Home Ec Success

Rebekah loves to go to Grandma’s house once a week for Home Ec. They do a variety of projects sewing, crafts, cooking and more. Their latest project was making a pair of pajamas together. Now, Grandma always makes Rebekah’s pajamas, but this time Rebekah made the pants and Grandma made the top. They turned out super cute and Rebekah was very proud to wear them.

Bedtime Writings

Rebekah has trouble going to sleep at night. This is not a new thing, in fact, she has been this way since pretty much about 2 years old. She just never seems to “shut down” at night. We have tried many, many things. Melatonin works the best. But lately, she has decided she does not want to take it. Since I have had conflicting advice from Dr.s, I said ok.

What I have noticed is that she does still have trouble shutting down. She gets out of bed, she gets a drink, she comes out to ask questions. . . then when she knows she is pushing my limits, she will stay in her room. Not that she goes to sleep, but that she starts doing quiet activities. She will dress her dolls, or do their hair. She will color pictures while listening to her I pod. She will read books (this from the girl who fights me during school that she hates to read is reading chapter books at night.) And then I found out she is writing stories.

If I were to assign her to write a story for school, she would fuss, cry, whine, anything to get out of it. So I was pleasantly shocked to find out she has been writing at night. She showed me a story. She asked me to correct her spelling, which amazingly enough there were only four misspelled words. This is amazing for Rebekah. And, then she re-wrote the story on the big pad of paper I bought at the clearance sidewalk sale at Wal-Mart.

It is interesting to me to read her stories. This one is about our puppy Nutmeg. Rebekah writes like she talks, sometimes a new thought will just pop up  out of no where. But the story is coherent. It is informative. The handwriting is nice. Most of all, it is written without any fussing or fighting. I love it.

Book Covers

Sarah started her junior year at Legacy Christian Academy this week. She came home with two hardcover books that needed book covers. I did not have any paper bags to make the covers, so my first thought was to make them out of fabric. But as I was walking out to look for fabric, something else caught my eye.

It was a flannel backed table cloth that we use as a drop cloth for when Rebekah is painting or Ben is practicing his calligraphy. I pick up these tablecloths for about a dollar or two when they go on sale at the end of seasons.

So I quickly decided to use two different patterns and make Sarah’s book covers out of them. I did not need to line the tablecloth since it had the flannel backing. My sewing machine had no problem sewing through the plastic. I thought they turned out great and Sarah really liked them as well.

Spelling Test

Today was our first spelling test of the new school year. To make it a little bit more fun, I had the girls take their test in a pan filled with rice. They both thought it was really fun and did really well on their spelling test.

We also use these rice trays to help with their handwriting practice. I get them out and have them practice their cursive letters, tracing them in the rice with their fingers.

Spring Fever

It is late Spring. Temperatures are getting warmer. Spring sports are over, other activities are slowing down or over for the summer as well. Because of all this, my kids think they should be done with their school work as well.

This week we have been slogging through. I have been pushing Ben and Rebekah to get their work done. To give them some incentive I have been trying to do something fun, outside, as a reward for working hard. One day we went to the small zoo in town. One day we went with friends to the skate park.

I find that taking small breaks when the weather is beautiful and spring fever is at its highest is very effective. I do have some trouble bringing Rebekah back on task, but I just consider it good practice for her for later. Life is not always run by a strict schedule and learning how to deal with  interruptions for fun and then getting back to work is a good challenge for her.

Because of the different homeschool products and curriculum we review, we are going to be doing some school throughout the month of June and then pick it back up again late July, early August. With just Ben and Rebekah at home for school now, it does not take very long to get done, if we knuckle down and do it.

I am excited by the prospect of a slower, but worthwhile summer schedule. We just began a Geography review  from Memoria Press that we will be working on. Ben and Rebekah love maps and learning countries so this is not going to be too challenging for them. We will be getting an excellent writing curriculum from Institute for Excellence in Writing. The last plan for Ben and Rebekah at the moment is to also continue with their math.  Sarah has summer work as well. Even though she is attending a Christian School now, I received an e-mail with English work to be done over the summer and turned in for a grade the first day of school. I am quite impressed. She has to read The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and complete five pages of work. The work is a pretty in-depth analysis of the book. No multiple choice questions here, it is all short answer/essay. 

