
So we are using this time to explore the relationship of the sun, earth and moon.  We plan to experience the FULL LUNAR ECLIPSE that will occur on Dec. 21st in the early morning hours.  It is to be visisble  from North America this month.  I pray for clear skies and awake children.
This photo is my rough board drawing to begin the lesson and we will soon get the earth between the sun and the moon.  I sure wish I was an artist sometimes but they get the idea.  Later the enjoyed using their watercolor paints to create the same picture.
Since our last post we have used some sideline math time to create Christmas Ornaments. Great way for girls to follow directions and follow pattern of complicated shapes and sizes.  Their icicle ornaments turned out great.
Each girl manages to display progressive learning although it comes so naturally and unpressed that you really do not know it until you test their knowledge.  So far, if they were in a traditional school they would be A+ students.  WHO knew?  I wonder what their grades would be like if they were not at home.

From other blog

I know that how accepting I deliver the information is important but..

sometimes I too feel frustrated and no matter how fluffy I make it my attitude does not always reflect how I really feel.  That concerns me as I want the girls to know that I accept them no matter how many times we go over 4+2=6 and 6-4=2.  I mean gosh golly, it appears it will be one of those blocked equations.  Not like it is the most important thing but I know that the tone that it is offered effects how the girls face their failures.
I might say…hey we are learning here and in learning we make mistakes….but the tone the K and myself sometimes have in our voice clearly does not reflect that.  So tomorrow when we sit down in the morning before class time begins I am going to pray with K for that soft mushy tone that I am just not good at.  Admittedly, the girls know I adore them but they are too consumed with the desire to please me or K and less concerned with feeling their own accomplishment.
I received the A Beka Combination Dot Cards and Number concept cards and began using them today.  Tomorrow I think G needs to touch and feel them.  It makes such a difference when she touches it and speaks it.
G and F both are doing well with phonics. I am concerned that F likes to do what she knows and does not challenge herself in the topic of reading/phonics like G does.  On the other hand, F seems to be more naturally numbers minded.  F is such a unbelievable memorizing abilities,  that she hears teaching G math and answers it for her.  Imagine the frustration of the 6 yr old when the 4 yr old blurts out the answer.  F’s brightness is great but she really needs to be more humble about it.
G has begun to break out of her shell a bit when it comes to actions songs and poems.  She is enjoying them when I am around but gets silly and does not do so well when others are watching.  Today she learned a cut little poem about the Chubby Snowman that was animated all the way through and enjoyed it with me so much.
Next week will be a busy learning week, the following week has a 4H Cloverbud program and a field trip to St. Louis University for the Nutcracker Ballet.  The girls and K will be doing that.  I will have a day off. (sounds like a good day to pick up some extra work at the hospital for Christmas cash).
Well, for those who come here to follow my experience, that will be all for now.  Nothing new to report.  I think the move to the home of the girls was a good one as they sit right down and get things done without other distractions.  Overall, I can see progressive learning taking place.  G will be going to her next level reading book soon but I did notice a small struggle today which is rare.  She is nearly done with all the phonics sounds and we are getting into more complicated sounds and words.  THIS is so cool.

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by Beth posted under General Stuff | 1 Comment »

And At The Core Learning Happens

November27

So I have been thrilled with the outreach that home-schooling has permitted. I find the fun in it for me and hope that G and F do too.  I catch the exciting moments on film but if the truth be told those moments are not the most exciting.  True, they can be caught in a photo but how to you capture that moment that a four year old tells her elders that the Pilgrims were told by the king that they had to go to his church and no other.  Her understanding of the most basic level of Thanksgiving is simple but clearly more than what others learn.
Last year in the PS system G learned about Squanto and that there was a Thanksgiving Feast that natives had attended as well. She never knew why the Pilgrims came, sure that might be a lesson for later but WHY.  She was eager now to understand the basics.
As this holiday week approached I found it a great time to sort of wrap up a few lessons and finally get to those tests that have yet to be given. In part I was not sure that G would perform well on the test. So I was slow to administer an evaluation test.  As it turns out I really under estimated G’s retention of knowledge. She did so well on what I would have thought was the hardest part of the testing.  Same with F, I completed some oral evaluations and she too has really retained more than I thought they had.
As a student I must say that they are wonderful sponges that soak up what is offered them. In the middle of all the fun we have there is indeed learning that is taking place.
So we did not cut class time short on Wednesday just made it a testing time. Of course there was no school on Thanksgiving but the following day we concluded some study about Native Americans by participating in an artist fair at the largest early civilization site in North America. We do not live very far from Cahokia Mounds and they had Native American artists present to display and sell their handiwork.
It was great, G was very open with them that she was there as part of her home-schooling and wanted to learn about their pottery, weaving and such. Most were very very open with her and taught her proudly about their particular craft. One woman took the time with them both to make a doll out of pine needles explaining that their tribe would make things out of the items found in nature. She had baskets made of pine needles that she explained could be used for carrying water and for cooking in.  G and F were amazed by her and at the end of the day she thanked me for sharing my grandchildren with her.  WOW she was a blessing sent to us in order to complete a lesson full circle.  No longer do the girls think that Native Americans are mean or look odd or dress wild or attack us.  We did it!  We have reached a greater understanding of a culture. All hidden by fun, indeed at the core learning happens.

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by Beth posted under Field trips, General Stuff | No Comments »

Come as you are!

November22

The best part of home-school is being able to come as you are. Here F comes dressed as a puppy after a little "recess break" to finish the rest of the day.

I cannot begin to tell you how this picture lifted my heart for the day.  I had to tend to my mother’s health needs this morning early and was unable to be one of the teachers today.
It is an insight to the loving acceptance that my daughter has and open mindedness that a home-school parent is able to demonstrate.

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by Beth posted under In class activity | No Comments »

« Older Entries

Why move here?

My other blog, found at- http://homeschoolblogger.com/grannyteacher/ - was just not reliable.  I went for a long time unable to access it at all and when I made post I had to delete them several times until the format was correctly displayed on the page.

It is important that I keep this record of our homeschool experience. Not just for me but for others who follow along and care about G and F.

So here I am.

More to come as tonight is the Lunar Eclipse that we have been preparing for. 
Off I go to make my profile. Nice to be here.

Lunar Eclipse

[caption id="attachment_265" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="We prepare for the full lunar eclipse"][/caption]

We have taken this time to learn some basics in science about our solar system. K was funny as she was preparing the lesson.  She felt that G and F are so much smarter than the book was giving them credit for. She is correct, but lesson books are meant at first grade to be introductions to material and explore ideas; the girls already know these basics except for the phases of the moon and of course the book does not begin at this level to go through a lot as the girls just not ready for that information.

So we are using this time to explore the relationship of the sun, earth and moon.  We plan to experience the FULL LUNAR ECLIPSE that will occur on Dec. 21st in the early morning hours.  It is to be visisble  from North America this month.  I pray for clear skies and awake children. 

This photo is my rough board drawing to begin the lesson and we will soon get the earth between the sun and the moon.  I sure wish I was an artist sometimes but they get the idea.  Later the enjoyed using their watercolor paints to create the same picture.

 I am glad to get the website back. I would hate to loose the material I have already typed out as it shows my journey. 

Since our last post we have used some sideline math time to create Christmas Ornaments. Great way for girls to follow directions and follow pattern of complicated shapes and sizes.  Their icicle ornaments turned out great. 

Each girl manages to display progressive learning although it comes so naturally and unpressed that you really do not know it until you test their knowledge.  So far, if they were in a traditional school they would be A+ students.  WHO knew?  I wonder what their grades would be like if they were not at home.

A little background on our home-school blog

I had another blog by the same name at another site. It seems that this past week I have been unable to access the sites at all.  I have seen others at that site who moved to this blog keeper so I will give it a try.  I hope to find a way to bring my other material here as the whole purpose was to keep a record for all to see of our progress.

This page will be one that friends and family will check in on as well to see what is happening at our home-school.

This is the first year be have done this. I never had the opportunity with my own children although I thought about it many times.  Home-schooling was also more difficult then to connect to others while now it is becoming more mainstream and so many opportunities are available to connect with others who do as we do, who believe as we believe. 

So far we are going great. We began on Sept. 2, 2010.  We are teaching Kindergarten and First grade.

