Homeschool Mothers Journal - Week 38

In my life this week.....

It's been a busy week with lots and lots of little projects.  We are prepping for World Thinking Day this Sunday and we are also participating in a busy bag swap this week.  Lots and lots of little cutting going on.

There has been a bunch of massive meltdowns occurring around here.  I am pretty sure it is a competition between Caty, Brayden and Joey.  But so far we have survived the week.

I have decided to change up my lesson plans a little this weekend.  Not a MAJOR switch, but I think I may have figured out how to not lose so many lessons I have planned for the future.  I'm adding some binders and changing it up a just a little.

In our homeschool this week....

We finished our schoolwork again...whoohooo.  Two weeks in a row.  I think I have been over-planning, and may have found amount.

Lydia had violin and gymnastics.  Caty had speech, tap dance...and we even went to the library for storytime this week.

After a few weeks doing Ohio History, I have decided that the program I was using needed major supplement.  It's just not covering a lot.  So Joey and I have been reading a Book I found called Ohio Trails to help supplement.  This summer he will also learn about an Ohio "Hero" every week to finish off his study.

Brayden has decided that he wants be to be hands-on with all assignments, which has made this week a little long as I had him working independently on 50% of his assignments.  One step forward, two steps back :(

Projects or things I am working on....

Well this weekend I plan on putting the new plans for organizing the kids lesson plans in place.  Also need to make adjustments to the kids science and history for a review product.  We are very excited!!  We'll still be using our other curriculum.  But we want to spend a couple weeks concentrating on this one program and then we'll return to the other items.

Our schoolwork may have been done, but the house is a HUGE mess.  So need to clean desperately bad!  I am going to be gone most of the weekend, so I hope my hubby doesn't have a ton of schoolwork.  Maybe he can help..Hint...Hint...Hint.

My kiddos favorite thing this week....

Lydia was probably going to the Symphony on Thursday.  We had a full week of tons of activities.  Joey and Brayden probably loved having all day Thursday off to just play video games.  Although all it  did was make them really grouchy.  Ugh....

I'm cooking....

I am working on a cupcake recipe.  Got one, but just having a hard time with the sweetness factor.  I love having a dessert, sweet.  And if I use too much Stevia to achieve sweetness....I think it gives it a nasty taste.  Honey is quite pricey to go with too much.  But I am trying really hard to cut back on our white sugar intake.  Maple syrup is a good substitute.

Made a roast, and other "regular" type dinners.  Joey is working on his 4H project kit, and he needs to make a project on how to make gluten-free pizza.  (Not my choice...all his!!)  So we may try a from scratch pizza crust recipe tonight.

I'm Reading.....

The same thing..

I rewarded my kids this week....

They finished all their schoolwork, so they all get a prize from the prize chest.  Now if they can just keep working on their family "contributions".  Nothing hard, but they are forgetting about putting away their shoes, hanging up their coats, putting their dishes by the sink.  Brayden is getting so bad he will drop something and walk away without picking the item up.  He really forgets that quick.

Something I have my eye on....

Joe would like us to go with him to Philly again!!!  So excited!!  So my eye is on saving some money so we can explore some other area's of Philly this time!  I am super excited!  Problem is short notice.  May have to go in two weeks, so we will miss some cool field trips again.  But we will also get to do some wonderful stuff in Philly again that we cannot do in Ohio!

A photo to share.....

Coloring isn't that great...but Lydia and I went to the Symphony on Tuesday morning.  it was great!

Linking up with other homeschool moms at iHomeschool Network.

American Girl Addy - Book 3 Comprehension Question and Activity Guide

We have almost finished Caroline, and we will be reading Addy during March and April.  So I am just now getting time to type up the Comprehension Questions.

So here you go....

Book 3 - Addy's Surprise Comprehension Question and Activity Guide

__________________________________
Previous posts:

Book 1 -Meet Addy Comprehension Question and Activity Guide

Book 2 - Addy Learns a Lesson Comprehension Question and Activity Guide

Please note my terms of use:

This is for personal use only. I am providing them free of charge.  You may use this at home or in a classroom.  You may print as many copies as you would like. You may share the link to our blog to others interested in our packets. 

