Thoughts, commentary and truths I have heard from those wiser than myself.
Our family mission statement:
Inspire a love of learning in order to use our knowledge to glorify God, share His love and do His will.
Learn not to be brilliant but to know God and his creation.
Learn not to be superior, but to be able to serve others better.
As a Christian we should learn all we can about all things, because all TRUTH is God's truth.
"Teach us about you Lord within each subject. Reveal your truth and character. Help us to joyfully and boldly tell others of your glory."
From the Robots Movie- "See a need, Fill a need."
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of Kings to search out the matter.
My kid is royalty.... he/she is God's child more than mine.
God is my pilot, God's Words are my instruments.
Find God's glory in every day happenings. You see a leaf fall, a gorgeous butterfly, a sparkle of sun on the water... how do you know that God did not do that JUST for you?? I can see Him elbowing an angel in heaven, saying, "Watch this, it will blow her mind!"
If we are not good at something, we simply haven't spent enough time with it.
Kids are mosaics of us, the parent. Faith cannot be inherited. My children must find Christ for themselves. It is my job to help them on that path. I need to make it my goal that my child is able to be rhetoric about Christianity before they leave my home.
I don't need to protect and cloister my child, I need to equip them with tools to handle all that life may throw at them.
If there is a lack of understanding then one must again review the grammar, the understanding will follow.
Before one can intentionally break the rules, one has to know the rules.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Websites and Books for Mom/Teacher
These are resources that I have heard about or have experienced myself. I am just sharing so that they are all in one place.
TheLearningParent.com
Thetruthproject.org
www.agendadocumentary.com MUST SEE MOVIE
BOOKS for Mom
The Core
Echoes in Celebration
Total Truth
Saving Leonardo by Nancy Percy LOVE this book, hard read, but enlightening.
Words Aptly Spoken
The War Against Grammar
Lost Tools of Learning
The Elements (via cooking)
Seasons of Change by Rebecca Powell
Norms and Nobility
The Original Argument
Latin for Children (seems to follow much of what we do in CC but with more info!)
ANY book can be taught classically.
My favorite book....it has nothing to do with homeschooling...just sharing.
Shaunti Feldhahn- The Veritas Conflict
BOOKS for kids
Books can introduce delicate subjects gently and open the door for discussion.
The Elements (about the periodic table, stunning photos and info!)
Mr. Bowditch
The Bronze Bow
Classic Literature To Kill a Mockingbird, etc..
Red Badge of Courage
Little Women
What books do you suggest???
TheLearningParent.com
Thetruthproject.org
www.agendadocumentary.com MUST SEE MOVIE
BOOKS for Mom
The Core
Echoes in Celebration
Total Truth
Saving Leonardo by Nancy Percy LOVE this book, hard read, but enlightening.
Words Aptly Spoken
The War Against Grammar
Lost Tools of Learning
The Elements (via cooking)
Seasons of Change by Rebecca Powell
Norms and Nobility
The Original Argument
Latin for Children (seems to follow much of what we do in CC but with more info!)
ANY book can be taught classically.
My favorite book....it has nothing to do with homeschooling...just sharing.
Shaunti Feldhahn- The Veritas Conflict
BOOKS for kids
Books can introduce delicate subjects gently and open the door for discussion.
The Elements (about the periodic table, stunning photos and info!)
Mr. Bowditch
The Bronze Bow
Classic Literature To Kill a Mockingbird, etc..
Red Badge of Courage
Little Women
What books do you suggest???
Games, Activities, Tips #2
As I am coming up or stealing more ideas, I will collect them here until I get a nice list.
Here are just a few that have erupted around the ole' brain cell recently.
Here are just a few that have erupted around the ole' brain cell recently.
- Instead of using kid and holiday songs for memory jogs, try famous jingles. IE: Oscar Mayer, My Bologna has a First Name, I am Stuck on Bandaids
- Or perhaps TV show jingles? Flintstones, Adams Family, Rubber Ducky, Barney... can you think of some? Or Camp songs? I'm a Nut, Bottom of the Sea,
- At my daughter's camp, they did a quick version of the Hokey Pokey to start the day and get the wiggles out.
