More Curriculum Choices

Yesterday I talked about math and why we are sticking with Saxon. Today I will touch on another favorite piece of curriculum that I have stuck with for the long haul... Story of the World. We started using this Haley's very first year as a homeschooler. No idea what prompted me to make my initial purchase, but its one I've never regretted. It might have been the glowing review in my ginormous Rainbow Resource catalog that never fails to enthrall me with all its awesome, homeschool goodies. Regardless, we are just about to finish the 2nd book in this series, and already have third sitting on my shelf ready to go for next year. Susan Wise Bauer truly brings history alive. She takes what I perceived as a dry, boring subject and makes it exciting and captivating. My kids will sit and listen to chapter after chapter without a complaint. It really does read like a story...hence the name.

Another huge part of the this curriculum that I love is the activity guide. Each chapter features maps, coloring pages, activities, narration activities, discussion questions and so much more. You can do as much or as little as you like. They also offer a test booklet which we used some the first year, but don't use any longer. Let me just say that I was amazed at how much my little 1st or 2nd grader retained and learned just from me reading a chapter out of a book. She's even retained that knowledge years later. She recently impressed the heck out of me during an episode of Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader. She was able to recall many facts and names from our ancient history text.

So, if you're looking for a wonderful resource for history, something effective, yet easy to use, look no further than Story of the World.

Curriculum Choices

Its that time of year again...the time when I start thinking and planning for next year. In doing so, I thought I would share some of my favorite, no brainer, curriculum choices. Before I do so, let me just say that I am one of those people who loves trying different things. I'm always trying new products, ideas, and ways of teaching. There are only a handful of curriculum choices that I have stuck with and love from day one. This is not to say that I haven't tried to find something different, it just means that I have yet to find something that I like better. Because some of my ideas on certain curriculum choices could be quite extensive, I'll do this by touching on one product or subject per day. I'll start with my (and Haley's) least favorite subject...math.

Saxon Math - This is one area that I can say that I have explored extensively. You name it, we've tried it, seen it, heard about it, or currently own it. Here's just a few of the math programs we've tried: Horizons Math, Math U See, Teaching Textbooks, and Math Mammoth. No matter how good the program seems, or how much my kids liked or disliked it, we've always come back to Saxon. Why, you ask? Bottom line...it works! It might not have all the bells and whistles of some of the other, fancier programs, but it has proven effective and solid in my household. I recently added the DIVE CD for Saxon 5/4 to our math lessons, and so far we're loving it. I looked at both the teacher CD's that Saxon offers and the DIVE CD's, and chose to go with DIVE. I really like the fact that he explains it in his own way. He uses different examples from those found in the text. The Saxon CD's are just going over exactly what's in the text itself. I can do that. The DIVE CD's are using the same method's but different problems. This way we can read over the lesson in the book, listen to the DIVE CD lesson, and then work through the problems. Its just an additional tool that works great for auditory or visual learners. It has greatly reduced the complaining about math in my home!

In summary, Saxon is a well rounded, solid, proven, spiral method of teaching math. I feel it prepares them well for standardized testing, which some of the others don't in my opinion. I've heard people complain about the extensiveness of the lessons. In the K through 3 program, we simply skipped portions of it. I never did the daily meetings, the second worksheet, and skipped anything my kids were already proficient in doing. This really cut down the time it takes to complete the lessons. Keep in mind, nobody is policing you...you really don't have to do everything in the lessons. Some people try to do everything and burn out quickly. The teacher text is a guideline...not something you have to complete and do from cover to cover. So, even though we've looked and tried so many math programs, we're sticking with Saxon. Next year we'll be doing Saxon 6/5 and most likely using the DIVE CD's again.

All About Spelling/All About Reading Giveaway!

Having personally used All About Spelling, I can attest to the fact that this product works.  By now, you'd just about have to live under a rock to have not heard something about it.  Its simple, effective, and guaranteed to teach the teacher something new as well!  Better yet, you can enter to win a $50 gift certificate to use towards the purchase of either product.  So head over to All About Learning Press and enter to win.  This contest ends at 12:01 am EST on Tuesday, March 12, 2012.  The winner will be announced later that day.

Science Experiment Time - Sour or Not?

This week we ended up doing the science experiment from last week's lesson on Monday. We simply had too many things going on last Friday to fit it in. We also had to get lots of different items from the grocery store to use in our experiment. So, here's what we did...

We had a bunch of cups labeled with various types of liquids. Milk, white grape juice, grape fruit juice, distilled water, mineral water, baking soda water, and antacid water. The kids took turns tasting the various cups to determine whether they were sour, sweet or salty. Grape fruit juice is really sour!