G is 6 and doing well with the idea of home-school. She does not miss the public school AT ALL which is in a way rather sad.  Everyone should have a positive experience in Kindergarten and when that does not happen it can shape their view and future education tremendously.  G is very very bright and loves to learn.  She is a great learner of why and how, not a great at memorizing which slowed math for a while but the concepts she completely understood.  Her reading skills are great. I remember as well when I first introduced cursive writing to her. She enjoyed it but thought she would have not use for it. Now I find her doing more and more work in cursive as for now it is her choice at each assignment. 

F is 4 but with a late birthday so she has 3 years before she can attend Kindergarten in the public school. So we began a K5  curriculum with her, mainly because the K4 was too toddler-like for her academic abilities. She has learned along with big sister all this time and knows a lot by accidental learning.  She is currently blending phonics sounds of three letter and some four letter words using short vowel sounds.  We are ready to go onto the next reader in the curriculum that we are using and we introduced it early in the year adjusting the lesson plans to what fits the need of each child.  She is a great at memorizing but when she does not understand a concept--because she is only 4-- she has a funny way of turning off her ears.  She expects that her learning comes easy so I see the future will be challenging.  For that reason, not wanting to injure her desire to learn, we do not care if she completes this Kindergarten curriculum this year or if it takes two years. I do expect that she will get through math this year but it may take another six months to get some other subjects done.  At  the beginning he age clearly had an effect on her ability to write as he motor skills are those of a 4 year old. Oddly she enjoys that challenge and has really become good at her manuscript.

We use the same science/social science/health for the two of them.  We use the first grade curriculum for those subjects as they are very easy understanding and basic introduction of information to be  covered later in their education.

The curriculum we us is A Beka and although I have their science and we utilize that book we use Bob Jones Science.  The lesson plans for the later is filled with so many teacher helps. 

This year we have taken advantage of several opportunities for out of the class lessons.  Rather than taking Labor Day as a holiday we took a trip to Giant City State Park in Southern Illinois.  The girls enjoyed the day and in the middle of the fun the went to the interpretive  center and watched a movie about the park. It was really great when we ate at the lounge later in the day and they saw for themselves as well as pointed  it out...that the CCC carved those stones and that the corner of the pillar their hands were touching was American History. They also explored different tress in Illinois and completed leaf rubbings. The trip was topped off by hiking a trail to a stone wall created by unknown natives. We sat at the wall discussing why it could be here in the first place.  We joined a co-op that has what they call Master's Lyceum on Fridays for ten weeks each semester. The girls interact with other children there, go from classroom to classroom in a calm manner where other parents take the time to enrich children with a study topic. I taught science this Fall with hands on experiments.  In St. Louis is a wonderful child's learning museum called The Magic House and they have programs one Monday a month open only to home-school families. We have use math in the kitchen and while creating Christmas ornaments. 

Besides the Lyceum to socialize they have Sunday School, a large family network of children, a large friend network with children. G attends girls scouts and they both participate in 4H Cloverbuds. F is too young to be a Cloverbud but she is a tag-a-long as I am assisting the leader of the group.

Here are two pictures of our Magic House experience. G is inside of a bubble and F is following her fish to the pond down stream.

WOW this got long as I tried to catch up on a new site. I will get some pictures of our experiences posted soon and will keep up the blog here in the future.  I must remember to tell MawMaw Jean we moved.

I know that how accepting I deliver the information is important but..

sometimes I too feel frustrated and no matter how fluffy I make it my attitude does not always reflect how I really feel.  That concerns me as I want the girls to know that I accept them no matter how many times we go over 4+2=6 and 6-4=2.  I mean gosh golly, it appears it will be one of those blocked equations.  Not like it is the most important thing but I know that the tone that it is offered effects how the girls face their failures.

I might say...hey we are learning here and in learning we make mistakes....but the tone the K and myself sometimes have in our voice clearly does not reflect that.  So tomorrow when we sit down in the morning before class time begins I am going to pray with K for that soft mushy tone that I am just not good at.  Admittedly, the girls know I adore them but they are too consumed with the desire to please me or K and less concerned with feeling their own accomplishment. 

I received the A Beka Combination Dot Cards and Number concept cards and began using them today.  Tomorrow I think G needs to touch and feel them.  It makes such a difference when she touches it and speaks it.

G and F both are doing well with phonics. I am concerned that F likes to do what she knows and does not challenge herself in the topic of reading/phonics like G does.  On the other hand, F seems to be more naturally numbers minded.  F is such a unbelievable memorizing abilities,  that she hears teaching G math and answers it for her.  Imagine the frustration of the 6 yr old when the 4 yr old blurts out the answer.  F's brightness is great but she really needs to be more humble about it. 

G has begun to break out of her shell a bit when it comes to actions songs and poems.  She is enjoying them when I am around but gets silly and does not do so well when others are watching.  Today she learned a cut little poem about the Chubby Snowman that was animated all the way through and enjoyed it with me so much.

Next week will be a busy learning week, the following week has a 4H Cloverbud program and a field trip to St. Louis University for the Nutcracker Ballet.  The girls and K will be doing that.  I will have a day off. (sounds like a good day to pick up some extra work at the hospital for Christmas cash).

Well, for those who come here to follow my experience, that will be all for now.  Nothing new to report.  I think the move to the home of the girls was a good one as they sit right down and get things done without other distractions.  Overall, I can see progressive learning taking place.  G will be going to her next level reading book soon but I did notice a small struggle today which is rare.  She is nearly done with all the phonics sounds and we are getting into more complicated sounds and words.  THIS is so cool.

And At The Core Learning Happens

So I have been thrilled with the outreach that home-schooling has permitted. I find the fun in it for me and hope that G and F do too.  I catch the exciting moments on film but if the truth be told those moments are not the most exciting.  True, they can be caught in a photo but how to you capture that moment that a four year old tells her elders that the Pilgrims were told by the king that they had to go to his church and no other.  Her understanding of the most basic level of Thanksgiving is simple but clearly more than what others learn.

Last year in the PS system G learned about Squanto and that there was a Thanksgiving Feast that natives had attended as well. She never knew why the Pilgrims came, sure that might be a lesson for later but WHY.  She was eager now to understand the basics.

As this holiday week approached I found it a great time to sort of wrap up a few lessons and finally get to those tests that have yet to be given. In part I was not sure that G would perform well on the test. So I was slow to administer an evaluation test.  As it turns out I really under estimated G's retention of knowledge. She did so well on what I would have thought was the hardest part of the testing.  Same with F, I completed some oral evaluations and she too has really retained more than I thought they had.

As a student I must say that they are wonderful sponges that soak up what is offered them. In the middle of all the fun we have there is indeed learning that is taking place.

So we did not cut class time short on Wednesday just made it a testing time. Of course there was no school on Thanksgiving but the following day we concluded some study about Native Americans by participating in an artist fair at the largest early civilization site in North America. We do not live very far from Cahokia Mounds and they had Native American artists present to display and sell their handiwork.

It was great, G was very open with them that she was there as part of her home-schooling and wanted to learn about their pottery, weaving and such. Most were very very open with her and taught her proudly about their particular craft. One woman took the time with them both to make a doll out of pine needles explaining that their tribe would make things out of the items found in nature. She had baskets made of pine needles that she explained could be used for carrying water and for cooking in.  G and F were amazed by her and at the end of the day she thanked me for sharing my grandchildren with her.  WOW she was a blessing sent to us in order to complete a lesson full circle.  No longer do the girls think that Native Americans are mean or look odd or dress wild or attack us.  We did it!  We have reached a greater understanding of a culture. All hidden by fun, indeed at the core learning happens.

Come as you are!

[caption id="attachment_247" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="The best part of home-school is being able to come as you are. Here F comes dressed as a puppy after a little "recess break" to finish the rest of the day. "][/caption]

I cannot begin to tell you how this picture lifted my heart for the day.  I had to tend to my mother's health needs this morning early and was unable to be one of the teachers today.

It is an insight to the loving acceptance that my daughter has and open mindedness that a home-school parent is able to demonstrate.

WOW tag team teaching really lightens the load

Three days into it and the flow shows great promise. That is of course, if I can butt out of what K is teaching.

I have been making it flow since we began alone and have really caught onto who each girl learns and the material as it is intended to be taught.  So of course, my motherly flaws show and I find myself needing to restrain direction to K.  K is perfectly capable of teaching her own children and my involvement is only an enhancement for the girls and a joy for me.

As the weeks progress we will really get better at this.  I see such hopefulness in K's eyes as she takes this on.

First day in new location a challenge

I expected it would be but I am not so sure K was prepared for it all.  The girls have had a lot of changes lately and we all tend to think that kids are so bouncy that they can bounce right back with each change.

