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Thursday, January 28, 2016
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Friday, January 22, 2016
Weekly Wrap Up 19
School has been going wonderful.
We have also had a birthday!!
Hubby got our Valentine gift - Tim Hawkins tickets!! OH HOW FUN! I AM SO EXCITED!
My oldest two have been working very independent the last year or so but I've really pushed a lot to get them almost 90% independent at this point. My smallest is the only place I spend a lot of time teaching anymore.
We are still doing History together and Science but that is all.
I love the freedom that I have worked all these years for! It's exciting and scary all the same.
Life has presented some wonderful opportunities for my family. We should know more next week. I can't say much just because of what it is about but friends pray for my family.
Foster son may become adopted son soon. Prayers for that too!
Snow - You got any? We do! BOO!
God has a sense of humor - Want to know why?
My birthday was Wednesday and guess what I got for my present? SNOW. I HATE HATE HATE SNOW!
FUNNY.
At this point I'm just blessed with another day and to be healthy! I'll take it.
Happy Homeschooling ~ Enjoy your weekend!
Thursday, January 14, 2016
The Pencil Grip, Inc { Review }
A few weeks before Christmas I was contacted by The Pencil Grip, Inc to see if I would be interested in reviewing a new product for them.
After looking over the product I knew for sure we would love to try it out.
Kwik Stix Tempera Paint Sticks arrived the week before Christmas however we where on break so I hid them away until we started school back for a nice surprise!
There are a few different option when looking to purchase these:
6 Pack, 12 Pack or the 96 pack.
We received the 12 pack valued at $11.95.
My kiddos have really enjoyed using these paint sticks.
They are so simple to use.
Pull out of package.
Remove the lid.
Put the stick on paper. They remind me of a glue stick but they paint!
Draw with the stick and enjoy making a beautiful masterpiece.
The best part - NO MESS. NONE AT ALL.
No water to worry about either.
You don't have to prepare the surface or the kids before using these like normal tempera paint.
Man I wish I would have had these a few years ago when my children where smaller!
I would love to post some pictures of my foster son using these, he is 5 but by law I can't. My other children are 11 and 13 and loved using them.
My kids couldn't believe how fast they dried. So they actually didn't mess up any drawing they made because it dried to the touch so fast before starting another piece of the picture.
Not only did they graciously send me the 12 pack Kwik Stix but I was blessed with 2 Pencil Grips too!
They have several different grips to help with different problems the child may be having.
We received the Original Pencil Grip $1.79 and the Pinch Grip $1.79.
The Original Pencil Grip helps with training the child to use the right position when holding a pencil. Also it helps the bad habits from taking over during writing too.
The Pinch Grip, I immediately gave to my youngest son. It is gentle for proper placement of your fingers and it is very comfortable while being able to maintain control. My youngest son has really enjoyed using this and loves that it feels so good on his fingers.
They also offer a Crossover design for correct positions and to help stop fingers from crossing over top of each other and also the Jumbo Grip which is 40% larger!
All grips are latex free!
All grips can be used regardless if you are a lefty or righty!
Find them on Facebook at The Pencil Grip, Inc.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Top Picks By Homeschoolers
Is it just me or can you believe that another year has come and gone?
I am simply amazed that another year has gone and I am left reflecting on what I need to do in our homeschooling, what are our next goals, what do we need to work on more...
You know how it goes. It is a vicious cycle.
We school year round. It helps to keep us focused, however sometimes items just don't work and we simply change out that publisher. That actually happened 2 weeks in our new school year - Yeah really!
My best advice for your new school year is to teach your children the way they learn, not the way you want to teach them!
Laugh, hug, be silly and enjoy eating together. Those days go by way to fast friends.
No matter what may be on your lesson plan for 2016, consider the resources below. Members within the Educents community put a list together of their favorite homeschool resources. If you'd like to learn more about the resource, just click the link! If you want to get more involved in the Educents community to learn more about homeschooling and the curriculum offered on Educents, join the Educents Facebook group!
Emily of Smith Squad recommends the Life of Fred books.
“As a child, I always hated math, even though I was good at it because it was soon boring. When I heard about Fred, I knew he had to be a part of our homeschool. My kids absolutely LOVE when it’s math time, and they are learning a ton about how to apply math to every day practical situations.”
Lisa Marie of The Canadian Homeschooler uses the Writecraft and Mathcraft Units.
"The writing portion of this resource was the first time EVER that my oldest son ever willing wrote anything! He was excited to write instead of hating it."Allison of Just Add Coffee loves the Magic School Bus Science Experiments.
“I absolutely love Magic School bus and all it has to offer. Each month you get a different science kit to take a Magic School Bus adventure. If you search really hard, online you can even find curriculum to go with each science kit and the episode from the television series.”
Lisa of Chickens and Bunnies Homeschool loves the Life of Fred Elementary Books.
“My favorite resource at Educents at the moment is Life of Fred. There are so many to choose from I picked the Elementary Series. My kids love these books; we have them up to high school now. My most recent order was Life of Fred Chemistry. My kids will do these without arguing and love Fred and Kingie!”Celena of The Traveling Sisterhood recommends the Times Tales Multiplication videos.
"I love Times Tales because it's made this year's math lessons so much easier! My kiddos quickly mastered their multiplication tables in one sitting with the movie. It's been such a blessing--instead of drills everyday, we can take more time to learn the actual concepts behind the facts!"
