Chess

The boys played a game of chess against each other today. Originally DS1 and I were going to play, and DS2 was going to help me, but really they were playing and I just helped DS2 if he tried to move a piece illegally.

Some interesting observances:
DS1 wanted to put his white queen on the right, instead of on the left (on the white square). I don't know why.
DS2 called the knight a "jumping horse."
DS2 called the rook a "castle tower."
They correctly use the term "capture."
They know that a pawn captures diagonally but moves only straight forward 1 square and that it can move 2 squares only on its first move.

The game ended in a draw because a new Wonder Pets Christmas episode on TV became more interesting than the game. We moved it with the intent of continuing later, but a game of "rolly catch" knocked over too many of the pieces, so I put them away.

Mind The Gap

This article, Mind The Gap: Watching For 'Holes' in Your Child's Education points out that everyone's education has gaps in it compared to someone else's education. As homeschoolers, we have the opportunity to ignore "the gap" and just enjoy learning.

She suggests making a list of the things you want to make sure your child doesn't miss. She states that if your goal is to allow your child to become an autonomous, self-directed learner, then following a curriculum and agenda created by the state (or anyone else) is counter-intuitive.

She believes that the essentials are learning to read, learning to write, and learning (consumer) math and how to manage money.

I liked this article and will be reading more from Local Homeschool.com!

High Achiever, Gifted Learner, CreativeThinker

A discussion on the Sonlight forums led me to this article, High Achiever, Gifted Learner, Creative Thinker, which distinguishes characteristics of the three groupings of learners listed in the title. I can see how I fit into all 3 of them at different times in my schooling years. There are some good points to consider regarding the different perspectives. It will be good to keep this information as a reference as our homeschooling progresses.

Zome

I recently ordered Zome's Naked Structures Bundle for DS1 for Christmas. It's recommended for age 6 & up, and I think he will really enjoy it. He plays with our Magnetix-like set quite a bit, and often builds things that fall down because they get too heavy.

What a great couple of days!

Yesterday afternoon we had an adventure riding the city bus. We walked 1.5 blocks to the bus stop, rode to the downtown transit center, walked about 3 blocks to the Central Branch of the city library, spent 30-45 minutes browsing and doing puzzles in the children's room, checked out, walked back to the transit center, rode the bus back to our street, then walked home. Total time, just under 2 hours. The boys were very excited, handled being around strangers quite well, and stayed with me (with 1 exception) without running off or fussing. DS1 commented about the bus not having seat belts, so I explained that the poles were to hold onto if it got bumpy (we were at the back where the seats are in a U shape).

Today we made a treasure hunt for DH for his birthday. It started by DS2 playing with a roll of unused tan wallpaper and calling it a treasure map (a la Backyardigans and/or Dora). I suggested that we make a treasure map for Daddy for his birthday, so we discussed how many places (Dora style) and what would be at the "X" (Backyardigans style treasure). We settled on 4 places between starting in the living room and finishing in the kitchen. Each stop would have something hidden for DH to find. We chose the rooms and drew the map, then we went shopping for a present. They chose a package of animal balloons with a pump. DH likes making animal balloons, but we have misplaced our squeeze-ball pump, and our balloon stock is old so they break often, so this was a great choice (plus it was inexpensive). Then they each chose a bag of candy, DS2 selecting candy corn, and DS1 selecting Smarties. At home we wrapped those 3 presents in left over confetti pattern kitchen wall paper. They hid them in their room (stop 1), we took all the birthday cards and hid them in the basement (stop 2), I "hid" the DaVinci Code on the boys' library bookshelf (stop 3), and put DH's gift from me on our bed under a blanket (stop 4), the treasure was in the kitchen... pizza in the oven and a brownie birthday cake with a powdered sugar message.

When DH called to let me know he was on his way home from work, I warned him to expect to be greeted by 2 very excited boys and not to plan on any downtime immediately. As the boys explained the map and treasure hunt, I put the pizza in the oven. It was very hard for DS2 to not spill the secret locations, but he did pretty well not telling what was hidden in each room. It was a birthday that will not soon be forgotten!

Unwrapping the Gifted

I stumbled across this blog, Unwrapping the Gifted, today via a list on someone's blog, via a link in someone else's blog, via a forum post. [Don't you just love how hypertext linking leads to interesting things?] Although she is coming from a teacher-in-the-public-schools perspective, I can really relate to many things I have read so far. Her blog is young, having only been started this past August, but it is full of a fabulous perspective on education for gifted children.

It's very timely that I found this today. We went to a playgroup that my neighbor hosted this morning. I dropped the boys off as a babysitting trade. When I returned about an hour later I was able to chat with three of the moms present. DS1's age came up, and I told them he was 5, that we homeschooled, and that he was in kindergarten. That answer was accepted without the shock that I was expecting, which was nice. One of the moms asked what led us to decided to homeschool. I answered that the primary reason was so that we could individualize his education, with traveling any time and enjoying being with my kids being secondary reasons. I didn't want to say, "because I don't want them to be bored stiff in school or become tutors for the other kids just because they already know stuff (like DS1 was practically doing in his daycare class when he was 3)," but I could have. Then the hostess interjected that she had been bragging on them to her friends (the other moms). We talked a little bit about educational styles (Montessori, Waldorf, and even unschooling), the co-op we're in, the magnet elementary school that is 2 blocks away, and the hostess admitted that she is considering homeschooling her son (who is almost 3). It was great to be able to talk casually about homeschooling in a completely new environment (meaning not at a co-op meeting or homeschool park day) and not feel like I needed to defend myself.

Music is great for memorization - and fun

I didn't buy the CD to get DSs to memorize Bible verses. Really, I didn't. However, repetitive listening to enjoyable songs results in learning the music and words. A couple of months ago I got tired of "Daycare songs," and "Choo Choo LaRoo" and a couple of other CDs that we've had for years, so I bought Sing the Word from A to Z from Sonlight. It's part of the Core C Bible program. (We sort of use Core B as our reading materials, although we don't follow any sort of planned structure or schedule.)

Today when we got to the end of track 26 on Sing the Word from A to Z cd in the car, I ejected it to go back to track 1 quickly. (Tracks 1-26 are with words, tracks 27-52 are instrumental only.) DS1 said, 'No mommy, I wanted to see if I could guess the songs and sing them.' So I FF'd to 27 and he did! He sang 'All have sinned,' 'Believe in Jesus,' and 'Children Obey Your Parents' before we got home!

Last night, during the first 26 tracks DS2 was even singing along some of the time.

I know they don't understand all of the words, and some of them even get pronounced wrong, just like learning a song from the radio, but it makes me feel good to know that 1) they like singing, 2) they can sing in tune and with the right rhythm, 3) they are learning some Bible verses, and 4) I'm learning some Bible verses also.

Secular Homeschooling Magazine

I found Secular Homeschooling Magazine on the internet today. Issue #1 has sold out but is having a 2nd printing. There are 2 full articles online, as well as the table of contents. The editor has a blog, Diary of a Mad Editor, which is enjoyable to read also.

"Secular Homeschooling Magazine is a non-religious magazine that reflects the diversity of the homeschooling community. Its readers and writers are committed to the idea that religious belief is a personal matter rather than a prerequisite of homeschooling.

This magazine is for any homeschooler, religious or not, who is interested in good solid writing about homeschooling and homeschoolers."

YEA today

This is the 2nd week in a row that we have intentionally gone to YEA! late. If DS1 is not signed up for a 9:30 class, then I am going to continue with this timing. I have been able to keep up with watching DS2 so much better, and both boys seem to enjoy the time more and not get so crabby by the end. Last week we arrived right at 10:30 for DS1's class. Today we didn't arrive until about 11. They played for about 40 minutes, then we had lunch. At 12:00 DS1 went to his cookie baking class, and I facilitated "construction and demolition" (building things with giant cardboard box blocks, then knocking them down). I was really pleased to see the kids cooperating and helping each other to build a really tall tower by the end of the hour.

During our lunch time, after DS2 was finished eating, he went over to a chalk board and WROTE HIS NAME! This is the first time he has ever done that without any help (or any prompting). I was so excited! The letters were very clear and neat, even the 'R'. And me without my camera. :-(

DS1 also made a "growing up" step. (Or maybe this was a mommy "letting him grow up" step.) While the cookies were in the oven, his class went out to the playground. He stopped on the way out and told me he was going. I let him, even though I thought there was not going to be an adult with them. Most of the kids in the class were 7-12. I think there was one other 5 year old. The playground area is fenced. After a few minutes, I went out to check. I was right, no adult. The girls were all outside the fence playing an "untangle" game, and the boys were all inside the fence climbing on the equipment playing some kind of make believe adventure. DS1 was on the slide. He hasn't joined the bigger boys in their adventures yet, which is fine with me. I asked him to promise to stay inside the fence (and not run laps around it, like he likes to do) unless an adult was out there also. The next time I saw him, he was bringing me a sample cookie from the kitchen.

