Lego Quest- 2 Brick Challenge

We completed our first Lego Quest Challenge. It was fun for the whole family.

Praise Report

So we just got back from running errands, so it is Quiet Time in house. Ironhide has the option to color, read a book or create crafts. He decides to pull out his AWANA manual just to read. Then he gets his bible to look up scripture passages they are discussing in that section because he says he wants to understand lineage of Timothy in 2 Timonthy. THEN he pulls out a notebook and starts making notes about it "kinda like the Jesse tree mom."

Just watching him sitting at the table engrossed in God's word filled my heart to bursting. All on his on...he has a love for the WORD!

I told him that it is good to understand the word and what it means, he then said that's what they learned in 2Timothy 3:15.

I try to document these days because all to often we focus on the days like earlier this week where we want to send them to their rooms until they are 18.


Blessings,

Wordless Wednesday: Rainy Fall

Simply House Keeping

Wordless Wednesday: Rainy Day Art

Art project found at Art Projects for Kids and Kathy Barbor.

First Week of School 2011

Our first week of homeschooling is two weeks behind us. It was a good week with a field trip and learning new tools. It was not a full fledge workboxes out and six subjects week. I decided this year to keep things simple and cover the basics.

We awoke and had pancakes while discussing our day. The expectation was set with the following sign.

During the summer we started the day with breakfast while watching an hour of TV. That's right breakfast was over an hour long. An hour for breakfast is not a great way to start a homeschooling day.

Then we completed two chores and sat down at our new IKEA desk to begin our daily devotional. This desk is setup up stairs looking out a window so he has plenty of sun light and is not distracted by the kitchen, frig, TV or couches. The table is adjustable so he always has an age approiate writing surfaces. It even tilts so he have a drafting desk.

Week 1 Summary

Bible

We are disussing Luke and the story of Jesus this month.

Math

We are using Mammoth Math. During the summer we completed at least one page everyday of math. It is easier to start back when you have been practicing all summer. The first day Ironside completed three full pages without a single prompt and was signing while doing his work. GOAL!

Science

At his request we have been studying storms and natural disasters for the first week of science. This is because in the week before school we experienced an earthquake and the edges of Hurricane Irene. As an adult I was shaken so just imagine what a child feels with these events so close together. I used science to discuss his fears and give him pro-active plans for living through a diaster.

Our resources were:

Bill Nye -Storms

Brain Pop- Weather

Flash, Crash, Rumble and Roll (An old favorite.)

We also discussed how God has a plan, a big picture which we do not have access to but he promises it is all for our good.

History

Field trip to Newusem and MLK memorial.

Fine Motor

These activties were a lot of fun and a great way to get warmed up for handwriting.

• Theraputty scavenger hunt with buttons, pearls and mini-figs.
• Geo-Board: Stretch rubber bands over the pegs of a geo-board to make artistic designs, letters and patterns then copy the design on grid paper.
• Whiteboard shape race while crossing the midline of your body.

Physical Education

Martial Arts

It was a good week but we did not see a lot of friends because they were either sick or still on vacation or started public school. Social time will pick up next week with the return of homeschool activties.

Blessings,

First Field Trip 2011 Part 2: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Our first field trip was to Washington D.C.'s newest addition to the national mall, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

This was such a moving experience for the whole family. I just keep thinking about my grandmother who was a civil rights activist in Mississippi from 1950 well into 1970. She would have been so proud.

(Click on picture to enlarge.)

We got to see a newsperson at work while we were visiting. Earlier we visited The Newseum to learn how reporting started and captures history. This was a great learning tie in for Ironhide because he got to she her use all the equipment we just learned about.

It was a beautiful day that we will remember forever.

Composer of the Month:Georg Philipp Telemann

Georg Philipp Telemann

We are continuing our study of the Baroque period composers with the most of productive composer of that time Georg Philipp Telemann. We will be listening to his music and completing the activities provided by Classics for Kids.

