tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71682477739828865062024-02-22T11:07:54.221-05:00Start Well In Your Home SchoolThe Grand Adventure of Teaching and Training Your Own Children in the Preschool and Elementary YearsVirginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-22974238497696513782016-09-03T00:55:00.000-04:002016-09-03T09:01:29.649-04:00BLISS (Or What We're Doing for 5th Grade Home School)<br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Welcome to BLISS!</span>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What's that?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Blossom Lane Institute of Spunky Sparkle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Really.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's what we decided to name our home school this year. She came up with the spunky sparkle part, because she's all about that. And I love the acronyms. I couldn't resist this one. It sums up what I want our school to be, which is anything but dull and pointless. We're happy to be together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Every morning we point to the glittery BLISS letters on our school supply bins and chant: "Blossom Lane Institute of Spunky Sparkle!" Then we give a high five and say, "Welcome to BLISS!" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's how we start our day. It's the best. And if we hit a little rough spot and get cranky, we go back to our happy chant and start over again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This year, as with the last two, I only have my youngest daughter home for school. It's been so much less complicated teaching just one than several at a time. She's in 5th grade, so I just love getting to dig in deeper with her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She will probably go to public school next year. So that means I need to make sure she's up to speed on all of her basic skills, as well as teach her whatever content I want to make sure she gets before I send her off to middle school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's our plan...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For math, we do flash card and oral drill to keep her multiplication facts fluent. She's finishing up a basic math workbook from last year, and then we'll move on to Spectrum 5th Grade math. She does <a href="https://www.sumdog.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Sum Dog</span></b></a> and other math game web sites on-line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For language arts, she has a Spectrum 5th grade Reading comprehension workbook, a Grammar Minutes workbook left over from last year, the Writer's Express text that I used with some of her older siblings, and a writing prompts journal. I have other resources available for later in the year, but this is enough for now. She's doing creative writing on her own a few times a week on the computer. Plus, she chooses a novel to read on her own for literature. Right now it's Mr. Popper's Penguins.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I keep her daily books and flash cards in a basket on the floor so I can reach in easily and hand her the next one when we're working together in the morning. I marked the top of each one with the subject so I can find them easily from the top at a glance. I also have a larger basket with other resources we don't use daily but want to have handy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The real fun for me is social studies. This year we'll be in a world geography co-op on Mondays where she will learn about culture and mapping. There isn't any homework (yay!) so the other four days we get to do our own thing. Last year my goal was to cover world history from the earliest civilizations up through the Middle Ages. We didn't finish the Middle Ages, so I decided to pick up with that again and go as long as we want. Then we'll move on to the Renaissance and Reformation era, which I'm guessing will take us up to Christmas or even beyond. I want to take the scenic route through this period of history since there is so much to learn. We love art and music, and I have a bunch of great children's biographies and historical fiction with important concepts! The public schools do world history in 6th grade, so I'm not worried if we miss some of the later time periods. However far we get, I'll at least leap frog forward to World War 2 and Holocaust studies at the end of the year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the key resources we are using right now is What Really Happened in the Middle Ages, a collection of short biographies compiled by Terri Johnson. So far we have read chapters about Theodora and Alcuin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This one below is from my own childhood in California. I have several in the series. I wondered as a young home school mom over 20 years ago where these had gone. Oddly enough, I found them in my grandparents' attic in Pennsylvania. I have loved using them with each of my children here in Florida. They are easy to understand with great words to learn for vocabulary. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So far with both of those books, I have started a spiral notebook for copy work. I jot down several phrases or sentences with key facts for each story and she copies them either while I read to her or later on. I encourage her to use her best handwriting, and pay attention to spelling and punctuation. She also does oral narrations of whatever we read, telling me what she remembers from the story. These are Charlotte Mason approach methods. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is a sampling of some other books we'll be using for the Middle Ages and then the Renaissance and Reformation era.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For science, we are taking the opposite approach. In the past, w</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">e've done unit studies on various science topics but th</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ey haven't been very comprehensive. I don't know where I found this 5th grade text, but it's a thick and visually attractive book with chapters on all the major science topics to fill in whatever gaps she has. So far we've learned about cells and part of classification for living things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our whiteboard easel always comes in handy for science.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also had a membership at the Orlando Science Center, which just expired, but we managed to pack in four visits in the first few weeks of school, once with two of my grandchildren.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My daughter is an enthusiastic artist. Her favorite YouTube channel is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ArtforKidsHub/videos" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Art for Kids Hub</a> which features drawing videos. She has hundreds of drawings in her portfolio. We organized all of her art supplies into a rolling cart which she stores in her bedroom closet. I think she spent far more on art supplies as the school year started than we did on other school materials. She has dabbled in acrylic paints. We'll do more tie dye this year, and we're both going to learn how to use a wood burning tool. She's already a pro with a hot glue gun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Like me, she is also an art museum fanatic. We have visited six of the local museums, some of them more than once. Last week, we took a spontaneous trip to one of our favorites, the Morse Museum of American Art, which claims the largest collection of stained glass work from the studio of Louis Comfort Tiffany and his colleagues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One craft project that we did is making <a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2016/08/calming-glitter-jar.html" target="_blank"><b>calming glitter jars</b></a>. That's definitely a lot of spunky sparkle!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She also loves to cook, so she's done several kitchen projects like pancakes, eggs, cookies, smoothies, and other yummy treats. Of course I'm glad she gets extra hands on practice with planning, reading instructions, measuring, food safety, and other practical skills. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So that's what we've got going so far!</span></div>
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<a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2015/10/fourth-grade-home-school-and-lots-of.html" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; line-height: 25.48px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">God bless!</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2015/10/fourth-grade-home-school-and-lots-of.html" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: block; line-height: 25.48px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Virginia Knowles</span></a><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2015/10/fourth-grade-home-school-and-lots-of.html" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18.2px; line-height: 25.48px; text-decoration: none;"><br /></a></div>
Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-27029841394321937342016-08-08T23:29:00.003-04:002016-08-08T23:29:51.029-04:00Calming Glitter Jar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">My youngest daughter is about to start fifth grade at home this week. Last week on her birthday, she went out to breakfast with Daddy near where he works. Afterwards, he brought us to his office so she could meet some of his coworkers. One of them, on hearing that she loves to draw and had received art supplies for nearly all of her presents, showed her a recently completed project, a calming glitter jar. You can turn the jar over, and the glitter will swirl and float gently down, which is both beautiful and relaxing to watch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We decided to make some. Since we were going to be visiting one of my adult daughters the next afternoon, we decided to bring the project over to her apartment and let her do it with us. Here's how we did it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We bought a dozen store brand mason jars at Walmart for about $8. These were cheaper than Ball, and had no embossed writing on them, which made them perfect for the project. We also bought clear glue and some bottles of glitter. We also bought food coloring and some extra sets of glitter packets at the dollar store.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We filled our mason jars most of the way with hot tap water and then poured in some clear glue. I started with only two ounces, then added another ounce. It could still use another ounce of so. If you are buying a five ounce bottle of glue, you might want to dump the whole thing in. More glue in the mix means the glitter falls more gradually through the water when you turn the jar over. You can use this step of the process to talk about <i>viscosity</i>.<i> </i>See, we can turn this into a science lesson as well as an art project!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please note that it has to be <i>clear</i> glue (or glitter glue) or you won't be able to see anything when you shake the bottle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I screwed the cap back on and shook thoroughly to mix the glue and water. Then I took the cap off again and added glitter. I mainly used large holographic blue glitter. Then I added in fine glitter of other shades of blue, as well as silver and gold. A mix of sizes and and shapes and colors makes the texture more interesting as the glitter swirls in the water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can also add a tiny drop of food coloring if you wish. Just an eensy bit or it will get too dark! If you want to get it just right, try formulating the color saturation before you add the glitter! (And while you have the food coloring out, you might do some other experiments, like adding different colors to a tray of milk and swirling them around. More science fun!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Put the lid back on and shake it again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This could be the end of the project, if you like. However, if you are like me or my youngest daughter, you might continue twiddling with it. You can also super glue the lid on if you like. I didn't, because I still want to be able to play around with adding more glue and some big silver glitter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is my jar with all of the glitter settled to the bottom. </span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here I've turned it over and shaken it a bit, so all of the glitter is swirling down and around and up and around and down again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is my adult daughter's version. She chose not to use food coloring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My youngest daughter made hers purple, and we made an extra one with reds, pinks, silver and gold to take to her home school evaluation that evening. It made a creative gift for her evaluators.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">She's going to make another one for Daddy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love the calming glitter jar on my desk. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I find myself shaking it several times a day.</span> It really does the trick at helping me pause and quiet my thoughts. All of the sparkly motion fascinates me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Apparently the calming glitter jar can be a big help for anxious children, too. Many therapists have their child patients make them during their visits. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I imagine that playing with the jar might be great hand-eye occupier for a fidgety child too, maybe during read aloud time. So this is a craft project that can make a lasting contribution to your school room.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you are worried about the glass jar breaking, use a plastic water bottle with the label removed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of the blog posts where I found instructions is here: <span style="color: #45818e;"><b><a href="http://happyhomefairy.com/2013/09/24/the-calm-down-glitter-jar/" target="_blank">Calm Down Glitter Jar</a></b></span> at Happy Home Fairy. You can find various other instructions on YouTube.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy shaking!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Virginia</span><br />
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<br />Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-83048165457352611102015-10-02T23:39:00.000-04:002015-10-03T01:41:47.333-04:00Fourth Grade Home School and Lots of Links<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hello again friends!</span><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2015/08/first-two-weeks-of-fourth-grade-home.html" style="background-color: white; display: block; line-height: 41.8656px;" target="_blank"></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've already done two photo posts of our school year so far, which you can find here!</span><br />
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<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2015/08/first-two-weeks-of-fourth-grade-home.html" style="display: inline !important; line-height: 41.8656px;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 41.8656px;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>First Two Weeks of Fourth Grade Home School</b></span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2015/09/two-more-weeks-of-fourth-grade.html" style="display: inline !important; line-height: 41.8656px;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Two More Weeks of Fourth Grade</b></span></a></li>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here is a subject by subject update of the most recent several weeks of school.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8crKq039LFhXm-3p3iRix8RR7mbC7ZbtKBUPiD6SGPS3qlwV1bQX0dDsvLRBgUwMPdCd0khUqFqCcl6XiD74ob1eqOFQmNhKsu3PMpo3ATMm23ObIkTIoytVh7e_7dGNT9fi9fAYUhNg/s1600/Melody+with+Lyla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8crKq039LFhXm-3p3iRix8RR7mbC7ZbtKBUPiD6SGPS3qlwV1bQX0dDsvLRBgUwMPdCd0khUqFqCcl6XiD74ob1eqOFQmNhKsu3PMpo3ATMm23ObIkTIoytVh7e_7dGNT9fi9fAYUhNg/s200/Melody+with+Lyla.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We have been studying Ancient Egypt for the past few weeks, but haven't made quite as much progress as I would have liked. Part of this is because my sweet new granddaughter was born two weeks ago. I actually planned a lighter schedule with less school days, so we just didn't have as much time as our standard three weeks for a unit. </span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O5duLgO3JGS-j00MLsjJu43cgbZ4P8CpaAxnhmG2uaQZlUD7oTS4gPfQVm-tTwUbgPApPtInIGzN3UCO-ACILV_QQbimT_pN3QLue8QQvFO6el2rCi7C3Ij4fKdY6ps9-w62HLn7mZM/s1600/World+Studies+Ancience+World+Prentice+Hall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O5duLgO3JGS-j00MLsjJu43cgbZ4P8CpaAxnhmG2uaQZlUD7oTS4gPfQVm-tTwUbgPApPtInIGzN3UCO-ACILV_QQbimT_pN3QLue8QQvFO6el2rCi7C3Ij4fKdY6ps9-w62HLn7mZM/s200/World+Studies+Ancience+World+Prentice+Hall.JPG" width="166" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have a lot of related resources on my shelf, but we didn't use many of them because it turned out that they didn't suit our purposes. Some of them were a bit much for her interest and comprehension levels, and others just duplicated each other. In the end, I decided to use the Ancient World textbook mentioned in a previous post as our core resource. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8j8Lo9oy8vx6xjT2lDv9FjC-SNWkVgxQRm-nPX8ui8SZFjG-aBg6xoU0ve3qCGQlY2-ZiOnU5jV7OrjLVQgzgLyXbKumx0c533HdXCikW_gzrKOarPZKj3xAkw5Tp73pddOniBjXVL0/s1600/Tut%2527s+Mummy+Lost+and+Found.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8j8Lo9oy8vx6xjT2lDv9FjC-SNWkVgxQRm-nPX8ui8SZFjG-aBg6xoU0ve3qCGQlY2-ZiOnU5jV7OrjLVQgzgLyXbKumx0c533HdXCikW_gzrKOarPZKj3xAkw5Tp73pddOniBjXVL0/s200/Tut%2527s+Mummy+Lost+and+Found.jpg" width="132" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
She also enjoyed Tut's Mummy Lost and Found, a Step Into Reading book suitable for 2nd grade and up. We have an older version that didn't have the full color photos as<span style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tuts-Mummy-Lost-Found-Reading/dp/0394891899" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;"><b>this one available on Amazon</b></span></a><span style="color: #333333;">.</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span>Then we just read a little and looked at pictures in other books like Eyewitness Ancient Egypt. </span><br />
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This is an example of reducing my reading expectations to fit reality. Rather than getting an in-depth look at Ancient Egypt, I chose to be satisfied with a basic introduction. If she is aware of the main concepts, can recognize visual images, and knows the meaning of basic vocabulary words, that is good enough for me. I also made a word search for her using <span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><b><a href="http://www.puzzlemaker.com/" style="line-height: 1.57143em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Puzzlemaker</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"> </span></b></span><span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">with these words: <i>archaeologist, architect, astronomer, Cairo, delta, dynasty, Egypt, flood, Giza, Hatshepsut, hieroglyphs, Horus, Isis, kingdom, mummy, Nile, Osiris, papyrus, peasant, pharaoh, pyramid, sarcophagus, scarab, slaves, sphinx, Tutankhamen</i>.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggjfFSW8c4aNSOTpnGbCvN-l-3HhhVUDtbUJPlmyIzVH8Qt7Y13JIRWQQ7fIeU-PS29VaF4G9xu_M7B8342FK0DMmPiGIQoc0ibT7cVSKY_eImMvlRdHYh0IcdAI9bdpoJQuCp3hiTcQ/s1600/Jim+Weiss+Egypt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggjfFSW8c4aNSOTpnGbCvN-l-3HhhVUDtbUJPlmyIzVH8Qt7Y13JIRWQQ7fIeU-PS29VaF4G9xu_M7B8342FK0DMmPiGIQoc0ibT7cVSKY_eImMvlRdHYh0IcdAI9bdpoJQuCp3hiTcQ/s200/Jim+Weiss+Egypt.jpg" width="198" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In addition to the books, I bought a Jim Weiss audio CD from my friend Jessica Ivey </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">called </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>Egyptian Treasures: Mummies and Myths</i></b>. We haven't finished listening to it </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">yet, but it's good! Listening in our van while we're out and about is a great way to make the most of our time.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> (Jessica would like to sell off her stock of CD's that she purchased to sell as </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">a mission trip</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> fundraiser</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, and I'd be glad to put you in touch with her.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Science</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We are continuing with our Skill Sharpeners science work book. I like to find YouTube videos to go along with the topics. Right now, she is finishing up the unit on earth science so she watched this clip:<span style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fleXP9ljZ-o" style="line-height: 1.57143em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;"><b>"What is a Glacier?"</b></span></a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 23.5714px;">Our history units cover a bit of science, too, such as how a mummy is prepared, or how a pyramid is built. How did the workers get the massive stones to the top of structure? They used ramps, an example of an inclined plane.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 23.5714px;">Since my daughter also wanted to find out how household items worked, we checked out some library books on simple machines used at home, as well as more general ones on levers and inclined planes that are used in so many modern objects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have to get a little creative with teaching math - and let my daughter be creative too.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSL816XYMOWSy__ql3fCDqqSGIQzv39OWv7aeUy0i-z1FYz_7Tih2e2o_0uxdpbL5tKo1dX2ZQsUN_Z_6zTJFqB8EOKhPIe3afaZ6iVsNdRbgqkb2CO__AgDe_bxBjipRQjc2Yord9PDY/s1600/Telescoping+surveyors+rod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSL816XYMOWSy__ql3fCDqqSGIQzv39OWv7aeUy0i-z1FYz_7Tih2e2o_0uxdpbL5tKo1dX2ZQsUN_Z_6zTJFqB8EOKhPIe3afaZ6iVsNdRbgqkb2CO__AgDe_bxBjipRQjc2Yord9PDY/s320/Telescoping+surveyors+rod.jpg" width="130" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In our Guinness World Records math book, a word problem about really long lizards asked her to convert 15 feet 7 inches into just inches. I told her that she needed to multiply 15 times 12 and then add the extra seven inches. For some reason, she couldn't wrap her brain around this even though I went through the basic concept with smaller numbers. "One foot has 12 inches. Two feet have 24 inches. Three feet have 36 inches..." and so forth. No deal. I would need to try the hands-on activity approach. My tape measure wasn't in my tool box, but then I remembered a telescoping surveyor's measuring rod that belonged to my late father-in-law, who was a civil engineer. I got it out of the storage room and extended it to about 20 of its 27 foot range. The feet are divided into tenths, rather than inches, but I figured we could work around that. I showed her how long 15 feet was, and reminded her that each foot has 12 inches. I counted by twelves up to 180 inches as I walked along the rod. She started grasping how foot to inches conversion works. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8quPQD023xADQAwL6nURTlsQwnaxGjEBCD-0T4ZTacwIqp5uTiFxxEItzOGSBo-nSIdaGQLwNp2WV7B-fidQ5nGyC-Tunh48nmkNMqlk-5MbVPaUv8OUU6f2ryxW-mSS8XC4Btn0Q6Y/s1600/Car+with+measuring+rod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8quPQD023xADQAwL6nURTlsQwnaxGjEBCD-0T4ZTacwIqp5uTiFxxEItzOGSBo-nSIdaGQLwNp2WV7B-fidQ5nGyC-Tunh48nmkNMqlk-5MbVPaUv8OUU6f2ryxW-mSS8XC4Btn0Q6Y/s200/Car+with+measuring+rod.jpg" width="149" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then she had the bright idea of getting out her toy car collection and measuring how far each one could roll alongside the rod. If one traveled 7 feet, we multiplied 7 x 12 to get 84 inches. If it went 9 feet, it was 108 inches. Not only did she have a blast, she enthusiastically made a nine minute video on my iPhone of the whole process as she described what we were doing. She got it!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7jSPemDPzw5b_6YcqZKmkwqFC7U8KncQRG8TN8usWSOJSzh8ONFa2FL1Lk35DBF0CdN_S5zPI-I4FByA0YrwAOefvluFMc7YEogSDY5kyFgIzGkODdG4Defx_BEHJbj6FI2sGF4m3Ro/s1600/White+board+with+math+problems.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7jSPemDPzw5b_6YcqZKmkwqFC7U8KncQRG8TN8usWSOJSzh8ONFa2FL1Lk35DBF0CdN_S5zPI-I4FByA0YrwAOefvluFMc7YEogSDY5kyFgIzGkODdG4Defx_BEHJbj6FI2sGF4m3Ro/s200/White+board+with+math+problems.jpg" width="166" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another recent breakthrough is that I found a whiteboard & chalkboard easel on clearance for $7.50 at IKEA. She loves to do math problems on it and make more iPhone tutorial videos.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8h-6rJZFBizX_xVYqrjtxqT6DM3sH7vy6Wh7FoEmjaBcS3WESz9GXpElnkl-ph0rMfteOH6C7UZtq1txL0pS_e2htfgACV_Q1vValnLCVgBmQwq02dtHvd6xxuyJg-hKouRlM0tB_LI/s1600/One+Minute+Math.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8h-6rJZFBizX_xVYqrjtxqT6DM3sH7vy6Wh7FoEmjaBcS3WESz9GXpElnkl-ph0rMfteOH6C7UZtq1txL0pS_e2htfgACV_Q1vValnLCVgBmQwq02dtHvd6xxuyJg-hKouRlM0tB_LI/s320/One+Minute+Math.jpg" width="241" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8K1qjvymibXSoZl_v2JAEgIXEH7ykTjTFXB5RiFW_LVpQGgHlwOphC51w4oh0-ZZW9vFjN6yuBfPslTdwLIDAftb4ilzRUhngjpY8IcApZ0sZamn8sD4NLOjEv939_oeqaQZqi-wyVY/s1600/One+Minute+Math+pages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8K1qjvymibXSoZl_v2JAEgIXEH7ykTjTFXB5RiFW_LVpQGgHlwOphC51w4oh0-ZZW9vFjN6yuBfPslTdwLIDAftb4ilzRUhngjpY8IcApZ0sZamn8sD4NLOjEv939_oeqaQZqi-wyVY/s320/One+Minute+Math+pages.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of my main math goals this year was for her to finish learning her multiplication tables fluently. We plugged away at it little by little with flash cards, apps, and web site games. Finally, she was ready for the <a href="http://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=007254" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">One Minute Math Multiplication B</span></b></a> drill book and now the facts are coming easily for her! On each page, there is a featured multiplication fact. In the photo above, there is a 7 x 8 and an 8 x 7 on every line, mixed with review of earlier facts. She is zipping through them happily. We tried timing the pages, but she gets rushed and flustered that way. It doesn't take her that much longer when I don't time her and it sure is more accurate, so there's that to think about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Language Arts</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We've kept up with our Daily Grams and BrainQuest workbooks, but I realized we were lagging on independent literature and creative writing for a few weeks. Today I told her to pick out a chapter book to read by herself. She chose an adaptation of Little Women and we set the timer for 20 minutes of independent reading. She read two chapters out loud. Yesterday, I told her to write a paragraph on anything, and she chose, "If I Could Have Three Wishes." Ice cream truck anyone? She asked me what I would wish for. I said I would like to have all of my children be happy, well-adjusted, kind, and responsible. She groaned and told me to think of something fun instead. That didn't take long. How about an all expenses paid trip to meander around European art museums and the countryside for a few months? Yep, that would be me. Awesome field trip, eh? Someday - in my dreams at least!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fine Arts</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP75uR-ge_yDkz4vpXd_lCyp2EM4Z3JSnyhQUQixVW8bezpihpsuy1vZ6QKNNbpqnMMU-M25R5QJV3aXR_FnwA5Ssxv8TEfkoj-4NW8PPsr_F4UfKK4XrWLO9w3GkTDDhI9aec48IU4M/s1600/Talako+Indian+Dancers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP75uR-ge_yDkz4vpXd_lCyp2EM4Z3JSnyhQUQixVW8bezpihpsuy1vZ6QKNNbpqnMMU-M25R5QJV3aXR_FnwA5Ssxv8TEfkoj-4NW8PPsr_F4UfKK4XrWLO9w3GkTDDhI9aec48IU4M/s320/Talako+Indian+Dancers.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Speaking of art museums... My daughter loves them, too! That makes me a very happy mommy. Last Friday, after watching a performance of the <a href="http://www.talakoindiandancers.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Talako Indian dancers</span></b></a> in a park, we went to the nearby <a href="http://www.rollins.edu/cornell-fine-arts-museum/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Cornell Fine Arts Museum</span></b></a> on the campus of Rollins College. It's not a big museum, but it's free. One of the exhibit rooms was not suitable for children due to mature photographic content. Oops! However, in another more family friendly area, they provide clipboards and art materials so kids can sketch sculptures. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuIv50x0VuAtb-aFYdpL18mxpBs5GORYDObA8GWTrHqq0myCeCwFdSY_yW8P36hIJUEs5ivKmOFfxoJ_nOLClwImz0TDeLAhl3AuIW80ndO7smk9r_4U-LJhwO_AK-ilFySLfU5cnLp8/s1600/Girl+showing+sketch+at+art+museum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuIv50x0VuAtb-aFYdpL18mxpBs5GORYDObA8GWTrHqq0myCeCwFdSY_yW8P36hIJUEs5ivKmOFfxoJ_nOLClwImz0TDeLAhl3AuIW80ndO7smk9r_4U-LJhwO_AK-ilFySLfU5cnLp8/s320/Girl+showing+sketch+at+art+museum.JPG" width="226" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRhrEyilsCgZ1CDnUxHovwgyvRKHSwfEpoysGhyphenhyphen9_GkPbLJ0CQ0ijtBiYwKVB0XGwEv-5EV_CL3UwwotDCGysbVeVghJUircnXgvorbJCi65tJ5rTKDeiXFhHzaulwrJ5PENQBGHSmgw/s1600/Girl+sketching+sculpture+at+Cornell+Fine+Arts+Museum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRhrEyilsCgZ1CDnUxHovwgyvRKHSwfEpoysGhyphenhyphen9_GkPbLJ0CQ0ijtBiYwKVB0XGwEv-5EV_CL3UwwotDCGysbVeVghJUircnXgvorbJCi65tJ5rTKDeiXFhHzaulwrJ5PENQBGHSmgw/s320/Girl+sketching+sculpture+at+Cornell+Fine+Arts+Museum.JPG" width="204" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The next day, we went to the Artlando festival. We weren't impressed with the outdoor booths, but the <a href="http://omart.org/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Orlando Museum of Art</span></b></a> was offering free admission during the festival. She had already been begging me to go there, so this was a big win! We're planning a trip to the Albin Polasek art museum soon.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMVvRkRx4-32dkF7j7hJd6A88_B2iq9s_MCh29njRZuQ5Gdr2TNUNi-MsGmv6kHlv2G9NMJSZBmVIJh234qK07wAG-y-UMrPvSFJbj8W-r84JURByshyNPV52t1Poq2xAWZNgfA864uM/s1600/Carlos+Vega+Just+Discovered.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMVvRkRx4-32dkF7j7hJd6A88_B2iq9s_MCh29njRZuQ5Gdr2TNUNi-MsGmv6kHlv2G9NMJSZBmVIJh234qK07wAG-y-UMrPvSFJbj8W-r84JURByshyNPV52t1Poq2xAWZNgfA864uM/s320/Carlos+Vega+Just+Discovered.JPG" width="306" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Look closer at the detail from the left hand side of "Just Discovered" by Carlos Vega. Stamps!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My daughter took this photo of the Chihuly glass piece.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3ay4aExwJJKBCDc06O5jcFQz2-LaVawmPJ44CIH_U0hlMTup9lemuxC-eMCQerFKtOnUIY5Li2dP0PWvwTE8ANUKfnI7JJ-chtH41cWT15H9MjErBvRIiP0KnJPsPY-XJ9_NI-qcrmI/s1600/Chihuly+glass+at+Orlando+Museum+of+Art.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3ay4aExwJJKBCDc06O5jcFQz2-LaVawmPJ44CIH_U0hlMTup9lemuxC-eMCQerFKtOnUIY5Li2dP0PWvwTE8ANUKfnI7JJ-chtH41cWT15H9MjErBvRIiP0KnJPsPY-XJ9_NI-qcrmI/s320/Chihuly+glass+at+Orlando+Museum+of+Art.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So we love art appreciation, but she's also REALLY getting into drawing. She found the <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="line-height: 1.57143em;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5XMF3Inoi8R9nSI8ChOsdQ" style="line-height: 1.57143em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Art for Kids Hub</span></a></b></span><span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 1.57143em;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 1.57143em;">channel on YouTube and she's been drawing from their lessons every morning. This is such much better than using a how-to-draw book - of which we have plenty - because of the motion and interaction. Art is also good therapy for her. It gets her brain into a calm and creative mode before we start the rest of school. Here are two of her birds, colored with oil pastels.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I took several hours this week to update her school records with all of the books read and work book pages completed. Then I planned out what we need to work on next, which is a unit study on Asia. I do all of this in <a href="https://www.evernote.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Evernote</span></b></a> on my laptop, which makes it easy to update from my iPhone Evenote app since the files are synced. I love Evernote for so many things!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That's it for now!</span><br />
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Virginia<br />
<br />Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-2554939572386195632015-09-10T23:07:00.005-04:002015-09-10T23:13:03.974-04:00Two More Weeks of Fourth GradeWe are just about to finish our fourth week of fourth grade and I can't believe it has gone that fast! Two weeks ago I wrote about <a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2015/08/first-two-weeks-of-fourth-grade-home.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">the start of our school year</span></b></a>. We are doing much the same as we were then, but we've added in a few new things.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8N6UjKssdYheQsnFW28RK-LUCv-CDtj8KVjIVbhXAOaX3zVOBbj1GyCkaDt1NbHtWbU4qDq9Or8_AFOjyB6f6hljinJXDutt_b0xqf-pcy5kcGk2lC9vyvN0PYngvVQ2cdoLzBkJ2OFk/s1600/Reptile+at+Orlando+Science+Center.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8N6UjKssdYheQsnFW28RK-LUCv-CDtj8KVjIVbhXAOaX3zVOBbj1GyCkaDt1NbHtWbU4qDq9Or8_AFOjyB6f6hljinJXDutt_b0xqf-pcy5kcGk2lC9vyvN0PYngvVQ2cdoLzBkJ2OFk/s200/Reptile+at+Orlando+Science+Center.JPG" width="200" /></a>The big thing is that I bought an annual family membership to the <a href="http://www.osc.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Orlando Science Center</b></span></a>. They have a mega-screen Cinedome theater that is several stories high, and we've already watched the movie on humpback whales, which was fascinating and inspiring. We visited several of the exhibits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4dZrwT8RbDnUQBd_BUfIVpEHExhMcKFe_BGmZ0nDovXM9MI923C8KR6XUeH_I-vReE1wG8gtCB6DoAmx2iUm27qYPwEzLhcY088zkpjZAdP3rqOAR8OJYcqXXlUfJ1RXAxcNuph13EY/s1600/hurricane+tube+at+Orlando+Science+Center.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4dZrwT8RbDnUQBd_BUfIVpEHExhMcKFe_BGmZ0nDovXM9MI923C8KR6XUeH_I-vReE1wG8gtCB6DoAmx2iUm27qYPwEzLhcY088zkpjZAdP3rqOAR8OJYcqXXlUfJ1RXAxcNuph13EY/s200/hurricane+tube+at+Orlando+Science+Center.JPG" width="200" /></a>In the weather area, she stepped into a hurricane tube and hosted a mock TV weather report. We are meeting my oldest daughter and her three young sons there tomorrow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyN-UHcvNjaenP5k-iINUS54YJ-jon8pT781Mb1GWoDYOphK1Ar4WediDlVW28JUtiRmIA5HPKntBxV0j06xzi0IgOj14UDykzNmFa1n39g1yxKWOfCrRHSHvbLyqWBhYzfpnwHoNpL8/s1600/Dinosaur+dig+at+Orlando+Science+Center.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyN-UHcvNjaenP5k-iINUS54YJ-jon8pT781Mb1GWoDYOphK1Ar4WediDlVW28JUtiRmIA5HPKntBxV0j06xzi0IgOj14UDykzNmFa1n39g1yxKWOfCrRHSHvbLyqWBhYzfpnwHoNpL8/s200/Dinosaur+dig+at+Orlando+Science+Center.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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My daughter loves activities and getting out of the house. One of her other adult sisters took her to the beach one afternoon as a belated birthday present. I guess that counts for both nature study and P.E.!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZYj3YPL1IcMaaKp743NXSoimfs2mLqhcAaEwnRLBqQ5HdaRPnvJifhSiI_rJ2ttfhGI8iZtOUKj-H4OqSuG5wFFvxkvw9UGTB9bRtvIiEL6_A6V6G7xqBJwUSOD2ChTDXMjMeU_sb1g/s1600/You+Can+Teach+Your+Child+Successfully+by+Dr.+Ruth+Beechick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZYj3YPL1IcMaaKp743NXSoimfs2mLqhcAaEwnRLBqQ5HdaRPnvJifhSiI_rJ2ttfhGI8iZtOUKj-H4OqSuG5wFFvxkvw9UGTB9bRtvIiEL6_A6V6G7xqBJwUSOD2ChTDXMjMeU_sb1g/s320/You+Can+Teach+Your+Child+Successfully+by+Dr.+Ruth+Beechick.jpg" width="205" /></a>We also switched up our morning schedule a little. She loves to start the day with an informal spelling activity. I've had the book <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=19047" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">You can Teach Your Child Successfully Grades 4-8</span></b></a> (affiliate link to CBD) by Dr. Ruth Beechick forever. She includes common word spelling lists, grouped phonetically, for grades 4-6 and 7-8. We are working our way through section by section. I read the word to her, and she spells it orally and gives me a sample sentence to go with it. If the word can mean more than one thing (such as band), she does one for each. If the word has a homophone (such as weight and wait) she spells both and gives sample sentences. If the word is a root, we try adding prefixes or suffixes to it. This is casual and interactive, and we have a lot of fun with it.<br />
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For math, I found the <b><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=024032" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Guinness World Records Math 4th Grade</span></a></b> (affiliate link for CBD) workbook for $4 on clearance at Staples. Each page spread has information and pictures about a world record, which is often science related, so it is cross-curricular. Then the student figures out several word problems using the data in the article. In the first lesson, we did multi-digit subtraction with regrouping, multiplying by 10, rounding, and creating a table, all based on animal eyesight records. This is a practical application supplement to our regular math workbook.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhwhexvFwpCvV9bXiB-9VeyAintcnqHxenlGfdk5n-PDY_5jgDu8dm2tJUFQ_gbTpnUG4hjnvU7RrTOZnP2TiNjXA_8TjyFCy-RB_LZdmT9uHyXXbYbgvZvgrOvWYsLi6KbfcCSckJYk/s1600/mug+brownie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhwhexvFwpCvV9bXiB-9VeyAintcnqHxenlGfdk5n-PDY_5jgDu8dm2tJUFQ_gbTpnUG4hjnvU7RrTOZnP2TiNjXA_8TjyFCy-RB_LZdmT9uHyXXbYbgvZvgrOvWYsLi6KbfcCSckJYk/s200/mug+brownie.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0eweGCx-NUjTRxaVt7jfM0dp6sIUSZX2_R0hZfaXBHNfPdCkm9B0GXxjMHqdPzw3_6ddr2rd5ZOyDbCkSPu4aevT91dppOGixBUMEsTpJNMxuJ6TjfPMSrIOhyphenhyphengxG3wyLfdIZP32f60/s1600/making+mug+brownies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0eweGCx-NUjTRxaVt7jfM0dp6sIUSZX2_R0hZfaXBHNfPdCkm9B0GXxjMHqdPzw3_6ddr2rd5ZOyDbCkSPu4aevT91dppOGixBUMEsTpJNMxuJ6TjfPMSrIOhyphenhyphengxG3wyLfdIZP32f60/s200/making+mug+brownies.JPG" width="183" /></a>On the computer, we enjoy the YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/FullTimeKid" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Full Time Kid with Mya</span></b></a>. She shows how to do all sorts of fun and educational stuff like making brownies in a mug (our home ec class this morning) and multiplying by 9 using your fingers. This is something my daughter can watch when I can't work with her for a while.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLBFn3ho7hHbcTvggUdr6o0Wzs_9E7deP-1b-1UHzCvfy3dP70a33DRffIkttCHNGhrm76IaJP6GDLG-vXWE8LH9mR9ctF2SG8t6-kRUXETgvMXATQD_VETUMh92rsd5W-pizZEHYPLc/s1600/materials+for+Ancient+Egypt+unit+study.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLBFn3ho7hHbcTvggUdr6o0Wzs_9E7deP-1b-1UHzCvfy3dP70a33DRffIkttCHNGhrm76IaJP6GDLG-vXWE8LH9mR9ctF2SG8t6-kRUXETgvMXATQD_VETUMh92rsd5W-pizZEHYPLc/s320/materials+for+Ancient+Egypt+unit+study.JPG" /></a>We've started our history unit study on Ancient Egypt a few days ago. So far we've read a long section from the Ancient World text, as well as several pages from an Usborne book and several pages from a book about pyramids. I was going to say that we'll rev it up a bit more next week, but then again, it's quite likely that my fifth grandchild (first granddaughter!) will be born sometime in the next several days. I'm prepared to relax our academic schedule next week so we can join in the celebration and new mommy assistance!<br />
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How is school going for you so far?<br />
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Virginia Knowles<br />
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<br />Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-13254171127245571792015-08-28T23:11:00.001-04:002015-08-28T23:15:38.504-04:00First Two Weeks of Fourth Grade Home School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53uQfjrc1EL1oCMg0sLJ2kEZ3m_rMTTH0SEqligUsAgMKu3JppelPcpJR3P3UYqEHGLEz7wCEMsDvWQW0TzYf_6bevxJAtfSPMLZfMuopv9evHQEuYZTCp-EP7RaSEuKjjvBaY_D9FzA/s1600/Little+girl+listening+to+international+music.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53uQfjrc1EL1oCMg0sLJ2kEZ3m_rMTTH0SEqligUsAgMKu3JppelPcpJR3P3UYqEHGLEz7wCEMsDvWQW0TzYf_6bevxJAtfSPMLZfMuopv9evHQEuYZTCp-EP7RaSEuKjjvBaY_D9FzA/s320/Little+girl+listening+to+international+music.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wow!