- I also liked the "shark clap", where kids put hands on top of head and clapped.
- Random "woos" were cute too when kids got out of hand. They called everyone to say "woo" and spin around one time. Kids loved it and were back at attention.
- They played a game called Clean the Yard where an area was divided into two. Two teams gathered on either side of the line and they had one minute to toss socks onto the side of the opposing team. The team with the most socks on their side lost. I thought what a great way to do REVIEW. Have 7 pairs of socks/bandanas/cloth strips (whatever) in colors that relate to subject. Your team has to answer a review question for each "sock" on your side of the line when game is done. I think I would (this is me) make enough "socks" to have at least 3+ weeks of review for each subject. Would be wild, but really fun and cover a lot of ground quickly.
- Relay race review- answer question-run back, next up, question-run back, next up.... set timer and go! Team with most questions answered correctly after set # of minutes wins.
- Blind answers-students sit blindfolded or backs to one another, question is posed, first student to raise hand or stand up gets to answer. Or say memory work RIGHT or WRONG and have the mark on dry erase board T or F and hold up. Keep score.
- My kids love craziness, one of the things we do is gather around the kitchen counter to do quizzing. If they get the question right, I throw a wet paper towel at them and they get to throw it back and try to hit me with it, I duck and turn etc. Paper is slower, doesn't hurt and doesn't splatter. Not sure why, but this is a huge hit.
- Drill race- I give the kids the memory cards and have them drill each other. I turn on the online timer (which has an explosion at end and big wick) and they have to try and take turns asking questions. If they reach a certain goal within the time frame, they get a prize. (chocolate chip, free time etc) Question does NOT count if they get it wrong. They cannot answer each other's questions.
- Review Hopscotch. Each square is a subject, toss coin, jump and answer.
- Saying memory work in various voices. Frog, princess, cowboy, old lady, old man
- One eye covered, both eyes covered.... can you say it?
- Era Costume
- Use funny pointers. I couldn't find one the other day and I used a goofy floppy shark. Kids thought it was hysterical and totally stayed with me.
- Be hard of hearing.... have them repeat by pretending to have something in ear.
- Worksheet races
- Balloon pop review Pre-make balloons with subject within, kids get to pop and get a question for that subject
- Yarn review put vocab, latin, or mathfacts etc on a board with index cards. Teams of kids must connect with tape and yarn the correct answers.
- Basketball Review Ball or bean bag or balloon, teams take turns throwing item in laundry basket. If they miss they get latin/timeline, if they bounce off side they get math/science, if they get in they get history/presidents. If it bounces AND gets in, they get english.
- Magnet Dart Review Throw magnet dart or perhaps you do subject boxes on floor with tape and they throw a bag then get asked which subject of which they are closest.
- Jeopardy
- Wheel of Fortune, mystery word on board. Answer question, get it right, guess a letter.
- Family Feud Smack buzzer to answer first.
- Toss ball around, you catch, you answer question
- Subjects on floor, toss bag. Nearest subject to bag-answer question for that subject
- Freeze Dance Random questioning
- Do a how NOT to present presentation and audience
- Do How To do a presentation- diaper a pineapple
- Stickers on the forehead of audience, get look, remove sticker.
- Do a Latin Tongue Twister
- Have an impromptu bag for kids not prepared to present. Have it filled with items or cards they can spring board off as their subject. OR Timeline cards, pix etc.
- Mouth Check, Chair Check, Feet Check, Hands Check, Heart Check....
- Folders with pocket make great "cover the title" for timeline cards as does an empty kleenex box.
- Kleenex- kids put kleenex over face and blow it into a bucket, tray or taped area on floor. If they get it in boundaries they win a point. Only get to try if they answer a question correctly.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Oh, it isn't just me?
