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| Last Halloween |
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
We'll weather the weather...
A year ago today, we were enduring a freak snowstorm. We got 15 inches of wet, heavy snow on top of trees that still had leaves on the branches. Many trees and branches came down on top of wires, knocking power out to most of our state (granted, it's a small state, but it was still a pretty good size area for a power outage). We spent the first couple of days cleaning up the yard and spent the evenings playing board games by candlelight. That started to get a little old by the third day. Halloween was cancelled. The girls and I headed to my sister's house 2 hours away, while my husband held down the fort here because he still had to go to work. In the end, we were without electricity for eleven days.
Fast forward one year, and we are in the midst of a hurricane. To say that after last year's experience people around here are a little panicky is putting it mildly. The grocery stores are completely out of bread. The TV channels are all broadcasting weather news non-stop. I am a little nervous about losing power yet, but so far, so good. The lights have flickered a few times, but that's it. Like good Girl Scouts, we're prepared if it comes to that.
Anyway, we've been busy lately. Turtlegirl was away at homeschool week at a camp in Vermont last week. She did the high ropes course and the climbing tower, and explored a stream, to name a few activities. Swimmah stayed home so she could continue with swim practice and be prepared for a meet Friday evening. She swam the mile (that's 66 laps!) at that meet. Both girls swam at another meet Saturday morning. So I guess we're ready for a rest anyway...or I am at any rate!
Fast forward one year, and we are in the midst of a hurricane. To say that after last year's experience people around here are a little panicky is putting it mildly. The grocery stores are completely out of bread. The TV channels are all broadcasting weather news non-stop. I am a little nervous about losing power yet, but so far, so good. The lights have flickered a few times, but that's it. Like good Girl Scouts, we're prepared if it comes to that.
Anyway, we've been busy lately. Turtlegirl was away at homeschool week at a camp in Vermont last week. She did the high ropes course and the climbing tower, and explored a stream, to name a few activities. Swimmah stayed home so she could continue with swim practice and be prepared for a meet Friday evening. She swam the mile (that's 66 laps!) at that meet. Both girls swam at another meet Saturday morning. So I guess we're ready for a rest anyway...or I am at any rate!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Our Favorite Non-Fantasy Books
A while back, I wrote a Top Ten post of our favorite fantasy book series. It was supposed to be a list of our favorite kids' books, but then I realized that most of them were series, and the vast majority were fantasy. So I promised to do another post about our favorite non-fantasy stand-alone chapter books. Here it is: our favorite (mostly) stand-alone chapter books:
The American Girls Series
Look at that - the first one is a series. Oops. And it's not just a series, but a series of series. What can we say? My girls loved them all. (The "Julie" books came out just after they had decided they had outgrown them, so when I say "all", I mean all the ones that came out before that time.) Swimmah's favorites were Kirsten and Felicity, and Turtlegirl's were Kaya and Molly. These are great for introducing American history.
The Little House Books
Oh, wait, that's another series... I read Little House on the Prairie many, many years ago, when the TV show first started. I liked it, but not enough to read the other books in the series. So a few years ago, we started with Little House in the Big Woods and continued through the series. I think my favorite was The Long Winter. These are also great for sparking an interest in American history.
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
Winner of the 1956 Newberry Medal. Based on the life of Nathaniel Bowditch, this book retells his life story, from his start as an indentured servant to his self-education and his eventual writing of The American Practical Navigator (also known as the Sailor's Bible, still in use today). This was suggested for a book group discussion by one of the families in the group. The kids voted on which books to read each month, and this one only got one vote each month, until the end of the year, when there wasn't much left to choose from. The kids reluctantly agreed to read it. It ended up being the favorite book read that year!
Call of the Wild by Jack London
Another book group book. I thought this book was a little advanced for the kids in the group at the time, but they seemed to love it. I know Turtlegirl did. She was only about 10 at the time and I was concerned that it was too violent for her, but it didn't seem to bother her. Should I be concerned about that?!
Winged Watchman by Hilda van Stockum
Another book group book. This is about a Dutch family during the Nazi occupation of Holland. They hide a downed air pilot as well as others. Exciting and suspenseful, not to mention a great discussion starter.
The Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Karr
Yet another book group selection. This takes place in the US in 1860. A young man decides to herd a huge flock of turkeys from eastern Missouri to Denver, where he can get a good price for them. Rather more lighthearted than the previous two listed.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Winner of the 1959 Newberry Medal. We actually read this twice, once to go along with our history study, and again with the above mentioned book group. In the year 1687, Kit Tyler arrives in Connecticut Colony from her home in Barbados to live with her uncle and his family. It's quite the culture shock. When I was a little girl, we had a copy of this book in our house, but I never read it because there was the word "witch" in the title and the picture on the cover looked spooky. I was such a chicken! When I read this as an adult to my children, I wanted to go back in time to tell my nine-year-old self that there is nothing spooky about it and to just read it!
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
This is another we read with the book group. We also watched one of the movie versions (think it was Disney) and also got to see the play at Hartford Stage. We all really enjoyed this as a book and as the play. The movie was less memorable.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Turtlegirl picked this up at the library to read as a follow-up to Tom Sawyer, but found it too difficult on her own. I was actually happy to read it aloud to both her and Swimmah so we could discuss it as we read. I know a lot of people have issues with a particular word in this book, but I explained the historical context (as well as the contemporary context). I guess they're pretty sheltered - I don't think they have ever heard that word used except in a historical context. It was a bit awkward for me reading it aloud - I did consider looking for an audio version so I wouldn't have to deal with it, but in the end I just read it myself. Despite that issue, it really is a great book and well worth the read. There's a reason it's considered one of the great American works of literature.
Hmmm, looking over this list, I see that most of the non-fantasy books my kids have read were required reading. Oh well!
What are some of your favorite books?
The American Girls Series
Look at that - the first one is a series. Oops. And it's not just a series, but a series of series. What can we say? My girls loved them all. (The "Julie" books came out just after they had decided they had outgrown them, so when I say "all", I mean all the ones that came out before that time.) Swimmah's favorites were Kirsten and Felicity, and Turtlegirl's were Kaya and Molly. These are great for introducing American history.
The Little House Books
Oh, wait, that's another series... I read Little House on the Prairie many, many years ago, when the TV show first started. I liked it, but not enough to read the other books in the series. So a few years ago, we started with Little House in the Big Woods and continued through the series. I think my favorite was The Long Winter. These are also great for sparking an interest in American history.
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
Winner of the 1956 Newberry Medal. Based on the life of Nathaniel Bowditch, this book retells his life story, from his start as an indentured servant to his self-education and his eventual writing of The American Practical Navigator (also known as the Sailor's Bible, still in use today). This was suggested for a book group discussion by one of the families in the group. The kids voted on which books to read each month, and this one only got one vote each month, until the end of the year, when there wasn't much left to choose from. The kids reluctantly agreed to read it. It ended up being the favorite book read that year!
Call of the Wild by Jack London
Another book group book. I thought this book was a little advanced for the kids in the group at the time, but they seemed to love it. I know Turtlegirl did. She was only about 10 at the time and I was concerned that it was too violent for her, but it didn't seem to bother her. Should I be concerned about that?!
Winged Watchman by Hilda van Stockum
Another book group book. This is about a Dutch family during the Nazi occupation of Holland. They hide a downed air pilot as well as others. Exciting and suspenseful, not to mention a great discussion starter.
The Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Karr
Yet another book group selection. This takes place in the US in 1860. A young man decides to herd a huge flock of turkeys from eastern Missouri to Denver, where he can get a good price for them. Rather more lighthearted than the previous two listed.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Winner of the 1959 Newberry Medal. We actually read this twice, once to go along with our history study, and again with the above mentioned book group. In the year 1687, Kit Tyler arrives in Connecticut Colony from her home in Barbados to live with her uncle and his family. It's quite the culture shock. When I was a little girl, we had a copy of this book in our house, but I never read it because there was the word "witch" in the title and the picture on the cover looked spooky. I was such a chicken! When I read this as an adult to my children, I wanted to go back in time to tell my nine-year-old self that there is nothing spooky about it and to just read it!
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
This is another we read with the book group. We also watched one of the movie versions (think it was Disney) and also got to see the play at Hartford Stage. We all really enjoyed this as a book and as the play. The movie was less memorable.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Turtlegirl picked this up at the library to read as a follow-up to Tom Sawyer, but found it too difficult on her own. I was actually happy to read it aloud to both her and Swimmah so we could discuss it as we read. I know a lot of people have issues with a particular word in this book, but I explained the historical context (as well as the contemporary context). I guess they're pretty sheltered - I don't think they have ever heard that word used except in a historical context. It was a bit awkward for me reading it aloud - I did consider looking for an audio version so I wouldn't have to deal with it, but in the end I just read it myself. Despite that issue, it really is a great book and well worth the read. There's a reason it's considered one of the great American works of literature.
Hmmm, looking over this list, I see that most of the non-fantasy books my kids have read were required reading. Oh well!
What are some of your favorite books?
Friday, October 12, 2012
Weekly Wrap-Up: October 12
It's been a while since I posted a weekly wrap-up. Our Fridays tend to be busy, so often it's late Saturday, Sunday, or even Monday before I realize that I never got to it! So what have we been doing? In a way, I feel like we have not been doing all that much, but it seems to take up a lot of time!
Swimmah reminded me that I had told her back in August that we would take Columbus Day off. We usually don't, because my husband has always had to work that day and it has always felt like just another day. But we took it off this year. We typically need a break by this point in the year, anyway. I think a day with nothing to do was just what we needed.
