Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Inspirational thoughts

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.

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???

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.
  1. 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
  2. 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, 
  3. At my daughter's camp, they did a quick version of the Hokey Pokey to start the day and get the wiggles out.
  4. I also liked the "shark clap", where kids put hands on top of head and clapped.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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. 
  10. 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.
  11. Review Hopscotch. Each square is a subject, toss coin, jump and answer.
  12. Saying memory work in various voices. Frog, princess, cowboy, old lady, old man
  13. One eye covered, both eyes covered.... can you say it?
  14. Era Costume
  15. 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.
  16. Be hard of hearing.... have them repeat by pretending to have something in ear.
  17. Worksheet races
  18. Balloon pop review   Pre-make balloons with subject within, kids get to pop and get a question for that subject
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. Jeopardy
  23. Wheel of Fortune, mystery word on board. Answer question, get it right, guess a letter.
  24. Family Feud   Smack buzzer to answer first.
  25. Toss ball around, you catch, you answer question
  26. Subjects on floor, toss bag. Nearest subject to bag-answer question for that subject
  27. Freeze Dance   Random questioning
  28. Do a how NOT to present presentation and audience
  29. Do How To do a presentation- diaper a pineapple
  30. Stickers on the forehead of audience, get look, remove sticker.
  31. Do a Latin Tongue Twister
  32. 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. 
  33. Mouth Check, Chair Check, Feet Check, Hands Check, Heart Check.... 
  34. Folders with pocket make great "cover the title" for timeline cards as does an empty kleenex box.
  35. 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.

      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


      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.





      Idea Generator:
      • Decorate T-shirt with memory verses or Vocab words
      • Paper Mache flour-water 1/1 + paper - make something!
      • Solar System Mobile
      • Make a constellation-cover tube, poke holes, flashlight through
      • Create a terrarium
      • Science Museum Scavenger Hunt
      • Science Hunt-circles, metal, trees, earth, wheels, gears, measures, sound ocean
      • Food of Medieval Times
      • Bubbles 1 gal water, 40 drops gylc. 1/2 cup dishwash liquid
      • Castle Knights Kings Princess
      • Create a catapult
      • Write Letters to Soldiers
      • Make homemade paper
      • Write a Medieval fairy tale
      • Research famous Medieval characters
      • Eat like a Barbarian Day-no utensils!
      • Make a Marionette
      • Do plant rubbings
      • Mobius Strips
      • Balloon Bottle with baking soda and vinegar
      • Medieval bean-cake with hidden bean, bean finder is king of the feast
      • Blindman's Bluff
      • Chess, checkers & backgammon
      • Dice or Dominoes
      • Music of the times-recorder, horns, trumpet bells and drums- make or play
      • Taste the Era-water w/honey, barley breads, thick stew
      • Read Romantic Prose
      • Read about Epic Battles
      • Read Fables
      • Research Myths and Legends
      • 4-square Questionnaire
      • Dance to the grammar
      • Jeopardy
      • Watch YouTube Educationals
      • Chalk Challenges-make "levels" questions get harder per level. Write on driveway, can't leave level until answer question correctly.
      • H.O.R.S.E.  (get to shoot if ? correct)
      • Card games  (so many!!)
      • Make up Silly Songs/Sentences/Rhymes/Handshakes/Motions/Faces
      • Decorative word challenge day-who can say the most decorative words in a day
      • Chart Races-fill out EEL charts fastest
      • Money Games - do skip counting with coins
      • Measurement Challenge-give 10 measures, they have to find in house or yard.
      • Subject Bingo to choose ?
      • Wheel of Fortune  - Latin words, or history lists etc
      • Read aloud to tapes or computer and play back for your kids
      • Trivia match, like memory but matching cards are related, not exact. IE Scientist and invention, Latin-english, history-year etc
      • Multiple choice with goofy answers mixed in
      • Collage of a subject
      • Scrabble (for spelling and thinking skills)
      • Cooperation games
      • Word of the week- get a marble each time you use in correctly in a sentence, most marbles at end of week gets to bake cookies. (all are winners)
      • Relay Races-answer question, move on
      • Obstacle course-questions are part of obstacle
      • Hangman-guess keyword-elaborate
      • Vocab Pictionary
      • Elimination-Buzzer-3sec to answer-mix in goofy questions (which is bigger, a bus or an elephant?)
      • Vocab buster-who can say most in 30 sec.
      • Memory with Vocab words, who can remember the most without prompts.
      • Question bag-roll dice-highest die reaches in, get question right, get the #- first to 10 wins
      • Hidden Cards-Hide question cards throughout house-person who can find and answer most wins
      • Computer games online- tons!
      • Photo Scavenger Hunt-list of items with photo only-team effort
      • Shuffleboard/hopscotch quiz-# land, difficulty of question
      • Word Search-make online with whatever words you want. http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/WordSearchSetupForm.asp
      • Puzzle races with Geopuzzle
      • Wii challenge-must do question before and after turn
      • Coin toss challenge-head gets question, tails does not
      • Google Earth adventures-fly around the world.
      • Body, plant, geography, insect puzzle-draw out, cut up
      • Rollerskating-each round, get a ?
      • Name that timeline card  (hints from back)
      • GeoDrawing Challenge
      • Magnet Fishing-magnet on string, paperclips on cards chooses subject or question or for fun
      • Play Yahtzee, blackjack, cards-multiplication or addition "War"
      • Family read or Book club-read same book, discuss
      • Deep Holiday research for various countries
      • Mimic the artist painting/drawing
      • Do Random Acts of Kindness
      • Make a Thankful Tree
      • Eat at a related restaurant to study- practice foreign language on servers! Talk about foods, customs.
      • Sequence Card challenge
      • Make a flipbook
      • Create a weapon of era -bow/arrow/catapult
      • Do Photography TimeLapse or make simple video
      • Make applehead dolls- carve an apple face, let dry, make body. (toys of old) Or make other old fashioned toys-stick and hoop, etc  http://www.appledolls.org/page2.html
      • Make silly putty  http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,make_silly_putty,FF.html
      • Make leaf placemats with sticky clear contact paper
      • Stargaze
      • Hula hoop contest-discuss motion
      • Do nature sculpture
      • Do Self Portraits
      • Marshmallow sculptures
      • Create a marble run with things around the house
      • Visit the elderly-listen to stories, hand out flowers or candy
      • Do Feed My Starving Children, study the country it will go to
      • Wash the car-discuss parts
      • Pick your own veggie etc      farms, garden, plant recognition hunt w/pix

      • Cook up some fun- plant cell pizza, animal cell cookie, jello molds of parts and things let your imagination go wild....
      • Flowerpot pens- parts of the plant
      • Word twist, string together 6-8 vocab or latin words, have kids make as many words as they can find.

      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!