In Time for Thanksgiving Studies

 

A Pocket of Time for Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims is now released. Many people use this classic book for reading in the month of November. If you plan to do so, use our Pockets of Time! Using the flashcards to track events in the chapter, you child can easily recount the sequence of events. We did the work, now you get the snuggle time on the couch with one of the best Pilgrim stories. Enjoy!

Find this Pocket of Time for Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims on our website or Homeschool Estore.

www.fortunateylforyoubooks.com

www.homeschoolestore.com

Shannon

Book Report Helpers

Someone mentioned to us this weekend how our POCKETS of TIME selections can be helpful to children writing a book report. We have already taken the main events and wrote them down. The children have already put these events in order in their pocket. For report writing, just reference these events for the main ideas. What a great idea! Sometimes it can be hard for kids to narrow a chapter down to just a few main events. Sometimes it is hard for us to do that when making the Pockets! This surely will be a good way to help the kids and book reports. Let us know if you have success with using the Pockets that way.

Blessings,

Shannon

INTERACTIVE FRIDAY!!!

I am so excited to share some sites with you on Fridays! When it comes to Fridays, I always feel this mad rush to just be DONE with school for the day. Problem with that is I feel it way to early in the morning! I barnstorm the weekend! Then on Monday I feel so slow to start. I am definitely at my peak on Wednesday and Thursday! If any of you are like me, then perhaps you will enjoy these sites. You can “cut” class, give them this site to play on. You get the break, they are still learning, just not with tons of paper work. I will give you the site, show you a couple of pictures and things I learned while playing, er, I mean practicing with the site!

http://www.wmnet.org.uk/wmnet/custom/files_uploaded/uploaded_resources/503/clock.swf

This first pic show the clock face. Having the second hand is optional. There are four buttons to the left that give you options.

If you hit the clock face button, you are given the choice to take time away, or add time. For instance, you can be looking at 12:00pm. You ask what time will it be in 10 min.? Your child tells you…(you can even ask where will the minute hand be in 10 min) then you hit the button that says 10 min. and you see your answer. There are different time increments to choose from: seconds, different min. increments, hours…..You can also ask what time WAS it 10 min. ago. Lots of options on that.

 

When you hit the night/day button, you get a picture of the sky. Very nice to see that as soon as you cross 12 pm, it is night sky. Sometimes kids have a hard time with PM because it is still light out.

The Words buttons allows you to  display the words. I like this feature. I like to be told the time in correct and intelligent words when I ask what time it is. Although it does keep the mind sharp when you  have to follow a child’s thoughts!

Here we have activated the digital clock. I really like that is doesn’t replace the clock face but shows both together. Our house has a mixture of both clocks. When I would ask Jesse the time, I found him racing through the house to the digital clock to holler up the time to me. I have used sites before and had to choose between the clocks. Apparently, I spent a lot more time on the digital one! Here you can give equal time to both clocks.

I think your children will like this interactive clock. It appears to be a very safe site. There are no other sites that link off this one, so you would be able to make a shortcut for a week or two to let the kids play on and not worry.

If you have made a gazillioin paper plate clocks, or have the hands broken off the nice clock  you bought for practice, just use this site. You should see some confidence with clocks quickly.

I was thinking of working with money and making change next week. Who knows, I may have to give one of these out before Friday. Not sure I can wait!! Let me know if you have any subjects you would like me to search sites for.

Check out our NEW POCKETS of TIME issues. We have started the Spiderwick series, the Series of Unfortunate Events, and Magic Treehouse series. P.O.T’s are timelines for literature. As you child reads a book, they place the flashcards of events into a pocket in the order  they happened. Each flashcard has a color code, so all you have to do is make sure the colors are in the right order to know if they followed along correctly. A Squanto story is coming soon, along with The Whipping Boy…..these are not unit studies, just timelines that go into little pockets. Check them out! There is a page on the blog here that shows a finished P.O.T. if you would like to see one. Have a great Friday and let us know if this site helped with clock reading!

Blessings,

Shannon

www.fortunatelyforyoubooks.com (books,worksheets,ebooks)

www.homeschoolestore.com(where we also have all of our eproducts)

Timelines for Literature Line Increases!!

