Two resources you don’t want to miss out on!

It’s that time of year again when we are all looking over tons of different school materials and trying to narrow our choices down. If you are like me, this is a very difficult thing to do. Occasionally on our blog we like to give reviews of great materials we come across. I wanted to share with you two great products that would be helpful throughout your entire school year.

The Old Schoolhouse Digital Magazine

The first is The Old School House Digital Magazine. This great magazine has gone digital and I am thrilled! This is a magazine I have subscribed to in the past because it has such wonderful articles. It covers a wide range of subjects, age groups, and different styles of learning. To me, the digital version of this magazine makes it even better for a number of reasons. First of all, when I said I have subscribed to it in the past, that is because I haven’t always been able to afford it after buying all of my curriculum. Now that it is in digital format, the price is affordable for everyone, even after coming home from a convention with one too many items. Another aspect which is appealing to me is that I am not cluttering my house up with magazines. While I love them, they do tend to take over the house after a while. And let’s face it, homeschoolers tend to have lots of things that can take over the house! This is one way I can keep magazines under control. I was a little leery as to whether I would enjoy reading it on the computer or not. I was pleasantly surprised to see how easy I could navigate through the magazine. There were many features on the digital magazine that actually made it easier to use than the print version. For instance, you can click on a button and have all the links from that page at a mouse click. You can bookmark a favorite article. If you don’t like how you are looking at the pages, a few quick clicks and you can change from double to single pages, make the pages smaller or larger, and even turn the pages faster or slower. In addition, you can zoom in or out for those of us who are getting older and need to have the print up close. There is even a button that shows all the pages in a picture index, which I thought was a great way to quickly find something you had seen in the magazine but couldn’t remember where it was. I would recommend the digital version of this magazine to all homeschoolers. They have taken an already great magazine and made it even better! It’s a wonderful resource to add to you list of essentials for this year.

The Schoolhouse Planner

The second product that would be a great asset is The Schoolhouse Planner. This is an amazing tool! I could not have sat down and thought of all the ideas these ladies have included. Not only does it help you organize your life, school, and home with tons of forms to use, but it also includes many other extras as well. There are two wonderful recipes each month. I can easily see how these could become family favorites in my household. There are helpful articles from some of the best homeschool curriculum authors in the industry giving you great advice or ideas that you can take and incorporate immediately into your school day. There is a great resource list each month that takes you right to The Old Schoolhouse Store to purchase any supplemental materials that go along with that month’s theme. This saves you from having to search for materials. One of the neatest features is that you can change text right on the screen before printing to customize this planner to meet your individual family’s needs. While this book is 247 pages long, you will not need to print all of the pages you see. Many of these are just great resources you can refer to. You can print each month as you go and select only the forms that are necessary. They have tried to include a little of something for everybody. I can definitely see how this would be useful to me and my family in the upcoming school year. Perhaps this year, I will finally get my home and school records organized and know what I am cooking for dinner each night!

Kingdom Series

I bought this for Jesse for his reading progam this year. I bought books 1-3 plus the audio cd’s. I knew he would benefit from having the story read to him. Their drama and musical score is incredible. These are fantastic stories.

             

http://www.kingdomseries.com/index.htm

Check out the website….worth every penny!  Can’t wait until we are ready to order the rest in the series. Has anyone else read these books?

8. Shannon’s Favorite Science Stuff

I am really liking science this year. But not if it follows math. I don’t like anything after math. I NEED shockwave after math. Jesse is loving the new course I tried. I saw this at a homeschool convention and debated over and over if I should get it. I used my rule that if I am not sure, wait.  What convinced me is the supplement I found to go with it. I hate textbooks unless used as a reference. Too boring. Too much work to keep the kids attention. Here is my favorite for Jesse (11 yr. old boy- so you know what I am working with!):

       

Exploring Creation with…..Astronomy was the one I chose. There are other books for the elementary age. The publisher is apologia and their elementary line is pretty new. These are textbooks but I found a lapbook format that goes along with this that made a textbook palatable for me. Jesse needs somehting to see his accomplishment, a hands on(even if paper).

KNOWLEDGE BOX CENTRAL at www.knowledgeboxcentral.com has the cd’s for lapbooking projects for all of the elementary apologia line. Worth every penny if you want to use a textbook.

The textbook itself is well written and broken into smaller sections. Apologia has four books in their elementary line. I think Heidi is using the Flying Creatures of the 5th day. We will most likely swap each other next year.

 

My favorite for high school is the Apologia line- AGAIN! I have used them since my Aaron was in 8th grade. I have gotten my money’s worth! Since I bought these for Aaron, there are supplements I have bought to help the boys. There are daily lesson plans, cd’s with media files (audio for vocabs, digital images of science diagram), and this year I bought the audio files of the text being read. Jacob really, really likes me reading and doing a lesson with him. He is independent in other areas, but he likes science being taught TO him. I choose to believe he still likes to snuggle on the couch with me and is secretly using this as an excuse! Right, Jake?