You may not:

Sell or distribute this file.  Host this file on your website without permission from myself.  Upload this file to a shared website (Ex. 4shared.com)

Learning about Mark Rothko

Born:  September 25, 1903 in Latvia
Died:  February 25, 1970

Rothko was a troubled artist.  He spent years searching for just the right job.  He sold clothing, tried acting and even worked in a factory.  He accidentally discovered a love of painting.

At first he tried to paint like everyone else.  But eventually he, along with other friends such as Jackson  Pollock, created a new style of painting.  His new art featured bold colors, and generally in the shape of rectangles.

I watched this video...warning it's long for kids...lol. And with his troubled life, you may want to pick and choose what you let the kids watch.

She watched this short segment from the above video:

For our project, I let her pick a select number of colors and create her own Mark Rothko inspired art.  She mixed colors ....

We do not know what Mark Rothko was trying to express in many of his paintings, but Miss Lydia painted a storm.  This is a large grey tornado and the sun is starting to shine.  hhhmmmm....Interesting.

Next artist is .......Joseph Cornell.

American Girl Addy - Book 2 Study and activity guide

We have almost finished Caroline, and we will be reading Addy during March and April.  So I am just now getting time to type up the Comprehension Questions.

So here you go....

Book 2 - Addy Learns a Lesson Comprehension Question and Activity Guide

__________________________________
Previous posts:

Book 1 -Meet Addy Comprehension Question and Activity Guide

Please note my terms of use:

This is for personal use only. I am providing them free of charge.  You may use this at home or in a classroom.  You may print as many copies as you would like. You may share the link to our blog to others interested in our packets. 

You may not:

Sell or distribute this file.  Host this file on your website without permission from myself.  Upload this file to a shared website (Ex. 4shared.com)

A+ Tutorsoft Inc. Math Curriculum

I have a child who is really good in math, but doesn't enjoy it.  She picks up on things very quickly.  But doesn't enjoy math.  I get a lot of eye rolling and come on mom!!  I have been searching for an interactive program for her to use that encourages her to make progress, but that she didn't consider boring.  We have finally found an interactive program that has met her needs!!!

A+ TutorSoft, Inc. is a multi-sensory math program that makes math fun for students.  It uses audio and computer animation to draw out your children and keep their attention.

Step by step directions are given to students as they work their way through problems.  They are given a chance to correct if they figure the problem wrong.   At the end of each lesson they are given list of areas they did well in and at the end of each unit they can print a certificate showing they have passed that section.

From the A+ Tutorsoft Inc. site, this is what the program includes:

Student Features:
* Concise and to-the-point lessons with all three learning modalities (Audio, Computer Animated Visuals and Text) to increase understanding of concepts.
* Interactive Review helps identify and close learning gaps immediately as it automatically re-teaches concepts with audio, visuals and text.
* Enhances student learning by allowing them to practice problem solving with real-time feedback and step-by-step instructions.
* Automatically generated worksheets and exams that can be completed online with instant automatic grading.
* Review each question for online worksheets and exams with step-by-step solutions.
* Progress reports allow student to track their own progress.
* Printable worksheets and exams allow flexibility to practice problem solving in a more "traditional way" with pen & paper.
* Curriculum Book provides easy access to lessons in eBook format.
* Worksheets and Exams Solution Guides provide step-by-step solutions to each printable worksheet and exam.
* Reference sheets provide easy access to facts and formulas.

Parental Features:
* Recommended Lesson Plan
* Instant online grading
* Parental controls allow parents to lock solution guides
* Progress reports identify areas of strengths and weaknesses
* Ability to print worksheets/exams and enter students' scores to track progress for all work completed offline.

We have been using the homeschool online program with Lydia, and she is doing awesome with this!!!  I am so excited at how well she has been doing.  You can easily use this program as an entire math program, but I am currently using it with her other math program to reinforce what we are learning.  So she is doing two-three lessons a week.   This program she is willing sitting down and using.  She likes the immediate feed back from the little frog when she submits her answers.  I like the simplicity of the program for her to use on her own.  I also really like the ability to travel with this program.  I do not have to pack a disk and worry about losing it.

Cost for the online program is:  Monthly only $19.95, Quarterly only $49.99, Full Year only $124.99.   You can also purchase the actual full year cd for $99.00.  