I of course am old enough to know better, but I also know that I did not fully understand that when I was a young parent.

It was a much longer day to get things done but we worked a lot of the lapbook project as well.  I am certain the tomorrow will be a better day as we have gathered our forces and know what job belongs to each of us. I would hate to step away completely as this has been a huge blessing for me. I also know that K does not want me to stop as she feels like we each have so much to offer the girls within our own special talents. 

So tomorrow I will become the phonic/language/reading teacher while their mother becomes the math/science/bible/social studies/health teacher. We will both participate in the art projects.

K has some reading up on the charts/games tips that came with all of the A Beka material.  It has been under-utilized but with another person there it will be fun.

So \~/ here's to another day!!

Coup is full of chickens again

That's right, I have been given eleven full grown Road Island Red hens.  The coup has been empty for a while now and was used for something else.  So today we will build some nesting boxes to place in there. I know we like to get chicks and enjoy them growing but next spring I can add some into the mix.

I am looking forward to fresh eggs.

Lesson Room Pictures

[caption id="attachment_224" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A view from the outside looking into the room."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_222" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The desks have returned."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_221" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Reading Corner with comfy recliners and basket to hold current library books"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_219" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The "Weather Frog" has so many clothing items we placed them on the wall around him so the girls could choose easier"][/caption]

I made another post about moving from my home to the home of G and F. It really messed up my blog page so I will make it only brief  in comparison.

K--mother to G and F is now a home-maker and not a paralegal. We will be co-educating these beautiful souls.  It is a change yet again from my original plan and it appears that the girls will once again be in a classroom like setting.  I really refuse to call it that however.  I will refer to it as the Lesson Room. I may even make a sign for the door telling everyone as well.

This is new to K, just like it was to me.  I know she will keep this wonderfully creative room we made for its purpose and pray that she avoids the school like  routine.  Even if she begins with a routine we all know it will relax as she gets more comfortable in her new role. 

She is really becoming a great home-maker!!  She will be a terrific teacher and I will have to find out what I am to do with my plate being a bit lighter.

Learning that: self satisfaction in a job well done is a valuable possession

So another week is going. Today is Veterans Day and I have decided to proceed with class.  It is my belief that those who have served and who serve do so to maintain our freedoms and safety.  I will honor them in part by proceeding with instruction.  When the girls are older we will include in our Veterans Day lessons community service on this day rather than lessons.

One plan for today is to tell the oral history of their family. It will tell of many who are Veterans from the Revolutionary War forward.  It will eventually tell of those veterans who fought before the USA was formed. 

In the meantime we continue to make progress in our lap-book project. It is a multi-study project that compliments each section. To begin with the thankfulness list, Native Americans culture, the First Thanksgiving.  Of course it is a lot on one plate but it is the introduction of this material that they will then be able to build on as the get older and begin to learn more detail about early settlements.  The girls look forward to this project each day.  It has provided me with the leverage to get moving on their other studies.

I have halted progression in the math book for F.  We clearly are far ahead of schedule as when we turned the page for the next section it had pictures of Mary, Joseph and Bethlehem.  BESIDES, I did an evaluation of her understandingand she really needs to recognize the higher numbers by sight better before we move on. So the next several weeks we will work on recognizing numbers to 100.  If she does not progress then we will sit her comfortably until she does. After all, I remind myself that she does not have to do any of this.  BIG progress in blending sounds but she has a hard time with the short i and e differentiation when I say it. She does well when she says it.  This week she read the words.....fat, cat, mat, pat, rat, cap, map, with her blending skills.  I decided to focus on one short sound at a time as we blend, which is not the A Beka book lesson but it works for us. 

I find F to be disrupting G when I am giving 1:1 attention for instruction.  She will be doing well in a lesson that she can do independently but will deliberately make huge errors to get my attention back to her.  Trying to decide how I want to handle this as it must be something I am willing to do consistently and not a punishment.  I also am looking to build independent learners in the future, of course I have several years for that but the beginning is also important for future expectations.

G is also at a stop point in her math until I feel she has mastered some facts better. Yesterday she showed some great progress to that.  This week she finally reached the letter "G" within her cursive work. Now she can sign her name. It was a excitingday for her.  We have reached compound words and preparing to enter the world of "ed,ing" in Language.  She really dislikes this class and thinks it is so funny that the cover of the book as a skunk on it. She thinks that Language stinks.  Phonics is beginning to break the rules she has come to rely on.  It is making it hard to recall it all.  As always if I let her read all day long for class she would be thrilled.

As always the girls are a joy in my life and it is a blessing to be doing this with them.  They are so bright and eager to learn.  They both want me to be proud of what they do, I am trying to turn that inward so that they feel proud of themselves and self satisfaction in a job well done is a valuable possession.

I could never be a Pilgrim

Using the power of imagination and story telling we completed a day as a Pilgrim.

TODAY my muscles tell me that I am getting too old to be a Pilgrim.

Suddenly G was thankful for hot dogs and not needing to kill he own food for the day.  Although I must say that I should have taken the fishing pole as the action was great and we could probably prepared fresh fish on a stick instead. 

We began that first lap-book project and I believe this will be a great way for them to learn.

Schooling At Home vs Home-Schooling

The light bulb is on!!!!

In my beginning post, as I prepared for this journey, there was all kinds of verbiage about preparing the class room.  I obtained desks, I set up specific learning area and prepared to be in the front of a classroom to tell the girls what they needed to know.

I now have the double easel at the edge of the living room and dinning room to pull around and use as I need it. During paint time I placed that easel in the middle of the kitchen so the paint spills could easily be cleaned up.  The text books and workbooks fill a chair that is usually unused at my table and the leaf extensions of the table are permanently in place.  The walls of the kitchen, in between the decor of the home, have cardboard crayons in the correct corresponding color to match the word and a large home made math chart to reinforce some basic addition facts an rules. 

I have looked at this so far as my failure to maintain structure and control. UNTIL last night!!  I was taken to a broadcast archive in the process of searching, not sure what I was searching for even.  The broadcast was in the archives of September 2010 of Dr. James Dobson. I clicked first on the Sept 1 broadcast and listened to an old interview that Dr. Dobson feels is key to the current home-school movement into the mainstream.  The second one was specifically about home-schooling. 

It was an eye opener into my own evolution so to speak as a teacher of these girls.  Why, just yesterday, before hearing this information, I asked a friend who lives in Texas how far along they were in the lesson plans.  Her view was that it did not matter, that we are a private school and we know what and when is the best time to teach our individual children.

I reflect upon that and imagine being in a traditional setting.  In the public school those who struggle and have qualifying test get to have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Well, well---isn't every child in need of an individual plan to learn.  Every child has common ground that is used to teach them but they all also have their own special way of grasping things, of flourishing to be all they are capable of, and they all deserve and IEP.

We tend to teach in the method that we are most familiar with. For me that is the public school method but as a parent I saw and learned the flaws of that method. Being the grandparent who is teaching I feel then that I am specially qualified to recognize the individual needs, I use to anguish over it when my own children were in the PS system. However, the broadcast explains that for many, like myself, there is eventually a shift from schooling your child at home to the true homeschooling experience.

I know I will never completely get rid of the standard style workbook and prepared lesson plans as they are an excellent guide for me.  Perhaps being a nurse has helped me to evolve quickly to a homeschooling environment.  Nurses learn and practice a "nursing process" which calls for the formulation of objectives, interventions and evaluation for each individual health-care issue. After twenty-six years that process is now second nature and guides me unknowingly in other matters of my life.  Perhaps that is how I managed to evolve to the homeschooling level so quickly.

The plans for the week (and the next few) involve a large amount of my "off curriculum" as we begin our first lap-book lesson that will intertwine a daily account of things to be thankful for, Thanksgiving, Native Americans, map skills locating Europe and Plymouth--in the process there will also be recognition of numbers in numerical configuration along with written language: a discussion of trust and honor: religious freedom: how hard work is needed to prepare for the future---in the simple example of preparing food to make it through a winter.  Gee I can go on and on as I feel the excitement of taking on the homeschooling mentality to its most rich fulfillment. 

Today, after a little math and writing, we will wander into our woods.  I will take them into a world of learning through imagination and exploration. 

I am so blessed!!!!!!!!!!