It's been exactly six months since I've posted on </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">this
blog. My youngest daughter is now two weeks into home school fourth grade. I've been home schooling for 25 years with up to 7 of my 10 kids at a time. She is the only one home with me this year, as she was last year, which makes my job things much less complicated. We were involved in co-ops for many years, but in this crazy season of life, I prefer to be at home with her every day and do what I have planned instead of what a class is doing. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This
year we're working on basic skills - especially math and writing - as
well as a heavy concentration on world history. She also has
plenty of science, literature, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and art
to work on. Added to that, we have speech therapy twice a week.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our history and geography unit studies this year include Early Civilizations (including Old Testament), Ancient Egypt, Asia, Ancient Greece, Winter Holidays Around the World, </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Africa,</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: black; line-height: 100%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">Ancient Rome, New Testament Stories, Dark & Middle Ages, and Latin America. Next year we'll pick up with the Renaissance & Reformation era up through modern times, as well as the continents of Europe, Australia, and Antarctica. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I did a huge book purge a few days before school started. Our dining room used to be lined with several bookcases of home school materials, but we're down to this small one with her books for this semester. It's right next to her desk. The others have all been moved to another room. You can see our dining room transformation <a href="http://thismomgrowsup.blogspot.com/2015/08/reclaiming-our-real-dining-room.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">here</span></b></a>. (I am so proud of it! Yay me!)</span></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyITbDvXKYbCy1RgqU9b3tp3GKf1t0QCApzvWxAOvSLpyeDUu1-qQ6Kn-usTQzTMKSeIqX1LJe8buvYGWnPHYkzpcO_5GmtJc-FHMAdRPGuUNVrfbppoWI184wqpIVUAr1EFML_wUmJh7/s320/Dining+room+and+school+room.JPG" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">Here
are just </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">some</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"> of the materials we've used so far.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Math and language skills:</span></u></b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGvyhfn0fov0YGZaYRHDXvkQcXQu6xGCm4sEKD0wvZxYX-CiUyqE_-J3Wsm6gGzugUeAaOBoZ_91pkJb7Yt-DRGMw5HPdBbzPtcjhnoYEUMXZ54xN2ZxRj9qTl4hniFpDm1g7VKiOZCU/s1600/Brain+Quest+4th+grade+workbook+multi+subject.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGvyhfn0fov0YGZaYRHDXvkQcXQu6xGCm4sEKD0wvZxYX-CiUyqE_-J3Wsm6gGzugUeAaOBoZ_91pkJb7Yt-DRGMw5HPdBbzPtcjhnoYEUMXZ54xN2ZxRj9qTl4hniFpDm1g7VKiOZCU/s320/Brain+Quest+4th+grade+workbook+multi+subject.JPG" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multi-subject workbook -<br />
we are only doing math and<br />
language arts sections now</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifleH7qxbvaEU9RWcbL874iLvglQiOkIqNFyaQz-biGJpl44-Q8xhMPgZDNqRM8cEaGgzTsUsNnsse2e0uBGdbBGI4woYvDblTMBMgYWYlUdPWoj4gUJg0M8bOh_QPP4T4TkmtumwPF14/s1600/Multiplication+flash+cards+with+answers+marked.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifleH7qxbvaEU9RWcbL874iLvglQiOkIqNFyaQz-biGJpl44-Q8xhMPgZDNqRM8cEaGgzTsUsNnsse2e0uBGdbBGI4woYvDblTMBMgYWYlUdPWoj4gUJg0M8bOh_QPP4T4TkmtumwPF14/s320/Multiplication+flash+cards+with+answers+marked.JPG" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One set with answers marked<br />
and one set with just the problems -<br />
as recommended by our evaluators</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LoPcciSrEre-wRPjtjVPTQlKG3tXfnvtpJdN47M6zqsZqVE5I8dSmFLFfhKCeCuTJqgb4enyiScnjXbDgEqVYrSu1Yu9-QvJh_5ayIdJ25IM1bwFdNjBuwWSIPDPPPFvaNsn0kNiCvQ/s1600/Multiplication+tables+poster+from+Lakeshore+Learning+Store.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LoPcciSrEre-wRPjtjVPTQlKG3tXfnvtpJdN47M6zqsZqVE5I8dSmFLFfhKCeCuTJqgb4enyiScnjXbDgEqVYrSu1Yu9-QvJh_5ayIdJ25IM1bwFdNjBuwWSIPDPPPFvaNsn0kNiCvQ/s320/Multiplication+tables+poster+from+Lakeshore+Learning+Store.JPG" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poster for her bedroom -<br />
I like the format better than<br />
the typical multiplication grid.<br />
This is easy for her to recite<br />
by fact group.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEw0UKnEsvaZ3Jh5sj8VDAV0aAQLDJtYrC6Owz6Avgy8PYPIVL8uyYZKR3e_LVb8rHvBjo_KYFAiMMaZikPqvAT-XXcGOG9RYlUYUpVTOEuSw8Np4NYLbgqnzf9dQ2W8GjuHOIMAeDkK0/s1600/71YF0FcKCPL._SX522_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEw0UKnEsvaZ3Jh5sj8VDAV0aAQLDJtYrC6Owz6Avgy8PYPIVL8uyYZKR3e_LVb8rHvBjo_KYFAiMMaZikPqvAT-XXcGOG9RYlUYUpVTOEuSw8Np4NYLbgqnzf9dQ2W8GjuHOIMAeDkK0/s320/71YF0FcKCPL._SX522_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She uses this CD-ROM for both<br />
math and language arts -<br />
all sorts of fun lesson!<br />
We also use a phone app called<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 21.3600006103516px; line-height: 21.3600006103516px; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-fact-master-addition/id419411014?mt=8" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 21.3600006103516px; line-height: 21.3600006103516px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Math Fact Master</span></b></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbLSFPHYeLoZaem9JLohn3PfrnDCJFBg2Sv9etTPJWsQfCNmMvqDybBGnIes5Fh719Ur3f-IxMWmy0t0Z6Fl-UnHkzmMVlIG7gnDpIbDwuKZtfMIRXVDQw0wyYhIUrfPocFRlkhI_ja0/s1600/Daily+Grams+3rd+grade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbLSFPHYeLoZaem9JLohn3PfrnDCJFBg2Sv9etTPJWsQfCNmMvqDybBGnIes5Fh719Ur3f-IxMWmy0t0Z6Fl-UnHkzmMVlIG7gnDpIbDwuKZtfMIRXVDQw0wyYhIUrfPocFRlkhI_ja0/s320/Daily+Grams+3rd+grade.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We didn't finish it last year<br />
and it's about the same as the<br />
4th grade workbook,<br />
so it's good enough for now.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2FeYJVetFgObTDsLkPjh6tjFZDUILOGD0IHFn0r1m3ZvCc0IGop6WOpB3iTdynpe0jcuLFwEsMdAxcIvpAfLMyY3Yy_s9gE7Bkj1vCXLNufZcN6h663xTK936MeJtANWRw37ltqvDSQ/s1600/Articulation+Station+app.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2FeYJVetFgObTDsLkPjh6tjFZDUILOGD0IHFn0r1m3ZvCc0IGop6WOpB3iTdynpe0jcuLFwEsMdAxcIvpAfLMyY3Yy_s9gE7Bkj1vCXLNufZcN6h663xTK936MeJtANWRw37ltqvDSQ/s320/Articulation+Station+app.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/articulation-station/id467415882?mt=8" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Articulation Station app</span></b></a><br />
recommended by her speech therapist</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqvDZrP_9ZOEbONAAbjTonjb8GI0phxIsfFj6T2FEBAVAiJnBj-gWRYBJUIM7BfXjSkvqmC6qJvvDznpbO8X1_ojYb-JupVAmKud2RNEDZ3LfEDXEmqRT6075-ZQ8XQ63hG3vzKjWlLY/s1600/Articulation+Station+screen+shot.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqvDZrP_9ZOEbONAAbjTonjb8GI0phxIsfFj6T2FEBAVAiJnBj-gWRYBJUIM7BfXjSkvqmC6qJvvDznpbO8X1_ojYb-JupVAmKud2RNEDZ3LfEDXEmqRT6075-ZQ8XQ63hG3vzKjWlLY/s320/Articulation+Station+screen+shot.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">World history and geography:</span></u></b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O5duLgO3JGS-j00MLsjJu43cgbZ4P8CpaAxnhmG2uaQZlUD7oTS4gPfQVm-tTwUbgPApPtInIGzN3UCO-ACILV_QQbimT_pN3QLue8QQvFO6el2rCi7C3Ij4fKdY6ps9-w62HLn7mZM/s1600/World+Studies+Ancience+World+Prentice+Hall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O5duLgO3JGS-j00MLsjJu43cgbZ4P8CpaAxnhmG2uaQZlUD7oTS4gPfQVm-tTwUbgPApPtInIGzN3UCO-ACILV_QQbimT_pN3QLue8QQvFO6el2rCi7C3Ij4fKdY6ps9-w62HLn7mZM/s320/World+Studies+Ancience+World+Prentice+Hall.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excellent core text for ancient history<br />
which I bought at our local used book store.<br />
It's a little advanced (probably <br />
middle school level?), so I read it with her.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5nbAv1rTZZuUDM9hCHr42z9P4HVRyyLqHiyB3nirdR5nmRMCQr9veCr_rcWOyigWBERrRJwrduy8Fk9cpBaTAC8kiEyL3uOAinv7Gz3enQlmaiAGe1MHnMDycBvn9sETz7GRgS4HUjk/s1600/Great+Bible+Stories+and+Master+Paintings+book.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5nbAv1rTZZuUDM9hCHr42z9P4HVRyyLqHiyB3nirdR5nmRMCQr9veCr_rcWOyigWBERrRJwrduy8Fk9cpBaTAC8kiEyL3uOAinv7Gz3enQlmaiAGe1MHnMDycBvn9sETz7GRgS4HUjk/s320/Great+Bible+Stories+and+Master+Paintings+book.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art appreciation with Bible!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53uQfjrc1EL1oCMg0sLJ2kEZ3m_rMTTH0SEqligUsAgMKu3JppelPcpJR3P3UYqEHGLEz7wCEMsDvWQW0TzYf_6bevxJAtfSPMLZfMuopv9evHQEuYZTCp-EP7RaSEuKjjvBaY_D9FzA/s1600/Little+girl+listening+to+international+music.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53uQfjrc1EL1oCMg0sLJ2kEZ3m_rMTTH0SEqligUsAgMKu3JppelPcpJR3P3UYqEHGLEz7wCEMsDvWQW0TzYf_6bevxJAtfSPMLZfMuopv9evHQEuYZTCp-EP7RaSEuKjjvBaY_D9FzA/s320/Little+girl+listening+to+international+music.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her daddy had oral surgery,<br />
so while we waited to pick him up, we went to<br />
the <b><span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">Ten Thousand Villages fair trade store</span></a> </span></b><br />
to see handcrafts from around the world.<br />
She listened to international music, too.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Science:</span></u></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZc_Qb3bgJ-rcBSvFpv3SJ9kzNlnnnf_hoTLLDIAY7P9IcZecrRFD29Rlg-tkYDAylQ1iB0GY9TxPRDlPoF3tIa3xD_km6b4XTAXUo40Lj7ByqjqT4K09pnZXaCHaL4mJjP8tC6jcK-q0/s1600/Skill+Sharpeners+Science+Grade+4+workbook+by+Evan-Moor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZc_Qb3bgJ-rcBSvFpv3SJ9kzNlnnnf_hoTLLDIAY7P9IcZecrRFD29Rlg-tkYDAylQ1iB0GY9TxPRDlPoF3tIa3xD_km6b4XTAXUo40Lj7ByqjqT4K09pnZXaCHaL4mJjP8tC6jcK-q0/s320/Skill+Sharpeners+Science+Grade+4+workbook+by+Evan-Moor.JPG" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This has reading comprehension<br />
activities for several science units.<br />
We are working on the <br />
human body unit right now.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTSNoxPP_dksQCgc7_nCazygeaBoTkWt1s_KQdaXE2E_8E-IWlyX2hBQF8G9pWAxRI08RaIjsoUxmseZJDrPD6sGfDGDaSAMksSORtKcX-OFtrxR-kJzJjwKqCs0-uYjMgeJhU9MakVk/s1600/First+Encyclopedia+of+Science+Usborne.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTSNoxPP_dksQCgc7_nCazygeaBoTkWt1s_KQdaXE2E_8E-IWlyX2hBQF8G9pWAxRI08RaIjsoUxmseZJDrPD6sGfDGDaSAMksSORtKcX-OFtrxR-kJzJjwKqCs0-uYjMgeJhU9MakVk/s320/First+Encyclopedia+of+Science+Usborne.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oJfs83wPbIotoZ0nv2EjX_wWag2XVjpPaVOxUHW1Gu38rGaws6oLTodLeAUY3nueos79V4lkdPwh2Gqii093o9L3KaXa5LPSxUYrz5P7uKKvCFhlwS5_ExIfhChaH1gH8YOYshZU9fQ/s1600/Usborne+Mysteries+%2526+Marvels+of+Nature+book.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oJfs83wPbIotoZ0nv2EjX_wWag2XVjpPaVOxUHW1Gu38rGaws6oLTodLeAUY3nueos79V4lkdPwh2Gqii093o9L3KaXa5LPSxUYrz5P7uKKvCFhlwS5_ExIfhChaH1gH8YOYshZU9fQ/s320/Usborne+Mysteries+%2526+Marvels+of+Nature+book.JPG" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Internet linked, so you can<br />
see videos and other cool stuff<br />
at the web sites listed on the pages.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTDCj0rYC0rWvibDkM4apW9dlprg-CklKhPK6nEG0XLluIcOzQXevybo4WJPr5Vwkx2BNdqrsu-TCMnutN4G-B3UhaQV1lbGnBLVdPOgXiSOsX6j0R9fZzpejfup-O2lSLljT2aPJ8H0/s1600/Internet+linked+science+studies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTDCj0rYC0rWvibDkM4apW9dlprg-CklKhPK6nEG0XLluIcOzQXevybo4WJPr5Vwkx2BNdqrsu-TCMnutN4G-B3UhaQV1lbGnBLVdPOgXiSOsX6j0R9fZzpejfup-O2lSLljT2aPJ8H0/s320/Internet+linked+science+studies.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of the web pages -<br />
with a video of a bug being caught<br />
by a venus flytrap.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Art projects and home ec:</span></u></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVWMIOLL7wS9jlyWfA7gbNqbwHYh2lCOzc1Eh3rfy7Cwsg4vIiu3i8eh9jaxyvfdqr9homS7eHsZ4e0STTI4u1YgLHWeowrFf52tGUIFjXxvEjuCT5xXLQRG2OI_0_SpCdRhnYXJNTA4/s1600/Tie-Dye+Kit+and+Soda+Ash+from+Walmart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVWMIOLL7wS9jlyWfA7gbNqbwHYh2lCOzc1Eh3rfy7Cwsg4vIiu3i8eh9jaxyvfdqr9homS7eHsZ4e0STTI4u1YgLHWeowrFf52tGUIFjXxvEjuCT5xXLQRG2OI_0_SpCdRhnYXJNTA4/s320/Tie-Dye+Kit+and+Soda+Ash+from+Walmart.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvgRUwkCOhQVAudzp-EimqdOAxPpB61rKxfcSKVogk1-BkC7uudrPb8XYwnRcpdgPDhzG756fM1bzpaajEvV_bpEho0OHz7C32eTp-mgw1VfG5KYqMgFigMlczNTlGyrH853NAg7zeoA/s1600/Tie+dye+t-shirt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvgRUwkCOhQVAudzp-EimqdOAxPpB61rKxfcSKVogk1-BkC7uudrPb8XYwnRcpdgPDhzG756fM1bzpaajEvV_bpEho0OHz7C32eTp-mgw1VfG5KYqMgFigMlczNTlGyrH853NAg7zeoA/s320/Tie+dye+t-shirt.JPG" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first day of school,<br />
we made three tie dye t-shirts<br />
for her in the afternoon!<br />
You can see all of the photos at<br />
my blog post <a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2015/08/tie-dye-radiance.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Tie Dye Radiance</span></b></a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQIC7ncmfLu0PXhoPokGTru1bwH0q936YWGCZULaVPKlcFCX8GT8AqydGlh5rY5p-WdP3UH6QPSbMCZZCSZIJPJ5N31Jh4dDibxfGXw3kzJ8gWPKToc69u719lHlaa0t8_q5g9pohDAU/s1600/Power+snacks+balls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQIC7ncmfLu0PXhoPokGTru1bwH0q936YWGCZULaVPKlcFCX8GT8AqydGlh5rY5p-WdP3UH6QPSbMCZZCSZIJPJ5N31Jh4dDibxfGXw3kzJ8gWPKToc69u719lHlaa0t8_q5g9pohDAU/s320/Power+snacks+balls.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made healthy snack balls with<br />
oatmeal, peanut butter,<br />
honey, flax, crushed almonds,<br />
coconut, cocoa powder, <span style="font-size: 19.2000007629395px;">chia seeds,</span><br />
and dried cranberries -<br />
then used them for multiplication practice<br />
(How many snack balls? 3x5 = 15<br />
How many cranberries? 15 x 3 = 45)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
This is the daily schedule we've started...<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="text-align: left; width: 438px;">
<colgroup><col width="89"></col>
<col width="331"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: 1px solid #000000; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0.04in;" width="89"><br />
<br /></td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 0.04in;" width="331"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Daily
School Schedule</b></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="89"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">9:00</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="331"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">math drill </span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="89"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">9:30</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="331"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">math work books </span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="89"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">10:00</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="331"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">world history and geography unit
study </span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="89"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">10:30</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="331"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">literature </span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="89"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">11:00</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="331"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">language work books </span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="89"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">11:30</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="331"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">writing skills &
prompt</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="89"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">12:00</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="331"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">lunch </span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="89"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">12:30</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="331"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">speech therapy appointment on two days, practice on other days</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="89"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1:00</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="331"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">drive time from speech therapy OR interpersonal communication, health,
home skills</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="89"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1:30</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="331"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">science workbook or textbooks</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="89"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2:00</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="331"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">finish work or do
project</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="89"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2:30</span></td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="331"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">as necessary: finish
work or do project</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She
is starting to work more independently, which is a very good thing for both of us,
but she still wants and needs a lot of personal input from me. She
generally gets started with her math drill on her own, though I try
to stay near by in case she has a question. Her desk is in the dining room, so I can putter in the kitchen or use my laptop at the table. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">I work with her on the
rest of math, all of world history, some of the language arts skills and literature, and some of
the science. When she writes, we come up with a creative topic and she writes up to a few paragraphs. Then we make basic corrections to her work. I sometimes write
on the same topic and we share and compare.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We
generally follow the daily schedule, but there is some flexibility if we
have interruptions or one of us isn't feeling well. I had an extended neurologist's appointment yesterday, so I told her that it was "student's
choice day." She could do anything while I was gone as long as it was at
least somewhat educational. I think she used her time well with workbooks, web sites, reading, and videos.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
We have a lot of old educational VHS videos, but did not have a working VCR anymore. I found a small TV with a built-in VCR at a thrift store for $20, which is now in her bedroom so she can watch the NEST Bible and history videos and some assorted science videos. These are great for times when I can't work with her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She says she can't wait to start our next unit on Ancient Egypt, because she wants to learn about pyramids and mummies. We already have a whole bunch of books waiting on her shelf, and I know we'll grab a lot more at the library.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLBFn3ho7hHbcTvggUdr6o0Wzs_9E7deP-1b-1UHzCvfy3dP70a33DRffIkttCHNGhrm76IaJP6GDLG-vXWE8LH9mR9ctF2SG8t6-kRUXETgvMXATQD_VETUMh92rsd5W-pizZEHYPLc/s1600/materials+for+Ancient+Egypt+unit+study.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLBFn3ho7hHbcTvggUdr6o0Wzs_9E7deP-1b-1UHzCvfy3dP70a33DRffIkttCHNGhrm76IaJP6GDLG-vXWE8LH9mR9ctF2SG8t6-kRUXETgvMXATQD_VETUMh92rsd5W-pizZEHYPLc/s320/materials+for+Ancient+Egypt+unit+study.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That's about it for now, but here are some related posts from earlier school years:</span><br />
<ul style="background-color: white; line-height: 34.1760025024414px;">
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2015/02/eclectic-home-schooling-gathering-up.html" style="display: inline !important; line-height: 41.8656005859375px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Eclectic Home Schooling: Gathering Up Bits of the World</b></span></a></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 32.0400009155273px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-week-of-home-school-third-grade.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><b><span style="color: red;">A Week of Home School Third Grade</span></b></a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 32.0400009155273px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-home-school-day-with-just-one-child.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><b><span style="color: red;">A Home School Day with Just One Child</span></b></a></span></span></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2011/09/synthesizing-your-own-style-and-duty.html" style="line-height: 32.0400009155273px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">Synthesizing Your Own Style - and - Duty and Delight</span></b></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/02/math-skills-checklist-3rd-5th-grades.html" style="line-height: 32.0400009155273px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">Math Skills Checklist 3rd-5th Grades</span></b></span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 32.0400009155273px;"><b><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/01/oral-language-learning-for-young.html" style="line-height: 32.0400009155273px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red;">Oral Language Learning for Young Children</span></a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 32.0400009155273px;"><span style="line-height: 34.1760025024414px;"><span style="line-height: 34.1760025024414px;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-plan-unit-study.html" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 34.1760025024414px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red;">How to Plan a Unit Study</span></a><b> </b></span></span></span><b style="color: red;"></b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 32.0400009155273px;"><b style="line-height: 24px;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-is-charlotte-mason-approach-to.html" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">What is the Charlotte Mason Approach to Education?</span></a></b></span></li>
<li><b style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/beauty-of-reading-aloud.html" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">The Beauty of Reading Aloud</span></a></span></b></li>
<li><b style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-read-aloud-and-enjoy-it.html" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">How to Read Aloud and Enjoy It</span></a></span></b></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'd love to hear what you are doing for school this year!</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Blessings,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Virginia Knowles</span></div>
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Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-33278010076190486082015-02-28T12:45:00.001-05:002015-03-05T23:29:14.379-05:00Eclectic Home Schooling: Gathering Up Bits of the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Eclectic Home Schooling: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Gathering Up Bits of the World</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>“Gathering up bits of the world and laying them out in an order her children can understand.” </b></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What a description of a mother who chooses the eclectic approach to home schooling!</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My third grade daughter Melody went for a speech therapy evaluation at </span><a href="http://alltherapyconnection.com/A.LL_Therapy_Connection.html" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">A.LL Therapy Connection</span></b></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">, and I spotted this quote on a piece of </span><a href="http://shop.storypeople.com/products/bits-of-the-world-fem-sculpture?variant=782982749" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">wall sculpture</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222;"> as soon as we walked into the waiting room. It is also available as a </span><a href="http://shop.storypeople.com/products/bits-of-the-world-feminine-prints?variant=781156105" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>print with a whimsical graphic design</b></span></a><span style="color: #222222;">. Nearby, I found the mosaic of a woman with children; it's made up of gathered bits and pieces of color. What else can you find in the picture? Delightful! </span></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/889/cache/03-nationalgeographic-1360744_88970_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Picture of a polar bear jumping from one piece of pack ice to the next " border="0" src="http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/889/cache/03-nationalgeographic-1360744_88970_600x450.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite polar bear picture</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We loved the therapist and the intern, and were pleased with their thorough assessment. We'll be going back twice a week starting next month, and the appointments and daily practice will be a vital part of her education. </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">As we walked out of the therapy room, I commented to therapist about how observant my daughter is of things around her. Just at the moment, Melody asked me, “What is Polar Bear Day?” Huh? She pointed to a calendar on the wall: February 27, Polar Bear Day. Alrighty. That's a question for Google! It's also a “bit of t</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">he world” that I want my daughter to understand. Later in the evening, we enjoyed the awesome polar bear pictures here: </span><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/02/pictures/150227-pictures-polar-bear-conservation-global-warming-animals/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Polar Bear Conservation at National Geographic</b></span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHqq2YC8_GSrlA70Pj8MAv7Pe3DkembkzzcJ8cljQCaL59t37wrp6onLR41a4Q2nd3wZuQwuQVlUfnnJwyYb2BMGqPryVCGOmWYZJKzVEogPQIzdL_SWGcdZh3ySxQ9FAQYy6saD6udQ/s1600/Eathing+Auntie+Anne's%2Bpretzel%2Band%2Bdrink%2Bat%2Bmall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHqq2YC8_GSrlA70Pj8MAv7Pe3DkembkzzcJ8cljQCaL59t37wrp6onLR41a4Q2nd3wZuQwuQVlUfnnJwyYb2BMGqPryVCGOmWYZJKzVEogPQIzdL_SWGcdZh3ySxQ9FAQYy6saD6udQ/s1600/Eathing+Auntie+Anne's%2Bpretzel%2Band%2Bdrink%2Bat%2Bmall.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8l6iKinTR4s293na0-l87Ke9izRQTMA2hXUlt1yRqR73fSzFg_xobcFe06FKg9rcctkic04mAbZAjE-hIqahaFYmJX1oEHahrzjo4a7-1XxSEZirkfSrNxQJpgk07GxyqUgZ_xX4cHs/s1600/Mall+directory.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8l6iKinTR4s293na0-l87Ke9izRQTMA2hXUlt1yRqR73fSzFg_xobcFe06FKg9rcctkic04mAbZAjE-hIqahaFYmJX1oEHahrzjo4a7-1XxSEZirkfSrNxQJpgk07GxyqUgZ_xX4cHs/s1600/Mall+directory.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span style="color: #222222;">After we left the speech therapy place, we headed to the mall to find an </span><a href="http://www.auntieannes.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Auntie Anne's</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222;"> pretzel shop. We had a BOGO coupon we'd gotten when they came to do a demonstration at our home school group. We rarely go to the mall, so we didn't know where the store was. Time for some life skills! I had Melody locate Auntie Anne's on the directory list and then on the diagram. Which way do we go? She figured it out and we got there! Yum!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Those are just
a few ways this eclectic mama lays out the bits of the world for a
little one to understand! What are some other methods we use t</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 100%;">o gather and present information?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u style="color: #222222;"><b>Unit
studies:</b></u><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">In our early years of home schooling with my older kids (now teens and adults), we
always used unit studies to cover history, geography, science,
literature, creative writing, art, music, and even a little math
enrichment. Now that we are no longer in formal academic co-op classes where curriculum was chosen by other teachers, we're
back to the original plan! </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphdr9M7benAliSeNixTqk-egWhFoPIiKKFCRbfl17vJLoD4vhu0JLX2pKcuonpoXVBy1Np0K41NfSPx0gQ49gEhyphenhyphenwDDaDNVQTEqNAOKBoUaKYA-9xLOqP-EF73XzDFkG-EJBIKpK7e2kB/s1600/Gift+store+at+Clara+Barton+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphdr9M7benAliSeNixTqk-egWhFoPIiKKFCRbfl17vJLoD4vhu0JLX2pKcuonpoXVBy1Np0K41NfSPx0gQ49gEhyphenhyphenwDDaDNVQTEqNAOKBoUaKYA-9xLOqP-EF73XzDFkG-EJBIKpK7e2kB/s200/Gift+store+at+Clara+Barton+house.JPG" height="200" width="199" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Right now we are studying the Civil War and late 1800's era for
history. I didn't want to get too much into memorizing factoids or exploring the gore of war. Melody is still in the idea ~ story ~ picture
phase of home schooling, and she loves biographies. I loaded up on
both chapter books and picture books about famous people like Abraham
Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Harriet
Beecher Stowe, Mary McLeod Bethune, Booker T. Washington, George
Washington Carver, Robert E. Lee, Helen Keller, Alexander Graham
Bell, and Clara Barton. (We visited </span><a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2015/02/maryland-through-my-lens-2-clara-barton.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Clara's historic American Red Cross home in Maryland</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222;"> earlier this month.) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">We are also halfway through the
American Girls series about Addie, an escaped slave. We have
lots of the Cornerstones of Freedom series about specific happenings
in the time period, such as the Underground Railroad and the
transcontinental railroad. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCz0yBuEZ5dMvF_2UWyv7DNtXDLT-lt2ZcJ5GeRufAyRAZap0BOtqV2qJhPRHJnlFjdtDHCaKXnBbKIYk90AT1_PqANRpu6EQ6m1qpZ91koMbA4IulGjJutm9Pr2nRtZoK5s2Xdsv2mBo/s1600/What+Was+the+Battle+of+Gettysburg+by+Jim+O'Connor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCz0yBuEZ5dMvF_2UWyv7DNtXDLT-lt2ZcJ5GeRufAyRAZap0BOtqV2qJhPRHJnlFjdtDHCaKXnBbKIYk90AT1_PqANRpu6EQ6m1qpZ91koMbA4IulGjJutm9Pr2nRtZoK5s2Xdsv2mBo/s1600/What+Was+the+Battle+of+Gettysburg+by+Jim+O'Connor.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Are we reading about the actual war? Yes, a little. We're
reading </span></span><span style="line-height: 100%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>What
Was the Battle of Gettysburg?</i></b> by Jim O'Connor, which </span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><span style="color: #222222;">starts with an excellent
overview of what issues and events led to the Civil War. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;"><span style="color: #222222;">Read more about unit studies here: </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 34.1760025024414px;"><span style="line-height: 34.1760025024414px;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-plan-unit-study.html" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 34.1760025024414px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Plan a Unit Study</span></a><b style="color: #cc0000;"> </b>and<b style="color: #cc0000;"> </b></span></span><b style="line-height: 36px;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/08/american-history-unit-studies-at-our.html" style="line-height: 36px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">American History Unit Studies at Our House</span></a>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u style="color: #222222;"><b>YouTube
and Google:</b></u><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">What a goldmine! Any topic we want is right there on-line. I
always have my iPod in my pocket, so sometimes when we're reading a
library book, we'll look up something related to an interesting fact
or a question she has. (Who was the president before Abraham Lincoln?
Look it up!) We
have the old NEST Animated Heroes videos that my mom gave us years
ago, but not a working VHS player. We found a treasure trove of them
on YouTube here: </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2KERQN6-4WEPo-Hkt8D_KMy5cUzNK2pa"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Animated
Hero Classics</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222;">. I
have her watch these on my laptop when I need to do something else nearby.