Two weeks and Spring Fever will be over and Summer will begin for us. I am going to be tough on my kids and push them through till Summer work begins.

An Introduction to Shakespeare

When we were at the library today, I found a book in the Juvenile Fiction History section that looked very interesting. It was an adaptation of the William Shakespeare play Twelfth Night. Adapted by Bruce Colville and illustrated by Tim Raglin, this children’s book combines the play, told in prose, with various lines quoted word for word from the play.

I have read some Shakespeare, mainly in high school, but I have never read Twelfth Night before. It was hilarious. Ben, Rebekah and I giggled through the book. I had to keep stopping and re-capping what we had read just to keep the story straight in my mind. Ben kept saying that he was having no trouble keeping up with the different characters.

I am so glad we took the time to read this book. It gave us an excellent introduction to Shakespeare. There are a few more Shakespeare plays in this series. The kids have requested that we read the adaptation of Romeo and Juliet next.

School Supply Fun

It is already school supply time. I like to take advantage of all the “back to school” sales and stock up on basic supplies. It started today at Staples. I had a coupon for $2 off a pack of Zebra brand pens. The pens were on sale for $1 a pack. So basically I got 2 packs of pens for free. They also had spiral notebooks for $0.20 and two pocket folders for $0.20. Notebook paper was only $0.75. And then when I was checking out the clerk asked if I wanted tabbed dividers. I said of course when she said they would only be $0.01. I was able to leave Staples with a full bag of supplies and only spent $4.59.  Ben, Rebekah and I were very happy and proud of our shopping trip.

One of Those Days!

     It has been one of those days. One of those days when I thought everything was going to go so well, and I was wrong.

     Today, I was up early to get Sarah and two of her friends to Driver’s Ed by  6:45am. I was on a roll. I got granola made and cooking in the crockpot. We were on time for the class. I came home, wrote a few things, checked my e-mail, all was going well.

     Then it fell apart. I think a lot of it was my fault. I did not stop what I was doing on the computer, but directed Ben and Rebekah with my back to them. Consequently, they both messed around, knowing mom was not paying much attention to what they were doing.

     After I picked up Sarah, it  was time to start our school day. Because I had not been on top of things, chores did not get done. This means a messy house and dishes in the sink and an overflowing trash can today.

     Rebekah has “lost it’ about 3 times today. Not wanting to get started. Taking forever to do one math page (over 40 minutes). Throwing two or three fits and having to sit in her room by herself until she apologizes. Also, her nagging little habits are much worse today. She is constantly whistling, when told that it is during school hours and she will either have to stop whistling or go outside to continue, she stops. But then the humming starts. She is constantly asking for help today, even though she does not need it.

     My schedule. I did not follow the schedule and I can tell. Rebekah really needs the security a schedule provides. It is now noon and I have taken the time to write a quick schedule for the rest of the day. Then as each item is completed, Rebekah can check off what is done and see what she has left.  This is helping, but it is still a struggle.

     Tomorrow  I plan on sticking with our schedule for school and not sabotaging myself by messing around with other things. I hope and pray the day will go better.

See N Read

     Last year we reviewed a neat little reading tool called, See-N-Read. This year we are reviewing a new product from the same company called See-N-Spell, A Spelling and Vocabulary Quick Reference Guide.

• See-N-Spell Spelling and Vocabulary Quick Reference Guide
• Available from See-N-Read Reading Tools
• $9.99 for 40 page softbound book

     The See-N-Spell is a 40 page book containing over 300 commonly used words. It is divided into three categories: 1)Most Commonly Used Vocabulary Words 2) Commonly Misspelled Words 3) My Special Interest Words.  Each Category is organized alphabetically. By knowing the first few letters of a word you can quickly identify the correct spelling and usage of the word.