Do you plan on seeing the Spiderwick movie and do you plan on having your children read the books before you go? I think that is a standard rule for every homeschool family! You can’t see the movie until you have read the books. I think we might have by passed that rule with the Lord of the Ring trilogy, but most of the time the kids know what has to happen before they see the movie. My oldest children read these books years ago. I forgot about them when the 3rd child could have read them, but the 4th precious bundle gets his own set of books, sees the movie, and most likely will own the movie! Great being born last! If you are going to read these books with the kids, then your timing is incredible as we just came out with our Pocket of Time for the first book! Whether your child is reading with you or independently, being able to actually see that they comprehended is valuable stuff! They read, they put the flashcards in order, they place them in a pocket. You have a nice little bundle at the end of the book. These Pockets of Time come as ebooks for instant use. We are coming out with many more Pockets of Time this month. Be sure to check back often. Check out our web site to learn more about Pockets of Time. www.fortunatelyforyoubooks.com

The Last of the Millers

The bugs. Not the people. I have been battling these bugs for a few months, well, embarrassingly, many months. I would only have time to clean out one cupboard. Then they would all zoom over to the other cupboard, lay their evil eggs and bide their time until I got to THAT cupboard. It was a very vicious and frustrating circle. I knew we had topped the miller moth population when guests were swatting and dodging these bugs as they fly around. Talk about mortification. Knowing it is only going to get worse, and knowing I have a few big events planned at my house in the next few weeks, I knew I had to get serious. So I did what every good homeschooling mother does. I make this a living skill activity. Not for me, for the children. Empty the cupboards, throw away opened food(what waste!), wash out the shelves and restack everything. I think that was about the most painful thing I have ever had to watch. These boys couldn’t even squeeze out the rag. They were just smooshing it together. Not twisting it. I felt my blood pressure rising. They asked how to do EVERY step. How could it not come easy? How could it not come natural? So I had to kick into teaching mode and show them (tricky kids) how to do this. I sat at the table in the kitchen to work on new products and supervise. You’d think I was torturing them. After a few suggestions and reminders on how they need to work without complaining and the quicker they are able to learn that little life lesson the less I will make them do today, the harder they worked. It was almost amusing to watch them. Notice I said almost.  They are very good at helping me with anything I ask for. KEY WORD- ask. They don’t see the dirt, or the piles, or the shoes. I think that is genetic. We got the three shelves cleaned in about an hour. The mommy bugs were still displaced and we have been smacking our hands killing them. I think we got the last one. Man, I hope so. At least there was some benefit from this problem. Kids learned a little house keeping lesson, learned how to correctly squeeze out a rag and learned how to bargain. Yep, no math. Got to keep the free labor happy!

Does anyone know how to PREVENT the bugs? I can’t do this again. We have to focus on closets next time. Yeah, like THAT’S gonna be fun!

Shannon

REMEMBER to get some pictures!

One of the things that I forget to do is get really good pictures of the kids.  So to remind me, We take time out in the fall usually to get some “school” pictures, if you will!  The year can pass us by and all we have are the goofy pictures of them making faces or just the pictures of them at their birthday parties.  These are just as important to get but remember to take them to beautiful areas around your neighborhood, town, or state to get some truly magnificent pics!  I started today and will be traveling in the coming days ahead to get even more!  Here are some examples!  ENJOY as I enjoyed taking them!

~Kelly

What WAS I Thinking????????

I distinctly remember sitting my boys down, usually after a football game, and telling them that God has much more important plans for them than chasing a ball around. I mean, really….football is fun, basketball is fun, sports has its place. I get it! Really, raising four boys you HAVE to have sports to knock the aggression and testosterone out a bit. But to consider it their life’s mission, their mandate? nuh,huh. Not gonna happen. See, I figured the Lord had blessed them with so much that He would require so much. “To whom much is given, much shall be required”. Remember that verse? Just being born in America gave them advantage. Then you have the fact that only 3% of the worlds population OWN their own home and 5% own a car, puts us in the worlds elite. I never would have known that by comparing us to those around us. But when you see the bigger picture, THE WORLD, we have the advantage there too. Then the biggie, we are all HEALTHY. I mean, can you top that when you start to look around and talk to people. Health is everything. Oh, don’t forget the loving and supportive family the boys have been born into. Then the fact that we are believers and have given our lives to the Lord. Sounds like a tennis game….ADVANTAGE! ha. I have been saying this speech for years. They probably know it by heart. I guess all that ranting and raving worked. Both my oldest sons have donned uniforms that show they are protecting the weak, fighting for justice and putting their life on the line. One wears a cops uniform, one wears a Marine uniform. After I drummed it into their heads how they need to use their talents and strength to HELP and SERVE others, not entertain, I guess they had some secret pow wow in their room. They decided at young ages this was what they wanted to be. They are both doing what they told me they wanted to do when they were 11 and 12 years old. Now I am at the other end of this…..mom watching, seeing the news, hearing sirens, waiting for calls….I should have let them chase the football. I mean, football players DO wear uniforms too, right?  This also goes to show how they are listening, really, really listening. What was I thinking?

I was thinking:

there is a God we will give account to , whether our works be good or whether they be bad

to whom much is given, much shall be required

that the things that are seen are temporal, the things which are not seen are eternal

that all must stand at the judgement seat of Christ

This is the standard by which we teach our kids. It takes a huge burden off our backs as the law givers when raising kids. God bless you as you are raising your kids. Enjoy the snuggle on the couch with a book today. Teach Biblical values. Time flies and one day you will be looking at them in awe. And secretly, you will say,”Hmmm, they WERE listening!”