I only had one issue with this program.  I normally use Google Chrome for my browser, and I was unable at any point to use this browser for our online program.  I easily used it in Safari though.  But this is not the only program that I have run into this issue with.  This has also not deterred us from using this program.  In fact we are looking at using this program with Joey, since it has helped Lydia so much.  And of course we will continue the 2nd grade program that Lydia has been using!

The wonderful people at A+ Tutorsoft, Inc have offered our readers a huge discount.  Until the end of March 2013, if you use the word SPOFFER50, you will received 50% off your order!!

Several members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew were privileged to use A+ Tutorsoft, Inc. in their homes.  Please take a few moments to visit the Crew Blog and see how it worked for their families.

You can also visit A+ Tutorsoft, Inc. on Facebook.

*****Disclaimer......I received a one year subscription to A+ Tutorsoft, Inc.  free of charge for the sole purpose of this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The views I have expressed are my own and are real experiences with my family. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>:"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

American Girl Addy Book 1 Comprehension & Activity Guide

Well I am back at it.  We have almost finished Caroline, and we will be reading Addy during March and April.  So I am just now getting time to type up the Comprehension Questions.

So here you go....

Meet Addy Comprehension Question and Activity Guide

Please note my terms of use:

This is for personal use only. I am providing them free of charge.  You may use this at home or in a classroom.  You may print as many copies as you would like. You may share the link to our blog to others interested in our packets. 

You may not:

Sell or distribute this file.  Host this file on your website without permission from myself.  Upload this file to a shared website (Ex. 4shared.com)

Caty School

We had an off and on week this week.  Poor Caty was battling a cold, and another bladder issue.  You could tell her little body was fighting it, because her energy was zapped.  She actually wanted to stay home from tap dancing this week!!  So I snuck in a few games and activities to keep her little brain going and make sure she doesn't fall "behind" our lesson plans.

We did some fun activities with our counting bears.  She had to count the bears onto the right index cards.  And then she played house with her bears.

This week she started Hooked on Phonics Preschool, and she really likes the DVD and workbook.  She reminded me I forgot to give her a star stickers when we were done with our B page.

Connect 4 Launchers is a great game to let her play by herself while working with another child.  It's like Angry Birds...without the Birds and Pigs.

We read about winter this week.  I have been putting this off and doing other themes, but needed to get this done just in case we get an early spring.

Painting a snow scene with a toothbrush.  She's always up for painting!

Watching "Meet the Shapes" while I worked with Lydia.  She requested to watch more of these, so we grabbed some from the library for her.

We read Snowflake Bentley and cut out snowflakes.

(Sorry couldn't get the pic to correct.)

Our Letter B project.

Letter Memory with our Hooked on Phonics cards.

We started with basic rhyming this week also.  She enjoyed this activity.

Can you tell our shape of the week was a diamond...lol.  Bet you also can't tell what her favorite shirt was this week.  A couple weeks ago we couldn't get her out of her Scooby Doo shirt...this week it was her Rainbow Tinkerbell.

Our theme next week is Firemen and the Firehouse.  We'll talk a bit about Fire Safety also.

I am finishing up a couple "themes" I wanted to get done, and in about two weeks we are going to start back Five in a Row with Caty.  I was working with it before and then stepped back to try another approach, but I have been seeing that she did enjoy those studies after all.  So we are going to finish Book 1.

Handwriting without Tears Wet-Dry-Try App

Handwriting is such a hard thing for many children.  As a child, I remember sitting and copying...and copying....and copying some more.  The teacher would draw red lines to show my mistakes.  After elementary school though, as long as a teacher could read it they didn't care how high my t's were or if my s made it to the top of the line.  Made me wonder why I had to sit and copy so much!

In our situation, we have two boys that are on the autism spectrum and handwriting is difficult for them.  Lydia is also struggling there, along with Caty.  My problem is keeping handwriting from being completely boring.  

Handwriting Without Tears has created a new application that allows children to practice their letter formation and get instant feedback (and not a red pen mark across a paper).  Wet-Dry-Try app by Handwriting Without Tears is a K-1st grade app that is based on their slate chalkboard used in the regular writing program.  It is available for both iPad and Android devices.

