So far, so good

Well, we are three weeks into the new year and so far it's going well.

M seems to like Connections Academy although it took some getting used to after last year when we pieced his work load together choosing different curriculum's for all subjects. He thinks that he has more work this year which is probably true as we are doing all the every day school work load along with any homework he would bring home *and preparing him for the tests he will be taking this year.

C is still doing some of the same curriculum's that we used last year including; Singapore math, Spelling Workout, Story of the World for history, and I am using the book Creepy Crawlies and the Scientific Method. I also supplement with a math text book and other books. Of course, we read...and read. There is one book that has become my new favorite, 1,000 Questions and Answers. C will read his assigned reading and then I ask him the "quick fire quiz" and I have very pleased that he is showing that he is definitely comprehending what he is reading. Love it!

Another change this year is that we have added a couple classes outside home. M is taking a Logic class and C is taking a Math is Fun! class at a local coop. M chose to take acting class again this year but C wanted to skip it this year, which was fine by me. They are both continuing their karate & guitar classes at a local coop. We love being out and about and so far we have managed to get their work done even with traveling around to these other activities.

Of course, I have noticed that getting back into the "groove" of things is a bit challenging even though we have had a light work load all summer long. C now does about 3-4 hours of work and M is doing 4-6 hours. I have over heard M telling people that ask if he likes this new program and his response has been "It's alot of work, but I do love the sense of accomplishment when it's done." I love that he is becoming self motivated!

Change of plans

Well, I have changed our plans for this year. M will be enrolled in Connections Academy at Houston which is a virtual public school option. I was hesitant to sign him up and approach homeschooling this way but after reading more about it and going to an informational meeting I decided that it would be the best route for us this year. I love the idea of inventing my own lessons, coming up with creative things on my own, and being on a flexible schedule but I think that knowing that he is where he should be and having the support of a teacher is going to make this adventure a little less stressful for me-for now. So, here is to being flexible and not feeling guilty for changing my mind :)

Summertime Schedule

Despite it being Summertime, I am having the boys work a little. I know, I feel evil. Not really. They are both continuing on with Math, we are working about 4 days a week. I also have started them out with Latin. We found this program that is a really fun way to introduce it, it's called Minimus and so far we all love it! Well, I love it, the boys like it. We are doing Latin 2-3 times a week. We are also reading, the libraries' summer reading program is a super motivator especially with Texas Ranger tickets for a prize!

Summer is here, in fact it's just a day old but it has certainly felt like summer for some time here in Texas! I have not been updated this blog for awhile-mostly because we were busy with outside activities, finishing up the 2010-2011 school year, and taking a short family trip. For the past couple weeks I have been feeling the angst rise about 2011-2012 school year. I suppose that I will have to deal with this every summer-trying to reconcile what my goals are, what I did not get to the previous year, and what changes will have to be made for the next one.

I was considering going down the virtual public school option because I felt like maybe it would help me be more accountable, cover more subject, and well...it's free. Here are the reasons I am not going to go that path next year: I feel like it is too much screen time for the boys, I do not want them focused on standardized testing, I pulled them out of ps because I wanted a different educational experience for them, not just different surroundings.

So, I went ahead and purchased and am re-reading The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. I love it! I have high hopes about implementing the classical style into our education adventure, although we will probably be making modifications as we go. I am hopeful that this will lead the kids down a path of being confident, effective learners.

Earth Day!

For Earth Day this year we made these cute birdhouses-they were super easy and I think they turned out really cute.  The first thing we did was tie twine around the neck of the bottles (I tied around and knotted then made a big loop and tied around on the opposite side) and then we (I) cut a 1/2 inch hole (a very jagged hole because the plastic was thick on two of the bottles) on one side of the bottle and then on exactly the opposite side (about 1 inch.)  Then, we decorated the bottles, found some sticks to stick through them and filled them with seeds.  We are hoping we will have some visitors soon!

 

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Kimbell Art Museum Family Educator Day

We had a great time at the Kimbell Art Museum, they held their Family Educator Day last month. It was organized, informative and fun for the kiddos. We met in the auditorium and got an overview of the three time periods we would be introduced to: The Renaissance, The Enlightenment, and Modernism. The boys got to make their own time-line with pictures and information on each time period. We then got a tour which highlighted some of the art that represented each of the three time periods. The museum staff & docents were helpful and the program was a good introduction to the time-line of art.

Critter Fest!

Our backyard is full of opportunities for exploring in our natural environment. The good thing about learning at home is that they ample time to explore and learn. They have caught and released many, many little critters including lizards, toads and frogs.

Nature Challenge 2011

For science, we are taking part of the 2011 North Texas Nature Challenge. So far we have done 3 challenges and they have been engaging and educational and best of all is that we get to get out into the great outdoors and the boys looove to be outside!

