[LBC] FREE Holiday Helper with Picture Study, Copywork, Poetry....

I remember Labor Days past when I had no idea what the holiday meant. Was it more than a day off?
When I looked into it, I was quite surprised...and moved... by what I discovered.
Here's all I learned about the holiday as one of our very popular Holiday Helpers. In its pages you will find all you need to make the holiday meaningful and rich: living ideas, poems, stories, copywork and a fascinating picture study by Ford Maddox Ford entitled, "Work." ~    Sheila Carroll www.LivingBooksCurriculum.com & www.CharlotteMasonHighSchool.com

Click to open

Weekly Wrap-up #3

I skipped the last two Weekly Wrap-ups. There wasn't much going on around here besides taking our dog to the animal hospital. Poor thing got a bad skin infection. He wouldn't eat or move so we took him in, and he had to say at the hospital for two nights!

St. Bernard + 2 night stay at animal hospital = a huge chunk of change :(

This week was our official first week of school. 5 more weeks and then we will take a two-week break. Yay!

Here's what we did -

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Week 1

Circle Time:
x Habit of the Month - Cleanliness: Keep bedroom clean, aired, & ordor-free.
x Recitation - Psalm 150:1
x Singing - Gypsy Rover & Holy, Holy, Holy!
x Picture Study - Come Look With Me: World of Play - Bull Jumping
x Composer Study - Claude Debussy - Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun
x Nature Study - Rabbits
x Personal Devolment - Recite address & full name
x Weather Chart

Trista:

x Youth Bible Study (you can get this free by joining charlottemasonhelp.com's yahoo group)

x Khan Academy Math - 20 minutes/day

x Daily Word Problems - 5 days

x Child's Intro to Poetry - Intro

x Daily Geography - 5 days

x Story of the World Vol4 - ch 21

x McGuffey Spelling - 10 spelling words

x Scott Foresman Grammar - 4 pages

x Word Roots - 4 page

x Daily 6-Trait Writing - 5 days

x Building Thinking Skills - 10 pages

x Editor in Cheif - 1 lesson

x Stories of Beowulf - ch 1

x Spectrum Science - 2 lessons 

x The Story of Inventions - ch. 1 first half

x DK 20th Century - p 70-75 (1917-21)

x  An Island Story - ch 1

x Lab Mice

Joel:

x Story of the Bible - Part 1; Stories 1-3 

x Wisdom and the Millers - ch 1

x Child's History of the World - ch 1 Creation

x Daily 6-Trait Writing - 5 days

x The Llama Who Had No Pajama - 2 pgs

x Phonics Pathways 

x Daily Geography - 5 days

x Khan Academy Math - 10 minutes/day

x Daily Word Problems - 5 days

x Discovering Nature: All Nature Sings - 5 lessons

x Paddle to the Sea - ch. 2

x Primary Language Lessons - 3 lessons

x Building Thinking Skills - 9 pages

x Aesop - The Wolf and the Kid & Tortoise and the Ducks

x James Herriot's Treasury for Children - Moses the Kitten 1/2

x Just So Stories - Whale 1/2

x Leif the Lucky by D'Aulaire - 1/2

x Math Wrap-ups

x Electronics Learning Circuits - 2 experiments
x Draw Write Now - 2 lessons

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Here are some pics!

You can barely see the rabbit we saw during our nature walk.

Free Music

Classics for Kids
Weekly lessons on different composers. Archive of past composers. Grades K-12.

KIDiddles: The Best in Children's Music
Words, activity sheets and music for popular children's songs. Grades K-3.

Linkware Graphics.com
Free downloadable music flashcards. Grades 4-12.

Making Music Fun
Printables on composer, practice charts, and more. Caters to homeschoolers. Grades K-12.

Music Tech Teacher
Worksheets, quizzes, games and more related to teaching music and music theory. Grades 4-12.

Ricci Adams' Music Theory.net
Over 30 lessons in music theory online. Grades 4-12.

Weekly Wrap-up #2

No school this week but I have pictures to share. We spent Wednesday at a lake and just enjoyed the outdoors.

Blue Heron

Great Egret

We also saw some kind of sandpiper birds, but I couldn't get a good picture. 

Weekly Wrap-up #1

I'm going to start doing these "Weekly Wrap-ups" each week, as a way to record what we have done. 
We actually started our new school year this week. Everyone else is enjoying their summer break, and we are doing school work. The kids would not hear of this summer break thing. We got our new books, and they were begging to start them right away. Joel even said in his whiniest voice, "Mom, If we don't do summer school, we will forget everything." I love that they love to learn so I gave in and let them so some work. 