They all love their iPads, so I was really excited to get a chance to try out the Handwriting Without Tears Wet-Dry-Try app.  I mean here is a way to use their iPads for more than a $400.00 television and video game system!!!

When Lydia first started using it though, she was getting a bit frustrated.  Then I realized her frustration was because of improper letter formation.  It wasn't giving her the star if she made too many mistakes.  This caused her to really slow down and pay attention to what she needed to be doing.  Whoohooo!!!  Score for this app!!!

This program is broke down into sections.  You can pick and choose what letters you want to concentrate on....

Or you can follow a program set up already by Handwriting Without Tears and called HWT's Winning Order.

As a child completes the "writing" correctly, they earn a star and  upon earning three stars they have mastered that letter.

This program is made to reinforce capitalization and number formation.  It really does help to reinforce good habits.

Lydia has loved this program, and Caty has started using it also.  I catch them "playing" this app, without being told!  Lydia will be on the couch and let out a huge sigh and I will ask what is wrong.  And her response is, "I am trying to get a star and I did it wrong!!  I have to try again."  Caty even is practicing and squeals when she earns a star!  

I love "portable" school programs like this.  They can use it anywhere, even in the van.  And what is best about that....no ink on my van seats!  Yet they are practicing their handwriting.

We are going to continue using this application, and I hope they are working on a program for cursive. Because that is what 2 of the 4 are working on now, and a 3rd one wants to start soon.  It is well worth the cost to help boost your child's confidence in their handwriting.

You can visit the Handwriting Without Tears Wet-Dry-Try application page to view additional screenshots and watch a video on how it works.

You can purchase this program visiting the iTunes store.  iPad application price is $4.99.
If you own an Android Device, visit the Google Play store.  Android version is also $4.99.

The Schoolhouse Review Crew had the privilege to review several of the printed products from Handwriting Without Tears also.  Be sure to check out the Crew blog and see how they were able to use the printed products and applications in their homes.

*****Disclaimer......I received Handwriting without Tears Wet/Dry/Try App  free of charge for the sole purpose of this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The views I have expressed are my own and are real experiences with my family. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>:"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

What we are up to this week....

We have some "normal" activities planned like dance class, gymnastics, guitar, and Lydia has violin this week.  Brayden has a Basketball game Monday night and Lydia has a really cool library program to attend about Mo Willems (one of her favorite authors).  

So here is the school work schedule for our house:

Joey

Math - Review of his previous chapter and he will re-start Multiplication this week

Grammar - Subjects and Predicates

Science - Spores and he will have a chapter test on Plants

Ohio History - We will finish studying the time period between the French and Indian war and the time before the American Revolution

Spelling - regular booklet and copying of words

Social Studies - He is working on Social Skills this week

Adventure Club - Finishing the Who is George Washington Book and we'll do the virtual tour of Mount Vernon

Handwriting - Handwriting without Tears Cursive

*Finish talking about Jacob and Esau

Brayden

Math - Multiplication

Grammar - Subject and Predicates

Science - He will be finishing his unit study on Bees

Scholastic News - Water World

Social Studies - Social Skill videos and watch some Brain Pop Videos on Native Americans

Reading Comprehension workbook 

Spelling - regular booklet and copying of words

He is going to finish reading Bad Kitty also.

Ohio History - same as Joey

Lydia

Math - Touch Point Math and A+ Tutorsoft review (These alternate)

Science - Start new unit on Feliforms

Reading - Continue reading McGuffey reader

History - SOTW Chapter 2, starting her month long study about Egyptians

Geography - Cave, Cliff

Art - Joseph Cornell

ABeka Phonics - regular workbook

Spelling - AAS #1 Section 3 & possibly 4 if she grasps it well

God's Covenant - The Fall in the Garden of Eden

Caty

Color - Red

Phonics - Hooked on Phonics PK

Math - counting to 25, and skip counting to 20

Learning her phone number

Art - Dot Art

Theme - Fire Engines

Speech sounds - "S"

This is how our week is going.

Hope everyone has a great week!!!

