my favorite curriculum choices this year

 

All About Spelling

If you’ve been homeschooling for any length of time, chances are you’ve heard of All About Spelling.

 

I decided to buy the first two volumes (pre-owned) to use with my daughter this year.  Also, to have on hand for my youngest who has special needs.  I’ve heard so many special needs mommies rave about the program that I thought it would be a good investment.

And I have NOT been disappointed when it comes to my daughter.  We used Abeka for her first two years at home and while she did okay…it wasn’t easy.  Especially with the spelling piece.  If had been keeping grades she would have flunked every spelling test.

 

This year has been SO much better!

 

I love that AAS doesn’t have weekly memorized lists and focuses instead on learning spelling rules.  Each lesson is fully scripted and organized.  Each lesson includes review…review…review…and lots of practice!  And the best news is…she’s successful!  In today’s lesson she wrote two sentences with a total of 15 words (we counted) and made ZERO mistakes!  She rolled her eyes at my excitement.  But I’m pretty sure she was feeling proud of herself too.  We’ll definitely be sticking with this curriculum next year!

 

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Math U See

My 3rd Grader was actually doing wonderful with Abeka’s math program but I decided to switch her over to Math U See this year anyway.  A friend was giving away a couple teacher’s manuals and dvds.  All I had to buy was the student workbook and manipulatives.  I couldn’t resist!  This was another program I’ve been eyeing with Trevy in mind.

 

My daughter is thriving with the program.  We both love the dvds and manipulatives.  We’re in Gamma this year and she’s getting the hang of multiplication. 

I’ve loved it SO much for her that I bought a used Primer set to use with him too!  I consider my youngest blended schooled.  He attends a wonderful public school program in the mornings.  And we do a lot of work at home evenings and weekends and snow days.  We’ve had a lot of them this winter!

 

Below is a sample of the Math lesson I did with him for today’s snow day!  I love how he added the 10 to the number line. 

We will definitely be sticking with Math U See!

 

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Homespun-School.net

I stumbled on Homespun-School in a FaceBook forum.  There was an ad sharing a free 6 week digital learning class.  Psssst…the next one starts on February 10th!

 

I was sold on the idea of a FREE computer class taught by someone other than me.

 

I wasn’t super sure what to expect.  And to be honest, in the beginning both my 7th Grader and I were quite overwhelmed.  But we stuck with it and went from overwhelmed to in love.  My son is learning SO much.  More than that…he’s LOVING what he’s learning!  It’s one subject he doesn’t complain about how much time it takes to complete.  He’s created his own website and is now learning how to create animations like the cartoon below.

He’s totally proud of himself.  I couldn’t be more happy we stumbled on HSS.  In fact, we’re enrolling in a Spring course!

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Draw Write Now

 

I love Draw Write Now because it combines art with penmanship/copywork!  Genius!  I’ve been borrowing the books from our library and perpetually renewing.  I should probably think about buying these!

 

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The Care & Keeping of You

A girlfriend mentioned how much her daughter was loving this book.  I thought it looked like a good choice for “Health”.  I had NO idea how addicted she was going to be!  She really doesn’t put it down except to hide it from the boys’.  We’ve had a lot of interesting conversations.  The topics range from hygiene to puberty to relationships.  Gotta hand it to American Girl on this one.  A great book for a tween-y health choice!

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Easy Peasy Homeschool

We’re using Easy Peasy for a number of things this year!

 

Science.  Reading.  Grammar.  Writing.  Spanish.  Thinking.

Easy Peasy is so great because it’s FREE!  But not just that…it’s quality.  Lee Giles, the developer, has spent a LOT of time & energy making these lesson plans available to moms like me for FREE.  It’s such a beautiful gift and I appreciate it to my toes.

A little sample of some poetry (above) and Spanish (below) that they’ve been working on with Easy Peasy this year.

We will definitely continue using Easy Peasy next year!

 

 

…danielle

a scenic tour of our dive into All About Spelling Level 1

 

My choice to use All About Spelling this year really flowed from two places.

 

I felt like, while she learned SO much with Abeka, she just wasn’t connecting.  Actually, she hated…loathed…dreaded…the video program.  While I’m not a total buy-in to the whole delight driven movement.  Because let’s face it…sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do.  Even if it’s the opposite of delightful.  At the same time…I don’t want her to HATE learning.  We need a little balance here!  And there are way too many raving reviews out there to ignore AAS! 