DS1 is also becoming more outgoing in regard to speaking to others. He asked one of the moms to watch DS2 for us while we got the boxes out of the car; he told his teacher "thanks"; he asked her to push him on the swing after I said I was going inside; and he asked an older girl to push him later, too. DS2 interacted with the other kids on the playground more, too. It's really nice to see them interacting with other people more instead of clinging to me or even playing alone.

Leaf Collection

The leaves in this photo are labeled as the boys described them to me as we collected them playing in the park and on our walk home. Left to right they are yellow, pinkish-orange, red, greenish-brown, yellowish-white, green, orange, looks like a cocoon, yellow with brown spots, brown, pink on back and yellow on front, small, biggest of all. (Color distortion is due to camera with no flash.)

I love homeschooling... this afternoon we did things that could be classified (if one cares to classify) as seasons, botany, colors, physical education, safety, recess, math, music, weather, language arts, and social interaction.

Jump In The Middle Monkey

Today's fun included trampoline jumping, dancing in Spangles (a fast food restaurant), and learning to play Crazy Eight.

For lunch after church we ate at Spangles with a friend. The boys like to dance to the 50's music, so if it's not crowded we let them dance around the big round table they usually choose as our dining location. The one other group of diners were quite entertained!

We have a large trampoline in our backyard (that actually belongs to our neighbor). This afternoon's weather was so nice that we went outside for some jumping. DS2 was running around the edges a little too close for my comfort, so I got a piece of chalk and drew a circle my arm's length in from the edge. Then I wrote JUMP IN THE MIDDLE between the circle and the edge. That made the jumping target easy to see and fun for them. Then DH added MONKEY to the words. We had fun playing with the order... jump in the middle monkey, or monkey jump in the middle, or the middle monkey jump in, or jump in the middle monkey jump in the middle monkey jump in the middle monkey jump....

Later, DS1 wanted to play a card game with me. Instead of picking one of our "game" decks, he chose a regular 54 card deck. I suggested Crazy Eights since it is much like UNO, which they know. They picked it up very quickly, even calling the suits by the correct name. When DS2 needed a club, DS1 suggested that he look for a "3 clover club" in his hand. We have the added twist in games with jokers that when you play a joker, you have to tell a joke. Since I'm not too good at thinking of jokes on demand, DS1 pulled out his joke-coloring book for this game. After playing a joker (or 8), you read a joke to the others, then you pick your suit. I won the first 2 hands and was glad that each of them won a hand also before we stopped playing.

What we have done lately

Even though I haven't posted recently, we've been having fun and learning together quite a bit lately. Here is a list of things that I can remember from the past couple of weeks:

• Visited the Kansas Cosmosphere
• Played Scrabble, Chess, Candy Land, Black Box, Checkers, and many computer games
• Played with the marble maze, trains, puzzles, magnetix, the piano, and each other
• Read 27 books so far (for our 100 books for Scholastic's Classrooms Care)
• Listened to and sang with Sing the Word from A to Z (Bible verses) many times
• Listened to The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid audio book even more times
• Watched a multitude of Backyardigans and Magic School Bus video episodes (repeatedly)
• Went to MOPS, YEA!, the local elementary school playground, 2 parks, and our neighbor's house to play
• Made Amish Friendship (cinnamon) bread
• Visited Grandpa
• and talked about rhymes, homonyms, "Is God bigger than the galaxy?", what to have for meals tomorrow, Daddy singing opera, how long a half-hour is, telling time, and which day we should trim fingernails

At YEA! on Tuesday, DS1 partially colored a map in the "Reading without words -- Maps" class. He wanted me to write "colored by I...." on it, but I just wrote "by I....." instead. When we got home, he reminded me what I was supposed to have written, and DS2 told me "You need to write C O L O R" (spelling out the word "color"). I have suspected that he is "really" reading already, not just repeating back memorized sections of books we have read a zillion times, and I know he can spell "stop," "zoo," and "exit," but since those are usually in a context that is familiar, his spelling "color" with no helping visuals or hints just blew me away. I don't think we're going to need a phonics curriculum. :-) As much as that delights me, it makes me nervous, too. I've spent the past year deschooling myself, but I still have a long way to go.

Unschooling Voices #10

An Unschooling Life: Unschooling Voices #10 is now up. I didn't make a submission this time. The prompting questions were "What advice would you have given to yourself early in your unschooling journey?" and "Ask your kids to take pictures of their favorite ________ and share them." Since I'm still early in our unschooling journey and our good digital camera is broken (and the other doesn't have a flash), I decided to pass this time.

I've skimmed some of the submissions already, and they look very good. Two "answers" that jumped out at me were "say 'yes'" and "relax." I would add "don't make excuses when people ask questions." I tend to say something similar to "mostly we play, it is just kindergarten after all". That really does a disservice to DS1 and everything that he is learning in his "kindergarten year." I really want to stop saying that. Maybe I can modify it to be "mostly we play, I'm amazed at what they learn when I don't try to control what they do." This line of thought goes along somewhat with next month's subject prompt Unschooling through the ages: How, if at all, does unschooling look different as your child ages and grows. Is it different now than it was a few years back? What role does age play in unschooling? . It's easy to say "it's only kindergarten" to people, but that won't work so much when my boys are 9 and 10. Hopefully I will have more confidence by then. I'll certainly have more experience! Maybe I'll be able to come up with something for the next Unschooling Voices issue.

Locals

I haven't blogged lately because we've had a lot of illness at our house. First DS2, then DS1 and I. We finally went to the doctor yesterday, so DS1 and I are both on antibiotics for strep. DS1 tested positive on the screen, and the doctor didn't even bother testing me. DS1 got asked his age and if he was in Kindergarten. He was pretty shy for the nurse (and extremely uncharacterictly reluctant to be examined), but did hold up 5 fingers and nod in the affirmative to the "K" question.

We've not gone to YEA! for 2 weeks in a row now. I actually miss it, and the boys definitely miss it and seeing their friends. Last week we had to cancel because there was a big funeral at the church. We had a park day instead and played with some of our YEA! friends. Yesterday YEA! still happened, but we stayed home. Now that I know we had/have strep, I'm really glad I didn't send DS1 with one of the other moms.

Even though I haven't been posting, I've still been keeping up with some local homeschooling friends' blogs. Here they are...
The Mandala Page - Becky,
Muddling Through - Cindy, and
geminig3 - MySpace Blog - Steph

Math Fun

The past week has included several fun unschoolish math experiences. DS1 found DH's abacus in the basement while helping me put up some shelves. I've never used an abacus, so DH taught DS1 how to use it. He got single digit addition and subtraction very quickly, but the place value of "tens" tripped him up. Since I remembered that our next lesson in Math-U-See was on place value, I told DS1 about it and asked if he'd like to learn something that would help make using the abacus easier. He was interested, so yesterday we got our Math-U-See stuff out and talked about place value of tens (Lesson 9).

A couple of weeks ago we went to a Board Game Club meeting at a fellow homeschooler's house. One of the games they played was Sorry! I had Sorry! as a kid, so we went to my dad's house to try to find it. It wasn't in any of the places I expected, so I suspected that I had already claimed it. DH found it in the basement yesterday while I was gone, and they all played. The boys and I played some more this morning. It is a game of mostly the luck of the draw, but there is some strategy for choosing which piece to move and selecting which way to use the card (some have options, like 7 can be split between 2 pieces, and 1 and 2 can be used to start a new piece or move a piece). We also played with "Imaginary Daddy" to have 4 players, so we took turns drawing, choosing, and moving Imaginary Daddy's pieces.

Giant Telescope field trip

We went on a field trip this evening to Lake Afton Public Observatory to view Earth's moon and Jupiter through their big telescope. The view of the moon was close to this photo. (While looking for a good picture to use, I found EduGraphics.net which has lots of great science posters.) Jupiter and 3 of it's moons lined up were really cool to see also.

There were several displays inside the observatory about planets, the earth, stars, and meteorites. There were also computer games, including one that was simply alphabet letters with pictures of something astronomy related starting with that letter. DS1 also played with a light spectrum display and a refraction display. One display that I liked was a box with the Big Dipper inside. From the end, it looked like it does here on earth. From the side, it looked like it would from a different planet, since the stars are in 3-dimensional space, not on a plane as they appear to us here. There were binoculars and small telescopes outside for viewing also. Even before our group went inside, we got to see Jupiter through a telescope. There was a guy set up in the parking lot, and DSs went over to him and asked if they could take a look; he was really nice and said "yes."