Swimmah is writing a research paper on sea turtle conservation for her writing class this session. She has to have at least five sources, with no more than one of those being a website. She searched our local library for books and magazines, but it didn't have anything she was looking for. She was able to find some books at other libraries in the area, however. Of course, that meant driving to four different town libraries for four different books, as there is not time to wait for inter-library loan. We went in one direction Wednesday afternoon and in the other direction Friday early afternoon. Then writing class was at 3:00, diving lesson at 6:00, swim practice at 7:00. Phew!
Thursday I took advantage of the beautiful sunny weather and pulled up the dying tomato plants, eggplant, what was left of the cucumber vine... Something ate all my kale (it certainly wasn't my family!) so I pulled the remnants of that, too. It's a little sad, but it does look neater and I do love fall. They say there's going to be a frost tonight - we haven't had to use the heat yet, but I suspect it will come on tomorrow morning! That's OK, I love the crisp weather. I hope to get out this weekend for a hike to see the foliage! What are your plans this weekend?
Swimmah reminded me that I had told her back in August that we would take Columbus Day off. We usually don't, because my husband has always had to work that day and it has always felt like just another day. But we took it off this year. We typically need a break by this point in the year, anyway. I think a day with nothing to do was just what we needed.
Swimmah is writing a research paper on sea turtle conservation for her writing class this session. She has to have at least five sources, with no more than one of those being a website. She searched our local library for books and magazines, but it didn't have anything she was looking for. She was able to find some books at other libraries in the area, however. Of course, that meant driving to four different town libraries for four different books, as there is not time to wait for inter-library loan. We went in one direction Wednesday afternoon and in the other direction Friday early afternoon. Then writing class was at 3:00, diving lesson at 6:00, swim practice at 7:00. Phew!
Thursday I took advantage of the beautiful sunny weather and pulled up the dying tomato plants, eggplant, what was left of the cucumber vine... Something ate all my kale (it certainly wasn't my family!) so I pulled the remnants of that, too. It's a little sad, but it does look neater and I do love fall. They say there's going to be a frost tonight - we haven't had to use the heat yet, but I suspect it will come on tomorrow morning! That's OK, I love the crisp weather. I hope to get out this weekend for a hike to see the foliage! What are your plans this weekend?
Monday, October 1, 2012
Books Read in August and September
I was a bit remiss in posting books read in August. I had actually started it as a draft and then just didn't get around to completing it and posting it until now, so I am doing two months at once.
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
This is a book I had been meaning to read for years now. I finally picked it up at the library in early August. I'm glad I read it. Swimmah has been particularly taken with the dystopian genre for several months now and this is one that I will recommend to her.
The Language of Flowers - Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Recommended to me by my sister. Victoria turns 18 and is emancipated from the foster care system; she now has to find her own way in life.
The Lost Wife - Alyson Richman
Recommended to me by my mother-in-law. This is about a newlywed couple who are separated by the Holocaust, and reunited decades later. Bittersweet.
The Giver - Lois Lowry
A reread, our first family book discussion selection. We all enjoyed the book and had a great discussion! We have also discovered that she wrote three companion books to make a quartet. The last one is being released October 2, 2012. We'll have to look for those. Another dystopian novel.
How to Get Your Kids to Get Things DONE! - Jim Erskine
This ebook is really an article, not a whole book. Luckily, I got it for free on my kindle. I would have been really disappointed if I had paid for it and then read it all in about 10 minutes. Not to mention that it still didn't answer my question of HOW to get your kids to get things done. Make a list, have them start first thing in the morning, yada, yada, yada... I guess I was looking for more of how to get your kids to want to get things done, to want to get a great education. I already know the answer to that (see link to article on reluctant learners). I guess I was just looking for more inspiration for the start of the school year.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
I really enjoyed this one! The Major is nothing if not quietly dignified in all situations. He is also immensely likable.
Project-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Self-Directed Learners - Lori McWilliam Pickert
I mentioned this previously. I did finish it and highly recommend it to anyone homeschooling, or thinking about homeschooling.
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
This is a book I had been meaning to read for years now. I finally picked it up at the library in early August. I'm glad I read it. Swimmah has been particularly taken with the dystopian genre for several months now and this is one that I will recommend to her.
The Language of Flowers - Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Recommended to me by my sister. Victoria turns 18 and is emancipated from the foster care system; she now has to find her own way in life.
The Lost Wife - Alyson Richman
Recommended to me by my mother-in-law. This is about a newlywed couple who are separated by the Holocaust, and reunited decades later. Bittersweet.
The Giver - Lois Lowry
A reread, our first family book discussion selection. We all enjoyed the book and had a great discussion! We have also discovered that she wrote three companion books to make a quartet. The last one is being released October 2, 2012. We'll have to look for those. Another dystopian novel.
How to Get Your Kids to Get Things DONE! - Jim Erskine
This ebook is really an article, not a whole book. Luckily, I got it for free on my kindle. I would have been really disappointed if I had paid for it and then read it all in about 10 minutes. Not to mention that it still didn't answer my question of HOW to get your kids to get things done. Make a list, have them start first thing in the morning, yada, yada, yada... I guess I was looking for more of how to get your kids to want to get things done, to want to get a great education. I already know the answer to that (see link to article on reluctant learners). I guess I was just looking for more inspiration for the start of the school year.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
I really enjoyed this one! The Major is nothing if not quietly dignified in all situations. He is also immensely likable.
Project-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Self-Directed Learners - Lori McWilliam Pickert
I mentioned this previously. I did finish it and highly recommend it to anyone homeschooling, or thinking about homeschooling.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
From The Student Whisperer by Oliver DeMille and Tiffany Earl:
Gallup reports that about 80% of people aren't happy with their work and life path... Education has failed such people. Indeed, based on this statistic, around 80% of us are under-educated - or mis-educated. The years such people invest in studying and making the grade did not lead to make the choices or acquire the knowledge, skills, habits, and abilities that facilitated their happiness, fulfillment and meaningful contribution. Is such a process, therefore, perhaps mislabeled? Is this really what we want from "education"?
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
The Educational Conveyor Belt
In A Thomas Jefferson Education, Oliver DeMille describes what he calls "conveyor belt" education: one in which everyone receives the same thing (lesson) at the same time and in the same manner, with the same results expected. Implicit in this is the idea that education is something that is done to you.
In contrast, he calls for an individualized education where each individual learns at his/her own pace, following his/her own interests. He also acknowledges that for those of us who were brought up in the conveyor belt system (that would be the vast majority of us), it can be very difficult to get off the conveyor belt. He calls this a "conveyor belt hangover". It can be especially difficult to get off it when everyone around you is not even aware that there is an alternative, or they just don't see the value in doing things a different way.
Whenever I start to suffer from conveyor belt hangover, my two children (one in particular) let me know loud and clear that that is not their preferred way of learning. When I can take a step back and take a deep breath, I am grateful that they are so good at letting me know what they need. Just imagine if I had complacent, eager-to-please children...
Wait, why don't I want that??
Oh yeah...I don't want them to be complacent, eager-to-please adults. Or to be too eager-to-please with their peers. I want them both to grow into adults who aren't afraid to stand up for their rights or to just be who they are. But, oh my goodness, they do challenge me sometimes! :)
So what do you do when you find yourself with one foot back on the conveyor belt? First of all, go easy on yourself. You may have accepted emotionally and intellectually that an individualized education is best, but old habits die hard. Sometimes we don't even realize that we are slipping back towards the conveyor belt, through our actions and expectations. Sometimes we're acting from a place of fear: fear that if we don't follow the traditional sequence of events, we'll ruin our kids' chances for a productive, self-sufficient adulthood.
Read books by people who have been down this path before you and re-read them from time to time. There are many out there. Here are a some good ones that I have read:
A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille, mentioned above
Leadership Education by Oliver and Rachel DeMille
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn
Project-Based Homeschooling by Lori McWilliam Pickert (haven't quite finished this one yet, but there's lots of great stuff in it!)
anything by John Holt
Surround yourself with others who are on a similar path, whether in person or online. You don't feel so alone if you know others following the same or similar path. And it helps if you can get some tips and advice, or at least some reassurance, from others who have been through this before.
We all make mistakes from time to time, slip from the path we want to be on, but luckily children are resilient. We can adjust our course and get closer to our ideal. We'll probably never quite get there, except for rare moments, but so long as we keep trying we may come close. If we just give up and hop on the conveyor belt, we'll never see the true potential of our children.
In contrast, he calls for an individualized education where each individual learns at his/her own pace, following his/her own interests. He also acknowledges that for those of us who were brought up in the conveyor belt system (that would be the vast majority of us), it can be very difficult to get off the conveyor belt. He calls this a "conveyor belt hangover". It can be especially difficult to get off it when everyone around you is not even aware that there is an alternative, or they just don't see the value in doing things a different way.
Whenever I start to suffer from conveyor belt hangover, my two children (one in particular) let me know loud and clear that that is not their preferred way of learning. When I can take a step back and take a deep breath, I am grateful that they are so good at letting me know what they need. Just imagine if I had complacent, eager-to-please children...
Wait, why don't I want that??