We also use YouTube videos to explain math concepts like multi-digit
multiplication. She likes the ones produced by </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAD83F3F24C7302FB"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">MathAntics</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222;">. The </span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/youtube-kids/2015/02/26/ec2ceac8-b9fc-11e4-a200-c008a01a6692_story.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>new
YouTube Kids app</b></span></a><span style="color: #222222;"> for mobile iOS and Android mobile devices –
perfect for a child's tablet. I can't try it out yet because
it requires iOS 7,
but you can find it in your app store.</span></span></div>
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<u style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>PBS Kids:</b></u><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On TV or on-line, PBS Kids is a marvelous educational resource. On their web site, </span><a href="http://www.pbskids.org/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">www.pbskids.org</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, you can find videos, games, and interactive activities. At their teacher resource site, </span><a href="http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">www.pbslearningmedia.org</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, it is easier to find the specific subjects and grade levels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u style="color: #222222;"><b>Reading
whenever and wherever – and talking about it:</b></u><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">We don't do all of our learning during formal school hours. The
evenings are some of Melody's favorite book times. I'll often grab a book
from our unit study pile that I think she'll enjoy, and we take turns reading aloud to each other. We read in the living room, in my bedroom, in the dining room, in waiting rooms - wherever! It is important for children to read aloud so they can practice their diction, vocal inflection, cadence, and expression - which they have picked up from listening to you read aloud. Having them read aloud helps you assess their decoding fluency. </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">Which phonics patterns need work?</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"> Are they guessing or skipping or substituting words? I often remind her to read the words slowly, exactly as they are written. If necessary, she can track along with her finger to keep her on the right pace and in the right place. As we read, we also reinforce other language
arts skills. This year, we're taking the time to notice compound
words, homophones, synonyms, adverbs, and alliteration (adjacent
words with same beginning sounds). </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfTkA-77mSWkee3tHFWwNtrQzX0qzhdWKRlGWnk3o6Vy5IFxC9rdLWNtwX2nYPL6zIZGYGCvyEQBvtVHBSwFPjfrIxnVQCH_KTl8Vzm_fHS2jtj1ycfUvNBdsSqxzTcoJI1fP7QJAs_w/s1600/If+You+Were+a+Writer+by+Joan+Lowery+Nixon+and+Bruce+Degen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfTkA-77mSWkee3tHFWwNtrQzX0qzhdWKRlGWnk3o6Vy5IFxC9rdLWNtwX2nYPL6zIZGYGCvyEQBvtVHBSwFPjfrIxnVQCH_KTl8Vzm_fHS2jtj1ycfUvNBdsSqxzTcoJI1fP7QJAs_w/s1600/If+You+Were+a+Writer+by+Joan+Lowery+Nixon+and+Bruce+Degen.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">We've also been pointing out words
that are particularly descriptive rather than vague, such as “stagger” or "prance" instead of
“walk” and “whispered” or "shrieked" instead of “said.” The book <b><i>If You Were a Writer</i></b> by Joan Lowery Nixon and Bruce Degen is a great way to introduce this concept. Looking for vivid language in books will help her choose interesting words for her own creative writing projects. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">We also comment on styles of illustrations in picture books and how they, too, communicate information and mood.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">While reading, if
there is a concept I want to emphasize, or she has a question, we
stop and talk about it. I want her to interact with the information and develop critical thinking skills. We both frequently ask why and how questions about what we see on the page. How does this concept apply to us? I was struck by something we read about how the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads competed to lay more miles of track as they worked from opposite ends toward each other. The Central Pacific got stuck on the western side of the Rocky Mountains, trying to blast tunnels through in the winter. So they sent an extra crew ahead, packing all of their supplies and equipment (including disassembled train engines and cars!) onto sleds and hauling them over the mountain. They were able to simultaneously work on both sides of the mountain, saving valuable time and getting an extra 50 miles of track laid. I drew a diagram of this for Melody so she could understand the concept. Sometimes we have to think outside the box, a valuable skill to model to our kids. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">There was no rule that they had to work in one unbroken stretch of track from A to B!</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"> Then I thought, how can I use this in my own life as a mom? In what ways can I be working ahead and getting more done? So I'm learning a lot from reading aloud with her, too! I wouldn't miss it!</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">See more here: </span><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/beauty-of-reading-aloud.html" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Beauty of Reading Aloud</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"> and </span><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-read-aloud-and-enjoy-it.html" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Read Aloud and Enjoy It</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><u style="color: #222222;"><b>Home school co-ops and classes:</b></u><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3r-96jAZWDUt9f7LzQ_z97K0Z8b9uIVm9C41Bq-4aLG2tobnOcKwFxEJzhTqwxgew12BGD1qPqZ-QINJH4U7fM6K9y06lGQeVUOK510pF5mQt9TrmTv7IJHdiuVk2AbwS0B-zuc8oXO8/s1600/Working+on+a+Geography+Fair+poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3r-96jAZWDUt9f7LzQ_z97K0Z8b9uIVm9C41Bq-4aLG2tobnOcKwFxEJzhTqwxgew12BGD1qPqZ-QINJH4U7fM6K9y06lGQeVUOK510pF5mQt9TrmTv7IJHdiuVk2AbwS0B-zuc8oXO8/s1600/Working+on+a+Geography+Fair+poster.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">For younger children like Melody, I prefer a relaxed co-op for enrichment rather than for core formal academics, so that's what we're doing this year. </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><span style="color: #222222;">I tutor high school and middle school history students at a local co-op. While I teach, Melody goes to a video-based history class. </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">She also takes a current events class there, so she has to come prepared to present a news story she has found on-line.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"> The group is hosting a Geography fair next month. Melody chose North Carolina for her project,
so we checked out some books from the library and we'll put
together a display board and a speech. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u style="color: #222222;"><b>Taking
notes:</b></u><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9V2Eaip6GNiQfbwrbvsVit_nQblkaghOzB3UjfbYD0xfyXPi9EIXNAbZ4VDQNx6FL4_ma1Xc0vSltBkbHviCORYSpsrk0E0OD6BGgW6puMmQDPEcJvg8T9saTeFRiXctkcNvwUx1e3dg/s1600/Notes+for+North+Carolina+project.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9V2Eaip6GNiQfbwrbvsVit_nQblkaghOzB3UjfbYD0xfyXPi9EIXNAbZ4VDQNx6FL4_ma1Xc0vSltBkbHviCORYSpsrk0E0OD6BGgW6puMmQDPEcJvg8T9saTeFRiXctkcNvwUx1e3dg/s1600/Notes+for+North+Carolina+project.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">North Carolina notes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Melody decided to take notes as we read about North
Carolina. I helped her. We wrote down phrases to remind us of topics
to look up again later. We're not very formal or organized about it
yet, but even starting small in this practice will help her in later
school years. We hope to take a trip to western North Carolina this summer, and we might visit some of the places we saw in the books. How about the </span><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.cherokeesmokies.com/oconaluftee_village.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Oconaluftee Cherokee village</span></a> </span></b><span style="color: #222222;">or the </span><a href="http://www.biltmore.com/" style="color: #cc0000; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Biltmore Estate</a><b style="color: #222222;"> </b><span style="color: #222222;">or the </span><a href="http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Great Smoky Mountains National Park</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222;">? Planning a trip adds interest to learning!</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Charlotte Mason Method:</u> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I love the Charlotte Mason approach to education with her emphasis on living literature, art and music appreciation, nature study, etc. She didn't advocate busy work ("twaddle") but we still use some workbooks since Melody likes them and they get the job done. Miss Mason also believed in keeping lessons short, especially for young children. It is rare that we spend more than 15 minutes on a single paper-and-pencil activity. We don't have a schedule set in stone. She has a lot of say in what we do next, though I have the final word. For nature study, we get outside a lot and go visit parks. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">On the first Monday of the month, our </span><a href="http://www.leugardens.org/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">local botanical gardens</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"> has free admission, so we're going next week.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"> Read more here: </span><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-is-charlotte-mason-approach-to.html" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">What is the Charlotte Mason Approach to Education?</span></b></a><br />
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi1ZuFGIM1PP-bmAljtxkfEMsQPfvNt4fTTqRSgm8DHNKZX4PmnH0zc7gUNs_YVhAq0E7sfP3raorWysGEDNADpx1PUWBscKdlbfLx3BwWsydekt_YSUKLJ2nf1Bh-pkNqKnrfnUDnBo/s1600/Termites+swarming+from+tree+stump.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi1ZuFGIM1PP-bmAljtxkfEMsQPfvNt4fTTqRSgm8DHNKZX4PmnH0zc7gUNs_YVhAq0E7sfP3raorWysGEDNADpx1PUWBscKdlbfLx3BwWsydekt_YSUKLJ2nf1Bh-pkNqKnrfnUDnBo/s1600/Termites+swarming+from+tree+stump.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Termites!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u><b>Random life
happenings</b></u>: </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On our way out the door to go to the library, we
discovered a swarm of insects on our old tree stump. We went to to a
pest control store and confirmed that they were reproductive
termites. I decided it would be interesting to check out a book about
termites. I had planned to study American Deserts for our next
science unit, but switched to insects on the spur of the moment. We
also checked out books on ladybugs, butterflies, bees, and ants to
supplement what we already had at home. She comes with me to the
chiropractor twice a week as I recover from back injuries I got in a
car accident a few weeks ago. Dr. Harris showed us a life size model
of a spine and explained to her how it worked with the vertebrae and
discs.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><u><b>Songs
with borrowed tunes:</b></u> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Many years ago, I wanted to teach my kids the body parts of insects, so I came up with this ditty to the tune of “Head, Shoulders, Knees
and Toes” - “Head, thorax, abdomen, abdomen! Head, thorax,
abdomen, abdomen! Two antennae, six jointed legs! Head, thorax,
abdomen, abdomen!” Now that we're studying insects, of course I had
to teach it to Melody. She loves to get up and do all the hand motions. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">We have also been practicing multiplication tables with skip counting songs.
We sing the 3s the tune of “Jingle Bells” - “3, 6, 9, 12, 15,
18, 21, 24, and 27, isn't counting fun? 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24,
and 27, 30 and we're done!” We sings 4s to the tune of “Row, Row,
Row Your Boat” - “4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, and 40.”
She was having trouble remembering the last four numbers in that sequence, so we took turns
repeating them rhythmically to each other several times before singing the song
again. We sing these in the van all the time and it's fun for her! </span>
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u style="color: #222222;"><b>Mobile
apps:</b></u><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">We can easily take along education on my iPod when we're out and
about. The main one we use is </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-fact-master-addition/id419411014?mt=8" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Math Fact Master</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222;">. You can choose any
combination of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
and tell which number ranges you want to use. It is very simple –
nothing flashy - but quite effective. You can find more that look
interesting here: </span><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/10-apps-for-math-fluency-monica-burns"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">10
Apps for Math Fluency</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222;">. You can find educational apps for all
grade levels and subjects. </span>
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9A-e7ts5xEZM-48IO1FNfVFj8__GXdvHqxHtk_1jMqnfMR0ODnyimGgk0B2nbkACE2lcrxF3jml0iPiMSkM9PuTmVGyX0a_6BMbvZ1FKOuijV7vTVKrL3jTka2ZkHF3ePGgFKsBTk9E/s1600/Brilliant+Bees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9A-e7ts5xEZM-48IO1FNfVFj8__GXdvHqxHtk_1jMqnfMR0ODnyimGgk0B2nbkACE2lcrxF3jml0iPiMSkM9PuTmVGyX0a_6BMbvZ1FKOuijV7vTVKrL3jTka2ZkHF3ePGgFKsBTk9E/s1600/Brilliant+Bees.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u style="color: #222222;"><b>Tying
it together:</b></u><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">We hadn't finished </span><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=883938" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">A Pioneer Sampler</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222;"> during our
early pioneers unit study, so we've continued to read it. As we read the
story about pioneers finding and harvesting honey from a bee tree, I
remembered that we had library books about bees for our insect unit.
We read one of them, Brilliant Bees by Linda Glaser. Later, we watched several videos on
YouTube about how bees make honey, and how they use the fascinating
waggle dance to communicate with other bees about where food is. Here
is another one we'll watch soon: </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S-ozxpIrdI"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Why
Do Honey Bees Dance?</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222;"> and one for young children: </span><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVYh6RyzWLA&feature=iv&src_vid=2S-ozxpIrdI&annotation_id=annotation_1129621651"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Do
the Waggle Dance</span></a><span style="color: #222222;">.</span></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u>Weekly
worksheet packet:</u></b> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWSqoA102KFPRp1f2AjVSsw3sBCgcBvMOfid02W5c_sczDpy2S0tEsPHO6AmsHhcxFGboA7FYjYkGCenhoiKMP_4T3BwVpEnGLczkzGmwSRu_pkohF4Er2QRgeNcjWjiEhXDBHEs7Q08/s1600/Red+folder+with+workbook+pages.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWSqoA102KFPRp1f2AjVSsw3sBCgcBvMOfid02W5c_sczDpy2S0tEsPHO6AmsHhcxFGboA7FYjYkGCenhoiKMP_4T3BwVpEnGLczkzGmwSRu_pkohF4Er2QRgeNcjWjiEhXDBHEs7Q08/s1600/Red+folder+with+workbook+pages.JPG" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Because we spend a lot of time in the van and in waiting rooms, I
like to bring schoolwork along to make the most of our time. Until
today, we would lug a heavy tote bag full of workbooks that she
wanted to use, and I worried about her leaving an important one
behind somewhere. So today I took a three-prong vinyl folder and created a worksheet packet for her. I took a week's worth of pages from
each of her workbooks – math, grammar, spelling, reading comprehension, and science – and
fastened them into the folder. If she loses it, at least it's not the whole workbook. At the end of the week, I'll take out what's she's finished
(unless it's needed as reference for a future page) and put in a
fresh batch of pages. It also gives her a goal to accomplish, and now she
doesn't have to get out several workbooks every day. Whether we are at home or away, she just needs to grab her red folder.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><b><br /></b></u>
<u style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><b>Art
supplies:</b></u><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Y1MWvKT2s2ZyINy7L-DxAJ-uH00u6NBf1RX_5C-iA_2tBrUa0q6FVRu4CDB9IedFy-Mheah0vwbK7O_7l9vqp7M_Y42lsetT3j9r5wrj7XI3xD1Deb_v2YfcApZzjlC3lclomtSGGWg/s1600/Little+girl+drawing+with+oil+pastels.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Y1MWvKT2s2ZyINy7L-DxAJ-uH00u6NBf1RX_5C-iA_2tBrUa0q6FVRu4CDB9IedFy-Mheah0vwbK7O_7l9vqp7M_Y42lsetT3j9r5wrj7XI3xD1Deb_v2YfcApZzjlC3lclomtSGGWg/s1600/Little+girl+drawing+with+oil+pastels.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">I recently bought a set of 36 Pentel oil pastels and a sketch book for
Melody.
Her artist sister is going to teach her how to use them properly very
soon to create more realistic art than with crayons. In the meantime, she's been having fun making her own
pictures. She likes to think of a category – fruits, things you
find at a movie theater, etc. - and then draw several items on a
page. I have been trying to teach myself chalkboard art. When I was working on a larger board that I had just purchased, I let her practice on a smaller one. She picked what she wanted to say: "Love one another with all your heart"! You can see my latest piece at </span><a href="http://thismomgrowsup.blogspot.com/2015/02/blessed-are-peacemakers.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Blessed Are the Peacemakers</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1J2CJOaWibt3LNG-2Papre78Hi9ts2eyvF0vPoaKEC2NI-msPSrBwWNLzdeMLzHFVG2nguSMdEQ49glEMp3USD4bOSEReOo32oYnkGOTTzRMGkbZGNO5Mj6yLhwkRoKKK87KE2XessU/s1600/Love+One+Another+With+All+Your+Heart+chalkboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1J2CJOaWibt3LNG-2Papre78Hi9ts2eyvF0vPoaKEC2NI-msPSrBwWNLzdeMLzHFVG2nguSMdEQ49glEMp3USD4bOSEReOo32oYnkGOTTzRMGkbZGNO5Mj6yLhwkRoKKK87KE2XessU/s1600/Love+One+Another+With+All+Your+Heart+chalkboard.jpg" height="191" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><b>Role
play:</b></u><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><span style="color: #222222;">Melody is really imaginative and often dresses up, gathers props, and
makes believe she is a movie director, a Chic-Fil-A worker, a
teacher, a cooking show hostess, or whatever else her heart desires.
I encourage this! It's not a waste of her educational time. She is
creating her own scenarios and dialog, and is a form of </span><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/01/oral-language-learning-for-young.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">oral composition</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222;">. Check out her hilarious </span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0f2LRToVAs" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">"Cream Cheese Toast" YouTube video</span></b></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"> that she made two years ago with my iPod, when she was only seven! She ends with "Like this video, or just like me! Press the suffocate button, or I'll be watching you!" Yes, that's another way to use YouTube - make your own videos!</span></div>
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What are some of your favorite methods for home schooling your kids? Tell us in a comment below!<br />
<br />
Related posts:<br />
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-week-of-home-school-third-grade.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>A
Week of Home School Third Grade</b></span></a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-home-school-day-with-just-one-child.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>A
Home School Day with Just One Child</b></span></a></span></span></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2011/09/synthesizing-your-own-style-and-duty.html" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Synthesizing
Your Own Style - and - Duty and Delight</b></span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/02/math-skills-checklist-3rd-5th-grades.html" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Math
Skills Checklist 3rd-5th Grades</b></span></span></a></li>
<li><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><b><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/01/oral-language-learning-for-young.html" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Oral
Language Learning for Young Children</span></a></b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 34.1760025024414px;"><span style="line-height: 34.1760025024414px;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-plan-unit-study.html" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 34.1760025024414px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Plan a Unit Study</span></a><b> </b>and<b> </b></span></span><b><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/08/american-history-unit-studies-at-our.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">American History Unit Studies at Our House</span></a></b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><b style="line-height: 24px;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-is-charlotte-mason-approach-to.html" style="line-height: 24px;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">What is the Charlotte Mason Approach to Education?</span></a></b></span></li>
<li><b style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/beauty-of-reading-aloud.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Beauty of Reading Aloud</span></a></span></b></li>
<li><b style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-read-aloud-and-enjoy-it.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">How to Read Aloud and Enjoy It</span></a></span></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This article link just appeared in my blog feed: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/01/20/ten-obvious-truths-about-educating-kids-that-keep-getting-ignored/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ten Obvious Truths About Educating Kids that Keep Getting Ignored</span></b></a>. So many of these have played into the way I try to educate my little one!</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 150%;">And another one from a Facebook link today! <a href="http://theartofsimple.net/good-digital-educational-tools/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">On-going Education: 12 Tools I Really Dig by Tsh Oxenreider</span></b></a>. </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;">Virginia Knowles</span></div>
<a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</span></b></a><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4PH2vb6i7b8h4DGtnQLV2eUsIJ7197R72dfq88D-6G5ZoUg0pVTZsmF3uROkXaQg8HHqayOra4XffFJzVnJc0cD1NZN-IlAVnz-iAFpK9CeVWVtkeRtAv-7Rp5kRjIpM7STbOxPJFXI/s1600/Little+girl+reading+with+a+stack+of+books+on+her+lap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4PH2vb6i7b8h4DGtnQLV2eUsIJ7197R72dfq88D-6G5ZoUg0pVTZsmF3uROkXaQg8HHqayOra4XffFJzVnJc0cD1NZN-IlAVnz-iAFpK9CeVWVtkeRtAv-7Rp5kRjIpM7STbOxPJFXI/s1600/Little+girl+reading+with+a+stack+of+books+on+her+lap.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>A Week of Home School Third Grade</b>
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<i><span style="color: #38761d;">[Please
note: This post contains affiliate links from Christian Book
Distributors.]</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXXYkrNnnc6nPGVFMGbqKKqdWeJFillLLmD8Ti0ALCYGqyqffRn5iudO7xrfAcG8xZgfIo8hW-PSnPNubPr7eYlw4_mNS_ospEqKaxeKe3GF6ncvThyphenhyphenI1-qjCIHlC_oBrV9t6blh4SWc/s1600/Egret+in+parking+lot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXXYkrNnnc6nPGVFMGbqKKqdWeJFillLLmD8Ti0ALCYGqyqffRn5iudO7xrfAcG8xZgfIo8hW-PSnPNubPr7eYlw4_mNS_ospEqKaxeKe3GF6ncvThyphenhyphenI1-qjCIHlC_oBrV9t6blh4SWc/s1600/Egret+in+parking+lot.JPG" height="200" width="195" /></a>A
week of home schooling my active third grader often goes by like a
blur. This week was no exception. Her question every day is, “Where are
we going today?” So as usual we were out and about a good bit. She's pretty alert, and captured the picture of this egret while we were running errands one day.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 100%;">I
look back and think about what we accomplished in each subject:</span></div>
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<u><b>Math:</b></u>
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We
stopped using the Horizons workbook before Christmas since it was moving too fast for her. It assumed she
had all her multiplication tables down, and there wasn't much sense
in continuing with it until she did. I decided then to focus primarily on
the multiplication facts, and switch to a math workshop approach with
a variety of activities. So as this week started, we were using:</div>
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</div>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8ado5zNmMLVDEy_LydHU_ZcmhDFgrLLBm46Q6bf5j_z_HgW5ayxPVQQ9S2wh8_IM6msuod2q8ahTB_ROxzEiyiTRNzcZuKwLk7N34jpC8z17W_uDW85RsurD6GcooWY0K25BjQwS4eQ/s1600/Multiplication+Rap+DVD+by+Rock+n+Learn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8ado5zNmMLVDEy_LydHU_ZcmhDFgrLLBm46Q6bf5j_z_HgW5ayxPVQQ9S2wh8_IM6msuod2q8ahTB_ROxzEiyiTRNzcZuKwLk7N34jpC8z17W_uDW85RsurD6GcooWY0K25BjQwS4eQ/s1600/Multiplication+Rap+DVD+by+Rock+n+Learn.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>
<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">flash
cards</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">oral
practice (in the van)</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">on-line
math activities such as </span><a href="http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3" style="line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">IXL</span></b></a><span style="line-height: 100%;">
and </span><a href="http://www.mathplayground.com/games.html" style="line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Math Playground</span></b></a></li>
<li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-fact-master-addition/id419411014?mt=8" style="line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Math Fact Master</span></b></a><span style="line-height: 100%;"> arithmetic app on my iPod</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">Horizons
supplemental worksheets</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">best
of all, a </span><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=775921" style="line-height: 100%;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">M</span></b></a><span style="line-height: 100%;"><b><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=775921" style="line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">ultiplication Rap</span></a><span style="color: #ff3333;"> </span></b></span><span style="line-height: 100%;">DVD that I bought a few weeks ago at Lakeshore Learning</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcrTjuKXbqFu309bIguveSqFD949hTHd5xYy5yOTCJy5lKxaqioHPIMguhNfqkI3AKAiMl34CHqw4vKL8CFe2ld3OZQUT2w33Q1phS3QElkxOVcKwLsd3zrf9lU3L9MloQUmdMXu7nT0/s1600/Spectrum+Math+Grade+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcrTjuKXbqFu309bIguveSqFD949hTHd5xYy5yOTCJy5lKxaqioHPIMguhNfqkI3AKAiMl34CHqw4vKL8CFe2ld3OZQUT2w33Q1phS3QElkxOVcKwLsd3zrf9lU3L9MloQUmdMXu7nT0/s1600/Spectrum+Math+Grade+3.jpg" height="200" width="151" /></a><span style="line-height: 100%;">On
Thursday we were in Books-A-Million and she asked me if they had
anything for math. I bought the </span><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=704563" style="line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Spectrum Math Grade 3</i></span></b></a><span style="line-height: 100%;"> workbook since it is not heavy on
multiplication, and will give her the opportunity to maintain her
other math skills like multi-digit addition and subtraction with
regrouping. I also just ordered her a new <b><a href="http://www.staples.com/JLab-Pro-7-7-Inch-Tablet-8GB-JLAB-PRO-7-/product_1187920" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">JLab tablet</span></a> </b>on sale<b> </b>(her old Asus broke) so we'll be downloading some math apps for that.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u><b>Language
Arts:</b></u>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMa5QkQyXtkvBWwSennoMuhybeVdiQpmeokpDDT9ELQmxu4QS6mOLWvaNr-nPwuWG_qXk1JJCO6Tds0iV1YJfN0sMivJbtZ0FFMQ0_7f4asOxg703Nv1nkAovZ6Mz_75x75Ky4JZp9Bg/s1600/Workbooks+and+flash+cards+for+third+grade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMa5QkQyXtkvBWwSennoMuhybeVdiQpmeokpDDT9ELQmxu4QS6mOLWvaNr-nPwuWG_qXk1JJCO6Tds0iV1YJfN0sMivJbtZ0FFMQ0_7f4asOxg703Nv1nkAovZ6Mz_75x75Ky4JZp9Bg/s1600/Workbooks+and+flash+cards+for+third+grade.JPG" height="200" width="184" /></a>She
has several language arts workbooks, but the ones we used this week were <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=981345&amp;event=1016" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Daily Grams 3rd Grade</i></span></b></a> and <b><i>Nonfiction Comprehension</i></b>. When
we bought the math workbook, we also got the<b><span style="color: #ff3333;">
</span><u><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=704599" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Spectrum Spelling Grade 3</i></span></a></u></b>.
We already had the Spectrum Word Study and
Phonics workbook
(free from a church rummage sale), but I think she needs more
targeted help with spelling instead of that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdQcllTdGosOdW6G7W3AvPh-d-zXaF6DaJwUT3Ue9dO4U4K0q-gYzNObVqD-qYjGJZvLeKxr3GZjgQ37HkLS7ql9F71E8S92fLg9VRxlNPpUfzQusUHlVoCGTRJwnXI2XfQ43idqQ6l0/s1600/Little+girl+reading.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdQcllTdGosOdW6G7W3AvPh-d-zXaF6DaJwUT3Ue9dO4U4K0q-gYzNObVqD-qYjGJZvLeKxr3GZjgQ37HkLS7ql9F71E8S92fLg9VRxlNPpUfzQusUHlVoCGTRJwnXI2XfQ43idqQ6l0/s1600/Little+girl+reading.JPG" height="200" width="173" /></a>We
took turns reading books out
loud every
day and
often in the evening. We brought books along to our therapy appointments on Wednesday to read while we waited. One night she read me a bedtime story until I
fell asleep! A few
times
she gave me oral narrations of what we had read.
As
we read, we pointed out homophones,
compound words, proper
nouns, and
other grammar concepts.
We
also discussed synonyms and antonyms.
</div>
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<u><b><br /></b></u></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u><b>Life
Skills:</b></u></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmyoFT2oIboy4D5xH449HmNrUFapVDtT9ZJyT5901pOT6u_G5cFA8wxR6RP0gQ79qbqQ1pYztn-LgrycwfbytZYHGu2AwhIkKbhnUpqm4FGf0KTaVGU9lCwVaVhbE8eXs1sTbnBv-7t4/s1600/Menu+planning.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmyoFT2oIboy4D5xH449HmNrUFapVDtT9ZJyT5901pOT6u_G5cFA8wxR6RP0gQ79qbqQ1pYztn-LgrycwfbytZYHGu2AwhIkKbhnUpqm4FGf0KTaVGU9lCwVaVhbE8eXs1sTbnBv-7t4/s1600/Menu+planning.JPG" height="320" width="300" /></a>On Monday, we decided to take
a little extra effort planning dinner meals for the week. Leafing
through recipe books was a lot of fun for her. She wrote down what we
intended to make each night, and we discussed how to balance out the meat entrees and side dishes. Then we decided what ingredients we needed and wrote out a
shopping list. It was all out of order, so we rewrote it according to
grocery aisles. I reminded her to use more legible handwriting, which
took a few tries. Then we went shopping, looked at nutrition labels
and unit pricing, and talked about how to choose the best products.<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MgNf-zfeNWRlOEuia9IRnGzMOV1Qq_TuNXlBjA78kTkrt62ysHlyPaaeJ_DjCvIycdJ2KNzVn2KLQgWejgtl2__3AHSw23iO-OeDLNe06Ir1yzAQ_MsX9-aMFvXJLX2eUKNAw5Tj4UA/s1600/Puppet+show+for+baby.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MgNf-zfeNWRlOEuia9IRnGzMOV1Qq_TuNXlBjA78kTkrt62ysHlyPaaeJ_DjCvIycdJ2KNzVn2KLQgWejgtl2__3AHSw23iO-OeDLNe06Ir1yzAQ_MsX9-aMFvXJLX2eUKNAw5Tj4UA/s1600/Puppet+show+for+baby.JPG" height="248" width="320" /></a>
On Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons, her baby nephew came to visit. She couldn't touch him
since she had just gotten over a case of impetigo, so she did a
little puppet show and sang songs for him instead.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
On Thursday, we shopped
on-line for a new tablet for her. We read reviews and compared
features before we picked one.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Since
we will be flying to
Maryland next
week, and she doesn't remember her one air trip as a baby, we
prepared a little by reading the book <b><i>If
You Were a Pilot</i></b>
by Virginia Schomp. Also
in the career realm,
she picked out <b><i>A
Day in the Life of a Musician</i></b>
by Linda Hayward.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u><b>History
and Science:</b></u></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our current unit study is on
early pioneers and farming, though we don't confine our reading
strictly to that. We have also been reading biographies and short
stories about notable women of the 19th century, such as
author Louisa May Alcott, teacher Ann Sullivan, and first female physician Elizabeth
Blackwell.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We tried starting <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=815212"><i><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Caddie
Woodlawn</span></b></i></a> a few weeks ago (see <a href="http://continuewellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/12/caddie-woodlawn-literature-study.html"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">my
free study guide</span></b></a>), but didn't get too far with that
yet. I had hoped to be done with this unit by now, but we've still
got a lot of great books to finish. My goal is to have at least the
library books read before we go out of town next week. I will save
Laura Ingalls Wilder's <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=54286" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Little House</i> series</span></b></a> for after we study the Civil War.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://g.christianbook.com/g/ebooks/covers/w185/8/883938_w185.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840 - By: Barbara Greenwood
" border="0" src="http://g.christianbook.com/g/ebooks/covers/w185/8/883938_w185.png" height="200" width="170" /></a>
Here is a sampling of the many
history and science titles we read (all or part) this week:</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=883938" style="line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><i><b><span style="color: #38761d;">A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840</span></b></i></a><span style="line-height: 100%;">
by Barbara Greenwood (my favorite resource for this unit - part fiction, with lots
of factual and practical sidebars)</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=28190EB" style="line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><i><b><span style="color: #38761d;">The Bears on Hemlock Mountain</span></b></i></a><span style="line-height: 100%;"> by Alice Dalgliesh –
an easy and fun read</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=58191" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">A is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women</span></a> </span>by Lynn Cheney (wife of Dick Cheney, VP under G.W. Bush)</span></li>
<li><i style="line-height: 100%;"><b>Hooray for Beekeeping!