They both fell asleep on the way home. (It started at 8pm, and we got home around 10:30.)

7 Day Virtual Field Study of Kansas

While looking for Lake Afton Public Observatory teacher resources for tomorrow night's field trip, I stumbled across this wonderful virtual tour of the geoscience features of Kansas. Each day in the 7 day trip has its own page, with an itinerary, photos, maps, and plenty of informative and interesting commentary.

It appears to have been written by Randall Mousley at Mississippi State University in the summer of 2003, for a Field Methods class in the Teachers of Geoscience Masters Degree program. He currently teaches 7th grade science at Stucky Middle School in Wichita, Kansas. If his classes are anything like his virtual field study, then his students are fortunate! (If my deductions are incorrect, I would appreciate receiving correct author information.)

YEA! Today

We had a good day at YEA! today, but I'm exhausted. DS1 was signed up for a class every time slot. I wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not, but it turned out to be very good. He has really matured since last spring regarding being able to go to a class without me, participate in the class, then come find me (with a helper) when the class is over. It is a big relief to me, allowing me to only have to watch DS2 like a hawk, instead of both of them.

Class time 1:
    DS1 was in "Painting without brushes". They used things that rolled to make 2'x4' creative pictures in purple and blue. DS1 came to me afterwards, saying he was done. He had not told the teacher he was leaving, so I escorted him back there, to tell her.
    DS2 was in "Social Hour" which is basically free play for those not in classes. It is also a place for teachers to take their "littles". The gal normally in charge was absent. I'm sure someone else was "in charge," but it was not evident to me who that was. At one point, while all of the other adults were sitting around a table talking, I stopped a toddler from escaping. Her mom was teaching another class, so I know that the "in charge" person should have been watching her. While I was doing that, DS2 escaped out the other end of the room. (It's a long multi-purpose/fellowship hall type room.)

The "Social Hour" class used to be in a smaller classroom. I liked that a lot better. Now it's almost like at our previous place where chaos reigned in the big room the whole time. We have "Social Hour", then "Little Explorers", then lunch, then "Exploration Stations" in the fellowship hall. They all need the big space; it is just very stressful for me.

Class time 2:
    DS1 was in the kitchen making noodles. The planned teacher was absent (same gal as "Social Hour"), but her 2 helpers did the the class anyway. Thanks! It was great. DS1 even liked the chicken noodle soup after I convinced him to try one taste. I'm sure he would have liked the spaghetti noodles also, if he had tried them.
    DS2 did one of the circus crafts with "Little Explorers", but he doesn't like to sit for the stories with a big group of kids. He likes being read to at home, so I think it's just the bigger group and overstimulation that causes him to want to stay away. LE seems to get done in about 30 minutes, or maybe it's just that we get done with it that quickly. Then there is 30 minutes to kill before DS1 is back from his class for lunch, or like last week, he's ready, too, so we eat early. Then there is a lot of time to kill before the afternoon class.

Lunch:
    Both boys have been eating well at lunch. I'm glad because sometimes they didn't last spring. I've brought cheese sandwiches, chips, applesauce, and lemonade the last 2 weeks. I think I've discovered our standard Tuesday lunch. :-)

Class time 3:
    DS1 was in the kitchen again, making "no bake cookies." Again, this went very well. He came out to ask me if he could go to the playground with his class and teacher. I'm very glad he asked! He says he remembered that he was supposed to ask first, not that his teacher told him to.
    DS2 and I were in "Exploration Stations." I brought big cardboard blocks for a "construction and demolation" station. It took a little while to get the other kids warmed up to building and knocking down towers, but overall it was a HUGE hit. We even had one tower that was taller than me. I held the girl up over my head to put on the last few blocks. The main problems were keeping DS2 from knocking over other people's towers, telling kids to use hands not feet, then when the bigger kids came in after their classes it was too much and we had to put them away. It was clean-up time anyway, but I was letting them continue to play for a few more minutes. The kids were good at helping pack the blocks away, and I think they will be excited to see them again the next time I facilitate that station. If I can figure out what to transport them in, I will bring more next time. The blocks certainly went over better than the puzzles did last week. Several of the other moms commented on the blocks also.

Afterward:
    I "lost" DS1 for a short time. After his cookie class went outside he came back and brought me his cookies. I told him to take them over to our stuff. He didn't come right back to me. I looked around and didn't see him, so I thought he went back outside to play. DS2 and I took the blocks out to the car, passing the playground, but DS1 was not there. So I left DS2 with the playground mom (although we don't have an assigned "playground adult"), with explicit instructions to make sure he didn't escape, particularly when someone else opened the gate. I went back inside looking for DS1 and even asked if anyone had seen him in the last 10 minutes. "No." Then we found him playing in the tent. It was in the same area as the blocks, so we just crossed paths. He and I had a little talk about Mommy always needing to know where he is. He said he was playing with our magna-doodle earlier, by our stuff, then he came over to play in the tent. We gather up our bags and headed back to the playground. It was beautifully cool this afternoon, after being drizzly and muggy this morning, so they played and I watched while talking with another mom. Then DS2 fell from the monkey bars. Everyone heard the thud! Then the crying. I even saw him fall but couldn't get to him fast enough. He had dirt all over his face and even a little in his mouth. No blood, though! I asked if he was hurt or just scared, and he replied, "just scared." After a few minutes of brushing off and snuggling, I encouraged him to climb up one more time before we left. He whizzed up to the top again and asked me to catch him this time! :-) All is well. He's one tough cookie!

So that's today's YEA! report.

Computer innards

DH and the boys took apart a computer this evening, and put it back together again. Now the boys will understand more about what Daddy does at work. DS1 said it was the most fun he had today.

Old computer... $0
New computer... $900

Failed system board (looks like a city), memory cards, power plugs, CD drive cables, CPU slot (looks like a ball park), resisters (that move), the back (pokey), and comparing a 10-12 year old computer to a brand new one... priceless!

Kaleidoscope Fun

It wasn't fun (for me) at first, because DS1 dismantled a kaleidoscope that I had made many years ago. The tiny pieces of cut glass that made up the colors were scattered on the kitchen floor. I calmed myself, asked him to be very careful while picking them up, and got some other things that we could put in the viewing end.

The kaleidoscope was made from a Pringles chip can, with a triangular mirror inside, a viewing hole (with rubber grommet for safety) at the bottom end, and the colorful glass baubles at the top end. It was similar to the one described in this kaleidoscope building webpage, but with the ends of the can intact. The clear plastic Pringles lid was taped back on to keep the tiny items in place.

Since DS1 took the tape off and opened the top, we had the opportunity to try other things inside it. Beads from a broken necklaces made nice black and white patterns because they were interesting shapes and completely opaque. Some semi-transparent beads and things with interesting silhouettes made fun patterns, too. The colored glass drops are the prettiest, in my opinion. We also looked through it (as a teleidoscope) at things around the house. This was quite fun also.

More good articles from The Link

Ten Things That Have Kept Me Sane (sort of) By Bette Solomon
Michele's Musings - Squelching Sibling Rivalry By Michele Hastings
Critical Thinking (Logic) By M. Joseph Treppel
Why Study Algebra? By Illana Herzig Weintraub

Make Your Own Timeline

A link to save on the Learning is Fun site for a blank write-on/wipe-off timeline. $12 for 32 pieces, finished timeline is 12' long by 6" tall, plus the arrows, bubbles, and boxes.

Freedom Within Structure

Freedom Within Structure by Michele Hastings is an article about blending the freedom of unschooling with the structure of having some specific expectations for your child's education. Mrs. Hastings gives examples from her family's life in the areas of math, language arts, science, and social studies.

I can really relate to this article. Her introductory paragraph begins, "So...you long for structure but your kids have a mind of their own. And although you appreciate the concept of unschooling or interest-initiated learning, you can't relax that much! " She goes on to describe the middle ground between "dictatorship" and the "hands-off approach" that she calls "freedom within structure."

Both this article and the one blogged below were links from a homeschooling e-newsletter, the online version of The Link. I remember getting a trial of the print version and deciding against subscribing. (It's free, so it was either because of the advertising or the general political/philosophical leanings, I don't remember.) I do like the e-newsletter because I can be selective in what I choose to read without having to wade through all of the things that don't interest me.