Oh yeah...I don't want them to be complacent, eager-to-please adults. Or to be too eager-to-please with their peers. I want them both to grow into adults who aren't afraid to stand up for their rights or to just be who they are. But, oh my goodness, they do challenge me sometimes! :)
So what do you do when you find yourself with one foot back on the conveyor belt? First of all, go easy on yourself. You may have accepted emotionally and intellectually that an individualized education is best, but old habits die hard. Sometimes we don't even realize that we are slipping back towards the conveyor belt, through our actions and expectations. Sometimes we're acting from a place of fear: fear that if we don't follow the traditional sequence of events, we'll ruin our kids' chances for a productive, self-sufficient adulthood.
Read books by people who have been down this path before you and re-read them from time to time. There are many out there. Here are a some good ones that I have read:
A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille, mentioned above
Leadership Education by Oliver and Rachel DeMille
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn
Project-Based Homeschooling by Lori McWilliam Pickert (haven't quite finished this one yet, but there's lots of great stuff in it!)
anything by John Holt
Surround yourself with others who are on a similar path, whether in person or online. You don't feel so alone if you know others following the same or similar path. And it helps if you can get some tips and advice, or at least some reassurance, from others who have been through this before.
We all make mistakes from time to time, slip from the path we want to be on, but luckily children are resilient. We can adjust our course and get closer to our ideal. We'll probably never quite get there, except for rare moments, but so long as we keep trying we may come close. If we just give up and hop on the conveyor belt, we'll never see the true potential of our children.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Weekly Wrap-Up: September 14
We're still getting used to our new fall schedule here. The weather has been obligingly September-like, with warm sunny days and cool nights. And with such lovely weather, it can be hard to be strictly back-to-the-books.
Monday morning was spent at home studying, and after lunch, we met some friends for a hike at Burr Pond State Park. It was very pretty and, at least on a weekday in September, very peaceful as well. We all agreed that it would be a great place to kayak.
My husband decided to take the afternoon off to go fishing on the Block Island Sound on Wednesday, and invited Swimmah to join him and his friend. Turtlegirl doesn't enjoy ocean fishing - she tends to get a little seasick and even aside from feeling sick, just doesn't enjoy the constant motion of the waves. I'm with her. Anyway, that meant that Swimmah and Turtlegirl had their first morning of volunteering at the nature center and then Swimmah was fishing all afternoon with Dad. Turtlegirl and I took the kayaks to a local pond for a couple of hours. So no formal lessons on Wednesday, but they're learning plenty at the nature center, and I'm sure on the water as well. That's the beauty of homeschooling, isn't it?
Swimmah's piano lesson has been on Tuesday afternoons for the past few years, and has just been switched to Thursday mornings. I think it's going to take a couple of weeks to get used to that! I knew on Wednesday that she had a lesson the next morning, but Thursday morning I forgot about it until I was in the shower. Luckily, there was still almost an hour before her teacher was due to arrive - plenty of time for us all to get dressed!
Swim team started up again this week, with a modified practice schedule - ostensibly, to ease the swimmers into the regular practice schedule, but I think it's actually to confuse the parents with all the different practice times!
And today, Friday, is my husband's and my 21st wedding anniversary! He's a great husband and a great dad to our daughters. I can't believe it's been 21 years already!
Enjoy the weekend!
Monday morning was spent at home studying, and after lunch, we met some friends for a hike at Burr Pond State Park. It was very pretty and, at least on a weekday in September, very peaceful as well. We all agreed that it would be a great place to kayak.
My husband decided to take the afternoon off to go fishing on the Block Island Sound on Wednesday, and invited Swimmah to join him and his friend. Turtlegirl doesn't enjoy ocean fishing - she tends to get a little seasick and even aside from feeling sick, just doesn't enjoy the constant motion of the waves. I'm with her. Anyway, that meant that Swimmah and Turtlegirl had their first morning of volunteering at the nature center and then Swimmah was fishing all afternoon with Dad. Turtlegirl and I took the kayaks to a local pond for a couple of hours. So no formal lessons on Wednesday, but they're learning plenty at the nature center, and I'm sure on the water as well. That's the beauty of homeschooling, isn't it?
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| Swimmah and her dad with a false albacore she caught. |
Swimmah's piano lesson has been on Tuesday afternoons for the past few years, and has just been switched to Thursday mornings. I think it's going to take a couple of weeks to get used to that! I knew on Wednesday that she had a lesson the next morning, but Thursday morning I forgot about it until I was in the shower. Luckily, there was still almost an hour before her teacher was due to arrive - plenty of time for us all to get dressed!
Swim team started up again this week, with a modified practice schedule - ostensibly, to ease the swimmers into the regular practice schedule, but I think it's actually to confuse the parents with all the different practice times!
And today, Friday, is my husband's and my 21st wedding anniversary! He's a great husband and a great dad to our daughters. I can't believe it's been 21 years already!
Enjoy the weekend!
Friday, September 7, 2012
Weekly Wrap-Up: September 7
This was our first official week of "school".
Monday afternoon, the girls and my husband went for a bike ride. I had things I needed to do around the house (like make sure we were prepared for starting our school year), so I stayed home. They didn't get far when Turtlegirl spotted something that made her come to a dead stop. "Dad! Is that free?!" Sure enough, there, on the side of the road, was Turtlegirl's holy grail: a backyard pond liner and pump - free for the taking. She's been wanting one for years, but we told her they were too expensive, not to mention a lot of work. She's been contenting herself with a wading pool in the backyard for the turtles to enjoy during the daytime hours of the warmer months. So they called me and I drove the car over and brought it home.
When they got back from their bike ride, Turtlegirl and her dad started digging.
So Turtlegirl will be doing nature studies for her science this year. She and Swimmah will be continuing to volunteer at the nature center through the school year, so that, plus the pond and tanks here, will give her plenty of hands-on work.
Monday afternoon, the girls and my husband went for a bike ride. I had things I needed to do around the house (like make sure we were prepared for starting our school year), so I stayed home. They didn't get far when Turtlegirl spotted something that made her come to a dead stop. "Dad! Is that free?!" Sure enough, there, on the side of the road, was Turtlegirl's holy grail: a backyard pond liner and pump - free for the taking. She's been wanting one for years, but we told her they were too expensive, not to mention a lot of work. She's been contenting herself with a wading pool in the backyard for the turtles to enjoy during the daytime hours of the warmer months. So they called me and I drove the car over and brought it home.
When they got back from their bike ride, Turtlegirl and her dad started digging.
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| The turtles like it! |
We decided to go with Math-U-See for pre-algebra. She doesn't like watching a video lesson, so we just won't use the DVD, unless there is something that doesn't make sense from reading the book.
Swimmah is also using Math-U-See for geometry, continuing where she left off at the end of July. She will also be continuing Marine Biology. This is the first year that they are studying different things for science! I'm a little nervous about keeping them both on track in different topics, but they are older and more independent now, so I think it will work out fine.
For history, I had planned to get The History of US by Joy Hakim from the library. Apparently, someone else had the same idea, because when we went to the library to check it out, the first 3 were not there. I hadn't bothered to put a hold on it because I figured that it's always been there before when I have looked in that area. Oh well, I found a couple of other books on Native Americans to use instead of the first History of US book. I did put a hold on the second book, however.
Both girls start an essay-writing class this afternoon, taught by an aspiring writer and teacher to a group of homeschooled teens in our area. There was not much interest in a book discussion group this year, which my girls have always enjoyed in the past. So we decided to have our own family book discussion group. Our September selection is The Giver by Lois Lowry. We'll have the discussion meeting the last weekend of the month (whichever day of the weekend my husband is not fishing!).
I won't say that everything this week was perfect, but overall things went pretty well. It's been a fairly quiet start to the year, with no writing homework, as class isn't until Friday afternoon, and no nature center volunteering until next week, when someone will be available to train them on the morning routine. And swim team starts next week, so we'll really be into the full swing of things then!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
"Reluctant" Learners?
I recently discovered the website Project-Based Homeschooling. Today I read a blog post there titled "The Myth of the Reluctant Learner". An excerpt:
No child is reluctant to learn. Every child strives to learn as much as he can. There are only children who are strongly resistant to being told what to learn and how to learn it. There are children who are more stubborn about being forced to learn things that don’t interest them or don’t seem useful. There are children who are less able to tolerate boredom and children who are less able to tolerate sitting still for long periods of time trying to focus on something that has no importance or meaning to them.Let's just say that I am familiar with some of these types of children. I whole-heartedly agree with what she says and couldn't say it better myself. Check it out.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Weekly Wrap-Up: August 24
We spent last week on an island off the coast of Maine, visiting family. A few days we had beautiful weather, and a few days we had not-so beautiful weather, but overall it was a very enjoyable week.
Now this week, back at home, we've been gearing up for the school year, making (or trying to make) final decisions on math programs and science topics to study. And how are we going to keep track of our schedule and assignments? One girl likes a calendar on the computer, the other prefers an old-fashioned paper desk calendar. I actually found a student planner at Michael's for $3.00 - perfect! In case you're wondering, our start date for the year will be September 4.
I've also been spending a fair amount of time cleaning out our big storage closet in the basement. I know some bloggers are really good about posting before and after pictures, but it just didn't occur to me to take a picture of my closet. Sorry. Anyway, my husband's sister has three daughters, her youngest just older than Swimmah. They give us A LOT of hand-me-downs, really more than my girls could ever wear! Sometimes I wonder if my nieces even wore some of these clothes more than once or twice... So I've been sorting through boxes and boxes of clothes and bagging up anything that my girls have outgrown or just are not going to wear, because it's maybe just not their taste. I now have 5 garbage bags full of clothes to donate to a charitable organization yet to be determined. Plus another garbage bag full of hoodies and fleece pullovers, and 3 winter coats, 1 raincoat and 1 fleece coat to donate to the warm clothing/winter coat drive at my husband's place of work. Now we just need to get them out of the house...
