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Curriculum Order 2012-2013

May 27, 2012

This is much simpler.  We have a lot of living books for the other subjects.  This is our core for first and third grade.  These should arrive in September.

Rainbow Resource:

  • Singapore 3A workbook — Item #: 023995  $10.80
  • Singapore 3B workbook — Item #: 023996 $10.80
  • Draw Write Now Book 1 — Item #: 003464  $9.95
  • Beginning Drawing 3 DVD set — Item #: 033845  $26.95
  • World of Mazes — Item #: 043742  $3.95
  • The Ultimate Maze Book — Item #: 041465  $3.95

Other Vendors:

Shipping $50

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The extras arriving this week for summer fun:

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from → Curriculum, Homeschool

How Chandler Learned to Read

May 26, 2012

Over a year ago, at the dinner table Chandler (4.5 years) announced, “I want to go to school.”  Slightly horrified Hunter (7.5 years) said, “Why would you want to do that?”  I knew Chandler must have a reason for wanting to go to school, so I asked, “What do you want to do at school?”  He said, “I want to learn to read.  I don’t want to do math and stuff.  I just want to learn to read.”  I said, “I can teach you to read.”  He looked at me with surprise and said, “You can?”  And so it began.

We played Dr. Seuss memory match game and he learned the alphabet.  I wrote about it here.  Then he wanted to write the letters and write all our names first, middle and last.  He worked on this until he could do it, with no prompting from me.  He worked for hours on it, loving it, delighting in what he could do.  It was really quite remarkable to see.  I was going to wait until 6+ to teach Chandler, thinking better late than early, but if you have a child who WANTS to learn you don’t stand in their way.

Then he wanted to know the sounds of the letters.  We got the first 40 lessons in Headsprout for him which he did randomly.  He does not like to use the computer mouse and Headsprout is too repetitive for him.  Some kids need that repetition and more.  All kids are different.  Chandler also sat in on Hunter’s Headsprout lessons because he wanted to, he was glued to the seat.  Hunter finished lesson 80 of Headsprout in September 2011.  This might be why it seems like Chandler is learning effortlessly, come to think of it, he was always watching and listening with Hunter.

Chandler would go through periods of wanting to read/learn and other times where he did not ask.  He also likes ABCMouse and Reading Eggs, but most of all he likes the small books.  When I read to him he asks me to put my finger under the words, when he is reading he will ask, “what is this word?”  He usually remembers it.  He loves “Go Dog Go” and other Dr. Seuss books.  He loves the Fly Guy series.  He likes Headsprout books.  If it is a small book he can read, he likes it.  He does not like the bigger readers like Abeka.

Hunter has helped Chandler with reading too.  Hunter will read along silently while Chandler reads aloud, so he can help with an unknown word and be the big brother.  The two of them seem to have a good system for reading together (most of the time).  Sometimes Hunter will feel like Chandler is going to pass him with reading and acts jealous, but when I remind that it was HE who helped Chandler learn to read then he feels happy about it and will marvel at Chandler’s abilities sometimes too.  Sometimes Chandler will tell Hunter, “Quit telling me the words!”  For the most part they are good reading partners.  Chandler wanting to learn to read is spurring on Hunter.  Chandler also looks up to his brother.  It’s been a great arrangement and even more joyful in my memory than in the middle of it maybe. {grin}

I try not to feed the competition, but yesterday I could not resist challenging them to see who could read the most Scholastic Little Leveled Readers (a good deal on eBay).  They divided them up into stacks of 30 and got busy.  When we got where we were going Hunter had read 15 and Chandler did not count his.  While Hunter was waiting for us to leave, he sat in the car and finished all 30 because he wanted to read them all before Chandler.  This is huge for Hunter.  Chandler just shrugged.  For Chandler, reading is not a competition.  It is just something he loves.

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For more ideas for two or more children reading together, please check out “The Daily 5.”  I wrote about it here and here.

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from → Books, Charlotte Mason, Family, Homeschool, Kindergarten, Language Arts

Books, Books, Books

May 26, 2012

I asked Chandler what he loves and he said reading and math.  I asked him if there was anything else he wanted to learn about this next year and he said just reading and math. {LOL}

If I try to plan for both boys together my head spins.  They have different interests but similar needs as they are on the same reading level.  More than anything Chandler wants books, books, and more books.  If he can read them himself, even better.  He likes the beginning picture books and Hunter likes chapter books (to listen).

Thinking about them individually makes it easier.  For Chandler’s school 2012-2103 budget, we will spend nearly all of it on a Ready-to-Go Classroom from Scholastic — 264 individual books and bins to store them.  I think he will also like Draw, Write Now set of 8.   We plan to do art and handicrafts with him too.  He likes this beginning needlepoint kit and these beeswax crayons.  We have other handicrafts and art supplies at home.  He learned to knit this year, so we will continue that too.

For this summer (and beyond), I plan to order these Oxford Reading Tree Read At Home books from U.K.  It is a nice set of 24 phonic books and 24 readers.  I wish their school package had a homeschool set instead of multiples of 6 for each title.  The 48 home readers might help both boys with their reading skills.  I also ordered all of the Abeka First Grade readers for Hunter since we only have a couple of the first grade books now.  I’m not rushing either boy anymore.