I Evaluated My Processes and Now I Have Bigger Plans

Today is the first day of November.  I feel the Thanksgiving Holiday coming on so I want to teach more about it, UNTIL, I recall that G learned a lot last year and F is a bit to young to expect her to recall anything significant. Therefore, I will plan to only focus this year on being THANKFUL. I will created with each child a calendar where they will do 24 days of "things I am thankful for", it is likely as I type this that I can make this a lapbook project even. 

Also this month I am going to break the wild idea that the girls have of Indians being wild savages. I do not know why they think this, they do not see this on television, they do not even have television in their home. I found a nice unit study at HAnds of A Child that I am going to use. I am going to walk in our own woods along the river bank and imagine what it would be like to be a Native American on the land we live.  We will also take a trip to Cahokia Mounds once again when I know they can view them in a different light.

So here they come to learn and I must go. Wish me luck.

Another end to the week has arrived...

and so I reflect on the quality and the quantity of work that has been accomplished this week. I must say that G is coming along great in her studies, I am especially proud of the effort she is putting into (finally) her cursive writing.  She was so resistant at first but now that she if connecting those letters and cursive writing words she is thrilled. Of course my little Miss CopyCat, F, mimics almost everything G does. In her mimicking she is taking her manuscript writing very seriously and paying close attention to it.  I must say that the A Beka method to writing creates neat penmanship from the very beginning. While G stays in the  "upstairs and downstairs and basement levels" in cursive her print work is still large and sloppy. I am of course encouraging her but she learned that skill from her Kindergarten teacher. 

G is excited to be in her new reading level book and she is doing so well. This book takes reading from the ability to read to comprehension level. So far she has understood all of the information that she has read.  She is so very proud of herself.  She has also made some great strides in math concepts this week.  We were doing so good on Wednesday that we spend a huge amount of time on the subject. 

F has also done well, in my eyes at least.  She knows the sounds the the letters make but has a hard time hearing anything besides the beginning sound. This week I noticed that she really caught the middle vowels correctly.  We can finally go forward in her Letters and Sounds book.  She too once again in mimic of sister, spent a lot of time on math skills and did great.  I think that as we teach sister to memorize some facts she will be doing the same, which will make it easier on me when we reach that level of school with her.

As a group project this week we completed a book about pumpkins, it had the life cycle of a pumpkin, a maze, create a jack-o-lantern page and some fun facts about the pumpkin.  It is of course shaped as a pumpkin as well.

I will add that F has turned 4yrs old this week.  She moved to her big girl bed last night (she is very tiny thing and could have waited a few more years I am sure).  Now that she is 4yrs old she really thinks she knows it all.  She never hit the terrible twos but I feel the frantic fours upon us.

Seriousness? Was that me?

I just read my last post. I talked about getting back to the seriousness of school again after our loss. Immediately I said to myself; WOW that doesn't even sound like me.

I do think that learning is a serious matter but it surely is not something I portray to the kiddos. 

So as I try to gather the week and move onward I found that it is like going on vacation, takes a bit to kick into full gear afterwards. That reminds me, in the future when we take vacation I really should take their language book along and a math sheet at least. Then perhaps it will nto seem like such an effort to gather momentum again. So Monday as I said got going and then on Tuesday there was a field trip with the co-op to a pumpkin farm. The other thing that happened on T was their mother was present to participate in lessons. She was available on Wednesday as well. It is clearly something different that the girls were not sure how to conduct themselves.  They really were not the best student in her presence, but on Wednesday afternoon she was gone to the doctor and we made huge progress at that time.

Today is a productive day as well. F was so devoted to her learning to write today that it was a joy. G was dragging in the language book in the seatwork/copy work and it took her 4 times longer to do the assignment than was necessary. If I thought wrapping her legs like a mummy would help I am sure I could find some old sheet to tear apart.  G was so excited to see her sister's progress as well that she was distracted from doing her own work. 

Today we will get through her first reader and move on to the next book.  She is really looking forward to that.

Well that is all for this week, gotta run and get a book I ordered in from the library before I get side-tracked again.

Happy Schooling!!

I love when one single day is so successful!

Back to the seriousness of school for us today. Lots to get done as I feel we really had lost our momentum as life began to interfere.

G did a lot of reading today in her book and before the week is finished we will begin the next level book. F has enjoyed those itsy-bitsy mini booksthat I download from the Internet and completed another one today. G enjoys them as well and although they are not a challenge for her I find that they promote neat completion of a project which always has its place.

I am so excited to find the girls to be critical thinkers. As I began a science unit on the life cycle of a frog G was right on top of it. She gave it thought as I asked the question--why do you think a frog lays thousands of eggs-- her response after thought was correct and in terrific detail.

The core subjects today were smooth and quick and painless today.

When it was all completed we went to the neighbor's chicken coop to gather eggs for them today. 

WHAT a RICH and FULFILLING life GOD has given us.

Faithful to keeping the blog updated, little to say

This week was not a big learning week in the academic setting. The girls were shuffled all week from my home to my mother's home and back. At the end of the week things were finally settling down and their parents were thrilled to be with them.

Lessons learned this week from G was that a group of girls, running wild in a building, does not seem like an activity worth devoting her time to. Her experience with girl scouts so far has not left her with a lasting impression-only a tired headache at the end of the meeting.

Both girls did have some life lessons that came their way. I answered their questions as completely as I could about the loss of the baby. At the beginning of the week they told everyone they saw, and with sad expression that their baby died.  By the end of the week they were only sharing it with a few people at a time that it seemed was right that their mom's baby died. In the beginning they wanted to talk about it, now it is just a statement in passing. 

Children do indeed rebound quickly. They found four kittens in our garage from a litter that was thought to have perished by some wild critters in our woods. Both were so excited at the new lives that they were touching.  They asked which cat (barn cats) was the mother. I suggested they think it out and try to decide which cat was the mother. FINALLY, they had picked up each cat and discovered the one that was nursing. AH HA  it was Tiger Kitty!!  Some lessons are just to natural when living out here in the country.

Chickens are laying eggs finally as well, so big day coming Monday when the girls get to begin gathering the neighbors eggs again.  Again, natural learning this week--grab the chicken and turn them upside down--or you will be clawed. 

G began with a 4H Clover-bud group as well.  The verdict is still out on that one as it meets directly after the Lyceum and indeed she was tired but by the time the meeting was over we did not leave the church (where we have Lyceum) until 5pm and with the added "rush hour" traffic we did not get home until a little after 6pm. It meant that the girls did not get to their parents until nearly 6:30. Although that was good this week, on other weeks their mom is usually eager to have them after she is off of work so she can begin spending her weekend time off with them. More to consider before we make an absolute decision on this.

In the academic world we spent lots of time in car with verbal review of addition facts, phonics rules and story telling.  Their story telling skills are really improving, and G has a great imagination that she is teaching to F. I call F my little copy cat but I like her copying G in some matters.

Well, I said there was not much to say but I rambled on anyway. Next week there will be lots of progress.  Girls asked for some crafts and to learn about dinosaurs. I did a neat little bat craft one evening when they slept here and I have found a lap-book unit study about dinosaurs that we will begin once the books come in from the library.

How to teach about death and God's plan

Oh yes, that is the big issue that will face me next week.  The girls understood that great grandpa was older and ill when he went to heaven last January.  They understood that pets age faster and so they too go to heaven.  They even recently understood when our deer died after breaking her neck as she was spooked by a bobcat that wanted within her protected environment.  After all, Lacy (the deer), was a wild animal despite the fact that we fed her from a bottle, slept in our bed with her, and could love on her daily.  Lacy lacked understanding of the safe environment we gave her.

This evening, G and F, are learning the fate of their unborn baby.  I know they will be so very sad as they grieve with their parents this weekend. I also know that come Monday they will once again look to me to understand it, maybe a different answer will come from me is what I imagine them hoping. I do not have a different answer.  God apparently needed this little soul with Him now. 

I cannot give them a good answer why so many people with Antiphospholipid Syndrome continue to struggle with these losses when we know so much about the illness.  I cannot answer my daughter or her family as to why the AAPSA has not been able to change the world yet.  Medical science is clear but as a fairly new issue so many do not know about it or as physicians they are resistant to certain treatment options.

So here I can safely put these words out  there.  I can let them float in the Internet world in hopes that the more that is spoken about it then the more others will care about this issue.   www.americanaps.org

Within the last several weeks the AAPSA has finally received their 501c3 status and is currently registering in every state.  Please, if you have someone you know with recurrent miscarriages, young stroke, young heart attack, clots in the lungs or extremities with no known cause--get them in contact with me.