</b></i><span style="line-height: 100%;">and </span><i style="line-height: 100%;"><b>Hooray for Sheep Farming! </b></i><span style="line-height: 100%;">published by
Bobbie Kalman – great for science!</span></li>
<li><i style="line-height: 100%;"><b>Pioneer Bear</b></i><span style="line-height: 100%;"> by
Joan Sandin</span></li>
<li><i style="line-height: 100%;"><b>Westward Ho! The Story
of the Pioneers</b></i><span style="line-height: 100%;"> by Lucille Recht Penner (Landmark Picture)</span></li>
<li><i style="line-height: 100%;"><b>An American Pioneer
Family</b></i><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><i style="line-height: 100%;"><b>– How They Lived </b></i><span style="line-height: 100%;">by Robin May</span></li>
<li><i style="line-height: 100%;"><b>The Value of Friendship:
The Story of Jane Addams</b></i><span style="line-height: 100%;">
by Ann Donegan Johnson – the story of the Hull House settlement
house in Chicago is one of my favorites, and Addams is a wonderful
role model of justice and mercy</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDOFqBgnoLMppiEip537NpopnY0tvWErI2oiX9KgFrA0QJYYkIOplG63RU0ZBgtioUOtuI0mCZjRybSb5GjufkWrLRyu7hG8rHtsORN2I6gCurSC6ex7Av2pRDB1gN3f221AXPkwYhNU/s1600/Narnia+mural+at+Brightlight+Books+in+Casselberry+Florida.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDOFqBgnoLMppiEip537NpopnY0tvWErI2oiX9KgFrA0QJYYkIOplG63RU0ZBgtioUOtuI0mCZjRybSb5GjufkWrLRyu7hG8rHtsORN2I6gCurSC6ex7Av2pRDB1gN3f221AXPkwYhNU/s1600/Narnia+mural+at+Brightlight+Books+in+Casselberry+Florida.JPG" height="251" width="400" /></a><span style="line-height: 100%;">On
Monday, we went to </span><b style="line-height: 100%;"><a href="https://www.brightlightbooks.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">Brightlight</span></a></b><span style="line-height: 100%;">,
my favorite used bookstore. I had about $30 store credit, and we blew it all on
books and a DVD for her. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 100%;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyByROd3Cl_rcYIsBp5APnpbUcZyfNxRq2i0UCWWxs-M1IRAjs6g2LjO8Abtb5_edDlCkGZpHV1_dNF01zjcmuPy95_x8boNzHUsP-Alyivpx-FQLJpOnKtBMETrEcGDvH3n23vGoOkjk/s1600/Children's%2Bbooks%2Bfrom%2BBrightlight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyByROd3Cl_rcYIsBp5APnpbUcZyfNxRq2i0UCWWxs-M1IRAjs6g2LjO8Abtb5_edDlCkGZpHV1_dNF01zjcmuPy95_x8boNzHUsP-Alyivpx-FQLJpOnKtBMETrEcGDvH3n23vGoOkjk/s1600/Children's%2Bbooks%2Bfrom%2BBrightlight.JPG" height="292" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Some of the books <br />from Brightlight</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;">Among other titles, I bought </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=58191" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">A is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women</span></a> </span>by Lynn Cheney, <span style="line-height: 100%;"><b><i>Kirsten Learns a Lesson</i></b> (American Girl book for our </span><span style="line-height: 100%;">current</span><span style="line-height: 100%;">
unit study), <b><i>Dust for Dinner</i></b> (an easy reader on the dust bowl for a later unit study),
and </span><b style="line-height: 100%;"><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=663964" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">Kit Kittredge</span></a></b><span style="line-height: 100%;">
(American Girl DVD on the Depression Era). She watched the DVD that
afternoon, and I watched it with her the next day. Very educational!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 100%;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 100%;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://g.christianbook.com/g/ebooks/covers/w185/3/30737_w185.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Draw Write Now, Book 3: Native Americans, North America, The Pilgrims - By: Marie Hablitzel, Kim Stitzer
" border="0" src="http://g.christianbook.com/g/ebooks/covers/w185/3/30737_w185.png" height="200" width="152" /></a><span style="line-height: 100%;">On Tuesday, we pulled out some
easy drawing books to sketch farm animals and Native Americans. One
was </span><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=30737" style="line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Draw Write Now Book 3: Native Americans, North America, the Pilgrims</i></span></b></a><span style="line-height: 100%;">.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNvkRkLoIBGyTwmTD5GVP7AQr93CwyuGQAzEexqYdHueBjWVpu0EBCymrhyphenhyphenEGZtMTNqPCRiqBjkWtXZUhY1NiHGFi7f93lPcsgZ9M3vm3nlhnMoUyn2bah19KOWOeeLL7HcpmxWLklIg/s1600/Antique+typewriter+at+Adjectives+Market.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNvkRkLoIBGyTwmTD5GVP7AQr93CwyuGQAzEexqYdHueBjWVpu0EBCymrhyphenhyphenEGZtMTNqPCRiqBjkWtXZUhY1NiHGFi7f93lPcsgZ9M3vm3nlhnMoUyn2bah19KOWOeeLL7HcpmxWLklIg/s1600/Antique+typewriter+at+Adjectives+Market.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;">On Thursday, while waiting for
my iPod battery replacement, we went to the nearby </span><a href="http://www.adjmkt.com/" style="line-height: 100%;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Adjectives Market</span></b></a><span style="line-height: 100%;"> antique and art store. The two floors are full
of historical and beautiful things, so it made a great impromptu
field trip for an hour. How vintage typewriters worked definitely piqued her interest.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
On Friday morning, I
remembered getting an e-mail about a Civil War reenactment about 25
miles from here. Prior to the main weekend events and full battles,
they were having a home school day with some of the historical
exhibits and cannon firing. Though I wasn't feeling very well, we
decided to go on the spur of the moment. We arrived late but still
had plenty of time to see what was there and to visit with friends we
had called to join us. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrx55KPEapMRfo8lGPZ7p4bJmkh25w83ITbPjNfdahj4jUgkKFuAAXuFY68bP00pGT5kHNIa-qqBdvxPFGs6JRIyq09dDLX8Nt_m2vx2o_3c9svbSxa1GQaIUJPTA0nybqQ-oPN_LboIU/s1600/Firing+the+cannon+at+Civil+War+exhibit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrx55KPEapMRfo8lGPZ7p4bJmkh25w83ITbPjNfdahj4jUgkKFuAAXuFY68bP00pGT5kHNIa-qqBdvxPFGs6JRIyq09dDLX8Nt_m2vx2o_3c9svbSxa1GQaIUJPTA0nybqQ-oPN_LboIU/s1600/Firing+the+cannon+at+Civil+War+exhibit.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cannon fired<br />
(no live ammo - flour mixed with the <br />
gunpowder made the "smoke")</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYEGDYokbyXrfUmHShBlpoKm_vyds_RcShaSO6npmz3bE8BwA1Mav6_AUC9YF3HeEaB80a7QIoRCHProGZCtVN-mT6L-QRcmz8GTuEN6l1nHmopbxy23wM92sw6sX4QaoPw3uSWbiqQg/s1600/Civil+War+Guns.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYEGDYokbyXrfUmHShBlpoKm_vyds_RcShaSO6npmz3bE8BwA1Mav6_AUC9YF3HeEaB80a7QIoRCHProGZCtVN-mT6L-QRcmz8GTuEN6l1nHmopbxy23wM92sw6sX4QaoPw3uSWbiqQg/s1600/Civil+War+Guns.JPG" height="370" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKbruof1NyIMMOilrG_ezQ_2Z2wXTBPl1xs8onCiYScaJ39P7We93VkSM24q95SQpbB1CdvKCnYonCjO3q3F9pyP-EzYf55bE29pT2LhUChJW5c_x25bopUdJnFqaVCRt7KQU4JXzkFg/s1600/Civil+War+Reenactor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKbruof1NyIMMOilrG_ezQ_2Z2wXTBPl1xs8onCiYScaJ39P7We93VkSM24q95SQpbB1CdvKCnYonCjO3q3F9pyP-EzYf55bE29pT2LhUChJW5c_x25bopUdJnFqaVCRt7KQU4JXzkFg/s1600/Civil+War+Reenactor.JPG" height="400" width="255" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIey9bLPsXvfFAP4o1bVzZKcZIGbfq4zj7YQO2YAjz32T7ZRVg3yPDBqohQ5pZMz_x7Hfv44SFp3yNUEThtzNrLOu7ti8txiFNAQ0jParpddbhNruL6FJoz8q86fFdpT1ZKOZXZY4-pY/s1600/Friends+and+southern+belle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIey9bLPsXvfFAP4o1bVzZKcZIGbfq4zj7YQO2YAjz32T7ZRVg3yPDBqohQ5pZMz_x7Hfv44SFp3yNUEThtzNrLOu7ti8txiFNAQ0jParpddbhNruL6FJoz8q86fFdpT1ZKOZXZY4-pY/s1600/Friends+and+southern+belle.JPG" height="396" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our friends with a reenactor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNG31PmRajwcQJEGfOHOQ__oAkYWtxDoeWR_79pHlNF5BRDlL3D5NTVEexgxba3JjUmSj1FQWud_61agKiJXnjNkwooZIBJUcfm1YhTegrIhNFP8iEwJvQXcUxKNLYq0dKTSlECKklmn8/s1600/Civil+War+belle+with+Mel+and+Mom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNG31PmRajwcQJEGfOHOQ__oAkYWtxDoeWR_79pHlNF5BRDlL3D5NTVEexgxba3JjUmSj1FQWud_61agKiJXnjNkwooZIBJUcfm1YhTegrIhNFP8iEwJvQXcUxKNLYq0dKTSlECKklmn8/s1600/Civil+War+belle+with+Mel+and+Mom.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we are!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidRRGkjm_LRkOAMknns7U2YAQhcag845qzu1yZ1pj9ucNp9jX4dpssN7tJQbFRRF_BXWs87q7XOJ0F2XPkj63OvIqfJ-5J6PamoRkWkAiJjAh7Igp9NY3em-3bRPj9iK9ekUTWpWRjnE/s1600/Jacob's%2BLadder%2Btoy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidRRGkjm_LRkOAMknns7U2YAQhcag845qzu1yZ1pj9ucNp9jX4dpssN7tJQbFRRF_BXWs87q7XOJ0F2XPkj63OvIqfJ-5J6PamoRkWkAiJjAh7Igp9NY3em-3bRPj9iK9ekUTWpWRjnE/s1600/Jacob's%2BLadder%2Btoy.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob's Ladder at the toy table</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowju2R6QRIGJPKRiTfKklE7PaprhcpsbnR7mQ4Zn0lnnDprj4cpqLse3S7Lblv9chEbu7PFrP7OSwy0fNjae0QKFxytqFWtZS-M9eXpNdOSgsBcbtlWNoxoNZd95Bz5nLc7zDnhBvCIY/s1600/Woodworking+booth+at+Civil+War+exhibit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowju2R6QRIGJPKRiTfKklE7PaprhcpsbnR7mQ4Zn0lnnDprj4cpqLse3S7Lblv9chEbu7PFrP7OSwy0fNjae0QKFxytqFWtZS-M9eXpNdOSgsBcbtlWNoxoNZd95Bz5nLc7zDnhBvCIY/s1600/Woodworking+booth+at+Civil+War+exhibit.JPG" height="315" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wood working booth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VtQdvEBPE4oR4efAVl98uSqZd8Aaz_fe_6iWVyYMUzmmXaMhB-NmpoBpBjWF4d66rDikuTDMr_ttF4TO6Eo-a7L2l__5a5et2vwPg054iMgGnkCOXcRYA-9uYzwb8OWnDE5OkKUK8Gk/s1600/Fry+bread+and+lemonade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VtQdvEBPE4oR4efAVl98uSqZd8Aaz_fe_6iWVyYMUzmmXaMhB-NmpoBpBjWF4d66rDikuTDMr_ttF4TO6Eo-a7L2l__5a5et2vwPg054iMgGnkCOXcRYA-9uYzwb8OWnDE5OkKUK8Gk/s1600/Fry+bread+and+lemonade.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fry bread and lemonade -<br />
the perfect end to the day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
That's the main stuff we did
for school this week! What does your typical week look like?</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Virginia Knowles</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</span></b></a></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-77436904903127329832014-11-12T08:33:00.003-05:002014-11-12T08:33:57.738-05:00The Alpha Virtues Song<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Maiandra GD', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>"The Alpha Virtues Song"</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">by Virginia Knowles</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Sung to the tune of "Jesus Loves Me"</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">I
can be <b>ALIVE</b> today!<br />
Jesus died to make the way.<br />
Now I can be born again.<br />
Eternal life will never end.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>BELIEVING</b>
in the Lord is right.<br />
We walk by faith and not by sight.<br />
When we come to God in prayer,<br />
He will show us that he cares.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>COURAGEOUS</b>
people are so brave<br />
Because they know that God will save.<br />
They go ahead and do what’s right,<br />
And turn the darkness into light.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Let’s
be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!<br />
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>DILIGENT</b>
means working hard.<br />
Don’t be lazy! Do your part!<br />
When you have a job to do,<br />
Keep on working ‘til you’re through.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">We
should be <b>ENCOURAGING</b>,<br />
Saying only helpful things.<br />
You can share about God’s grace,<br />
With a smile upon your face.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>FORGIVING</b>
is the way to win.<br />
Jesus pardoned all our sins.<br />
You should pardon others, too,<br />
When they do bad things to you.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Let’s
be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!<br />
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!<br />
<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">We
should be so <b>GENEROUS</b>,<br />
With what God has given us,<br />
To the needy, to the poor,<br />
We should give and give some more.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>HUMBLE</b>
people know they’re small.<br />
God is bigger than us all.<br />
We should serve, but never boast<br />
About how we love God the most.<br /><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Jesus
was so <b>INNOCENT</b>!<br />
He had no sin but still he went<br />
To the cross and took our place<br />
So that we could know God’s grace.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"> Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!<br /> Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></i><span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>JOYFUL</b>,
joyful people sing,<br />
Praises to the Savior King!<br />
When they see someone who’s sad,<br />
They will try to make them glad.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>KIND</b>
to others, we should be,<br />
Doing all the good we see,<br />
Don’t be rude! Be kind and sweet,<br />
To the people that you meet.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>LOVING</b>
others is the way,<br />
To make God happy every day.<br />
Jesus loves to see us care,<br />
For other people everywhere.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Let’s
be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!<br />
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></i><span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>MODEST</b>
clothing we will wear,<br />
Not too fancy or too bare.<br />
A gentle spirit and quiet heart,<br />
Is the very place to start.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">A
<b>NOBLE</b> man makes noble plans,<br />
And by noble deeds he stands.<br />
But first he takes the time to pray<br />
For the Lord to guide his way.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">We
should be <b>OBEDIENT</b>,<br />
When we do wrong we should repent.<br />
If we follow God’s commands,<br />
He will guard us with his hands.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Let’s
be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!<br />
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>PATIENT</b>
people learn to wait,<br />
Even when it seems so late.<br />
When other people bother us,<br />
Let’s be calm and never fuss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">A
<b>QUIET</b> person is not too loud,<br />
Or too busy or too proud.<br />
Listen when God speaks to you,<br />
So you’ll know what’s good and true.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>REVERENT</b>
people seek the Lord,<br />
And they love his holy word.<br />
They worship God throughout the day,<br />
As they work and as they play.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Let’s
be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!<br />
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>SELF-CONTROL</b>
is good for me,<br />
I can do what’s right, you see.<br />
I tell myself not to be bad,<br />
Because it makes my Savior sad.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>TRUTHFUL</b>,
honest, we should be,<br />
Living with integrity,<br />
We tell the truth and we will try,<br />
To never ever tell a lie.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>UNITED</b>
people make a team,<br />
God has given them a dream.<br />
Strong and weak each do their part,<br />
And work together with one heart.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Let’s
be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!<br />
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">We
can be <b>VICTORIOUS</b>,<br />
When there’s a war inside of us.<br />
More than conquerors we shall be,<br />
Jesus’ power can set us free.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Jesus
wants us to be <b>WISE</b>.<br />
To choose the best, to win the prize.<br />
Don’t be foolish, just be smart.<br />
Let Jesus be Lord of your heart.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>EXCELLENT</b>
doesn’t start with X,<br />
But still it tries to do its best.<br />
Learning new things is the way,<br />
To get better every day.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Let’s
be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!<br />
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">A
<b>YIELDED</b> person wants to please.<br />
He seeks God’s will and then agrees,<br />
To do whatever God will say,<br />
With happy heart he serves all day.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph_style_2" style="background-color: #f8f9f4; color: #929292; font-family: HoeflerText-Regular, 'Hoefler Text', 'Times New Roman', serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 19px; opacity: 1; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><b>ZEALOUS</b>
people keep God’s word,<br />
They preach so that it will be heard.<br />
The glory of the Lord comes down<br />
And fills up hearts all over town.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Maiandra GD",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Many years ago, I started writing a curriculum which
featured one virtue each week, from A to Z, with stories, craft ideas, Bible
time, science, social studies, etc. I wrote this song to go with it. I got
about half way through the project before abandoning it for lack of time.
However, many folks around the world have enjoyed the Alpha Virtues song so far.
You can sing it to the tune of Jesus Loves Me! Every three verses or so,
sing the chorus, “Let’s be like Jesus” as noted. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Note: You may want to clarify what each verse means. Looking back after all these years, I see that many of them could be misinterpreted. This is not about perfectionism or earning God's favor. And even children need appropriate personal boundaries, and there is a time for them to assertively speak up and object if those are crossed - even if they are generally supposed to value quietness and obedience and other related virtues. Just a thought!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Virginia</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-17238824088082594752014-09-15T10:05:00.000-04:002015-02-03T18:41:12.642-05:00A Home School Day with Just One Child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This year, as I mentioned in my last post, <span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; line-height: 1.4em;"><u><b><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2014/05/my-ideal-plan-for-elementary-home.html">My Ideal Plan for Elementary Home Education</a></b></u></span>, I am only home schooling one child, my nine year old daughter Melody, who is in third grade. While home schooling and juggling my other responsibilities is still quite a challenge, I have to say it is so much less complicated with only one to teach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We usually start school around 9 AM with math flash cards. I have found this is the ideal way to get her brain turned on for the day. She thinks it's fun, and it is a fairly easy review of what she already knows: addition and subtraction facts up to 20. We each take half of the deck of cards and take turns answering the problems. Then we switch piles. When she gets to the problems in her math workbook, she's got the facts fresh on her mind. If we start in straight with the workbook, she is likely to moan that she can't do it. So the math flash cards are a great way to start the day. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7e61a9sxxPUsMuHPhU05dP5Wp6LAGkRUCzzQaMOnn5lt7oPrDNdHzLED6zlKSJrkdc4pEnbaMVmokdFOCztnaisZNsoGEDbz3ZZJ1s83XF-kqXCrCbnHnK3m2Yld8NIQZX0h9Q9e3_A/s1600/Flash+cards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7e61a9sxxPUsMuHPhU05dP5Wp6LAGkRUCzzQaMOnn5lt7oPrDNdHzLED6zlKSJrkdc4pEnbaMVmokdFOCztnaisZNsoGEDbz3ZZJ1s83XF-kqXCrCbnHnK3m2Yld8NIQZX0h9Q9e3_A/s1600/Flash+cards.JPG" height="229" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, I found when I opened my flash card box that our subtraction facts cards only had the easiest facts. So I got out stack of index cards and a marker and completed the set, just like I made the addition set many years ago for a different child. I keep the sets of math fact cards in a zip lock bag.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TT9DiSwZJCzYAKMwLqXVRwL8gpCwZzG-aIJKOj3tSJQXWbpJEtUiJhRxP2wzt2xB2JNDKcAGb5rbQL5K0UdsDMqzIbKVL0e2fvDyJ_p4HkliJfwcF_ww93yZn5e7fzNEthLQcRxWjJo/s1600/Workbook+box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TT9DiSwZJCzYAKMwLqXVRwL8gpCwZzG-aIJKOj3tSJQXWbpJEtUiJhRxP2wzt2xB2JNDKcAGb5rbQL5K0UdsDMqzIbKVL0e2fvDyJ_p4HkliJfwcF_ww93yZn5e7fzNEthLQcRxWjJo/s1600/Workbook+box.JPG" height="320" width="194" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">She knocked out her math workbook - part of a test and one lesson - pretty quickly. We would normally move right on to </span><span style="font-size: large;">Daily Grams, Wordly Wise and other language arts skills after that, but she asked if we could read next. I like to be somewhat flexible with our schedule to keep her interested.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODt8PKsMvuTHov-fWvvX8KfhSq_OSWHwiNlLcI_FQX_pMebl5_SX4mcM8P6lVOzxsgbfLVWEKakVzm87mk1ezT427sPJbptKeFmp1Ps8AoRwS4oNgXdPot1b1BS6oQV48c9nc96cbmqk/s1600/Melody's%2Bdesk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODt8PKsMvuTHov-fWvvX8KfhSq_OSWHwiNlLcI_FQX_pMebl5_SX4mcM8P6lVOzxsgbfLVWEKakVzm87mk1ezT427sPJbptKeFmp1Ps8AoRwS4oNgXdPot1b1BS6oQV48c9nc96cbmqk/s1600/Melody's%2Bdesk.JPG" height="320" width="236" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So we gathered up a stack of history and science books from the shelf on her desk, and headed into the living room. We started school a month ago with unit studies on explorers and the oceans (they went together splendidly!), and now we are working on the Early Colonial Era and weather. We have a lot of books on our own shelves, and we find even more at the library. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaREHTVmrKbRDs2TlJB-WsNVDqvklwyDoawwVjPMuMtVqwSbTQFTOUx2QrG0PRUnQkTKEb60QTWCjotY-PIZxCuPgAMcEtp85raEiaUFLhS2WMa5LJaECnpy2Wn7KNEh89Al6v2dd7QQ/s1600/Unit+study+books.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaREHTVmrKbRDs2TlJB-WsNVDqvklwyDoawwVjPMuMtVqwSbTQFTOUx2QrG0PRUnQkTKEb60QTWCjotY-PIZxCuPgAMcEtp85raEiaUFLhS2WMa5LJaECnpy2Wn7KNEh89Al6v2dd7QQ/s1600/Unit+study+books.JPG" height="231" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We read several books about subjects like Pocahontas, colonial homes, and hurricanes that morning. We usually take turns reading, usually by page. I often remind her to read the words just as they are written, since sometimes she's in a hurry and leaves out or changed them. We don't just read for our unit studies. The hands on activity in our weather unit this day was learning about the water cycle by boiling ice cubes until they turned into water vapor. I also have some colonial and weather activity books that we will be using this week.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_O6p8N0bCXLGnexiT62oIXDPc1iIraI5G3FLmG1H33J-9pkI7lpJnbeBjL9cXzAL8ON8ymAtDnYS7GRETzt3I-CWFyDTZKXK_BqCzt91xVjrxFPp5iroszppyugvPo-S1mAv83MAqhjc/s1600/Asus+tablet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_O6p8N0bCXLGnexiT62oIXDPc1iIraI5G3FLmG1H33J-9pkI7lpJnbeBjL9cXzAL8ON8ymAtDnYS7GRETzt3I-CWFyDTZKXK_BqCzt91xVjrxFPp5iroszppyugvPo-S1mAv83MAqhjc/s1600/Asus+tablet.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I took a few quick breaks to do laundry and other small tasks while she got out her Asus tablet, which was a birthday present from her siblings and me. She has games and educational apps on it, and it's great for all the times we're in the car running errands or picking up the other kids from after school activities.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88Iw2ZqBHjY053Jh9zI0U_GrPxXKZUM19RE9cQdPG_St09zFM_1GVNpjm-fOFR35sgtOGuop6N_rFfCkAzFGk-37E57loTx-dmHvfX3lWUeAq4z6-9Ajw1hw4ImkfINuDiBDMtPFGka2R/s1600/IMG_2769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88Iw2ZqBHjY053Jh9zI0U_GrPxXKZUM19RE9cQdPG_St09zFM_1GVNpjm-fOFR35sgtOGuop6N_rFfCkAzFGk-37E57loTx-dmHvfX3lWUeAq4z6-9Ajw1hw4ImkfINuDiBDMtPFGka2R/s1600/IMG_2769.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lake Lily</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Melody asked if we could go somewhere. I've been planning to get a family membership at the Orlando Science Center and went on the web to check that out. I decided to wait on that a bit longer. She suggested going to Lake Lily, and that sounded good to me since there are not only water birds to feed, but a lovely Victorian era home tour at the Waterhouse Residence Museum. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAn9yQRgIxZBnASvNaUsOxGUgP5tCZiOB636Bm8_jDYipmPPwMSGf9o3RoagmMSb2XfOigfjaZfbxBj9Fi3_l1U8RxojBhv3Y2lXU3isknIJVhwA534qT7_BKAY5drCZu2Z7cwtR7tDz0/s1600/Little+girl+eating+salad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAn9yQRgIxZBnASvNaUsOxGUgP5tCZiOB636Bm8_jDYipmPPwMSGf9o3RoagmMSb2XfOigfjaZfbxBj9Fi3_l1U8RxojBhv3Y2lXU3isknIJVhwA534qT7_BKAY5drCZu2Z7cwtR7tDz0/s1600/Little+girl+eating+salad.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Instead of taking a picnic, we decided to eat lunch at home. A day or so before, I had fixed several containers of ready-to-eat salad with chunks of chicken, bacon bits, and hard-boiled egg. That was easy enough to grab.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We also had a few errands to run - the bank, library, Redbox to return a DVD. I like to make the best use of teachable moments, so I asked her what route we should take based on all of our stops. We also talked about why people use the library book drop, how the book drop works (there is a cart inside that they can roll out), why they were building an overpass, what the big crane was doing, and all sorts of other ideas.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWehjJa2n5P5_XhVuqw548BDPtB8GMwsaYlHaABHE0AJ-UY4rPrAShHFa20NLxdppX71A2zMdUjH2NGy7J1eoAXLcC9nSAEn26TIUUAUwPe0AHZ7wpjnGCAnD6bqDrMuKPREenidjHY2Q/s1600/Egrets+and+ducks+at+Lake+Lily.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWehjJa2n5P5_XhVuqw548BDPtB8GMwsaYlHaABHE0AJ-UY4rPrAShHFa20NLxdppX71A2zMdUjH2NGy7J1eoAXLcC9nSAEn26TIUUAUwPe0AHZ7wpjnGCAnD6bqDrMuKPREenidjHY2Q/s1600/Egrets+and+ducks+at+Lake+Lily.JPG" height="271" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We finally arrived at Lake Lily and decided to feed the birds first in case it started raining. The egrets were much more aggressive than the ducks at lunging for the bread bits we brought.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDZkgYAgDobDmELa3hB59-w3M8Ni_2iiK5m3lFA5sZsonVuaxWZk7qb9itgR-8f3tuWAeDtg06SqkPBTv0zuKfqvvOcykJzDaz1nLr2zuBp7wQOusUw_j_f422E6Nyys6ZQJ_OV9LoDo4/s1600/Waterhouse+Residence+Museum+at+Lake+Lily.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDZkgYAgDobDmELa3hB59-w3M8Ni_2iiK5m3lFA5sZsonVuaxWZk7qb9itgR-8f3tuWAeDtg06SqkPBTv0zuKfqvvOcykJzDaz1nLr2zuBp7wQOusUw_j_f422E6Nyys6ZQJ_OV9LoDo4/s1600/Waterhouse+Residence+Museum+at+Lake+Lily.JPG" height="320" width="298" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then we went to the museum and</span><span style="font-size: large;"> found that the tour started around 1:45. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZ-fX1W7hGoJB6oZ9_ovMVEvcLaQVBcOfdxI3XoJFCMRWErP7l_RgBwE7PaI3BziPAJZ1IqsTH3SHQTdHMwiMdrsj9L4Nefg7gz8Dounlr28Vt_yCTpIhdPn7ns0szgpn8Dlcn5HQQzBa/s1600/Information+placard+Waterhouse+Residence+Museum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZ-fX1W7hGoJB6oZ9_ovMVEvcLaQVBcOfdxI3XoJFCMRWErP7l_RgBwE7PaI3BziPAJZ1IqsTH3SHQTdHMwiMdrsj9L4Nefg7gz8Dounlr28Vt_yCTpIhdPn7ns0szgpn8Dlcn5HQQzBa/s1600/Information+placard+Waterhouse+Residence+Museum.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We had a wait a little bit on the porch and she took the time to read the informational placard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I was delighted to see that many of the items in the home were similar to ones we had seen in our colonial homes book. Since both eras were pre-electricity, butter churns and other tools were pretty much the same. She paid attention during the tour and asked a lot of questions, which was fine since there were only two other people. We also went over to the adjacent carpentry shop before we left.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">By the time we finished up, I knew we weren't going to get any more school work done at home. I did have her try to recall some of the things she had seen. Maybe we'll write about them this week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">All in all it was a great day of school! I liked the mix of skill drill, seat work, unit study reading, and activity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">You might also like to read: <a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-plan-unit-study.html" style="background-color: white; color: #351c75; line-height: 34.1760025024414px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>How to Plan a Unit Study</b></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I took a lot more pictures at the museum that you can see here: <a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-visit-to-waterhouse-residence-museum.html"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Waterhouse Residence Museum at Lake Lily.</span></b></a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In February 2015, I followed up with this post:</span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 41.8656005859375px;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>A Week of Home School Third Grade</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc6600; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 29.9040012359619px; line-height: 41.8656005859375px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Virginia Knowles</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</span></a></div>
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<br />Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-80492228291642775802014-05-29T21:33:00.000-04:002014-05-30T23:33:15.292-04:00My Ideal Plan for Elementary Home Education (With a Lot of Links!)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2K652uLqrIVCusnW27wuXyDyIVLZCN6PK2D7zY9E7nsrVyHi-fLBbMUNUk27pS5Jx2LTPRUXu_7wHYTD7ciAU26IdiesNpb1g3QM_vaUMxSSXE4QwDOS6ZJ44aBEC-gXPYb_kqLbh-A/s1600/Education+stained+glass+window+at+Valley+Forge+Washington+Memorial+Chapel+Bell+Tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2K652uLqrIVCusnW27wuXyDyIVLZCN6PK2D7zY9E7nsrVyHi-fLBbMUNUk27pS5Jx2LTPRUXu_7wHYTD7ciAU26IdiesNpb1g3QM_vaUMxSSXE4QwDOS6ZJ44aBEC-gXPYb_kqLbh-A/s1600/Education+stained+glass+window+at+Valley+Forge+Washington+Memorial+Chapel+Bell+Tower.jpg" height="320" width="291" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My Ideal Plan for Elementary Home Education</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>(With a Lot of Links!)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Honestly, when I started
teaching part-time at a private school last year and my kids transitioned into more traditional classroom education, I thought my 20+ home
schooling years were pretty much over. However, since I was not rehired and my youngest daughter has asked to come home from public school, I am now planning to home school her for two or three years</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">before I transition into full-time employment. Our last year of co-op </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">was rather frustrating and disappointing, so this is also a chance to redeem my home schooling memories and end on a happy note. I most look forward to spending time with just her. She's gotten a little lost in the shuffle the last few years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We both quickly decided we want to do what I did with her oldest five sisters (now adults) when they were in the upper elementary grades. My favorite </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">approach for 3</span><sup style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">rd</sup><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-5</span><sup style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
grades is a good mix of unit study and Charlotte Mason style, along with a
little “traditional” school and free-spirited fun.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am taking a few things into account as I customize her education. </span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">She is extremely curious and creative, so I don’t want to quench the spark in her. On the other hand, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">we both have attention deficit issues, so we’ve got some work to do with basic habits, organization, and following directions. I held her back a year already (August birthday), so we really need to nail these skills. She is not a huge fan of workbooks or formal text books, and neither am I; hence the Charlotte Mason approach of lots of real reading and real writing, the arts, history, and nature studies.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">She will be my only student at home this year, so I can focus on just her, without trying to coordinate group and individual assignments. That will give us a bit more flexibility and spontaneity. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am looking forward to that! </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Teaching a bunch of kids who all need attention at the same time can really scatter the brain.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">She will eventually return to public school. Elementary students in our area get very little history and science instruction because they are pushing basic skills for the standardized tests. The middle school and high school classes certainly do not promote a Christian perspective, so she's going to have to get that at home from me.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> She never got a substantial history education in our old co-op, and she was too young for our group history lessons the one year we stayed home.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Therefore, one of my big priorities will be giving her comprehensive, in-depth, faith-based history and science instruction.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With those factors in mind, here is what we plan to use and do this year:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Basic Skills:</u></b></span></div>
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<li><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/horizons-math-grade-3-complete/9780867179620/pd/30050?event=AFF&p=1136043&"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Horizons</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> math workbook 3rd grade</span></b></span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">math manipulatives</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">on-line math games</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/reason-handwriting-transition-student-worktext-grades/carol-retzer/9780936785400/pd/785403?event=AFF&p=1136043&"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">A Reason for Handwriting</span></a></i></b></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists</i></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> (spelling and vocabulary)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Building Thinking Skills</i></b> books</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">several grammar resources</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">chapter books that she chooses</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and I approve</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">writing assignments based on whatever she is studying, along with whatever zany
stories she makes up </span></li>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">American History:</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have dozens of non-fiction
books, picture books, fiction chapter books, project books, and videos on our
shelves. The year we were not in co-op, I
compiled a list of them on my computer, sequenced by time periods, with page
numbers, brief synopses, and reading levels. I will also use our weekly history assignment pages from that year. See </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/08/favorite-books-for-teaching-american.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Favorite Books for Teaching American History</b></span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Science:</u></b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">science units on botany, zoology, and earth science using the books and videos we have on hand, as well as the Internet</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">nature walks around the neighborhood and in local parks</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">visit the
Orlando Science Center once a month (I
am about to get an annual family membership for $135 next week so I can take all of the
kids to the IMAX movies over the summer, too.)</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>Other Subjects</u></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bible -</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> real version, picture books, and videos</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">P.E. at the co-op while I teach, as well as soccer at a local church</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">arts and crafts on her own at the desk I just set up with art supplies in the dining room - we have a lot of drawing and craft books!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">home skills - learn basic household skills, keep her room clean, cook together, visit her four small nephews (my grandchildren)</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">music - sing favorite songs and American patriotic and folk songs</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Christmas - Advent unit study with stories, songs, poems,
and crafts</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">(Note that I'm trying to keep it simple with this last section. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.)</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, there you have it! That’s what we’re doing for school for
2014-2015!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I thought through this article, I realized that I have a lot of blog posts about the foundations of elementary education.
Here are some of my favorites:<br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Home Schooling Approaches</u></b></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2011/09/synthesizing-your-own-style-and-duty.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Synthesizing
Your Own Style - and - Duty and Delight</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-plan-unit-study.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How
to Plan a Unit Study</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/11/choosing-your-approach-to-home.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Choosing
Your Approach to Home Education: Where Are You Coming From?</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/respect-ages-and-stages-of-childhood.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Respect
the Ages and Stages of Childhood Learning</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-were-doing-for-elementary-school.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What
We're Doing for Elementary School (2012-2013)</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-is-charlotte-mason-approach-to.html"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">What
is the Charlotte Mason Approach to Education?</span></span></a></li>
</ul>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">Logistics</span></u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2014/04/saving-money-and-adding-variety-with.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Saving
Money and Adding Variety with Used Curriculum</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/08/weekly-grading-and-lesson-planning.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Weekly
Grading and Lesson Planning</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/01/problem-solving-in-your-home-school.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Problem
Solving in Your Home School</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/09/home-school-rules.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Home
School Rules</span></a></li>
</ul>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">Basic Skills</span></u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/02/math-skills-checklist-3rd-5th-grades.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Math
Skills Checklist 3rd-5th Grades</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/math-skills-checklist-from-preschool-to.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Math
Skills Checklist from Preschool to 2nd Grade</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/01/oral-language-learning-for-young.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oral
Language Learning for Young Children</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-to-memorize-spelling-word.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How
to Memorize a Spelling Word</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/11/elementary-writing-ideas.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Elementary
Writing Ideas</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/05/bored-what-to-do-with-tv-off.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bored?
