A Favorite Homeschooling Book

Not much time to blog this week, but I didn't want to miss out on the Homeschool Village fun!

Today the topic is your favorite book that encourages you as a homeschooling Mom...

I have several homeschooling books that have inspired and uplifted me along this journey, but if I had to pick a favorite today it would be So You're Thinking About Homeschooling by Lisa Whelchel.

Each chapter of this book highlights one of fifteen different families who homeschool and "do life" in their own unique way. I can pick it up, read a chapter in just a few short minutes, and receive encouragement that this homeschooling thing is a good choice and that it can be done successfully.

I still pick this book up for a quick dose of refreshment even as we are beginning our fifth year of homeschooling.

I am a bonafide book-a-holic, so I can't wait to read about everyone else's favorites!

Blessings,

Review: Bright Ideas Press

A couple of years ago I purchased a used copy of The Mystery of History, Volume 1, by Linda LaCour Hobar. I had heard many good things about the curriculum and was curious to see it for myself. Since we're not really a textbook kind of family, and my children were pretty young at the time, I simply enjoyed using it for my own reading and reference purposes.

So...when Bright Ideas Press sent The Old Schoohouse Review Crew a copy of The Mystery of History, Volume 3, I was quite excited.

It contains 84 lessons covering The Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Growth of Nations. The colorful, hardback Student Reader can be used as a stand alone world history course, but those wanting to delve deeper into the material should consider the 500-page Companion Guide: Curriculum and Student Activities, which contains:

•28 weeks worth of learning activities for younger, middle, and older students

•Memory cards

•Hands-on projects

•Field trip suggestions

•Review games

•Informative articles for the teacher

•Form for recording grades

•17 different outline maps

•Geography activities

•Supplemental book list

•Pretests, quizzes, and answer keys

•Timeline helps

The Mystery of History can be used with grades K-8th, but the author states in her letter to teachers that she has provided "tracks to run on that best match Middle Students, those from about 4th to 8th grades". The activities can be adapted to fit the needs of younger and older students as well.

What I Like:

•God is placed at the center of the world's history. The reader can see how His hand has shaped human events.

•Written in a conversational style, the Student Reader is more interesting than a dry, traditional textbook.

•The Student Reader is a beautiful, colorful, hardback volume.

•The activities and helps in the Companion Guide are fun and interesting, helping to make the history lesson come alive.

•The curriculum is written in a way that simplifies multi-level teaching, especially if you use the Companion Guide.

•Students are encouraged to keep a history notebook in which they place their completed activities.

•Even if you don't teach history chronologically, this is a wonderful resource for studying a specific time period.

•Although I am not reviewing volumes 1 and 2, I'd like to point out that this history of the world traces events chronologically, lining them up with Biblical history. (For example, the reader learns what was going on in the rest of the world when King David was on the throne of Israel.) Obviously, the events of Volume 3 take place after Bible times.

I found just one drawback to this curriculum, and it only involves the Student Reader.

As I read aloud to my children, I realized that my 6-year old was not attending to the reading at all, and my 8-year old, who usually enjoys history, was not as interested as I thought he would be. Keep in mind that this was the first time these kids were exposed to a textbook of any kind and to this particular period of history.

I decided to try an experiment and read to the children from Volume 1. I was surprised to find that it held everyone's attention. This makes sense in light of the author's note that each volume is progressively harder because hopefully students are growing with the material.

She recommends that you begin with Volume 1 and work through the curriculum chronologically. This is not necessary but recommended.

As far as Volume 3 goes, I felt the text was interesting, and I'll definitely pull it back out from time to time to see if we're ready for it. In the meantime I'll use it as a reference for any of our unit studies that fall into this period of history, and the Companion Guide will provide us with a wide variety of fun activities to enhance our history units.

And...in the future if I decide for us to study history chronologically, this is the curriculum I will most likely choose.

Overall, I give The Mystery of History a huge thumbs-up, and I encourage you to visit the Bright Ideas website to check out the other volumes and all of the wonderful supplemental products that have been created to go along with the curriculum.

Pricing

•Student Reader - $59.95

•Companion Guide CD-ROM - $29.95

•Companion Guide paper Version - $39.95

If you'd like to read more reviews about this and other products from Bright Ideas Press, head over to The Old Schoolhouse Crew Blog.

Enjoy!

Refreshing Mom

Today I'm excited to be participating for the first time in The Homeschool Village Blog Fair, a meme aimed at connecting and encouraging the hearts of homeschool Moms across the blogosphere.

This week's topic is:

How do you - Mom - take a break and get refreshed for the upcoming homeschool year?

In a nutshell...I GET AWAY!