"Chalkboard Math"

I learn more and more from these girls each day.  It seems that a few days back I sat next to the chalkboard and did some math with G. I was trying to convince her that math is a magical, perfect science with consistently consistent responses.  I was showing her how perfect God understands everything as he made numbers and the many different, challenging methods of coming to the same conclusion. I told her that is part of His plan, to stimulate our minds and not be idle.

She really took well to that lesson and the following days I wanted her take what wonderment she had found and begin placing it in her workbook as well. I had hoped that there would be an eager response and not dragging her feet as she did the work.

Well, to my surprise she asked if we could do "chalkboard math" instead.  She declared it more fun and easy to understand.  So I gave it a shot and WOW she really made some advancements. The next day she asked the same thing, of course the perfect reason to home school is to teach them individually, in their own style of  learning.

So without her knowledge I now review the next pages in the book and created them with a magical flare, encouraging a love for numbers and their expected outcomes.  (I fake it really good, as I always disliked math-but know that I do not want that for her)

May I suggest that if you have the same dragging feet issue when the math book is open--try teaching with it closed.

Better than I expected.

I have stated before that due to the age of F I expected her to spend two years in the K curriculum, primarily due to her age appropriate motor skills although her intellectual skills are very high.

Well once again she  has demonstrated her ability when she really attempts something. She has excelled beyond my expectations in her manuscript writing all of a sudden. Not only in the accuracy of the letter formation but her uncanny ability to memorize as well. She is able to make 15 different letters without clue all of a sudden.

G is doing so well with her addition facts that today I told her we would begin subtraction as well. Grandpa assured her it was going to be simple for her since she is so bright and he gave one one quick word problem which she was able to answer.  She was immediately reassured and is eager to take it on today. 

So off we go, to another joyful day that has been given to us.

Bragging Rights

As I teach my grandchildren I try really hard to be realistic in their achievements.

Today however, I get bragging rights. Today F wrote her first name.  Not just sort-of but clearly able to read it as her name.  All 5 letters were clearly correct.  She will be 4yrs old in one month.  I can also brag on myself as well, I was inventive in how to teach her the letters rather than just tracing.  Of course, the glory goes to God who gives me such insight in how to teach her.

I will add that G is really working hard on her math addition drill facts and did great as I began speed drilling her as well.  I am old school there, she understands the concept but needs to memorize what she can to help her math in the future to be quicker than my methods of figuring.

Crisp Fall Morning to discuss Our Country

We were outside on the back deck this morning when I opened the My Country, My World book. We had tickled the first pages of this book but no one was really interested. So I read it to them like it was a story and held the book to be viewed by the two of them.

So now they can identify their state of Illinois on the map.  We covered again our flag and its symbolism. We discussed one of the freedoms in the United States-- Freedom to Worship--  they were surprised to learn that there are places that the Bible cannot be read. They felt bad for the children in those places and wanted to send them a Bible. 

So we have begun our first citizenship lessons.  This too will be great and once again I began the day outside of the traditional studies which seems to prepare them to sit down and begin their work for the day.  Studies today were  productive and done very quickly today. 

Speed drills in math for G are clearly helping.  Tomorrow is the Lyceum again, they are looking forward to it.

Learning my tricks for when we are on the road

I have created a growing binder of a variety of activities. It includes math, phonics, language skills, sentence making, reading readiness skills etc....  On the days that we have to be at the doctor office or traveling to a field trip the girls can use this to reinforce prior teaching.  I feel that way we do not miss out on valuable time as the day really flies by these days.

We attended the Magic House in St. Louis Home School Morning.  It is a valuable experience at a very nice price.  We had just covered the 5 senses in science time and found a section that reinforce that lesson. The girls knew it right away and felt that they really were wise about it already and explained it to me.  These days are so rich as I find they new things.

Yesterday, at Children's Hospital, in the waiting room F worked in her binder when suddenly it all came to her and the big light bulb went off.  She successfully blended the word TUB using her phonic skills.  She was so excited. The woman sitting across from her asked her how old she is, that woman then looked at me with an expression that I did not know how to understand.  It was more like I was pushing this little soul than amazement that this little soul is a natural learner.  It was a big day for her.

Another trick I have learned is that we do not have to begin the day with the traditional lessons. G is just not ready to take it on so fast, it looks like she gets a headache when we begin too early. So today I finally used our art easel.  Great idea!  F tells me as she has never painted like this before.

I am so blessed with each day as I watch their bloom unfold.

Oh My gosh...they just learned how to make GRAY.  They are so excited.

Another great experience at out Lyceum

Friday was another wonderful day of experiences and interactions.  G moved between activities with such ease, as if this 6 year old was a middle school child.  She helped others find their way and did errands for me at the end of my class time, as we cleaned up my room at the end of the day.  F enjoyed it very much although she started the day with that horrible attitude she gets and told me she was not going to participate.  Well when we continued as usual she quickly forgot to be hateful.

The girls had been left with studies to do with their father and mother earlier in the week while I took a trip to D.C. however a local boy had gone missing and daddy needed to work with the search team while mom prepared large amounts of food to feed them.  Since they were so involved with the search there was not much other work done. The girls were happy when the boy was found but were to distracted by the fact the "he is with God now" to have any productive learning.

Big plans this week as we begin a once per month activity at the St. Louis Magic House.  It is a special program for homeschoolers only and I expect it to be very fulfilling.

I did test G recently in phonics, she did well but I expected her to achieve 100% so I was surprised when she got a 97% and an 92%.  Great grades yes indeed.  I feel we must be dong something right.

I am still trying to find a way to get F interested in blending her sounds that she knows, her reading books are here now so I hope that will help.

Smoother week, eager learning

Well I have decided that we are suppose to have wrinkles in our days but it was a great week for school.

I have stepped from the day to day lesson plans however as the girls want more in their day than the basic education.  A Beka does not have us using several books for some time but they pulled out science and said lets do something in the book today.

Great idea they had. It was a crisp morning with lots of dew on the grass, early fall scents and a calm exciting start to our day. At the end of the lesson both girls could tell you that they have 5 senses, tell each one and show me examples of each, tell me how they got those senses and tell me that scientist us all 5 senses in their investigations.  So why was it so fun, after all it was only senses.

I was not to thrilled to begin here as I thought they were going to be bored. After all they know that God have them eyes to see, nose to smell- etc.  But is became an awakening of sorts. In my own front yard we felt the cool wet grass under our bare feet, saw the shades of green in each blade and the sun sparkle on the dew drops. We even counted a few dew drops on one large leaf.  We felt and smelled the difference of the pine cones, pine needles and the leaves of the oak, maple, pear, apple  and red bud tree.  We viewed bright yellow wildflower still with a bloom and when we touched the stem to pull the flower to our noses we discovered the fuzzy feel of the plant.  I did not let them taste any items from the yard but we did gather items from the kitchen and F was eager to try each, G only wanted it if I promised it was a sweet thing.

I used the Bob Jones book for this, although ABeka covers the same thing in the first chapter.  It gave each girl a book to have open on the desks, which of course was INSIDE the house.  The BJ book has a "Taste Race" game and I was able to assemble it so quickly that they did not feel a delay.  Each girl gathered their game piece according to their desire but first they had to use their senses to verbally describe their game piece. I had them stand on "stage" to tell about it (the long front porch).

F is not so eager to try sight words but she gave it a whirl while G was more eager to progress with her cursive writing. 

We bowled on Monday for PE with the co-op.  On Friday was a very enriching day. We began our lyceum that is offered through the coop.  The girls were great. G moved from class to class like a student in the middle school.  It was rather calm considering the enormous number of students passing from room to room each hour.  G was thrilled with her Five In A Row choice and they touched on some geography, she enjoyed ballet, group play, picnic family lunch and a science class that goes along with THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS.  F was in a class called Learning Centers and her center she was listed as MASTERED the turkey trot game for upper case recognition.  She also enjoyed the group play but her group is of course younger and lots of variable levels of play there. She was so cute and looked like a regular school kid all day. In the afternoon F participated in tumbling and ballet as she needs motor skills right now more than academic. It is her motor skills that are the slow up for some academic achievements. 

Well as you can see we are well on our way.  Next week they will be at lyceum again. but during the week they are going to have some copy work and readiness skill items to complete with their parents for four days while I travel to Washington D.C.   (oh some day they will go there with me and it will be a tremendous time)

So until next week please have a blessed day

OH one more thing we did a unit on Johnny Appleseed as well, made apple pie and crust and a cute craft making a Johnny out of a toilet paper roll.  Totally fun and educational.  They painted watercolors of fruits that nurish out bodies and we created our first ever itsy-bitsy book of fruit. 