      The premise behind the See-N-Spell is that writers can compose broader and more vocabulary rich written work when their fear of misspelled words is taken away. Usually writers will have a larger verbal vocabulary than written vocabulary. By not being confident in spelling more advanced vocabulary words,  writers will not develop their thoughts fully, or use words that do not adequately express what the writer is trying to say.

     To help the user quickly and easily find their word using the See-N-Spell, a See-N-Read reader tool is included in the book. The See-N-Read reading tool is a handy product designed to help new and struggling readers easily keep their eyes on the line they are reading. This is the product we reviewed last year. To read more about how it worked for us, check out my review here.

ClarkClan Thoughts

     How did the See-N-Spell work for us? Well, not quite as I expected. When I received the book and looked through it, I was very intrigued. I liked the layout of the book. I thought the words included were words that would be useful in everyday writing.

     The first section gives words in alphabetical order and is organized into the most common language functions for the word. Each letter has nouns, Pronouns, Articles (if any) Conjunctions, Verbs, Irregular Verbs, Adverbs, Prepositions, and Homophones.

     The second section is simply commonly misspelled words. The third section is called Special Interest Words. These pages are divided alphabetically as well, but they are blank lines for you to write words of your own that you may be having trouble with.

     While I liked the premise of the book and the layout, I found it was not very well used in our house. I had it available any time we were doing writing assignments. Ben (10)  and Rebekah (8) never touched it. They just never seemed to need any of the words contained in it. Sarah (14) had it with her as well. She writes frequently, mostly on computer. She found that she just rarely would pick it up to look for a word. She said it just seemed like too much trouble.

     I do think I will keep this around for writing assignments, though. I think it will be most useful for Ben and Rebekah as they start to write more and more. They are still in the process of hand writing most assignments, not using a computer with spell check.  I think this book will come in handy as their writing becomes more advanced.

      Many TOS Crew Mates reviewed the See-N-Spell book. Visit the Crew Blog to read what experiences they had with this tool.

As an Independent contractor for The Old Schoolhouse and member of TOS Homeschool Crew I received See –N- Spell for free from See-N-Read, in exchange for my honest review of their product

Celestial Almanack–Classical Astronomy

• The Classical Astronomy Celestial Almanack a Visual Representation of the sky , February 2012 edition
• Published by Fourth Day Press
• 21 pages
• Written by Jay Ryan  Astron., Cart., B. C. Sch.
• Celestial Almanack available from CurrClick
• $3.00 per month PDF download

     Did you know February is one of the best months for star watching? According to our Celestial Almanack the winter sky is  the most beautiful sky of the entire year!  After reading the almanack and then spending time outside observing the sky, I agree. I will say, having the almanack guide me through what I was seeing certainly helped.

     Until I read the Celestial Almanack, I had assumed that any serious study of astronomy needed a telescope. Was I pleasantly surprised to find that Classical Astronomy means finding the stars with your “naked” eye.

     I am totally blown away by this product. From the first page I was hooked. I cannot believe how much information is packed into this almanack. We begin by getting a short lesson on Leap Year and why we have it and how it came to be.  This led into a discussion of how our calendar came to be.

     A very thorough discussion of the Sun and its position during February, plus what stars are in space if we could pierce the daytime sky came next. Words and concepts like analemma, and  declination are clearly defined and taught. I had no idea that the Sun moved in a figure eight pattern. Now, not only do I know this from seeing the well-done chart, but by reading the explanation I understand why.

     The discussion on the night sky begins with an amazing full color chart of where the moon is during the month of February and where you will find various constellations in relation to the moon. Truth be told, the only “constellation” I have ever found has been the Big Dipper. (You can read for yourself why the Big Dipper is not really a constellation, but it has another name.  Buy the Celestial Almanac to find out exactly what it is.)  Sarah and I studied the charts, read the information then took a walk one evening to look at the stars.

     Sarah has been interested in stars for many years now. I remember finding a journal of hers that had almost a years worth of notes, all dated, that chronicled what the stars outside her window looked like each night. She happily pointed out to me some of the stars she knew, and then was super excited to learn the names of stars, different constellations, seeing Orion’s sword and knowing for sure she had found it.