Unschooling Writing Skills

Writing Skills the Unschooled Way by Alison McKee is a great article about how children can learn to write without formal instruction. Ms. McKee compares it to how children learn to talk and walk, by "babbling", copying, trial and error, and asking for assistance and/or instruction when they are ready for it. Her article describes how her 2 children learned to write, and how she and her husband learned to stay out of their way and help them in the appropriate ways.

Reasons We Homeschool

On the Sonlight forums, in the New Instructor area, there is a thread asking WHY we homeschool, for us newbies to get to know each other a bit. Here is my post:

Originally Posted by kittie313 : "we don't do mornings LOL"
SSSHHHHHH! I try not to let people know that this is one of my big reasons.

I started thinking about homeschooling when my older son was less than 2 years old. I started my blog 2 months after he turned 2. I was working full-time and missed him so much, even though it was a very good daycare and I visited everyday his first year to nurse at lunch. Even in the 1-2yr old class the teachers were telling me he was "smart", "advanced" and similar adjectives. In the 2-3 yr class the teacher was borrowing puzzles & toys from the pre-k room for him. Both DH and I excelled in school, so we had a good idea what was ahead for him in a regular classroom (or even gifted program). One of our babysitters when he was 4 was a K teacher. She told us he already knew most of everything that she would be teaching her K kids. And now we can tell DS2 is a very quick learner also.

The academic individualization is our most publicly known reason. However, my DH and I love to travel around the US on vacation. We were married 10 years before kids and really enjoy vacationing in Sept/Oct and April, when all of the families with school kids AREN'T on vacation, too. So the family flexibility is a biggie for us. DH likes the idea that every vacation can be "educational". I try to remind him that we don't have to make it like "lessons" when we go somewhere, just going and experiencing the new places and things is educational in and of itself.

And my other reason seems selfish, but I suppose it isn't really: I like my kids and I want to spend time with them. I don't want to miss out on their joy of learning.

ETA: Things I don't like about our local PS system: I think homework for early elementary kids is ridiculous. My PS system does not have 1/2 day K anymore. (The suburban district does, though.) Fortunately we live 2 blocks from "our" elementary school so we would have been able to walk, but many K'ers have to be driven by parents or ride a bus for 30-60 minutes EACH WAY around here. School fund-raisers (daycare even had these) -- yuck.

ETA (edited to add) again: Another thing I remembered I don't like about PSs in general: Random drug testing. Not just for kids in activities (which isn't fair), not for kids with behavior problems, not for kids with unexplained dropping grades, not for truant kids, not for kids seen with drug paraphernalia, but RANDOM of ALL kids. No "just cause", completely RANDOM. I'm so glad they didn't do that when I was in school. It annoys me so much that I quite likely would have refused and been kicked out of all of my extra-curricular activities and maybe suspended from school. That would not have been a good thing for the valedictorian.

Real school? Mean teacher?

A strange conversation took place in my kitchen today. An acquaintance (she cleans house for us bi-weekly) was here today. We usually leave before she come because DS2 freaks out and crys when she arrives, even if she doesn't bring in the vacuum right away. I overheard the following:

Her: Is your mommy a mean teacher?
DS1: No, she's a good teacher.

Huh?

(It might have been "mean teacher or nice teacher" answered with "nice teacher". I kind of did an audio double-take, except it wasn't repeated.)

So while we were in the car, on our way to run errands, I asked DS1 about the conversation with her.
DS1: She asked me if I was going to real school or home school.
Me: What did you say?
DS1: I said home school.
Me: Home school is a real school, too. It just doesn't have lots and lots of kids.

Double huh?

I need to have a talk with this lady. She used to go to our church. We've known her about 3 years. It's nice that she talks directly to DS1 and will have a conversation with him (some adults don't talk TO kids, they talk AT them or act like they're not there). It just dumbfounds me that she'd ask if I were a mean teacher (I actually heard that part clearly) or if he was going to "real" school. Many non-homeschoolers that I know will question me about homeschooling, but this is the first time that I'm aware of that DS1 has been put on the spot. At least I know that he understands that he "goes to homeschool". I guess that's good, right?

Weekend fun - Mazes & Stacking Cups

Both boys did a lot of the mazes in their Kumon books. DS1 even finished his so I searched the 'net for maze generating sites. I found 4 or 5 that seem good and flexible enough to make ones at his level, then progress to harder ones as he is ready.

We also got out the "Speed Stacks" sport stacking cups that DH and I bought at the homeschool convention in June. I will be teaching a class to the co-op in October, so this will give me practice teaching the technique, as well as giving the boys some time to have fun with the cups, either stacking the right way (for racing) or just playing around and having fun with them.

This week in review - Aug 13-17, 2007

Monday started out with both me and DH home with the boys. I had been on a trip and was expected back on Monday, but I drove 11 hours on Sunday to get home early. The "big event" this week has been going to the park on Wednesday and playig in the water instead of "going back to school" as most other kids in the city did that day. I wore my new t-shirt that I got from VistaPrint. It says "Life is Learning, Learning is Life, Everywhere, All the time." Five other homeschool families from our group were there, along with others that I didn't know.

We have also played a lot of games this week: Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, Tic Tac Toe, Toss Across, Uno, Millie and Bailey Kindergarten (software), and Jumpstart Advanced Preschool (software). We have played Smash Hockey, made a tent with the couch cushions, played with the giant floor puzzle number tiles (including DS1 learning to correctly read 4 digit numbers), put together at least a dozen 12-25 piece puzzles and 3 different 100 piece puzzles, and smashed aluminum cans for recycling.

We also went to Genesis for my yoga class, so the boys played with other kids there. We stopped at the grocery store to mail 2 packages afterwards. Also, two neighbor kids came over for about an hour on Monday when their parents needed some kid-free time.

I feel like a rebel

This is how we spent our first day of truancy.
Okay, we're not really truants... even though public school started today, and DS1 is 5, because although it is the norm here to send 5 year olds to kindergarten, the legal age of compulsory school attendance is 7. We don't even have to worry about filing the paperwork to be legal for another year or 2, depending on whether 7 year olds have to start the school year they will turn 7 or start the year they are 7 when school starts.

The Day

Tomorrow public school starts here. DS1 would be going to kindergarten at the Culturals Arts and History magnet school 3 blocks from our house, from 9:00am to 4:10pm. Instead, if we get going in the morning, we are going to a park with interactive sprinklers with some fellow homeschoolers.

For some strange reason, this afternoon I had the urge to check out the local public school website. That's how I know DS1 would have been in full-day K, in 1 of 2 classes at the school. The school's individual website has sections that are quite out of date (newsletters & calendars from spring 2006!). They must have done something different last year, but the links off their main page still point to the old stuff. I know I don't update this blog very often, but at least I'm in the right month!

Why am I nervous? Tomorrow will be no different than today. I got a new t-shirt which says "Life is Learning, Learning is Life, Everywhere, All the time". I think I'll wear it tomorrow. :-)

National Geographic MapMachine: Student Atlas

National Geographic MapMachine: Student Atlas lets you print mosaic style wall maps - in color - of continents, countries, ocean floors, and Asian regions. Just print and assemble on your wall.

Sunset

Yesterday, while driving home in the evening, the following conversation ensued:

DS1: The sun is setting in the west. (As we are driving into the setting sun.)
Mom: Yes, it is.
DS1: Why does the sun set in the west?
Dad: Because it comes up in the east.
DS1: The sun doesn't move, the earth moves.
(Mom pumps her fist "Yes!" and grins from ear to ear. )
Mom: It looks like the sun comes up in the east and sets in the west because of the way the earth rotates.
DS1: Like this? (As he makes a fist and twists his wrist to rotate his hand.)
Dad: Yes, like that.
DS1: So why does the earth turn and go around the sun?
Dad: That's just what they do.
DS1: But why?
Mom: (Hmmm?) Because that's how God made the sun and earth to work together.
Mom considers getting a flashlight and basketball when arriving home and experimenting, but it's well past bedtime (and people are yawning) so Dad talks her into doing it some other time.

I wish I had a more detailed explanation for him, but now my 5 yr old son knows as much about the relative movement of the sun and the earth as I do.

Adventures in Odyssey

For future reference: Adventures in Odyssey, Whit's End, website. They have podcasts of the radio shows. I'll need to figure out how to listen to a podcast, first, though.