Here is the site to Apologia: www.highschoolscience.com    I believe I bought all my apologia products from various vendors. For using textbooks, these are the best and have excellent resale value.

My favorite science web site is: www.howtoteachscience.com  This has lessons sent to you to teach you HOW to teach science. It has a primary focus on the periodic table of elements. There is a tremendous value in our lives and worth taking the time to teach. The lessons are free and worth reading and rereading every so often.

~Shannon

9. Do You See What I See?

I love using the internet for school!  I have so many sites bookmarked in my favorites but I guess I will just have to pick out my favorites!  One of my favorites by FAR is:

www.enchantedlearning.com

To get the banner free worksheets you do have to pay $20/year but oh is it worth it when you need those all important worksheets and printouts.  They have such a variety of every thing!  Not just worksheets but even explanations and teaching paragraphs!  Very nice!

Next is:

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

Need a book? Don’t want to hit the library or buy at the bookstore?  Well why not see if this website has the book you can download for FREE!  Yes, I said FREE!  There are the classics amongst others.  They do not have everybook in the world, but you may just find what you need!

My final website is:

www.shockwave.com

Yes, I do use games to compliment teaching and with Shockwave games they can work on spelling, logic, reading, math, and so much more.  They are my favorite site for games.  There is a fee but you can join Shockwave unlimited for less than $60 a year or for less than $30 for 3 months!  Considering how many games you can play in a year it is soooooooo worth it!  New games are added to the site EVERY Tuesday so you don’t need to worry about it getting stale!

~Kelly

11. How great thou ART!!!

Yes!  God is great  but my title is meant to reflect the benefits and greatness you can get from Art class!  I too struggle to get art in but when I do the kids love it!  I am sure it is because it allows them a measure of independence and allows them to, literally, let loose.  Now I find that art is more than just something you read and follow out of a book.  It can encompass a lot of things, such as, coloring, making crafts, tie dyeing, chalking, and even some cooking!  All we, as parents and teachers, have to do is realize the opportunity to make it ART!

I’ll start with my favorite “basics” art book(s) that helps teach them the basics of drawing, coloring, and painting.  My Favorite by FAR is I Can Do All Things.  I have met the author personally and he is absolutely wonderful and knows how to bring up an artist!  The most complex drawings are broken down into the basics that your children will learn from this book.  It is a hefty program BUT WAIT it is supposed to take you through 3 years of art class for $40!  $10 a year!  Now really, you can’t say that isn’t a great deal!  I have also used his bump up from “…All Things” to Lamb’s Book of Art.  This is the same concept just a little more in depth.  These books are good for the elementary level K-6.  He does have higher grade material at his site: http://www.howgreatthouart.com/

                                                                

Now that we have my favorite teaching book out of the way let’s move on to other things!  As much as I love “I Can Do All Things”, it still needs broken up with some fun and spontaneity!  This is where we get to really use the artsy side of our brain!  I love coloring but I love online coloring even more.  Online coloring you say?  Oh yes, coloring without the mess!  You just click the color and drag to the portion you want to color.  My kids have a blast with this (I admit to taking part of the fun on this one)!  Here are some sites to get some holiday coloring in without breaking out the markers!

http://www.dltk-kids.com/color/xmas1.htm

http://www.seussville.com/grinch/coloring.swf

As I mentioned before there are so many ways to incorporate art into the everyday.  Is there a birthday coming up?  Don’t rush to buy a card! Have the kids make a homemade card with your scrapbooking (gasp) extras (phew).  Is it a nice day?  Send them out with some sidewalk chalk and tell them to draw a scene of winter, summer, fall, or spring!  Cooking up those Christmas cookies?  Why not have give them ornament shaped cookies and instruct them to only use primary colors or secondary colors while decorating?  Extra time during school?  Take a virtual tour of an art museum or study a certain artist.  You could give them questions such as:  “Why did Van Gogh paint in such a weird way?”  “Why does Georgia O’Keefe like to use flowers for inspiration?” 

The possibilities for art seem to be endless!  Use what little time we have during a homeschooling day and make some memories all while calling it, ART!

~Kelly

11. ART- Our Favorite Picks

 

I wonder if a lot of us struggle with an art lesson or program. By the time we get done teaching all the basics, it is hard to muster up and teach art. And I don’t mean showing them the box of leftover paper from our scrapbooking supplies and telling them to create something! We will give you some of our favorite ways to get a little art in with your schooling. Mind you, we still struggle with this ourselves but here are some of the ways we TRY to activate the right side of the brain. It IS the right side, isn’t it?

12. These are a Few of my Favorite Games…!

Whenever I say, “Yes”, to computer game time, it is always met with enthusiasm.  You may wonder what wonderful games I have on my computer that would create such enthusiasm.  I admit, I pay a subscription fee to have new games every tuesday ready for me to download but it is not these wonderful games my children are seeking!  It is Jumpstart/Knowledge Adventure games.  Funny, huh!?  They practically plow each other over racing, yes, racing to the computer.  I still find it hilarious!  You would think that it would be some hard to get, digitally mastered graphics, and one of a kind $80 game, but it is NOT!

