How is it that I've been homeschooling for 7 years...

and am just now discovering the joys of a laminator? I bought one 2 days ago, and I can't stop laminating things! I made up a really neat thing for Miss Purple. She's been wanting me to write things for her and then she'll copy them. Her favorite things seem to be names, so I made up a little paper with pictures of 6 of her favorite people in the whole wide world and put their names beside them with space below for her to write. She was so excited to find it this morning. Now I'm thinking of laminating all the paper dolls I just finished cutting out. I'm not sure if I'll get around to that, but it sure is fun to look around the house for more stuff to laminate.

3rd Grade Plans

Alright, we've covered Miss Green's 5th grade plans, so now we'll move on to Mr. Blue. I've noticed he's lacking in the language arts department, so we're trying to beef that up a little bit, starting this week.

Language: First Language Lessons, grade 3 and Writing With Ease workbook 2

Spelling: Spectrum Spelling 3 (I prefer Spelling Workout, but he requested this one)

Math: Singapore 3A and B - He's done Math U See Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, but we went back a little in Singapore. He spent last year doing 2A and B and hasn't had any trouble at all yet with progressing. I don't think there's been a concept he's had a hard time with, so I don't know if we're moving to slow or what. I need to re-evaluate this. I considering ALEKS, but I haven't made any decisions yet.

Handwriting: He's on Portland Italics C, but we may ease off a little, since WWE has copywork and dictation.

History: Story of the World 3 with the others, along with the age appropriate recommendations from the Activity Guide. I found out there's a really big Revolutionary reenactment near us in May, so I'm hoping to get that far in history around that time. I need to sit down and make out a schedule that gets us there when it will do us the most good.

Science: Apologia Astronomy and the lapbook from Knowledge Box to go with it. Although, Jeannie Fulbright and Apologia are coming out with a notebook soon that is looking rather intriguing. She says in her blog they'll be available this spring, but I don't see them yet.

Music is Themes to Remember and library books. I'm hoping to have a chance to go through and correlate composers to time periods in history. Then we can have a better understanding of the world the composers lived in.

Art: This is the same as Miss Green. We go to lessons once a week. I'm also going to try to match up artists to time periods and study them as we go through history. Rembrandt and 17th Century Holland was recommended this past week by the Story of the World activity book, and Mr. Blue really enjoyed having a "peg" to hang Rembrandt on in his mind.

Latin will be finishing up Latina Christiana.

Classical Studies: D'Aulaire's Greek Myths and Study Guide by Memoria Press.
He's actually really enjoying this, well maybe not the study guide so much. We found the book on cd and he loves listening in the car. Up until now, we've just done the study guide orally, but I think I'll have him write the answers on the review questions himself. We found a book series that's helping to solidify the characters in his mind, its Myth-O-Mania. A friend of mine recommended the Percy Jackson series today. We got the first book on cd today from the library and are excited to listen to it!

So, that's where we're going in blue this year. I'm really excited with the way things are going so far and am looking forward to the rest of the year.

Paper Dolls

In my last Rainbow Resource order, I got the American Family Paper Doll book and restickable glue. That's not all I got of course, but I don't want to go off on a tangent here. I've spent the past couple of evenings cutting dolls out and am starting to find it quite relaxing. I have a little routine going, which has smoothed things out considerably. I begin by cutting out the actual dolls for a time period and setting them aside. Then I take my handy dandy art knife (Office Depot clearance today for $4, includes a cutting mat) and cut out the face areas and hats for all the outfits for that time period. I then sit down in the easy chair and relax using my scissors to cut the rest of the outfits out. I found cutting the whole outfit out with the X-Acto knife a little tedious. After the time period is complete, I apply the restickable glue to the backs of all their outfits and wait for it to dry. Then I take the outfits, sort them by character onto card stock, and put the card stock in a binder that will eventually have the entire American Family series. I plan on purchasing the relevant dolls as we come up on them in history.

I really think one of these doll sets will be perfect to put in the girls' workboxes. I'm putting together Miss Pink's and Miss Purple's at the moment. More on that later along with the other great stuff I got from RR.

5th grade plans

So, we're here at the end of the year, but we're going to have to work through the summer to catch up. I'm still trying to figure out what we're doing for her this year, and it helps me so much to write it down. So, here we go...

Math: Math U See Epsilon and Life of Fred Fractions. She loves Life Of Fred, but when she picked up Epsilon last week she told me she liked to do both of them. Epsilon she says explains some things better. So, at her request we're doing both.

Science: Apologia Elementary Astronomy with the 2nd and 3rd grader

History: Story of the World 3 with her brother and sister, along with accompanying reading from the library. We're also managing to do some projects this time. Woo-hoo!

Language: I just ordered Language Arts Through Literature for her yesterday. She really enjoyed the orange one, but I wanted to try something else. Well, we're going to go back to LLATL for this year.

