I'm very proud of my compassionate children! Below is a letter they have written to accompany cards and envelopes to send to soldiers overseas. It's their service project.
Dear Friend,
My brother/sister and I, after reading a book called 100 Days and 99 Nights, decided to do a service project for our soldiers overseas.
In this baggie you will find Christmas ornaments (to be used as greeting cards) that we created, and pre-addressed and pre-stamped envelopes. Write a Christmas wish for a soldier on the back of the ornament, stick it in the envelope, and drop it in the mailbox.
In order for the cards to arrive in time for Christmas, please mail by December 6th.
Thank you,
Elliot and YaYa Moulton
If you would like to participate in our service project, please let me know how many baggies of cards and pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelopes you would like. There are 5 cards/envelopes per bag. To partially off-set some of our expenses, we're asking for a donation of $5.00 per bag of 5 cards.
You can email me at beetlebug68@hotmail.com or comment on this post.
peace,
shana
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Memoirs
In Language Arts this week, we studied memoirs.
In Reading:
We read three different memoirs:
1. Flight: The Journey of Charles Lindbergh by Robert Burleigh
2. My brother Martin: A Sister Remembers--Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Christine King Farris
3. Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story by Cynthia Rylant
We took notes on the books and the author's writing style. Then, we took notes on "What We Noticed About Memoirs."
In Writing:
We read the first chapter of Ralph Fletcher's book, A Writer's Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You. We discussed "Unforgettable Stories" and how those stories can be the memories that spark our own memoir. The kids brainstormed a list of some of their favorite memories, and one of those will develop into their own memoir.
Elliot already started drafting his. He crafted his title much the way the authors of the memoirs we read crafted theirs. His title is "My Friend: A Pilot Story." It begins like this: "It was a dark morning when my dad woke my sister and I up at three o'clock. . . "
YaYa decided upon a memory, but realized that she might not have enough detail to create an effective memoir, so she's revisiting her list.
They are "being real writers"--making decisions, experimenting, conferring with each other. . .
They have a "Travel WNB (Writer's Notebook)" with them on their trip to Maine (there for a week with their dad--his whole family is there). They know to jot down anything that might lead to a piece of writing later--airport, airplane, time with grandparents and 9 cousins, fishing, hiking, clamming. . . there are a lot of stories "brewing" in Maine!
In Reading:
We read three different memoirs:
1. Flight: The Journey of Charles Lindbergh by Robert Burleigh
2. My brother Martin: A Sister Remembers--Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Christine King Farris
3. Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story by Cynthia Rylant
We took notes on the books and the author's writing style. Then, we took notes on "What We Noticed About Memoirs."
In Writing:
We read the first chapter of Ralph Fletcher's book, A Writer's Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You. We discussed "Unforgettable Stories" and how those stories can be the memories that spark our own memoir. The kids brainstormed a list of some of their favorite memories, and one of those will develop into their own memoir.
Elliot already started drafting his. He crafted his title much the way the authors of the memoirs we read crafted theirs. His title is "My Friend: A Pilot Story." It begins like this: "It was a dark morning when my dad woke my sister and I up at three o'clock. . . "
YaYa decided upon a memory, but realized that she might not have enough detail to create an effective memoir, so she's revisiting her list.
They are "being real writers"--making decisions, experimenting, conferring with each other. . .
They have a "Travel WNB (Writer's Notebook)" with them on their trip to Maine (there for a week with their dad--his whole family is there). They know to jot down anything that might lead to a piece of writing later--airport, airplane, time with grandparents and 9 cousins, fishing, hiking, clamming. . . there are a lot of stories "brewing" in Maine!
Texas, Our Texas
In social studies this week, Elliot and YaYa studied the Texas Regions (climate, wildlife, plants, resources, geography).
They had two culminating projects:
1. They created a poster-sized map of Texas with all the regions (Pineywoods, Gulf Coast, South Texas Plains, Hill Country, Big Bend Country, Panhandle Plains, Lakes and Prairies). They labeled the regions, pasted on pictures of wildlife, pasted a picture that showed the terrain, and listed the climate, the resources, and the Texas Indians who lived in each region. The poster is gracing the door of our pantry. It's quite a detailed map. We will refer to the map throughout the year, adding information we learn about our great history.