As I read through this it seems like I did not do any of the 3Rs.  WRONG- I got them all included, plus our Tuesday library day.  G read to us Is Your MaMa A Llama book and did very well with it.  She has really progressed with her long vowel sounds.

Till next time.....

Wanting to avoid feeling like she was is in school forever.

I am talking about F.  I know it sounds like I am a biased grandparent, but most strangers that meet her ask me her age since she is a petite.  They cannot imagine a child who is so articulate and understands so much.

She will be 4 in about a month.  She can do so much of the kindergarten work as long as it does not entail an excess amount of fine motor skills.  She hates doing any busy work that she does not immediately succeed it.

I have a sneaky suspicion that she will take longer that I had hoped in completing this years goals.

DAY 6 a new home-schooler perspective

I had planned to post at the end of each week.  I found that I had so much I wanted to write in the blog that I have made several entries. However, to be truthful I began making an entry two other times this week and found that I had so much I wanted to say that I just did not have either the time or more stamina to finish the entry.

I did not expect it to be super easy but I was not prepared for how super hard it was.  As I mentioned, day one was boring to them and I was caught unaware.  On day two we took the field trip and it was easy. Not just because we were having fun and learning a wide variety of things but because their mother was participating as well in the process.

Then came day three, the day after a busy trip and concentration was low as everybody was feeling the stress from walking the trails.  I delayed the lessons a bit in the morning but enhanced the day with a trip to the library.

Day four was amazing!  Both girls were eager to take on the task in front of them and  F, the littlest one, also took on a great student roll.  F was not so great at taking her turn and waiting for me.  I suggested she get out her white slate and "doodle' a moment.  She did fine with and so it worked well in the beginning of the day. But being F she decided to do it HER way and rather than wait for me she began erasing the work in the book she had completed.  The other day four experience was one that really floored me.  I have been praising G's ability to read way above her level.  WELL I WAS WRONG.  She is a great reader, giving expression as well.  I have found out that the method used to teach her in Kindergarten was called the whole language approach.  I compare it to Suzuki violin, really impressive at the start but no appreciation for the art of the experience.  She has a wide range of "sight words" that she learned. As I review them it makes me wonder why they consider words like  "ATE" or RED"  a sight word. They are phonetic in nature and rules apply to each of them.

As it turns out G has learned ending sound combinations like "AT" and adds the beginning sound to it.  Sure it makes "SAT, FAT and RAT" easy to read but it seems she is almost reading backwards.  She looks at the end and adds the start sound. I wonder how we have come to this in our language skills.  What happened to blending, I believe that there had to be a lot of professional teachers in the states that never learned phonics so the began creating their own methods. So G has words that are long vowel sound and she is tossing around ideas of a word that would fit the context of the sentence or the story.  WHAT? I said to her.  You mean to tell me that you struggle with the word until you decide that you have it right just because it fits the sentence?  Sure that is a useful skill  but SOUND IT OUT. 

So back to the amazing day 4, I learned something new about my student and she learned the rule of two vowels.  By the end of day 4 she was amazed as well.  Then comes more revelation.  She adds so well only because the problems have always had a picture to support it.  When she adds 1+1 without a picture it becomes 11. This actually became a fight of me against the teacher that is no-more.  Miss. W told her that and she was always right. WHAT again I wonder!!!!  Miss. W often misunderstood G and I believe the G often misunderstood her. Certainly I can overcome this. Finally I did achieve this concept by proof and making her write a lot of 41 dots while I got to write only 5 in the sum box.  Turns out that 41 and 5 are very much different, no matter what she told me at first, seems when she has to perform a time consuming task while I get the pleasure of a brief task she can see my point.  Even if she did not, well she did concede.

What I liked most about day 4 was that we walked to the river bank, sat on a log and had story time. On the way we noticed many of God's natural wonders. While sitting on the log we noticed that several trees there had been cut by a beaver.  Both girls asked me if I could make a lesson about beavers.  OH YES day 4 is amazing and God is working in these girls.

So much for that last sentence on day 5. The morning routine was broken as they both had their  yearly check up at the doctor office.  Now I am not one for physical punishment, however, I found it necessary to be an enforcer onto F in a way that makes me cry. I must say however that the practitioner verbalized appreciation at discipline, telling me how many people do not do so.  F was so far away from the Lord on day 5 that one would consider an exorcist to be necessary.  Of course I know she is not truly a little demon but during  a period that day....well only God knows.  Lessons with her were difficult although she did complete some.  As we all know, a negative atmosphere spreads and I had reached my patience end.  I cannot say what G even did except that she would at times get F more stirred up.  I just know that by the end of the day I wondered what I had taken on.

Finally, day 6 comes and that would be today. F attempted a few huffs and turns away. Well, fine with me if she is not going to do any lessons but she will not be disrespectful to me.  Seems part of her lesson today including honoring mother and father.  I had a craft and paint for her to do, so she of course had do finish her number 5 worksheet which she eagerly did finally do.  OK...not so bad...not so beat. However, remember I also had to teach G.

Oh poor G, she broke down and cried at one time as I caught her cheating on the paper.  You see, I had to erase a few pages from the used book and I saw her write the answer and never even take a second glance at the problem.  She did that once the day before as well.  We got through it fine and she went on to do wonderful progress today in all subjects.  Today she was not afraid to complete addition facts and understand the concept FINALLY.  We moved on to TENS and ONES placement. 

What I have discovered is that I am exhausted. both physically and emotionally drained.  I tip my hat to you moms who are doing this job. You see, I am grandma, and as the saying goes "I get to send them home when I am done with them"

I really wanted to share everything but realize it would be impossible.  We began a lesson today on John Chapman...Johnny Appleseed.  Next week we will do a unit study on him as well as our other subjects. After-all, it is apple picking time.

First Field Trip

Today we went to Giant City in the Shawnee National Forest of Southern Illinois. This is about 1.5 hrs from our home and a drive with pleasant views when we take my route. It is unfortunate that K (their mom) had morning sickness on the hills up and down as we traveled further south.

We took time to visit the park's nature center, where G and F performed rubbing of several different leaves that are indigenous to Illinois.  There was a booklet there and I aksed the conservation officer if those were just for the table of resources to take with us.  He kindly replied, "take them" and then brought out a huge supply of variable resources that we could take with us to use in our class studies.

While there we watched a movie about the park and it included some information about how the formations were made but the girls were more intereted in the man talking about the CCC.  It clearly spoke of hand chiseling the stone that built the lodge and hand forging the handles to the doors and windows. 

This picture, although fuzzy, is of the girls touching one of the corner stones he spoke about in the movie.

They were also exicted to see Native American items present and learned of the stone wall that is present within the park. It tells us that it is  not actually a fort but the purpose is not known.  I can tell you that the reason the purpose is not known is because it was probably a group of men that tried to figure it out and they did not have any little ones with them at the time.  IF I was a Native American living in that time frame I would have had it built to block they unknowing, unaware or children when playing from the potential harm only feet away on the other side. 

This picture is what is left of the stone wall.



And this is what is on the other side.  In my opinion it is clear why it was put there.



So much more can be done about this trip in the class tomorrow.  G was walking along a tree when she noticed it was crumbing, great opportunity to talk about decay and nurishment back to the earth.

I do not have to tell you all how rich this experience is going to be. I did these type of activities with my own children all the time.  But to take these activities and make them even more purposeful than a family memory is priceless.  This is our busy week for things to get more full blown.  I am calling on the Lord to hold me up and support me as I go deeper into this experience.

First day of school today

I had planned to wait until the 7th but the girls really wanted to begin class today.  I knew this so I was prepared.

Ha Ha, so I thought.  I was not prepared for G to be bored with the review material. I was not prepared for F to have one of her obstinate days. But I am no amateur to their individual needs and this is not my first walk in the park, so to speak.

So I quickly abandoned the lesson plan that the ABeka curriculum guide  had provided me with. I am sure that the guide is written to a class of children at varying levels of understanding.  G told me, about 15 minutes into the lesson, that this was really boring and she thought that home school would be more fun.  I replied, "your right, this is really silly to teach you what you already know. Our school will be fun sometimes and sometimes it will be down right hard work.  So should we do it differently than the book tells me?"  Bless her heart, with the sincerest of looks she answered me back.  "Well, your the teacher I know, so do what you think is good."

