Mid - Year Evaluation

I think most homeschoolers do this -- and probably more frequently than just every 6 months!  If truth be told, I feel as though I'm evaluating every week and trying to figure out what best suits the needs of my child as he/she grow.  (Obviously they grow and change A LOT, right, so I've tended to feel a bit like I'm constantly spinning!)  BUT, there are a few things that remain our "constants" so that I can give our kids a sense of direction and accomplishment.  Here are a few of those:

Reading together -- reading LOTS together (Need to invest in a different couch so I can fit all four around me at the same time without giving my neck a cramp from one of them ending up behind my head!) Among others, the boys' favorites have been old fashioned Hardy Boy mysteries!

Bible "Study" -- we've been spending time working our way through Marian M. Schooland's "Leading Little Ones To God" and memorizing the Word together as the kids work on their AWANA material.  (Next year I'm looking to add some Kay Arthur Kids' Bible studies...but I'll tell you about that when I get there!)

Learning Through History -- I'm not so sure about the other parts of Heart of Dakota (see below under "Things We're NOT doing now;)  But we will finish out the year reading through and learning about early American history.  This week and next we'll be getting into our own books/materials on ben Franklin!

Math Mammoth -- Pros:  good price (less than $100 for 6 complete years), on the Singapore approach side (which is what most math is heading towards), good amount of practice (as it is mastery based).  Cons:  I've learned that early ed little learners do not do well with mastery-based approach!!!!  Well, at least my little learners.  I LOVE it, and they, well, get bored with it!  Sigh...so...contemplating next step with this but trying to add in my own hands-on to help supplement the missing element left out.

Alphabet Island -- I'm a big one on feeling more accomplished myself if I finish material we've started.  This material is good, but a bit more geared towards younger learners and a bit incomplete-- rather not enough practice-- for older ones.  When introducing new concepts on the 2nd + grade level, it only provides 1 practice sheet for each concept!  So... that brings me to what I'd like to add:

All About Spelling -- For those "in" the homeschooling field, you know that there is lots of buzz around this.  I wanted to see it for myself and wait til I was completely comfortable with the set up, etc. -- and well, after seeing the material IN FRONT OF MY EYES, I know it will work for me...and probably be helpful to at least ONE of my little learners=) 

Things We Will NOT Be Doing More Of:

Heart of Dakota -- all I can say about this: good concept, good books, not a layout for me.  If it's for you -- great!  Enjoy it!  That's what I love about homeschooling. =)

Now, this post might not have been any good for anyone else to read but myself, but it sure was helpful to me to sort out!  (Is there a term for external thinkers through blogging???)  What this means, however, is the I will not be putting on the HOD spelling and will be taking that out of my tabs asap.  (And "soon" probably means by the end of March.)  Not a big deal to anyone else...only means I have to clean up the blog a bit!

BUT-- I am going to be adding Bottle Cap activities, etc. because my younger two will be using them.  So, if you like those, keep checking back!.

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(Milk) Bottle Cap Activities

So I haven't posted anything particular to what we are working on here on the homeschool front for awhile and, frankly, that's because I've been a little uninspired!  You know how that goes-- what I'm learning is just part of the "ebb and flow" of the homeschool year.  Well, with this wonderful weather and growing interest of a certain now 5 year old girl, I've had a slight change of tune-- and attitude.  Though I'm still finding it difficult to really give as much attention as I'd like to my daughter, these oldies (but goodies!) have once again come off of our shelves and into our daily homeschooling life.  What are the "oldies", you may ask?

BOTTLE CAPS!!!!!!! 

Earlier in the year, I had printed and laminated a couple sets of letter disks from Erica over at Confessions and then glued them to my growing collection of bottle caps.  (Of course, one can always just write the letters on bottle caps and skip the printing, laminating, and gluing, but I'm not too fond of my handwriting and a little on the perfectionist side so I wanted them all to match!)  I then started to create a few printables to give my Pre-Ker something to do on her own while I worked with the olders.  After a few dull attempts (the inspiration had yet to really hit;), I thought to look online ( I know, it takes me awhile sometimes) to see what others were doing with these WONDERFUL, RECYCLABLE caps!  I found just a couple of blogs that had much of anything on them but it was enough to give me that much needed inspiration.  Posted below you'll see those sites -- one that I really liked was applying these to teaching/learning music staff and notes!  I already use these site reading activities from 1+1+1=1 so I just made another activity to go along with it.  PLEASE check her if you like the activity I made with those out if you haven't already and download her site reading activities for free! 