Temporarily, that is. :)

In the past this has happened in several different forms and fashions including:

• a half-day at any place with food, beverage, and wifi

• an entire day at the above-mentioned place

• an afternoon at the library (I know, no food or drink here, but sometimes I need access to the books to plan.)

• attending the Mid-West Homeschool Convention

• an overnight retreat either by myself or with hubby - preferably some peaceful place out in the country


What I do while I'm away:

• Spend time talking to God and meditating on His Word

• If Kurt is with me, I obviously dedicate most of the retreat to investing in our relationship, which in turn almost always helps me to be a better Mom. However, my hubby is a huge support to my homeschooling efforts, and he doesn't mind if I do a bit of planning while he kicks back with a good book or in front of the TV.

• Reflect on the previous year of homeschool, taking into account what worked and what didn't, and develop an idea of what I want the upcoming year to look like. I really like to remember what we accomplished and think about all of the reasons that Kurt and I have chosen to homeschool.

• For each child I like to re-evaluate goals from the previous year, and make a new set for the coming year.

• Map out the general "flow" of our year...decide on the history and science topics we'll cover in our unit studies, choose the composers and artists for our fine arts studies, and make a list of any curriculum we'll be using.

When I am able to get away, I never finish all of the "school" stuff that I've listed, and honestly, the first two bullet points are the most important - in that order. If homeschool begins to take priority over my relationship with God and my marriage, then everything else goes tubing anyway. (And, yes, I've let that happen at times in the past, and it ain't purdy!)

This year I was able to attend a homeschool convention, and Kurt and I went away for two days to celebrate our 12th anniversary. (Thanks Mom and Dad!) I have to tell you, though, I'm currently in need of a few hours to get away for a mini spiritual retreat...maybe an afternoon at a coffee shop or local nature trail with my Bible and journal in hand. I'll let you know when that happens.

Be sure to stop over at Layton Family Joy to see how other homeschool Moms get refreshed.

Praying that you find refreshment and rejuvenation for your coming homeschool year,

Easy-to-Make Fishing Game

When I attended the MidWest Homeschool Convention back in April, I found these fun, horseshoe magnets put out by Learning Resources...
I purchased one thinking it would make a fun fish-to-learn game, and so far it's been a big hit with everyone.

Here's how I set it up...

What You Need:

-magnet (You can use any kind; I just thought the colored horseshoe was fun.)

-skinny dowel rod

-string

-index cards

-metal paper clips

-fish pictures cut out and laminated (*These are optional.)

What You Do:

-Make your fishing pole by tying one end of the string to the magnet and the other end to the dowel rod.

-On each index card write any fact or concept that you want your child to practice or review. (ex. math facts, states/capitals, numbers/number words, sightwords, colors, shapes, history facts, science facts, formulas - The possibilities are endless!)

-Attach one paper clip to each index card.

-Kids will love the game just using the index cards, but if you want to jazz things up a bit, you can clip a laminated fish picture to each card. (See picture below.)

How To Play:

-Spread the fish/index cards on the floor. You can place them with the question up or down - it's up to you.

-Have child use the fishing pole magnet to lift a card up off of the floor, then read and answer it.

-If they're going to be playing the game independently, then you need to make your questions self-checking in some way.

Example: For Sweet Pea I made a set of colors and color words. Each card had a different color splotch I had quickly scribbled on with magic marker. I attached the paper clips to these and spread them on the floor. Then I had a set of self-checking cards spread out on the kitchen table, each one printed with a color word in its appropriate color. (The word green was printed in the color green. etc.) Sweet Pea "fished" for a color splotch card, then matched it up to it's correct color word. She used the paper clip to clip each pair together. When she was done, I came in and checked her matches.

-Obviously if you're right there with your child, they can just tell you the answer to their "fish" question or fact. (And of course, they always enjoy it when we Moms participate, but it does make a nice independent activity too.)

-Also, several children can play this together - especially if you're doing it with them to verify the answers, listen to them read sightwords, etc.



In this photo, Sweet Pea is just fishing for fun, which kept her busy for quite awhile. The next time I pulled out the game for her, she did the color word cards mentioned above. (I did not attach them to the colored fish because this would have been confusing for her.) I think having the chance to "explore" the fish game first made it easier when I pulled it out the next time for her to concentrate on matching up the colors.

I can't emphasize how much my kids love snagging up these index cards with the magnetic fishing pole! I've had Superman fly through a set of math facts this way, when it would have taken him twice as long to answer them on a worksheet. If I want him to do math facts independently for me to check later, I just provide another set of cards, each one with an answer on it. He clips the fact to the correct answer and leaves them in a stack for me. Not nearly as painful as a worksheet! :)

Also, I've found that I can write up a set of index cards in just a few minutes the night before while watching a movie with my hubby, so it requires very little time out of my day to prep. the game. :)

Like I said earlier, you can use any kind of magnet, but if you're interested in the horseshoe-shaped magnets, I found them on Amazon. They're $16.00 for a set of six, but maybe you could find a couple of people to go in with you and purchase them together. Just an idea. :)



Let me know if you end up trying this. I'm interested to know if other kids love it as much as mine!