Next, we separated everything into which ones were sour and which ones weren't. Most everything was on the not sour side.

Lastly, we used our red cabbage dyed purple water we made to test for acidity in our various cups. We got some really cool colors!! One ever turned green! How fun is that?

If you're wondering where we're getting all of these neat experiments we're doing from, they are all from Real Science 4 Kids, Chemistry, Pre-Level 1. I absolutely LOVE this science program!

Science Fun...Chemical Reactions!!

We finished up our chapter on chemical reactions today and had some science experiment fun. We are currently using Real Science 4 Kids by Gravitas Publications. We started out with Chemistry Pre-level 1. So far, we are all absolutely loving it. The best program we've used yet. Short, sweet, very informative, and lots of fun experiments. We're currently doing science twice a week. We read the text on Tuesday, and then do the experiment on either Thursday or Friday depending on time. The student texts are books that my kids would probably enjoy having hard copies of in our library. They are engaging, and the graphics are very child friendly. They have really enjoyed learning about molecules and atoms. When we finish this text we'll move on to physics and then biology. I highly recommend taking a look at this science program. Enjoy!

Week in Review - Sick Kids & Fun with Atoms!

This week has been a crazy one at our house.  Poor Ryan got sick over the weekend and had to wait until Tuesday to get in to see the doctor.  I thought he had a nasty cold, but it turns out he has strep throat and a double ear infection too.  Fun times!  Now we're just hoping he keeps it to himself and spares the other two.

I'm trying something a bit different for science this week...you know me, I'm always looking for something fun and exciting to do. Well, we are trying out Real Science 4 Kids from Gravitas Publications.  I'm impressed so far and the kids seem to really enjoy it.  I can totally see my kids picking up the text and reading it on their own just for fun.  Friday we did an experiment on atoms and molecules.  The kids used marshmallows to make molecules following the rules given on the lab sheets.  What started out as a fun way to learn about how molecules always follow the rules quickly turned into something completely different.  What can I say, when you give kids toothpicks and two sizes of marshmallows, you're bound to have some fun, right?

Ryan made some sort of really cool molecule with lots of connections.  He said it looked like a snowflake.  What do you think?

Adam did a better job of following the rules.  Haley on the other hand had a great time making molecule giraffes.  Here she's working on the baby giraffe.  See the mommy giraffe in the front?

Who knew that chemistry could be so much fun.  First you read something, discuss it, then you do a fun lab.  They were supposed to draw pictures of their "molecule creations" for their science notebooks, but they ended up eating them before they drew them.  This series of Science books is such fun!  I highly recommend trying it out.  There are 3 levels, and each level includes the text, teachers guide and lab book.  Each level includes biology, chemistry and physics.  You can sample all of the products online, and most everything is available as an instant download.  Gotta love that!  If you'd rather have a hard copy you can go that route too.  Their prices are very reasonable.  http://www.gravitaspublications.com/products

I think the funniest thing about learning about atoms was Adam laughing over his name sounding the same.  He kept saying "I'm Adam and I'm made from atoms."  Too funny!  Hope all of you had a great week as well.

Wednesday Ramblings...

In history the boys have been learning about the Phoenicians from our Story of the World curriculum.  I find it so amazing that civilizations as old as the Phoenicians were able to do the things they did.  Not only were they amazing sailors, but they were amazing craftsmen as well.  How they were able to figure out how to turn sand into glass is beyond me.  The boys were particularly fascinated with the part about the Phoenician town of Tyre and how purple dye was made from sea snail..  I'm sure the smell wasn't though.  Yuck!  Boiled sea snails.  Anyway, after we read about how they invented glass blowing among other things, we made pretend colored glass using crayon shavings and wax paper. 

 

Adam worked so hard sharpening his crayon piece in order to get enough of the shavings.

 

Look mom, dirty fingers!  Ryan having his turn now.

Melting time!

And there you have it...Phoenician glass...or whatever you'd like to call it.

I offered to try the other project which was making our own purple dye.  Using blueberries, not snails, thankfully.  However, the boys decided the pretend glass was enough.  Darn...  How was your day?

Great Ideas for Science Studies

A friend forwarded something to me via email last night (thank you Felicia), and I wanted to share.  How I've missed this all these years is beyond me...