God's Great Covenant Bible Program Review

For the past month, we have had the privilege of using God's Great Covenant - Old Testament 1 by Claire A. Larsen.   Classical Academic Press generously provided us with the God's Great Covenant - Old Testament 1 Teachers Edition ($24.95), God's Great Covenant Old Testament 1 student workbook ($22.95) and the MP3 audio files ($9.95).  I was very excited to see how they were going to make some difficult areas of the Bible easier for children to understand.  We got started right away.

This wonderful course is not only reasonably priced, but I was very impressed at the set up.  The audio files were a super edition for our family, as we were able to listen to the chapters during art projects and while we were traveling between activities.  This opened up some great conversations between Lydia and I about important Biblical events.

Each unit is broken down into a Scripture Memory Verse, Key Facts for the chapters being read, Things to Remember that include special definitions, and a Who is God? section.  After the reading section, there are review sheets to help draw out your child(ren) and have them think about the material they have read.  A Chapter Quiz is also provided.  There is even a suggested weekly schedule available if you are not sure how to go about studying this book with your student.

The Grade level suggestion is Grades 3 - 6, but easily can be used for younger grades since we were using it with our 1st grader also.

We found with our children, that listening to the audio reading of the weekly material multiple times during the week was best.  I then used the workbook to ask them the suggested questions.  None of our children are great at handwriting, so it was easier for me to keep a conversation going than to force them to write on the pages.  I then wrote down their answers in the workbook so that I knew what they were understanding or needed further help with.  Lydia has been the one predominately using the program, but Joey has listened to many lessons also.

We also had the Teacher's Edition to use along with our Student Workbook.  In the Teacher's Edition, each chapter is broken down into extra talking points to highlight important material.  Parents and/or teacher's are able to follow along in the Teacher's Edition as your student is reading the material, or as you are listening to the material being read on the MP3 audio file.  There is a sample available to download to see how the book is set up for easy use.

There are 32 chapters, with the goal being to complete one per week.  We have been moving a bit slower to help Joey grasp the material better.  Combined with delightful maps and illustrations, children will truly follow along with God’s people and see how he leads them and keeps his promises. 

Here are the themes as presented in each Unit of God's Great Covenant, Old Testament One.

Unit I: In the Beginning -God’s Power. God, the mighty Elohim, demonstrated His power by speaking creation into existence. He barred sinful man from the garden and judged the wicked world with a catastrophic flood. At the same time the power of His mercy and His redemptive plan secured man’s future existence.

Unit II: By the Patriarchs - God’s Promises. The Lord God plucked Abram out of the city of Ur and sent him on a journey. Through the covenant the Lord gave Abram (later called Abraham) three promises: to give him a land, to make him the father of many nations, and to bless the world through him. These promises, and God’s faithfulness to keep them, form the foundation for the rest of God’s story.

Unit III: Out of Egypt - God’s Redemption. In God’s mind, rescuing Israel from Egypt was more than saving the Israelites from slavery. The Lord God was redeeming Israel from sin and renewing the covenant He had made with Abraham. Despite their sin the Lord desired to dwell with His people and bless them.

Unit IV: Through the Wilderness - God’s Provision. In the harshness of the Sinai wilderness the Lord God showed His people that His care for them was perfect. Even though they grumbled, complained, and refused to trust Him, God was completely trustworthy.

Unit V: In the Promised Land - God’s Faithfulness. After the glorious conquest of Canaan, Israel entered into the dark years when everyone did “what was right in his own eyes.” Even though Israel repeatedly turned from the Lord, He always heard their cries for mercy and delivered them from the oppression of their enemies. 

My favorite part of this program is the fact that God's actual name is included!!  How many people actually know that God's name is Jehovah?  Not too many, and I like the fact that this is included in the lessons.

Another thing that I am enjoying is the ability to add your own materials and projects to go along with this program.  Such as when we were learning about the Days of Creation:

Lydia really liked this visual project (since she doesn't read well yet) to remind her what happened on each day.

Will we continue using this in our home?  Yes, I am enjoying the extra study for the children and they are enjoying it also.

The Schoolhouse Review Crew has the privilege of using not only God's Great Covenant Old Testament, but also Song School Spanish.  Be sure to check out the Schoolhouse Review Crew Blog and see how well these programs worked in their homes.

*****Disclaimer......I received God's Great Covenant  free of charge for the sole purpose of this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The views I have expressed are my own and are real experiences with my family. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>:"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."