Art

These 3d puzzles are a great buy at 1$-2$ at the craft store. We use them for art and the boys really love to put them together and paint them.

For art, we paint alot but for the most part the boys like to sketch. We have many books on how to draw and they are getting the hang of drawing in steps. They truly could spend hours a day on art but some times I have to encourage them to put it up for later.

Nature Challenge 2011!

We are participating in the North Texas Nature Challenge this year.  I thought it would be a good way to study nature scientifically using our observational and recording skills.  The boys have enjoyed the two challenges we have done so far: Fort Worth Botanical Gardens and River Legacy Science Center.  Both have been scavenger hunts where the boys and I read clues or look at photos that show where we need to look and when we get to the point of interest there is information and questions that are posed to make the us think more deeply about it.  Their favorite so far was turning over logs at the Science Center to see what kind of life was sustained in that habitat.  We found a 6 inch long centipede and some worms of different sorts-the boys were stoked!  We have also had some great photo ops and MiMi and Uncle Alex joined us to make the experience even better!

 

http://fwbg.org/

http://www.riverlegacy.org/

 

Aviation Unit Study

We just wrapped up our broad study on aviation and although we did not complete all the projects we wanted to, the boys enjoyed the subject matter immensely.  I always collect some fun worksheets online-there are a ton of free, printable worksheets to choose from and so I chose some word scrambles, searches, and other fun stuff.  We read several airplane and aviation books from the library.  Mason did a short (1 page hand-written) biographical report on the Wright brothers.  I also found a great book at the library that offered some easy to assemble with stuff laying around the house or at least nearby projects ;) Last but not least, we took a trip to the C.R. Smith museum where the boys got to learn about American Airlines, but also about aviation and how planes fly with some interactive exhibits.  http://store.crsmithmuseum.org/store/

All in all we had a good time studying aviation and it was a good transition into Spring Break.  Fun!

 

             

The book we used had some wonderfully simple and interesting projects. Mason worked meticulously to build this airplane out of cardboard, straws, a stick and some tape.  C just whipped his up as quickly as possible (with my help) to see what it could do! 

Games to teach

I have been struggling lately to get my youngest to be excited about math. This scares me because I really, really don't want them to check out of math and not think it is fun or at the very least important and doable.

Games are always a good way to make something more fun. We use workbook or text style curriculum for both math and grammar but sometimes they need a break from the same old-same old. So, I have a couple that we have been enjoying recently.

For math we like Monopoly and other classic games but I recently purchased Math Dice to use with my eldest for multiplication but it can be used for far more than that, we can use it for any mathematical process we want; adding, subtracting, multiplication, division, powers and you can make the rules to suit any learning level.

This word game, Bananagrams, has turned out to be a hit for the boys. They like the simplicity of making small words and being able to go backward and forward, up and down.

I am planning on hopefully implementing more of a "station" type of learning environment where they get to choose what they want to do with each subject while at that station. I think this will reduce power struggles and let them explore the subject matter more at their own pace.

Homeschool day at the Fort Worth Zoo

We had a GREAT time at homeschool day at the zoo! It was a gorgeous day and the boys loved the educational live animal show that was offered. The boys learned two new facts about animals: 1.) The OPOSSUM is in fact a different animal than a POSSUM which is an Australian animal and 2.) The black Rhino has prehensile lips!

My boys love animals and are huge Nature fans so they know tons about animals but these were two facts that we did not know.

The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the best we have been to and they are adding new, exciting things all the time like the MOLA (Museum of Living Art) and a brand new outdoor education center.

Here are some pictures of our trip (some of the boys' photography as well)

Structuring our day

We are still trying to figure out the best way to structure our day. One of my boys is an early bird and the other likes to take it easy for awhile before delving into the day. At first I thought for sure I would have at least one subject done with my early bird before the other started but it turns out that having a relatively late(8:00) start to the "school" day works for all of us.

Math always is first, I think it's the best to get that subject done when our minds are freshest. We then continue onto read aloud time. Then it's onto language lessons and writing. Any project work or supplemental math & science is(usually) next and then history, which we do as a sit, read, write time twice a week. This all is (normally) done in about three hours or so.

I will think of two art projects per week to get done, which the boys normally do in one sitting. We are now into springtime so baseball and soccer are in full-swing so I have backed off of a regular P.E time, but the boys are outside at least half the daylight hours doing random things like running, playing at the park, practicing sports, or exploring so I am not so concerned with a structured P.E. They also do a home-school P.E class with a trainer every other Friday. This summer I plan on taking them swimming to work off some energy as well. We also have karate, guitar and theater on different days of the week so those extracurricular activities are built into some days of our week. We also try and get some grandparent time in as well.