Science

A couple of weeks ago I ordered Sonlight's K level science from another homeschooler. It came last week, but we waited to open it until tonight. My purchase included the instructor's guide, activity worksheets, Usborne's Science Activites Vol. 2 book (experiments), SL's non-consumable science supply kit (used several years), the K science kit, and Sonlight's Discover and Do DVD of all of the experiments in the book. DH and the boys watched the DVD introduction and several experiments in the "Science with air" and "Science in the kitchen" sections. DS1 and DH were both very engrossed in the DVD. It looks very fun! I think DH will want to do this part of our homeschooling. :-)

Here is another good experiment website that was recommended on the SL forums:
Easy Science Experiment Projects at Steve Spangler Science

Wikki Stix

DS1 discovered our Wikki Stix today. I bought them at the homeschool convention last year. I tried to get him to play with them once last summer, but he didn't like how sticky they felt. So they have been sitting on top of the divider between the living room and the dining room since then. Today we're making flowers, faces, letters, and silly shapes.

Mazes

DS1 found our bag of goodies from last month's convention. We bought two Kumon maze workbooks, one for him (Amazing Mazes) and one for DS2 (My Book of Easy Mazes). DS1 enjoys mazes and practically wouldn't stop when it was time for dinner. He did the first 24 mazes and the last 3 (of 80). After dinner, DS2 did the first 12 in his book. I tried to get him to use a pincer grip, but he preferred a fist. We tried a stubby crayon, but even though he held it right, it didn't work as well as a pencil. Next time I'll try to find a very very short pencil to help work on his grip.

Schools Are For Fish

I first saw Jason Holm's artwork and sense of humor when a friend posted this link http://www.venamous.net/socialization.jpg to our local yahoo homeschooling group back in April. Now he has a domain, weekly comic Schools Are For Fish, and sells stuff with the "Fishy" comics. I intend to buy a shirt with the "Homeschooling" half of the "Socialization" comic http://www.inflatablestudios.com/saff01.htm (it's called Style B).

I've been thinking about this for several weeks, but I couldn't remember the guy's name, or his domain name. So I searched for the cartoon. I finally found the black and white version several places, with links to his Geocities page. That got me his a first name (but it was Jay, not Jason). After seeing the cartoon again, I searched with different terms and finally found Inflatables Studios. So now I'm blogging it, so I won't lose it again. It's a great comic! He has missed a couple of Mondays (the most recent is June 25), so I hope he is able to continue producing it.

Stories on CD

Jim Weiss, at Greathall Productions, was recommended to me for audio stories for bedtime. DS1 is usually ready for sleep much sooner than DS2, and I asked my Sonlight-forum friends for help. There are many recordings of classic stories and two that look great for bedtime for us. Hopefully I can try them out from the library first.

Tracking

I've purchased Homeschool Tracker Plus. I've also set up our first school year, as DS1's kindergarten year, starting July 1, 2007, ending June 30, 2008. I am keeping these records just for us, we don't have to show anybody anything. He doesn't even have to enroll in school until he is 7, and I don't have to register our homeschool (oops, "unaccredited private school") until that year also. It's for the "box checker" in me, and to remind me and show DH that we aren't "just playing" all year. (Not that playing is bad, we will play a lot, but he's not sold on unschooling, and I have spent lots of money on books, so I want to keep track of the fact that we actually read them.)

Maybe between this blog, my other blog for my boys, and HST, I'll have enough descriptions and pictures of activities and learning that I'll be satisfied. I go back and forth between wondering why I want to keep track and wanting to savor and save every memory of everything they do. That's part of why I go for so long between posts here, too, I suppose. Then when I do post, I can't decide between trying to catch up and just talking about today (or this week). So I'm going to compromise this time; here is a list of Life and Learning that I remember from the last month:
* fireworks tonight to celebrate the country's birthday
* making friends at the park on Monday
* meeting our new pastor last Wednesday
* DS1 asking why we didn't drink the juice like Jesus did after reading the Bible story about The Last Supper
* DS1 can do 6 somersaults in a row
* playing in the pool in my sister's backyard
* vacation to Colorado
* driving through Greensburg, KS, which was practically flattened by a tornado on May 4, 2007
* Cave of the Winds (with DS1 wearing his headlamp)
* Santa's Workshop at North Pole, CO
* Hiking the Alluvial Fan trail in RMNP
* DS1 & DH hiking the Toll Memorial trail at Rock Cut on Trail Ridge Road
* the beaver talk
* DS1 doing the giant trampoline / bungee jumping thing (and DS2 almost doing it... twice)
* the rocket park in Burlington, CO on the way home
* DS2 got another haircut, short like DS1's this time
* playing in the rain and sand at a park with Steph's kids
* going for a walk around the block, in the rain, barefoot, with umbrellas (that were often not covering us)
* DS2 missing YEA! and wanting to wear his YEA! shirt and "go to YEA!" to see his friends
* getting compliments on their manners because they say "please" and "thank you" readily
* DS2 choosing The Lost Sheep as his Bible story and DS1 choosing "the next one after last night's" every night for a week
* finishing the New Testament and starting at the beginning of the Old Testament
* vacation Bible school - Avalanche Ranch
* listening to the Avalance Ranch CD all the way home from CO, for 2 days

Explaining Homeschooling

I often find great insight on the Sonlight forums. Recently, on the "New Instructors" area, one thread was discussing how we have been doing. Jill, the moderator, wrote something that really "clicked" for me.

I felt that I came to realize that homeschooling is a lot like faith. People won't really understand and will question and so on, and you really can't explain it to everyone--but you can live it out, day by day--live it out in such a way that others will come to respect you for it, if not understand.

This week

It's been a busy week.

We went to Vacation Bible School. This is the first time we've gone anywhere other than our own church. The first day the boys were very shy at the beginning. I stayed with them during the opening singing, but when their groups departed (they were in different age groupings), they each went with their own group. I stayed around and read a book. The second day they were still a little shy, but went to the singing without me. I took a nap in the car, went to QT for a snack, then read in the hallway. The third day I went home and came back for them 3 hours later! Every evening they had fun telling Daddy all about "Avalanche Ranch". Our bedtime Bible story reading matched up with the story at Avalanche Ranch when possible, and the boys both noticed and enjoyed that.

One day this week (Wednesday?) I read the entire Almanac section of Berenstain Bears Big Book of Science and Nature to DS1. I also read the first 9 pages of the Nature Guide section. The next day we read about 10 more pages before we got distracted by DH coming home and needing to fix dinner.

Thursday we visited Grandpa (my dad) for a little while. Today DS1 went with DH to the AAA office to get a kid's map for our upcoming trip. Then they took the car to be serviced. DS2 and I walked about a mile to a friend's house to check on her cat. On the way back we stopped at a little pond in a park and saw tadpoles. They were about the size of a dime, had legs, and still had their tails! I scooped one up and DS2 held it for a little while before throwing it back in the pond. A little closer to home we stopped at a garage sale where DS2 got a toy train (just like 6 we have at home from Kid's Meals). The guy asked DS2 for some money to pay for it, so I have him a quarter. DS2 gave it to the man, who said, "Now I have to give you your change." and gave the quarter back to him. It was a nice way to give the toy to DS2 but still have him learn that you have to "pay" for things.

Unschooling Voices #9 is up

An Unschooling Life: Unschooling Voices #9 is up. The themes this time are "How has unschooling changed you?" (the parent) and "What unschooling looks like." I sent pictures.

Writing and Reading and Stuff

Writing:
When we play outside with chalk at home, I often draw "stop lines" (with the word STOP) on the sidewalk where the boys are not supposed to go alone. They are approximately one house away in both directions. I also draw a stop line on our driveway to remind them to not run out into the street.

Yesterday we took our chalk to the park when we went to play with our YEA! friends. DS1 asked me how to spell "stop". I told him, then he asked me to spell it slower. I spelled it slowly. A few minutes later he beckoned me to come see what he wrote. He had drawn a line across a sidewalk that connected the playground area to the nearby building. He wrote "STOP" with a bunch of vertical lines after it. The S and P were both backwards, but one of the other kids recognized that it said "stop". This is the first time that I am aware of him writing something completely of his own accord.

And Reading:
We have a book from the library called Clifford's Riddles. I have read it to the boys many times. Now DS1 reads it to me. He and DS2 have memorized the riddles and the answers, but I think DS1 is actually reading not just reciting the riddles because sometimes... he... says... one... word... at... a... time. Also, sometimes before reading a riddle, he will ask me one of the words.

Two weeks ago my nieces spent most of Saturday with us. The older cousin just finished kindergarten. She can read. I noticed something different between how she read the book and how DS1 read the book. She read almost the entire thing by herself the first time she picked up the book. However, when confronted with a word she didn't know or couldn't sound out, she skipped the riddle and went to the next one. She didn't ask for help. It happened twice, on the same riddle. This difference might be due to personality differences, but I wonder if it might be related to her having been in a school classroom for 9 months.