Swimmah has also been cleaning out her bedroom closet, a chore that has been long overdue. Based on the fact that there was a stack of old Ladybug magazines in there, I'm guessing that it's been at least 8, if not closer to 10 years since we really gave it a good decluttering. Better late than never, right?
Enjoy your weekend!
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| But still beautiful in the fog, although maybe a little chilly for swimming. |
Now this week, back at home, we've been gearing up for the school year, making (or trying to make) final decisions on math programs and science topics to study. And how are we going to keep track of our schedule and assignments? One girl likes a calendar on the computer, the other prefers an old-fashioned paper desk calendar. I actually found a student planner at Michael's for $3.00 - perfect! In case you're wondering, our start date for the year will be September 4.
I've also been spending a fair amount of time cleaning out our big storage closet in the basement. I know some bloggers are really good about posting before and after pictures, but it just didn't occur to me to take a picture of my closet. Sorry. Anyway, my husband's sister has three daughters, her youngest just older than Swimmah. They give us A LOT of hand-me-downs, really more than my girls could ever wear! Sometimes I wonder if my nieces even wore some of these clothes more than once or twice... So I've been sorting through boxes and boxes of clothes and bagging up anything that my girls have outgrown or just are not going to wear, because it's maybe just not their taste. I now have 5 garbage bags full of clothes to donate to a charitable organization yet to be determined. Plus another garbage bag full of hoodies and fleece pullovers, and 3 winter coats, 1 raincoat and 1 fleece coat to donate to the warm clothing/winter coat drive at my husband's place of work. Now we just need to get them out of the house...
Swimmah has also been cleaning out her bedroom closet, a chore that has been long overdue. Based on the fact that there was a stack of old Ladybug magazines in there, I'm guessing that it's been at least 8, if not closer to 10 years since we really gave it a good decluttering. Better late than never, right?
Enjoy your weekend!
This post is linked to the Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Weekly Wrap-Up: August 10
There's a Shakespeare Festival every year in our area that we've been to the last few years. There's just something so fun about sitting outside, maybe with a picnic dinner, with the actors a mere few feet from you. You almost feel like part of the action because they're so close and because they spread out and move around the audience, much more so outside than when they're on a stage. This year the production was Twelfth Night, which I had never seen nor read before. The girls and I met some friends there Saturday evening. We had read a summary of it from Charles and Mary Lamb's Tales From Shakespeare, and there was a scene-by-scene summary of the play in the program, anyway. It was a beautiful warm, breezy evening and the performance was great! I think this was the funniest Shakespearean play I have seen.
We had a fairly busy week getting together with friends. Turtlegirl had a chance to go tubing on the river with some friends, another day some other friends invited the three of us to meet them at the pool they belong to, and Swimmah and Turtlegirl had a mutual friend over yet another day. We also have some friends who are in town for a couple of weeks who are coming over for dinner Friday. Hopefully we'll get to see them and their very cute 15-month old again before they have to head home.
Somewhere in there, I did get a chance to talk with Swimmah and Turtlegirl about the coming school year. They need to decide if they want to go into more depth with marine biology and continue through the year, or if they want to move on to something else. I did point out that if they want to pursue a career in biology in some way, they will need to also study chemistry and physics sometime before college. They both still have time, though, as Swimmah would be in 10th grade if she were in school, and Turtlegirl would be in 8th. I also suggested ecology, environmental science, zoology, geology, astronomy... I told them we would discuss this again in a week or so.
We've been watching the Olympics still, but not quite as intensely as last week, now that swimming and gymnastics are done. This week we've been enjoying diving, canoeing/kayaking, and open water swimming (interesting, but not nearly as exciting to watch as shorter distance swimming). And we've also watched some synchronized swimming and rythmic gymnastics as well. I have to admit that while we've watched some track and field, it's really not our favorite. But what could be a better last name for a runner than Bolt? And I kind of feel un-American admitting this, but beach volleyball? That just seems to me like some Type A's couldn't let it go at it just being a friendly, relaxing game you play at the beach. Sorry, beach volleyball fans. Maybe I'm just still harboring ill feelings from having to play volleyball in high school gym class. Anywho....
Oh, I promised a picture of Swimmah's completed mural:
Enjoy your weekend!
We had a fairly busy week getting together with friends. Turtlegirl had a chance to go tubing on the river with some friends, another day some other friends invited the three of us to meet them at the pool they belong to, and Swimmah and Turtlegirl had a mutual friend over yet another day. We also have some friends who are in town for a couple of weeks who are coming over for dinner Friday. Hopefully we'll get to see them and their very cute 15-month old again before they have to head home.
Somewhere in there, I did get a chance to talk with Swimmah and Turtlegirl about the coming school year. They need to decide if they want to go into more depth with marine biology and continue through the year, or if they want to move on to something else. I did point out that if they want to pursue a career in biology in some way, they will need to also study chemistry and physics sometime before college. They both still have time, though, as Swimmah would be in 10th grade if she were in school, and Turtlegirl would be in 8th. I also suggested ecology, environmental science, zoology, geology, astronomy... I told them we would discuss this again in a week or so.
We've been watching the Olympics still, but not quite as intensely as last week, now that swimming and gymnastics are done. This week we've been enjoying diving, canoeing/kayaking, and open water swimming (interesting, but not nearly as exciting to watch as shorter distance swimming). And we've also watched some synchronized swimming and rythmic gymnastics as well. I have to admit that while we've watched some track and field, it's really not our favorite. But what could be a better last name for a runner than Bolt? And I kind of feel un-American admitting this, but beach volleyball? That just seems to me like some Type A's couldn't let it go at it just being a friendly, relaxing game you play at the beach. Sorry, beach volleyball fans. Maybe I'm just still harboring ill feelings from having to play volleyball in high school gym class. Anywho....
Oh, I promised a picture of Swimmah's completed mural:
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| Please ignore the reflection of the unmade bed. |
Enjoy your weekend!
This post is linked to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers' Weekly Wrap-Up.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Weekly Wrap-Up: August 3
This week was one with lots of driving and lots of TV viewing - the Olympics, of course.
My husband had to have some work done on his car - a scheduled tune-up and an unscheduled trip by tow truck to the locksmith. That meant I had to drive him to drop the car off (once) and pick it up (twice), drop him at the bus stop in the morning one day and pick him back up. Then I've also been driving Swimmah to a lifeguard training class (she passed!) every morning and picking her up again, plus one evening during the week she met a couple of girls from her class at the pool to practice their lifesaving techniques. All in addition to the usual driving around. I don't anticipate any more car issues next week, and the lifeguard training class is over, so it will be back to the quiet life here next week.
We have been enjoying watching the Olympics, although I have had the results of various events spoiled by hearing who won the gold on the radio or in the newspaper. We're also wondering when they're airing all the medal ceremonies. They must be on after we go to bed - and I've stayed up past 11 most nights this week. They're probably online; I just have to go looking for them.
Michael Phelps' final event is on tonight. Hopefully, it will be on before 11:00 - I need to go to bed a little earlier tonight!
My husband had to have some work done on his car - a scheduled tune-up and an unscheduled trip by tow truck to the locksmith. That meant I had to drive him to drop the car off (once) and pick it up (twice), drop him at the bus stop in the morning one day and pick him back up. Then I've also been driving Swimmah to a lifeguard training class (she passed!) every morning and picking her up again, plus one evening during the week she met a couple of girls from her class at the pool to practice their lifesaving techniques. All in addition to the usual driving around. I don't anticipate any more car issues next week, and the lifeguard training class is over, so it will be back to the quiet life here next week.
We have been enjoying watching the Olympics, although I have had the results of various events spoiled by hearing who won the gold on the radio or in the newspaper. We're also wondering when they're airing all the medal ceremonies. They must be on after we go to bed - and I've stayed up past 11 most nights this week. They're probably online; I just have to go looking for them.
Michael Phelps' final event is on tonight. Hopefully, it will be on before 11:00 - I need to go to bed a little earlier tonight!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Books Read in July
How to Read Literature Like a Professor - Thomas C. Foster
I mentioned in a previous post that I was in the process of reading this. I have finished it since then. It is written in a conversational style, so easy to read, with chapter titles such as Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It's Not). I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to get more out of their reading. Now I think I need to brush up on Greek mythology.
Remarkable Creatures - Tracy Chevalier
By the same author who wrote Girl With a Pearl Earring. This is about Mary Anning, the uneducated working class woman who was the first person to discover an ichthyosaurus fossil and a pleisiosaurus fossil. The main focus of the story is on the friendship between Mary Anning and a middle class spinster who shares her love of fossils. Highly enjoyable.
Unschooling Rules - Clark Aldrich
"If you look at class schedules and other school propaganda, you might think that (a) the students' entire day is filled with hour after hour of rigorous work, and (b) even more hours are needed. But if you were to follow one student as an anthropologist might, actually keeping track of time spent under instruction and in practice assignments, the real number is a little less than 3 hours."
"Tests don't work. Get over it. Move on.
"And we want tests to work so badly. We love the idea of a simple-to-deploy, objective mechanism that can sort, motivate, and diagnose - the equivalent of quality control at a car manufacturing plant looking for defects. The only problem is that tests do everything wrong. Tests only test the test taker's ability to prepare for and take tests. For example, there is no skill worth having that can be measured through a multiple-choice exam."
Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding
A re-read. I was browsing in the library, looking for a light summer read when I saw this. I first read it when Swimmah was a baby, so about 14-15 years ago. That was also before I read Pride and Prejudice, so I missed all the references to that. Funny as ever, and I enjoyed the references. (v.g.)
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table - Roger Lancelin Green
I picked this up because we've been watching back episodes of Merlin. Most of my knowledge of the Arthurian legends is from The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, which was not exactly faithful to the original legends. I realize that everyone puts their own spin on old legends such as Arthur (including the show Merlin), but I wanted to know what the traditional tales were all about.
Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague - Geraldine Brooks
Based on actual events, this novel chronicles the events in a small isolated village in 1666 where there is an outbreak of the plague. I'm not quite half-way through this one yet, but so far I'm finding it very interesting.
All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriot
Still reading with Turtlegirl, a little at a time.
I mentioned in a previous post that I was in the process of reading this. I have finished it since then. It is written in a conversational style, so easy to read, with chapter titles such as Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It's Not). I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to get more out of their reading. Now I think I need to brush up on Greek mythology.
Remarkable Creatures - Tracy Chevalier
By the same author who wrote Girl With a Pearl Earring. This is about Mary Anning, the uneducated working class woman who was the first person to discover an ichthyosaurus fossil and a pleisiosaurus fossil. The main focus of the story is on the friendship between Mary Anning and a middle class spinster who shares her love of fossils. Highly enjoyable.
Unschooling Rules - Clark Aldrich
"If you look at class schedules and other school propaganda, you might think that (a) the students' entire day is filled with hour after hour of rigorous work, and (b) even more hours are needed. But if you were to follow one student as an anthropologist might, actually keeping track of time spent under instruction and in practice assignments, the real number is a little less than 3 hours."
"Tests don't work. Get over it. Move on.
"And we want tests to work so badly. We love the idea of a simple-to-deploy, objective mechanism that can sort, motivate, and diagnose - the equivalent of quality control at a car manufacturing plant looking for defects. The only problem is that tests do everything wrong. Tests only test the test taker's ability to prepare for and take tests. For example, there is no skill worth having that can be measured through a multiple-choice exam."
Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding
A re-read. I was browsing in the library, looking for a light summer read when I saw this. I first read it when Swimmah was a baby, so about 14-15 years ago. That was also before I read Pride and Prejudice, so I missed all the references to that. Funny as ever, and I enjoyed the references. (v.g.)
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table - Roger Lancelin Green
I picked this up because we've been watching back episodes of Merlin. Most of my knowledge of the Arthurian legends is from The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, which was not exactly faithful to the original legends. I realize that everyone puts their own spin on old legends such as Arthur (including the show Merlin), but I wanted to know what the traditional tales were all about.
Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague - Geraldine Brooks
Based on actual events, this novel chronicles the events in a small isolated village in 1666 where there is an outbreak of the plague. I'm not quite half-way through this one yet, but so far I'm finding it very interesting.
All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriot
Still reading with Turtlegirl, a little at a time.
Our Top Ten Favorite Kids' Fantasy Book Series
I intended this post to be a list of favorite kids' chapter books, but I started writing down our favorites, and realized that most of them are series. Then I noticed that they were mostly fantasy. Then I kept thinking of others that I had forgotten about. Maybe I will do another post with favorite stand-alone chapter books, and maybe one with non-fantasy books (there must be 10 they liked...). The series on this list range from the ones we read together when we first started reading chapter books to books my kids have been reading on their own more recently.
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osbourne
These were Swimmah's first chapter books that she read. When she had progressed beyond them and was reading other books, she still wanted to read "the whole series". I pointed out that a new book comes out every 6 months or so, she decided that maybe she didn't really need to read them all. These are great for introducing history (there's one - or a "mini-series" of four - on the Olympics, fyi). The only down side I found was all the incomplete sentences. I know the author/publisher wanted easy-to-read, but couldn't they have done that and still be grammatically correct? It just irked me...especially after listening to upwards of 20 of them! Hence my need to point out that a new one comes out every 6 months - "You'll NEVER be done with them!"
Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin
These are great beginning chapter books for cat lovers! Mrs. Jane Tabby doesn't know why her kittens are all born with wings...
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
More great beginning chapter books, but if I remember correctly, we read these aloud, at least the first time.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
I first read these to my girls to appease them for not reading Harry Potter to them. Now, don't get me wrong, I am (and was then) a huge Harry fan. But I don't think they are appropriate for 7 and 5 year olds. I thought that Narnia was a little less violent and scary, but still exciting. They have loved this series! I read them aloud, we have listened to them on CD, they have each read them to themselves. And we've seen the movies that have come out so far (isn't the next one due soon??)
The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
I think these were the first chapter books Turtlegirl read completely on her own. More action and adventure, without being too scary.
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Oh my. Turtlegirl loved this series. It has all her favorite things: animals, action/adventure, and humor. She picked up the first one at the library when she was about 8 years old. She tried reading it by herself, but found it too difficult, so she asked me to read it to her. Well, I found it a bit difficult myself. Each type of animal has their own British accent - and the moles! I'm not sure what part of England they're supposed to be from, but I never did master that one (although Swimmah got pretty good at it). I was thrilled to discover that our library has recordings of some of them, but unfortunately only the first 5 or so. Then it was back to me reading aloud. But Turtlegirl was so taken with the series that she sat down, at 8 yrs old, and sewed little stuffed animals of many of the characters. (just a little bragging)
And Winifred the otter came with us almost everywhere for a while:
Tales From Dimwood Forest by Avi
More talking animals, more of Turtlegirl's favorites. There are five books in this series: Ragweed; Poppy; Poppy and Rye; Ereth's Birthday; and Poppy's Return.
Warrior Series by Erin Hunter
Feral cats, prophecies, warring clans. These were Swimmah's favorites for a few years. We read these at bedtime for a while, until I got really bored with them and told her that she had to read the rest on her own. I'm mean like that. She continued to read them and love them, but Turtlegirl admitted that she got bored with them after a while, too. Depends on the kid, I guess.
The Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathryn Lasky
This time the animals are owls. I never read these, as the girls both read them on their own. I saw the movie - does that count? Part hero legend, part dystopian society.
Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Perhaps you are familiar with this one? Unless you are living under a rock, I'm sure you've heard of Percy Jackson. Great fun, great introduction to Greek mythology.
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Did you really think I could write a list of favorite fantasy novels and not include this? I love this series as much as my kids do. I started reading HP when they were babies, after my sister, who had read the first two with her sons, recommended them to me. I put off reading them to the girls as long as I could, back during the height of Harry mania. I knew that they get progressively scarier, so didn't want to rush into the series too soon for them and ruin the experience. I read them aloud, we listened to the audio recordings (Jim Dale is fantastic as the narrator), and they read them to themselves, and we watched the movies (disappointing). They still listen to the audios and re-read them from time to time. They are truly modern classics - every time we read them, we discover something new.
Wait, that's 11 already! I could go on... I didn't even mention the Lord of the Rings trilogy! The automatic numbering gets messed up when I add pictures, so I've stopped using that. I suppose I could just manually type the numbers in, but that seems so archaic. Another time I will list non-fantasy favorites. What are some of your favorites?
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osbourne
These were Swimmah's first chapter books that she read. When she had progressed beyond them and was reading other books, she still wanted to read "the whole series". I pointed out that a new book comes out every 6 months or so, she decided that maybe she didn't really need to read them all. These are great for introducing history (there's one - or a "mini-series" of four - on the Olympics, fyi). The only down side I found was all the incomplete sentences. I know the author/publisher wanted easy-to-read, but couldn't they have done that and still be grammatically correct? It just irked me...especially after listening to upwards of 20 of them! Hence my need to point out that a new one comes out every 6 months - "You'll NEVER be done with them!"
Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin
These are great beginning chapter books for cat lovers! Mrs. Jane Tabby doesn't know why her kittens are all born with wings...
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
More great beginning chapter books, but if I remember correctly, we read these aloud, at least the first time.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
I first read these to my girls to appease them for not reading Harry Potter to them. Now, don't get me wrong, I am (and was then) a huge Harry fan. But I don't think they are appropriate for 7 and 5 year olds. I thought that Narnia was a little less violent and scary, but still exciting. They have loved this series! I read them aloud, we have listened to them on CD, they have each read them to themselves. And we've seen the movies that have come out so far (isn't the next one due soon??)
The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
I think these were the first chapter books Turtlegirl read completely on her own. More action and adventure, without being too scary.
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Oh my. Turtlegirl loved this series. It has all her favorite things: animals, action/adventure, and humor. She picked up the first one at the library when she was about 8 years old. She tried reading it by herself, but found it too difficult, so she asked me to read it to her. Well, I found it a bit difficult myself. Each type of animal has their own British accent - and the moles! I'm not sure what part of England they're supposed to be from, but I never did master that one (although Swimmah got pretty good at it). I was thrilled to discover that our library has recordings of some of them, but unfortunately only the first 5 or so. Then it was back to me reading aloud. But Turtlegirl was so taken with the series that she sat down, at 8 yrs old, and sewed little stuffed animals of many of the characters. (just a little bragging)
 |
| Martin the Warrior and Cornflower on a whale watching trip. |
 |
| She's much larger than the mice, but then, otters are bigger than mice. At a butterfly conservatory. |
Tales From Dimwood Forest by Avi
More talking animals, more of Turtlegirl's favorites. There are five books in this series: Ragweed; Poppy; Poppy and Rye; Ereth's Birthday; and Poppy's Return.
