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Neat website!

I found this really neat site today. I love old radio shows and that's what this site is!! You can subscribe to their newsletter and they will send you new shows each week! Pretty cool. We listened to one tonight and the kids enjoyed it. Here's the link. Homeschool Radio Shows Go check it out!

Hello

Good evening friends! Well, today was a pretty good day. He started really concentrating on handwriting. That's something that was never correctly addressed in public school and he hates to write because of it. But you know what! I think he enjoyed it and it was a real boost to his ego!

I talked with my sister (she's a high school math teacher) about our math program today and she helped me a lot in deciding how and what to tackle for the rest of the year and even helped me decide that we need to try something different next year.

I've read that the first year is just a lot of trial and error and that it takes a lot of time to figure out curriculum choices. I've already decided that we will not be using any of the curriculum that we are using right now, next year.

I've found some that I think we might use in different subjects. Well, history, we will probably continue with the same company again. But for Grammar I'm looking for something else. I saw one the other day that was Literature based that I think we might consider. I think it included Spelling too. Science? I'm still looking into it. Well, we'll see. I'll probably spend my summer looking. Funny! It's not even Christmas and I'm talking about Summer!

Another day with allergies

Well, it's a slow day today. DS has terrible allergies and they are really giving him fits today. He's just miserable and about the only thing that helps him to breathe is to move about. He just can't sit for long or his nose get so clogged he can't breathe at all out of his mouth.

He's done his spelling and grammar. He needs to do his math and science and reading. He also did some home economics and banking. So we are getting by today. I think we take a game of some sort to do while wait to pick up DD this afternoon.

Hope you all have a very productive day.

Today's lessons

Well, today DS is doing History, Spelling, and Math. For History we are using "History Odyssey Ancients, Level Two" so he read in "The Story of Mankind" about what we've learned from the Egyptians and wrote a little about in his History binder. Then he did the Language Pocket from "History Pockets, Ancient Egypt".

He's done his spelling and even did it well with few mistakes. We check it together so that he can see right away what he has done wrong and fix it or ask questions if he didn't understand. We are using the "Rod and Staff" spelling book. I will probably switch for next year.

For math is brushing up on his division. He's pretty good at it but I just want to be sure he really has it down. The book is a little easy in the beginning but I don't want to skip just in case something wasn't covered well enough in Public school. So far so good. We are trying to move quickly through it.

He'll also do reading later. He's reading "The Number Devil". He is enjoying it. I need to catch up with him on it. I'm behind in reading it myself.

Tonight we have "Trunk-er-Treats" at our church. The kids are really looking forward to it. We still need to decorate the trunk. We're just hanging up some inflatable pumpkins and DD made a cute poster she wants us to hang up somehow. Should be fun. Everyone is looking forward to it.

Have a great day!

Good Sunday Morning!!

Well, we are home from church and are picking up around the house and I thought I'd take a moment to update this blog.

Last week, my parents were visiting so I didn't post at all. We did do school work though. My mom helped DS a lot. I think she misses being a teacher sometimes.

Anyway, I'm still working on figuring out our Science. I want to buy the books in from TWTM for the ancients but I can't find them locally and I'm working on not using my credit cards any more. I don't use them much at all anyway except to pay for things online but I'm trying to catch up on paying it off. So, anyway, we've been using the internet right now for our science, but I need to find and do more experiments. He'd would sooooo enjoy that!

Everything else is going pretty good. This month DS and I (DD too when she is able) will be helping with the F.U.E.L ministry at our church. We are packing the bags for the kids. It should give DS and I time to talk about helping others and those who have less than us. I'm looking forward to it!

I guess that's really about it here for now. I'll try to do better. Did you see where DS posted? He thought that would be neat. He did decide that it wasn't a good idea to use yellow. It's too hard to read. Have a great week!

The point of view from DS

Hi I'm DS I home schooled and I like it. Mom can get annoying but she can get that way anyway. Today we have to take DD [that's what mom says]out of school early. Only for the dentist of course. I don't want to go. Well bye.

Better day...

Well, today has been a much better day. Yesterday's being mean must have paid off for us. He has been more focused and on target. He's been less careless. I feel like he's done everything twice as fast and much neater. YEA!! I guess sometimes he just needs a reminder that this is real.

Any unschoolers out there? I'm not sure I understand how it works. I'm too scared about it not getting learned, it being anything!!

What about Eclectic homeschoolers? Are you out there? I'm leaning more this way. Never thought I would but it seems to be what works best and keeps us the happiest. I could sure use some tips. I am constantly worrying about whether or not I'm doing it right and whether or not he's learning. I need grammar and science ideas. Do you have any?

Monday...

Well, it been a little rough today. Eventually we have to figure this out, right? It started out great but he's not grasping a few things and he's working slowly and carelessly. I made him recopy his spelling but it was just sloppy and had too many careless mistakes. I guess I'm going to have to be tougher now. Anyway, any suggestions? Anybody out there??

Backtracking...

Well, I'm finding out more about what my DS knows and what he doesn't know. I'm appalled at what they either don't teach in school or what they don't monitor to see if it's been learned! It's really unreal and rather scary.

I'm also finding that we've been "doing school" at home too. I really didn't intend to but we were. Things were going great for us until I started "doing school" when I bought that curriculum. Now we are going back to eclectic homeschooling but will still use the curriculum as a guide and check point. The problem is somethings are too easy and then others he has no clue about! What strange is that it's the really simple stuff that he somehow missed in public school. Maybe from our moves. But it's easy enough to catch up on I just have to find out those things and then search info out on the net.