Spelling: Spelling Workout G and H

Latin: Latina Christiana I We've worked through Prima Latina and part of LCI already. However, we need to review the first half of the book, which we're doing now. Then we'll move on to new stuff.

Classical Studies: D'Aulaire's Greek Myths and Study Guide from Memoria Press

Bible for Children I: Just starting this, but the three oldest are doing it together.

Music: Themes to Remember, accompanying books, piano lessons twice a week

Art: We go to art lessons with the sweetest woman. She doesn't charge us anything, not even for the supplies. We meet another family of 5 there as well. It's great fun.

So, that's our year!

New Scheduling Method

I'm super excited about trying this, but first the back story. Since I started needing to schedule work, I've scheduled it in a book. I started out with a teacher's lesson planner, putting everyone in the same book. Then I bought individual books and scheduled weekly. Although it works, its hard to check what's been done and what hasn't. Then half the time the kids say they can't find their schedules.

So, I went yesterday and bought a 4x8 piece of tile board from Lowe's. I divided it up in to sections with a wet erase marker. Down the left side I have 6 rows: Monday-Saturday. Along the top I have all the subjects we do. Then I have scheduled the kids work on there individually. They each have a color in our house: towels, cups, plates, notebooks, etc. (hence their blog names) so their individual assignments are written in their color. The subjects we do all together are written in orange. I left one space for myself for my reading and latin studies. I figure even if we abandon it shortly, we'll still have a monster, cheap whiteboard.

You can also see some other recent additions to our day. On the floor are the kids individual boxes. We've used several different methods for keeping our every day stuff out, but this is working the best so far. Theoretically these get put away after we do school, but they seem to stay out unless company is coming. On the far right is a cart I got from Target. It has a Staples Desk Apprentice on top that I found for $5 at Goodwill. In it I keep my teacher's manuals, science, and my Henle Latin. In the binders below I keep the Student pages for Writing With Ease and Story of the World. Once a week I'll pull their papers out and put them in a folder in their boxes. In the drawers are my (indispensable) Rainbow Resource catalog, and the felt pieces to go with our calendar. On the bottom I'm putting the additional history, science, and music reading we need for the week from the library and our personal library. After we've read it, it gets put away or in the main library box. I need to move that green strip above the white board. That's where they hang their artwork for the week before we put it in a binder for science or history. I love those things! The little whiteboard is from the same company.
http://rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?sid=1237183829-315409&subject=1&category=228
They're on clearance from Rainbow Resource and I'm getting ready to order a few more of the strips. They rock!

Finally settling in.

Why does it take so long to adjust to a new home? We've lived in our new house for 2 months now, and I'm just now starting to see a routine take shape. I really think that adding the outside activities is what has helped. Right now we have added piano 2 days a week for the 3 oldest, swimming on those same 2 days for my 3 year old, and art lessons on another day for all of them. Knowing we have to leave the house at a certain time makes us get the schoolwork done instead of putting it off.

I've also found that typing in the Story of the World recommended resources has helped me tremendously! I have a spreadsheet with the title, author, book #, chapter #, and which library its at. I think I need to go through now and add the call numbers as well, since I'm having to look those up weekly. I still don't have my printer set up, but once I do that I'll print this list and keep it in my binder (still to be assembled) at all times. I believe I'm also going to copy some of the pages from the Homeschooler's Book of Lists and add that to my binder for Goodwill and book sales.

This week we've read several of the books correlating to SOTW 3 Chapter 2, and I've noticed a big difference in retention, especially for 9 year old Mr. Blue. We managed to add in one of the activities as well, and that was a big hit with that same son and his 8 year old cousin. The 6/7 year old girls didn't like it quite as well and gave up.

In the mail this week we got the Story of Classical Music. The same afore-mentioned 9 year old loves it. He told his sister, "Don't you wish you were like one of those kings who could listen to this music any time you wanted?" We also listened to the Themes to Remember version of Beethoven's 9th symphony and read in TTR about him. I have library books to go along with that, and said son is learning Ode to Joy in piano this week, so I feel very connected! I told a friend if I get ambitious I'll correlate SOTW to the Story of Classical Music, but we'll see if that ever happens!

Trying to start a new routine

I'm trying hard to get the kids and I into the routine of doing school. It would be easier if we didn't keep getting these wonderful invitations and opportunities! As of today, we have 3 days per week out of the house for the afternoon. They're wonderful learning opportunities, piano for 3 kids, art lessons for 4, and swimming for 1, but I'm struggling to squeeze our schooling into the morning. I'm not a morning person. I'm REALLY not a morning person. So, I need to figure out a way to get us up and going, starting with breakfast. I'm not willing to, gasp, schedule things yet, but I'm getting there.