What to Do With a TV Off!</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/learning-to-read.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Learning
to Read</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/10/when-mother-reads-aloud.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“When
Mother Reads Aloud”</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/10/poetry-in-life-and-education.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Poetry
in Life and Education</span></a></li>
</ul>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">American History</span></u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/08/american-history-unit-studies-at-our.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">American
History Unit Studies at Our House</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/08/favorite-books-for-teaching-american.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Favorite
Books for Teaching American History</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/10/benjamin-west-and-his-cat-grimalkin.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Benjamin
West and His Cat Grimalkin</span></a></li>
</ul>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">Bible & Christian Holidays</span></u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/teaching-bible-to-young-chidlren.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Teaching
the Bible to Young Children</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/11/jesus-storybook-bible-every-story.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The
Jesus Storybook Bible</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/11/advent-adventure-unit-study-for.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Advent
Adventure Unit Study</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-card-outreach-and-jesus-game.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Easter
Card Outreach and the Jesus Game</span></a></li>
</ul>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">Enrichment</span></u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/05/arts-crafts-at-home.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Arts
& Crafts at Home</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/04/your-children-can-help-with-meal-times.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Your
Children Can Help with Meal Times</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/07/physical-fitness-in-your-home-school.html"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Physical
Fitness in Your Home School</span></a></li>
<li><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/05/bored-what-to-do-with-tv-off.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Bored?
What to Do With a TV Off!</span></a></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">What do you like to do for the elementary years? Leave a comment!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Virginia Knowles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><u><span style="color: #cc0000;">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Colorful House" by Melody, 2012 </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Rainbow" by Melody, 2012</span></td></tr>
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Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-2079343488663322202014-04-13T09:04:00.000-04:002014-05-31T08:03:19.669-04:00Saving Money and Adding Variety with Used Curriculum<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTI3pe1YRS6fhSexA8sB5kFNPWz_ZB0R-joF8UEOcZipXM0VVbpuP_J5fHMza_Ac3yOr7K_3r4-7mub4hyq8kGyA_lwJwYzEhKLpusgNWRzjxWLUIDI3NN6kvT-4hgFTacTV84dMf4gPM/s1600/Little+Bear+and+Charlotte's+web+chairs+at+Brightlight+Book+Store.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTI3pe1YRS6fhSexA8sB5kFNPWz_ZB0R-joF8UEOcZipXM0VVbpuP_J5fHMza_Ac3yOr7K_3r4-7mub4hyq8kGyA_lwJwYzEhKLpusgNWRzjxWLUIDI3NN6kvT-4hgFTacTV84dMf4gPM/s1600/Little+Bear+and+Charlotte's+web+chairs+at+Brightlight+Book+Store.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Saving Money and
Adding Variety with Used Curriculum<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Home schooling in the elementary years doesn’t have to break
the bank! I’m not for being “cheap” and skimping
on quality when it comes to education, but you can build or enhance a terrific
home library by acquiring some of your collection in the form of used books. We have hundreds of children’s books and curriculum items in our
home, and only a fraction of them were purchased new.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I started planning out what my youngest daughter will do
for home school next year, I realized I only need to buy a math workbook and a
grammar workbook for her. After over 20
years of home schooling 10 kids, we already have everything else right on our
own shelves, and a lot of it was used when we got it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our favorite sources?</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTI3pe1YRS6fhSexA8sB5kFNPWz_ZB0R-joF8UEOcZipXM0VVbpuP_J5fHMza_Ac3yOr7K_3r4-7mub4hyq8kGyA_lwJwYzEhKLpusgNWRzjxWLUIDI3NN6kvT-4hgFTacTV84dMf4gPM/s1600/Little+Bear+and+Charlotte's+web+chairs+at+Brightlight+Book+Store.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTI3pe1YRS6fhSexA8sB5kFNPWz_ZB0R-joF8UEOcZipXM0VVbpuP_J5fHMza_Ac3yOr7K_3r4-7mub4hyq8kGyA_lwJwYzEhKLpusgNWRzjxWLUIDI3NN6kvT-4hgFTacTV84dMf4gPM/s1600/Little+Bear+and+Charlotte's+web+chairs+at+Brightlight+Book+Store.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Chairs in the Brightlight </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">children's section</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">painted by Amy Huber</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Used bookstores:</u></b>
We have a wonderful one a mile from our house with an amazing children’s
literature section. You can also order
from their web site, <a href="http://www.brightlightbooks.com/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Brightlight</span></b></a>. That store is my first stop when I’m looking
for a great novel or biography for my kids – and these are the core of our
history and literature program since we use the Charlotte Mason approach. Our public library also has a used bookstore
in it, again with a lovely children’s collection. All of the kids’ books are a dollar or less
there.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">CFHE used curriculum sale</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Annual used
curriculum sales:</u></b> Here in the
Orlando area, there are several annual used curriculum sales hosted by home
school support groups. In some cases,
two or more groups will collaborate to pull off a huge, well-organized sale
with thousands of books arranged by subject and grade. Here is the web site for the <a href="http://schoolbooksale.weebly.com/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Central Florida Home Educators Used
Curriculum Sale</span></b></a>. This sale is where we look for text books and
work books, as well as more reading selections.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Family:</u></b>
Many of our books were given to us by family and friends. I have a substantial vintage collection and
many more contemporary titles from my parents and my in-laws. Some of them were my childhood favorites that I wanted my own kids to enjoy. In that spirit, I also pass along books to my own adult daughters
for their children, too. My sister gave me a few huge boxes of books that her
children had outgrown. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Friends:</u> </b>We've gotten a lot of great stuff from friends who were cleaning off their shelves and wanted to share with others. At times, I have put out a request on Facebook asking if
someone has a particular title to loan and pass along for free. That has been a huge blessing. At our old home school co-op, moms would
bring in boxes of books they weren’t using any more and leave them in the entry
hallway for others to comb through. Of course, I give away a lot of books to friends, too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>On-line:</u></b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Amazon</span></b></a>
and <a href="http://www.ebay.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>eBay</b></span></a> are the two places I most commonly
order used books on-line. I also visit
home school used curriculum sites such as <a href="http://www.homeschoolclassifieds.com/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Home School Classifieds</span></b></a> and <a href="http://www.theswap.com/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Swap</span></b></a>.
There are a ton of other sites that you can Google, but those are just the
ones I have used.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7biXPgkXmWPkgMGo-p65uL3E6m_8Z3ZQLJ2LegCcZokw799we5YlPYQzy-ZTgNAUVk663ud9KHRUVbREljiDT02CzjjtrFzlrUMIq43-eWWB0wB6r1c5iIzseJHG12KEw5dWrJXye8k/s1600/Yard+sale+used+curriculum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7biXPgkXmWPkgMGo-p65uL3E6m_8Z3ZQLJ2LegCcZokw799we5YlPYQzy-ZTgNAUVk663ud9KHRUVbREljiDT02CzjjtrFzlrUMIq43-eWWB0wB6r1c5iIzseJHG12KEw5dWrJXye8k/s1600/Yard+sale+used+curriculum.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Yard sales:</u></b> Looking for a really inexpensive way to
supplement your curriculum? I’ve found children’s fiction, biographies,
hands-on manipulatives, work books, and so much more at yard sales. Yesterday, I picked up a a write-on/wipe-off
math facts practice board for my youngest daughter, a lady bug paper model kit
for my youngest son, and phonics flip book, a quiz deck, a construction
vehicles puzzle, and some fun picture books for my oldest grandson. I also saw a lot of educational software,
good quality children’s dictionaries, and workbooks. Sure, yard sale finds aren’t
the core of my curriculum. I like to be
a little more intentional than that. But
yard sale finds sure can spice up the mix for just pennies! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWxjOqWse7dIgs9AYv6Ed8XlGDGuO7Xj1D9Ssh6vC88RYvPS43hshzmWoBL1OC9MLGsxqOjtVrtVcAbJ3IRJatpkM5Kmc4N1Dy0FJof3taQWg8JgJeXPD3hacQrzxaHf81P-zd-cL2vE/s1600/Books+on+shelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWxjOqWse7dIgs9AYv6Ed8XlGDGuO7Xj1D9Ssh6vC88RYvPS43hshzmWoBL1OC9MLGsxqOjtVrtVcAbJ3IRJatpkM5Kmc4N1Dy0FJof3taQWg8JgJeXPD3hacQrzxaHf81P-zd-cL2vE/s1600/Books+on+shelf.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>My own shelves:</u> </b>What? Yeah, sometimes what I need is already right there. I bought it for an older child, and forgot I had it. Why not take a peek at what you have and see how you can used it in the future?</span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Public library:</u></b> I’m not talking about buying, but borrowing.
I know you are raising your eyebrows. Of
course the books have been used – over and over again by hundreds of
patrons! And you don’t have to allocate
long term storage on your own shelves. All the variety, none of the hassle, and
available in your own community. Perfect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Where do you get your used books? We want to know! Leave a comment!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Grace,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Virginia Knowles</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</b></span></a></div>
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Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-5229313995609102662013-04-23T08:05:00.002-04:002013-04-23T08:05:32.521-04:00Duck and Friends: Dinosaur Bones by Donna McFarland (Early Reader Review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_BE0CvdvXXOkTLWvgJtVRIEhPo6637BJdIxrCZ5HFr9gYKQwdRUf5Yr3xL7GTeiTD-Cmm80hXy9CRfF0tWyoa2JmjplDAj_CW1aW3AwlUIJj0MHv0v9MN5D0TizRAfxttKKAF5iZJYE/s1600/Duck+and+Friends+Dinosaur+Bones+by+Donna+McFarland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_BE0CvdvXXOkTLWvgJtVRIEhPo6637BJdIxrCZ5HFr9gYKQwdRUf5Yr3xL7GTeiTD-Cmm80hXy9CRfF0tWyoa2JmjplDAj_CW1aW3AwlUIJj0MHv0v9MN5D0TizRAfxttKKAF5iZJYE/s320/Duck+and+Friends+Dinosaur+Bones+by+Donna+McFarland.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"I originally ordered this book for my youngest daughter, an emerging reader. However, I laughed all the way through it myself, so I decided to bring it into my classroom and read it aloud to my 5th and 6th grade students. They all agreed that is is hilarious, and they profusely thanked me for sharing it with them. I agree with the other reviewer: this is not your typical dull early reader book. The content is fresh and imaginative, and adds spark and sparkle to a child's life. As a mom and as a teacher, that's just what I want to see in a book. We also loved Ms. McFarland's book for slightly older readers, The Purple Elephant."</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That was my review on Amazon. Here is a little more for my blog readers...</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Truly, though this book is written at the 1st-2nd grade reading level, is not your typical basal primer reader with "See Dick run! Puff, come down from the tree!" Instead, you have the quirky duck pleading with the cows (who have been frightened by his T-Rex skeleton) to come down from the walnut tree. He promised them cookies, "To go with your milk." Then you have the chickens who, while attempting to paint Duck's new dinosaur museum, fall into paint cans, get sprayed clean with fire hoses so hard that their feathers fall off, and then wear sweaters knitted by the kindly alpacas who live on Duck's farm.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7qoWWJTzFC9G97AsqaeAOuQxZ0G5W-5z5BA05laG2gguy0Xs8BqLP_z8dqygePgM81mZduQlZfyggSUfk0jiqMSzqZE6ID9SM-Y0I1TexwLq52p6MYBwvr3BmXD1TSvtNsxT3DhyWx4/s1600/Donna+McFarland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7qoWWJTzFC9G97AsqaeAOuQxZ0G5W-5z5BA05laG2gguy0Xs8BqLP_z8dqygePgM81mZduQlZfyggSUfk0jiqMSzqZE6ID9SM-Y0I1TexwLq52p6MYBwvr3BmXD1TSvtNsxT3DhyWx4/s200/Donna+McFarland.jpg" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I loved this book, and I'm even more delighted because it was written by my childhood friend Donna (Gielow) McFarland, who is also the author of the just-as-delightful Purple Elephant. You can read that review and interview here: </span></span><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/11/purple-elephant-and-interview-with.html" style="background-color: white; display: inline !important; line-height: 25.46875px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Purple Elephant and an Interview with Donna McFarland</span></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Virginia Knowles</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-63506464384929562602013-01-29T17:04:00.000-05:002013-02-01T15:47:23.430-05:00Home School Day in the Life (2nd, 6th, 8th & 10th Grades)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIdSzX6iun-K43jGANA5mtjVjgKBLMtBHp-AIyZ0zdNgpCr7e4kYWHY8SVv_VgXDohVyD7TTqgXfG9GM-9nfydOPI9zCkLEOzVZ9AOhmCny-JH_OuAJswLwvOYsw2qJ9EUXcirYJBCTr3/s1600/Knowles++Christmas+Picture+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIdSzX6iun-K43jGANA5mtjVjgKBLMtBHp-AIyZ0zdNgpCr7e4kYWHY8SVv_VgXDohVyD7TTqgXfG9GM-9nfydOPI9zCkLEOzVZ9AOhmCny-JH_OuAJswLwvOYsw2qJ9EUXcirYJBCTr3/s400/Knowles++Christmas+Picture+2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7P_nd1lgqiF1EjP1z4cqfP0Mb6QasIXvxJ8G_6pY22e4qUpvfyE-Bqb_5lsDs-DLlFkRcBEGJkwhYX9MKPNP7FOLgML5ONrjwdfTMM89MN9vkZxSw7r_4OM91AybcTyoRhNjl4mwWle7/s1600/Virginia+Knowles+on+October+13+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7P_nd1lgqiF1EjP1z4cqfP0Mb6QasIXvxJ8G_6pY22e4qUpvfyE-Bqb_5lsDs-DLlFkRcBEGJkwhYX9MKPNP7FOLgML5ONrjwdfTMM89MN9vkZxSw7r_4OM91AybcTyoRhNjl4mwWle7/s220/Virginia+Knowles+on+October+13+2011.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hello!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58NkUBVng8-gC8-CRL4tvz4Oys5mcd2o5qcKSSmUetml2VZFuxIEtXzh1USHuzLEf_Em4heMFb5FhtrtcG1Ibys91jKxmbNIEJOktXEJPTLnJh1nEs244tvZpBEAv6DM1S0h_J3nKbcE/s1600/dayinthelife1-300x21022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58NkUBVng8-gC8-CRL4tvz4Oys5mcd2o5qcKSSmUetml2VZFuxIEtXzh1USHuzLEf_Em4heMFb5FhtrtcG1Ibys91jKxmbNIEJOktXEJPTLnJh1nEs244tvZpBEAv6DM1S0h_J3nKbcE/s1600/dayinthelife1-300x21022.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My name is Virginia Knowles, and w</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">elcome to my Home School Day in the Life! I'm linking up to <a href="http://simplehomeschool.net/share/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Simple Home School's blog party on Friday</span></b></a>. That's my big family in the picture above, including sons-in-law and grandsons, but I'm only home schooling four kids this year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3-Rk8pkT3hNvJnjq-LZv7oz2_2Rl9q7ACFESAXB4VT05jRX9F5FekpLh7CjilfO2Xwdx-eUwgujC5fpq0AoT3yUU-kQA-iN0DwAEy7cp3ikBnh_0wKFprTnbzhQE4t7rFAevyEE808M/s1600/Common+Sense+Excellence+by+Virginia+Knowles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3-Rk8pkT3hNvJnjq-LZv7oz2_2Rl9q7ACFESAXB4VT05jRX9F5FekpLh7CjilfO2Xwdx-eUwgujC5fpq0AoT3yUU-kQA-iN0DwAEy7cp3ikBnh_0wKFprTnbzhQE4t7rFAevyEE808M/s200/Common+Sense+Excellence+by+Virginia+Knowles.JPG" width="165" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VlodDZlKn0XRN5xwQne7OyTJP0K11BuvYBJ0neJ4Yb1WBAHsECRJsmajqmaV2Iucr411xLUDuTWe-Nc9q6yv9xxCIjUhFMHmCoAHZZ9K4SdPsMNn9NlklfNQcBX3fw2BcVT0Ioal8wc/s1600/Real+Life+Home+School+Mom+by+Virginia+Knowles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VlodDZlKn0XRN5xwQne7OyTJP0K11BuvYBJ0neJ4Yb1WBAHsECRJsmajqmaV2Iucr411xLUDuTWe-Nc9q6yv9xxCIjUhFMHmCoAHZZ9K4SdPsMNn9NlklfNQcBX3fw2BcVT0Ioal8wc/s200/Real+Life+Home+School+Mom+by+Virginia+Knowles.JPG" width="156" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">While you're here, take a peek at my free e-books on home schooling: <b><i><a href="http://www.scribd.com/full/51226874?access_key=key-5f0z3phqswz5qym0r81"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Real Life Home School Mom: It's a Life in ReVision</span></a></i></b> <and> <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/122845972/Common-Sense-Excellence-Faith-Filled-Home-Education-for-Preschool-to-5th-Grade"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade</span></a></i> (newly updated). I also have five other blogs, <a href="http://www.virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">www.VirginiaKnowles.blogspot.com</span></b></a>, <a href="http://www.comewearymoms.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">www.ComeWearyMoms.blogspot.com</span></b></a>, <a href="http://www.continuewellhomeschool.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">www.ContinueWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</span></b></a> (middle school), <a href="http://www.finishwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">www.FinishWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</span></b></a> (high school and beyond) and <a href="http://www.watchtheshepherd.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">www.WatchTheShepherd.blogspot.com</span></b></a>. If you would like to subscribe to my monthly-ish e-magazine, you can send any e-mail to <b><a href="mailto:hopechest-subscribe@associate.com"><span style="color: #cc0000;">hopechest-subscribe@associate.com</span></a></b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">This year, we are home schooling sons in 10th and 8th grades and daughters in 6th and 2nd grades. We also have a 4th grade son in public school, </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">a 12th grade daughter who is dual enrolling in a two year college as well as taking </span><a href="http://www.flvs.net/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Florida Virtual School</span></b></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> courses on-line, two other adult daughters who are university students but </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">living at home, and two adult daughters who are married. One of them has two young sons, and we're glad they live nearby. We have been home schooling for over 20 years. I say "we" instead of "I" because my husband has been an integral part of the educational process, especially in the upper grades and with paper work. That paternal participation will have to be adjusted starting next week as he starts a full-time office job across town after working from home for over 10 years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our typical schedule varies by day of the week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On Mondays, we are in co-op classes from 9 AM until 3:45 PM. The students have 90 minute classes in math, history, science, and English. I assist in a 4th-6th grade history class and teach 5th-6th grade English. I have to set aside several hours a week for lesson planning for the English class, where I cover grammar, literature, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">creative writing, and </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">vocabulary/spelling. While I use a variety of materials, our core resource this year is <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=68306"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Book of Virtues</span></a></i>, which is a virtual virtuous treasury of stories and poems. I try to integrate many of the literature lessons with the time period and geographical region they are studying in <b><i><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/mystery-history-volume-2-church-middle/linda-hobar/9781892427069/pd/427060?event=AFF&p=1136043&"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Mystery of History Volume 2</span></a></i></b> (Creation to Middle Ages) text they are using in history. After our regular classes, we stay for Yearbook (10th grade)</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and Drama Club (6th grade), up to an extra 45 minutes. We have been in this co-op with about 25 other families since 2006, with one year off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On Tuesdays - Fridays, our morning schedule for the five younger school age kids and I looks like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Around 7:30, I get up, eat breakfast, take a shower, and putter around, usually either reading or writing blogs. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our son who attends public school leaves before 8 and eats breakfast at school. Sometimes I am up earlier if I can't sleep.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">At 8:30, the other kids get up, eat breakfast, and get dressed while I continue to putter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">At 9:00, I spend an hour with my 2nd grader doing her co-op assignments (which are not that time-consuming) and reading good books to her. Right now we are working our way through the Paddington Bear series. She's great for a cuddle on the couch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At 10:00, I spend an hour with my 6th grader doing history and literature. It goes faster if we read it out loud and discuss it. She writes out summaries of the history lessons every day, but we do the literature questions orally. She does the writing assignments, language arts workbooks, science (<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/flying-creatures-fifth-exploring-creation-zoology/jeannie-fulbright/9781932012613/pd/337010?event=AFF&p=1136043&"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Apologia Flying Creatures</span></i></b></a>), and math on her own time with minimal help from me. She's pretty spunky, and always a delight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At 11:00, I spend more than an hour with my 10th grader doing history (<b><i><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/exploring-literature-curriculum-package-second-edition/ray-notgrass/9781933410586/pd/410586?event=AFF&p=1136043&"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Notgrass World History</span></a></i></b>) and literature (just finished <b><i><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=40426"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Hobbit</span></a></i></b> and now starting poetry). He usually reads the chapters aloud to me, we discuss them, and he answers the comprehension questions orally or on the computer. I have learned so much world history and classic literature this year! I am so thankful for the opportunity to study along this way with my son, and I know he appreciates it, too. My husband is in charge of his Algebra 2 and <b><i><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=293403"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Apologia Chemistry</span></a></i></b> assignments.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">You may notice that I didn't schedule an hour for my 8th grade son. He is a reliable independent learner and doesn't often need my help, though he asks for it when he does. He's also really creative, so even most of his free time is spent learning, whether it is special effects video editing or nature study or whatever. My husband helps him with Pre-Algebra and <b><i><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=533403"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Apologia Biology</span></a></i></b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Around noon or so we eat lunch. Usually everyone fixes their own, but my 12 year old daughter will sometimes fix something like macaroni and cheese for all of us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our afternoon/evening schedule is a bit more loose. Yes, we work on academic school assignments until around 3 or so. They also spend a lot of time on our computers and some watching TV. However, we are trying to get into a routine of going to the YMCA on Tuesday and Friday right after lunch, especially since they have home school PE on Tuesday. We have to be home by the time my 4th grader gets back from school. I try to schedule all appointments for Thursday afternoons. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Somewhere along the way the laundry and dishes get done (or not!) by some combination of adults and kids. Each of the five younger kids does an afternoon dish load during the week, and there is always a second or even third load in the evening. Though we have basic organization for each room, we do tend to leave it a bit cluttered, especially with school books and papers. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then, too, our big family has this funny little habit of eating lots of food, so it seems I'm at the grocery store two or three times a week refueling milk and such.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-vVejOYaJUNLSaMHzL1UAHAUWCCgz9RKhflOghH0Ca5h_2icdH-nf9coofE5nHRolp2eOvqJGfF-kMu4yodD-IoTG2e2LdKi7WDnOO_l0WvRQmkM9CGMVaXL3O_0AqaIbG6Dzw-wE9c/s1600/Yogurt+and+fruit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-vVejOYaJUNLSaMHzL1UAHAUWCCgz9RKhflOghH0Ca5h_2icdH-nf9coofE5nHRolp2eOvqJGfF-kMu4yodD-IoTG2e2LdKi7WDnOO_l0WvRQmkM9CGMVaXL3O_0AqaIbG6Dzw-wE9c/s200/Yogurt+and+fruit.JPG" width="176" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Speaking of food, I now interrupt this blog post because my 8th grade son just brought me a big bowl of fresh fruit salad with vanilla yogurt. Yum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dinner is usually around 6:30, and after that we have free time, clean up, or more school work if not enough of that got finished earlier. (I often help kids with school work in the evening and on weekends.) The kids go to bed sometime between 9 PM and midnight, depending on their age and if something exciting is happening or not. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So that's how we supposedly spend our days. It rarely works out just like that, but you get the gist of it anyway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">You might also like a related post I wrote this morning: </span><br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: #ffffe5; color: #333333; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; position: relative;">
<a href="http://www.comewearymoms.blogspot.com/2013/01/who-is-proverbs-31-woman-not-me-yet.html" style="color: #aa0033;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who is the Proverbs 31 Woman? Not Me Yet!</span></a></h3>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">What is your home school day like?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Virginia Knowles</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">P.S. This post will be linked at these other blog parties:</span><br />
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<ul style="background-color: #ffffe5; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><u style="background-color: #ffffe5;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.aboverubies.net/search/label/Domestically%20Divine%20Link-Up" style="color: #aa0033;" target="_blank">Domestically Divine on Wednesday</a></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span></b></span></u></span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" style="color: #aa0033;"><b>Raising Homemakers on Wednesday</b></a></span></span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://wholehearted-home.blogspot.com/" style="color: #aa0033;" target="_blank"><b>Whole-Hearted Home on Wednesday</b></a></span></span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><u style="background-color: white; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Ann Kroeker's <a href="http://annkroeker.com/category/food-on-fridays/" style="color: #aa0033; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">Food on Fridays</a></b></span></u></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">P.P.S. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">In case you missed my e-book, e-magazine and blog links at the top of this post, here's the rehash...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">E-Books:</span><br />
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<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.scribd.com/full/51226874?access_key=key-5f0z3phqswz5qym0r81">The Real Life Home School Mom: It's a Life in ReVision</a></i></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/122845972/Common-Sense-Excellence-Faith-Filled-Home-Education-for-Preschool-to-5th-Grade">Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade</a></i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Blogs:</span><br />
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<li><a href="http://www.virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>www.VirginiaKnowles.blogspot.com</b></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.comewearymoms.blogspot.com/">www.ComeWearyMoms.blogspot.com</a></b></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</a></b> (preschool & elementary) </span><a href="http://www.continuewellhomeschool.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>www.ContinueWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</b></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> (middle school), </span><a href="http://www.finishwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>www.FinishWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</b></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> (high school and beyond)</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.watchtheshepherd.blogspot.com/">www.WatchTheShepherd.blogspot.com</a></b></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">E-magazine:</span><br />
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Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-34362959325000387902012-12-15T10:33:00.000-05:002012-12-15T10:33:48.846-05:00SeaWorld for the Holidays! (Florida Field Trips #7)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5j3ym-9Ssml_mvNJ0Iy09tcBYlR1if2g2PFgzqLjlreDyfuFkgCac9UA4ag31KIZ6CIjNwJFNFOH8dSqpc-l0RdECVkDY4E1RmWF32mP7sUzZlGYhl5g_YjeP4MGcdSkzcwYyztpN_0I/s1600/Meldoy+with+Shamu+in+front+of+Christmas+sleigh+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5j3ym-9Ssml_mvNJ0Iy09tcBYlR1if2g2PFgzqLjlreDyfuFkgCac9UA4ag31KIZ6CIjNwJFNFOH8dSqpc-l0RdECVkDY4E1RmWF32mP7sUzZlGYhl5g_YjeP4MGcdSkzcwYyztpN_0I/s400/Meldoy+with+Shamu+in+front+of+Christmas+sleigh+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Welcome back to my <a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/search/label/Florida%20Field%20Trip%20Series"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Florida Field Trips</span></b></a> series!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGugjH6surzoXUeFbMpos7P4XIBEZ0BLIuZpW9lQxqq8dhTlftuLr2LESaohlzo5rpOZf_VRqfOIGGlzhvB6bVFW6qY4FSZ-Qk5q6AYRAvTrSOzRoYXH1323yc7dJ9bmWJegvmY4xnNM/s1600/Five+kids+in+front+of+Christmas+tree+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGugjH6surzoXUeFbMpos7P4XIBEZ0BLIuZpW9lQxqq8dhTlftuLr2LESaohlzo5rpOZf_VRqfOIGGlzhvB6bVFW6qY4FSZ-Qk5q6AYRAvTrSOzRoYXH1323yc7dJ9bmWJegvmY4xnNM/s400/Five+kids+in+front+of+Christmas+tree+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our family had a marvelous time at <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><a href="http://seaworldparks.com/seaworld-orlando/">SeaWorld Orlando</a></b> </span>yesterday during their Christmas celebration. My husband and I took our five younger kids, ages 7-15.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just one of many photo ops...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The park is decorated for the holidays, and best of all, many of the shows are themed for Christmas. Live musicians all around the park added to the holiday spirit. I wasn't having very good luck with my camera yesterday so pardon the lack of good show and night pictures here.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEktMQoR70Ktc2PNUudU6inQRZwR3jzaIPJpYKavMyFhtGXn-vZ5ybe4ZJWr_npuVSo1IZDqHpGokMqHL7JISVN65sj-eeNKnKowdQbfEM04dbB_vEu68fEemhbzTYb4DbZOvQgHk6_3Y/s1600/Christmas+Toy+Soldier+Statue+at+SeaWorld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEktMQoR70Ktc2PNUudU6inQRZwR3jzaIPJpYKavMyFhtGXn-vZ5ybe4ZJWr_npuVSo1IZDqHpGokMqHL7JISVN65sj-eeNKnKowdQbfEM04dbB_vEu68fEemhbzTYb4DbZOvQgHk6_3Y/s320/Christmas+Toy+Soldier+Statue+at+SeaWorld.jpg" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Christmas toy king</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_vlZQIrL-foDCaLLwZguuEymshj9M9MhrL1sYqTEKnVKInMizWjnz44OAX-WnuzNcUcJv9hHMnjKfWk4e814BawT0zNBNhyJIQJMf10sGgsQyqaM-tH8Nz_2tysffInwVDTuZ2XLj80/s1600/Saxophone+quartet+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_vlZQIrL-foDCaLLwZguuEymshj9M9MhrL1sYqTEKnVKInMizWjnz44OAX-WnuzNcUcJv9hHMnjKfWk4e814BawT0zNBNhyJIQJMf10sGgsQyqaM-tH8Nz_2tysffInwVDTuZ2XLj80/s320/Saxophone+quartet+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXq1HRJNYhZTSOpta3cCAOsQRvAqPAxQVqa7c9wRsIFBEzSSHxbNuyGLZTeCNjmD6c9I0ShZQekwvNlvhLULVNBD5eXVN6O13cZxTyZoZBeZTgYzdaZZiehuCTdpSz0lJeR5G4HB6T3tA/s1600/Melody+in+snow+globe+at+SeaWorld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXq1HRJNYhZTSOpta3cCAOsQRvAqPAxQVqa7c9wRsIFBEzSSHxbNuyGLZTeCNjmD6c9I0ShZQekwvNlvhLULVNBD5eXVN6O13cZxTyZoZBeZTgYzdaZZiehuCTdpSz0lJeR5G4HB6T3tA/s400/Melody+in+snow+globe+at+SeaWorld.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the snow globe</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCndSgSmKS1gsbuz02Cs28myj2CdrmhoVpxTN7cB3fADMZWpk78k71Kpv9v1Pai5biXG8S7-8afQseN-BYtDPI2yLWXMKRVwYgcS7Rqd2dWZPM7nt8vpvXOlYa3wpnKkW5NhwnFYCqyU/s1600/Five+dolphins+at+SeaWorld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCndSgSmKS1gsbuz02Cs28myj2CdrmhoVpxTN7cB3fADMZWpk78k71Kpv9v1Pai5biXG8S7-8afQseN-BYtDPI2yLWXMKRVwYgcS7Rqd2dWZPM7nt8vpvXOlYa3wpnKkW5NhwnFYCqyU/s320/Five+dolphins+at+SeaWorld.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of course, they have all the regular year round attractions as well, like the Shark Experience, the Turtle Trek, and the Blue Horizons dolphin show. The only attraction that is closed right now is the Penguin Encounter, since they are building a new Antarctica Empire of the Penguins exhibit to open in the spring. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Exhibits and shows aside, the older kids (of the five we brought) would have been quite content to just ride Manta, Kraken and Journey to Atlantis all day long. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kraken roller coaster</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mLSIbBEgYeSGT8b54PtJgu5az85ObwPWtna5twcRxCeEogWWWn3kq0rum41Y-SDRKSCElApZQqTpJJhvOVdDMfeA2kydbzmEbHRquZ_d-IDvCt4YhQqtzi_FNOErHpScKc-fp7lc3BA/s1600/Jazzy+Jellies+ride+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mLSIbBEgYeSGT8b54PtJgu5az85ObwPWtna5twcRxCeEogWWWn3kq0rum41Y-SDRKSCElApZQqTpJJhvOVdDMfeA2kydbzmEbHRquZ_d-IDvCt4YhQqtzi_FNOErHpScKc-fp7lc3BA/s320/Jazzy+Jellies+ride+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3T7PxNv45Zw-TPi6bjL_jUMGVCxibyl9kS4hIpijI5o3sV7oZdphDzt9I_8IOe8LL4CwIQD-wRc0bFZAqfoBN5I9COq6z9MfPhpZLZ3z9o5g5r1c1NFivyb6m7Ln7CqIex8MmZPoth4/s1600/Getting+soaked+at+SeaWorld+Shamu+Happy+Harbor+splash+pad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3T7PxNv45Zw-TPi6bjL_jUMGVCxibyl9kS4hIpijI5o3sV7oZdphDzt9I_8IOe8LL4CwIQD-wRc0bFZAqfoBN5I9COq6z9MfPhpZLZ3z9o5g5r1c1NFivyb6m7Ln7CqIex8MmZPoth4/s320/Getting+soaked+at+SeaWorld+Shamu+Happy+Harbor+splash+pad.JPG" width="173" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My youngest daughter loves Shamu's Happy Harbor with all the kiddie rides and splash pad, so we had "Mommy and Me" time yesterday while the others went with Dad.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjkJaPOgQZQox0-gyHdX1Y5o_4iRO61hNOL3bLuEMe1MhBCMWJ77aNRDdRzvVkpV5Unz8owyV30ANjZugorFSes5DJxpHcZCB2ijclZlqV8IuQjvEsCRvAvQZUQZDtSRZFPAXkM5GoYM/s1600/Sky+Tower+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjkJaPOgQZQox0-gyHdX1Y5o_4iRO61hNOL3bLuEMe1MhBCMWJ77aNRDdRzvVkpV5Unz8owyV30ANjZugorFSes5DJxpHcZCB2ijclZlqV8IuQjvEsCRvAvQZUQZDtSRZFPAXkM5GoYM/s200/Sky+Tower+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Sky Tower is also now included in admission. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The view from 300 foot up as the rotating room ascends</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> is quite something to behold. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsJ_AKD1g40mW2in9fkCkSSR5tUYhmM3pbCoeRQ4ut2CvsgTGg_1YyT3hh0PIvzPZEYZPE5htGwTAByWq4gI8bt9Agj_IgCCmvYaG0tyTYBiBstxJO7-ZFcyv05hjqARXsUBPeNjON-M/s1600/Huge+Christmas+wreath+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsJ_AKD1g40mW2in9fkCkSSR5tUYhmM3pbCoeRQ4ut2CvsgTGg_1YyT3hh0PIvzPZEYZPE5htGwTAByWq4gI8bt9Agj_IgCCmvYaG0tyTYBiBstxJO7-ZFcyv05hjqARXsUBPeNjON-M/s320/Huge+Christmas+wreath+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" width="196" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We attended three of the Christmas shows and my husband and I loved them. (Most of the kids enjoyed them, too, but like I said, they go more for the rides.) Some of the Christmas shows only run in the evening, you need to get to them 45 minutes ahead of time to get a decent seat, e</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">specially on the nights that the park closes at 9 and there are fewer shows</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">. Other nights, the park closes at 11 and there are more shows, but that may be too late for families with young children. Check </span><a href="http://seaworldparks.com/seaworld-orlando/Park-Info/Park-Hours" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Park Hours and Show Schedules</b></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and click on the calendar for the day you wish to attend. Most of the shows run for about 20-30 minutes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKDo_FvRSKsLXJMBTen7DtEvreedFRThqltr2uGMebzPIgLtuXq5Wdhhyzg5vdaeWqpnzjwpxCkpOnlSaOT1QKNVyNkuSGnAS0q-j7EDTPCMGJovNWzfrmKszuUlqiCRvglDOOrra0Bg/s1600/O+Wondrous+Night+living+nativity+show+at+SeaWorld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKDo_FvRSKsLXJMBTen7DtEvreedFRThqltr2uGMebzPIgLtuXq5Wdhhyzg5vdaeWqpnzjwpxCkpOnlSaOT1QKNVyNkuSGnAS0q-j7EDTPCMGJovNWzfrmKszuUlqiCRvglDOOrra0Bg/s400/O+Wondrous+Night+living+nativity+show+at+SeaWorld.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was especially touched by the <a href="http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-orlando/Attractions/Shows/O%20Wondrous%20Night"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">"O Wondrous Night</span></b>"</a> show, which is a musical living nativity. The singers are amazing, and though there were plenty of comedic moments, it was very reverently done, incorporating contemporary adaptations and medleys of religious carols. W</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">hile we waited for the show to begin, a spirited guitar and fiddle duet entertained us for a Christmas carol sing-along.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9sLXjtaGUtSKuxOEWeGN-ODFdf6WwbeakSWVaJr5HtdZg5J-QlaE_5gwCnJYghJCEPCuawiJZJBipmapngCndXJMlhFKPIEeI6CaMFXe5EoZyHWq1_xWDkWIu-cwr9MMotNZPxKZOGnv/s1600/Orca+Whale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9sLXjtaGUtSKuxOEWeGN-ODFdf6WwbeakSWVaJr5HtdZg5J-QlaE_5gwCnJYghJCEPCuawiJZJBipmapngCndXJMlhFKPIEeI6CaMFXe5EoZyHWq1_xWDkWIu-cwr9MMotNZPxKZOGnv/s320/Orca+Whale.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(This picture is from a summer visit.)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The next show we attended was <b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-orlando/Attractions/Shows/Shamu%20Christmas%20%20%20Miracles">"Shamu Christmas Miracles"</a></span></b> in the whale stadium. I always enjoy seeing the whales (magnificent creatures!) and loved hearing the carols as background music to their performance, but I'd have to say my favorite thing here was the awesome saxophonist who played carols <i>before</i> the show! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78M9DRZ8hj_ooM-eqwaJl29xVyTkjxLaAPSRgHQRy2fb7ROnw_azB_TYqP3e6ci6HVQaAuXbLaMejHHzZjtwDYwZPoD-sHBBv6UtZDZDA2ZPYN-hdjv2_U-KJhi09CPnRQzQMxQ6TPmY/s1600/Winter+Wonderland+on+Ice+at+SeaWorld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78M9DRZ8hj_ooM-eqwaJl29xVyTkjxLaAPSRgHQRy2fb7ROnw_azB_TYqP3e6ci6HVQaAuXbLaMejHHzZjtwDYwZPoD-sHBBv6UtZDZDA2ZPYN-hdjv2_U-KJhi09CPnRQzQMxQ6TPmY/s320/Winter+Wonderland+on+Ice+at+SeaWorld.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We bustled out of the whale show to make it to the <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><a href="http://seaworldparks.com/seaworld-orlando/Attractions/Shows/Winter%20Wonderland%20on%20Ice">"Winter Wonderland on Ice"</a></b></span> skating show in the Bayside Stadium. We sat up in the balcony, which gave us a great overall view from above, but I found it hard to take decent pictures without a telephoto lens. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUheqlhUcAtoFLaB89rZOeOnYT0t12he1NeJghS-izLYuN-BA5-R94qPS5wYl5D6NMEupDpSOQUBC1-1Y6sRtV0cy8JKUUc8TO87Y0_w3x09K01c7t8A73c9Lv4s2tl-99qqjRW_3TnM/s1600/Reflections+Fireworks+and+Fountain+Finale+at+SeaWorld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUheqlhUcAtoFLaB89rZOeOnYT0t12he1NeJghS-izLYuN-BA5-R94qPS5wYl5D6NMEupDpSOQUBC1-1Y6sRtV0cy8JKUUc8TO87Y0_w3x09K01c7t8A73c9Lv4s2tl-99qqjRW_3TnM/s320/Reflections+Fireworks+and+Fountain+Finale+at+SeaWorld.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The other drawback of balcony seating during Winter Wonderland is that when the <b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://seaworldparks.com/seaworld-orlando/Attractions/Shows/Holiday%20Reflections">Reflections Fireworks and Fountain Finale</a></span></b> fireworks go off at the end of the very last show of the night, you can't see the ones way up high in the sky. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8NDtpDH4plbwC-CrxxJLDOOxj9u9Vmx-r0kwXKlUZRkBKRrDL0BRMGsHts3Vh_5Vc3czm5lCJOOrDHypKgb7iD5xRP31yXAuFn6xGV2SrQipdGKcafvQy1zWiwWvHBCe27eGPJoJHGE/s1600/The+Polar+Express+Experience+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8NDtpDH4plbwC-CrxxJLDOOxj9u9Vmx-r0kwXKlUZRkBKRrDL0BRMGsHts3Vh_5Vc3czm5lCJOOrDHypKgb7iD5xRP31yXAuFn6xGV2SrQipdGKcafvQy1zWiwWvHBCe27eGPJoJHGE/s320/The+Polar+Express+Experience+at+SeaWorld+Orlando.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The 100 Christmas trees in the <b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://seaworldparks.com/seaworld-orlando/Attractions/Shows/Sea%20of%20Trees">"Sea of Trees"</a></span></b> out in the water also change colors to the music at various times during the day. The Wild Arctic ride has been transformed into Polar Express Experience for the holidays, but we didn't go to it this time. The two o</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">ther Christmas shows are </span><a href="http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-orlando/Attractions/Shows/A%20Sesame%20Street%20Christmas" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">"A Sesame Street Christmas"</span></b></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and </span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">"<a href="http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-orlando/Attractions/Shows/Clyde%20and%20Seamore%20Countdown%20to%20Christmas">Clyde and Seamore's Countdown to Christmas</a>"</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> (sea lions). I'm hoping to see them next time we go. We want to tuck in one last trip before our 2012 tickets expire! (My mom bought ours for us this summer and we've certainly gotten our use out of them!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The cool thing is that if you buy a ticket now, they will give you a Fun Pass good for admission all the way through the end of 2013! Yep, Florida residents can buy one day and get more than a year of park admission! Adult Fun Pass tickets are $89 plus tax, and kids are $81 plus tax. (If you really only want one day, you can pay $10 less per ticket on-line only.) Or you can purchase an annual pass and get free parking and other perks. A SeaWorld annual pass is $149, but you can pay extra to extend the admission to the Aquatica water park and Busch Gardens amusement park. Check for the <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><a href="http://seaworldparks.com/seaworld-orlando/Book-Online/Tickets/MostPopularTourist">best ticket options</a></b></span> for your family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A word about food: SeaWorld has great restaurants, but for a large family on a budget, you can bring your own food and eat in the picnic area just outside the entrance gates. You can bring snack portions of food into the park, but not big coolers or full lunches. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Enjoy SeaWorld!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Virginia Knowles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</a></span><br />