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What we learned:

Trista 

x Genesis 1 to 3 - read to Joel

x Rod and Staff english - 3 lessons

x Editor in Cheif - 1 lesson

x McGuffey Spelling - 10 spelling words

x Khan Academy Math - 20 minutes

x Math lessons - 3 exercises

x Daily Word Problems - 3 days 

x This Country of Ours - Ch. 29 - The Founding of Connecticut And War With the   Indians 1636-39

x Child's History of the World - Ch. 71 - Charles I

x Trial and Triumph - Ch. 28 - Richard Cameron, Lion of the Covenant (1644-1680)

x Minn of the Mississippi - Ch. 1

x Daily Geography - 3 days

x Spectrum Science - Lesson 1.1 

x Storybook of Science - Ch. 1 - The Six & Ch. 2 - The Fairy Tale and the True Story

x Building Thinking Skills - 6 pages

Word Roots - 1 page

PLUS - Notebooking and Timeline activities!

Joel

x Genesis 1 to 3 - listened to Trista read

x Missionary Stories - Introduction

x Primary Language Lessons - Lesson 1

x Phonics Pathways - 2 pages

x The Boxcar Children (RA) - Ch. 1-2

x Real Mother Goose - 1 page

x Math Lessons - 2 exercise

x An Island Story - Ch. 1 - The Stories of Albion and Brutus

x Paddle to the Sea - Ch. 1

x Discovering Nature: All Nature Sings - 2 exercises

x Building Thinking Skills - 4 pages

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Mom's Education

I started Don Quixote exactly one month ago and am now on Chapter 26. This is actually my third time reading it, and I am seeing things in a different perspective. It is slightly difficult to motivate myself to read it everyday, since I have already read it, but I am still enjoying it.

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We had fun roasting marshmallows over a bonfire Thursday night!

Quote from John Taylor Gatto, former New York (Public School) Teacher of the Year, and promoter of homeschooling

I read this today and had to share: 

"What you should be doing is exactly what you are doing now: spending about 90 percent of your time solving the problems of rearing your family decently and bringing the best out of your kids, and giving them a sense of religious purpose and civic purpose and personal power and strength. I've come to believe that most of the power that this other side has is not through their armies; it's through our fear that if we don't do what they tell us to do that somehow we'll lose out. Ignore these people's attempts to infect you with fear. If your kid knows how to read well (I think that's very important), count well, has a good attitude, loves work (sees that work is a grace and not a curse), your kid is practically impregnable."

- from an interview published in Homeschooling Today magazine, January/February 2001

I also wanted to share this post for anyone doubting that they can educate their children:

You are Qualified to Homeschool!

Enjoy!

Mom's Education

Background: As a homeschooling Mom I am pretty much learning new things right along with my children. When I went to government schools, I tuned just about everything out. It was so boring; I thought. By the time I got to high school I didn't care anymore. I didn't even try to make good grades. I remember being rather shocked when I was told I was going to graduate on time. I'm not really sure how that happened?

After school is when my love for learning actually began. I suppose my sense of autonomy helped spark a thirst for knowledge. I always loved to read, but I used to read "teen dramas" and "fan fiction" nothing beyond that. My love for classics began when the movie Lord of the Rings came out. I wanted to read the books, too! After reading the rich language of these books I couldn't go back to what I was used to read. I tried reading a Star Trek fan fiction book and remember thinking it seemed so elementary. Ever since, I started reading any classics I could get my hands on!

Flash Forward: I just recently discovered the book The Well-Educated Mind. Not to be confuse with the book written by the same author The Well-Trained Mind (I never read this, by the way). I am so excited to get this book! This book teaches you how to read the Great Conversation.  You learn the process of understanding, evaluating, and expressing an opinion. The niftiest thing about this book is the list of books to read in chronological order in different genres. (Find the list here) They include: Fiction, Autobiographies, Histories, Dramas, and Poetry. I have already read many of the books in the fiction list; I don't mind reading them again to possibly get a new perspective. Oh, by the way, the very first book in the fiction list is DON QUIXOTE!! One of my favorite books, EVER! Can you tell I'm excited?!

Right now, I'm reading the beginning chapters. I Can't wait to get into the reading list!

Win a Kindle!

