Curriculum Swap Day

Oh. My. Goodness.

Wow, were we ever blessed today.

The homeschooling group in the next town organized a curriculum/book exchange. Primarily it was one family who had years' worth of books to unload as their last children approach graduation, but a few others brought things to share, and then later on ANOTHER mom appeared with all of her materials from years of homeschooling.

Needless to say, those of use who were just starting out hit a real goldmine.

The books I went with plans to get were these two:
Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock
Paddle to the Sea by Holling C Holling

Those two alone were enough to make it worth the drive.

But I came home with a bag, a small box and a large tote all FULL of books for PreK, K, early elementary up to about grade six, plus a few that will be useful later. World literature, world history, and physical sciences from a Christian perspective. An entire one-year multi-level science curriculum for elementary students. Both sizes of Cuisinaire Rods and some of the books to go with them. "For Instruction in Righteousness." "Book of the Centuries."

And so, SO much more... I am blown away. And boy, do I have some organizing to do.

The girls enjoyed the day, too, because while mama was digging through boxes and stacks of books, they got to spend time playing with the other kids and C hit it off with one of the girls, which was especially nice. :)

March 30, 2010 - Easter Garden

Step one in our Easter centerpiece.

Ann does a beautiful variation:
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2009/03/make-easter-garden-visual-parable.html

I love that, but a little more complex and costly to buy the plants. Maybe next year. Then I saw another one... much simpler:

http://mustardseeds.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/03/tutorial-hill-of-calvary.html

That is the route we're taking this year. I think it's brilliant :)

March 29, 2010 - Spring is in the Air!

We are working through "Bugs, Blooms and Babies" to mark the beginning of Spring.

We've done a little of the paper crafting in it, but today's project was a little more hands-on as we made pine cone bird feeders to hang in the tree on the front yard. So far no little birdies have found them, but hopefully we'll see something in the next few days!

December 2, 2009 - Draw Write Now

We picked up a copy of Draw Write Now, Book One at the library last week... that's the drawing curriculum that I have been eyeing up for C, so I was pretty happy to see it there. I'd like to give it a test run before going out and buying it, you know? So anyway, we did lesson one today and it was a hit :) She wanted to press on and do a second lesson, but A's frame of mind this afternoon wasn't exactly what I would call conducive to productive lesson time. However, the one we did finish went really well!

This is C's finished work. Besides the hen, she also made three baby chicks (one is in a nest and one is on a box). Pretty good, I think! She started out with printing the words herself but decided she needed some help so I made dotted letters for her to trace. I think for the rest of the lessons I'll make up pre-printed pages on the computer with traceable letters and some drawing space above.

"The Insanity of the Right"

The Insanity of the Right:
David d'Escoto asks why conservatives continue to turn kids over to the left
http://www.wnd.com/2009/08/108260/#Vx77o49aip4BSXYe.99

November 16, 2009

Tot School

Play dough, snipping practice, and Letter A Coloring Book - A is for Apple

http://homeschooling.about.com/od/langearlyread/ss/letteracolor.htm

4 Year Old Kindergarten:

Math 

Horizons Level K - Practice making numbers up to 7, Counting to 15, and Pennies and Cents

Reading Dick & Jane, and Lessons 36 & 37 from 100 Easy Lessons

November 13, 2009 - Reflections on Remembrance Day

I sat with C and had a little chat to see how much of our Remembrance Day lessons, talks and experiences registered with her... I think for four years old, she did pretty well :)


Who do we remember on Remembrance Day?
All the soldiers that died.

Why did the soldiers die?
Because they were fighting.

Why?
They were protecting good people.

Who were the soldiers protecting the good people from?
Bad guys.

What were the bad guys doing?
Not letting kids go to school and church.

Why do we wear a poppy?Just because.

What does the poppy mean?
It means it's Remembrance Day and we're remembering the soldiers that died.

Can you think of anything else about Remembrance Day?
I don't know.

What do we do on Remembrance Day?
Go to special places.

What do we do there?
We just sit.

Why do we want to remember the soldiers who died?
I don't know.

Does the Remembrance Day poppy say anything about soldiers who are in the army now?
No.

What do we wear to show we're proud of the soldiers we have today?
Poppies?

So does the poppy show that we're proud of soldiers today, AND that we remember the ones who died?
Yeah!

The poppy also means that we hope there is never another big war where all the soldiers have to go away and fight.
Oh. You know, if the soldiers ever have to fight again, I hope that they win, because that's just what has to happen.