Homeschool Mother's Journal - 6

In my life this week...
We are adjusting to having a total of 12 people living in this house! Half of those kids under the age of 6! As you can imagine dinner time is caaaaaraaaaazzzzzzy. But fun at the same time. All in all it's working pretty well. Ellie and Bella are as close as white on rice, even sleeping together! They think they are sisters, well close enough!

In our homeschool this week...
We added Bella to our routine and honestly it's gone pretty darn well. There are usual bumps and knicks with starting back up after a break. The kids work pretty well together, there are a few crazy moments when all 3 need my help, Gracie is causing her usual mischief and Liora needs to be put down for a nap. But I couldn't ask for a smoother transition, really.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
This morning I made an emergency visit to the Doctor with Elliett. She has had a sore throat for 2 days and today woke up with a mysterious rash all over! Turns out they think she has strep. The best part of all this (I'm ignoring the nagging thoughts that she is going to spread these germs to the rest of the 5 kiddos right now and focusing on the positive.....) I found some incredible encouragement right in the Doctor's office. A student PA came in to look over Ellie first, after a diagnosis we were making small talk. Turns out she is a Christian and she homeschools! We had lots in common and she was so encouraging in the midst of hearing from others how much I should consider sending the kids to the school up the road!
I also made a trip to Goodwill and found some awesome finds while the kid were at MBTA learning about planting seeds. I mean where else can you get BRAND NEW Children's Place shorts for $1, Nike cleats for $1.50, Baby vans for $.99 and a Papasan chair in excellent condition for $16! Needless to say we'll be going back. I didn't even hit up the books section!

My favorite thing this week was...
I'd have to say snagging a Papasan Chair in excellent condition for near nothing!

What's working/not working for us...
What's really working for us is the new Pocket chart I put up in place of the workboxes! I stayed up a few nights and planned out 4 weeks of the kids basic school work (Reading and Math). That has also been wonderful. I can't believe how much easier each morning (or evening) is to take the needed activities/worksheets and slide them in the pocket! My goal is to plan the next week out each time I complete a week so I don't have all four weeks all at once!

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
Looking towards summer, I wondering exactly when to stop our official year, or if we should kind of go year round. Most of the curriculum (the Non consumable parts) will have to be returned sometime in June to MBTA (Myron B. Thompson Academy) since they pay for it. But we always get to keep the workbooks and I can make copies of anything I'll need. My husband has about 6 weeks off in the summer, so I'm not sure if I want to take all that time off (although the learning doesn't actually stop!) or perhaps make all sorts of learning resources available. I have some Science and History things stashed away, maybe letting them unschool for a while. Adding in more outings and field trips, etc.

What do you do? What works for your summer schedule?
A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

I made these with the kids last week! They were delicious!

 

 

Found some AweSomE bento lunch ideas this week in Island Family Magazine

Visit the link for more ideas! I'm starting to collect a few things to make some fun Bentos for the kids, I've got a few Spring and Pirate ideas brewing!

Homeschool Mother's Journal - 4

In my life this week...
My sister, her husband her Daughter Bella (4) and newborn TJ (10 weeks) moved back from North Carolina! They'll be with us for a few months as they settle in to Hawaii, new jobs and finding a house! I'll be taking on Homeschooling Bella (get ready for some posts!), and watching TJ at least part time!

In our homeschool this week...
I ordered something very exciting to help add workboxes for Bella. My tight space under the stairs won't accomidate another plastic drawer system so I ordered this:

 

It's got 27 pockets perfect for 3 kids! And I'll be using the the bins for our maipulatives...a little rearranging that I am excited about!

We took Thursday and Friday off of school after the McKenna's arrived. There was NO way I was going to get the kids to focus on anything! Next week is spring break!

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
This week at Awana the theme was a drive in Movie. The kids had to make a cardboard car and then sit in them while they enjoyed popcorn and a movie! How adorable!

My favorite thing this week was...
Holding 10 week old little TJ.....he is so adorable!

What's working/not working for us...
The workboxes are gonna be the big change for us this week. I tried out Spelling City with Jonah and he LOVED it! How great that I can type in all his spelling words and he can play games, learn some new words AND he's having a good time too!