 

 

Also…Trevy.

 

 

Even though I don’t homeschool him yet…I’m always thinking about when I do.  And trying to be prepared with the best curriculum choices out there to help him achieve his fullest potential.  All About Spelling is what all the cool special needs mommies go gah-gah over. 

 

 

 

 

So it seemed like a win for her-win for him.

 

 

 

 

She has a good grasp of phonics and did wonderfully with the initial assessment. 

 

But…

 

when it came time to put the letter tiles in alphabetical order the first time…we realized that she’d forgotten how!

 

 

 

For the first couple lessons we used the Wee Sing & Learn ABC on the iPad.  I just had the song playing while she worked on organized the tiles. 

 

It only took a couple days for her to remember and request that we turn off the song already!

 

 

Originally I thought I would use the little magnetic board for the letter tiles.  Hmmmm.  Not so much.  It just works better to have the tiles in a long row for the lessons that have her use them to segment words.

 

Even on days when she’s not going to use the tiles I have her go ahead and put them in alphabetical order.  I’m all about having a “grounding” routine.  Also, I use that time to read over the lesson plan and prep for our work of the day.

 

 

 

Some of the phonograms with multiple sounds are tricky.  We’ve started making up little movements to help it stick in our brains.  She thought it would be a great idea to make little videos to help “other kids”.

 

 

We’ve been rolling through the Level 1 lessons.  It’s mostly been review for her up until now.

 

 

Once we had a nice routine established I started spicing things up.  Like letting her choose if she wants to write on paper or the white board.  Um.  Like that was even a choice, right?!

 

 

We’re on Step 14 in Level 1 and she’s doing wonderfully.  We’re doing wonderfully!  She’s enjoying learning together.  I’m enjoying actually teaching her this year rather than delegating her teaching to a video.  Video teaching is a wonderful tool but it was just time for us to move on.  She’s building confidence not just with spelling but also with reading.  When she stumbles on a word now I can either prompt her to segment it or even better, watch her segment on her own!  And even though it took me a minute to gather my “teacher wits” about me…I’m feeling more confident every day too!

 

Anyway…I know this sounds like a sponsored post.  It totally isn’t!  Although I am an All About Spelling affiliate. 

our day in pictures

 

Thanks to a tip from another homeschool mom we’ve been starting our mornings each day with CNN’s Student News.  Bristel didn’t want her picture taken because she still had bedhead.

Today’s episode covered the weather in OK.  The kids and I took some time to pray together.  It’s always precious praying with them…

This (above) is my Morning Meeting Basket. Our morning meetings are a time to connect & review before the day begins. Some things I have in my basket are: mini-white boards for Scripture review or just review games in general; colored whiteboard markers; American Flag for the Pledge; Brain Quest cards for fun; Binder with odds n’ ends; Index card binder with hand written things to review; Random other review-ish things.  I like to have a theme for each day of the week…but now that summer is closing in we’re all ready to just be done.  So I’ve just been flying by the seat of my pants.

Even though summer is comin’…I finally got my hands on a copy of Sue Patrick’s book this week.  I LOVE the workbox system on so many levels and reading through the book re-energized me again.

**her e-book is half priced right now**

So I spent the weekend cleaning out my school closet and creating new workbox tags for the kids.

Including a Question Mark Flag which they can pop into play-doh whenever they have a question for me rather than just leaving their seats all.the.time.

I have promised to check-in frequently.

And so far it’s working WONDERFULLY!

Other than Toby whistling and/or loudly drumming on the table for my attention.  That’s plucking me nerves…I may have to limit the number of questions allowed per day like Sue Patrick recommends!

Bristel thought her popsicle stick was too boring so she added some bling using left-over gold pieces from a mosaic kit.  Her girly girl styles makes me smile!

Toby wasn’t thrilled that she be-dazzled his too and made us remove them all!  LOL

My new love – repositionable spray glue!  I found mine at Michael’s for around eight bucks.

I sprayed it on poster board to make a Latin vocab review game.  I’ll be using it for LOTS of review games since we can just keep sticking and unsticking!

I also used it instead of velcro to make the kids workbox cards.  I’m hoping it works out because I’m a fan of LESS bulk!

The kids have both been daily doing Xtra Math, a free math fact practice website, for the past week and I’m definitely seeing improvement.