2. They "walked in another's shoes" and wrote a journal entry from the perspective of an Indian child from a Texas Tribe. YaYa wrote a very realistic account from an Apache child. Elliot wrote a creative journal entry from a Tonkawa child. Their papers are displayed underneath the Texas map.
I filled them with Texas pride and knowledge before they left to go to Maine for a week with their dad.
Texas, our Texas! Oh hail the mighty state!
Texas, our Texas! So wonderful so great!
Boldest and grandest, witstanding ev'ry test
O Empire wide and glorious, you stand supremely blest!
God bless you, Texas! And keep you brave and strong!
That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long!
God bless you, Texas! And keep you brave and strong!
That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long!
They had two culminating projects:
1. They created a poster-sized map of Texas with all the regions (Pineywoods, Gulf Coast, South Texas Plains, Hill Country, Big Bend Country, Panhandle Plains, Lakes and Prairies). They labeled the regions, pasted on pictures of wildlife, pasted a picture that showed the terrain, and listed the climate, the resources, and the Texas Indians who lived in each region. The poster is gracing the door of our pantry. It's quite a detailed map. We will refer to the map throughout the year, adding information we learn about our great history.
2. They "walked in another's shoes" and wrote a journal entry from the perspective of an Indian child from a Texas Tribe. YaYa wrote a very realistic account from an Apache child. Elliot wrote a creative journal entry from a Tonkawa child. Their papers are displayed underneath the Texas map.
I filled them with Texas pride and knowledge before they left to go to Maine for a week with their dad.
Texas, our Texas! Oh hail the mighty state!
Texas, our Texas! So wonderful so great!
Boldest and grandest, witstanding ev'ry test
O Empire wide and glorious, you stand supremely blest!
God bless you, Texas! And keep you brave and strong!
That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long!
God bless you, Texas! And keep you brave and strong!
That you may grow in power and worth, throughout the ages long!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Shedding Tears and Creating Memories
We are wrapping up Week 4 at Frontier West. We have accomplished so much! This post explains what we've been up to since my last "progress" post (at the end of Week 2):
Language Arts:
Read-to: We finished reading Shiloh yesterday. As we read, we discussed the character development, the circumstances and consequences around the main character's lies, courage, family. . . they were each given a list of many choices for final projects; both chose to create PowerPoint presentations. They have already fully created their PPt presentations, including the story elements, their favorite part, their recommendation, and their text-self and text-text connections. They have shared their PowerPoint with their classmates and received quality feedback. We'll start a new book tomorrow.
Guided Reading: We have read several articles from Time for Kids, Texas Parks and Wildlife for Kids, and from websites. They're practicing taking notes, identifying cause and effect, and summarizing.
Writing Workshop: YaYa has gone through the whole writing process on her second story. She incorporated all the information from minilessons and created a really detailed story. Elliot is still drafting his second story, adding a great deal of details, and using his thesaurus regularly.
Cuddle-on-the-couch-after-lunch Reading: We finished reading Where the Red Fern Grows today, through major tears. I cried, they cried, YaYa claimed she hated the book, didn't want to finish it, and never wanted to read it again. I told them it was my favorite book, even though I cry every time I read it. The first time I read it, I read it on-the-couch-cuddling-with-my-Mommy, and we cried so hard at the end that neither one of us could read the ending out loud. I told them this story and as I "rocked" their tears away. I told them I couldn't wait to hear how their children liked it the first time they read it to them. We were pretty spent for the day, but we definitely created a memory.
Math:
Elliot is multiplying with double digits. He's using models and is beginning to use the algorithm.
YaYa is adding and subtracting with re-grouping. She used models for awhile but is beginning to use the algorithm.
Science:
We've finished up all the extreme weathers in Texas (droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods [and dams], blizzards) and will now learn a little bit about meterology before tackling our next topic. We studied floods and flash floods the day that Hurricane Hermine dumped on Austin, flooding much of the town. It was great for them to have background knowledge right in the middle of it, but it also caused a little stress and some fretting about our safety. Everyone piled in the master bedroom that night!
Social Studies:
YaYa has completed her research on the Texas Indians, and we will use her results to start our Texas History lessons. Elliot has researched Davy Crockett, and has gotten on an Abraham Lincoln kick. So, even though it doesn't directly tie to our Texas History curriculum, I'm letting his interests drive his work, so he's researching Abraham Lincoln right now.