     Scripture and famous quotes were easily and properly woven throughout the Almanack. The almanack is a PDF download, but it has the feel of a traditional Ben Franklin Almanac. The layout is really fun. We are Lutherans and as such follow the Liturgical church calendar. I was pleasantly surprised to see a small discussion on how the traditional church calendar is used to mark the seasons with a note that more will be brought out in future editions. Since this piggybacks on what we talk about at home during our worship time, I am thrilled.

Conclusion

     I couldn’t help but notice as I wrote this review that I used the words amazing, pleasantly surprised, excited many times. I wondered if I had over done it and decided, no, I have not. We have been blown away by the depth of this product. I have only highlighted some of the information contained therein.  Sarah has already announced to me that she wants me to buy this every month. She said it is the first astronomy text she has read that she  1) understood 2) could figure out how to use. She also said she liked reading how certain stars are mentioned in the Bible. She did not realize that.  We are also eagerly awaiting the rest of the year as Jay has said that three very rare event occur in the heavens this year.  Each of these events will be promoted in the Celestial Almanack.

1) the Jupiter-Venus conjunction on March 15 (once every 24 years);
2) the annular solar eclipse on May 20 (once every 18 years); and
3) the transit of Venus on June 5 (last one til 2117!).

     I have agreed to buy this download for Sarah every month. I am amazed (once again) at the price of $3.00 per month.  We are also just ready to start a new science curriculum for her and she has asked to try Signs and Seasons which is written by Jay Ryan, as well. My recommendation is that you try the almanac and see what you think. For the price, you can hardly go wrong. 

     Many of my TOS Crew Mates also reviewed the Celestial Almanack. Visit the Crew Blog to read what fun they had while learning about the stars.

As an Independent contractor for The Old Schoolhouse and member of TOS Homeschool Crew I received a download of the Celestial Almanack for free  from Jay Ryan, through CurrClick, in exchange for my honest review of their product

Ruminating on Success

     This week I have finally pulled myself together and am able to join in the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog Cruise.  The topic for this week is: How do you measure success in your homeschool? Make sure to click on the link after reading my post, to read what my Crew Mates have to say about success.

     Success in homeschooling. I have to admit, my biggest confirmation of success has been that my oldest son graduated from our homeschool, was accepted into New Mexico State University and has successfully completed his first semester and started on his second.

     But as I have ruminated on this topic, I realize I have just measured success as “the world” measures success.When people hear we homeschool, and have one in college, there are usually no more questions. I must have succeeded, it worked, he is normal. But the success of our homeschool is more than just Matthew going to college. If I measured success as only doing well academically then our homeschool is no different than many public school kids that graduate at the top of their class.

      Success is first and foremost, loving God with all your heart and all your mind. Success is learning to honor father, mother, and others in authority, as Luther’s small Catechism puts it.  Success is learning to put others ahead of yourself.  Learning to put others first is not the way of the world. But over the years of homeschooling I have learned that what the world considers foolishness, I consider success.

     I needed to put  success in perspective. Our homeschool is not a success because my son is in college. It is a success because of the grace of God. It is only by the grace of God, that I can have the patience and the desire to school my children at home. I am not perfect and neither are my children.  It is only through the love of Jesus, dying on the cross, that I am able acknowledge my unworthiness, ask for forgiveness and go forth in peace, knowing my sins have been forgiven.  May God continue to grant success, and may I recognize from where my success comes.

    You can read more stories of success by visiting the TOS Bog Cruise post.

“Do I Have to Do School?”

      I have four kids, the only one who has been in public school was Matthew. He went to Kindergarten, First and Second grade before I pulled him home. Sarah went to a public school pre-school which included speech therapy, but we then pulled her home for Kindergarten.  Ben and Rebekah were both born after we began homeschooling, so they have never known anything different.