All my online reading program memberships have expired, so I have Bristel reviewing phonics with this nifty McGuffey app.  I’m using the lite version right now but I’m really REALLY liking this app for her AND for Trevy!  I may just have to purchase the full thing…

I couldn’t resist sharing my fan set-up.  It was stinkin’ hot yesterday…and we have these really weird shaped windows that are too small for regular window fans but too big for smaller fans.  Enter Duct Tape: the everything fixer!

On a super personal note, Life has been really stressful lately. 

Trevor’s seizures have been crazy.  He’s been having drug interactions that could KILL him and HAVE caused some really scary episodes of balance and consciousness loss.  So we’ve been fiddling with meds…never fun.  I hate the med-merry-go-round.  But it’s a necessary evil when your child has a form of catastrophic epilepsy.  We almost had an admission…also never fun.  Even when it’s canceled.  We were packed and ready to head out the door when the neuro called to change plans on us…for a valid reason.  But we were already so emotionally invested that we still had to deal with a touch of “hospital hangover”.  And it’s just been chewing up our hearts.  The way life with a chronically sick child does.

This has caused me to actively search for ways to add more PEACE.

Some days that means “unschooling”.  Because I can’t gather my wits about me.

Some days it means staying in my favorite pink sweat pants from dawn til’ dusk.  Don’t you teach better in sweats?!

Some days it means spending awhile in the Word and prayer.  My Mother’s Day zero gravity chair is a great place for that! 

Today it was the Instrumental Praise station on Pandora.  The kids feel like the music is too sad.  But for me…it’s peaceful!  And I need more PEACE!  I let them change the station on breaks…Toby is a huge fan of the Newsboys station.

On the subject of Peace.  And the lack thereof.  It seems like the kids attitudes go to pot at exactly the wrong time.  I’m sure it’s partly because they feel the stress oozing from their parents.  And that’s how they deal.  But they’ve been at each other’s throats for weeks…and I’ve done more yelling and crying and well, just bad parenting moments than I care to confess.  And it’s just been not working on any level.

So another peace-chasing thing I’m trying is having a “Scripture Station” at the kitchen island every morning.

My goal is less yelling and more (penmanship, grammar &) character building.  When I feel my blood pressure elevating…I (mostly) send them to copy pre-chosen verses.

Both of my kids are really LOVING FreePianoLessons4Kids.  They think Mr. Hoffman is a great teacher and he must be because he’s keeping them engaged!

They also take lessons with Grams.  But it’s been hard to fit them in lately so I’ve been supplementing with this program.

Bristel’s Language is Abeka this year.  I’ve been letting her say some things out loud to me.  If she makes a mistake she’ll have to write it out for extra practice.  It’s been a great motivator for her to try and remember her phonics rules!  Oh and I’ve black board painted just about every school surface in our house too!  It’s SO handy.  See the bank she and I worked on before she wrote her paragraph?  I highly recommend going a little blackboard paint crazy every now and then.  It’ll make you feel so “teacher-y”.

 

 

…danielle

tracking: it’s time to get serious about this potty thing

 

 

Which is not to imply that we haven’t been serious to this point, mind you.

 

 

Because we have been.

 

 

For three bloody years we have been.

 

 

Once an hour (because a schedule seems to work best for him) for three bloody years we have been potty serious.

 

 

Every gimmick, trick, theory, Elmo potty toy/book/dvd, potty training program tried once an hour for three bloody years kinda potty serious.

 

 

And it’s not that he’s entirely unsuccessful.  Although he has yet to TELL me (consistently) when he has to use the potty. But still, we’ve had stretches when I’ve actually thought we were ready to brave the big boy undies in public!  Then suddenly…we’re back to ground zero.

 

 

And it’s been frustrating.

 

 

And exhausting.

 

 

And all consuming.

 

 

And (because the tears I’ve shed over this skill are many, it bears repeating) SO thoroughly exhausting!

 

 

But here’s the thing.  I haven’t been collecting data.  Oh I’ve mentally tallied pees and poos.  Especially the poos.  Especially the smeared over every portion of his body causing mommy to have psychological breakdowns on more than one occasion poos.  The trouble with mental data (especially with a fuzzy brain like mine) is that it isn’t reliable.   And if there is one thing that ABA is teaching me (you know, other than using LESS verbal prompting) it would be how important real, hard data collection is.

 

 

So even though Excel is my enemy.  I did it.  I created a spreadsheet.

 

 

 

I’m using some of our ABA program’s tracking system.