Maestro Classics

Good music and good literature are staples in our home, and when you combine the two, you get a product that we've truly enjoyed - Maestro Classics.

CDs are a must-have tool in our homeschool. We listen to them not only for singing, dancing, and composer study, but also over lunch, while doing chores, and especially in the car. CDs are also a great way to keep my little ones occupied and learning while I'm working individually with another child.

When Maestro Classics' The Tortoise and The Hare arrived, I was excited because I had heard good things about their products. They have produced a series of CDs, each one featuring a classic children's story set to wonderful music performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Tortoise and The Hare contains 7 tracks featuring:

-Aesop's timeless fable, re-created in turn of the century Paris

-Background information about the story

-An explanation of the music (For example, the composer shows how he has used different instruments, themes and rhythms to represent the different characters in the story.)

-A chance for the whole family to sing-along on The Pretzel Vendor of Paris Song, including a track that gets you ready to perform.

A program booklet is included with each CD that contains learning activities related to the story and music, such as crossword puzzles, dot-to-dots, mazes, and word searches.

What I Liked

-The excellent quality of the music

-It's an entertaining CD that holds my children's interest.

-Some great learning about music and the orchestra is tucked into the fun.

-We had a blast performing with the "karaoke" track.

-My children have listened to it over and over again!

I have already purchased another title in the Maestro Classic series, Casey and the Bat, and have added several others to my Homeschool Wish List.

You can visit Maestro Classics to hear samples of the great stories and music from each of their albums including:

Peter and The Wolf

The Story of Swan Lake

Juanita, The Spanish Lobster

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Tortoise and The Hare

Each CD is priced at $16.98, but right now you can purchase 3 for $45.00 when you enter coupon code MAESTRO45 at checkout. Gift sets for Mike Mulligan and Casey and The Bat are also available for $24.99.

You can read more reviews of this product at The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review Blog.

Disclosure: I was not paid to write this review. I was given the product to use, and the opinions contained in this review are mine alone.

Living History: Civil War Reenactment

A few weeks ago Superman was invited to participate in a Civil War reenactment in my hometown in Georgia. He is a huge fan of history and all things military, so we knew we couldn't pass up such a great opportunity.

Needless to say, when we told him that we could make the trip down South for him to be a soldier boy, he was ecstatic. And it's always fun to visit Grandma and Granddaddy too. :)

The reenactment took place over a Saturday and Sunday. Day 1 was the Battle of Sunshine Church, which took place in July of 1864 several miles northeast of Macon. Union cavalry under General Stoneman had been ordered by Sherman to break off from main Union Army, which had seized Atlanta, and head for Middle Georgia. Their goals were to either liberate Union prisoners at Andersonville or destroy the Macon-Atlanta Railroad lines. Failing at both, Stoneman attempted to withdraw northwards back to Union lines around Atlanta when his force was intercepted by three Confederate brigades under Alfred Iverson. The Confederates had the upper hand in this battle, and Stoneman, along with 600 of his surviving men, surrendered late in the afternoon. Two of Stoneman' brigades managed to escape but were captured a few days later in Winder, Georgia, with a few men escaping back across the Chattahoochee River to the safety of the Union lines.

For this battle, our soldier boy fought for the Confederates.

The re-enactors were kind enough to outfit our soldier with a borrowed uniform, which he was so proud to wear.

And of course, these two wanted to dress the part of an 1860's girl. O.K., only one of them really wanted too, but they both were willing. :)

He heads into his first battle with the Major he was assigned to as a messenger.

He catches his first glimpse of us watching from the stands.

Notice that our soldier's ears are covered almost all of the time. We gave him earplugs, but they wouldn't stay in. We had our ears covered a good bit too. I can only imagine how many soldiers came out of the war having lost their hearing.

This is a terrible picture, but I wanted to show how thick the air was with gun and cannon smoke.

Day 2: The Battle of Griswoldville. He was also a Confederate in this battle, even though his uniform is blue. Apparently, the Confederate Army wore whatever they could get their hands on, especially late in the war. This battle was a tremendous defeat for the South.

Waiting with a fellow messenger for orders from their Colonel.

After the last battle, a cannon salute was fired in remembrance of those who gave their lives on both sides.

What made the day even more special was that Grandma, Granddaddy, and Great-Granddaddy came out to brave the heat and watch our soldier in battle.