Home Science Tools is more than just another place to find great science curriculum, lab equipment and supplies.  They have a wonderful resource available for free.  Since my kids love hands on learning, I just had to check it out.  Apparently, my friend was signed up for their monthly newsletter.  She was forwarding this months learning idea.  It was completely awesome!  Better yet, you can access old newsletters as well.  Each offers teaching tips, labs, and ideas based on a specific topic.  They also have the newsletter geared to specific age groups.  For instance, the newsletter she forwarded me was all about fingerprinting and offered labs on how to make and discover fingerprints.  Tons of cool ideas.

For the younger kids, there's also a wonderful lab on bubbles.  I can't wait to try it out with my kids.  It is all about the science behind the bubbles.  Kids learn how bubbles are formed, why they're formed, make their own solution.  You make two different types and experiment with it to see which works best.  They get to make their own wands and try to make shaped bubbles.  Very, very cool!

I could go on and on about all the wonderful learning ideas available on this website, but you really just need to go check it out yourself.  In addition to all the learning labs, they also sell just about every science curriculum you can imagine, and all of the necessary supplies to go along with them.  You'll find microscopes, prepared slides, telescopes, weather station items, rock tumblers, and so much more.  My kids were practically drooling looking at all the awesome supplies!

Science Fun!

Today, I decided to try something different.  Have I mentioned that I get completely bored to death if we do the same thing for too long.  We've been studying Science using Apologia's Flying Creature of the Fifth Day for quite some time now.  Well, today I decided to pull out our other science book and learn about something new.  So, I found where we left off in our Pandia Press R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey Earth & Space book and proceeded to learn all about the ratio of land to water on our planet.  First, the kids came up with their hypothesis and filled out the graph on their lab sheets.

Next, they took turns tossing the globe (removed from the stand) back and forth to see how many times their right index finger landed on land or water.  We were supposed to use a blow up globe, but we didn't have one handy.  So...we took a chance and were VERY careful not to drop our globe.  Hey, sometimes you have to improvise.  The kids loved this part.

Let's see, that's one for land, then another, then water, then land.  Oddly enough, we seemed to hit land more than water.  Go figure.  So we throw the globe twenty times, recording our findings as we go.  Haley did an awesome job at keeping track.

Lastly, we filled out a graph showing our findings, and then one showing the correct ratio of land to water.  In comparing their hypothesis to the answer, Adam got it right.  Haley was close, and Ryan was a bit off.  This was a fun way to learn about land versus water.  Much more exciting than just reading about it in a textbook.  If you like fun, hands on science, you're sure to enjoy R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey.   If you'd like to try out any of their awesome products, you can download several lessons to try them before you buy them. 

Science Experiment Time...Air Pressure!

As you know if you read my blog, we are studying science using Apologia's Zoology 1, Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. After learning about classification, and making a lapbook from the first lesson using Live and Learn Press's Apologia lapbooks, we moved on to the next section and have been learning about air pressure and lift. Today, we read from the text about how air pressure works with a birds wing to create lift.

We then moved on to the fun part!  I showed them how it was done first, then each of them got a chance to see air pressure and lift in action.  I just love the looks on their faces!

Haley went first...

then Adam...check out the spray of water!

and lastly...Ryan!  By now my poor table is soaked, along with our book.  Who knew they could blow water 4 feet away!  Oh well, it will dry I suppose.  Just for fun, I thought I would share some of the funny pictures I took during this project.  Apparently, watching someone blow through a straw inspires you to blow too.  I especially love Haley's expression after being sprayed in the face with water.

This was a fun way for the kids to see air pressure in action.  Also, my table got a nice water bath in the process.  They can't wait to show daddy this new trick when he gets home. Hope your Monday was as fun as ours!

Lapbooking with Live & Learn Press

Lately, I've been trying out lapbooking with the kids. We have been studying science using Apologia's Zoology 1, Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. I started out by simply reading from the text, and then a couple of days later reviewing what we had read. The kids simply weren't retaining what we read. So...I decided some hands on learning was needed. After looking around and seeing a link in a homeschool chat group I'm in, I found my way to Live & Learn Press.



I purchased the lapbook that went along with the Apologia book we're using. We then proceeded to make a lapbook to go with the first few lessons. I did leave out a few items, and also added in a few others that I found online and in my Apologia Notebook. But, the kids really enjoyed making the books, like to look back through them, and really seem to retain what we learned. Mission accomplished!



Although lapbooking is time consuming, and requires lots of printing, cutting, pasting, folding, and writing, I do feel its well worth it. Live and Learn Press has layout suggestions for you, along with complete instructions for each step of the way. The graphics used are bright, colorful, and engaging for the kids.



Because I'm working with two seven year olds who don't particularly like to write, we do a lot of copywork when lapbooking. One of my boys really dislikes coloring, so having the graphics all colored and ready to go is a real asset.