We're having a remarkable experience. I'm so proud to be the mom and teacher of these two amazing children. I am blessed.
Language Arts:
Read-to: We finished reading Shiloh yesterday. As we read, we discussed the character development, the circumstances and consequences around the main character's lies, courage, family. . . they were each given a list of many choices for final projects; both chose to create PowerPoint presentations. They have already fully created their PPt presentations, including the story elements, their favorite part, their recommendation, and their text-self and text-text connections. They have shared their PowerPoint with their classmates and received quality feedback. We'll start a new book tomorrow.
Guided Reading: We have read several articles from Time for Kids, Texas Parks and Wildlife for Kids, and from websites. They're practicing taking notes, identifying cause and effect, and summarizing.
Writing Workshop: YaYa has gone through the whole writing process on her second story. She incorporated all the information from minilessons and created a really detailed story. Elliot is still drafting his second story, adding a great deal of details, and using his thesaurus regularly.
Cuddle-on-the-couch-after-lunch Reading: We finished reading Where the Red Fern Grows today, through major tears. I cried, they cried, YaYa claimed she hated the book, didn't want to finish it, and never wanted to read it again. I told them it was my favorite book, even though I cry every time I read it. The first time I read it, I read it on-the-couch-cuddling-with-my-Mommy, and we cried so hard at the end that neither one of us could read the ending out loud. I told them this story and as I "rocked" their tears away. I told them I couldn't wait to hear how their children liked it the first time they read it to them. We were pretty spent for the day, but we definitely created a memory.
Math:
Elliot is multiplying with double digits. He's using models and is beginning to use the algorithm.
YaYa is adding and subtracting with re-grouping. She used models for awhile but is beginning to use the algorithm.
Science:
We've finished up all the extreme weathers in Texas (droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods [and dams], blizzards) and will now learn a little bit about meterology before tackling our next topic. We studied floods and flash floods the day that Hurricane Hermine dumped on Austin, flooding much of the town. It was great for them to have background knowledge right in the middle of it, but it also caused a little stress and some fretting about our safety. Everyone piled in the master bedroom that night!
Social Studies:
YaYa has completed her research on the Texas Indians, and we will use her results to start our Texas History lessons. Elliot has researched Davy Crockett, and has gotten on an Abraham Lincoln kick. So, even though it doesn't directly tie to our Texas History curriculum, I'm letting his interests drive his work, so he's researching Abraham Lincoln right now.
We're having a remarkable experience. I'm so proud to be the mom and teacher of these two amazing children. I am blessed.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
What I Expect in a Classroom (or, more about why we're homeschooling)
One of my first posts addresses some of the reasons why we're homeschooling, but I feel urged to explain things a little further. . .
I am pasting in portions of a letter I wrote to the principal of the kids' school last year, in reference to Elliot's third grade experience. The letter is in blue.
As a professor of education and a former elementary school teacher, I have very strong beliefs about "best practices." I believe the following practices should be present and consistently followed in my child's classroom:
--Reading Workshop
--Social Studies taught through perspective-taking, multiple resources, and primary source documents
--A learner-centered environment where real-world applications for the curriculum are presented more often than not
--Differentiation of curriculum
In my son's current classroom, only a few "best practices" are being followed:
My son reads well above grade level, but he is not given the opportunity to read on his level. He is not in a book club. He writes in a journal, but does not go through the steps of the writing process. Occasionally, he struggles with a math concept, but he is not given additional instruction; instead, he brings home papers with notes on them that say, "Mom, please teach this concept to Elliot. He doesn't understand it." When I inquired about CGI or PBL math, I was told he gets to use manipulatives if he wants to. He completes worksheet after worksheet in math with very few problem solving problems. His math homework is often a coloring paper or studying for timed "Mad Minute" tests. He reads from the social studies textbooks and has conversations about what he has read, but he does not read from other resources. He does have a science notebook.
My son is a very bright child, but his intelligence does not always show up in traditional manners. He was tested for TAG at his previous school, but his test was analyzed here at your school, and he did not qualify for TAG placement. That, however, does not negate how smart he is and how he would benefit from "best practices" and some academic challenges.