This Week's Prayer

Father we ask your blessing on our day as mothers, educators, wives and sisters in Christ. Father help us to remember our children as pure potential and not get caught up in their current isses. For Father you have a great plan for them.


In Jesus we pray Amen.

Wordless Wednesday: Handwriting

Good Advice for Starting School

Melissa Morgner at Half Dozen Mama has some good advice about starting school. The statement stayed with me was number 4.
4. Don’t be discouraged by the tears. Yours or theirs. They will cry, most likely. You might, or will at least feel like it. It’s hard for everyone to get back into a routine. Give your children and yourself LOTS of grace.

Things that make you go hmmmmm

Saturday Smile

I found this on This Funs For You website while searching for proverbs for the kid.

The teacher of a first grade class collected well known proverbs. She gave each child in her class the first half of a proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. Here are the results:

• Better to be safe than . . . . . punch a 5th grader.
  
  
• Strike while the . . . . . . bug is close.
  
  
• It's always darkest before . . . . . . daylight savings time.
  
  
• Never underestimate the power of . . . . . . termites.
  
  
• You can lead a horse to water but . . . . . . how?
  
  
• Don't bite the hand that . . . . . . looks dirty.
  
  
• No news is . . . . . . impossible.
  
  
• A miss is as good as a . . . . . . Mr.
  
  
• You can't teach an old dog new . . . . . . math.
  
  
• If you lie down with dogs, you'll . . . . . . stink in the morning.
  
  
• Love all, trust . . . . . . me.
  
  
• The pen is mightier than the . . . . . . pig.
  
  
• An idle mind is . . . . . . the best way to relax.
  
  
• Where there's smoke there's . . . . . . pollution.
  
  
• Happy the bride who . . . . . . gets all the presents.
  
  
• A penny saved is . . . . . . not much.
  
  
• Two's company, three's . . . . . . the Musketeers.
  
  
• Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and . . . . . . you have to blow your nose.
  
  
• Children should be seen and not . . . . . . spanked or grounded.
  
  
• If at first you don't succeed . . . . . . get new batteries.
  
  
• You get out of something what you . . . . . . see pictured on the box.
  
  

Wordless Wednesday: Library of Congress

Just the Basics, M’am

Tricia has a great post at Heart of the Matter this morning about ramping up the school year. It speaks to my heart because that is my plan for the year.
Just the Basics, M’am

Tim Hawkins - Home School Blues

Homeschool Day Programs: Washington DC and Northern VA

Every year we miss some of the homeschool days because the dates get buried in my email pile and never get put on the calendar. This year I vowed to make at least one of these adventures and incorporate it into our lesson plan for the year. Here are our top three opportunities.

National Aquarium Baltimore Homeschool Days 2011

September 13–15, 2011 In Baltimore MD

Designed for homeschool families/groups (ages 5 and up), each half-day session features a different environmental theme and includes an interactive presentation, a classroom activity and/or a discovery lab. This is an opportunity for parents and students to learn together, so parents, please plan on attending with your student. Please provide the reservationist with your student’s grade level so we can plan accordingly.

Colonial Williamsburg Special Events for Homeschoolers

September 10-25 Colonial Williamsburg

During the year, Colonial Williamsburg designates several weeks as Homeschooler Experiences. In addition to the variety of activities and programming throughout the Historic Area, special programs are scheduled for homeschool participants including a variety of hands-on opportunities. The 2011 Homeschooler Experience dates are September 10-25; 2012 Homeschooler Experience dates are February 11-26 and September 8-23 . Special rates are available during this period for homeschoolers. Groups or individuals are welcome. Sample itineraries are available.

National Building MuseumHomeschool Days

Wednesday, November, 16, 2011

The same programs offered throughout the year for school groups will be offered to individual families during the Museum's upcoming Homeschool Days.

2011-2012 Days (registration will open in fall 2011):
Wednesday, November, 16, 2011
Tuesday, April 3, 2012

We also always have to drop in on there Lego Exhibitions and build room.