So I tossed out the beginning phonics review and had her teach me all the letters and the sounds that they make.  Then I opened up her language skills seat-work book and told her to begin on page one and work in it as long as she wants.  If she gets to a point that she does not know it then we will begin teaching at that point.  So she was so eager to show me what all she already knows.  She did several pages until I told her that she has spent enough time on that subject and it was time to move on.  So out came the math book and she did several pages there independently until I told her that enough time has been spent on that subject as well.  According to the lesson plan book I do not even use these books until the 7th -12th  lesson day. 

I was not prepared indeed for her to feel bored, but I know that it is not something I want.  I can only imagine how she would feel in a class of 25 students doing the review necessary for such a diverse gathering.  I know I will return to the lesson plan at some point but for now I am going to let her work independently in the books until she no longer is showing me that she has the subject mastered.

NOW, as for F.  She learns easily but not deliberately. Remember that she is still very young but very knowledgeable.  I know there are times I must let her age and maturity level be the guide.  Eventually, after being in the living room by herself, without any form of entertainment (TV, myself, or sister) she rejoined the room. We did begin in the book as planned but did not spend too much time on it.  She was more eager to open a workbook as well after 10 minutes with the letter "Ii" and do some work.  So I got out the really neat Reading Readiness Skills book she did several pages of tracing and coloring  I knew that her fine motor skills were going to be an issue, tracing is still hard for her.  Then after a couple pages we went on to the Number skills book.  She was very talented naturally and correctly completed three pages. 

I am not sure why ABeka has them do just one page at a time here.  I am going to let them be the ones that guide me for right now.  I hope soon we reach a point of new learning.  I hate to imagine them being bored with school.

Even with that, we were at the playground right after lunch. What a beautiful day it was. Cooling down, breezy, and a joyful experience. 

I still have not snapped those photos for the wall decor but will get to it soon.

All in all, my first day as a home school granny-teacher was enlightening. Not for them of course, but for me. OH, and today we joined the HSLDA.  I thought it might be helpful to do so. 

I must say that this life has suddenly become very busy. Next week is filled with lessons, meetings, doctor appointments, and G's first girl scout meeting. The following week will be equally as busy as the co-op bowling will begin as well as the Master's Lyceum enrichment program on Fridays.

Back To My First Choice.

When I began this, I had decided to use the smaller bedroom for formal lesson times.  I had ideas about a small intimate reading nook, a room with a few classroom decor that would fit year round.  The smaller room is our old nursery room and measures about 10x10, then if you recall my hubby thought that using the larger out-building would serve the purpose well.

So getting that room ready was really more than I am physically and financially up to.  I got it "trashed out" as it had become our catch all place.  Then as I worked in it I thought about the difficulty in climate control, after all G does not tolerate heat that well and F will get a red red face very quickly in a hot stuffy room.  Then the idea of paying for the extra heat to a place that I generally do not heat at all. 

My whole idea as I take these steps was to take it as God tends to naturally lead me.  So that is what I did today.  I moved out the few items in the other room.  By the way, I love the bright cheery yellow paint in that room as well.  I moved in the desks, I put up the wall decor for the reading corner, the monthly calendar and the neat dress me for the weather frog.  I still have that flag the girls bought hanging in the room, after all it was the original room. 

I will begin class on Tuesday without a carpet in the room but the old cruddy one is pulled up and we will be on the subfloor about two weeks I imagine.  For organization bins/book shelves I am going to use the dozen milk crates that we have at the shop, after all they will be behind closed closet doors and will not only hold items well but will create organizational bins for us to utilize.  The easel has arrived as well and I will have R put up the white board over the weekend. 

It will be much smaller and our crafts will come out to the kitchen table. Now that is more of the homeschooling experience we were in need of anyway.  It was becoming way to much like a brick and mortar school house for a while.  I know this will suit our needs and in many ways enhance the experience. 

Next post I will put up pictures of our learning area.

Holding on my own degree, I guess

I really thought this would be the right time to advance my own education as well.  I continue to work every Sat and Sun in a local hospital ICU. I really love that job and feel that nursing is not my career but my ministry.  As I age I know that the bedside care I have come to love is not something I can do later. Nursing is very physically demanding. 

Sure, sure I have said this before but why would I stop working on my Masters Degree so that I can teach nursing later on.  It is simple, my family is first and my new grand-baby will be here in April.  IF...IF M gets the new job and K can stop her job then of course I can return to college.  Right now that is not the situation so I must halt what I am doing. K is very sick still, not new baby sick but APS sick.  She needs everything I can muster to help out right now. 

God has different plans for my life it is clear.  I must follow as it is given me each day.  Maybe He does not intend for me to teach in the classroom but use me in the clinical setting as I do now. I so enjoy having students with me for the day, they enjoy the experience and the local Community College nursing instructors have been encouraging me to join them.  I must consider that God needs me where I am. After all, teaching puts me back to work dive days per week.  My weekend option program is a terrific gig!!!

That is all for now.  I hope this did not sound like I am terribley disappointed as I know enough to follow the path He puts in front of me and rejoice in it, even if I have a temporary disappointed moment.

I will be a grandmother again!!!

First I must say that this is a real joy no matter how it comes to me.  I enjoy my grandchildren so very much and cannot imagine life any different.  I also greet this joy with a little hesitation, not because this child is not wanted, but because it is my daughter who has been ill that will carry this soul.

I have mentioned before that I have an autoimmune illness called Antiphospholipid Syndrome.  Well in April my daughter became suddenly very ill and was wheelchair bound for a while following several weeks at a top notch St. Louis teaching hospital.  They were stumped as it manifested many symptoms of APS but there were a few things that just stopped them from confirming she also would have APS.  She has been on several medications that keep her on her feet.  These meds can cause birth defects so she must stop immediately, which worries me as her mother.

As GRANDMA I am excited beyond words. As MOM I am concerned for my own baby's health. So where to we take this?  We put it into our Lord's hands and trust HIM with all of our hearts that both will be healthy.  We take everything He gives us from day to day.  This is just one more thing.

GEE I hope we get another girl!!!  They had wanted to try for the third child in October but felt that would be the wrong move due to her illness.  HA HA  guess God showed them just who was boss. 

By the time this child get to my home-school the oldest will be in 7th grade, I would imagine she will be a lot of help as I will be turning the corner onto old age street.

Remember to support APS awareness, the leading cause of recurrent premature birth and miscarriages. The leading cause of young stroke and young heart attacks.  One of the leading causes of pulmonary emboli which kills over 600,000 people a year.  Did you know the pulmonary emboli kill more people each year than cancer and aids combined?  www.americanaps.org

Last Night We Joined The Co-Op

I must be honest and tell you that I was a bit frightened at what I would find there.  It is a Christian co-op which should not cause fear but I still have the shadow of the Christian Home-schooler reputation that hoovers over me I guess. 

It was great!  Totally in keeping with my own philosophy and with so many great opportunities.  Blessings came over their father during the meeting--yes indeed not only did my daughter come as expected but M came as well.  He has stepped up to volunteer as a leader for a 4-H Clover-bud program. 

This group as an enrichment program they call Master's Lyceum with a multitude of enrichment opportunities for the girls.  I imagine that since I am there I will be able to help somewhere in the process. 

All the curriculum is here and the room is still in the "hanger" so to speak.  It will not take long to do but it will take me having the energy to complete. I have told all that I need help so soon that will take place and we will have it together in no time at all.

So much done! So much to do!

Praises!!!  I have all the curriculum either here or in transit.  I did a great job bargain hunting for used items when possible.  It has been very time consuming and my house knows that I have been stuck in the computer.  My husband laughs when he comes home and finds me sitting at this desk once again.  A few things left to do, some big and some small.

Item #1 would be to get that room prepared. It is the hardest thing by far as it first needs to get "trashed out", then a fresh coat of paint, a new indoor/outdoor piece of carpet, new screens, new ceiling fan and light fixture.  When that is done I will place the desks, the reading recliners, the white boards, the activity table, the book shelves, the art supplies (oh got to buy those yet) and the different activity items the girls have decided they want in the room.  YES it is a big job but one that I believe could be knocked through with the right amount of energy quickly.

Item#2 would be the small stuff.  The reading nook wall decorations, the pencils and organization items for supplies that will be used.

Item #3 will be getting the wireless connected to this computer to pick up in the next building where we will be making our school house. The computer for the school house is completed and ready for them to use. Wireless mouse and keyboard as well.  The laptop is also ready to go so I will have the ability to use two different computers at a time, which is great since there are only 2 girls.