My daughter, who's 10, is able to do the same work as the boys, but she can look up the answers on her own using the textbook.



Live and Learn Press offers lapbooks for all of the Apologia science texts. The price for either an e-book which can be downloaded immediately, or a CD, is $25. They also offer lots of other lapbooking products in a range of different subjects. If you haven't tried lapbooking before, you might want to give it a try!

Teaching Textbooks Review

When it comes to math for the kids, I've pretty much always stuck with Saxon across the board. When Haley was in school during first grade, they used Saxon. I decided to stick with it when she came home and have used it ever since. However, Haley absolutely hates math. When a friend of mine started using Teaching Textbooks, and after seeing it mentioned in various blogs and groups I'm in, I decided to take a look. Well, lets just say that I was seriously impressed. After much deliberation, we opted to change Haley to Teaching Textbooks 4 for this school year. We've been using it now for about 3 weeks and so far we're both loving it.

I asked Haley, age 10, what she liked about the program. Here's what she said:

"I like that all of the work is done on the computer, rather than a written worksheet. I like the little characters that perform tricks, etc., when I get a problem right. I really enjoy the picture puzzles and the bonus rounds. I love that it makes math fun. I think that all kids that don't like math and are bored with their written work, should try this program. Teaching Textbooks rocks!"

Here's what I like best about the program:

• I no longer have to do her lesson separately from the boys. She simply sits at her desk with the laptop and headphones and does her lesson all by herself. If she has a question, the program will help her through it, or she can simply stop and ask me for help.
• The awesome gradebook!  All of the lessons are graded and I can check her work after she completes the lesson to make sure she finished it and see how she did.  
• Time savings!  It is a HUGE timesaver for me since I'm teaching three children at the same time.  I seriously feel like I'm cheating! 

Teaching Textbooks has wonderful online samples of their products. I highly recommend checking them out. Better yet, let your kids try it. My twin boys can't wait to get started on Teaching Textbooks 3 next year. You can see the full line of products available here.

Currently they offer math lessons beginning in 3rd grade through 7th grade. They also have pre-algebra, algebra 1 and 2, geometry and pre-calculus. Prices range from $99.95 to $184.90, depending on the level you choose and whether you purchase the book along with the disks. We purchased the book, but have yet to need it or use it. I feel that you could simply use the disks alone and have scratch paper available if needed. Although the program is slightly more expensive than Saxon, I can use it with all 3 of my kids and not purchase anything else. So, less than $100 for all three kids is a good value in my opinion.

2010 - 2011 Curriculum Choices

Well, its that time again...time to dust off those school desks and hit the books.  Here's what we're using this year.  I have way more curriculum than I ever seem to get covered.  I do try though...

English

Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind - We actually found and started using this the end of the last school year.  Haley is doing Level 3, and the boys are working on Level 1-2. 

Daily Grams - We are using Grade 4 for Haley, and Grade 2 for the boys.  We have been doing the boy's page orally on the chalkboard since they absolutely hate writing them.  We do a page every day.

Explode the Code, Book 3 for the boys, and Haley does independent reading daily.

Math

Teaching Textbooks 4 for Haley, and Saxon Math 2  for the boys.  We also play lots of math games and read books to reinforce certain topics.

History

Story of the World, Book 1 for the boys, and Story of the World, Book 2 for Haley.  We also do unit studies on topics that interest us.  We complete lapbooks, art projects, read books and much more.

Science

Apologia Zoology 1, Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day, R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey Earth and Space, and lots of hands on nature studies.

Spelling

All About Spelling level one for the boys, and level two for Haley.

In addition to the above, we also study Spanish using Power Glide Spanish, Haley takes a music/choir class each week, we study various composers via notebooking, we use Meet the Masters Art and How Great Thou Art, Abeka Heath and Safety 3, Abeka American History, various unit studies for geography and much more.

What does your school year look like?

Christmas in May?

Today sure felt like Christmas since we had our brand new curriculum delivered this afternoon. I just LOVE getting new stuff to use, don't you? We just about have everything we need for next year already. In this shipment I received a brand new Science curriculum to try, Apologia, Book 2 of The Story of the World, along with the corresponding activity guide, and some additional Hot Dot flash cards. My kids just love these! We have the multiplication kit, states & capitals, money, and time. Now we even have 3 hot dot electronic pens. One for each kid. These make great fillers for workboxes. The kids don't even realize how much they're learning. They just think they're having fun! The boys also got their new Saxon math workbooks for next year. For some reason they weren't near as excited about those. Go figure.