If your anything like me, you love reading and you love reading classics. There is such an amazing abundance of free classics all over the web. You can find many of these classics at websites like:

Google Books

Project Gutenberg

ManyBooks

Amazon's Free Kindle ebooks

And I'm sure if you searched you could find many more!

I read most of my free books using Amazon's Free Kindle Apps. I've been wanting to splurge and buy myself an actual Kindle, but haven't actually done it yet. Seems there are always other expenses needing my money. 

Thanks to Freely Educate I now have an opportunity to win a Kindle! And so can YOU!! (said in my most cheesiest commercial voice)

So if you are anything like me (or not) go enter to win, ASAP, this contest ends Monday.

Hey, while you're there be sure to check out all the awesome free stuff to be found. 

Thanksgiving School ideas

THANKSGIV'ING, n. The act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercies.
Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if received with thanksgiving. 1 Tim.4.
1. A public celebration of divine goodness; also, a day set apart for religious services, specially to acknowledge the goodness of God, either in any remarkable deliverance from calamities or danger, or in the ordinary dispensation of his bounties. The practice of appointing an annual thanksgiving originated in New England. --1828 edition of Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language

Thanksgiving Poems

An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott

Holiday Bundle - 5 Thanksgiving Units ($2.00)

LBCs Thanksgiving Holiday Helper

MayflowerHistory.com

Thanksgiving Resources  Long list @ The Home School Mom

Talk Like a Pilgrim

Plimoth Plantation Virtual Field Trips

My Little Man is Growing Up

November 6th was the day Joel turned 7. Can you believe it? Well, I can't. He has always been my baby and now look at him.

My Big Boy

I didn't make his cake because I was sick pretty much the entire week before his birthday, so I was a little low on energy.

Why are their birthdays always so bittersweet?

Labor Day Holiday Helper - Free Download

https://s3.amazonaws.com/PJ_Downloads/HH-Labor-Day.pdf


 In its pages you will find all you need to make the holiday meaningful and rich: living ideas, poems, stories, copywork and a fascinating picture study by Ford Maddox Ford entitled, "Work."


To get similar links like this delivered to your email just sign up for the "Get-Acquainted Pack" at
Living Books Curriculum. It's worth it.

Free Geography Links

Seterra Geography Quiz Game
Downloadable Map Quiz Game


AAA Geography
Online worksheets with practice, play and explore sections.


Coloring Castle
Simple blackline maps of individual states. Grades 3-8.

World Atlas Blank Outline Maps


An easy introduction to the study of geography
Geography book

United States printable worksheets

Owl and Mouse Maps and online free map games

State Activity Sheets
Updated 6/27/12

Early Education

Brainpop Jr.
Junior version of BrainPop. Pay site with some free items on it. Geared to the visual
learner. Grades K-3.

Brightly Beaming Resources
Complete preschool curriculum online Grades PreK-K.

Childcare Land
Early learning activities for Pre-K and K. Grades PreK-K.

Christian Preschool Printables
Links to lots of websites. Grades PreK-3.


Danielle's Place of Crafts and Activities
Lots of quality crafts and activities for kids including Bible crafts and VBS. Grades K-3.

DLTK's Growing Together
Crafts and educational activities. Links to several other DLTK sites. Grades K-3.


Everything Preschool - Early Childhood Education Made Easy
Lesson plans, alphabet ideas and coloring pages. Grades PreK-1.

First School
Early education website in Spanish. Look for link at bottom for English version. Sister
site to the DTLK sites. Grades K-1.

Fisher Price
Educational coloring pages include shapes, letters, numbers and number concepts.
Grades K-1.


Hubbard's Cupboard
Downloadable in all early education subjects. Grades K-1.

Jan Brett, author
Coloring pages, holiday activities, games and more. Most use her signature Hedgehog
character. Grades K-5.

Kelly's Kindergarten
Complete Kindergarten curriculum. Monthly calendar with worksheet assignments and
worksheets in one file. Grades K-1.

Kinder Printables
Worksheets for Kindergarten. A lot of the links are still under development but some
are working. Grades K-1.

Kinder Teacher
Free material is under the Homework-Monthly ideas. More in-depth K activities than
most offerings. Grades K-1.

Ocean Theme Printables & More

Ocean Theme Printables & More

http://1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com/2011/06/ocean-theme-printables-more.html

Copywork/quotes on God & Our Country

http://usachristianministries.com/americanhistory.html


Useful as history quotes for discussion, historic purposes, copywork, memory work...your choice.