They also have great curriculum kits. Re-create the Museum's design education programs in your own classroom with our curriculum kits.

So those are some of the big field trips planned for the school year.

Lego Fun: Lego Quest

Can not wait until September and the fun starts!

“Not” Back to School Blog Hop: Curriculum Week

Thanks to the good folks at Heart of the Matter is hosting a "Not Back-to-School Blog Hop. I so love this time of year. It has become a tradition as well as a necessity in our adventure. Because this Blog Hop always helps me organize my plans and is the skeleton for our required state yearly Notice of Intent (NOI) homeschool documentation.

The theme for this year is character building and simplicity. We did not finish some core programs last year due to hospitalization and family issues. We needed this summer off and I did not want to rush through the material in May. Some of what you see may look like a little like last year.

I will be trying something new this year. I call the concept layering. Instead of starting with all six subjects on the first day of school I am going to start with three basics and add on one additional subject in three weeks. This allows us to slowing expand the day as opposed to just jumping back into the jammed back schedule which leaves me wiped out and the family in chaos.

Here we go....

Bible and Character Development

Positive Action for Christ's program Growing with God. And weekly review with church provided material from Studio 252.

We are considering AWANA, but it may make the schedule to intense and not leave time for play dates and down time.

History

Will continue with Story of The World program Volume I, Ancient Times. We stopped with the Phoenicians and will be picking up with the the Greeks and Rome. Then we will move into The Story of the World Vol. 2 (The Middle Ages) with the accompanying Activity Book and CD. Volume 2 covers world history from the fall of Rome to the rise of the Renaissance (AD 400-1600).

The projects and Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History links were a big hit last year. We will start a Timeline Notebook this year and using the first week for review parts of Volume 1.

Language Arts

Sonlight Language Arts for Grade 3 will include good literature and

“ Includes full schedule, teaching helps, separate parent instructions with full answer and definitions, reader schedule, dictation, spelling, creative expression, and student activity sheets.”

Grammar
We will still use living books from the series “ If you were” to supplement Sonlight grammar.

Spelling
We began http://www.all-about-spelling.com/in late September.

Handwriting

Handwriting without Tears Cursive Writing

Additional resources for literature Beyond Five In a Row and what ever takes our fancy at the library.

Math

We went through two different mathematics curriculum last year until we found our solution with Math Mammoth.

We will add if need with lectures from Khan Academy , Math Games and Stuart J. Murphy Math Start for Visual Learners .

Fine Motor Skills/ Life Skills

This is still an area of concentration we will :

• Creative coloring

• Learning Chess (pincer grip)

• Knot So Fast (Think Well Game)

• Free Typing Game

• Montessori Activities and even more and just a little bit more

Geography

This was difficult because I did not want to max out on the states at his age. He loves playing Scrambled States of America and absorps facts fast. He is addicted to How the States Got There Shapes .

So I was going to leave states as just fun time and do one country a month for world geography using Expedition Earth: A Journey Through God’s World . We will listen to music of the country a couple of times of the four weeks and end the month with either dinner out or homemade meal from this country.

Physical Education

We are enrolled in a Homeschool Physical Education co-op class and martial arts. Whew!

Music/Drama/Art

Our primary resource will be Grace Abounding The Core Knowledge Anthology of African-American Literature, Music, and Art (AAALMA).

We are enrolled in a local art co-op class and visiting museum exhibits throughout the year. The National Gallery of Art has a great homeschool program were you can borrow material and get free online tours

Still need to find a music class we can afford but we will be taking part of in free concert/play venues in the area. The search is still on for individual instruction but we do have an at home drum program. As well as alternating sources with a musician month using Classics for Kids and AAALMA.

Science
We are enrolled in a accelerated local co-op class and visiting museum exhibits throughout the year. We still have Real Science 4 Kids Pre-Level Biology to complete but we will take our time. We have a month of things to do just with the microscope.

Remember plan subject to change due to real life events.

Blessings

Hezekiah Walker "Faithful is Our God" Awesome Praise Break