Warrior Series by Erin Hunter
Feral cats, prophecies, warring clans. These were Swimmah's favorites for a few years. We read these at bedtime for a while, until I got really bored with them and told her that she had to read the rest on her own. I'm mean like that. She continued to read them and love them, but Turtlegirl admitted that she got bored with them after a while, too. Depends on the kid, I guess.
The Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathryn Lasky
This time the animals are owls. I never read these, as the girls both read them on their own. I saw the movie - does that count? Part hero legend, part dystopian society.
Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Perhaps you are familiar with this one? Unless you are living under a rock, I'm sure you've heard of Percy Jackson. Great fun, great introduction to Greek mythology.
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Did you really think I could write a list of favorite fantasy novels and not include this? I love this series as much as my kids do. I started reading HP when they were babies, after my sister, who had read the first two with her sons, recommended them to me. I put off reading them to the girls as long as I could, back during the height of Harry mania. I knew that they get progressively scarier, so didn't want to rush into the series too soon for them and ruin the experience. I read them aloud, we listened to the audio recordings (Jim Dale is fantastic as the narrator), and they read them to themselves, and we watched the movies (disappointing). They still listen to the audios and re-read them from time to time. They are truly modern classics - every time we read them, we discover something new.
Wait, that's 11 already! I could go on... I didn't even mention the Lord of the Rings trilogy! The automatic numbering gets messed up when I add pictures, so I've stopped using that. I suppose I could just manually type the numbers in, but that seems so archaic. Another time I will list non-fantasy favorites. What are some of your favorites?
This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Weekly Wrap-Up: July 27
I really don't have much to wrap-up this week, and probably won't for the next month. Other than watching the Olympics and visiting with family, we don't have many plans for the next few weeks.
Last week was the last week of the summer swim season, so this week we have had quiet evenings at home. Well, except for Wednesday, when we were out for the swim team end-of-season picnic. Oh, and Tuesday, my husband and his friend spent the evening working on his outboard motor. And then letting it run (...and run) to make sure all was well. But other than that, things have been pretty quiet around here.
This is also our last week of "school". We're taking a month off before starting up for the official new school year. Of course, that also means making final plans and preparations for the year (well, as "final" as things get around here...our academic plans are always open to change). I'm looking into various options for pre-algebra for Turtlegirl. Right now, I'm looking at Math-U-See, Teaching Textbooks, Kahn Academy, and Thinkwell. I'll let her choose from those, and/or any others I might find. We've used Math U See for other levels and I liked them well enough, although she was not crazy about them. Or maybe it is just math in general. When I was looking into Algebra I for Swimmah, she swore she hated Math U See, but when I showed her the various options (can't remember now what other ones we looked at), she decided to go with Math U See and hasn't complained about it since.
We're looking forward to watching the Olympics over the next couple of weeks. Swimming is high on our list of events to watch, naturally. We're looking forward to gymnastics as well, not to mention a few sports we have not seen before, such as canoe slalom. Let the games begin!
Last week was the last week of the summer swim season, so this week we have had quiet evenings at home. Well, except for Wednesday, when we were out for the swim team end-of-season picnic. Oh, and Tuesday, my husband and his friend spent the evening working on his outboard motor. And then letting it run (...and run) to make sure all was well. But other than that, things have been pretty quiet around here.
This is also our last week of "school". We're taking a month off before starting up for the official new school year. Of course, that also means making final plans and preparations for the year (well, as "final" as things get around here...our academic plans are always open to change). I'm looking into various options for pre-algebra for Turtlegirl. Right now, I'm looking at Math-U-See, Teaching Textbooks, Kahn Academy, and Thinkwell. I'll let her choose from those, and/or any others I might find. We've used Math U See for other levels and I liked them well enough, although she was not crazy about them. Or maybe it is just math in general. When I was looking into Algebra I for Swimmah, she swore she hated Math U See, but when I showed her the various options (can't remember now what other ones we looked at), she decided to go with Math U See and hasn't complained about it since.
We're looking forward to watching the Olympics over the next couple of weeks. Swimming is high on our list of events to watch, naturally. We're looking forward to gymnastics as well, not to mention a few sports we have not seen before, such as canoe slalom. Let the games begin!
This post is linked to Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird, Unscocialized Homeschoolers.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Top 10 Things You Should Know About Me
This week's Tuesday Top Ten is 10 Things You Should Know About Me. Yes, things you should know...all very important, of course.
- I/we am/are beginning our 10th year of homeschooling. I believe I've mentioned this before, but I'm kind of amazed myself! Where does the time go???
- I'm certified as a Montessori teacher, so that affects my approach to homeschooling and parenting.
- I'm the youngest of six. And I'm 6 years younger than my closest sibling. 5 sisters, 1 brother - he got his own room. Actually, I did, too, after the others started moving out.
- I love tea. There's nothing like a mug of hot tea on a cold day. I miss it in the summer when it's too hot for a hot beverage. Sure, I switch to iced tea, which is good, but it's not the same.
- I am an INFP. This is based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which I find to be the most accurate personality test for me.
- I'm a procrastinator. Sometimes I put things off because I really don't want to do them, like hemming my husband's pants, but then when I finally get around to it, I wonder why I dreaded it. I mean, really, hemming isn't that big a deal - just a little boring. Other times I put things off because I'm not sure how to do it, so instead of just jumping in and trying, I put it off and make starting all the harder. And most of the time, when I do get around to doing it, it's not as bad as I thought it would be.
- I hate to shop. The crowds, the annoying music, the trying-on (nothing ever fits). And it's about a 35 minute drive to any of the three closest malls. That makes a trip to the mall take up almost the whole afternoon! (I just found out I have to return a pair of Land's End shorts to the closest Sears...)
- I'm just 5 feet tall. If you were to meet me in person, you would notice. It also helps explain why I have such a hard time finding clothes that fit me.
- I have issues with my glucose levels. Even on a low-glycemic diet (essentially low carb), I struggle to keep my glucose out of pre-diabetic levels. When I first started this diet, I lost about 10% of my weight, and I have managed to keep the weight down, but not necessarily the glucose level. I need to go for a blood test later this week to see how I've been doing the last few months. Wish me luck!
- I got a Kindle this past winter, which I like overall. I love the convenience of it fitting in my purse when I know I'm going to be waiting, such as waiting for my kids' activities to be done. I also love that when I come across a word I'm unfamiliar with, I can just touch it and the definition pops up! So much easier than waiting until I get home (or walking across the room) to look it up, which I normally forget. But my kids keep hijacking it to play Every Word Crossing. They even changed it to a timed game. I prefer the non-timed game, so I can find all the words and not have the game just end on me!
So there you have it, 10 things about me. And now you know why I always post these Top Ten lists so late in the day: I procrastinated!
This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
10 Totally Random Things On My Mind
The last few weeks I have been following the iHomeschool Network's 10 in 10 blog hop, and linking up to Many Little Blessings' Tuesday Top Ten. This week's top ten is 10 Totally Random Things On My Mind. So here goes:
It's hot. I know, all you (all y'all?) Southerners are rolling your eyes at this New England girl complaining about the heat and humidity. But it is hot...and we don't have central air, so there! Or a pool, as my kids keep reminding us. OK, we do have window units. But they're loud and wake me up at night. Which probably explains all my kvetching today.
What's for dinner? This is the burning question, so to speak. I know anyone who is responsible for feeding a family struggles with this. It's complicated a bit in our home by having to feed two vegetarians and two non-vegetarians, one of whom also needs to keep the glycemic load to a minimum (meaning that pasta really isn't the best meal). I have a few meal ideas that make everyone happy, but just a few. And one of them is chili - and who wants that in this heat??
It's hot. I know, all you (all y'all?) Southerners are rolling your eyes at this New England girl complaining about the heat and humidity. But it is hot...and we don't have central air, so there! Or a pool, as my kids keep reminding us. OK, we do have window units. But they're loud and wake me up at night. Which probably explains all my kvetching today.
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| This is what I feel like doing. |
I think we're going to use The Story of US by Joy Hakim for our history spine this year. It's at our library so that's a plus. We have 2 of her The Story of Science books, which I like, but my kids aren't crazy about them. That is why I'm thinking that we'll use them as a spine, rather than the main reading source. I'll look for other books, field trips, and movies to supplement.
I've become a chauffeur. It's official. Older kids means more activities, and until Swimmah can drive, Mom has to drive her.
I have picked 3 zucchini from my garden so far. And one tomato is almost ready to pick. We also have a tiny little eggplant and several teeny, tiny cucumbers. Oh, and I made a small batch of pesto a couple of weeks ago, and have used some cilantro and rosemary as well. OK, maybe summer heat isn't all bad.
I'm reading How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. It's lively and entertaining. It is readable and I am enjoying it. I'm also reading Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier, and am finding all kinds of symbolism in it! Well, I think it's fun, but I've always been kind of a word/literature geek.
How do people find the time to blog every day? I'm struggling to find the time to blog 2 or 3 times per week.
I think I'm getting arthritis in my left index finger. And aren't I too young for that? I'm only 40-something. But the top knuckle is enlarged and it feels a little stiff.
One of our cats has a sprained ankle. Or some part of her hind leg/paw. And we did not take her to the vet, shame on us. We had just had both our cats to the vet for their regular check-ups (ka-ching!), when she started limping. We first noticed it in the evening after dinner and decided to see how she was doing the next morning. She was noticeably better the next morning, and she does seem to be getting better every day.