     I want to address an issue that I feel homeschooling mothers can really get down on themselves. Kids who complain they do not like school. I began thinking about this when I was talking to a friend who is homeschooling her 9 and 6 year olds. She asked me if my kids complained about having to do their school work. I said, “Of course, everyday”. She was relieved that it was not only her children. She thought maybe she was doing something wrong.

      I don’t think she is doing anything wrong with her kids. They are nice, polite, happy kids. But, I sure can remember having the same feelings myself during the early years. I used to wonder what I was doing wrong and would my kids not complain if they were in public school. I came to the conclusion that kids are going to complain no matter where they are. There are always going to be “fun” things that my kids will think they are missing, and then my kids will tell their PS friends things that they wish they could do. It is our sinful nature to want what we don’t have.

     When we began homeschooling, I was under the impression that my kids would be happy and joyful and love learning. I am way past that delusion now. It used to really bother me that my kids would not jump out of bed and just love school. I wondered if it was me, did I just not make it “fun” enough. I don’t worry about that anymore though. When my kids whine “Do we have to do school?” I don’t try to talk to them to find out what they are unhappy with or how can I make it better (like I did at the beginning). I look at them now and say something along the lines of “Tough, this is life. Let’s get to work”.

     I have noticed that my kids don’t whine as much about school work if I have a matter of fact attitude. I make the assignments, kids do the assignments. Some things are fun, others are work. Learning to get your work done with a good attitude, even when you may not want to, is a skill that will serve them well their entire lives. So, no, I do not go out of my way to make every assignment fun and games.  I also take my kids complaining with a grain of salt.

     Matthew, who was my first student 11 years ago is now graduated. Yes, from homeschool. He is  attending college. He came home one day last semester, put his arms around me  and said, “Don’t worry, Mom,  I am doing just fine in college.  You taught me what I need to know, and I can learn what I don’t know.” High praise from a kid who used to cry over his math saying how much he hated it.

      If you are in the beginning or middle of those tough school years, where kids just want to play and Mom comes along to put a damper on their fun with school, take heart. You are not alone.

First Day of School August 31, 2011

Today was our first day of school. To kick this day off, we went on a 2.2 mile hike in the Sacramento Mountains with Grandma.  When we got home, they worked on math and English. Then the big finish to the day was going out bike riding, and Ben ending up with stitches in his upper lip. Never a dull moment around our house.

New House

     Getting used to a new house is always interesting. Unpacking and trying to find places for everything can be a big undertaking. This house has a smaller kitchen than the last one. I have had to arrange and re-arrange as I started cooking and working in it. I have had to store some of the larger appliances, crock-pots, griddle, waffle maker, in the garage on shelves. Not my first choice, but realistically the only choice.

     I love having a clothesline again. At over 100 degrees, clothes and towels do not take long to dry. In fact, it only took about an hour to dry jeans on the clothesline. And when it got breezy this afternoon and we hung our towels out, it only took them about 35-40 minutes to fully dry. I am very happy to be able to save on electricity by not running the dryer.  And I love the smell of clothes, towels, sheets that have been dried outside. They just smell so fresh.  An added bonus of hanging clothes is that I get a little bit more exercise by carrying the basket out, bending to pick up the clothes and stretching to hang them on the line.

     Now the fun part comes. Trying to find a workable solution for easy access to the school books and school supplies has been tough. I always strive to make the books we use everyday easy to access and just as importantly, easy to put away. When school is over for the day, I like to have all the books put away until tomorrow. The last house had a den that we used as a school room. This house does not. It is beginning to look like we will be doing “school in a box” again. Each kids gets a Rubbermaid tote to hold the books and workbooks that are needed on a daily basis. The only problem with the boxes is that they can collect junk and trash if we do not clean them out frequently.

     Time will tell where everything will fit. And as usual some things will be stored until I have the “house of my dreams” and can get them back out.

Homeschooling Myths

     Moving is never easy. There are many details that need attention, there are many things that are out of your control. Having to handle the unexpected during a move is normal. And then something comes up that is a little more than the normal moving woes.