Also check out this book. I have it and love reading through all the great quotes and mini-biographies.

Dog Days

image courtesy of dibytes

I love the “dog days of summer”. I love to feel the warmth of the sun! My St. Bernard, on the other hand, is looking forward to winter. I used to love winter and still do but nowadays I can only handle so much of it. You see, I'm pretty much cold during the whole winter and can never get warm. That can get tiring after a while. If I had a fire place that would be a different story. I'd probably sit in front of it all winter long and be content. 

Here are all the things I love summer for: 
Sprinklers 
Sunshine 
Longer daylight 
Green everywhere (my favorite color) 
Thunderstorms 
Lightning Bugs or Fireflies (depends on what you want to call them) 
Starry skies at night
Listening to the frogs sing in the evening 
Listening to the birds sing in the morning 
Enjoying lots of play time with the kiddos 

I'm sure there is more I just can't think of any of it right now. 

Of course, most good things have their down side too. A few things I don't like about summer; mosquitoes (we have a lot around here), humidity, lawn mowing. 

I'm actually enjoying my summer though. We are doing a little summer school. We are reading a nature reader and a history reader, doing some math work etc. How is your summer?

Summer Bucket List 2011

I thought this was a great idea, especially since I wanted to accomplish a lot with the kids for the summer. We probably won't complete everything off this list, though.

Educational

• Watch episodes of Liberty's Kids on rainy days
• Collect wildflowers and identify them
• Identify several trees and collect the leaves
• Learn to identify local birds by appearance and song
• Continue to learn new hymns each month
• Keep caterpillars and watch them grow into butterflies   ✓

Pure Summer Fun

• Local Fishing Fair ✓
• St. Louis Zoo
• Picnic
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Regular trips to the park
• Farmer's Market
• Flea Market
• Go on the bike trail often
• Catch Lightning Bugs - A must ✓
• Make ice cream
• Road trip
• Read together ✓
• Watch fireworks ✓
• Go to a patio concert ✓
• Pirate Festival
• Make sun tea

Life in May 2011

What a long month it has been. Yet, it still seems to have flown by.

I had a lovely Mother's Day because, after church, we went to used book sale! I love books, especially if they are cheap. I even found some books we will be needing for the next school year. I got a big box full for only $14.  I was really excited because I found the complete Anne of Green Gables series for 25 cents a piece.  

I had a birthday this month. That means I am now 32. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I kind of feel like this means I'm getting old but I honestly don't feel old. I'll just take it one year at a time. I am praying that I can age with grace. I don't want to make a big deal about getting wrinkles. Even though I feel a little panicky when I look in the mirror and see crow's feet and a line going straight across my forehead. This post is pretty inspiring.

My family had a reunion. We have it every year at a park. We actually lucked out on the weather because they were calling for storms for that day..

I also have some news worth rejoicing over! Trista was baptized this month. I'm so proud of her! Below is a video of my cousin, who was just ordained the week before, baptizing her. 

We also had some crazy wind here and lost the top half of one of our maples. Now it is only half its height.

When it hasn't been raining or storming we have been spending a majority of our days outside. We had a pretty good month. We are now looking forward to June and summer!

Give Yourself a Break

We all have those days where we feel utterly stressed out and burdened by all of our responsibilities. We (especially me) can tremendously benefit if we learn when it is best to give ourselves a break.

If mothers could learn to do for themselves what they do for their children when these are overdone, we should have happier households. Let the mother go out to play! If she would only have courage to let everything go when life becomes too tense, and just take a day, or half a day, out in the fields, or with a favourite book, or in a picture gallery looking long and well at just two or three pictures, or in bed, without the children, life would go on far more happily for both children and parents.  – Charlotte Mason (Vol. 3, ch. 3, pg. 33-40)

If we keep going under pressure, with no time to ourselves to just breath, we tend to start taking it out on those around us. We snap and bicker and are generally unpleasant to be around. Just imagine what a great benefit it would be for our families and us, if we took the time to free our minds from all that hassle just for a short time to give ourselves a fresh start. I would also add more to the above. If we find ourselves particularly upset, it is always good to turn to the Lord. Perhaps spending time praying, worshiping and studying the word would be especially valuable.

I am writing this because I have been feeling a heaviness of heart. I'm sure someone else would benefit with a little reminder.

Educational Freebie: Alphabet Flashcards

http://www.thehandmadehome.net/2011/05/freebie-of-the-month-club-alphafantastical-insta-decor/