Soooo, our days are organically structured but not in a by-the-minute sort of way. This has been surprising to me since I had begun thinking that was the healthiest approach but the boys have shown me otherwise. They want to know what to expect but they also don't want me hounding them and they need time to focus on their own interests which makes them happier and everything run smoother.

Overall, I believe that having a plan is a good thing but being flexible with time is important as well. I have begun to talk with them about time management and how important of a skill it is, in order to achieve their goals (and mine;) they have to manage their time, and everyday I think it sinks in a bit more and they are becoming more conscience of it which will lead them to be proactive and independent.

Quick, easy science (again!)

This is a quick science experiment that shows how metals react when put into a bath of vinegar (acid) and salt...

Being positive and staying that way!

I am a big advocate of being positive in your daily dealings with people, especially children. Negativity is such a vile, contagious pest. Of course, you can be a big fan of something and still not know how to put it in action 24/7. I have decided that this blog will not include the daily doses of arguments, laments, and general disobedience or small doses of violence given and received by each brother (no matter how much you love your brother there are some times when pushing him down or pinching him are the only way to convey your utter madness at the moment you find your Lego ship wrecked). So, for all of you who wonder if we have arguments, time outs, or the quiet wish to get a way to far off island my response is a big of course! However, as the days pass we are all finding new ways to deal with our bouts of claustrophobia and frustrations that we don't always want to do the same things at the same time. The boys are finding more cordial solutions to their arguments-for instance, today I hear an argument building in the other room and then M says, "Ok, C-let's just drop this now because if we don't we are going to have a big argument and were both going to get in trouble." "Ok" says C. That simple! A breakthrough, nonetheless. I just wanted to add this tidbit so that anyone reading can be sure that we have our ups and downs throughout the day/week/month but the majority of our time is spent learning, enjoying each others' company, finding interesting and fun ways to amuse ourselves as well as scavenging for educational treasures throughout the community and genuinely having a good time.

To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty,
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child, a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed
easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Eggcellent Science Experiment (simple)

We did a super simple but fun science experiment last week. (We try and do one per week so that the boys can work together in the field of science) It shows the effect of acid on an egg shell.
Materials: -a cup or bowl, -an egg, -vinegar

Process: Put egg in cup, add vinegar to cover egg, wait 48 hours

After 24 hours we checked in and wrote our observations
on how the egg had changed. At 48 hours we took the egg from the cup and discovered the shell is gone, it was actually bigger, and it was translucent. The boys loved it and we took some neat pictures of it in the dark with the flashlight on the egg.

Simple, cool experiment for anyone to try!

Sid Richardson Museum Trip

We had a wonderful time at the Sid Richardson museum in downtown Fort Worth over the weekend. The boys had a good time putting together puzzles, doing a scavenger hunt and talking with the docents about Sid Richardson and other artists and their important works. We were thankful that this time dad and grandpa got to join us so that they could be a part of our learning. The boys also got to make cowboy hats, belt buckles and a cowboy drawing. The docents and staff were super helpful and full of information on the museum and works of western art on display.

The Composer is Dead

We had a great time at the Bass Performance Hall yesterday!  We saw The Composer is Dead, a young persons concert.  The conductor, Andrés Franco, introduced the audience to the orchestra, pointing our each section while each played a but from a piece.  A narrator then took us into a murder mystery to solve the puzzle on who had killed the composer.  Each of the sections were given a personality such as, the brass section (strong, patriotic, loyal), the percussion (hip and keeps the beats), the flutes (bird like) and the strings (dedicated and industrious).  The narrator was wonderfully animated and funny, the boys both got a kick out of his story.  He then pointed to the conductor, after all he says “wherever there’s a conductor there’s a dead composer.” :)  Anyway,  it was a super fun time, and a great way to introduce kids to the symphony in a light, fun way.   I loved that it was during the day, 10:15 and only $4 each!

Here are some pictures of the boys at the performance and afterward we had a picnic and played at one of their favorite parks in Fort Worth, Burnett Park. 

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Physical Education

I thought I would make a little entry about ways I have figured out to do P.E with only the two guys and I. First, I went online to see what the president's challenge website has to offer: http://www.presidentschallenge.org/ which has tools and the activities that are used to measure achievements. I figure we can use that as a guide when we really want to work out. Otherwise, we have been dancing (lots of Michael Jackson:), we have done some yoga (mom likes this one:) and outside time at parks. Another thing I did last week and may do once a week is set up obstacle courses outside back, each of us makes up one and we all do them twice. I am trying to get creative and do something everyday. Winter is always a challenge here but coming into spring I won't worry so much about it because they both will be playing soccer and baseball. I am learning what works as we go but we are keeping active for sure!