Wordless Wednesday Week 31

Weekly Wrap Up 30

We are finishing so much of our planned course work and it delights my children to no end. You see we are year round homeschoolers but several years ago when they got older we agreed that any workbook or curriculum that was completed after February wouldn't be replaced. They hold me to that rule even when I try to bend it some. You see after the curriculum is finished up for the year they get to do fun learning, independent learning or if you dare say UNSCHOOLING. We use lapbooks, notebooking, movies and reading as our main learning tools to fill in those "gaps".

This week Lexi finished up Spelling You See F. She has really loved that item. It has taught her some awesome facts about ancient history and what girl doesn't like to write?  She is doing beautiful on her piano playing. She has a beautiful piece she is learning for recital. Some days I just sit back and look stare at the beautiful woman she is becoming. It delights my heart but at the same time hurts too. I pray for her protection so much.

This week I have really praised God a lot for allowing my family to homeschool. We are working on year 12 in August!! I just can't believe how we got started and that I stayed the course and started homeschooling my other babies too. God is so good and he is so faithful even when we are not. I am proud to homeschool my children and am so thankful to God and my husband for this path we were pushed down. 

Kyle is helping prepare Zachary for baseball. They have been learning the new signs and rules for the season. I love when they work together. Kyle has been helping every practice and game.

Kyle finished up US History Detective this week too! He loved that curriculum and actually asked if there was another book. I hadn't planned on getting him the second one but may just have to find space for it next year. I am battling a lot of feelings with enrolling him for dual enrollment at the college this fall. I have been praying about it and guess I will keep on doing just that until I feel comfortable with the decision.

Zachary is doing so great with reading we only have 11 more lessons left!! He is so excited. We have worked super hard on this and it sure showed on his annual testing this year. He has been helping get the garden area clear and ready for planting which is I think one of his favorite things to help with this time of year. His baseball team is doing really well too. He is pitching again this year and although it scares me to death it delights his heart.

Overall our family has gotten back into a normal routine from our break and our foster son leaving. I can't believe he is gone, it has been a hard adjustment although it was one that was needed. After 14 months you love a child, care for them and you totally have an empty spot. He did go to his forever home and that is what it all was about. God timed everything just right. 

We are still trying to finish several projects and I can't wait to post finished pictures!

I have been planning for next year - Have you?

Happy Homeschooling.

Educational Resources You Need To Know About {Educents}

Educents is the trusted resource for every child's education. If your child is interested in Minecraft, butterflies, space, architecture, traveling.. you name it.. the hundreds of Sellers on Educents probably offer a way to turn your child's interests into a fun lesson. Keep scrolling to check out what's new, what's popular, and shop Educents deals by grade. Don't miss Educents' new freebie at the bottom of this post!

What's new?

3D Animation Course - Kids will learn key 3D character animation concepts in this year-long online course as they create animated movies using their favorite Minecraft characters. Kids will learn all the necessary skills to create fun animated shorts, laying the foundation for a future career in animation, or simply giving kids a productive outlet for their love of Minecraft! Recommended for ages 8 to 14.

Beginning Architecture Course - Frank Lloyd Wright never had it this good! This three-part series of Beginning Architecture e-courses is the perfect gift for young Lego® and Minecraft® enthusiasts.

17 Activities for Number Recognition and Counting - This bundle includes a variety of games, worksheets, and activities for practicing number recognition and counting.

Math Galaxy Fraction Riddles eBook Bundle - This bundle contains 6 pdf eBooks with printable worksheets in a riddle format like Wheel-of-Fortune, where answers to fraction problems give clues to riddles plus 2 pdf eBooks on length, area, volume, capacity, weight, and angles.

Weather & Water Cycle Thematic Unit Bundle - Get 40% off two complementary thematic units for the weather and the water cycle! These engaging units integrate science, language arts, writing, math, social studies, art and drama.

What's popular?

Tegu Blocks - Tegu blocks are finely crafted magnetic wooden blocks that are just the right size for on-the-go fun.

Times Tales Multiplication DVDs - A creative, innovative mnemonic-based program that makes it fun and easy to memorize the upper multiplication facts.

WILD Math Uno Card Games - Who doesn’t like to play games?  Students will love to play these WILD games and you will love that they are reinforcing key skills while doing so!  They are great for math centers, fast finishers, or even days you have a substitute!

Life of Fred Elementary Math Books - Life of Fred is a series of math books that break of the old pattern of drill and kill. Instead of nothing but dry exposition and endless drill exercises, they contain fun stories about Fred Gauss, a child prodigy math genius. During his hilarious adventures, he encounters situations that call for solving math problems. Children actually want to read these books.