My friend Becky told me when I began this homeschooling journey that "God's grace is sufficient." Boy is she right! Although I feel like a hamster on a wheel trying to do the best thing and provide the best education, I constantly feel as if I am sub-par. My kids will be the lowest on the educational scale and I will be a huge failure. They will need years of therapy to undo the emotional and educational damage. The neighbors will whisper how I failed them, the family will cluck their tongues in disappointment. Oh the agony of it all!
However, despite my angst, God is creating something beautiful and wonderful in my children. No, not perfect, but miraculous works-in-progress. I am so thrilled and so humbled that they learn in spite of my spastic nature. Thank you Lord for letting me have this opportunity to grow and to watch my children blossom close up.
I know that I am not alone in the journey and would love to hear your words of wisdom. Thank God for community. Thank God for our freedoms. Thank God for our children.
However, despite my angst, God is creating something beautiful and wonderful in my children. No, not perfect, but miraculous works-in-progress. I am so thrilled and so humbled that they learn in spite of my spastic nature. Thank you Lord for letting me have this opportunity to grow and to watch my children blossom close up.
I know that I am not alone in the journey and would love to hear your words of wisdom. Thank God for community. Thank God for our freedoms. Thank God for our children.
FUN Websites and Links-bring a pillow, you may be here a while
How blessed are we to have the entire world at our fingertips! The internet is an endless resource! Learn to refine your search criteria and you can find some real gems. Here are a bunch we have visited from time to time. These are secular sites that, from what I saw, had decent content or games. I have others that I will post later but I need to confirm links are still active. Have fun!
http://zenhabits.net/100-ways-to-have-fun-with-your-kids-for/
funbrain.com
factmonster.com
primarygames.com
http://www.eduplace.com/edugames.html
Online Education Games
kidspast.com (LOVE this site)
kidsknowit.com
kidsnumbers.com
http://zenhabits.net/100-ways-to-have-fun-with-your-kids-for/
funbrain.com
factmonster.com
primarygames.com
http://www.eduplace.com/edugames.html
Online Education Games
kidspast.com (LOVE this site)
kidsknowit.com
kidsnumbers.com
bicyclecards.com |
kidsgeo.com |
nationalgeographic.com |
momshomeroom.com |
thekidzpage.com |
schoolexpress.com |
homeschooling-ideas.com superchargedscience.com kidspast.com adaptedmind.com (this is our MATH program-LOVE IT) bigiqkids.com schoolhousetech.com kidskonnect.com madglibs.com historyforkids.org online-stopwatch.com (fun to use for games) tryscience.org kidzworld.com videos.howstuffworks.com YOUTUBE- machonacho song for states and capitals, schoolhouse rock, CC people doing various things, just be safe but search out. LOTS of fun stuff. history.com (my kids can pass the citizenship test, can you? The online history games are addictive, be careful!) |
Listing of games/activities #1
Many of these apply to Cycle 2, but can be modified for any CC cycle.
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Welcome to my Mental Overflow!
Hi, my name is Rebecca and I am a proud homeschool mom of 4 using "Classical Conversations" as my curriculum. I am so thrilled to find a God-centered curriculum that helps me nurture and mold my children into the Christian leaders of tomorrow. God has blessed us in so many ways and to be able to "hang with my babies" is the best gift!!
I LOVE CC and this year have signed up to be a tutor. However, as a tutor I am restricted somewhat to stick to the "stick in the sand" method of modeling for the parents. As an overly creative, silly and energetic soul, I wanted to create an outlet for my plethora of ideas and activities. WARNING: Some ideas may not be completely "classical" (eek!), but if you like what you see, feel free to share the blog!
I will be adding thoughts and ideas throughout the year. I hope you like it and do share your ideas as well! We'll stick them on here!
I LOVE CC and this year have signed up to be a tutor. However, as a tutor I am restricted somewhat to stick to the "stick in the sand" method of modeling for the parents. As an overly creative, silly and energetic soul, I wanted to create an outlet for my plethora of ideas and activities. WARNING: Some ideas may not be completely "classical" (eek!), but if you like what you see, feel free to share the blog!
I will be adding thoughts and ideas throughout the year. I hope you like it and do share your ideas as well! We'll stick them on here!
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