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for Homeschooling someone who isn't "your" child.  I was a former Public school teacher so I have some idea. I welcome any thoughts or ideas!!!

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

Three sisters learning their letters on Starfall! Can you start too early? Liora doesn't think so!

Incentives for littles

One of the difficult things for me about Homeschooling is finding a balance between being a parent and a teacher. I know my kids fool around, get distracted by shiny objects and run off in different directions a lot more than they would in a classroom setting at a traditional school. That's not altogether bad. But it can make it hard to accomplish what we need to on a daily basis!

So I came up with the idea of a School Store to help keep the kids motivated and on task. Most of these items were stocked by Grandma, she sends boxes full of items from Micheal's, Joann's and Target's $1 section (and other places). The goodies are things like craft kits, coloring books, stickers...you get the idea. I haven't added toys or candy. I really love that the incentives are creative items!

 

I keep everything in a box (waaaaayyyy out of kids reach). After a week (or so) we count up the stickers the kids received.  (More on how they earn stickers at the end of the post) And they get to choose items based on the points they have!

 This is a long process as they ponder, dig, count up points, make final decisions........

 I use colorful dots to make items worth certain point values. So coming up with interesting combos is fun (and mathematical!)

It's a pretty exciting end to any week! The kids look forward to it. Sometimes they practice patience and add up point from the last week if there is something they really want.

I'm sure you are wondering what it is I actually "reward" the kids for. Let me start by saying, school was frustrating for me at times. Many days I was dealing with whining, complaining, lost pencils, daydreaming, wasting time, fighting over crayons and scissors, etc.  I needed to come up with a way to keep the kids motivated, accomplish our goals each day and reinforce Godly character and principles. The kids don't earn points for speeding through Math, or getting 100% on their spelling. It's all earned through exhibiting character traits that are Godly. For us (for now) it's obedience, attitude, hardwork (diligence), orderliness and kindness. Within these character traits we can apply them to learning and treating each other with honor. Watching our attitudes and behavior as well.

In the past I've also used things like field trips, special trips to the ice cream shop, movies, trips to the park to help motivate the kids. Although these things are all part of our regular education as well, I would hate to only offer these as rewards. But you can be creative and add your own ideas in there!

Here is a simple free printable of our Daily Character Goals . There are scripture references for each character trait to help us why we want to practice these not only in school but in our daily lives!

Do you use incentives and rewards in your school setting? Share your ideas!!

Weekly wrap up!

Phew what a week! Where do I even begin?

Honestly this week was nothing to brag about. I've had weeks where the units flowed and we threw Chinese parties and fun experiments. But this week was survival week. Just trying to plug along and get through the necessities just about had me beat.

It was exciting to get over the middle hump of our school year. Getting a late start means the middle and ending are a little off, but how wonderful that we see the end in sight now. We are starting some exciting things here in the future....new math concepts for both Jonah and Ellie (I can't believe she is adding now!!!!) and Ellie starting to actually read books....it's always very exciting to hear them start to read on their own.

Today was the best day of the week. I know, it's Friday right?? Well tomorrow we'll be doing a little impromptu learning because of taking Wed off to help a friends with her 3 kids. (yes that was an eye opener!)
Today though we found a new park in the area, met a Mom who I knew was looking at my kids with wonder since the 2 she had with her were 2 years old. She was eying up the height of Jonah and thinking to herself that kids has got to be of school age! Turns our she has been thinking about homeschooling, so I shared my information about the school the kids are enrolled in and the church. Maybe I'll see her again! (oh wait I ran into her again at the Library!)

We had lunch at McD's and then headed to the Library. That went surprisingly well with 4 kids in tow. We read some History, colored and ran wild through the isles...no wait. Wrong memory. We did go up and down the isles looking for new and exciting books.....

Linked to Weekly Wrap UP

So, to end this ordinary week.....I look forward to the next week.....with bright eyes and high hopes!

Homeschool Mother's Journal - 2

In my life this week...

