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.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
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.
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.
May you have a blessed and peaceful Christmas.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, December 20, 2010
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
It is an insight to the loving acceptance that my daughter has and open mindedness that a home-school parent is able to demonstrate.
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
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.
[/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.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
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.
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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