Category Archives: Language Arts
Reading A-Z
How about some homeschooling posts? ha! This year we discovered Reading A-Z books. I bought the one year subscription so we can download or print as many books as we … Continue reading
Too Soon To Know
I don’t know what I would do without dear friends who actually listen to my concerns and offer feedback. Parenting and homeschooling is humbling at best and frustrating at worst. … Continue reading
School Goes On
My focus has shifted to food instead of *what* the boys are learning. They are still doing their school work and Hunter will take the standardized OAKS test in a … Continue reading
High Five!
On Sunday, we celebrated with Hunter after he reached the goal set by Time4Learning. He read a passage aloud at over 90 words per minute! This was his first time … Continue reading
Reading Update
Six months after testing, Hunter is reading at a third grade level on his assessment and he doubled his reading fluency in two months. We worked on phoneme segmentation and … Continue reading
Days to Remember
Today we had the best homeschooling day ever. Hunter likes the cyphers in Singapore Math, so he asked me to make him one for his math pages. I remembered we … Continue reading
Reading Samples
Hunter does four lessons for language arts on Time4Learning (T4L) every day. This is one of the reading lessons. There were 22 screens with similar passages. I got teary eyed … Continue reading
Celebrating Big Reading Progress!
I am recording Hunter’s final scores on the five Dolch word reading tests that we started using in December 2010. Today Hunter read all but 9 of the words without … Continue reading
Language Experience Approach
An example of Language Experience Approach with Time4Learning: Last Day at School Created by: Chandler (6) It was Jamie’s last day at school. He brought his Dog. He went to … Continue reading
Learning to Read
Reading Horizons At Home is letting us review their comprehensive, systematic program. We will use the direct instruction package with Hunter and his younger brother, Chandler, starting June 2012. This … Continue reading
How Chandler Learned to Read
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 … Continue reading
Burden is Light
“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 … Continue reading
Reading Progress
We may have solved the motivation issue with reading for screen time. This has been a huge success this week! This is a sample of the books the boys are … Continue reading
See Now
Hunter got his new glasses yesterday. You can see his reactions in these photos. Editing: Hunter does not wear his new glasses. Now he says he does not need them. … Continue reading
Stories for Screen Time
Kelly and I had a good talk about reading progress. Kelly reads with the boys and he has observed me with them – encouraging and nudging them to read a little more. … Continue reading
Reading Plans and Progress
We had a wonderful weekend here in Oregon. We went to visit Angie and her boys at Regatta Park on Devil’s Lake. Remember that stack of Abeka Readers as our … Continue reading
He’s a Reader!
This school year we have focused on reading, writing and math, and then the boys were free to pursue their own interests. Our family activities are educational too. We live … Continue reading
2nd Grade Reading Test
Hunter wants to take more than a week off, so I told him if he passes as a reading test we will take time off in January for an extended … Continue reading
Exploding the Code
This fall, we mostly worked on reading, spelling, math and our state by state quilt project. This week we are on break. Hunter finished Headsprout in September but retention from … Continue reading
Last Week of September
I had a revelation last weekend that has helped me let go of my expectations with reading. I realized I am pushing Hunter so he is not embarrassed at his outside activities. It did not help … Continue reading
Homeschooling This Week and Beyond
I have some good news on the homeschooling front. This week Hunter read “Ten Apples Up On Top” by Theo LeSieg (other books in this reading level) without hesitation or … Continue reading
Night and Day
Yesterday was so much better! Hunter was a willing student and I helped him in ways that didn’t change what he learned. He does not like to sound words out, … Continue reading
Relaxed Reading
The other night I sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed and when I got up there they were in my bed, as usual, but this night they were enjoying … Continue reading
Headsprout Update
Both boys are using Headsprout now. Chandler begged to start in February 2011, yes begged, but I hesitated because of his age then let him start. He is now on … Continue reading
Hammock Time
The weather is getting nicer. Sunny, blue skies and it is warm enough to lie in the hammock. Did I mention that I love the Kindle? Yesterday, I was able to … Continue reading