Kelly of Raising Samuels loves the Magic School Bus Science Club.
“The Magic School Bus Science Club is something your child gets in the mail each month, for a year! It includes numerous experiments per month, along with most of the materials required. (except household items such as scissors and tape). It is an incredible hands-on learning experience that helps children love science and have fun! My sons who are 4 and 6 absolutely love it!”Amy of Busy Boys Brigade recommends the Life of Fred Beginning Readers.
“Life of Fred Early Readers series has been a game changer in our homeschool! Both my 6 & 4-year-old boys beg me to do their reading lessons now that we have added Life of Fred. I have noticed an increase in their fluency and comprehension.”
Jenn of Chaotic Bliss Homeschooling also loves Times Tales.
"All three of my girls, ages 8 down to 4 loved watching this DVD and learning the stories. In 1 hour, both of my older girls had memorized their upper times tables! And the real kicker is I was only trying to teach one!"Amy of Teaching in Blue Jeans uses Learn to Mod Minecraft with her son.
"Learn to Mod Minecraft is an amazing program that teaches my son, a Minecraft lover, important computer programming skills through a game he loves to play. The lessons are easy to use, fun and engaging. I love that he is a learning a skill that I am not able to teach him."
Tabitha of Life Learning Homeschool uses the King Tut Mini Unit.
“My son loves history (he gets it from me), and I love to throw in “extras” to feed the need for more than what our curriculum calls for. Mini-units are great for that, and this was one of our favorites because we both love Ancient Egypt!”Amy from Not Your Average Homeschool Mom loves Minecraft Mod Design.
“I love that you can be totally creative, and these are all hands-on. Helps to build critical thinking skills too.”
Kayla of The Arrowood Zoo loves using Magformers for lessons at home.
"I love that you can be totally creative and these are all hands-on. Helps to build critical thinking skills too."
Shelly of Free Homeschooling 101 recommends the Violin Starter Set.
"The violin starter set includes everything a budding violinist needs to begin their studies. The instrument is well made and economical. The lessons that are included are a huge money saver!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miJXCpi20DURebecca of Hip Homeschooling likes Magformers.
“We LOVE Magformers in our homeschool! They are a high-quality toy that provide hours of creative play. They are a great way to bring the fun back into your homeschool; your kids won’t even realize they are learning all about structures and geometric shapes and architecture (bonus!).”
Teri of Mommy Wife Life recommends the Spectacular Space Unit Study.
“A great resource for young astronomers is the Spectacular Space Unit Study. From writing, reading, math, and crafts, this complete unit, with its simple terms, will spark the interest of even your preschoolers!”
Jamie of Simple Homeschool loves Life of Fred too!
“I love the way the math is naturally integrated into Fred’s life, showing the importance of it in day-to-day life. The chapters are laugh-out-loud funny, and I often get asked to read “just one more.” I’ve never been a huge fan of math workbooks and worksheets, so the combination of math and story is a major win in my books!”Gabriella, Homeschooling Consultant, recommends the Number Formation Poems.
“We have these cards laminated because we know they’ll be used for years to come. My son, who learns best through rhyme and tactile input, is learning to write digits using these easy-to-remember number formation poems! I have reduced the size of the cards, added a ring binder, and now have a portable number set. We also use the cards for matching games and learning about quantity. Such a great price for all of the value provided by this set.”
What homeschool resource did you use this year that you would recommend? Leave your recommendation in the comments!!
Friday, January 8, 2016
Weekly Wrap Up #17
Wonderful first week back at schooling. I tell ya each year I find more and more reasons to love what I do. Homeschooling is awesome.
We started back Monday for the first time in 2 weeks.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season.
We celebrated a birthday Monday. My baby - yes baby - turned 11. I can't believe how fast time goes by and looking at him I am just in ahh of how awesome God has blessed me as a mother.
This week was all about getting back in routine.
I think I took it pretty easy on them this week because they where finished most days by 11:30.
NOTED.
We had really great attitudes together getting started back, this is always one area I worry about.
Bed time being enforced was the only part that I heard sighs and puffs...
Game day rules where back in effect too but honestly I loved how when Wednesday rolled around they were outside playing instead.
Zachary finished his Wordly Wise Workbook B yesterday. He only took 2 months to complete this workbook. Next week I will order the next one and we will move on.
Kyle is struggling big time with Algebra. I stink at it and can offer no help. I have even watched the videos. I think I've cried more than him. Hubby is awesome at it however he is at work and his hours do not really allow for time to come home and teach. I am unsure of what we are going to do at this point but I am praying that the Lord would show me a different view. Looking into Life of Fred books at a high school level to see if that would work better but just pray about it please with me.
He stole my sugar-free homemade ketchup.
Alexis worked on her first report this week! She did great. She is my perfectionist and had a huge panic attack over me talking to her about "indenting" the paragraphs. After she wrote the first one I told her to come talk to me and I would show her all her drama was for nothing... Mama was right, she actually laughed and said "that's it?" - YEP!
Foster son has had a horrid week back at school. Bless his autistic heart. We knew the routine would take a week or so to get back into, so yesterday went a lot better for him and the teachers.
Overall wonderful first week back.
Hope your homeschooling went as well as ours did.
Happy Homeschooling!
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