We've done school every day this week, though some days are cut short. Then my oldest was invited to spend the night at her grandparents, which is a rare enough invitation I thought she should go. Fortunately we had her school work with us and she was able to complete her independent studies.

Speaking of independent, maybe I could have them do their independent work on the days we are out of the house and the other 2 days and Saturday could be spent on the things I have to help them with. Up to this point its seemed to keep in the routine of doing school we have to do every subject every day or it gets missed. I may need to work out a chart for us. Goodie! I love organizing things! I can see a trip to Office Depot in the near future. Be still my beating heart.

You know this is why I need to keep a blog. I don't need anyone to read it, I just need to write to organize my thoughts. Now I just feel sorry for the unfortunate soul who stumbles across my ramblings!

Starting Don Quixote tomorrow!

The Homeschooler's Book of Lists

I just got this book and simply adore it. I'm looking forward to using it. It's got nearly every memorizable fact I can think of and more, ie Rulers of England, Rulers of France, Periodic Table, History of Space Flight, Constellations, US National Parks, Major and Minor Greek and Roman Gods, Supreme Court Justices, Nobel Prize Winners, Artists, and Music Terms. That's hardly even scratching the surface. The chapters are History & Government, Language Arts, Mathematics, Religion, Science, Animals, Human Body, Geography, Foreign Language, Great People, Quotations, Speeches and Other Great Documents, Computers, Art and Music, Curriculum and Homeschool Methodologies, and finally Organizational and Reference Lists for Teachers, Parents, and Students. List Number 223, Popular Homeschool Methods is especially great. It covers not only an overview of the style, but also how to use this book with that particular style. There's a list of all Five in a Row books, Childhood of Famous American Books (along with check boxes to indicate if you have it or have read it)
Basically it's 556 pages of information every homeschooler will need at one time or another. Information that you may be able to find in another source, but having it all in one location is invaluable. As Ms. Haskins writes in her introduction, "the best answers usually are those I can give wthin a few minutes-not after an hour of searching online or after our regular trips to the library."
I plan on carrying this book with me in the car from this day forward. Oh, and I forgot to mention the best part, it comes with a cd of all the lists! You can make printouts and stick them in your planning binder!

Great day of school today!

After only 3 hours of sleep last night, I had the most productive day I've had in probably 6 months. Maybe I should deprive myself of sleep on a more regular basis!

We had orthodontist appointments this morning, stopped at Dollar Tree to pick up a magnifying glass and some chocolate bars, and then came home to do our first science experiment from Apologia's Elementary Astronomy. The kids really loved that one! I think they just thought it was great to eat melted chocolate though!

After our science experiment we had lunch, while I read about the sun. I really enjoy this science curriculum. Then we sat down to do "real school" which always brings out the best in my kids LOL. Everyone got their standard work done, including Latin for the first time in a while. We're having to review Latina Christiana a little more than I'd like, but I'd rather review and retain than lose all that work altogether!

Blue and Pink sat down with me while I read a few of the Story of the World recommended books and then went off to read their individual versions of Don Quixote. Maybe I should skip reading the real version and read the Wishbone Classic version Mister Blue is reading.

Then Mister Blue and I cleaned up the kitchen, while Miss Pink cleaned up the kids room. Miss Green walked the dog and Miss Purple entertained the baby, while I cooked supper. DH came home to a clean (as it can be with 5 kids) kitchen and supper ready to put on the table. What a shock! I just hope he doesn't get too used to it.

Back to school?

We haven't been able to do school formally for too many months. I'm feeling like we're getting back into our routine though. It seems like a purchase from Rainbow Resource always gives me a nudge in the school direction. So, I ordered Singapore Math for Mr. Blue & Miss Pink, Vroot & Vroom and Spectrum Spelling for Mr. Blue, who loves Spectrum, Spelling Workout for Miss Pink, Adventures with Books, Get Set for the Code, Letters and Numbers for Me, and Singapore Kindergarten Math for Miss Purple. All of which makes me realize Miss Green didn't get anything but Lefty Notebooks!


Miss Purple has finished Earlybird Math 1A, but since that's been discontinued I hope I ordered the right book for her. I'm trying to decide at the moment if I'll use 100 EZ Lessons or OPGTTR for here. I used 100 EZ Lessons for my first two, which is great until we hit lesson 70 something, at which point we crash and burn. I used OPGTTR when the Miss Pink was 4, planning to take it nice and slow. Ha! She was reading with no trouble whatsoever within 6 weeks. E does great with Get Ready for the Code, so she may be ready for OPGTTR. I even checked Phonics Pathways out of the library again to evaluate it for her.

I also ordered Don Quixote, as a friend and I are starting down the Well-Educated Mind pathway! I was reading through the annotated book lists last night, and I just can't wait to read some of these. Am I insane?