 

U+ is for pee pees on the potty is exceedingly ABA-ish.

 

 

But because I’m a Kinesthetic learner…I wanted some color that could help me make sense of any emerging patterns.

 

Hence my hand written color blocks at the bottom. 

 

 

 

I’m gonna collect potty data for a couple weeks and see where we’re at.  Our home-based ABA program is also getting serious with me.  Because he’s almost six now.  And he’s SO smart! 

 

 

I just know he can DO this! 

 

 

And the data will help me see where he needs a little more support.

 

 

Right?!

 

 

If nothing else…it will make Bristel very impressed that I “faced my (Excel) fears” today.  She’s all about facing her fears recently.

 

 

And because I’m all about helping other parents out…if you’d like to “steal” my spreadsheet just send me an email and I’ll whip a PDF right over!

 

 

…danielle

 

 

ps.  Oh and last thought.  Other than the Time Timer watch…if anyone knows of a watch that can be set to vibrate once an hour which is also Trevy resetting and water (or whatever else Trevy might do to it) proof…please leave a link in the comments section!

my new easy peasy show me your work before you cross it off set up

 

 

I have created and tried ALL sorts of schedules.  We’ve checked boxes, moved pictures, crossed out subjects.  I’ve created templates in Excel.  Have I mentioned how much I hate Excel before?  I’ve tracked down free clip art and pasted it into Word documents.  Printed and laminated a plethora of systems.

 

Nothing has really stuck.

 

 

It hasn’t stuck because it’s been TOO complicated!  A running theme in my life is complicating things that don’t need to be complicated!  I am a chronic complicator!

 

 

The thing is…the kids have been getting a little (little as in a lot) lax lately.  And I literally have to check on every.single.thing to make sure all of their work is completed each day.  It has been exhausting!

 

 

Isn’t there saying out there somewhere that mommy’s exhaustion gives birth to invention?  Wink wink.

 

 

In a moment of desperation I hand wrote what I wanted them to accomplish each day.

 

 

Typed it in Excel.

 

 

And printed it out.

 

 

The lines dividing the days are actually hand drawn in because I was too exhausted to figure out how to add grid lines with the program!

 

 

I glued hers to pink construction paper and his to orange.  Laminated.  Taped them to MY desk.  And told them from now on they need to show me their completed work before they can mark off (with dry erase markers) that it’s done for the day!

 

 

Why have I never thought to have it on my desk before!?  Seriously.  It keeps in fresh in my mind and makes it easy to see at a glance where we’re at for the day!

 

 

 

It helps keep them accountable.

 

 

It helps keep ME accountable.

 

 

AND an added perk is that it made it super easy for Daddy-o to fill in when I was down for the count with the tummy bug on Monday!

 

 

…danielle

upgrade the grading center

 

 

Well, pooper scooper.

 

 

I thought I’d taken a before picture of our turn in/grading system.

 

 

I’m sure you all have wonderful imaginations (or a paperwork monster of your own attacking your dining room table too!).  I’m sure you can envision PILES of papers and books and folders and pens. All attempted to be jammed into the same too-small basket!  His stuff mixed with her stuff.  Her stuff covered with maple syrup drops and sticking to his stuff.  It was a hot mess, I tell ya!  And it was a chronic source of mommy-cranky-pants making an appearance.

 

 

 

 

 

Something had to give!

 

 

While cleaning out the basement recently (because I always go cleaning crazy post flu) I found a deep plastic tote.  A light bulb went off in my head.  It would be perfect for a new turn in basket!  And goes great with my “use what you have”…otherwise know as “we be poor” philosophy! 

 

 

 

See how everything fits so nice and tidy!

 

 

<3

 

 

I’m totally impressed with myself.

 

 

I had a couple unused cardboard magazine holders (IKEA) and was, like, duh!  Why didn’t I think of this before!  His Box – Her Box!  Now they can turn their to-be-graded work in in an organized way.  Also, only her stuff will be maple syrup sticky!

 

 

 

 

Inside my new turn in bin lives:

 

His Box

Her Box

All my teacher/grading manuals

A file folder for tests and papers that need to be filed away

A little pencil box with teacher tools (red pens, sticky notes, highlighters, colored pencils)

 

 

 

 

 

So far it’s been working out great!  I’ll have to make sure and update in a month or so.  Because you know how it goes in homeschool-ville…

 

 

 

…danielle