My Favorite Devotional

I love time set aside for just me and the Lord. It is amazing the difference in a day when that time is set aside for something “more important”. There is one particular devotion that I favor more than other books. It is called Streams In The Desert. Not dessert……. Devotionals centered around the idea that you are going through a hard time, and just a refreshing stream flowing by might encourage your spirit. It is a collection of poems, verses, and readings from a lady named Mrs. Charles Cowman. She first published this in 1925. Yeah, talk about staying power! I cannot tell you how many times I read the devotion and it was just what I needed. I not only read the gatherings Mrs. Cowman has gleaned, I read the chapter or two that is referenced. If you are looking for a devotional, this is worth checking out. I have it in book form and I also have it coming to me as an email everyday. I prefer the email. Go to www.backtothebible.org and click the devotions. There are lots of good ones. I keep gravitating to the Streams. Guess I have been wandering in the desert for awhile. Huh.

Have you noticed OR What do you call it?

 

Pick your title, but I am sure you will recognize what I am going to talk about. The ability for a child to know and understand computers and technology. It is amazing to me and never more apparent as the difference between my first two sons and my third and fourth sons. My oldest two are 21 and 19. The 21 year old, Aaron(aka Officer Coe), doesn’t like or enjoy anything to do with the computer. If he is on one, it is out of necessity and causes stress. You can literally see the sweat beads all over his face. Awwwww. Meet Isaac, my darling and brave 19 year old (Oorah, MARINES!!!) is a little bit more active on the computer. He can do email, search the internet, nice basic stuff. He likes the benefits of a computer but is limited in what he knows and understands. Now this is where the transition in technology is so obvious. Jacob is the most amazing 14 year old boy. He has his own blog, he loads videos, he operates a stop motion camera and makes videos, he uploads music, installs and uninstalls programs, uses Microsoft programs, helps fix our computer problems, is awesome on the Paint program, knows and uses digital software, does history presentations on Power Point, etc…..need I say more? My 11 year old baby, Jesse, can work any digital gadget there is. He has his own blog, he regularly checks and sends emails, he downloads music to his MP3 player, his playstation is connected to the internet and plays games with people around the world, he makes and loads videos to YouTube, and all that Jake can do, Jesse can do! Okay, you get my point. Some of us are introduced with technology, others are raised with it.

There are terms to describe the differences between these groups. Digital natives are those who are raised and live with technology. They would be lost if the power went out. You ask if they want to play a game, and they go to the computer, NOT to the game cabinet! They are native to this stuff. It comes easy. Show them, they’ve got it. Digital immigrants are those who can know, use, understand tech stuff, but were introduced to it sometime in their life. It is usually very apparent who belongs in what category. I am obviously an immigrant. And a struggling one. Even amongst us immigrants, there can be extreme division. I believe my husband and I had computers and digital cameras and software, games, etc. YEARS before my sister and her family did. I cried recently just trying to learn how to post a blog, she runs a successful business based on high tech equipment. Comes easy for her, hard for me. Hey, you found our site and blog, so YOU are pretty good! Congratulations! How does this affect our teaching our kids?

If you are a family that has access to technology, you must advance  your efforts to include the kids. If you do not have much access, you must adapt soon. Using the internet, ebooks and software in school presentations is standard. When our kids enter the workforce, they MUST be able to do basics. Any extra knowledge gives them extra advantage. You may have to put the money into techy stuff if you are not good at this. Remember my post about writing? I struggled for years with writing. Truth is, if I had spent the money years ago on the quality writing programs, I would have mastered teaching it and helped my children better. If you aren’t good at it, pay someone who is. Not an option in this day and age. Teaching children how to responsibly use the internet is a MUST. It is an incredible tool, it can also be an enemy of your family. Presearch sites, save to folders, be in the room while they are on the computer, ALWAYS ask them what they are doing, etc.

Our curriculum takes all these things into consideration. When we wrote, we understood that many would like the internet sites we referenced and some would prefer only the books. We gave both options and we use both ourselves. NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING replaces a book and a snuggle on the couch. But alas, they do grow bigger, they leave the house for work and we need to give them the skills necessary. Whether they work at the bank, as a clerk in a store, as a mechanic or even sell real estate, the use of the computer and internet is now mandatory. Find friendly and safe curriculum that helps you with this. I happen to know of one!!!

www.fortunatelyforyoubooks.com

Blessings,

Shannon

COMING SOON!!!

Pockets of Time for The Bad Beginning is almost ready to publish!

We have unit studies based on the first three book in The Series of Unfortunate Events. They are fantastic! But these are the timelines, the color coded flashcards that the children place in pockets. The color coding helps mom to be able to check at a glance if they got the order of events correct. The pockets make a wonderful presentation at the end of the book. Great for portfolio reviews and assessments! Check back soon for the issue dates of these fun, easy and inexpensive timelines!