And Stuff:
My two sons are between my sister's two daughters in age. We trade babysitting, we trade parenting tips, and we trade kids' clothes. When we go out to eat after church with them, my DH jokes about his harem. I think DSis and I are particularly close because our mom died before either of us had kids, so we can't call Mom for advice. We have found other moms for support and advice, including each other.

It is very rare that I mentally compare our children. I remember when DN1 got a bike at her 4th birthday party, thinking that DS1 wasn't any where near ready for one. He's 5 & still doesn't have one, but I think he is actually physically big enough and strong enough for one now. DN2 is 6 months younger than DS2, but she is practically toilet trained (DS2 isn't). She also weighs so much less than him that she feels like a feather when I pick her up. The physical differences are pretty easy to ignore and attribute to "everyone grows and matures at their own rate". But the reading difference struck me. Not that DS1 might be "ahead" (compared to DN1 at his age) but at the reaction to an unknown word. I don't like thinking "It's because she's in school", "Is she already afraid of being wrong?", and "Is she embarrassed to need help?", but those are the thoughts and questions that popped into my head. It's really hard to not judge and not think "our way is better."

Repetition is good, right?

We're going on a vacation to Colorado in the near future, so at our last library visit we got a book on Colorado and one on caves (Cave of the Winds is on our agenda). Yesterday I read the cave book to DS1 at least 4 times. Actually I started it 4 times. We never got to the end, but each time we restarted he wanted to start at the beginning instead of where we left off. I thought I might get to the end of it today because the last time we started it, he said I could restart in the middle on the same day but I would need to start at the beginning on a new day.

However, we didn't touch the books today. Today we watched videos a lot. The boys call them "Kids Singing." Two of the 3 are from Cedarmont Kids and the other is a Bible Action Songs video that is similar but from someone else. I think those 3 videos were watched a total of 5 times, but I may have missed once or twice. DS1 will sometimes do the actions along with the kids in the video, but only when he thinks I'm not watching. We also watched at least 3 of our Baby Einstein series videos. (Last night we misplaced the TV remote, so changing channels was time consuming today. I'm not sure the boys know we can change the channel from the front of the TV. The DVD/Video player has its own remote.)

The Young Scientists Club's Online Store

The science kits at The Young Scientists Club's Online Store have been recommended by some of the folks on the Sonlight forums. Both the "Young Scientist" Series and the "Magic School Bus" series look great. The Young Scientist series can be bought 3 kits in a set, or as a monthly or semi-monthly subscription. There is also an online "clubhouse" for kids. When we are ready for more science experiments, I definitely want to look into this further.

Sonlight Box Day

On Thursday, I placed a big order from Sonlight for the rest of the books we will use for "kindergarten", as well as books for the next year. The "Core" is history, geography, and literature read-alouds. It also has language arts, readers, and science. There are other electives available, too, but I didn't get any of them this time. The Core, Language Arts, and Science each come with an Instructor's Guide. It is primarily a schedule, but there are also activity sheets, teacher notes, and other resources.

The box arrived this morning. It came by FedEx and weighed 30 lbs. I had considered waiting to open it until DH was home, but DS1 said, "Let's see what's in the box!" So we opened it. It contained 52 books to read, 2 CDs, 4 instructor guide/schedules, 1 calendar, 1 set of time-line figures, 1 game, 1 binder, and 1 necklace (the free gift for mom).

It was funny today, when I was putting the IG together (into the binder), DS1 asked what it was. I told him it was something for me for his school. He said, "I don't go to school." I said, "Well, you're homeschooled." He replied, "I know that." He was still confused about what the IG's were for. We've never used a schedule of any kind. The only time he's been in a school building is when we go to Parents As Teachers playgroup, that we call "playgroup at the school". We also go to "the homeschool church" where our small co-op meets. Poor kid, his mom should just pick some vocabulary terms and stick with them.

Visitors

We had a playgroup at a park today. But it rained. So I invited 2 of the moms (and their 3 kids) to our house. It's the first time in YEARS that I have spontaneously invited people over. I honestly cannot remember the last time. (I have a very close friend who comes over on a planned weekly visit, though.)

I had lots of fun, and I think the kids and other moms had fun, too. :-) When they left, I felt great and thought "Wow, I feel like I have friends!"

After an interesting, in depth conversation with DS1, one of the moms said told him something to the effect of "you're pretty smart, aren't you." Those weren't her exact words, but close enough. He responded basically with, "As I get older, I get smarter." He just turned 5 last week, but he understands that he is learning new things all of the time and that he knows more now than he used to know.

I don't think he comprehends the implied comparison to other kids his age when an adult comments to him like that. Since we socialize with a wide age range of children in our homeschool circles, I'm pretty sure that he doesn't compare himself to other kids his age yet.

Startwrite Handwriting Software

Startwrite Handwriting Software was recommended to by many people on the Sonlight forums as software to create your own copywork / printing worksheets in the Handwriting Without Tears font (since Sonlight's writing worksheets use a "ball and stick" font, even though they do have it on the HWT 2-line paper).

US Heritage Award

I just found out about this US Heritage Award that kids (ages 6-18) and adults can earn through by learning a few things about US history and patriotism. The amount of requirements and difficulty seems about equivalent to a Girl Scout badge (from what I remember from my youth).

Home-School - A Family or a School? | TheHomeSchoolMom.com

Home-School - A Family or a School? | TheHomeSchoolMom.com

Noeo Homeschool Science Curriculum

Noeo Homeschool Science Curriculum was recommended by a person who uses Sonlight but doesn't particularly care for Sonlight's science curriculum. Sonlight has asked their customers for comments because it is looking at revising their science area next (language arts got a major overhaul this year). Noeo looks quite interesting... keeping this link for future reference.

Which Card Is Biggest?

Today I taught the boys a new card game. I called it Which Card Is Biggest?, but most people I know would think it was called War. I didn't want to have to explain the word "war", besides, now the title matches what we ask every time new cards are turned over.

It took a little practice for them to remember that A/ace was like a 1, and that J,Q,K were bigger than 10, in that order. We decided that Jokers were the biggest of all. DS1 added a rule that you had to tell a joke when the Joker card came up. I ran out of cards first and suggested that the boys keep playing. They wanted to stop, so we counted their cards to find the winner. It was a tie! Both boys had 27 cards and were very excited to both win.

Color Bottles & taxes

I taught a class at our co-op today. When I signed up I was very nervous. Last night, around midnight, I finished up doing our taxes and remembered that I needed to go buy supplies. It's a good thing that one of the nearby grocery stores stays open 24 hrs! Our nearest FedEx/Kinko's copy place isn't even 24 hrs anymore. :-(

Anyway, I got the supplies, DH finished reviewing taxes, and we e-filed at 2:00 am. Yeah! I didn't have to file an extension for the first time in 4 years.

Class went fairly well. I had 6 signed up, plus one tag along sibling. That was okay because his mom stayed and assisted, which I really appreciated. Another class was in the same room, but we did that intentionally, so the other teacher's kids would do better in my class. The craft/experiment I had was clear plastic bottles, half full of water, adding food coloring, then adding oil. Shake well & watch the bubbles mix then separate again. (Tape the bottle cap on with duct tape to prevent spills/leaks.)

It was basic color mixing and solubility together. Earlier there was a class on solubility for older kids, and a class on color mixing (with frosting & vanilla wafers) for any age. My class took the whole 30 minutes, which was longer than I expected, but that was because we did one step at a time one bottle at a time all around the table, instead all 3 bottles at once. The first 2 were just water, color, and oil (which was yellowish). On the third one the kids had the option of using Italian salad dressing instead of plain oil (much yellower with sediment), adding hand sanitizer, or adding alcohol.

Between my previous three bottles, the three DS1 made in class, and the one extra that I made at home afterwards, we have a full rainbow of oil/water color bottles to play with at home!

I had fun, and I think the kids did, too. They were very cooperative. I only made a big mess once (poured Italian dressing too fast). Next time I do something potentially messy I'll remember to bring paper towels to class. Yes, things went well enough that I am thinking of facilitating something again next semester. :-)

Home School Mothers: the Beatrice Brigade

This article is a very positive, uplifting tome about home school mothers and the influence they have inside and outside of the home. He comes from the perspective that most home schoolers are Christian and "traditional", but yet he also recognizes the diversity of homeschoolers.

I know some wonderful women who are home schoolers but not Christian, some who would bristle at the descriptor "traditional", and some who fit both of those categories. I even find myself realizing that I am more "traditional" than I used to be, and certainly more than I used to think I wanted to be. I've changed over the years. Having kids has a lot to do with that, but just living life and maturing has a lot to do with it, too.