My son is also a Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) (Elaine Aron's Highly Sensitive Child), and has some "quirks" about him. I've shared the document that is attached with all of Elliot's teachers, and until this year, they have celebrated the diversity that Elliot brings to a classroom and found ways to meet his needs without singling him out or causing a fuss. This document has fallen on deaf ears this year, causing some undue stress (especially in testing situations) to my son.
So, there you have it. . . my expectations are high. . . but, I know all of the above is do-able. I've done it in a very diverse elementary school classroom myself. Now, I'm doing it at home, for my children--the most important students I could ever have!
Frontier West is meeting the needs of all of its students! :-)
I am pasting in portions of a letter I wrote to the principal of the kids' school last year, in reference to Elliot's third grade experience. The letter is in blue.
As a professor of education and a former elementary school teacher, I have very strong beliefs about "best practices." I believe the following practices should be present and consistently followed in my child's classroom:
--Reading Workshop
- Whole class instruction in a novel or non-fiction text followed by time to write in a reading response notebook
- Book clubs/literature circles
- Some skill instruction as it relates to the books being read
- Independent/choice reading
- Mini lesson on craft
- Time to write, revise, confer (with peers and with teacher)
- Sharing in the Author's Chair
- Little to no "drill and kill'
- Learning math through problem solving, where any strategy that solves the problem is considered correct
- Learning the algorithms only after the concept is thoroughly understood
--Social Studies taught through perspective-taking, multiple resources, and primary source documents
--A learner-centered environment where real-world applications for the curriculum are presented more often than not
--Differentiation of curriculum
- Pushing forward, academically, where needed
- Providing additional assistance where needed
In my son's current classroom, only a few "best practices" are being followed:
- Whole class instruction in a novel in Language Arts
- Science being taught through a science notebook (sometimes) and a few hands-on experiences
My son reads well above grade level, but he is not given the opportunity to read on his level. He is not in a book club. He writes in a journal, but does not go through the steps of the writing process. Occasionally, he struggles with a math concept, but he is not given additional instruction; instead, he brings home papers with notes on them that say, "Mom, please teach this concept to Elliot. He doesn't understand it." When I inquired about CGI or PBL math, I was told he gets to use manipulatives if he wants to. He completes worksheet after worksheet in math with very few problem solving problems. His math homework is often a coloring paper or studying for timed "Mad Minute" tests. He reads from the social studies textbooks and has conversations about what he has read, but he does not read from other resources. He does have a science notebook.
My son is a very bright child, but his intelligence does not always show up in traditional manners. He was tested for TAG at his previous school, but his test was analyzed here at your school, and he did not qualify for TAG placement. That, however, does not negate how smart he is and how he would benefit from "best practices" and some academic challenges.
My son is also a Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) (Elaine Aron's Highly Sensitive Child), and has some "quirks" about him. I've shared the document that is attached with all of Elliot's teachers, and until this year, they have celebrated the diversity that Elliot brings to a classroom and found ways to meet his needs without singling him out or causing a fuss. This document has fallen on deaf ears this year, causing some undue stress (especially in testing situations) to my son.
So, there you have it. . . my expectations are high. . . but, I know all of the above is do-able. I've done it in a very diverse elementary school classroom myself. Now, I'm doing it at home, for my children--the most important students I could ever have!
Frontier West is meeting the needs of all of its students! :-)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wrapping Up Week 2 of School at Frontier West
My my my, it's quite amazing how much you can get done with only two students!!!
Accomplishments:
In math, both kids have "knocked out" the first several concepts:
time: Yaya--telling time in 5 minute increments and Elliot--elapsed time: done (please note, when I say "done," it means "done for now"--we will revisit these concepts throughout the year, but "done for now" means that they've mastered it sufficiently for now
number sense: YaYa--place value to the thousands and Elliot--place value to the billions: done
addition and subtraction: YaYa--two digit without re-grouping, Elliot--up to 4 digit with regrouping: done. YaYa has begun working on two digit addition and subtraction with regrouping, but hasn't mastered it yet.
In reading, we're halfway through our "read to" novel, Shiloh. They've been responding to this reading every day, focusing on the main character's character traits and what happens every time he lies (a little moral lesson here, too!). They've also been reading and taking notes about articles from Time for Kids and Keep Texas Wild (the children's section of Texas Parks and Wildlife).