Here's an example of one activity we did this week using the caps: 

Click on these for the Alphabet Mat (lower case), Sight Word Set 1, Sight Word Set 2 (both site word sets correspond with You Can Read units by Carisa at 1plus1plus1equals1).

You'll find lots of way to make and use these wonderful caps at these following sites:

For many ideas to use with pre-schoolers click here (highly recommend, lots of ideas!)

For use with math click here.

For use with music click here.

I will be adding my own alphabet mat (seen in the pictures above) and the activity mat that goes with the You Can Read sets hopefully later tonight-- but it probably will be over the weekend!  (They are made, but supper is not and right now that's more pressing!) So PLEASE, check back if you are interested in printing those off for your use! 

** Why I like bottle caps:

•  SO easy to collect (just ask a couple friends and in no time you'll be overrun, I promise!)
• Easy for little people to get their fingers around
• perfect to come up with many activities all using the same manipulatives
• my own "littles" love them!  (Didn't get a picture of it, but my 3 year old matched letter this week too-- and right now he only knows one of those actual letters-- so it's fun to see him drawn into learning with these, too!)

What do YOU do with bottle caps?!?  Leave a comment and let me know!  (Even if it's to say "throw them away" ;)

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A Passion Worth Sharing

For years, well-- ever since I can remember really -- I've always felt a strong desire to do something with / for / about, etc. children with no families.  When I was little, I pictured only dark-skinned orphans because in my little, unknowing mind, all orphans had beautiful brown skin.  Today, I know "orphans" are neither all children nor do they all have "beautiful brown skin."  Some orphans are young, some are older, some live in countries far away, and some-- well, some live in our very own neighborhoods.  I have four dearly loved children that I have birthed and much to the dismay of many I know, my husband and I (who also shared the "tug" towards something having to do with orphan care when we met and dated) still have that desire.  We don't know what it will lead to and we don't feel that we will be adopting tomorrow (so those of you who might be a bit breathless right now can breath easy=), but we do know several things that remain true of those who follow after Christ.

As true children of God:
1) We are ALL adopted-- adopted into God's family ( Romans 8:14-15)
2) We are ALL responsible to love others and demonstrate this love ( I John 4:11 ) and that will most likely be in some way that is an "inconvenience" to our personal life (I John 3:16).
3) We are ALL called to "do good, seek justice, correct oppression, defend the fatherless, plead for the widows" (Isaiah 1:17)

If you haven't ever considered the cause of the orphaned, I plead with you to take to heart these Scriptures from above (and there are many, many others).  Perhaps the following list of ideas and websites (which is just quick and small due to my own time tonight) will help spur you on to seeking out how God might want YOU to get involved.

1) Pray. If you haven't a concern for the fatherless and oppressed, seek the Lord and He will give you a concern for them; He wants you to care about the things He cares about-- and He deeply cares about injustice and those with out hope.
2) Read up! Search up! (That's not a word, I know!  That's why I love blogging so much-- really, grammar...English rules...who needs those, right?! I'm only kidding, Sis!;)
3) ACT!!!!  Do whatever it is that the Lord then leads you do to. 

Orphan Care:
I Care About Orphans -- Branch of Focus on the Family that deals specifically with orphan care.
Show Hope -- Organization founded by Christian music singer Steven Curtis Chapman helps teach about orphans & gives support to adoptive families. 

Human Trafficking:
International Justice Mission -- Organization of attorneys and other legal professionals dedicated to  rescuing victims of violence, sexual exploitation, slavery and oppression.
Not For Sale -- Organization dedicated to ending modern slavery
Aware to Care -- Blog dedicated to human trafficking education.  Written by another woman who is just doing her part to help end slavery and bring justice as the Lord requires.

Know Your (State's) Number: -- Visit your state and local government agency pages to find out more information about foster care and those awaiting adoption in your state.  I'll make it even easier for you, just click here to find out more!  (Please note, there are NO STATES in which the number of children available for adoption exceeds the number of churches in these states.  If only ONE FAMILY per church were to STEP OUT IN FAITH and adopt from within their own state, we could wipe out our country's foster care system!  Wouldn't that be AMAZING!?!  What could our countrymen say about the family of God then??)

Dear friends, go out and love -- get involved!

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