Keep reading past the first 4 paragraphs to get to the good parts.

Co-op

We went to co-op today. Both boys were signed up for "Play-doh studio". DS1 played with play-doh for 30 minutes, and DS2 played with toys on the other side of the room. They both had fun, and I even enjoyed those 30 minutes. Next was "Science Experiment" which is a simpler version of the science class the same mom taught to the older kids earlier in the day. It covered friction, center of gravity, and centripital force using eggs (raw & cooked), balloons, and paper. Loads of fun! DS1 had fun telling Daddy about it at dinner and remembered quite a bit. DS2 was doing okay until I popped his balloon, then he stuck his fingers in his ears and wanted to go home. It didn't help that at that exact same time (as the pop), someone started vacuuming in the next room. After we left we ran an errand then met up with some of the other families at a nearby park.

On a less pleasant and more adult (well, not-really so adult) level, there has been tension amongst the co-op parents. It started after some brainstorming was done about improving things. Since we're all new at this (doing a co-op) there are things that need improvement. Sounds simple, right? A question was posted to the yahoo list, asking for input and reactions to a couple of the ideas. Many people responded, but a couple responses were taken as nit-picking, criticizing, or otherwise strongly negative. I didn't read them that way, but several people did. So then they responded, then the original question-asker responded, and the people who got people's ire up responded, and it just got ugly all around. It made me want to crawl into a corner. I don't want to deal with politics like this. But unless I become a hermit I guess it will be pretty hard to avoid.

Sometimes I wonder if this group is a good fit for me. My boys like the playgroups and are starting to really enjoy the classes, too. It's the adults that sometimes make things tough. Someone reading this is probably saying "welcome to parenting" to me right now or "wait till they get in little league." If stuff like this went on at the daycare center where they used to go, I was joyfully oblivious.

Back to the co-op... We had a Parent's Night Out last Saturday. It was at a home. The 2 youngsters were asleep in the next room, but I don't know how they slept. The cacophony got so loud that I covered my ears a couple of times. Half of the group are the type who interject when others are talking and raise their voices louder so they can be heard. The other half seemed to not want to interrupt when someone else was talking, so they didn't speak much. Attempts were made to include everyone (when we were all in on the same conversation/discussion), but it took a lot of effort to have the quieter ones share their opinions, and it wasn't long before others joined in while the first was still talking, making it very hard (for me) to follow the conversation and sometimes even to hear the person closest to me. If any of you are reading this, please don't be offended. I like you all, I just don't like that style of discussion.

I did have a couple of one-on-one conversations during the evening. One was with the newest addition to our group. We talked about another group I am in. I mentioned that I get different things out of the two different groups. I don't feel that I contribute much to either group at this point, except my presence and occasional opinion. I feel pulled in two different directions, not quite opposite directions, but internally my struggles in finding my own way in the homeschooling journey are paralleled in the differences in these two support groups.

Children's Books Online: the Rosetta Project, Inc.

Children's Books Online: the Rosetta Project, Inc.

YEA! classes

After posting an email about something to the co-op (Young Explorer's Academy) in which my frustration with DS2 immaturity must have shown through, I recieved this reply from DS1's teacher (of today's DNA class).

I wanted to just let you know that [DS1] was GREAT in DNA class today. He was so interested and excited and fun. Had some great questions, too. I just thought I'd let you know since I know he was reluctant to participate at first, and believe me, I know that can be frustrating.
My kids STILL are reluctant to be in any classes that I don't teach.

Anyway, I hope he had a good time.

Yes, he had a great time. He is ready for short classes like we offer in the co-op. DS2 isn't quite there yet, which is fine since he's only 3 and a half, but it makes things tough on me.

Lunar Eclipse

We all saw the lunar eclipse this evening. By the time of moonrise in our area, the total eclipse was already past. We had dinner later than expected, but we were able to see the last fourth or so of the shadow. We walked north on our block to find a semi-clear spot between the houses and trees across the street to the east. It was quite cold, so I taught DS1 how to do jumping jacks to stay warm. Then we went inside for a while. About 5 minutes later, DS1 and I went back outside to see how much smaller the shadow was. We walked south this time and found a very good view. The moon being higher helped, but it was primarily lack of trees between 2 houses most of the way down the block that enabled us to have an unobstructed view. The shadow was almost gone when we decided it was time to come inside.

The Power (and Peril) of Praising Your Kids

This article, The Power (and Peril) of Praising Your Kids -- New York Magazine, is long but a good read. It includes research and anecdotal evidence that excessive general praising is often more harmful than helpful to a person. Kids whose innate intelligence is praised (being called smart) often shy away from things they expect to be difficult or fall apart after a failure. Kids whose effort is praised, or who are given other very specific praise, rebound from failure, are more confident that they can achieve with more (or different) effort, and improve academically.

Just a few days ago, DS1 was telling DS2 what to do on a "Kindergarten" computer game that we have. I told DS1, as I often do, to stop telling DS2 what to do so he can figure it out himself. DS1 replied, "But I'm smarter than him." I quickly responded, "No, you're not. You are older than him and know some things that he doesn't, but that doesn't mean you're smarter than him." I'm not sure if that was a good response, but it's the best that came to mind quickly.

"Who is smarter?" is a question that I want to stay away from for as long as possible. Both my family and my DH's family have highly intelligent (IQ-wise) people. Some relish it, some discount it, some compare, and some know it but are both humble and confident so that when you meet them you can tell, but it is a non-issue.

My parents were not big praisers. However, I did know that they were proud of me and of my accomplishments, both academic and non-academic. I remember, in church, a dad of a friend announcing during the "joys and concerns" time about his son making honor roll. My parents never did that. I made it every time. Kids who are around others know if they are "smart"... reading groups, honors classes, grading fellow students' tests (although with privacy issues what they are these days, that is probably no longer done), and just general conversation and even grammar and vocabulary say a lot. Maybe that's part of my motivation to homeschool, so they can just be themselves instead of "the smart ones."

People have been telling me for years that my boys are smart. I suspect people have told them that also. Not to mention, "wow, you're really smart" in the Blue's Clue's song and "great counting," "great clapping," "great helping," and "we did it, we did it, we did it, hurray" on Dora the Explorer. (I'm not knocking those shows overall, just the over-the-top praise. And why to Dora and Boots and even Diego tell the kids to yell all the time? Oops, got a little off track, there. :-) Anyway, back to the article, it really hit home for me, as I suspect it will for anyone who reads because of reading about it here, in my blog. Please, let me know what you think.

Junior Pizzamaker

DS1 is an official Junior Pizzamaker! Our Sonlighters group took a field trip to Papa John's today. The kids (and moms) got to feel pizza dough, walk into the walk-in refrigerator, fluff the cheese, and put toppings on their own personal pan pizza. Then we got to eat the pizzas and have soft drinks. All for free!

I was extremely pleased at how well my boys paid attention to the manager when he was talking and showing us things. DS2 was a little fidgety while we were in the refrigerator and waiting for our turn at pizza making, but considering his age and general rambunctiousness, I was only slightly frustrated by the end of the 90 minutes.

A trip to the zoo

Our local zoo has cheap admission on Wednesdays in the winter. The forcast high temp is 70 today, so after over 2 weeks of being stuck inside with sick kids, sick mom, and/or below freezing highs we took advantage of the nice weather and cheap price for a visit to the zoo. Many from our homeschool group were going to meet near the entrance at 11:00, but we were running late and missed them. The zoo is so big, and there are so many different paths to take, I was only a little surprised that we didn't see anyone we knew in the 2 hours we were there.

Our goals were to see the elephants, zebras, and flamingos. We also saw the chimpanzees, baboons, hippos, rhinos, giraffes, kangaroos, gold fish, and a peacock on our way out. We ate lunch and played at the children's playground near the gorilla exhibit. Two hours is about all I can handle, especially without another adult helping, so I told the boys we could come back next week and see some of the animals that we missed today.

I think in a year or two it will be well worth a family membership. I have heard great things about their educational programs also.

WebRangers

DS1 was very interested in our National Parks DVD yesterday. DH did some surfing for National Parks info and came across this website, Welcome to WebRangers!, which bills itself as the National Park Service's site for kids of all ages. I've looked around a little on the site and it looks fun.

Freya And Heath Are Home Educated by Liz Pilley and Kim Holding

This book looks really cute. The older sister, Freya, narrates a story about herself and her brother, Heath, who are home educated. The page linked here has a few sample pages. The book can be purchased as a paperback or a download.