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Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-20150348232374289452012-11-07T11:21:00.001-05:002012-11-07T11:30:31.374-05:00"The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven" by Jack Prelutzky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;">"The
Turkey Shot Out of the Oven"</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;">by
Jack Prelutzky</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;">The
turkey shot out of the oven<br />And rocketed into the air;<br />It
knocked every plate off the table,<br />And partly demolished a chair. </span></span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;">It
ricocheted into a corner,<br />And burst with a deafening boom;<br />Then
splattered all over the kitchen,<br />Completely obscuring the room. </span></span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;">It
stuck to the walls and the windows,<br />It totally coated the
floor;<br />There was turkey attached to the ceiling,<br />Where there'd
never been turkey before. </span></span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;">It
blanketed every appliance,<br />It smeared every saucer and bowl;<br />There
wasn't a way I could stop it,<br />That turkey was out of control. </span></span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;">I
scraped and I scrubbed with displeasure,<br />And thought with chagrin
as I mopped,<br />That I'd never again stuff a turkey,<br />With popcorn
that hadn't been popped!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS, cursive;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">~
Jack Prelutsky ~ </span></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm putting this poem in the homework packet for my 5th-6th grade home school co-op English class this next week, and I thought you'd enjoy it, too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u><b>Kids and cooking</b></u></span><br />
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<li><a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2012/11/an-adorable-little-cooking-show.html"><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">An Adorable Little Cooking Show</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/04/your-children-can-help-with-meal-times.html" style="display: inline !important; line-height: 25.462963104248047px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Your Children Can Help with Meal Times</b></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-own-batch-of-cookies.html" style="display: inline !important; line-height: 25.462963104248047px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>My Own Batch of Cookies</b></span></a></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; display: inline !important; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.4em;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/reading-aloud-is-as-easy-as-apple-pie_04.html" style="display: inline !important; line-height: 1.4em;">Reading Aloud is as Easy as Apple Pie</a></span></li>
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<a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/04/your-children-can-help-with-meal-times.html" style="display: block; line-height: 25.462963104248047px;"></a><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-own-batch-of-cookies.html" style="display: block; line-height: 25.462963104248047px;"></a><br />
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<a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-own-batch-of-cookies.html" style="display: block; line-height: 25.462963104248047px;">
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-339429680931599908" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; text-decoration: none;">
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</a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><u>Thanksgiving food</u></b></span></div>
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<li><b style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: red;"><a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanksgiving-dinner.html" style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thanksgiving Dinner</span></a></span></b></li>
<li><b><u><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2009/11/holiday-wassail.html" style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 18px;">Wassail</a></span></span></u></b></li>
<li><b><u><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2009/11/roasted-herbed-vegetables.html" style="color: #cc0000;">Roasted Herbed Vegetables</a> </span></span></span></u></b></li>
<li><b><u><a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2009/11/fresh-cranberries.html" style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fresh cranberry sauce</span></a></u></b></li>
<li><b style="background-color: white;"><u><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2009/11/pumpkin-streusel-muffins.html" style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 18px;">Pumpkin streusel muffins</a><span style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span></u></b></li>
<li><b style="background-color: white;"><u><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2009/11/fresh-cranberries.html" style="color: #cc0000;">CranCherry pie </a></span></span></u></b></li>
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<span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Have a great Thanksgiving holiday!</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Virginia Knowles</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"><b><u><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</span></a></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
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Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-54890156073042687122012-10-26T22:59:00.002-04:002012-10-27T09:40:37.482-04:00Golden Rain Tree with Autumn Seed Pods (Nature Study in the Neighborhood)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwyn0u_ogTTM2TfUID599JloyZdYGJEveB-RONGp7XN3nEtF_vPUceVXmC3bWvkSQD9wC-4pQ4ciwMnqqij61I7OEvdS2zpPnD8g2CAWCbcdDSVO1D1K1NYK6OFWeZtwL_dP_fc0mtjw/s1600/Tree+with+red+pods.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwyn0u_ogTTM2TfUID599JloyZdYGJEveB-RONGp7XN3nEtF_vPUceVXmC3bWvkSQD9wC-4pQ4ciwMnqqij61I7OEvdS2zpPnD8g2CAWCbcdDSVO1D1K1NYK6OFWeZtwL_dP_fc0mtjw/s640/Tree+with+red+pods.JPG" width="483" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you live in Florida,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">you might see these trees a lot in the autumn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They seem to be everywhere!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That's good, since we don't have too many autumn leaf colors.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This will do, I try to convince myself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I wondered what they were, so I googled</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"trees with red or pink seed pods"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and came up with the golden rain tree.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3fyTuKlqiluoUWLPwHoT-RWLoLpxWt37DCKbB32DWkEkNBXu-VZPbr_I-gx9ND0grbU6SbzcllDn00lu_jcS_VHKtgFQ4SJMjOWybn-psuPWpT2xD-CNNNwC1EBM48FjC8hgIaondeo/s1600/Tree+with+red+pods+distance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3fyTuKlqiluoUWLPwHoT-RWLoLpxWt37DCKbB32DWkEkNBXu-VZPbr_I-gx9ND0grbU6SbzcllDn00lu_jcS_VHKtgFQ4SJMjOWybn-psuPWpT2xD-CNNNwC1EBM48FjC8hgIaondeo/s320/Tree+with+red+pods+distance.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One golden rain tree in our neighborhood, <br />with bushes at the base</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rt-AOxW7Fn1JLnkibF5Fxvhyphenhyphen36RH2SnC8R4C1UpoUn9H_JryM83Hv7cBQJjhruwYKGX0BvpDwysmU0rTXy997bZqEQqzG8gDTEUTLeOGOFrWG98cBeCIVyrqvSsfrTzCwGEWRqkma5Y/s1600/Seed+pod+in+hand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rt-AOxW7Fn1JLnkibF5Fxvhyphenhyphen36RH2SnC8R4C1UpoUn9H_JryM83Hv7cBQJjhruwYKGX0BvpDwysmU0rTXy997bZqEQqzG8gDTEUTLeOGOFrWG98cBeCIVyrqvSsfrTzCwGEWRqkma5Y/s320/Seed+pod+in+hand.JPG" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pod in the hand, from the stem end</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcfYIxSEPJwYfq8BZJyVSfHptJhDa0CPusQGsUKQWcT3dZN-kXclI-0AAyDyplCxVaVAAJYzfKjteKmJePD-NZd2soTNtUqsWGZVU0EiK5HWkAhahauolc0nUIDHTeMYNeTvJT_FMnq4/s1600/Seeds+pod+from+open+end.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcfYIxSEPJwYfq8BZJyVSfHptJhDa0CPusQGsUKQWcT3dZN-kXclI-0AAyDyplCxVaVAAJYzfKjteKmJePD-NZd2soTNtUqsWGZVU0EiK5HWkAhahauolc0nUIDHTeMYNeTvJT_FMnq4/s320/Seeds+pod+from+open+end.JPG" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pod in the hand from the open end</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The seeds pods fascinate me,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">especially their geometric construction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had to pull some apart,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">just to satisfy my curiosity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Two of my kids did, too,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">as an impromptu science lesson:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">kitchen table botany.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YabjiEgcL3XCJ53hpNG2NAGYMFuZTRvBgJEMXc4WTwB54mLrvY2ZsBY4kgYjDH2846asiiCs52ddZgu1urlNqYKJPOta7WiKxHghEk9gvzRuHCCwTum4eL48wE0dyDOCdVxeG5elvh8/s1600/Opened+seeds+pods+on+table.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YabjiEgcL3XCJ53hpNG2NAGYMFuZTRvBgJEMXc4WTwB54mLrvY2ZsBY4kgYjDH2846asiiCs52ddZgu1urlNqYKJPOta7WiKxHghEk9gvzRuHCCwTum4eL48wE0dyDOCdVxeG5elvh8/s400/Opened+seeds+pods+on+table.JPG" width="347" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Golden rain tree<br />pods opened up to reveal seeds inside</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You can read more about the<b> <a href="http://www.floridata.com/ref/k/koel_p.cfm"><span style="color: #cc0000;">golden rain tree</span></a></b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Look for yellow flowers in the summer!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> God is so creative!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What are you doing for nature study this year?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Leave a comment!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Post will be linked at:</span><br />
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<tr><td><img alt="P52 with Kent Weakley" height="105" src="http://kentweakley.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/p52_300_100.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; color: red; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; line-height: 17.999998092651367px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 8px;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px;"><u style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 21px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: red; line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://kentweakley.com/blog/category/project52/" style="color: #cc0000; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">P52 Photo Project</a> </span></b></span></span></u></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This week's photo theme: leaves (but my focus is on pods...)</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><img src="http://raisinghomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RH-LinkUp-150.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 8px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px;"><b style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px; text-align: start;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" style="color: #aa0033; text-decoration: none;">Raising Homemakers </a></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://lm.inlinkz.com/go.php?i=205172" style="color: #cc0000; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img src="http://lm.inlinkz.com/br.php?s=100&i=205172" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" target="_blank" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://wholehearted-home.blogspot.com/" style="color: #cc0000; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><b>Whole-Hearted Home</b></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><img border="0" src="http://lm.inlinkz.com/cimp.php?l=205172" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 8px;" /></span>Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-1316970107707342822012-10-05T22:21:00.000-04:002012-10-06T09:36:10.222-04:00Stuff I Never Taught Them<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Stuff I never taught them, but they know anyway....</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiAVBa9JHmVsI9Rx9y4xSZ2X8MtMYGkp6Dtxkro7KHYmQJvDd3thRZqhluOuRnkNy1Ghp6zvd0Co12W-hoHjhyphenhyphenq2XXxdKgJ4ByLToEvGnZg3zS0_Bww6nZErj2EsuIGJLhrtGRJuTJl8/s1600/Ben+on+Skateboard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiAVBa9JHmVsI9Rx9y4xSZ2X8MtMYGkp6Dtxkro7KHYmQJvDd3thRZqhluOuRnkNy1Ghp6zvd0Co12W-hoHjhyphenhyphenq2XXxdKgJ4ByLToEvGnZg3zS0_Bww6nZErj2EsuIGJLhrtGRJuTJl8/s320/Ben+on+Skateboard.JPG" width="213" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Nursing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Copy editing (beyond the basics, anyway)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Wedding photography</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Video special effects and other tech savvy stuff</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Magic tricks</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Drawing birds in detail</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Skate board riding and repair</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Country cooking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">AP Chemistry</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Knitting</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Soccer </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Basketball</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">French</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Italian</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Spanish</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So much more....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My ten children -- ranging in age from 7 to 25 -- have learned so much and taught me so much. Just today, I listened to my oldest daughter intelligently discuss Nicomachean ethics with my sister. I had absolutely no clue what they were talking about.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ladies, if you're just getting started in home schooling, don't blow a gasket thinking of teaching them everything they will ever need to know. You can't. They can learn jolly well without you if they are interested enough.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just give them the basic skills. Read. Write. Speak in public. Do math. Draw. Science and history too, of course!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Give them the tools for what interests them - butterfly nets, cookbooks, computer software, a camera. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let them take time to tinker, explore, take things apart. Making mistakes is part of the learning process.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Classes, clubs and mentors can help in areas where you don't know as much as they want to know.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Have fun learning new skills from your kids!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Virginia Knowles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</a></span><br />
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<tr><td><span style="background-color: white;"><img alt="P52 with Kent Weakley" height="105" src="http://kentweakley.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/p52_300_100.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; color: red; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; line-height: 17.999998092651367px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 8px;" width="320" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px;"><u style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 21px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red; line-height: 18px;"><b><a href="http://kentweakley.com/blog/category/project52/" style="color: #cc0000; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">P52 Photo Project</a> </b></span></span></u></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><img src="http://raisinghomemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RH-LinkUp-150.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 8px;" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333015441895px; text-align: center;"><b style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14.666666984558105px; text-align: start;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #aa0033; text-decoration: none;">Raising Homemakers </a></b></td></tr>
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Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-39197457097459051182012-08-24T14:20:00.001-04:002012-10-06T09:35:43.086-04:00What We're Doing for Elementary School This Year<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dear friends,</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYD_T9g0F36EjSK93sAvNT61GnBNw01KYxC-m3tArA633bOiHMQ3WqEqR1odMNR3_P6k6yCeUsph3iReUBx03xnDfNkfK31SYKB4yl0WBG1pBvEl8o_wqrxnV9wlFh3jtRammuPJJMXk/s1600/Looking+at+Blue+Orchids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYD_T9g0F36EjSK93sAvNT61GnBNw01KYxC-m3tArA633bOiHMQ3WqEqR1odMNR3_P6k6yCeUsph3iReUBx03xnDfNkfK31SYKB4yl0WBG1pBvEl8o_wqrxnV9wlFh3jtRammuPJJMXk/s200/Looking+at+Blue+Orchids.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Blue orchids!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We're just finishing up our second week of "back to school" at our house. This year, two of our children are in the elementary grades -- one in public school and the other at home. We also have two in middle school at home, two in high school (one of them dual enrolling in college, the other at home) and two others in college.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxGWtPJiev6MxVaLfpafLqm5KfnczcjoC3PBRiBM0Y23TzDfNE11e70XoNhNP3E1X5ytHkVLEbjacdSKiLlZ4evBV4sHwRok1asDFt6k7PWYxiNVPvnaGfFeLXAE1vhcxWgU5BDz9isA/s1600/First+Day+of+School.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxGWtPJiev6MxVaLfpafLqm5KfnczcjoC3PBRiBM0Y23TzDfNE11e70XoNhNP3E1X5ytHkVLEbjacdSKiLlZ4evBV4sHwRok1asDFt6k7PWYxiNVPvnaGfFeLXAE1vhcxWgU5BDz9isA/s200/First+Day+of+School.JPG" width="100" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">First Day!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My 4th grade son has returned to our neighborhood publ</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ic school, where he went most of last year, and we're all pretty happy with that choice. He says his teacher (who just graduated from college) is strict but he likes her. He has homework every night, so I still get to be involved in his education. They are doing Florida History this year, so I know he'll be going on a field trip to St. Augustine this year. (See </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/10/florida-field-trips-1-historic-st.html" style="background-color: white; display: inline !important; line-height: 1.4em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Florida Field Trips #1: Historic St. Augustine</b></span></a>)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6bJbBjV51HBZ2oiiStJQBvPwkhipFsx_YaN7K7sj9Mec6E5mnfqzpUyqqhVWRS6-3_9Hz65e4B-ldmyc5gKRN3BHMrIPOlKg29JE8zOhtDkmz9TGHe0FCVk00G1FXxgAHFrh2c-ZScU/s1600/National+Geographic+Books.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6bJbBjV51HBZ2oiiStJQBvPwkhipFsx_YaN7K7sj9Mec6E5mnfqzpUyqqhVWRS6-3_9Hz65e4B-ldmyc5gKRN3BHMrIPOlKg29JE8zOhtDkmz9TGHe0FCVk00G1FXxgAHFrh2c-ZScU/s200/National+Geographic+Books.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He is supposed to read from a book of his choice for 20 minutes each evening, so he was thrilled with the National Geographic </span><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Reptiles and Amphibians</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> and the </span><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Exploring Your Solar System</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> books my sister (who home schooled two of her kids for several years) just sent after cleaning off her shelves. He had a choice of what to do with his spelling words yesterday, so he wrote them in graffiti style. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My youngest daughter just turned seven. She is technically in 2nd grade, but it's more like 1st/2nd since she has an August birthday and is a bit of a "late bloomer" anyway when it comes to academics. She was in public school for a few months last year but didn't thrive there; they push hard in the early grades and she wasn't quite emotionally ready for that. Even though she learned a lot, she was still behind the other students. She is, however, very bright, observant and curious, which makes it a lot of fun for me to teach her. She struggled with reading last year, but really took off in the late springtime and over the summer. She's my 10th child, and I'd say she's in the normal spectrum of reading skills. Some of my kids learned to read at age four, and some more toward seven. They are all strong readers now. In fact, the child who learned to read at the latest age made top scores on AP tests in high school and starts college dual enrollment next week at age 17. Some kids just need a little extra time to come into their own. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(See my article: </span><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/learning-to-read.html" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">Learning to Read</span></b></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQTI-_aObvhY3xnBRlyg_cYURFKXkWfJGOdZAxBAu7xN-Z7V3IQ7TFnHUV9nrBeKffJT3fD8ue09C5yLpuVAHBi92-81Cia0E2_1cRiA74JLQa-majRhN-Gtp0bvkuVk0Tu_4urdbtr8/s1600/Math+Activity+with+A+Beka+Number+Cards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQTI-_aObvhY3xnBRlyg_cYURFKXkWfJGOdZAxBAu7xN-Z7V3IQ7TFnHUV9nrBeKffJT3fD8ue09C5yLpuVAHBi92-81Cia0E2_1cRiA74JLQa-majRhN-Gtp0bvkuVk0Tu_4urdbtr8/s200/Math+Activity+with+A+Beka+Number+Cards.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Math is the weak link in the chain at the moment, but I'm guessing that will click soon, too. Her brother was math-resistant in second grade (I could hardly get him to do any!) but shot to the top of his class when he started public school partway through third grade -- again a matter of readiness. I didn't sign her up for the math class in the home school co-op, so I'm doing a variety of things at home, including ideas from Saxon 1st grade teacher manual, a workbook from a teacher's store, A Beka number pages, hands on stuff like poker chips and penguin shaped crackers (from Aldi), and most of all a free math drill app -- Instant Interactive Math Drills Lite -- on my iPod. In the photo at left, she matched up two sets of the A Beka number pages on the living room floor (numerals to pictures -- the cards are reversible) and then counted out the poker chips for each one. This morning we took a pile of six similar science books, counted them, divided them into groups of twos and threes, classified them by topic and cover style, compared the the quantities in the classified groups, etc. Yes, a lot of our math is impromptu. If you would like to see more of what I have written about math, read here: </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; display: inline !important; line-height: 1.4em;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/math-skills-checklist-from-preschool-to.html" style="background-color: white; color: red; display: inline !important; line-height: 1.4em; text-decoration: none;"><b>Math Skills Checklist from Preschool to 2nd Grade</b></a>,</span><span style="color: red;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4em;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/02/math-skills-checklist-3rd-5th-grades.html" style="display: inline !important; line-height: 1.4em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Math Skills Checklist 3rd-5th Grades</b></span></a><span style="color: red;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4em;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; display: inline !important; line-height: 26px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-own-batch-of-cookies.html" style="background-color: white; display: inline !important; line-height: 26px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red;"><b>My Own Batch of Cookies</b></span></a><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-own-batch-of-cookies.html" style="background-color: white; display: inline !important; line-height: 26px; text-decoration: none;"><b> </b><span style="color: black;">(math through measurement)</span></a>.</span><span style="color: red;"> </span></span>If you want to find out my favorite math resources, read to the bottom of the page here: <b><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/p/math.html">Math</a>.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://g.christianbook.com/g/product/9/96563.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Daily Language Review Grade 2 -
By: Jo Ellen Moore
" border="0" src="http://g.christianbook.com/g/product/9/96563.gif" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Many of the classes in our co-op are multi-grade. She's in 1st-3rd grade for history and science and 1st/2nd for English. The teachers chose BJU Press for both history and science. The English teacher is using <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=339443"><span style="color: red;"><b>First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind</b></span></a> as her teaching guide. She sends home worksheets and then the kids do several lessons from the appropriate grade level of Daily Language Review.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8mMl_LjMZJD-MtFYBKntBpxlfgjHJQFukjUQ-2hXfbGEIT67btDXJn5-1d15A23todQu0QPXN1NVO6zL6Z7lDVKnsflpM6y5JFfwSEF_9KBEBcScAsq7WMwoK8JUvUiJoGoGS6AMoUY/s1600/Box+of+books+from+sister.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8mMl_LjMZJD-MtFYBKntBpxlfgjHJQFukjUQ-2hXfbGEIT67btDXJn5-1d15A23todQu0QPXN1NVO6zL6Z7lDVKnsflpM6y5JFfwSEF_9KBEBcScAsq7WMwoK8JUvUiJoGoGS6AMoUY/s200/Box+of+books+from+sister.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We are supplementing all of the co-op classes with additional reading in those subjects at home. Sometimes I read to her, sometimes she reads to me, and sometimes we take turns reading page by page. As I mentioned, my sister just sent two big boxes of books, so we should be set for quite a while with Usborne Starting Point Science, Little House early readers, dolphin books, math drill pages, Bible stories, etc. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzl5gl9YsZNA0n7mXk2dd2fPzhVl5skC_y-uxpLIwNseLedo_ngGfmxohViKB1WtXlm0j-RsUXK1Eo-ATbNzF9l3cnVN09vpNZFnauBsbwgy-gu_HXls02Q3hrlszhWkmNSj0pLgFnWk/s1600/Fancy+Nancy+Books.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzl5gl9YsZNA0n7mXk2dd2fPzhVl5skC_y-uxpLIwNseLedo_ngGfmxohViKB1WtXlm0j-RsUXK1Eo-ATbNzF9l3cnVN09vpNZFnauBsbwgy-gu_HXls02Q3hrlszhWkmNSj0pLgFnWk/s200/Fancy+Nancy+Books.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We also take frequent trips to the library, where we recently discovered the Fancy Nancy readers. (See here for <a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2012/08/fancy-nancy-books-review.html"><b>review</b></a>.) </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5QQmSL9Jgi5zM4MSOOYphYx-xuZz3FkaQoWIMImsjJQQKYe4BSTWyP-NfmsL1kBtCuLz-1C9rULFki8jGBFwBUOVwn4lqEZNUzdbx93nc6Ts1FXyJNj8gTUxePFPWkOb_Y3aCcMVsds/s1600/The+Jesus+Storybook+Bible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5QQmSL9Jgi5zM4MSOOYphYx-xuZz3FkaQoWIMImsjJQQKYe4BSTWyP-NfmsL1kBtCuLz-1C9rULFki8jGBFwBUOVwn4lqEZNUzdbx93nc6Ts1FXyJNj8gTUxePFPWkOb_Y3aCcMVsds/s1600/The+Jesus+Storybook+Bible.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Plus we already have hundreds of children's books at home! One of our almost daily picks is <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;item_no=708257"><span style="color: red;"><b>The Jesus Storybook Bible</b></span></a>, which is a bit more poetic and artsy than most kiddy Bible story books. See my review here: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; display: inline !important; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 25.46px;"><b><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/11/jesus-storybook-bible-every-story.html" style="display: inline !important; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: red;">The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name</span></a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I keep her current books and workbooks, school supplies, and a notebook for storing in-process and completed papers, in a clear plastic bin I bought for $5 at Walmart. It has a spot on a shelf in the dining room, but I usually leave it in the living room where we use it most. See my post:</span><span style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; background-color: #ffffe5; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/08/bin-there-done-that-or-how-to-keep.html" style="display: inline !important; text-decoration: none;">"Bin There, Done That" (Or How to Keep School Clutter from Turning You Into a Basketcase)</a></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXEoianVJ5DsUchLe9KLAnlOGda7UpWJOg8APrYonCFSSF08XdkH2cY9wDLvzZEdjpKdoEnWLAvLV749pU5sNDOD3SJ_QazUpLoZ1OxNpiKggRuGrTzqMt2FsaKxjb7Bs5WbLP0Ni_ow_/s1600/Octopus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXEoianVJ5DsUchLe9KLAnlOGda7UpWJOg8APrYonCFSSF08XdkH2cY9wDLvzZEdjpKdoEnWLAvLV749pU5sNDOD3SJ_QazUpLoZ1OxNpiKggRuGrTzqMt2FsaKxjb7Bs5WbLP0Ni_ow_/s320/Octopus.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrCa7BYX2uksQ1lUMuWQhsaMalD6oMxB9P7a2M1f1wIE_Rjo-B6y-ub8BNSC1WKkJ-cVLPf7vgo2NBNnwcJM8KmkpNv4p1aWrAtJ7FnCtDu8Ru1NTkQNv8pVZwOcJRm2hfkxRiglUC04/s1600/Marigolds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrCa7BYX2uksQ1lUMuWQhsaMalD6oMxB9P7a2M1f1wIE_Rjo-B6y-ub8BNSC1WKkJ-cVLPf7vgo2NBNnwcJM8KmkpNv4p1aWrAtJ7FnCtDu8Ru1NTkQNv8pVZwOcJRm2hfkxRiglUC04/s200/Marigolds.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I also try to extend the co-op themes with outings and activities. They have been learning about the library and the post office in history class, so off we go. They are studying plants in science class, so we went to Lowe's, looked at a lot of different kinds of flowers, and bought some marigolds. (I blush to say we still haven't planted them and they are shriveling up. Bad mommy!) We also have a Fun Pass to Sea World, thanks to some help from my mom. If you pay for one day, the rest of the year is free!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKSGM2uVW_lMaVq7plBj1hXPSdZ9WGVQpF-05DJSIYf1ajCkuFw0QGlCFyLj6Nj3PcMGkg-trGldjqeiE3eik5BXYnEfkN_QXGbDdAqw__SGXoN2CELsH_K_W0QOBgceuNUQwcfUZddg/s1600/Making+My+Room+Special+by+Emilie+Barnes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKSGM2uVW_lMaVq7plBj1hXPSdZ9WGVQpF-05DJSIYf1ajCkuFw0QGlCFyLj6Nj3PcMGkg-trGldjqeiE3eik5BXYnEfkN_QXGbDdAqw__SGXoN2CELsH_K_W0QOBgceuNUQwcfUZddg/s200/Making+My+Room+Special+by+Emilie+Barnes.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another area we're trying to work on is basic life skills. Ea</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">ch of my five younger children (2nd-10th grades) has the same chores, rotated daily. I help our youngest with hers so she can get trained well enough to do them independently. Messy bedrooms are still an issue here, so I checked out <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Making-Room-Special-Emilie-Barnes/dp/0736900446/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345829890&sr=8-1&keywords=making+my+room+special">Making My Room Special: Creative Ways to Decorate Your Room</a></b> by Emilie Barnes. The book uses an engaging story and lots of sidebars to teach </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">elementary age girls how to keep their bedrooms clean, well-organized, and decorated, as well as how to successfully share a room.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That's mostly what we are doing this year for the elementary grades!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you would like some more inspiration, check out one of my favorite blogs about home schooling, <a href="http://www.simplehomeschool.net/"><b><span style="color: red;">www.simplehomeschool.net</span></b></a>. I susbscribed via Google Reader. Two of my recent favorite "don't miss" posts are: </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 1.26em;"><a href="http://simplehomeschool.net/bloomstaxonomy/" style="line-height: 1.26em;"><b><span style="color: red;">Bloom’s Taxonomy: A simple roadmap to learning</span></b></a> and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.26em;"><a href="http://simplehomeschool.net/designing-big-plans/" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.26em;"><b><span style="color: red;">Designing big plans to work with your every day</span></b></a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What are you doing for elementary school this year? What are your favorite resources? Leave a comment and share!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Virginia Knowles</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-14289389651151570982012-08-15T12:29:00.004-04:002012-08-28T15:26:52.585-04:00Fancy Nancy (I Can Read!) Books Mini-Review<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIC-kCyFy9oBngdeBrKEKKBxdAIzEZYm83Ps7fLIDNehsVNhVYlTkDn-dhOM-4OdtWNhkrA27ZyWVxJ554PMuxfOhsx32Oq98qq-ZtWmXSxqNEKtXQMQMnBZk_3RhGIpSy501_VxeXoKQ/s1600/Fancy+Nancy+Books.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIC-kCyFy9oBngdeBrKEKKBxdAIzEZYm83Ps7fLIDNehsVNhVYlTkDn-dhOM-4OdtWNhkrA27ZyWVxJ554PMuxfOhsx32Oq98qq-ZtWmXSxqNEKtXQMQMnBZk_3RhGIpSy501_VxeXoKQ/s320/Fancy+Nancy+Books.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fancy Nancy books by Jane O'Connor</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last night, I took my seven year old daughter to the library. They had moved most of the early reader books (and I didn't have time to look for them) but they had several left on top of the bookcase where they used to be.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That's how I discovered <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?event=AFF&amp;p=1136043&amp;Ns=product.number_sold&amp;Nso=1&amp;Ntk=product.long_title_desc|product.full_auth_name&amp;Ntt=Fancy%20Nancy|Jane%20O%27Connor&amp;Nu=product.endeca_rollup"><b>Fancy Nancy</b></a>!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fancy Nancy is the creation of Jane O'Connor. There are several full-size picture books about this spunky little girl, but the books we saw were in the I Can Read Level 1 book series. The cool thing about Nancy is that she likes fancy words like "spectacular" or "crestfallen" -- and she explains what they mean. So the books build a young student's vocabulary right in the context of the story. The other cool thing is that Nancy is a very normal little girl, and how she learns to face the very normal little challenges in her life -- whether it is a mean girl at school, or an unfinished project, or wanting something she can't have -- is a good lesson for all kids in the early elementary years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now I'll have to go find some more in the series!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oh, oh! You know what else is "spectacular" about Fancy Nancy? Her web site, <a href="http://www.fancynancyworld.com/"><b><span style="color: purple;">FancyNancyWorld</span></b></a>! It's got sections for educators and parents, including discussion questions, reading tips, printable activities, recipes, games and more.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So may I commend (that's a fancy word for telling you they're good) these books to you? Much obliged!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Virginia Knowles</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/"><b>www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</b></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-42835370559962489382012-07-25T08:58:00.001-04:002012-08-29T13:00:09.365-04:00Balloons Over Broadway<br />
<img alt="Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328836676l/11360892.jpg" />
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Flipping through books on the "new book cart" at our local library, I was intrigued by one of the<br />
titles—<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Balloons-over-Broadway-Puppeteer-Education/dp/0547199457"><i>Balloons Over Broadway: The Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade</i>.</a> Living in the Northeast as a child, the Macy's Parade was a highlight of our Thanksgiving Day morning; almost as important as putting the turkey in the oven.<br />
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I pulled the book from the shelf and placed it in our canvas library bag. When we arrived home an eager, curious little learner retrieved the book from the bag. "Mom, let's read this one!" <span style="background-color: white;">We did and I learned the back story about the balloons at which I </span><span style="background-color: white;">marveled</span><span style="background-color: white;"> as I child. In the process of reading one of our newest library finds, I was able to tell my children about one of our favorite holiday traditions—watching the Macy's Day Parade while smells of </span><span style="background-color: white;">cinnamon</span><span style="background-color: white;"> and roasting turkey permeated our home. A slice of family tradition and a delightful piece of American history served up during read-aloud time. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Interested in learning more about Macy's Parade, Tony Sarg, or puppet making:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>A <a href="http://social.macys.com/parade2012/?cm_mmc=VanityUrl-_-parade-_-n-_-n#/history">brief video </a>about the parade history</li>
<li>Behind the scenes tour of the parade</li>
<li>Parade <a href="http://social.macys.com/parade2012/?cm_mmc=VanityUrl-_-parade-_-n-_-n#/memoryMatch">Memory Match</a></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">About </span><a href="http://www.nha.org/digitalexhibits/sarg/sargbiography.html">Tony Sarg</a><span style="background-color: white;">, puppeteer</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">More about </span><a href="http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~wwwsfa/library_artists_sarg.htm">Tony Sarg</a></li>
<li><a href="http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-type/dolls-toys/puppet-crafts/">Puppets </a>children can make</li>
<li><a href="http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/puppets.html">More puppets</a> to make</li>
</ul>
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<br />
Other creative experiences:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Make puppets and perform a puppet show to entertain family and friends</li>
<li>Visit a local marionette <span style="background-color: white;">theater</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: red;">[This article is by contributing writer Cheryl Bastian. It first appeared on her blog</span><span style="color: #990000;"> <a href="http://www.cherylbastian.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="color: #990000;">There's Always a Story</span></b></a></span><span style="color: red;">.]</span><br />
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07266365420922713087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-63391064329787096952012-04-14T10:09:00.001-04:002012-08-01T22:35:34.162-04:00How to Plan a Unit Study<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 24pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">HOW TO PLAN A UNIT STUDY</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">by Virginia Knowles</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">from</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/p/common-sense-excellence.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade</a></b>
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What
is a Unit Study?</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Steps
for Planning a Unit Study<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Long
Range Planning<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Unit
Study Topic List</span><span style="font-family: SuccotashHmk;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">WHAT
IS A UNIT STUDY?<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Unit study is a natural <i>common sense excellence</i> method of
learning in which you choose a theme, and then incorporate various school
subjects, such as literature, language arts skills, history, geography, careers, science,
technology, art, music, and math application.