I really need to get Turtlegirl to clean up her art supplies. She's great about cleaning out the turtle/lizard/frog tanks - in fact that's usually what she's doing when I want her to do something else. Hmmm. But putting away bottles of paint? Not high on her list of priorities. After all, she knows right where to find them next time she wants to use them.
Was that random enough for you? What's on your mind?
I have picked 3 zucchini from my garden so far. And one tomato is almost ready to pick. We also have a tiny little eggplant and several teeny, tiny cucumbers. Oh, and I made a small batch of pesto a couple of weeks ago, and have used some cilantro and rosemary as well. OK, maybe summer heat isn't all bad.
I'm reading How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. It's lively and entertaining. It is readable and I am enjoying it. I'm also reading Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier, and am finding all kinds of symbolism in it! Well, I think it's fun, but I've always been kind of a word/literature geek.
How do people find the time to blog every day? I'm struggling to find the time to blog 2 or 3 times per week.
I think I'm getting arthritis in my left index finger. And aren't I too young for that? I'm only 40-something. But the top knuckle is enlarged and it feels a little stiff.
One of our cats has a sprained ankle. Or some part of her hind leg/paw. And we did not take her to the vet, shame on us. We had just had both our cats to the vet for their regular check-ups (ka-ching!), when she started limping. We first noticed it in the evening after dinner and decided to see how she was doing the next morning. She was noticeably better the next morning, and she does seem to be getting better every day.
I really need to get Turtlegirl to clean up her art supplies. She's great about cleaning out the turtle/lizard/frog tanks - in fact that's usually what she's doing when I want her to do something else. Hmmm. But putting away bottles of paint? Not high on her list of priorities. After all, she knows right where to find them next time she wants to use them.
Was that random enough for you? What's on your mind?
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Weekly Wrap-Up: July 13
This week started with a swim meet and is ending with a swim meet. Sunday was a crazy day, with a swim meet in the morning, and kayaking with friends in the afternoon. The meet went a little longer than I expected, and I really didn't think we would be able to make it in time for kayaking, but somehow, we did. I was glad, too, because it was a lovely day and we had a great time with good friends. I would include a picture if I could figure out how to get a picture from an email message to a blog, but I am somewhat technologically challenged. If I figure it out, I will add it later.
I did spend a little time considering plans for the coming year. I took an idea from Julie's post last week at Brave Writer and thought about what I would change about last year. The biggest change that I would like to see is more excitement about learning. There were, at times, some rather "resigned" attitudes, a "What do I have to do now?" kind of attitude toward anything remotely academic. While I don't expect anyone to jump with joy at the prospect of doing, for example, their math lesson for the day, I would like to see maybe a vague interest in the lesson/assignment. That's one of the things I have always struggled with: I want my kids to want to learn for learning's sake, to be excited about learning, but when they're not, then what? When they were younger, I tried to focus more on what they were interested in, and tried to keep the lower-interest subjects low-pressure. But as they are getting older, I have to admit that I am starting to feel the pressure. I know that there's still time and that when they decide that they want/need to know something, they will pick it up so much faster and easier than if we push them. But still. It is so hard to resist all the societal pressure. There is no one actually telling me that my kids should be doing such and such, but it's there all the same: The Expectations.
Deep breath. Go back to what I know works: encourage their interests; discuss with them what they will need to do to prepare for adulthood (and putting it that way helps me keep things in perspective, too); and get their input.
The other thing that I would improve from last year is time management. We could all use a little help there. Luckily, this one is a little more straight forward. We'll figure out how many waking hours we have, subtract out the scheduled activities, and then divvy up the remaining time to create a study schedule.
Wish me luck! ;)
I did spend a little time considering plans for the coming year. I took an idea from Julie's post last week at Brave Writer and thought about what I would change about last year. The biggest change that I would like to see is more excitement about learning. There were, at times, some rather "resigned" attitudes, a "What do I have to do now?" kind of attitude toward anything remotely academic. While I don't expect anyone to jump with joy at the prospect of doing, for example, their math lesson for the day, I would like to see maybe a vague interest in the lesson/assignment. That's one of the things I have always struggled with: I want my kids to want to learn for learning's sake, to be excited about learning, but when they're not, then what? When they were younger, I tried to focus more on what they were interested in, and tried to keep the lower-interest subjects low-pressure. But as they are getting older, I have to admit that I am starting to feel the pressure. I know that there's still time and that when they decide that they want/need to know something, they will pick it up so much faster and easier than if we push them. But still. It is so hard to resist all the societal pressure. There is no one actually telling me that my kids should be doing such and such, but it's there all the same: The Expectations.
Deep breath. Go back to what I know works: encourage their interests; discuss with them what they will need to do to prepare for adulthood (and putting it that way helps me keep things in perspective, too); and get their input.
The other thing that I would improve from last year is time management. We could all use a little help there. Luckily, this one is a little more straight forward. We'll figure out how many waking hours we have, subtract out the scheduled activities, and then divvy up the remaining time to create a study schedule.
Wish me luck! ;)
This post is linked to the Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
10 Reasons I Am Excited About the New School Year
As I alluded to in last week's Weekly Wrap-Up post, it's getting to be the time of year when we know that in another 6 weeks or so, the school year will officially begin. That means that I need to get serious about planning for the year. Oh, I made general plans in the spring, but now I have to think about how I will put those plans into action. This always makes me a little nervous, maybe because I'm more of an "idea" person and the follow-through is more difficult for me. But nervousness and excitement can be two sides of the same coin, and in this post I want to concentrate on the reasons why I am excited about the coming school year.
This will be our 10th year homeschooling! Wow! How did that happen?! We started out homeschooling in what would have been Swimmah's first grade year, and here she is in 10th grade (if she were in traditional school).
This will be our 10th year homeschooling! Wow! How did that happen?! We started out homeschooling in what would have been Swimmah's first grade year, and here she is in 10th grade (if she were in traditional school).
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| This is what they looked like back in our first year of homeschooling. Yes, Swimmah broke her arm that August. |
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| And this is the three of us this past March. It's harder to find pictures of the two of them together nowadays. |
Now that they're older, they work more independently. I don't say this because I get more time to do my own thing (not that I don't mind that, too), but more because it's gratifying to see how they've grown. I used to have to sit next to them and do the work with them, but somewhere along the way, they started just doing it themselves. For the most part, anyway...
We are schooling year-round this year. I have tried to do a year-round schedule for quite a few years, but this is the first time I've been able to carry-through. In the past, we have had things like camp and vacations earlier in the summer that threw us off and I didn't manage to get us back into doing academic things until the public schools in the area started. So this year, we will be able to take more time off around the holidays and when the winter doldrums set in.
Volunteering. I'm hopeful that the girls will be able to continue volunteering at the nature center and the library during the school year. It's a lot of driving for me, but it's great for them, 1. because it's good experience for when they need to get an actual job, and 2. because it (the nature center particularly) will help them either reinforce their desire to work with animals, or help them decide that they don't really want to do that for a living.
We will be studying US History this year. I'm excited about this! It's a little daunting, too - how are we supposed to cover all of US history in one year?? I suppose we kind of started it last winter when we drove to Philadelphia, to DC, then to Monticello (then to Nashville, where the above picture was taken. We were in Nashville for a wedding, though and didn't get to any historical sites while there). I had originally planned to do the Philly-DC-Monticello trip the year we studied US history, but the trip to Nashville came up last year, so we decided to do it then.
They will both be using Math-U-See. The last few years, I have been pulling things from various resources for Turtlegirl (Swimmah, too when she was younger). She's ready for pre-algebra now, and I think Math-U-See will be the best fit for her. It's been working well for Swimmah.
Reading classics with my kids. Always a pleasure.
I just love Autumn. It's my favorite season, and always has been. I love the cool, crisp air and the beautiful New England foliage. I love walking through the crunchy leaves, and going apple picking, and even the shorter days. There's something very cozy and homey about having dinner when it's dark out. My husband thinks I'm a little strange for that last one.
I'm blogging now, so I will have a record of what we've done.
And the 10th reason I'm excited about the coming year is...
A new season of Dr. Who! OK, this has nothing to do with homeschooling, but we are excited about it, nevertheless. We started watching the new (started in 2005) series last winter. We streamed them all and are all caught up, but now have to wait until the season starts again to see any new-to-us shows. Well, there's always all the shows from the 1960's, 70's and 80's, but they seem so hokey - especially the ones from the 60's. The tenth doctor is definitely our favorite.
This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Weekly Wrap-Up: July 6
There's nothing like a holiday in the middle of the week to throw you off! Wednesday felt more like a Sunday, which threw me off Thursday and Friday. Plus, my husband took the week off from work so that made the whole week feel like the weekend.
Not that I'm complaining - it has been a pleasant week. We took the kayaks out on the river on the 4th, and stopped at a beach area for a picnic lunch and a swim. The girls had a great time flipping their kayaks and getting back into them from the water. Then we went to my in-laws for a cook-out.
My husband got in a couple of fishing trips, split a bunch of firewood, and he and I painted the front door. Swimmah and Turtlegirl both volunteered at the nature center, and Swimmah at the library. She also decided to continue the mural on her bedroom wall started last summer. Last year, she did one wall (an under-ocean scene) so now she is painting a second wall. Here is what she did last year:
I'll post more pictures when it is completed. Turtlegirl painted a mural on all of her bedroom walls last summer. Here are two of her walls:
And meanwhile, I have started to feel pressured to get my plans for the coming school year more fleshed-out. It must be the time of year, because Julie at Brave Writer posted about this today. So over the next couple of weeks, I will carve out time to sit and reflect on our goals for the coming year and discuss individual plans with each of my girls.