We have started preparing for my sister to return home with her husband and their 2 children! That means a little more organizing and shifting of rooms and boxes! Not an easy task, but one I look forward to!
In our homeschool this week...

We started learning about the Skeletal system and I actually saved bones from our dinner to look at! Not exactly what I had in mind when I started Homeschooling! But very fascinating!
We are also preparing to add Bella (K4) to our Homeschooling classroom! Trying to get another desk, figuring out where her workboxes will go.
Places we're going and people we're seeing...
We are hoping to spend some time with friends that were visiting Cali for a few weeks. That is code for (we are breaking out the smoker and throwing in some ribs!)
My favorite thing this week was...
On a trip to Costco late one evening, all four kids in tow,  I was witness to the pure joy of my children for no other reason, except life. I threw the usual task of trying to keep reigns on them and let them run, jump and giggle through the isles. Yes, a few innocent customers may have been horrified in the process, however no one was injured. In the parking lot, while I was lagging behind, Liora in sling, I was able to witness the singing and hand motions of Jonah and Ellie of a new song they had learned in Children's Worship. I could not keep from smiling and giggling myself. How wonderful it must feel to dance and jive in the middle of a parking lot without a second thought about who is watching........
What's working/not working for us...
Planning did NOT happen this week at all! I fell off that wagon with such a busy weekend last weekend. But we trucked right along anyway! What did work was our Science and History Units again! What fun we had watching videos on the San People of the Kalahari Desert in Africa. We'll be cooking up Fried Plantains and Papaya Fried Rice next week to taste some African dishes!
Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
Reading "The Schools our Children Deserve" is incredibly thought provoking. I'm questioning a lot of what we do and how we do it in our Homeschool setting. It seems so much of what I believed to be a healthy learning environment, may not be! Gonna keep reading though........and sharing! 
A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
David Perkins (on memorizing random facts and dates in school)

~"Over and over again, studies have demonstrated that we memorize best when we analyze what we are learning, find patterns in it, and relate it to knowledge we already have. In other words, when we think about it."

There has to be a connection between what we are learning and ourselves, if not students simply memorize facts until they need them for a test, and then mind dump them! If we want learning to make an impact our children need time to digest and connect with the information!And that takes...well.....time!

If you enjoyed this post and would like to join in the Journal, head on over to Homeschool Chick and link up! Thanks for reading!

Homeschool Mother's Journal - 1

In my life this week~
I struggled with motivation to get things done. Some weeks are just like that. It seems one week I'm superwoman and another....I'm just me! I read a lot of encouraging blogs and different aspects of Homeschooling which was inspiring!
Dave and I were able to attend a Marriage conference at our church which as also so encouraging and eye opening!

In my Homeschooling week~
I started doing a little research about unschooing and different educational philosophies, which at some point I will discuss further. I am very interested in the ideas behind some of these philosophies! I even did a little observation of my own and was honestly astounded at what I found!  That is for tomorrow!

Places we are going and People we are seeing~
We are praying about a possible missions trip this summer to Wyumi. It's a missions camp in VA designed to give High Schoolers exposure to the missions field! 

My favorite thing this week~
Was sitting in sessions with my husband at the marriage conference! And having conversations with people I normally don't get a chance to! (I'm a talker!) With a Momma's girl 9 month Old, I haven't been able to sit through many church services so I was blessed this weekend to be able to attend nearly ALL of them!!!!

Also we did a whole week on LOVE instead of just celebrating on Monday. We made heart shaped pink pancakes and sandwiches and talked about John 3:16 as well as 1 Corinthians 13....what a great week!

What's working/not working for us~
Our Friday schedule of doing Science.History.Art is the BOMB. We all look forward to Fridays for many reasons. It's a day of true exploration, it's a day to start us relaxing for the weekend! And the kids are learning so much on their own time and interests!

Homeschool thoughts/questions~
I am really looking into the idea of unschooling. I'm not sure at all where it will lead, but I love learning and this is an area I know little about! Requested about 100 books from the public library!

A video,link or quote~
I found this great article on Homeschooling, it's humorous but so true. I see so much truth in it as well!
Homeschooling Conversations