ABC Memory Game
Chandler really loves this ABC Memory game by Dr. Seuss and asks to play it every day, several times a day. It got me thinking that if a child loves a card … Continue reading
Language Experience Approach
Here is an example of the Language Experience Approach. Today Hunter told me this short story and I typed as he spoke. He asked me to read it to him a … Continue reading
Handle with Care
Adding in some formal lessons this week is going better than I expected. All week after breakfast Hunter worked on memorizing Dolch words and he read to me from the Meet the Sight … Continue reading
Serpentine Path
This is Hunter’s favorite reading game. We played today and it circled and criss-crossed the main living areas. Serpentine Game from “The Charlotte Mason Companion” by Karen Andreola. She wrote, “The … Continue reading
Oregon Coast & Reading
We spent the day at the coast. This evening we went out for my favorite clam chowder at historic Mo’s. We celebrated Valentine’s day early since Kelly will be working this … Continue reading
Game Marathon Weekend
We had a nice weekend playing games. The boys learned to play Farkel. Chandler needed help but Hunter can see the combinations faster than me. He amazes me. He can … Continue reading
Everyday Literacy
In 2011, I will work *with* Hunter’s learning style instead of trying to change him. Of course we have limits to screen time, but I’m starting to appreciate media as a real … Continue reading
New Favorite Books
We found a new book set that Hunter loves and can read (some) — Mo Willems books. Last night I read the title of “Today I will Fly” and Hunter started … Continue reading
Explode the Code
I feel better about our decision to have Hunter work in the Explode the Code book every day. Thank you for the encouraging comments! This will be a good short assignment for him and I think he … Continue reading
Making Connections
We are playing with reading and it’s going well. Hunter is mostly memorizing sight words, so yesterday I pulled out our Explode the Code Book One and suggested he do three … Continue reading
Bean Bag Word Game
Yesterday we had a successful homeschool day with a Bean Bag Word Game which Hunter made up himself. At breakfast I suggested he learn one or two sight words a day … Continue reading
The Daily 5 — Part 2
I finished The Daily 5 book yesterday. Their “Read to Someone and Listen to Reading” chapter contained tips on partnering up with another young person to read. The sisters suggest that the more … Continue reading
The Daily 5
I’m reading ”The Daily 5” by “The 2 Sisters” Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. This review by Angela at ”The Cornerstone for Teachers” is informative and helpful. I do believe The Daily 5 will work for homeschooling, especially if children have not reached … Continue reading
Tailoring an Education or Two
I see now that trying to entice my eldest child to learn by focusing on his younger brother is not such a good idea. Hunter must be thinking, “Hey! Mom is supposed to be trying … Continue reading
Neglect
I am neglecting this blog or taking a break depending on how you look at it — tidal blogging. We got back from Echoes in Time last Saturday. We had … Continue reading
School Day
Organizing our craft supplies had a surprising result. The kids *asked* to do school! Chandler wanted to play marshmallow bingo and he noticed the Alphabet Book kit that I got … Continue reading
Random Educational Moments
Hunter (6) surprised me by writing “bord scors” and making a score board for his olympic obstacle course. I was so surprised and delighted that he sounded it out on his own. He asked … Continue reading
Tooth Fairy Letter
This is a follow-up to the Dear, Tooth Fairy post from last week. She did write back and left a note under his pillow, of course! Hunter was pretty excited to get … Continue reading
Sand Candles
Today we made candles using wet sand as a mold. The tutorial I found after we made them shows a thick layer of sand on the outside of the candle. … Continue reading
Dear, Tooth Fairy
Hunter wrote a letter to the Tooth Fairy and mailed it on Friday. He wants to find out if she really wears a pink, sparkly dress and if she grinds the … Continue reading
Electricity!
This week we were cooped up with colds but we made the best of it. Kelly surprised Hunter (6) with an electricity kit that he wanted. I like that all the necessary pieces … Continue reading
Games are Brilliant
Charlotte Mason knew how much young children love games and that they are a great educational tool. Before I realized this, I made teaching academics too complicated. My son shut … Continue reading
Language Experience Approach
Hunter told me a story about a fairy and some squirrels. When he finished, I asked him if he would like me to write it down. This is the Language Experience Approach. He liked that … Continue reading