Are you feeling pressured to finalize your plans for next school year, too?
Not that I'm complaining - it has been a pleasant week. We took the kayaks out on the river on the 4th, and stopped at a beach area for a picnic lunch and a swim. The girls had a great time flipping their kayaks and getting back into them from the water. Then we went to my in-laws for a cook-out.
My husband got in a couple of fishing trips, split a bunch of firewood, and he and I painted the front door. Swimmah and Turtlegirl both volunteered at the nature center, and Swimmah at the library. She also decided to continue the mural on her bedroom wall started last summer. Last year, she did one wall (an under-ocean scene) so now she is painting a second wall. Here is what she did last year:
I'll post more pictures when it is completed. Turtlegirl painted a mural on all of her bedroom walls last summer. Here are two of her walls:
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| The kitty is our beloved George, who is no longer with us. |
And meanwhile, I have started to feel pressured to get my plans for the coming school year more fleshed-out. It must be the time of year, because Julie at Brave Writer posted about this today. So over the next couple of weeks, I will carve out time to sit and reflect on our goals for the coming year and discuss individual plans with each of my girls.
Are you feeling pressured to finalize your plans for next school year, too?
This post is linked to Weekly Wrap-Up.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Tuesday Top Ten (or Eleven): 10 Pieces of Advice I Would Give to a New Homeschooler (plus a bonus!)
So you've decided to homeschool your kids. If you're like me, it seemed like a great idea (not that my husband and I made the decision lightly) until the time to actually start crept closer. Then the panic set in: "What was I thinking?!" "I can't do this! I have no patience!" "How am I going to teach chemistry?!"
First, take a deep breath. Relax. You can do this. There are a few things to keep in mind to make sure you're successful.
First, take a deep breath. Relax. You can do this. There are a few things to keep in mind to make sure you're successful.
- Your relationships need to come first. You are their parent, first and foremost. Yes, they need to learn discipline, but let that come from household chores rather than academics. We want them to love learning, right? Julie Bogart of Brave Writer has lots of great advice on this. She says to make brownies and tea or hot chocolate and maybe give them a little shoulder massage before they sit down to write. The point is to make them want to write, to look forward to these times. If there is a subject that they're really resisting, take a break from it and reflect on why they're resisting so much. Then you can approach it in a way that is more appealing. Your goal as a parent is to promote healthy relationships. And as my Montessori teacher-trainer used to say, "Never get into a battle of wills with a child. They will win."
- Become familiar with different learning styles. There are many, many books on this topic. Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences is a classic. Another that I like is Discovering Your Child's Learning Style by Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Kindle Hodson. Knowing how your child(ren) learn will make life for everyone involved much easier. Expect that if you have more than one child, they will most likely have different learning styles.
- Don't buy any curriculum until you have a sense of what will work for your children. Just because your friend loves a particular curriculum doesn't mean that it will work for your family.
- Use the library. Your library is a great resource for books, and librarians usually love to suggest or help you look for books. Some books you will return to again and again so you'll want to own those, but really, most we use for a short time and them move on to something else. I also recommend going to libraries in neighboring towns as well.
- Get your kids' input, especially as they get older. When they're younger, you can try to tie academics in to their interests. When Swimmah was about 6 and 7, she was heavily into dinosaurs. I found dinosaur math worksheets at enchantedlearning.com. I also found early readers at the library about dinosaurs. They were really a little too advanced for her at first, but because it was a topic she loved, she put more effort into them than she did other early readers. I was amazed at how quickly she learned to read words like "pachycephalosaurus". Last year, she and I discussed which Algebra curriculum would work best for her and I narrowed down some of the options so she could choose from 3 or 4. This helps them learn to take charge of their education. And really, isn't that the point?
- Find a support group. Unless you live way out in the boonies, there should be other homeschoolers around. It's so nice to have friends who get why you're doing this (for the kids, too!) and to have people to bounce ideas off of, as well as possibly get together to form co-ops and classes.
- Have them help clean the house. Really. You can't do it all, at least not without driving yourself crazy! Besides, I like to think of it as part of their education. Someday they will need to be self-sufficient adults. They will need to know how to clean, do laundry and some basic cooking at least. And possibly some basic home repairs, like changing a washer on a faucet.
- Don't sign them up for every activity that comes along. You will run yourself ragged trying to get them to everything. I know all those classes and co-ops look so interesting, but try to stick to classes that tie into what you're already studying and/or are related to your child's interest. Having goals for what you want to accomplish during the year helps with this.
- Re-read your favorite homeschooling books regularly to keep yourself on track. This will remind you of why you chose to homeschool in the first place, and keep you motivated.
- Remember that you are the expert of your own family. You know your children better than anyone else. You (and your spouse) should be the ones to make the final decision about what goes on in your home, not the expert on TV, or who wrote that book, or even the well-meaning relative.
- Remember that just when you think you have it figured out, they change. Kids do that! They grow physically, emotionally, academically. Every few months, sit down in a quiet moment (or hour) and reflect on what's working and what's not working, and how to fix things if they're not. I've been doing this the last few years, and I find that it helps immensely.
Homeschooling is a lot of hard work, but it is so worth it! Our first year homeschooling, I remember being so tired, it was so much effort. Like any new job, it gradually got easier (not easy, easier). Nine years later, it's just life. :)
This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Books Read in June
I meant to write this post yesterday, being the last day of the month and all, but I guess June just slipped away. So here we are:
The House of the Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne
Finished! This was tough to get through. I have to say I am not a fan of Hawthorne. I have also read The Scarlet Letter and one of his short stories that Swimmah was assigned for a literature class last fall, and now I think I can safely say that I do not care much for Nathaniel Hawthorne, thank you.
Emma - Jane Austen
A re-read. This is maybe my third time reading it, and I am noticing so much that I had skimmed over before. That's how you know it's a classic, right? One of my favorites.
A Thomas Jefferson Education -Oliver DeMille
Also a re-read. I like to read homeschooling/educational classics frequently to keep me motivated and remind myself why I'm doing this. Yes, we want our children to love learning and to fulfill their potentials!
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success - Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.
I can't remember now where I came across the recommendation for this book. It reminded me a bit of another book I read early in the spring, The Genius in All of Us by David Shenk. The basic premise of The Genius in All of Us is that greatness is not reserved for a gifted few, but that all of us have the potential to excel. It just takes hard work and persistence, more than most of us put to use.
Mindset claims that there are two basic mindsets: the fixed-mindset and the growth-mindset. People with the fixed-mindset believe that our personalities and abilities are fixed; we can't change what we are. So if you are not good at math, writing, or making friends, or what-have-you, that's just how it is. Or conversely, if you are good at math, or whatever, then you are special, and that makes you better than someone who is not good at it.
Now those with the growth-mindset believe that people have the potential to change and grow. So if they are not good at math, then they need to work harder so they can get better at it. And they do. And if someone is better at something than they are, they just think that the other person has had more practice with that particular something. Then they work harder so they can improve. She gives advice on how to promote the growth-mindset in our children, as well as ourselves.
The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
Audio. We are listening to a BBC Radio production on CD in the car. I think this is third time I've listened to this (third time's a charm?), I've read the books once completely through, and of course have seen the movies (more than once). An oldy but a goody.
All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriot
Still reading with Turtlegirl. This may take a while as we don't seem to have as much time for reading aloud as we used to.
The House of the Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne
Finished! This was tough to get through. I have to say I am not a fan of Hawthorne. I have also read The Scarlet Letter and one of his short stories that Swimmah was assigned for a literature class last fall, and now I think I can safely say that I do not care much for Nathaniel Hawthorne, thank you.
Emma - Jane Austen
A re-read. This is maybe my third time reading it, and I am noticing so much that I had skimmed over before. That's how you know it's a classic, right? One of my favorites.
A Thomas Jefferson Education -Oliver DeMille
Also a re-read. I like to read homeschooling/educational classics frequently to keep me motivated and remind myself why I'm doing this. Yes, we want our children to love learning and to fulfill their potentials!
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success - Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.
I can't remember now where I came across the recommendation for this book. It reminded me a bit of another book I read early in the spring, The Genius in All of Us by David Shenk. The basic premise of The Genius in All of Us is that greatness is not reserved for a gifted few, but that all of us have the potential to excel. It just takes hard work and persistence, more than most of us put to use.
Mindset claims that there are two basic mindsets: the fixed-mindset and the growth-mindset. People with the fixed-mindset believe that our personalities and abilities are fixed; we can't change what we are. So if you are not good at math, writing, or making friends, or what-have-you, that's just how it is. Or conversely, if you are good at math, or whatever, then you are special, and that makes you better than someone who is not good at it.
Now those with the growth-mindset believe that people have the potential to change and grow. So if they are not good at math, then they need to work harder so they can get better at it. And they do. And if someone is better at something than they are, they just think that the other person has had more practice with that particular something. Then they work harder so they can improve. She gives advice on how to promote the growth-mindset in our children, as well as ourselves.
The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
Audio. We are listening to a BBC Radio production on CD in the car. I think this is third time I've listened to this (third time's a charm?), I've read the books once completely through, and of course have seen the movies (more than once). An oldy but a goody.
All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriot
Still reading with Turtlegirl. This may take a while as we don't seem to have as much time for reading aloud as we used to.
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