There is a logical connection between
subjects. They all fit together
naturally, just like in the real world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Each
unit study is different.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Some unit studies
concentrate primarily on one subject (history, science, etc.) with the others
tucked in. Some are based on holidays or
family trips. Some are more activity-oriented, while others are book-based,
depending on the topic and your teaching style.
You can design your own unit study plan, buy a package or guide, or
borrow from a friend. Unit studies can
take a few days, week, month, or year. You could do them all year or just once
in a while. You can plan several at a
time or do one spontaneously based on a question or interest from your
child. Don't get bogged down in
details. If a unit study bombs, you
learn how not to do one the next time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A
unit study doesn’t have to be elaborate.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> It can be as simple as going to the
library and checking out a few books.
Find what style suits you. Don't
be discouraged if you are not creative or organized. You don't have to plan a whole year of unit
studies ahead of time, or overload on creative activities in each one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A
unit study can include more than one child, but individual attention is still
needed.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> One goal of unit studies
is to build family unity and save mom's planning efforts, but you still need to
spend separate time on language arts and math at each child's level. It may be helpful to plan one time of day for
skills curriculum (phonics, grammar, punctuation, math, music theory, etc.) and
then another time slot for content curriculum (unit studies covering history,
literature, science, art appreciation, etc.)
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Social
studies and science themes can be closely integrated.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Human culture and the physical world affect
each other. People discover scientific
principles and then act them out in history.
When we studied Ancient Egypt, a history theme, we learned science too:
how a mummy is made, how pyramids were built without machines, and how land was
irrigated. In our next unit, we studied
the entire desert habitat, including biology (plants and animals), geology
(sand dunes), weather (rain patterns), geography (comparing deserts around the
world), history (archaeologists), and sociology (Native Americans, African
nomads). Social studies and science
emphases can be alternated and intertwined.
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Language
arts and math can be incorporated into unit studies.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Research and literature count as reading.
Spelling and vocabulary lists, creative writing projects, and dictation
selections, and math word problems can complement the unit study. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A Page from a 3rd Grade
Notebook<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Spelling List about Mexico</span></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mexico</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Central America</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Maya</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Aztec</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">pyramid</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">temple</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">solar calendar</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">weave </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">cotton</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">vanilla</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">chocolate</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">jungle </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;">STEPS
FOR PLANNING A UNIT STUDY</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">TOPIC
AND TIME AVAILABLE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Pick a topic which
is interesting to your children, and which incorporates several school
subjects. Whatever you choose, your
child should: hypothesize, integrate
related information, analyze, research, read, write, etc. How much time you can spend determines how
specific you can get with your topic. You could cover flowers in a week, but
botany could easily take a month.
Children usually start to lose interest after about three or four weeks
of concentrated study on a topic; don’t frustrate them with overkill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">SUB-TOPICS
AND SCHOOL SUBJECTS:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Make a list of sub-topics for your theme. A study of the Middle Ages could include
castles, knights and weaponry, the Crusades, Vikings and their ships, famous
kings, peasant life, food and clothing, fairy tales, etc. As you list the sub-topics, integrate various
school subjects such as: Bible, scientific principle, experiments, technology,
nature study, history, geography, government, careers, language skills,
literature, creative writing, math application, art, music, life skills,
etc. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">OBJECTIVES:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Write specific
goals of what you want your child to understand by the end of this unit. You won't learn everything, but you should
attempt to lay a framework for future learning and whet their appetites to
explore more on their own. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">LEARNING
MODES:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Adapt activities to your children. Cater to their learning
styles, whether visual, auditory, kinesthetic/tactile, etc. Use a variety of approaches to help lock in
the material from many angles. Consider <i>each</i> of your children when you do this
planning. Be sure to ask them for ideas
about what they would like to do for this unit study, because children can be
chock full of great ideas. It also gives
them a sense of being included and being important!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">AGE
LEVELS:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Preschool and kindergarten children especially like picture
books, fun songs, coloring, and make-believe.
Primary grade children can read books, write a little, draw pictures,
make crafts, and do simple experiments. Older students can research, write
papers, create independent projects, and wrestle with issues and current
events. Choose some books to read to all of your children and then give
age-appropriate activities to each child, with older doing more than younger.
Older children can occasionally help younger children by reading to them,
assisting with projects, and answering questions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">RESOURCES:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> List what you
already have: books, encyclopedia articles, videos, music, magazines, recipes,
instructions, pictures, craft and experiment supplies, web sites and phone
numbers to call for more information.
Include titles, authors and page numbers so you can easily make
assignments. Check the indexes of any
poetry or story anthologies you may own.
Write down what you will need, and where you might find it. Make games,
worksheets, and pictures. Plan purchases
and order in time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">SCHEDULE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Map out a
tentative schedule. What will you do
each day? How much will you cover in a
week? For a three-week unit, you could
tackle one major sub-topic each week.
You might need to raid the library first and refine your day-by-day plan
based on your selections. Vary
activities from day to day to prevent boredom.
Start with the simple and work towards the complex. Plan buffer time and decide which activities
are optional so you'll know what to skip in a crunch. Check newspaper and magazine calendars for
field trip ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;">LONG
RANGE PLANNING</span></u></b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Several years ago, as I was looking to
the future of our home education program, I decided that we needed a plan so
that we could learn about various topics and school subjects in a reasonable
manner. From those early brainstorms
hatched the idea for a quasi-comprehensive list of 60 three-week unit studies
to be covered in five years. We
successfully finished the units in our list a couple of years ago, and we’ve
gone on to other schemes since then. An
adapted version of our unit study list is included here, and is organized by
school subject, rather than the sequence our own family did them. This purpose of this list is just to give you
an idea of how things <i>can</i> fit
together in a long range plan, even if you don’t decide to do a sequenced
series of units. For example, you could
study history chronologically and continually (without breaking it up into
separate units), cover one continent all throughout the year, and layer various
science, technology, and health topics on top of whatever history and geography
you are studying at the moment. (This is
what we’ve been doing for the past two years.
It works.) Please note that the “Spiritual Emphasis” listed for each
year is not a separate unit, but an overall theme for the year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <b><u>UNIT
STUDY TOPIC LIST<o:p></o:p></u></b></span></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">YEAR 1</span></span></u></b></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">History:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Old Testament,
Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Geography:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Africa</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Science:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Creation Week,
Weather, Life in the Desert</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Health:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Babies and
Family Life</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Technology &
Trade:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Books and Publishing</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Spiritual
Emphasis:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Old Testament</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">YEAR 2</span></span></u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">History:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Ancient Rome,
Life and Times of Christ, Early Church, Viking Times</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Geography:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Ancient and
Modern Asia</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Science:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Farm Life,
Chemistry, Animal Classification</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Health:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Human Body</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Technology &
Trade:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Buildings (Homes, Construction, Architecture)</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Spiritual
Emphasis:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> New Testament Church and World Missions</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">YEAR 3</span></span></u></b></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">History:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Middle Ages,
Renaissance, Reformation, Explorers, Art & Music History</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Geography:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Europe, Land
Forms, Maps & Globes</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Science:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Physical
Science, Life in the Water, Plant Life</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Health:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Nutrition &
Exercise</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Technology &
Trade:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Ships, Musical Instruments</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Spiritual
Emphasis: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Reformation of the Church</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">YEAR 4:</span></span></u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">History: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">17th-19th
Century History (U.S.A.: Pilgrims, Colonial, Patriot, Pioneer, Civil War)</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Geography: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">North and South
America</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Science: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Life in the
Forest, Birds</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Health: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Medicine &
Health Care</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Technology &
Trade: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Inventions & Modern Manufacturing, Communications</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Spiritual
Emphasis : </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Liberty and Justice</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">YEAR 5:</span></span></u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">History: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Regional History
(State/Province), 20th Century, World Wars, Life in the Future</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Geography: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Regional
Geography, Middle East, Australia</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Science: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Insects,
Flowers, Astronomy</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Health: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">General Health</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Technology &
Trade: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aviation, Space Travel, Energy, Economics</span></li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Spiritual
Emphasis : </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Spiritual Growth</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 18pt;">&</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“The
more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Into
his tiniest creatures, God has placed extraordinary properties.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Louis
Pasteur (1822-1895), the French scientist who developed process of
pasteurization for milk, as well as vaccines for anthrax and rabies</span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1-2-3 Ideas to Remember
about <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Teaching with Unit Studies</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Wingdings 2'; font-size: 18pt;"> 1 </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Keep unit studies simple! Don’t feel overwhelmed!</span><span style="font-family: SuccotashHmk; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Wingdings 2'; font-size: 18pt;"> 2</span><span style="font-family: SuccotashHmk; font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Integrate
many school subjects in a natural way.</span><span style="font-family: SuccotashHmk; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Wingdings 2'; font-size: 18pt;"> 3</span><span style="font-family: SuccotashHmk; font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Plan
spontaneously or long-term.</span><span style="font-family: SuccotashHmk; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is an excerpt from my book </span><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/p/common-sense-excellence.html" style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade</span></b></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Other unit study posts on this blog:</span></div>
<div>
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<a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/08/american-history-unit-studies-at-our.html" style="display: block; font-weight: normal;"></a><ul><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/08/american-history-unit-studies-at-our.html" style="display: block; font-weight: normal;"></a>
<li><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/08/american-history-unit-studies-at-our.html" style="display: block; font-weight: normal;"></a><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/08/american-history-unit-studies-at-our.html" style="display: inline !important; line-height: 1.4em;"><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">American History Unit Studies at Our House</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/10/poetry-in-life-and-education.html" style="display: inline !important; line-height: 1.4em;"><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Poetry in Life and Education</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/06/reading-your-way-around-world.html" style="display: inline !important; line-height: 1.4em;"><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Reading Your Way Around the World by Cheryl Bastian</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/05/penguins-perfectly-cool-unit-study-hot.html" style="display: inline !important; line-height: 1.4em;"><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Penguins: A Perfectly Cool Unit Study for Hot Summers by Cheryl Bastian</span></a></li>
</ul>
</h3>
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<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-7467999778078590829" itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="color: #cc6600; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.25em; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br /><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/06/reading-your-way-around-world.html" style="color: #333333; display: block; line-height: 1.4em; text-decoration: none;"></a></h3>
</div>
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<br />Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-56131240703039419942012-04-05T09:40:00.000-04:002012-04-05T09:42:43.385-04:00Your Children Can Help with Meal Times<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dear friends,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Vl4EFKQ6W3ODN9vcqDWHDpmxTfr94RONoo24o720GCWDpC3IFIDsZSnKPv6cng57v-kkuMrI7zn3TgfIbaEQqvMTPJ1_MYC4RZDFqURMOqM7b74jYGfyTyL4Bh9gq0li1a4LKT7Kr8fs/s1600/Naomi+serves+volcano+cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Vl4EFKQ6W3ODN9vcqDWHDpmxTfr94RONoo24o720GCWDpC3IFIDsZSnKPv6cng57v-kkuMrI7zn3TgfIbaEQqvMTPJ1_MYC4RZDFqURMOqM7b74jYGfyTyL4Bh9gq0li1a4LKT7Kr8fs/s200/Naomi+serves+volcano+cake.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm doing a Hope Chest e-magazine issue on Food & Compassion, and thought I'd include a section I wrote on Meal Times in my book <a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/p/common-sense-excellence.html"><b><span style="color: red;">Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade</span></b></a>. This excerpt is from the chapter on Life Skills.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">MEAL TIMES<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">but a
foolish man devours all he has.”
Proverbs 21:20<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened
calf with hatred.” Proverbs 15:17<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She gets up while it is still dark; <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">she provides food for her family and portions for her servant
girls.” </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Proverbs 31:14-15<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The way to a man’s heart is still through his
stomach. Jesus fed bread and fish to the
hungry multitudes, called himself “</span><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">the
bread of life</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">”,
ate a communion meal in the Upper Room with his disciples just before he was
betrayed, and even ministered to them after his resurrection by roasting fish
for them on the shore. At this time, he
also admonished the apostle Peter to </span><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Feed my sheep.”</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> (See John 21.) Can you just imagine the Wedding Feast we
will enjoy in Heaven with Jesus as our Bridegroom? If meals are so important in God’s sight, I
think they should be a vital part of our children’s life skills education! Here are some things you can teach your
child to do:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Check out
cookbooks from the library in the j651 section.</u>
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> You will find plenty of international and
historical food books, such as those listed in the Social Studies section. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Fannie Farmer Junior
Cookbook </span></i></b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">is
one of our general favorites </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Start a recipe
collection.</u></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Let your child start a recipe notebook or box
to collect her favorites. These might
include family recipes that are passed down from relatives. Take care that
recipes are copied accurately! If you
like, you can insert each page into a plastic notebook sleeve to keep it clean
during use. An older child can also choose one recipe to learn very well so
that it can be her specialty. She can
also experiment with how to adapt recipes to make them healthier or more
unique. My daughter Mary made her own illustrated keepsake cookbook when she
was in elementary school. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Plan a weekly
menu, fill out a shopping list, go to the grocery store and shop for the
ingredients.</u></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Learn how to find the best quality and price
for foods. Read nutritional labels and
unit pricing. While you are at the store, browse through unusual foreign foods
such as calabaza, yucca root or malanga.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Follow recipes
and learn the lingo.</u></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> How much is a <i>pinch</i> of
salt? What does it mean to <i>dice, mash, </i>or<i> simmer</i> food? Memorize
abbreviations such as <i>t.</i> or <i>tsp.</i> for teaspoon and <i>T.</i> or <i>Tbs.</i> for tablespoon so that you don’t mix them up. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Practice using
kitchen utensils and appliances safely.</u></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> This might include
the microwave oven, popcorn air popper, hand mixer, stove, apple corer, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Prepare the
food.</u></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Cut
foods with a safe knife, peel vegetables, measure ingredients, mix batters,
tear up lettuce for a salad, put spreads on bread, assemble a sandwich or
burritos, spoon out dough for drop cookies, decorate a cake, scramble eggs,
boil water for noodles, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Learn about
timing various elements of the meal preparation.</u> </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Your child will learn how to plan ahead so that
everything is done and hot at about the same time. This requires more advanced
thinking skills. What will go on the big
burners on the stove top? If two things
need to go in the oven, will they require the same temperature? Will they both fit? What can be kept warm
without burning? What productive things
can you do in the kitchen while you wait for the meat to fry?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Serve food to
the table without dropping it.</u> </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Use plastic plates until your child gets the hang of
this. This requires walking steadily,
and perhaps using a tray. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Pour drinks without
spilling.</u></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Practice this with water over a sink or
counter first. Use a child-friendly pitcher.
Allow your child to serve drinks to family members who are working
outside in hot weather. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Clean up!</u> </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Don’t neglect this part of the process, or you will
pay for it in aggravation later. Even a two year old can carry a plastic cereal
bowl to the sink, stand up on tiptoe and dump it in. A four year old can scrape his plate into the
garbage -- <i>after</i> he eats his
vegetables!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Pack a picnic
lunch.</u></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Plan which foods can “keep” safely outside
and are tidy to eat. Learn how to pack them so they won’t spill or spoil. Include unbreakable plastic or paper plates
and cups, as well as a good supply of napkins.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Explore food
careers through books and field trips.</u></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> What is it like to be a dietitian, chef, restaurant
owner, or caterer? What kind of laws
govern food safety in restaurants or stores?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>Learn
table manners.</u> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There are courteous
ways to eat, pass items, be excused, remove something inedible from your mouth,
etc. Ask God’s blessing on the food. Memorize a variety of traditional table
graces, and be able to ask a spontaneous blessing.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">~*~*~</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjUhmvePO0kx-VtJfA_1_8V0zHIHMymifgSNxepaBHtF3vSSKS-zmsWopzIXIqJ9mzQrZU0b4KGUOhZsvCW73-Y3VcFoXD8rya2XQcyt9ilLo08wzbwM0IeImtAz9pnqJaTAtMPYh00g/s1600/Micah+juicing+oranges.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjUhmvePO0kx-VtJfA_1_8V0zHIHMymifgSNxepaBHtF3vSSKS-zmsWopzIXIqJ9mzQrZU0b4KGUOhZsvCW73-Y3VcFoXD8rya2XQcyt9ilLo08wzbwM0IeImtAz9pnqJaTAtMPYh00g/s200/Micah+juicing+oranges.JPG" width="121" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I hope you have enjoyed this excerpt! There are a lot of links about food on my other blogs, </span><a href="http://www.virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">www.virginiaknowles.blogspot.com</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><a href="http://www.comewearymoms.blogspot.com./" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">www.comewearymoms.blogspot.com.</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> I've been doing a series on saving money, menu planning, etc.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Also on this blog: </span><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-own-batch-of-cookies.html" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: left;">My Own Batch of Cookies</a></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2992657438091051720" itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Virginia Knowles</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/">www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-56028608000420068012012-03-24T16:42:00.001-04:002012-03-28T08:37:34.890-04:00Florida Field Trips #5: LegoLand<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Florida Field Trips #5: LegoLand</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dear friends,</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfWi4RhAlZiSiSOH5na1m3uqvE3SHFHJs4XorCDw0ZGbOOgn9S2lDAoJaYZSwODqKfkrh8FiOXApZHUNSOiS2rmBkLxWkfF50syOokIp9RLCTy7NYmyIQzU9H169-yWotKea7djs1p3Y/s1600/Entrance+to+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfWi4RhAlZiSiSOH5na1m3uqvE3SHFHJs4XorCDw0ZGbOOgn9S2lDAoJaYZSwODqKfkrh8FiOXApZHUNSOiS2rmBkLxWkfF50syOokIp9RLCTy7NYmyIQzU9H169-yWotKea7djs1p3Y/s320/Entrance+to+LegoLand.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yesterday, I took my four youngest kids, ages 6-12, to <a href="http://florida.legoland.com/"><b><span style="color: red;">LegoLand Florida</span></b></a>,
about an hour and half from our house in Seminole County. Last fall, LegoLand opened in Winter Haven,
not far from US Highway 27, on the grounds of what used to be the historic
Cypress Gardens theme park. Cypress
Gardens was a classic Florida fixture for several decades until it ran out of
money a few years back. I remember going
there over 25 years ago with my husband!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_OqpYr3AkZIvTX3xMoHLxVr5on7obvdFtIxofkZgWp1w7AqEgg2D2sz4FOGD1b86E7XqivGRFCSawVT2MYb0NfN9mcYwYZuRvx5CZG0KE789GNXIvJRlJpE9AdZqoGTSJTXo8fojXR8/s1600/Clown+sculpture+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_OqpYr3AkZIvTX3xMoHLxVr5on7obvdFtIxofkZgWp1w7AqEgg2D2sz4FOGD1b86E7XqivGRFCSawVT2MYb0NfN9mcYwYZuRvx5CZG0KE789GNXIvJRlJpE9AdZqoGTSJTXo8fojXR8/s200/Clown+sculpture+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="150" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our home school co-op scheduled this as a field trip so we could get
the school discount, which is just a fraction of the cost of a regular ticket. We paid $5 each for children ages 5 through 12,
and $25 each for teens, adults, and preschoolers age 3-4. Under age 3 is admitted free. A regular adult ticket is $75 at the gate or
$68 on-line, while children’s and senior citizens tickets are usually $65 at
the gate or $60 on-line. The moral of
the story: go with a school group if you can!
We were initially told to bring our home school ID cards, but only our
leader had to show hers. Parking costs
$12 for a car (maybe more for larger vehicles?) and can be paid by credit
card. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIVMhUT4yamXeVnqMirAYOMpS-OFfL3YJUrQF4yYQTbV7co-cg2t8BWTv7NcaE2BSggJ-gE86qxwccIhL18fD0TI4rTWcaDXm14B152d3MbQwLagydHZx1qUq2_poZkbsOyN79Kli32o/s1600/Stroller+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIVMhUT4yamXeVnqMirAYOMpS-OFfL3YJUrQF4yYQTbV7co-cg2t8BWTv7NcaE2BSggJ-gE86qxwccIhL18fD0TI4rTWcaDXm14B152d3MbQwLagydHZx1qUq2_poZkbsOyN79Kli32o/s200/Stroller+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="107" /></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You can rent a single stroller for
$9 or a double stroller for $14. I
rented one at lunch time so I could bring my heavy lunch bag to the back end of
the park where our friends were eating, and so my tired six year old didn’t
have to walk so much. It was well worth
the money. Speaking of lunch bags, I’ve
been told there is refrigerated storage area in the white mansion so you can
bring it in. I didn’t realize that ahead
of time and had left mine in the car.
You can also get food in the park.
I saw an all-you-can-eat-and-drink pizza, pasta and salad buffet for
$9.99 for adults and $6.99 for children.