Unschooling Voices # 7

A Day in Our Lives: Unschooling Voices # 7 is up. I'm in it this time, too! This is the first time I've entered a blog carnival. It was pretty fun looking through my old posts to see if any fit the topic of deschooling.

MomsMinivan.com - 101 Car Games, Travel Games and Road Trip Games for Kids

This "Printable Road Trip Activities" could come in handy for our next trip.

Science activity sheets

Waterford Games & Activities has free downloads of lots of kinds of activity sheets, mazes, dot to dot, coloring, word find, origami, find the differences, scramble, and several others.

Another unschooling article on the web (and in a paper)

It seems that unschooling is becoming a popular feature topic for "news". At least once a month someone on one of my email lists posts a link about some newspaper/website that has done an article on unschooling. Homeschooling itself isn't exciting enough (or controversial enough?) for an article anymore. Would they do a feature on families who do strict "school at home" with schedules down to the minute? I doubt it. My ambivalence is showing. It's nice to see this style of homeschooling recognized as a valuable alternative, but most of the articles have some education "expert" who cast doubts with having experience unschooling or even knowing a family who does it.

This article, 'Unschool' parents: Kids can be own best teachers is similar to the last one I blogged, in that it uses positive examples of actual unschoolers, then has people without unschooling experience comment about it. This one also has comments from people who have read the online article. They are particularly opinionated, often without first hand experience. The article, however, is pretty balanced and informative. There is also some information in the sidebar about definitions, a sample week, and Tennessee homeschooling regulations.

DVRL - Drumming in Fractions

I got this link, The Futures Channel from Mathing Off because this video is about fractions in music, particularly drumming. It appears that there are many good video clips here of "real math, real science, real careers." The Futures Channel's subtitle is "Connecting learning to the real world."

Playing school again

We "played school" again today. DS1 asked about it yesterday. We were busy this morning with MOPS, then lunch with Dad, then I was gone for a while. I had forgotten, but he remembered right before dinner. So after dinner he eagerly put the dishes away while I set up the little table in his room. I had to search for the Handwriting Without Tears book because practically everything got moved in December to make room for our Christmas gathering and gifts.

He had a great time coloring and drawing lines. A few times he wanted me to do a page. I reminded him that if I was being the teacher and he was being the student, then I would show him how to do the first one, but that he should be the one to do most of the page. That explanation satisfied him. At one point I thought he might suggest that he wanted to be the teacher and I could be the kid. That would have been fun and fine with me, but it didn't come up (this time).

Other fun things he/we did today:

* made up silly rhyming words (this has been a popular activity for the past couple of weeks)

* made a teddy bear sewing card - I drew the outline and and cut the cardboard, he punched some of the holes and I punched some

* threaded some foam "beads" on a string

* laced around the edges of the bear - he was very consistent lacing up then down repeatedly, quite different from Monday at PAT when his "stiches" were in many different directions

* showed Daddy how to lace the teddy bear

* bedtime story was from Click magazine - it was about mixing colors, both pigment and light - the pigment mixing is old hat, but the light mixing was new information

Unschooling Voices

It's about 2 weeks until the next edition of Unschooling Voices, a blog carnival about unschooling. I first learned of blog carnivals about a year ago. It's basically a blog that links a bunch of other blogs (and may include email posts) on a related topic. February's topic is deschooling. I have a couple of old posts that sort of fit, so I think I might actually submit something this time. It's likely to get more people to read my blog. I wonder how many people read it now?

You Have to Trust that the Child will Learn

Here is a new article about unschooling. It was written for the Chicago Sun-Times. The featured student was in public school until 8th grade, then began homeschooling (unschooling) for high school. It's very well written and quite positive about unschooling. Of course, there are the obligitory "expert" opinions, but they aren't as negative as most.

radio free school CFMU 93.3 FM

The radio show, radio free school CFMU 93.3 FM, which is referenced in my previous post. It has a blog, too.

Minding your own - Home based education

This is a series of articles on a Canadian news website by Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko, an unschooler who has a weekly radio show, Radio Free School. I haven't read them all yet, but I plan to.

MIT OpenCourseWare | OCW Home

For future reference, MIT OpenCourseWare OCW Home give access to the content of MIT courses. I presume it includes the syllabus and class notes. It could be quite fun to poke around.

I want to think

"I don't want to count, I want to think." - DS1
Me, in my head, "Yea!!!!!"

The background on this is that DS1 asked to "play the plussing game". That's what he calls our "Travel" Math U See set. We did that for a while then he went and got the "the other blocks" (starter set) and his (Primer student) book. We started where he left off last time (review after lesson 3) and he did 6-8 pages, to the middle of the lesson 4 review. He also jumped ahead, to somewhere around lesson 18. Since the review pages cover lots of topics, I don't know exactly where this one was from, but it was past lesson 4. The task was to count the things and write the number. Sometimes he just says the number, sometimes he counts while pointing.

This time he said, "What's 4 plus 3." (They were in 2 rows, 4 on top, 3 on bottom.)
"Why don't you count them?" I answered.
"I don't want to count, I want to think."

Then he rolled around on the floor a bit and asked, "What comes after 8 when counting backwards."
I answered his question this time, "seven," I said.
Then he said, "it's seven," and rolled back over to the book to write "7".

I think he did "4+4=8" in his head and used "3 comes after 4 counting backwards" to come up with his question, but maybe not. Anyway, I thought the whole interaction was VERY COOL. We had lots of fun with numbers yesterday.

Actually

Here is a list of observable characteristics of gifted children. Actually, I came to it from a Sonlight Forums thread of someone wanting to know if there was a connection between giftedness and kids saying "actually" a lot. Just a few weeks ago DH commented about DS1 using that word frequently. Perhaps DS1 just uses is a lot because I do also. If he states something that is not quite accurate, I often say "actually, blah-de-blah" to correct him. An example of that happend Tuesday talking about the US flag being at half-staff. When he told me why it was down half way on the pole, he said "when someone dies", and I corrected with, "actually, only when the US president dies". It can be a polite and concise way to say You're wrong, I'm right, and here's why or perhaps just the confidence behind Believe me, I'm right, and here's why.

Trampoline

We now have an indoor 38" trampoline. At the Sonlight Moms group last Friday I asked about how the others help their kids use up energy when the weather is bad. The first suggestion was to bundle them up and go outside anyway. We have roofing debris in the yard right now, so the backyard is not very safe. Also, DS2 runs off in an unsafe way, so I asked for indoor ideas. Someone suggested a trampoline.

While I was helping a friend pick through the lumber from our garage teardown, DH and the boys played nearby. DS2 wandered over to the neighbor's yard (we no longer have a "fence" because of the garage being down). When I went to get him, we saw their mini tramp next to the play fort. I called my neighbor and asked to buy it. She offered to loan it to me until spring to see if I really wanted it, and so she could ask her kids (since it is theirs, not hers).

This morning I brought it inside. The boys had a WONDERFUL time. We count jumps for fun. It took a little practice to get used to balancing, but now they can each do 100 jumps without stopping. They were very excited to show Daddy when he got home from work today. I think my couch cushions and their beds may survive the winter, after all.

More dreaming...

Families on the Road

I've heard that a goal is a dream with a timeline. I have a goal to climb Long's Peak with my boys in 2016. I dream of RVing. Someday it will become a goal, too.

RVing With Kids

I dream of RVing with our family. I think it would be so cool! I want to take some time to read RVing With Kids to get their perspective.

Flags at half-staff

While we were waiting to go into the Rec Center for playgroup today, DS1 pointed out that the flag was only half way up on the pole. I explained to him that it was on purpose because a man who used to be president of our country died recently. Everyone flys their flags at half-staff for 30 days to show respect for him. Over an hour later, as we were leaving, he explained to me why the flag was only half way up.

New Skills

Both boys demonstrated some new skills today. DS1 played a computer game where you have to find the differences between 2 pictures. He found some of them faster than me! Some of them were tough enough that together we still couldn't find all 6 differences. DS2 used scissors for the first time (to my knowledge) today. He cut a lot of slits around the edges of some paper.

Gifted

From a TAGMAX email:

A person does not cease to be tall because s/he is not playing basketball.

A person does not cease to be gifted because s/he is not performing according to some external measurement - or even his or her own internal ones.

Tortillas

We had homemade tortillas with lunch today!

Wednesday at playgroup we moms were talking about food, and one of the other moms gave me her tortilla recipe. I tried it out for lunch today. I burnt the first one, but the second was good enough that I made another pair. The boys agree that they are good.

Learning all the time!!!

Maybe next time I'll let them help. :-)