Ultimate K-12 Homeschool Package -  “I've tried a LOT of homeschool curriculum products over the years, and quite frankly this is the best value available in a secular curriculum package and it's easy on the parent. I'm homeschooling two kids and it's very easy to have them read the lesson and complete the assignments independently, then later the teacher's guides make it easy on me to review their work and correct it. The content is interesting and relates to the real world in a way that makes sense to the kids, especially the math problems. You also can't beat the price. I'm shocked that this curriculum isn't better known. You will pay a lot more for comparable products that won't have the quality this one has, and I've done the research and spent the money to be able to say that with authority.” -Judith A.

Grades Pre-K to 2nd

The Ultimate Kinder Bundle - Eight kindergarten digital textbooks for one low price! You get both the student and teacher's editions for 4 different subjects: Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science.

Wooden Standing Art Easel - The Melissa & Doug children's easel makes any room into an art studio!

Picture Writing Prompts (Spring Bundle) - These picture writing prompts will get your little writers spending more time writing and less time saying "I don't know what to write about!"

K-8 Literature Package - This set covers all of your literature needs!

Tegu Blocks - Tegu blocks are finely crafted magnetic wooden blocks that are just the right size for on-the-go fun.

Math Wall Decals - Play with math on the walls! These fun and colorful decals help teach difficult concepts in a new way!

WILD Reading & Phonics Card Games - Who doesn't like to play games? Students will love to play these WILD games and you will love that they are reinforcing key skills while doing so!

Online Language Program - Use this incredible opportunity to include foreign language into your next year curriculum! Choose from Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Russian or ESL English Videos, songs, and games help learners become bilingual FAST!

Beginning Basketball eBook - Introduce your child to the great game of basketball with this ebook. This book will introduce the fundamental skills needed to play basketball. You will also learn the basic rules and strategies of the game.

Magformers Set - The coolest manipulative we've seen in years!

Character Education for K-12 Learners - Character education takes commitment to teach it consistently. This curriculum will appeal to teachers and parents who feel strongly about making that type of difference in the lives of their students and children.

17 Activities for Number Recognition and Counting - This bundle includes a variety of games, worksheets, and activities for practicing number recognition and counting.

Grades 3rd to 5th

The Ultimate Middle School Digital Resource - The Ultimate Middle School Package provides you with 24 comprehensive Sixth through Eighth Grade Digital Textbooks in the areas of Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies! Includes both the Student and Teacher's Edition!

Beginning Architecture Course - Frank Lloyd Wright never had it this good! This three-part series of Beginning Architecture e-courses is the perfect gift for young Lego® and Minecraft® enthusiasts.

Times Tales Multiplication DVDs - A creative, innovative mnemonic-based program that makes it fun and easy to memorize the upper multiplication facts.

Science Themed Wall Play Sets - These durable fabric PEEL, PLAY & LEARN sets can work for younger children and older children alike. Whether you are homeschooling multiple aged children or looking for something to challenge kids in the classroom, our interactive wall play sets will fit in perfectly.

Guitar Beginning Pack for Kids - The eMedia My Guitar Beginner Pack is a great guitar package designed to get children started learning the basics of music in a fun way.

PrepToon Math Videos & Worksheets - This set of videos will help students learn operations in base ten. Animations help you show the math concepts visually and engage your students in learning from minute one.

Fraction Math Animations - These videos and worksheets will help you show the math concepts visually and engage your students in learning from minute one.

Beginning Basketball eBook - Introduce your child to the great game of basketball with this ebook. This book will introduce the fundamental skills needed to play basketball. You will also learn the basic rules and strategies of the game.

Classical Composter & Instruments Lapbook - Study the great classical composers and instruments using this hands-on tool. This Lapbook contains no music theory. Create booklets to place inside the Lapbook folders, and improve retention of the information.

Math Galaxy Fraction Riddles eBook Bundle - This bundle contains 6 pdf eBooks with printable worksheets in a riddle format like Wheel-of-Fortune, where answers to fraction problems give clues to riddles plus 2 pdf eBooks on length, area, volume, capacity, weight, and angles.

Grades 6th to 8th

Zone Cleaning for Kids -  Any parents who want to get (and keep) their children more involved in household chores - here’s the answer!

3D Animation Course - Kids will learn key 3D character animation concepts in this year-long online course as they create animated movies using their favorite Minecraft characters. Kids will learn all the necessary skills to create fun animated shorts, laying the foundation for a future career in animation, or simply giving kids a productive outlet for their love of Minecraft! Recommended for ages 8 to 14.

Learn to Code with Minecraft - Learn to modify the Minecraft game with this year-long online course that teaches kids programming with Java™. Code their own Minecraft mod from start to finish and watch as the end result becomes a unique, shareable Minecraft mod that they built from scratch. Recommended for ages 8 to 14.