Item #4 will be to get the heater in the house by the end of October (or sooner...one never knows)

Item #5 is the class room "pet".  Sure we have dogs, cats, deer, that we love and feed regularly but they want a "wonder-pet". They are trying to decide if it will be a hamster or a bird.  Personally, G found a container in the woods that is near the waterway, it was full of differently developed tadpoles. I think we should gather them and foster their growth, keeping them as our class pet.  They really want a bird however.

I have so much to do and have done so much already, still I find that I am behind schedule.  Next week we will take the girls to the St. Clair County Christian Home Educator Co-Op gathering.  We will see how well we fit in.  You see, we are not very meek or mild like the kind people we met at the orientation meeting.  We grasp life every day and rejoice in it...sometimes rather rambunctiously I might add.

Yes, as I have posted in the past, my life is a miracle and I am a survivor of APS.  It has its uncertainties.  I have a goal with these girls that I have committed to every day I see them.  Each day is a day for making memories.  I will encourage them to be filled with joy overflowing.  Afterall, life is a worth celebrating!

Curriculum Trickles In

From my last post you will recall that we had to change our curriculum plans.  I have many items of G an F to use that are ABeka products which have been donated to us.  So I have gone to the curriculum share site received other items for the cost of shipping alone and I managed to get a few items on eBay as well. But now I am beginning to blend curriculum.

Today I received Bob Jones Science for 1st grade and the lesson manual.  I like it so much better than the ABeka however they will compliment each other so well. 

I am not making much progress on the "school house" but have talked it over with the girls parents and they are going to help me in that room.  I think that will help create excitement for everyone involved.

This past week my daughter and I attended an orientation meeting for the Christian co-op group in our area.  Being so far out in the country it will be a drive  for several of the activities.  I hope to meet some local families in this co-op as well that perhaps a few local activities and be done together. 

That is all I have so far to put here but did not want to get out of the habit of posting.

Books Are Arriving

It is a big day in our house today.  The girls are so excited as some of the books came yesterday and another shipment just arrived. 

These are the books a friend has donated to use.  So it looks like we will us A Beka and not Calvert after all.  I have looked at the books and I like them well enough but now I will have to make some lesson plans.

I know I am blessed to have such a gift given to us.  Being human I am still regretting not being able to use the Calvert program.  It will take extra effort to make up the daily lesson plans.  I can do it but fear that it will use up a few of my spoons (google spoon theory).  If I use my spoons to quickly it will effect what energy I have left during our instruction time. 

I find that I am sounding selfish but I have learned a little selfishness with my health issues actually allows me to be more giving where it matters. 

I am thankful for the gifts that have been given and will use them with joy.  The girls are THRILLED to page through their new books.

Wondering if this is my idea or His

I am a very blessed woman. I have been a nurse for a very long  time.  We have been married a long time.  I have survive deadly illness events.  I have wonderful children and grandchildren.  I live a comfortable life.

Ah-Ha.  That is my issue. Generally, to be honest, I do not wonder if I will be able to feed the family, shelter us, etc...  But like many right now my budget is really tight.  So as I try to make this homeschooling idea real I keep running into obstacles.  I know enough to let things happen naturally, that if you keep trying to overcome obstacles that are placed in front of you then it is possible you are circumventing what the Lord has in store for you.

I had shelves given to me, recently desks provided and found some great items at the resale shop that are learning activity games.  I discussed with my hubby a few items that I do not seeing used much at our shop we run so now I have a huge white board for the room.  In the attic I found an activity table so we do not ruin my kitchen table.  Yes, each time a cost item comes up it has been provided.

Then time is coming upon us and we still cannot afford any real curriculum, and the parents wanted to use Calvert.  I do too.  It is just not going to happen so I am going to have to work harder and wiser to make daily learning activities. I found a lot of course on the Internet but still no TEXT BOOK learning.

UNTIL NOW.  Yesterday a friend and I were talking on the telephone and being a friend I shared my woes.  While we spoke she suddenly asked for my mailing address and then told me it was done.  I asked, "what was done"  She just mailed me her K and First Grade A Beka items. 

So the answer to the topic heading is that this is what He wants me to do.  It keeps coming naturally to us and I am so blessed by His ways.

Computer built for our classroom

My husband (kiddos grandfather) has taken several computers from out business that have been less than perfect in their functioning and built a new computer.  Now our classroom will have a dedicated computer only for our home-school experience.

We could have used my home computer fine but to be honest my computer is usually surrounded by other items like my bills or genealogy research and soon my own course work as well. 

So this is a huge money saver for me.  To put a little icing on the cake he also purchased from another business that is closing a large screen, wireless keyboard and wireless mouse that he has working with the class computer.  The more good news I get the more confident I am in this choice.

I must begin cleaning out the school house and prepare to do some painting and ceiling scrubbing.  The ceiling is all wood and high pitched so this will be a huge undertaking for this grandmother.  I think I may enlist M to help with it as he is the father of G and F which makes him young, healthy and free labor.

Donation of School Desks

Talk about your blessings!!!!  As I take these first steps towards homeschooling I have come to terms that the initial set up, like any other project one would take on, has its financial sacrifices.

As I said several days the plans have changed from the smaller bedroom to a larger building we have connected to the back deck.  I know we could just use tables just as I know we could use our kitchen space as well.  But, the girls have become excited and of course would like their own desk space.

I had decided which ones would best fit our pocket-book as well as our needs.  I have decided now to toss that idea out as a friend has several "old fashion desk" as she calls them which will fit our current needs wonderfully with the added bonus of easing the costs.

I continue to feel giddy about each new step that is taken.

APS Awareness

This blog is about the education of my grandchildren, a little about my own education advancements hopefully but I would be negligent if I did not make at least one post in my blog promoting the awareness of Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

This is an autoimmune illness that I live with. I develop blood clots spontaneously and have miraculously survived life threatening clotting events. It has an array of other common issues.

A friend and I began a non-profit to promote the awareness of this rare syndrome and you can find more on the developing web site www.americanaps.org .

Warning signs that you may have APS....history or family history of recurrent miscarriages, family history of young stroke or young heart attack, history of blood clots.  If you want to know more please message me, this is near and dear to my heart. The American APS Association has only recently gone public and I hope some day we will be able to be a visible as other awareness groups until we find a cause and a cure.

THANKS.

Change in my plans for the room

I have been designing our smaller 10x10 room for our "classroom".

Today my husband asked why I do not use the jacuzzi house.  WOW that is more than I planned.  It changes the "classroom"  into a small one room school house. 

The jacuzzi in this enclosed out-house has broken so it is coming out.  The house is not exactly attached to the house.  You enter my house from a back yard deck through the sliding door into the dinning room, but on the other side of the deck is a small out building.  This will be a perfect space to work with. 

There are so many possibilities.  I cannot wait to begin.

Ramblings that began with a purpose but got lost in the ramble

CAN WE BEGIN SCHOOL TODAY?  That was one of the first questions this morning from both of the girls.  They are eager and ready.  I am eager but not ready. 

Last week we went to my local library to get a book, of course.  My community library is very sad, right down to the displaying the American Flag incorrectly.  The library in the girls community is only 12 minutes down the road and has so much to offer in contrast. They are from the same Shawnee System and of course I can always requests books to come in, but entering a small child's room with old books, torn pages and such was terrible. 

I had thought that a weekly library trip would be enough to keep these eager to learn girls satisfied. I was wrong. They are so eager for some real school. 

I am already reviewing with G but that is not enough.  F is like a little sponge soaking in everything G learns.  I have many items here for them to go though but our curriculum is not here.  I still have to finish the classroom.  I know I could use our kitchen table but just do not want to do that.  I am a structured person and want them to feel that structure in class and not outside of it.  If I use the kitchen I will loose my structured efforts.  Sure, many do use their kitchen but I am choosing not to do that.  As I read what is written it seems that I am not going to be open minded in a typical home school environment. Perhaps I am wrong, perhaps everyone is firmly structured during lesson times.  I know that I will be flexible and not waste time on topics mastered even if the lesson plan has several more weeks of it. 

If you recall I we are going to use Calvert Curriculum which comes with lesson plans.  I am slow to be make progress in the room remodel but felt that I had until September to be finished.

Final decision is that I may begin sooner if all items are ready but for now I will review with G.  F is going to wait for Kindergarten curriculum until she has give the attention needed consistently but I am sure we will begin right after her 4th birthday.  Until then she learns through play and sisterly-osmosis.