     The last thing I expected during this move was to debate on our family’s decision to homeschool. Yet, I found myself in this position earlier this week.

     I have been homeschooling since 2001. It has become a way of life for our family, all the way to my oldest graduating from high school (yes, still at home)  this past spring. Most comments I hear when people find out we homeschool are along the lines of: “Oh, Wow! that is so great for your kids.” or “Oh, I don’t think I could have the patience to teach my own kids.”. These are fairly benign and easy to dispel myths.

   But…every now and then someone comes along who is a little more persistent. I came up against that this week in a very unexpected place, my own home. We are in the process of our last move with the Air Force.  When the packers came to our house, the head guy was not shy about his feelings on homeschooling. He wanted to know why we homeschooled. Pretty easy question I am used to answering. Then he became more persistent. He began to ask things like, “What is wrong with the public schools?” ,” Why don’t you want your kids in them?”  “My kids want to be there, don’t yours?”, Who authorized your son to graduate?” and my very favorite that crops up, “Well, kids need more socialization than at home.”

     While my general policy is to politely answer questions without trying to disparage their decision to use the public school, I quickly became annoyed with this guy’s questions and running commentary.  So I did what I do best and retreated. I let my “obviously” under socialized 18 year old son deal with him. Then I went up to my computer and wrote out a little paragraph of what I would say to him if I were ever brave enough.

To the guy who is packing our furniture. You came in to pack our household goods up, not debate with me on the educational choices of my children. I have not questioned your decision to send your children to public school, please refrain from making disparaging remarks on our decision to keep them at home. And that 8 and 9 year old that sat on the couch conversing with you about the estimated weight of each box and showing you exactly on the globe where they and their family and friends live, are in obvious need of more social skills. Your offense of our family is neither warranted nor called for. You are here to do a job and be a professional, please stick to your job and I will do mine.

     The stress of moving without my husband here to help, I am sure contributed to my perceptions of this man’s comments. I was not emotionally prepared to deal with obvious disdain over how I teach my children on the day my furniture was being packed in boxes. All I can comfort myself about this whole situation is that I did the right thing by not arguing back. I let my children’s actions and words speak for themselves that we have made the right choice for our family.

Here are my “unsocialized” kids socializing for a birthday party for Rebekah this summer.

When Schedules Go Haywire

     Have you ever “shot your self in the foot” when it comes to starting your school day? This happened to me this morning.

     Yesterday we borrowed a carpet cleaning machine from a friend. I intended to clean the den, dining room and living room carpets before starting school. I gave myself an hour and a half to get this done. Now, I had planned to only move the dining room table and chairs and just clean around the other furniture. I started off with no problems, I finished the den, which is not too large and has no furniture, just a school table. I dragged the machine to the dining room. We moved  the table and I began to get to work. About half way through, I needed to change the water again and as I was putting the water back on, I noticed the little dial. The dial that said: Heavy traffic, normal clean, light clean, and water rinse. Can you guess what the dial was set on? Of course, water rinse. I had not been cleaning the carpets at all, I had only been rinsing them with water. I had been impressed at how long the shampoo had lasted, only to find out I had not been using any. So back to work, re-cleaning the carpets that I had already cleaned, this time using the carpet shampoo. It was amazing how many more stains came up with shampoo than without.

     Well, needless to say we did not start school on time. But we have rallied. Not following our schedule is hardest on Rebekah and on me. Ben and Sarah are “go with the flow” kids, but Rebekah loves her schedule. I just look at a day like today and tell Rebekah this is good practice for life. In life, there are times you just have to learn to adapt and do things in a little different way without falling.apart. So today was our, teach Rebekah how to adapt day. She did okay, but Sarah and I still had to prod and guide her every step of the way. Ending with a science video, which is very out of the ordinary for us, was a good way to end the strange, no schedule school day.

Mid-Winter Changes

     Tomorrow is the start of a new week, and a new start for the rest of the school year. Yes, it is the end of February and a Tuesday, but a new start nonetheless. This year February has been a time of being a little “out of sorts”. It is cold, the kids are not outside as much as they would like,  we have all been sick in the past month, schoolwork has begun to be drudgery. But I am attempting to change all those negatives this week.