Jumpstart comes in many forms!  You have your grade specific pre-K all the way to 6th grade.  After 6th you will have subject specific from Math to Foreign Languages!  I cannot review for you anything beyond the 4th grade games and tutorials as my oldest is only in the 4th grade.  We have all the age specifics til’ 4th grade, Math Blasters, Artists, and Phonics!  I cannot say enough about these wonderful programs!  I was hooked when we were given Jumpstart Pre-K when my oldest was 4!  These programs nuture your childs imagination and intellect in a way that many “video” games cannot.  For example, I thought fractions would be very hard to introduce to my then 2nd grader, but because Jumpstart had already given him the foundation of fractions, teaching literally was a breeze THAT DAY!  To our utter astonishment, my daughter (now a 2nd grader), called out the name of the artist of a painting that popped up on the news the other day.  I think I may need to start playing Jumpstart!

These programs can range in price from the affordable $14.99 (download) to $29.99 on the Knowledge Adventure website.   http://www.knowledgeadventure.com/.  However if you prefer a CD as opposed to the download, Amazon or Ebay have extremely reasonable prices.  Tip: If buying from Ebay make sure to check the sellers feedback to make sure they are reputable and not selling you a knockoff!

I encourage you to try these games and hope you use them to compliment your teaching!

~Kelly

OUR TOP 12

 

Everyday we will give you our top favorites for a school related subject. Kelly, Heidi and I have about every type of learner and age between us! Combine that with all of our years of shopping and purchasing for our homeschool and we have a fantastic review board of our own! We will highlight a subject everyday and share our favorites with you. Things that have worked and were worth the money! Feel free to participate and join the fun. We would love to hear from you!

Shannon

Five Finger Paragraph Success!!

I purchased the Five Finger Paragraph Writing Program from the Homeschool Estore when it was on sale. It is an awesome way to make writing a paragraph easy. There are visuals, bright colors, easy concepts that has a foundation in list making. Using the concept felt very much like the $10,000 pyramid game! Jesse and I loved it! We would look at a picture, he would say ” things that are ______”. That was filled in with: hard, man-made, red, edible, etc. Under each category named, we would list three things about that. We did this orally for several days, then went to writing it on the chalkboard, to him writing this all  himself. Then we transitioned from pictures and real scenery to written word. That took a couple of days as he is a very visual learner. I had him look for main ideas, then three things for that main idea. Here is his first writing assignment, rough draft- nothing edited. I was so thrilled!!!!!  If you have been reading the blog, you understand that writing has been a neglected subject in our school. I just needed the right tools! I hope these reviews on the curriculum help some of you.  Take two weeks to use this program. It will save you a LOT of suffering during writing class!

Here is what he wrote(unedited) in case you can’t read it very well. (lighting is horrible at 6 am!)

Solar FLares are activities happening on the sun. They shoot millions of miles from the sun. It is huge comparison to the earth. The effects of these solar Flares can cause power outages in some big cities. There is a lot to learn about solar Flares.

God made sun spots for a reason. The size of a sun spot is biger then the earth. The temperature is about 4,500degrees. The sun spots are what looks like little black spots on the sun. Perhaps it is sun spots instead of global warming.

This was HUGE for us. Not one anxious moment, not one “I don’t understand”….it was awesome. Once you learn this concept, it can be applied with any of your subjects. We used what we had learned and applied it to his science class. This was the sum of a 4 page lesson. I recommend the Five Finger Paragraph for a solid starter program. You will need to come up with the things to write about, but the foundation of HOW to write a paragraph is quick and easy. It will require an evening of study time for Mom, but well worth it. How long you prep before you write depends on the age and ability. Jesse took only 7 school days before he wrote. Jake (10th) would only need a couple of days.

Curriculum Review

The best subjects I teach are the ones I love the most. Only makes sense, doesn’t it? What I find funny about the whole thing is the subjects I love now were the ones I hated when I was in school. I understand now that I wasn’t taught according to my learning style. What a difference that would have made! Nonetheless, my writing lesson have fallen by the way. It was easy with my oldest son as he is a natural writer. All I had to say was “Go write a bio on G. Washington” and it was done. Usually one edit and the paper was placed in a binder. The second son was  a bit more traumatic. I didn’t have any writing lessons or curriculum to fall back on either as I hadn’t bought any before. So we suffered. My bad. Finally, I am getting it right on the third son! Good thing I have four of them. These next few postings are going to be reviews of curriculum I bought for writing classes. I would have rather spent the money on science projects, history unit studies and logic games. But I invested in some pretty good writing stuff. I hope to give you enough detail to know if these products are worth buying for your family. Let me get working on the first writing review! See you soon!

Shannon