At that price, I would have been tempted to just eat there if I hadn’t
had as many kids with me! Some of the
other food is a big more expensive, such as a bottle of Gatorade that is $3 if
you buy it inside or $2.50 if you buy it from a cart outside. Other amenities include a pet kennel and
locker rental.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYyObqC3t9fAKImgwDHNxvbXNkab9tmmq_Dr3rrLj9USm-2abXs7iY9YS8elPz-qwX5s1GPfc47IFtHESgnSTJDZ2UblugifmVCsVHaPX0LIYwHrMF9X-ssiHjzdrU8BGc6UKliuoF6B0/s1600/Einstein+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYyObqC3t9fAKImgwDHNxvbXNkab9tmmq_Dr3rrLj9USm-2abXs7iY9YS8elPz-qwX5s1GPfc47IFtHESgnSTJDZ2UblugifmVCsVHaPX0LIYwHrMF9X-ssiHjzdrU8BGc6UKliuoF6B0/s200/Einstein+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="170" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The hours are 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, Thursday through Monday (closed
Tuesday and Wednesday), but they don’t seem to be very strict on the closing
time. We didn’t leave the park until
6:20, and there were plenty of people still in it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They are opening a LegoLand Water Park this summer.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUoRrmPuZdMUimZQWQmtUEjHygEsh7ht3PzBcYrW0mqODgurFjRD8Qg0-5cXGVYtGQB9KRtFAtQJlfgHWvADRMYOZD7Cm9jwf7Le1JuqkzGZ87w2l5-1bg85wc3KJjtXL18LosSirNFKg/s1600/Island+in+the+Sky+2+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUoRrmPuZdMUimZQWQmtUEjHygEsh7ht3PzBcYrW0mqODgurFjRD8Qg0-5cXGVYtGQB9KRtFAtQJlfgHWvADRMYOZD7Cm9jwf7Le1JuqkzGZ87w2l5-1bg85wc3KJjtXL18LosSirNFKg/s200/Island+in+the+Sky+2+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Island in the Sky</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While LegoLand is much more fun than the old Cypress Gardens, I am very
grateful that they have retained the best features of the old park, including
the actual gardens, water ski shows, and the Island in the Sky ride which is a
viewing platform that rises high above the park and spins slowly for a terrific
view of the Florida countryside. I’m
not sure which of the current rides remain for the CG days, but there are four different
roller coasters and lots of other rides for all ages to enjoy. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAho0yr9iH4stkBcog9fgtWOjoEU8PGx7MHRQHyickK-g3Uo4HECKMAUXFZMOSTA21KvruthTvH6Lxt4y7ju4oa2_hpyL_OZ_bRH0MNmOqpbEeRALJqVBVL7OslBGoj2wHmfYEFIM2wo/s1600/Vintage+car+ride+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAho0yr9iH4stkBcog9fgtWOjoEU8PGx7MHRQHyickK-g3Uo4HECKMAUXFZMOSTA21KvruthTvH6Lxt4y7ju4oa2_hpyL_OZ_bRH0MNmOqpbEeRALJqVBVL7OslBGoj2wHmfYEFIM2wo/s200/Vintage+car+ride+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There truly is “something for everyone” at
LegoLand, even if you don’t usually play with Legos. We compensated for the differences in age and
interest levels by trading off kids with three other families as necessary. We kept in touch with cell phones so we could
meet up frequently and trade kids again.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoSWqcbAk1WZp-RNxiEBSsz2EjNfMlPE0AYM2s9T2okAN3pvNOlVd75nI4mzqwRI7dlwR1TsWkZXuBEU9tbdsiAZPKbsfaCQlBIPI0ZjJStlg7pChyphenhyphenk_HqK6r3YPizSPjkQZzbwodHbQ/s1600/MiniLand+New+York+1+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoSWqcbAk1WZp-RNxiEBSsz2EjNfMlPE0AYM2s9T2okAN3pvNOlVd75nI4mzqwRI7dlwR1TsWkZXuBEU9tbdsiAZPKbsfaCQlBIPI0ZjJStlg7pChyphenhyphenk_HqK6r3YPizSPjkQZzbwodHbQ/s320/MiniLand+New+York+1+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> New York City</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEH0NboQCM6ljQJVDbtPV_kqzz2axBH8RJL1jYnOR7dwG2d90AQ_3fQ4b_fFmZq8FNxuXfR64YoYdZsG7LCjC2bMz-5Xuqke03LZWTrpqKdCOlpasmEWAfIrelnYBsIbyunnDyVnRMuw/s1600/MiniLand+New+York+Statue+of+Liberty+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEH0NboQCM6ljQJVDbtPV_kqzz2axBH8RJL1jYnOR7dwG2d90AQ_3fQ4b_fFmZq8FNxuXfR64YoYdZsG7LCjC2bMz-5Xuqke03LZWTrpqKdCOlpasmEWAfIrelnYBsIbyunnDyVnRMuw/s320/MiniLand+New+York+Statue+of+Liberty+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="175" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Statue of Liberty</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The really fun thing about LegoLand is the LEGO theme! This is apparent from the moment you walk
through the gates, because there are gigantic Lego sculptures throughout the
park. The crowning display of Legos is
at MiniLand, where there are at least a dozen amazing scenes built entirely of
Legos, including New York City, Washington D.C., San Francisco, the Daytona
speedway, Kennedy Space Center, Key West, Las Vegas, and more.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMn4RpkVSKoIvmIKa_eQepoH6fPewXQ5n9w65qGr04L-BzPiZb9U5WRqp1Toq2a7HAQzc-Q_wRRzXTTsKV2-ehNar2kTZN5r2RSALSOTY4khSqXua6IEWGcVCLq22nlUvCC8ATTPu8OzY/s1600/MiniLand+New+York+2+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMn4RpkVSKoIvmIKa_eQepoH6fPewXQ5n9w65qGr04L-BzPiZb9U5WRqp1Toq2a7HAQzc-Q_wRRzXTTsKV2-ehNar2kTZN5r2RSALSOTY4khSqXua6IEWGcVCLq22nlUvCC8ATTPu8OzY/s320/MiniLand+New+York+2+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-S4ki17507tfeT2DWeQx8TIZz0HLJ6rkqiNBHaMzigX33-t0FJVDOvhydEgNsfrsTGo6AkAGYQQPxhe9OsVD8Q8TGU1tlxsmxiQRVjqSigazSlav3OLyIWjiv_Y4QLlmTWd0uTipopQ/s1600/MiniLand+Washington+DC+1+at+Land.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-S4ki17507tfeT2DWeQx8TIZz0HLJ6rkqiNBHaMzigX33-t0FJVDOvhydEgNsfrsTGo6AkAGYQQPxhe9OsVD8Q8TGU1tlxsmxiQRVjqSigazSlav3OLyIWjiv_Y4QLlmTWd0uTipopQ/s320/MiniLand+Washington+DC+1+at+Land.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">U.S. Capitol Building</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7ckNx7rscL8fNmWkLkF7a6piDMHWLG9zVBaeDabD_H8wPLS_m9YPG8TQZcbQlhYg-gcTz_QtUJZRgM-egtsWRhmnZ0YTZ6aOHXJ0jcGyY1NENlXs66jgXcJaiG3zUIZM09DwD0NPqcg/s1600/MiniLand+space+shuttle+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7ckNx7rscL8fNmWkLkF7a6piDMHWLG9zVBaeDabD_H8wPLS_m9YPG8TQZcbQlhYg-gcTz_QtUJZRgM-egtsWRhmnZ0YTZ6aOHXJ0jcGyY1NENlXs66jgXcJaiG3zUIZM09DwD0NPqcg/s320/MiniLand+space+shuttle+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="213" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3Ho-9OuclPyvvfpsgCHqwJcZBmzdXj5AZm8bqmEUFT8PdbvbJ2zAM72BmjlnRw28kQVmpOpoltVtH6GpHQzBqQj__PfnZ4YaPAMV8E6g2XpV0LpNKTHGPuXVWxQpW4Lfc6vgAnF6dAU/s1600/MiniLand+San+Franciso+3+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3Ho-9OuclPyvvfpsgCHqwJcZBmzdXj5AZm8bqmEUFT8PdbvbJ2zAM72BmjlnRw28kQVmpOpoltVtH6GpHQzBqQj__PfnZ4YaPAMV8E6g2XpV0LpNKTHGPuXVWxQpW4Lfc6vgAnF6dAU/s320/MiniLand+San+Franciso+3+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">San Francisco with Golden Gate Bridge </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHX4yCOB1FAb3MWVWeq14jcCg1x-yRE8gj6tolgKuXUvC8srQJankf9fHfyt5-9CGgEyNlDoDBpXOsKoM-z88f-fWuG7r4tgCVB9N-sY7V8IaaSLK5KeFmwZIQZ1jhPzB66PeyjBVsEo/s1600/MiniLand+San+Francisco+1+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHX4yCOB1FAb3MWVWeq14jcCg1x-yRE8gj6tolgKuXUvC8srQJankf9fHfyt5-9CGgEyNlDoDBpXOsKoM-z88f-fWuG7r4tgCVB9N-sY7V8IaaSLK5KeFmwZIQZ1jhPzB66PeyjBVsEo/s200/MiniLand+San+Francisco+1+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">San Francisco</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Safari ride for young children takes you
through an area with full size Lego animals. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjjVuRJQQgLVhFpUQDUsp7d4lLlb_qs8mKv6bZUTFD7lQHIoHZlRa0eeXqtCHfQe3K5IKpZkH652-gjbgretRtc3iw4vZhpkMmeUUnFmNENhrOJOdDE0AFj32O1v3Gfep3RhTfWPv9co/s1600/Safari+Ostriches+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjjVuRJQQgLVhFpUQDUsp7d4lLlb_qs8mKv6bZUTFD7lQHIoHZlRa0eeXqtCHfQe3K5IKpZkH652-gjbgretRtc3iw4vZhpkMmeUUnFmNENhrOJOdDE0AFj32O1v3Gfep3RhTfWPv9co/s200/Safari+Ostriches+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglo9ahyphenhyphenl6_Hpz3eD1uF-vv8ve2iQfDaC0dQHcal5hFx_erMqxcy6dJwcZ43-fiYnIEoXkShHhtzhFRjIEQ4HzxhbzfabQwatyXvYGTtCowVo45m3gBJ_2UcZCXuwAxt6U_i9XRPW9HYxk/s200/Safari+zebra+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="200" /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOES02JN1EGsf4eNSph_VBP_ImLWUktvvw782qCifksrVjFqImXf4r1YtRPvIxSIrbTZ0ZO8fa0SC2hmX60SicDFdRoDI3hU4AHQs_9mJyqJ6yBdF_n6R73ZpQ9LxbF-SkORmW6OdP0Ys/s1600/The+Battle+for+Brickbeard's+Bounty+1+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOES02JN1EGsf4eNSph_VBP_ImLWUktvvw782qCifksrVjFqImXf4r1YtRPvIxSIrbTZ0ZO8fa0SC2hmX60SicDFdRoDI3hU4AHQs_9mJyqJ6yBdF_n6R73ZpQ9LxbF-SkORmW6OdP0Ys/s320/The+Battle+for+Brickbeard's+Bounty+1+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some attractions that are not made of Legos still
retain the theme, such as at the water ski show where the ship looks like it is
made of Legos and the pirate is called Captain Brickbeard instead of Blackbeard. During this show, there are four full-size
Lego men (people in costumes) and a Lego pirate who water ski and act out the
skit. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOES02JN1EGsf4eNSph_VBP_ImLWUktvvw782qCifksrVjFqImXf4r1YtRPvIxSIrbTZ0ZO8fa0SC2hmX60SicDFdRoDI3hU4AHQs_9mJyqJ6yBdF_n6R73ZpQ9LxbF-SkORmW6OdP0Ys/s1600/The+Battle+for+Brickbeard's+Bounty+1+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWGrbvz7seUa-DMne3cJasQqopd5m_n_uEKh4iwCaoxIbRL3txWX8000-SkmKUzyGnrJ45xR8JXon1Q3sGoqsAAyfF6QriBGvvwhVH5OvDbszg5y6xedaPQaXiRthd54fOXw4-iA0IcA/s1600/The+Battle+for+Brickbeard's+Bounty+2+at+Lego+Land.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWGrbvz7seUa-DMne3cJasQqopd5m_n_uEKh4iwCaoxIbRL3txWX8000-SkmKUzyGnrJ45xR8JXon1Q3sGoqsAAyfF6QriBGvvwhVH5OvDbszg5y6xedaPQaXiRthd54fOXw4-iA0IcA/s320/The+Battle+for+Brickbeard's+Bounty+2+at+Lego+Land.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ypbo1RM64J9lyhM-6YmYX9xA2Y1gJaSsOQ7r2ZqfPupjbj4VIOiAERj6lHEQQPc7CBa4SnKb2xC2T2W-MIBISxSnh3or-kJQ4TeN0u8AViZkEFj4twSIi4W9QYRYdbblT8jrzUMA-T4/s1600/Dragon+castle+1+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ypbo1RM64J9lyhM-6YmYX9xA2Y1gJaSsOQ7r2ZqfPupjbj4VIOiAERj6lHEQQPc7CBa4SnKb2xC2T2W-MIBISxSnh3or-kJQ4TeN0u8AViZkEFj4twSIi4W9QYRYdbblT8jrzUMA-T4/s200/Dragon+castle+1+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72_8pDkIcXGwrNemKzZ2rzEx_M3rM7ppAIumzSUa2JhFpeR14b1WJtd2jH9z7Mch6AIAiKAmtMcU2tWK2Ur83rv_MTKQdH3RlcAN242s9KkFZ0UWsInDbw4N4dNg9vYRWXR8kYMW21-Y/s1600/Dragon+castle+3+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72_8pDkIcXGwrNemKzZ2rzEx_M3rM7ppAIumzSUa2JhFpeR14b1WJtd2jH9z7Mch6AIAiKAmtMcU2tWK2Ur83rv_MTKQdH3RlcAN242s9KkFZ0UWsInDbw4N4dNg9vYRWXR8kYMW21-Y/s200/Dragon+castle+3+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the Dragon roller coaster ride, the outside is a Lego looking castle
with the trademark colorful plastic flags, a Lego gargoyle, and Lego soldier. During the preliminary inside segment, you
travel through a castle with large Lego sculptures of dragons and courtiers. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFA2cEykn3_OMnNxXBXv-Q4jd7bZ574T_RgsmmUsw5WC0H7OeAmzcNDwYyQ_4CO3hZtC1B2cySGKRYHdlVTjdi_ioYvvm3ZwDngFkKBkNbNcoSQZ0EJr3eZn3JnxjSduPlH-Ot4fNkfo/s1600/Dragon+castle+4+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFA2cEykn3_OMnNxXBXv-Q4jd7bZ574T_RgsmmUsw5WC0H7OeAmzcNDwYyQ_4CO3hZtC1B2cySGKRYHdlVTjdi_ioYvvm3ZwDngFkKBkNbNcoSQZ0EJr3eZn3JnxjSduPlH-Ot4fNkfo/s200/Dragon+castle+4+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="150" /></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Dragon coaster ride was fun but not overwhelming, and I think it is the best pick of
coasters for younger riders. There is
also a nearby Merlin’s Challenge ride for very younger children which is sort-of-kind-of
like a junior roller coaster (goes up and down a little on a circle track) but
ironically rougher on my joints than the Dragon and the wooden Coastersaurus! I didn’t ride the Flying School suspension
coaster, nor Project X (?) which is more curvy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I also loved the Clutch Powers 4-D show we saw. What is 4-D? It is 3-D with the additional sensory
elements of wind, water and “snow.” There are three 4-D shows available,
including a racing one, and another with a wizard theme that looked a little
dark for my tastes.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrLuoJ_oxxSGMqseH2jav6QLeIlYVKnMaUalYNy65kMgxLaUhikecVU2WA2QYZQzA235AifXjieikH_mmnNM-I6_8Lut0AUizufsNgUGIuFa8so62Sq8BKSb3oEEWwNk0tLROWmhkZaQ/s1600/Cypress+Gardens+Southern+belle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrLuoJ_oxxSGMqseH2jav6QLeIlYVKnMaUalYNy65kMgxLaUhikecVU2WA2QYZQzA235AifXjieikH_mmnNM-I6_8Lut0AUizufsNgUGIuFa8so62Sq8BKSb3oEEWwNk0tLROWmhkZaQ/s200/Cypress+Gardens+Southern+belle.JPG" width="163" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am also super glad I took the opportunity to walk through the
gardens, which I missed the last time I was at Cypress Gardens. A <span style="text-align: center;">Southern belle made from Legos</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">replaces the human ones</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">that used to grace the park.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The most outstanding feature of the gardens is a massive banyan
tree that has several trunks. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3FNHjL7fWpJAZCgs39HVRdzE3w3Bu2MZj1ie_Cu8V8P-VaeoVFw57CanYJz1PtKpnJTbXUXnNbtV23heXMTNGsOp6w3qWalc6Gk8fYq6xUZsONKPNC-922_AQfrQMm7rxy45j9fkTAo/s1600/Cypress+Gardens+Banyan+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3FNHjL7fWpJAZCgs39HVRdzE3w3Bu2MZj1ie_Cu8V8P-VaeoVFw57CanYJz1PtKpnJTbXUXnNbtV23heXMTNGsOp6w3qWalc6Gk8fYq6xUZsONKPNC-922_AQfrQMm7rxy45j9fkTAo/s320/Cypress+Gardens+Banyan+Tree.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Banyan Tree</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjHJZK2TgDNt1M4FzNQv_J2VEFeHr8z5BmWO5EuGK-OkBU91gQk9pxLq2vkMaGN7Icd98dIVSfrGS-yRs57cCwR527YxCAs0PZ64Tz2TYTVQ9ORrvF-kndxWd1DHqv_iN9ywXv7B5eeE/s1600/Cypress+Gardens+Gazebo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjHJZK2TgDNt1M4FzNQv_J2VEFeHr8z5BmWO5EuGK-OkBU91gQk9pxLq2vkMaGN7Icd98dIVSfrGS-yRs57cCwR527YxCAs0PZ64Tz2TYTVQ9ORrvF-kndxWd1DHqv_iN9ywXv7B5eeE/s320/Cypress+Gardens+Gazebo.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Gazebo, with pond that has alligators!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwo7D9bqQSb32TvSb52YG2zUUqLBkuMz0d1mTMTGYXL66p3pBcz3KWm5sfLH-uwSxOpaPJ-XuEy859hTK76Tr8vnCxj1rHlQQuNKF48MbBNhbjLUZM00jpBWPiU5gdw4oouutKCrm5zjw/s1600/Cypress+Gardens+Jack+in+the+Pulpit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwo7D9bqQSb32TvSb52YG2zUUqLBkuMz0d1mTMTGYXL66p3pBcz3KWm5sfLH-uwSxOpaPJ-XuEy859hTK76Tr8vnCxj1rHlQQuNKF48MbBNhbjLUZM00jpBWPiU5gdw4oouutKCrm5zjw/s320/Cypress+Gardens+Jack+in+the+Pulpit.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I think this is a Jack-in-the-Pulpit flower</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I always
love to stop and pay attention to details about God’s creation. I kept noticing soft white clumps of fuzz on
the grass in one area, and realized it came from baseball sized white clumps
growing high up in the trees. Yes, they
were silk floss trees, the ones with really spiky trunks. Very educational!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2nuHmd7Mis6BeLsNqgIT3gE48ssCKpX_L35cVfmk6R-tpa737rHDg7W5esq7kyPjVIdV_dJr-Vr1_Myx3bedFhivu2v_inhrYXbTAdwoqdi47x9zEwyn1ZWvyujHyIu-kwM2pgtxunc/s200/Cypress+Gardens+silk+floss+on+grass.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="133" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Silk floss"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2nuHmd7Mis6BeLsNqgIT3gE48ssCKpX_L35cVfmk6R-tpa737rHDg7W5esq7kyPjVIdV_dJr-Vr1_Myx3bedFhivu2v_inhrYXbTAdwoqdi47x9zEwyn1ZWvyujHyIu-kwM2pgtxunc/s1600/Cypress+Gardens+silk+floss+on+grass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweMhz2TI4fzTs1E92Xh_kodf236fxznw0LCa-CGb88qiYuSj_-HfU6qV3dJ5ka6P-sHG3__M5GoBW-2cUJQuMZeNJstB8kmgWh_lAagn5Roh7uApdWTVmgqj4mMMCvBGFfI9C3HcgNbU/s400/Cypress+gardens+silk+floss+tree+against+sky.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Look closely to see the soft white seed balls <br />on the silk floss tree</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweMhz2TI4fzTs1E92Xh_kodf236fxznw0LCa-CGb88qiYuSj_-HfU6qV3dJ5ka6P-sHG3__M5GoBW-2cUJQuMZeNJstB8kmgWh_lAagn5Roh7uApdWTVmgqj4mMMCvBGFfI9C3HcgNbU/s1600/Cypress+gardens+silk+floss+tree+against+sky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtAkzWZ-so0L6ZoAk6gnUJNHGHJ12e1N-eHD3pX8OVjk_Lrm1VK5l1uur8rJbdfZBiKIY3Tm4HwNRt2RjPFHLoGQHD5SywhQu1fRvNKs4MwMJ-ALDXq7zqumwq-TMKiKQqrCu-MRP0Us/s320/Cyprus+Gardens+silk+floss+tree+trunk.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="171" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Trunk of silk floss tree</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtAkzWZ-so0L6ZoAk6gnUJNHGHJ12e1N-eHD3pX8OVjk_Lrm1VK5l1uur8rJbdfZBiKIY3Tm4HwNRt2RjPFHLoGQHD5SywhQu1fRvNKs4MwMJ-ALDXq7zqumwq-TMKiKQqrCu-MRP0Us/s1600/Cyprus+Gardens+silk+floss+tree+trunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have posted <a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2012/03/cypress-gardens-p52-theme-detail.html"><span style="color: red;"><b>more Cypress Gardens photos on my main blog</b></span></a>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTSQY4B290TbAENoc-qiTKYV6dFiADIJMA_MiBos9lX7tIyrwlxSU6B1amHHD2_xd3jlhoJ_EnYKFlahTPne84EA1STm7aSzsFujo6ZEbpjrynx_1fAa3bxi_i5qX8wFzxFOqBVpdw88/s1600/Pharaoh+at+LegoLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTSQY4B290TbAENoc-qiTKYV6dFiADIJMA_MiBos9lX7tIyrwlxSU6B1amHHD2_xd3jlhoJ_EnYKFlahTPne84EA1STm7aSzsFujo6ZEbpjrynx_1fAa3bxi_i5qX8wFzxFOqBVpdw88/s200/Pharaoh+at+LegoLand.JPG" width="88" /></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One thing I didn’t like as much was that the map gave very little
detail about what each attraction was. For example, we thought The Lost Kingdom Adventure was a roller coaster, but it turned out to be a little car that takes you through Egyptian tombs so you can shoot targets with a laser gun -- fun, but not the roller coaster, which was the adjacent Coastersaurus. So you should do your research on-line ahead of time. You can explore the Park Map here: <a href="http://florida.legoland.com/en/Park-Map/Park-Map/"><span style="color: red;">http://florida.legoland.com/en/Park-Map/Park-Map/</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I guess that’s enough about LegoLand and Cypress Gardens for now! I hope it helps as you plan your trip!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This
is the fifth post in my Florida Field Trip series. You can find the other ones here:<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/10/florida-field-trips-1-historic-st.html"><span style="color: #c00000; text-decoration: none;">#1: Historic St. Augustine</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2011/01/florida-field-trips-2-silver-springs.html"><span style="color: #c00000; text-decoration: none;">#2: Silver Springs Nature Park</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2011/01/florida-fields-trips-3-orlando-science.html"><span style="color: #c00000; text-decoration: none;">#3: The Orlando
Science Center</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2011/05/florida-field-trips-4-secret-lake-park.html"><span style="color: #c00000; text-decoration: none;">#4: Secret Lake
Park</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Have fun!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Virginia Knowles</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-44294740201797775852012-01-11T23:32:00.003-05:002012-01-11T23:33:58.212-05:00Oral Language Learning for Young Children<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA63emgNSE8bIlMOZ-LXdwf7e55H7ZPnNCMIQaXiAMDe57ZQWC1pojsLL-R7m_JfmEvncw273trVwM6ONGXUD-7hnW_2GtwyszPxpEvCHqF-v2wgKLc8RDYzc47EWln9Mx4XtEd4E-UgY/s1600/Two+cute+kiddos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA63emgNSE8bIlMOZ-LXdwf7e55H7ZPnNCMIQaXiAMDe57ZQWC1pojsLL-R7m_JfmEvncw273trVwM6ONGXUD-7hnW_2GtwyszPxpEvCHqF-v2wgKLc8RDYzc47EWln9Mx4XtEd4E-UgY/s320/Two+cute+kiddos.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My youngest daughter and my grandson</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dear friends,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here's an excerpt from my book <a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/p/common-sense-excellence.html"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Common Sense Excellence</span></b></a> on teaching oral language. This includes listening, speech, and oral composition. Oral language is something we teach throughout the day with our little conversations, whether we realize it or not. Brothers and sisters even learn it from one another! Oral language is the vital preparation for learning to read and write.</span><br />
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<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ORAL
LANGUAGE<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Listening<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“Come, my children, listen to me; </span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I will teach you the
fear of the LORD.” Psalm 34:11<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“...let the wise listen and add to their learning, </span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and
let the discerning get guidance.” Proverbs 1:5<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>“Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>apply your heart to what I teach, </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>for it is pleasing when you keep them in your
heart </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>and have all of them ready on your lips.” </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Proverbs 22:17-18</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Listening to spoken words is where it
all begins! Our children listen to us
talk from the time they are in our wombs.
We don’t give them formal lessons, but they learn to talk anyway. Isn’t
it amazing? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Take
full advantage of the power of warm companionship.</b> The constant give and take of conversation,
coupled with the natural repetition in everyday life, enhances listening skills
almost effortlessly. Encourage your young children to tell you about their
feelings and the events of the day. And <i>listen</i> to them! Be interested! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Discern
auditory problems. </b>Does your child seem to have a hard time listening to
you? There is a difference between
hearing and listening. Your child may
seem to be merely uncooperative, but perhaps he can’t hear you well enough to
distinguish sounds properly. Because
hearing impairment affects the ability to process language, this can lead to
permanent speech delays, so please don’t ignore this possibility. Many auditory
and speech problems can be detected by a doctor or speech/language therapist
using simple screening tests. If money is a concern, check with your county
health department or local public school for free or low-cost testing and/or
therapy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Teach
your child to pay attention. </b>Suppose your child can hear you just fine
-- when he wants to! Perhaps he needs
extra practical training in the fine art of listening. Maybe it’s an attitude problem, but it could
be that he just doesn’t know <i>how</i> to
listen. First, make sure that he is
right in front of you, not across the room or at the other end of the
house. Next, make sustained eye contact.
The ability to look someone in the eye as they speak is a valuable skill, and
we may as well start now! When your
child is “front and center” paying attention to you, start talking to him. Keep the sentences short, sweet and
specific. Ask him to repeat after you
what you said. Does he know what you
mean? If you say, “Please clean your
room,” does he interpret that as an option because you said “please” or does he
understand it as polite but mandatory?
Exactly what does “clean” mean?
Oh, and is there any time limit on this assignment? Spell it out!
Then check up on it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Work
on simple auditory memorization skills. </b>A valuable language skill is to be able
to store the “input” in such a way as to recall it for “output” later. As part of our listening skills approach, we
encourage our young children to memorize Scripture passages, poetry, song
lyrics, and quite pragmatically, a sequence of instructions that we wish them
to follow. Start small, and go
slow. Give them a phrase or two at a
time, and repeat that until it is learned.
When you start using dictation methods for academics (more on this
later), you will appreciate the time you have spent developing auditory
memory. Remember that it is better for
them to memorize a few things thoroughly than many things shakily. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Practice
rhyming words.</b> Tell your child several examples of rhyming
words, such as <i>cat</i> and <i>mat</i> or <i>nickle</i> and <i>pickle. </i> Then say pairs of words (some rhyming and some
not) and ask your child if they rhyme.<i> </i>Next, say a word and ask your child to
give you one that rhymes it. This may sound silly, but rhyming is an effective
auditory discrimination activity and pre-reading skill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Match spoken
words with visual images. </b>In the beginning stages, you can point to a picture and name it for
your child. When he knows many of the
words, you can point to a picture and ask him to name it, or you can name an
item and ask him to point to it. (This
is an example of Dr. Maria Montessori’s Three-Period Lesson.) This activity
naturally provides for continued discussion about the things you see on each
page of a picture book. For example, you can talk about
shapes and colors of items, their uses, and other educational concepts -- all
cuddled up on the couch having a grand time!<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>Speech</u></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Moses said to the
LORD, </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">‘O Lord, I have never been eloquent, <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">neither in the
past nor since you have spoken to your servant. </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am slow of speech and
tongue.’ </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The LORD said to him, ‘Who gave
man his mouth? </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Who makes him deaf or mute? </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Who gives him sight or makes him
blind? </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Is it not I, the LORD? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now go; I will
help you speak and will teach you what to say.’" </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Exodus 4:10-11<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“Before a word is
on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.” Psalm 139:4<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“Pleasant words
are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Coach
your children on how to control their voices.</b>
Proper volume, tone, pitch, inflection and speed will make them pleasant
to hear. They should know when a quieter “inside” voice is appropriate, and
when it’s OK to be more exuberant. For
example, if they are visiting someone who is wearing a hearing aid, they need
to be sensitive to the fact that loud noises might cause a very unpleasant
screeching noise in the person’s ear.
Start early to teach your children to control their voices!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Discuss
when to speak and when to be quiet. </b> Do you have a little chatterbox who won’t let
anyone else get a word in edgewise?
Teach her how to take turns in a conversation! There are also times when we have to be
totally quiet. In most church services,
it is important to be silent during the pastor’s prayer and sermon. However, we should sing out enthusiastically
during a rousing praise chorus, and greet others in a normal conversational
tone (not a shy whisper!) during the “meet your neighbor” moment. Part of this will come by your example, but
you will probably also need to issue some gentle reminders when the actual time
comes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Work on correct pronunciation and diction. </b> You may be able to understand what your child
is saying because you know him and can practically read his mind, but can other
people figure out his speech? Some
pronunciation problems are developmental, which means that the child usually
grows out of it with time and practice.
The ability to correctly pronounce the <i>R</i> sound, for example, often does not appear until age seven. Work with your child gradually, practicing
sounds with him as you read stories, learn nursery rhymes and carry on simple
conversations. Try not to call undue
attention to the problem; nervousness tends to make it worse. Consult a physician if you suspect a physical
problem, such as a tight connecting tissue under the tongue. A speech therapist can also help diagnose
and treat problems. If you can’t afford
to see one in private practice, ask for a free screening with a public school
therapist. Your child, even as a
preschooler, may be eligible for special education sessions. I had a speech impairment until minor
surgery at age seven, and two of my children have had significant speech delays
and/or diction problems which eventually improved, so my full sympathies are
with you!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Let
your child play with accents. </b>This is the beginning of drama! Some of the easiest accents to imitate are
Southern USA, Boston, New York, British, Australian and Spanish. In the
process, children learn to listen carefully to what makes each one distinct,
and to reproduce the sound patterns not just in a given word, but in a whole
spontaneous conversation. Can you hear
the gears clicking in their brains?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Show
how the meaning of a word or sentence can change with tone of voice or vocal
inflection.</b> Try changing your tone of
voice (jovial, haughty, sad, excited, mildly sarcastic, serene) or emphasize
different words in the sentence. How
does this change the message that comes across? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Teach
your child how to answer the phone correctly, as well as make outgoing calls.</b> This will vary from family to family, but
instruction should include what to say when you answer the phone, how to inform
a family member that they have a phone call, what to say if the person they ask
for is not available, how to take a message, how to dial a number, how to leave
a message, what hours are appropriate for phone calls, etc. I often remind my children that if they make
a comment in the earshot of someone here who is on the phone, the person on the
other end can probably hear it, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Practice
reciting short pieces of literature.</b>
Poems and famous speeches are good material for this activity. Recitation helps a child to speak clearly and
expressively, to cut out dead words such as <i>um</i>
and <i>you know</i>,<i> </i>and to control his body movements.
Do this in the privacy of your own home until your child is ready for a
more public audience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Accustom
your child to public speaking situations. </b> As ambassadors for Christ Jesus, it is so helpful to be able to get up
in front of a crowd and say a few intelligible words without fainting! Start with a simple recitation, and move up
to more original presentations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Train
your children to speak <i>sweetly</i> to
each other and to you.</b> If I had it all to
do over again, I would have majored on this.
I can tell you from experience that if you fail in this area when your
children are young, you will pay for it later.
Name calling, bickering, tattling, slander, whining, sassing -- these can
all poison the atmosphere of your home to the extent that <i>you</i> allow them. Once
ingrained, they are hard to shake off.
You can help your child find ways to communicate his feelings which do
not tear other people down and stir up conflict. This includes tone of voice, body language,
and actual words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>Oral
Composition</u></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>“Jesus spoke all
these things to the crowd in parables; </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>he did not say anything to them without
using a parable. </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>‘I will
open my mouth in parables, </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>I will utter things hidden since the creation of the
world.’” </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Matthew 13:34-35</i></b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“Listen, for I
have worthy things to say; </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I open my lips to speak what is right.” Proverbs 8:6<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“Gold there is,
and rubies in abundance, <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>but lips that
speak knowledge are a rare jewel.” Proverbs 20:15</i></b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Moving beyond the mechanical aspects of listening
and speaking, I would like to talk about something which requires a little more
brain power: oral composition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Oral
composition starts at birth. </b>The earliest exposure your
child has to language formation is
hearing you speak from the time he is born. How do you choose your words? How do you organize your thoughts? Can he follow the sequence of events when you
tell about something that has happened, or when you make up a story just for
him? As he grows through the preschool
years, he will tell <i>you</i> about life as
he knows it, like what happened when Daddy took him to the baseball game. It may be out of sequence a little bit, or
perhaps he exaggerates here and there, but it’s his story. Yes, this <i>is</i>
oral composition in its seedling form.
Water it, and it will bear fruit.
Listen!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Oral
composition sneaks in when your child is at play.</b> If she is building in the sand box, she might
tell you that she is making a castle. If
he is dressing up, he might be a clown or a soldier. If she is playing with dolls, she might speak
to her babies in sentences that sound uncannily like your own (for better or
worse)! If he is racing around with a
toy fire engine, he might describe how he is putting out the flames. Talking about what he or she is doing is a
vital part of the pretending process!
You can help by providing the props and asking an occasional question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Oral
composition is developed by narration. </b>For a more academic
approach, let me elaborate on oral narration, which I mentioned in the
Literature section. Charlotte Mason
advocated this method for all ages, but especially for young children. It means telling back what you have heard in
your own words, and perhaps adding in your own opinions or ideas about the
topic. This can be done after listening
to a story or poem, reading a chapter of a book, or even looking at a piece of
fine art. The narration might be
sprinkled with a few new vocabulary words from whatever was read. In this way, he not only shows that he
understands the material, but he is also developing his own language skills in
a powerful and natural way. These
sessions can be short and sweet, perhaps just a few minutes. If you must ask questions, try to keep them
open-ended so that your child can’t just reply with a yes or no, or answer with
a bare bones phrase. You don’t want to <i>extract</i> the information, but let it <i>flow</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Oral
composition flows from a topic which grabs your <i>child’s</i> attention and interest.</b> Maybe
you are out in the garage doing laundry when he comes up and starts chattering
about an exciting book he’s been reading about snakes or astronauts or
whatever. You can tell he is psyched
about it. You know the information is
rattling around in his brain, just waiting to be released through his
mouth! Let it stay at this level for
quite some time, just getting him comfortable sharing verbally, either with
factual information or a story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Oral
composition blossoms into original storytelling. </b>After a child has had ample
exposure to read aloud literature and plenty of practice in oral narration, he
may be ready for original oral storytelling beyond what would normally occur in
conversation. Working orally should
definitely come before any attempt at formal written storytelling! A few children may
want to make up fanciful stories, but most would do well to stick with the
familiar, such as a description of things they have experienced with their
senses, or a narrative of a recent happening. You can easily incorporate oral
storytelling naturally and spontaneously by asking your child, “Tell me all
about the Christy’s birthday party!” or “Why are you so excited right now?” or
“You didn’t like the way that story ended.
How would you change it?” Keep
in mind that you can use oral narration and composition with a child who does
not yet know how to read. Even a three
year old can offer a few sentences here and there. These little conversations are part of your
warm and loving relationship with your child, not some complex scholarly
skill! Many years ago, our little
children would beg to hear my impromptu stories about the fictional
Blake family. When I was too tired to
think of anything even halfway original, Joanna, then nine, came to the rescue
with her own Max and Liz stories. After
all, she has heard mine often enough that she had a pattern to go by, and she
has a lively imagination of her own. The
younger ones began to prefer her stories to mine. (I won’t take that personally!) The older ones still tell stories to their
little brothers and sisters. These story telling sessions may be after regular
school hours, but I’d be the last one to complain! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Oral
composition is a crucial academic skill.
</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Parents
may discount the value of oral narration or story telling because there is no
paper trail to prove that the child has done “language arts” for the day. If this is your concern, just mark down on
your child’s record sheet what he did:
“Gave oral narration about Abraham Lincoln biography,” or “Discussed
Charlotte’s Web book with Mom,” or “Described paintings at art museum,” or
“Made up original story about exploring Mars.”
These are all perfectly valid educational activities, and you should be
proud to have them listed in your child’s portfolio. Just think of how pleased
you will be when your child can carry on an interesting conversation with the
adults </span><i>and</i> children at your next
family reunion!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7168247773982886506.post-19460831606067270952011-11-28T20:01:00.001-05:002011-11-28T20:17:39.035-05:00Christmas with Kids<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dear friends,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the years I have written several articles on celebrating the Christmas season with kids, especially in a home school setting. For your convenience, here are the links on this blog:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIljziJ4qKCrRWw9R-m0ArDWu8IW-Op0k_7pqGYso3XxgC4oorNW9T_oKp_QFCNzTYxTPCHZUP7j-rbrJSM_dvsGZSM4Tf7aa5u41-upAqpoCTPMKvJl299mI1-zeIrdDYspidEBJ5Fw/s1600/Christmas+Book+Basket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIljziJ4qKCrRWw9R-m0ArDWu8IW-Op0k_7pqGYso3XxgC4oorNW9T_oKp_QFCNzTYxTPCHZUP7j-rbrJSM_dvsGZSM4Tf7aa5u41-upAqpoCTPMKvJl299mI1-zeIrdDYspidEBJ5Fw/s320/Christmas+Book+Basket.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-favorite-christmas-books.html">My Favorite Christmas Books</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/11/great-gifts-kids-can-make-for-others.html">Great Gifts Kids Can Make for Others</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2009/11/advent-adventure-unit-study-for.html">Advent Adventure Unit Study</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/11/family-advent-night-ideas.html">Family Advent Night Ideas</a></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/12/three-christmas-poems-for-children.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Three Christmas Poems for Children</span></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">You can find other holiday links on the <a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/p/christmas.html">Christmas page</a> of my main blog, <a href="http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/">Virginia's Life Such As It Is</a>.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Blessings,</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Virginia Knowles</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/">www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com</a></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Virginia Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13851255511747838013noreply@blogger.com0