     I have written up a new schedule, added in some “fun” lessons, like a specific art lesson every Friday. I let the kids go with me to buy a few new art supplies to add to the excitement. The girls used the scrapbooking supplies and added fancy covers for their new spiral notebook journals. The school room has been cleaned and reorganized to make things easier to find.

     Winter can seem to drag on forever up here in Idaho. We have decided to not let it get us down. Tomorrow we will begin as we always do, with worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but then we will have a new spring in our schoolwork step to keep us going strong. Lamentations 3:22-24 says it the best.

²² The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
   his mercies never come to an end;
²³they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ "The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."

Cooking Lessons

     The other day I decided to have Ben (9) and Rebekah (7) put dinner into the crockpot around noon. It really got me thinking back to one thing I know I said when we started homeschooling and what I still hear from people who are just beginning to homeschool. The phrase “We can just do cooking for math!”   I laugh inside when I hear this as over the past nine years, yes we have used cooking, but no great math curriculum has centered around the kitchen. But, I was thinking of all the other “lessons” that are learned while cooking.

      Reading:  Reading skills can be enhanced through the reading of a recipe. I insist that the recipe be read through completely before we start making anything.

    Listening and Following Directions: Listening to mom in the kitchen is very important. Listening to explanations of how to follow the recipe that was read. You have to listen to instructions on how to beat an egg, or turn on the mixer, Following directions is very important while cooking

     Obedience: This skill is of great importance while cooking.  Our rule is: if you do not obey, you are done for the day. There are no second chances. I insist on this rule because of safety. Kitchen tools can be very sharp, stoves can be hot,and  recipes can be ruined because of disobedience.

     Cooperation: The skill of cooperation is really tested in the kitchen. Seeing your brother or sister do a cooking job you want to do, or having to share that job involves a lot of give and take.  It may mean, I open this can and you open that one. Sometimes we do things like “we need two cups of water, Ben you measure and pour one cup and then Rebekah will.’

     Pride: My kids take great pride in a job well done. They love to serve what they have made. And the rest of the family gives praise for a job well done.

     Ability to accept Constructive Criticism:  Some recipes work out better than others. At these times it is important to have the ability to listen to some criticism and be able to correct it for the next time. Maybe it means not making something again, or maybe it means changing things to suit our tastes.

     Creativity: I think constructive criticism leads to creativity in the kitchen. Creativity comes when you change a recipe to suit your families tastes. It comes in trying new things, which leads back to being able to take some criticism and trying it again.

     A lot of school happens in our kitchen, but only a tiny fraction of it involves math. There are many, many  wonderful life lessons that take place in the kitchen. And the most fun of all is eating what you have prepared and sharing it with others.

Blog Cruise: Following a Schedule

This week the topic for the Blog Cruise is: Do you follow a traditional school day/time/schedule/year? As I took a month off from blogging, I decided that writing about this topic would be a good way to ease myself back into the habit of blogging.  Visit the Blog Cruise to read how other Crew members schedule their school. I am sure no two will be alike.

     We have been homeschooling for 9 years now. And for 9 years I have had the dream to school throughout the summer. For 9 years it has never happened as I have planned it. I have decided to give up the idealized dream that I will be able to school through the summer and just plan to take a summer break.  There are many different reasons why it has never worked out, sometimes we have taken vacation, sometimes I have worked an outside job in the summer and sometimes we have moved. 

     So this year we are following more of a public school “schedule”. I have to say I am following it rather loosely. We started about a week before the public school in our town started. We have taken Federal Holidays off, because my husband gets those off, and to “do school” when dad has the day off never works out. Around Thanksgiving we worked Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We left for a Christmas vacation early in December. I did pack some schoolwork and we did a modified schedule while on vacation for a week. Then took two weeks off for Christmas and then again did a modified schedule for the last week of our  vacation. Now we are back in the swing of things and plan to take a Spring break in March, for another trip, and then finish up the beginning of June.