It's coming but so far all the books I've read have been right. The first year is trial and error. It'll all work out.

After a long break

Well we are back after a long break. The public schools were out Monday - Wednesday, so this is a really short week for us. We had a Bible study to lead at a nursing home this morning. Then he did some grammar and science. Now we are using the History channel to do some extra history. I'm not sure that what we are using is working out for us. I need to find some things to go with what we are doing. He's just not really into it. Help! Any suggestions?

This past week

Well, we worked hard. We are having a hard time finding our rhythm. We either have too much work or not enough. Too easy or too hard. It's driving me crazy. I know it takes time to find our way.

We went on a field trip with DD's class this week. I think DS enjoyed it too.

He's really getting into e-mailing right now. It's funny. He only has family addresses right now.

Public schools are out Monday through Wednesday here so we probably will be off too. I may have do a little but his sister will be home so... He'll think it's not fair.

I do need to make my lesson plans though. I better get to it!

Boy, is it a Monday!

Well, we started out so good but have been really slowing down. He was already working on his school work when I got home from taking DD to school. I was so proud of him. He wants to get his work done early so he can do something special he's got planned. (I don't know what it is.) Anyway, he's done math but the history is taking a little more time. He's done half and is going to come back to it. He's getting ready to do grammar and spelling after a short break. He started before 9 and now it's 11 so he deserves a break.

We started a new history plan so I think it's just taking time to get used to it. Once that happens it shouldn't take as long. I think he'll really like it. It's starts out covering some we've already covered but goes into it better than we did so I want him to do it too. He's a little reluctant but he's doing it. He's actually excited about it, he just wants to get past what we had already covered. Can't blame him there.

So proud...

of me! I've got my lessons all planned for next week. I need to print a few items but other than that I'm pretty much ready for the week!! Yea me!

Friday...

Don't you just love Friday's?

Anyway, today DS has been making up the work from yesterday and doing today's work too. He's doing great! He took his spelling test and got 100%, he's done his math and did great! Now he's doing his grammar and doing well there too. We'll break for lunch when that's done. Then he'll have to do history. We will do his science project from yesterday after we pick up DD from school. (She wants to do it too!) He can do his reading while we wait in line to pick her up. (That's an hour!)

Things are going great! I'm seeing how really smart he is. I already knew it but it's good to see where he's at as far as each subject goes. He's helping much more around the house and his demeanor is so much better. He's having a hard time sometimes coping with his dad being gone but we are working through it together. He smiles more than he did and is much easier to get a long with. I'm seeing positive changes already.

YEA!!!

A sickly day

Well, DS is feeling poorly today. He didn't get much done. He did some free reading. He read over his math and grammar lessons. He didn't do any written work but we did his grammar orally. So what do you think? Does that count for a school day? Hopefully he'll be back on track tomorrow.

Happy Birthday!

Today is DS's birthday. He worked really considering. I figured I'd have a hard time getting his work done. He surprised me. He got right to work and wanted to get done so that it'd be over. He did great! He did P.E., Grammar, Math and Social Studies. He does reading at night. I'm really proud of him.

Tomorrow maybe hard. He's having a bad night, missing his dad. I hope he feels better in the morning.

Happy Homeschooling!

It's a beautiful day

So we went for a walk. It was very nice. Not too hot either. So we've had P.E. now. DS is now working on some math and then vocabulary. We're going to do some free reading today. He is in the middle of a book and is dying to read it. He is also going to do some research on volcanoes today. He was doing some science reading and said he'd like to know more about them so.... today is his lucky day. hehe I'll wager that he will have changed his mind and will tell me that he only put that down because that's all he could think of! Oh well, he'll learn.

I ordered some history curriculum yesterday and I got an email this morning that it had shipped. I got it from Classical Home Education. I'm excited. Now if we like all the Rod and Staff that I got then we will have a full curriculum! If not we'll keep looking.

I think we may spend some time in the flower beds for science. We'll plant some bulbs and maybe some fall flowers. That's science right? Hands on. We'll have some digging and clearing to do and think he will enjoy it.

Monday

Good Monday Morning! Are there any other homeschoolers out there? Just checking.

This morning DS is working on Spelling, and rewriting a book report. He's also doing some current events. Then he has some math ( he's working with decimals this week) and some history. He also some more language arts to do. He's already exercised today too. He'll practice his guitar for music.

I was looking for the 6th grade Rod and Staff grammar curriculum (it's recommended by "The Well Trained Mind.") and it would be about $50 new. I started looking for it used, and found the spelling, grammar, math and science for 6th grade for only $70! So I got it all. I don't know if I'll use it all or not but I can look it over. I think it is supposed to be pretty good. I worry more about the science part than any. If I don't use some it that's probably it.

Well, I better go for now. Any suggestions? Have a great day!

Today....

Well today Mom is feeling a little crowded, but other than that we are doing fine.

DS has done spelling/vocab and handwriting. No he is doing English. Well, he was until it came time for some instruction. I just don't think I like what we have so it's off to the drawing board again. That's okay. We have some extra reading to do today anyway that we can use for both English and reading. Now he is working on some Math review.

For music he will practice the guitar and then he has some research to do for Science ( I guess that's English too!)

I'll try to do better at updating things here. Have a good day!