Beginning Basketball eBook - Introduce your child to the great game of basketball with this ebook. This book will introduce the fundamental skills needed to play basketball. You will also learn the basic rules and strategies of the game.

Understanding Health Challenges Lapbooks - Get 75% OFF of these FUN, Hands-on lapbooks! This package includes FOUR lapbooks designed to teach children about some common health challenges that they may have or may encounter with siblings or peers.

New Freebie

Toca Life Town App - You rule this Town, a play world where anything and everyone is welcome! With different locations and many classic Toca Boca characters, the everyday adventures in Town are infinite.

Wordless Wednesday Week 30

Educents Teacher Appreciation Giveaway

 

To celebrate Teacher Appreciation month, Educents, FreshGrade, S&S Worldwide, and the Sellers of Educents have partnered to give educators funding for their dream classrooms. The 7 educators with the most votes will win a combined $10,000! Any educator is eligible to win - teachers, homeschoolers, parents, and school administrators.

 

How to Win

Educators get pretty creative when it comes to raising money to cover expenses for classroom supplies. Many host bake sales, ask the community for second-hand supplies, or pay out of their own pockets. However, there's a new way to get money for your classroom... and it doesn't include raiding the aisles of your local dollar store. It's easy to enter to win the Educents Teacher Appreciation Giveaway, and it still requires a little creativity (see Step 3).  

Step 1: Save up to $5,000 in products for your dream classroom in your Educents wishlist. 

Step 2: Click “Enter to Win” on your wishlist page and create your voting profile. 

Step 3: Share with your friends, family and community and ask them to vote for you every day until May 6. This is your opportunity to get creative - how will you share your wishlist, and how will you involve your community to vote for you?? 

Any educator is eligible to win - teachers, homeschoolers, and school administrators. Ready to get started?

 

Vote for me

THIS SECTION OF THE POST IS OPTIONAL. TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD DO WITH $5000 IN FUNDS FOR YOUR CLASSROOM. WHAT IS ON YOUR WISHLIST? YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THE ITEMS ON YOUR EDUCENTS WISHLIST, INCLUDE A LINK TO YOUR WISHLIST, AND ENCOURAGE YOUR READERS TO VOTE FOR YOU TO WIN THE PRIZE! IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SHARE YOUR WISHLIST, JUST DELETE THIS SECTION.  

Here are a few other entries I love - vote for your favorite!

"Vote for me because I LOVE teaching. I have a wonderful class that is full of spirit and who loves to learn. I will be putting all my dream items to the end of the year lessons and summer school lessons." -Diana R. "I am a homeschooling mom of 4 children, and one baby on the way! We live on only my husband salary. I would love to create a dream classroom for them." - Gina H.

Getting Back At It

We took a 2 week break and I mean a break. We hardly used internet and TV. Weather was perfect and hubby was off the first week and it was just dreamy.

Started out with a great mini vacation at Great Wolf Lodge. We love going there overnight and if your a homeschooler you can use the homeschool discount and it normally out weighs any other discount.

We enjoyed some decor shopping for the house because I sold almost every piece of furniture we owned so I could buy some older pieces and restore. Yes hubby let me do it. We also tore down 4 yes 4 walls and opened up our kitchen to a very open floor plan. I walk in the door and can see through the entire living space now. I LoVe It! 

I've repainted and redesigned Lexi's room and the spare bedroom and they turned out perfect. 

Then disaster hit - we got the stomach bug! 4 out of 6 was down for the count including me! It was horrible but thankfully it only lasted for about 24 hours each person. 

Then my allergies kicked in fully. I have suffered terribly for almost 2 weeks. 

Last week we had our annual testing given that is required by our state. We use the Woodcock-Johnson test given by an administrator and love it. This is the 3rd year we have done it. 

I am happy to report that Zachary jumped 2 and a half grade levels in reading/language skills! This is huge improvement within a year for a dyslexic!! I just was so happy I cried with him in my arms praising God for the goals that had been reached. What I loved was the administrator of the test knew our struggles and had talked with me through out the year about them and she was just so happy for us too! 

Each of my children improved greatly, I actually joked about why would I even school my older two anymore lol... I may just give them books from here on out. (maybe)

Other than that we are trying to get back in to the routine of schoolwork, shooting practice, baseball and just life. 

Fostering has been very hard the last few months. We are letting our current foster son that has been with us for over 14 months go to a new home. We have prayed and had this situation covered in so many prayers that God just worked everything out because he is actually not just going to any home - he is going to his FOREVER HOME. PRAISE GOD and I give him all the glory in working things out. I ask for prayers for this because this will be hard on all sides. He is severely autistic and will need prayers while we work on transition.