     Since I have my kids work until they finish a book or program we usually just pick up with the same work after a break, unless a new book is needed. This means that they may need a new math or science book in the middle of the year. It seems to work well for our family. The only thing my kids find confusing is when people ask what grade they are in. They never seem to know, because they work at whatever level they need. So, I have begun telling each child, “Say, you are in ____ grade, if you are asked.” This works better than having your 9 year old get a worried look and immediately turn to you to answer for them when a clerk in a store or an acquaintance asks them this inevitable question.

     As for a daily schedule I do not necessarily follow a public school schedule, but I do make up my own schedule so we stay on track during the day. After having three kids that were able to just go with the flow and do things as I asked, I never really had a set schedule. Then my youngest started school a few years ago and that whole “no set schedule” thing went out the window. She just could not function. I had tears and fights and fits everyday. So I re-evaluated, and came up with a daily set schedule. I use this schedule for both Rebekah (7) and Ben (9) and it works very well. For Sarah (13),  I still will give her a list of subjects that need to be done and she will accomplish it. I just add in time to my schedule with Ben and Rebekah to work with Sarah. Matthew(17) is very independent. He works on his own and just e-mails me all his answers and papers.

     So I guess in a nutshell I just end up “doing my own thing”. I have some basics I follow, but can change them when needed. I have not had the experience of living in a state that required a lot of documentation for homeschoolers. For New Mexico and Montana, just sending in a form with your child’s name and grade was required and here in Idaho nothing is required, so I have been able to make my own plans as I see fit for each of my children.

This Planner’s for Me?

     I have a planner that I use.  It is from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and is FULL of information and pages to plan your entire life.  I have pulled from this planner so my daughter can make a planner of her own.  Well, no more, because The Old Schoolhouse has come up with a planner designed specifically for High School students.

     This student planner really does “have it all”. It is written to your student, not the parent.  When I asked Sarah (13) to use it and see what she thought this is what she said.

“The TOS High School Planner is  brimming full of information. It is divided into five sections. My favorite sections are Calendars, Informational Must-Knows Lists, and Organizational Forms. What I like about the calendar pages is they give you four different styles of calendars. My favorite calendar is the blank one you can fill out on your own. Some of my favorite informational must-know lists are: Famous Authors and their Works, the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal, Kitchen Conversions cheat sheet, and Seven Wonders of the Ancient world. A couple of the Organizational forms that I like are the Daily schedule, One of these Days, I would like to, My Daily Chores, and Dates to Remember. The High school planner has a lot more that I like but these are  the major ones.”

     My Sarah has always been a “planner” girl.  She absolutely loved this planner. She really liked that it was for her, not me.  We created a folder on the computer and she can access this planner whenever she needs a new form or to look up information. Then she simply prints it out and puts it in her 3 ring binder.

     Major Features

• Articles specific to High School planning
• Calendars – multiple styles
• Informational Must - Know Lists
• Homeschool Forms
• Organizational Forms

     One of the best features, in my opinion, is the ability to either print out each page and fill in by hand, or type the information in the PDF format and then print. The abundance of styles is also an asset. This way if one page, such as a daily schedule, is not working for you, there is another style to try for the next week.

     Being a planner specifically designed for homeschool high school students, there are pages dedicated to helping plan their high school careers.  Other pages let your student become involved in knowing what courses they have to look forward. They can begin to track what grades they have in certain courses on their own. Transcript pages keep track of classes they have taken. Also included when you buy this planner is a Parent Pack with articles for parents of high school students.

     Overall Sarah and I are pleased with The 2010-2011 High School Schoolhouse Planner.  We have only begun to use it, and keep finding  forms and information sheets that have been overlooked.  It has been a positive asset to our school day and beyond.

The 2010-2011 High School Schoolhouse Planner is available from The Old Schoolhouse Store. It is an e-book download with a cost of $29.00.

I received The 2010-2011 High School Schoolhouse Planner for free from The Old Schoolhouse Store in exchange for my honest review of their product.