For Chandler, we already have Five in a Row, Explode the Code workbooks, Reading Eggs, ABCMouse, Life of Fred Elementary, Singapore Math and Arithmetic Village.  We are ordering MathTacular for both boys too.  Chandler will do science experiments and listen to other living books with Hunter.

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from → Books, Charlotte Mason, First Grade, Five in a Row, Homeschool, Language Arts, Math

List of Loves

May 23, 2012

Hunter’s list of his favorite things, as dictated to me this morning:

  • Hunting
  • Fishing
  • Building
  • Puzzles and Patterns
  • Woodworking
  • Science
  • Math
  • Games
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Listening to Stories
  • Telling Stories
  • Cooking
  • Animal Care
  • Trapping
  • Egg Business
  • Bike Rides
  • Hiking
  • Bird Watching
  • Swimming
  • Snorkeling
  • Making my own book

I will keep this list in mind for third grade planning.

THE FOUR R’s — READING, WRITING, ARITHMETIC, AND RESEARCH:

  • Reading Eggs and ABC Mouse – He asks to do these.
  • GoPhonics – Comprehensive, systematic program with games. I hope he likes it.
  • Cursive  — He asked to learn.
  • Oral Narration and Story Telling — He does this automatically.  I might ask for some.
  • Math Games and Math Facts — Singapore 2a/2b/3a/3b as a guide and extra practice.
  • Spelling — Scrabble Slam and memorize five Dolch words per week.
  • Continue to research interests at the library and on the internet.

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OTHER RESOURCES

(Edited 5/28/2012)

SCIENCE  — Hunter’s Favorite Subject!

MATH — Hunter’s 2nd Favorite Subject

  • Beast Academy 3A and 3B
  • Singapore 3A and 3B US Edition
  • Life of Fred Elementary Series
  • Multiplication Songs on CD
  • The Warlord’s Beads — Fun with Abacus
  • Think Fast game made up by Hunter — includes counting, skip counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, even and odd, hand/eye coordination and building an arena for the “dragon tears.”
  • Various Card Games — Math War, Uno, Go Fish, Memory Match, etc.
  • Various Board Games — Game of Life, Monopoly, Farkle, Chess Teacher, Go Frogs Fractions, etc.
  • Cooking for Fractions — Practice increasing and decreasing recipes.
  • Woodworking and Building — Practice measuring.
  • Living Math — Math is part of every day life.

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY:

FAITH

TEACHER

LIVING BOOKS

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from → Books, Books - Audio, Charlotte Mason, Curriculum, Homeschool, Language Arts, Math, Third Grade

Burden is Light

May 20, 2012
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” John 14:27

My burden is lighter. We have found a comfortable learning rhythm again.  Reading for screen time is going well, and 6 pages of worksheets per day is also working. If Hunter continues as this pace, he will finish Explode the Code by the end of November (he might need more time and that’s OK too), and Singapore 2B by September.  Hunter will go to a quiet space to work on these pages.  He is willing and able.  He can complete them in a reasonable time for his age.  Moving him to a quiet room is a good solution for both of us.

I prayed for resources and help and it is happening.  Hunter will test this Saturday and I believe this type of test will be useful in knowing which skills to practice more, versus a meaningless score/percentile like the standardized tests.  I recently had a few “aha!” moments too about what resources to use (more audio books) and will post plans soon.  “The Big Book of What Now” is reminding me to relax and have fun again.

We have had a lot of fun learning together for the last four years, and I’m not sure why the pressure is greatest when thinking of the next year?   Burdening myself with the future, unnecessarily.  My faith reminds me that God knows what He is doing.  Oh “ye of little faith.”  Indeed.

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from → Charlotte Mason, Homeschool

Butterflies

May 18, 2012
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Butterflies, a set on Flickr.

Today we went on a field trip to Wings of Wonder in Independence, Oregon.  I enjoyed capturing this amazing, joyful day in photographs.  The kids loved the butterflies.  It was a such a beautiful day with our friends.

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from → Garden, Nature Study, Spring

Mother’s Day Flowers

May 15, 2012

I hope you all had a happy Mother’s Day!  I got teary-eyed on Mother’s Day morning while talking to my mom on the phone.  The boys saw my tears and one of them said, “Come on. Let’s pick her some flowers.”

Earlier that morning Hunter said, “Today is *Mom’s Day,* not mothers day.  That means moms get to be lazy and kids do all the work.  Do you want something?”  I said, jokingly, “Starbucks.”  Hunter said, “OK! I’ll drive you!”  We both got a good laugh.  He was super helpful all day long.

Mother’s Day is a day of mixed emotions.  Mothers who are gone or live far away, kids and husbands who forget or wait until the last minute, loved ones who have to work, and others who want to be mothers but for whatever reason it did not happen.   There is no easy way to express our feelings on this day that comes with too many expectations.

The sweetest thing the boys did was pick me flowers, all on their own, with short stems that could not reach the water in the vase. {grin}  Hunter wrote me a card.  Kelly came home from working 12 hours and made dinner.  He brought home a good bottle of Chardonnay and an azalea I can plant in the yard.  The next day the boys wanted to buy me chocolates because they want some too. {grin}

It was day for counting our blessings.  I am so thankful for a husband who loves us and works hard for his family, even on special days, and for the two miracle children we brought home from the hospital after fourteen pregnancies, and for the flowers that bloom this time of year and remind me of new life.

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from → Family, Spring
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