In writing, YaYa has completed her first story (Duke, the Superhero--a fantasy story where Duke, our dog, fights evil and wins): brainstorming, done; first draft, done; revising, done; editing, done; publishing, done. She even got minilessons on quotation marks and compound sentences, and immediately incorporated her new knowledge into her story. Elliot is on the revising step for his first piece (Jesus Christ My Lord--a mini-biographical sketch of Jesus and why He is important). We'll be using a thesaurus as he revises to "spice up" his piece a little.
In science, we've investigated droughts in depth (no pun intended). We've moved on to hurricanes.
In social studies, YaYa is plugging away on her research on the Texas Indians. We'll use her information as our "starting place" for Texas History. Elliot is still gathering information about Davy Crockett.
We have school from about 9:15 a.m. (starting with the Pledge of Allegiance, a devotional, and a song) and work work work until about 1:30-1:45 p.m. with a lunch break in there, following the menu they planned. We've been pretty intensely working and learning. That intensity allowed us to take last Friday off completely, and take most of tomorrow (Friday) off as well. We will do a little work in the morning before we head out for hair appointments and my mom's retirement party.
Life is good at Frontier West! Yee Haw!!
Accomplishments:
In math, both kids have "knocked out" the first several concepts:
time: Yaya--telling time in 5 minute increments and Elliot--elapsed time: done (please note, when I say "done," it means "done for now"--we will revisit these concepts throughout the year, but "done for now" means that they've mastered it sufficiently for now
number sense: YaYa--place value to the thousands and Elliot--place value to the billions: done
addition and subtraction: YaYa--two digit without re-grouping, Elliot--up to 4 digit with regrouping: done. YaYa has begun working on two digit addition and subtraction with regrouping, but hasn't mastered it yet.
In reading, we're halfway through our "read to" novel, Shiloh. They've been responding to this reading every day, focusing on the main character's character traits and what happens every time he lies (a little moral lesson here, too!). They've also been reading and taking notes about articles from Time for Kids and Keep Texas Wild (the children's section of Texas Parks and Wildlife).
In writing, YaYa has completed her first story (Duke, the Superhero--a fantasy story where Duke, our dog, fights evil and wins): brainstorming, done; first draft, done; revising, done; editing, done; publishing, done. She even got minilessons on quotation marks and compound sentences, and immediately incorporated her new knowledge into her story. Elliot is on the revising step for his first piece (Jesus Christ My Lord--a mini-biographical sketch of Jesus and why He is important). We'll be using a thesaurus as he revises to "spice up" his piece a little.
In science, we've investigated droughts in depth (no pun intended). We've moved on to hurricanes.
In social studies, YaYa is plugging away on her research on the Texas Indians. We'll use her information as our "starting place" for Texas History. Elliot is still gathering information about Davy Crockett.
We have school from about 9:15 a.m. (starting with the Pledge of Allegiance, a devotional, and a song) and work work work until about 1:30-1:45 p.m. with a lunch break in there, following the menu they planned. We've been pretty intensely working and learning. That intensity allowed us to take last Friday off completely, and take most of tomorrow (Friday) off as well. We will do a little work in the morning before we head out for hair appointments and my mom's retirement party.
Life is good at Frontier West! Yee Haw!!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The rest of the story (at least for the first week). . .
We are moving right along with our education!! Here's what we're up to at Frontier West:
Language Arts:
Read to: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (their choice from a large stack of novels). We're reading the book, taking notes on character development, and the kids are responding in their RRJ (Reading Response Journal) every day after we read. The first day he responded, Elliot wrote an entire page of thoughts. He told me that was the longest response he had ever written and that he really wanted ti to be good so he would impress me. He did!
Independent Reading: Both kids are reading a book on their own. We will discuss these books and they will write a book analysis (not a book report) when they are finished.
Guided Reading: They're reading grade-level appropriate articles from Time for Kids and taking notes. After they complete an entire "magazine" of articles, they will answer critical thinking questions about the articles.
For Pleasure: Our "after-lunch-cuddle-up-on-the-couch-for-15-minutes" book is Where the Red Fern Grows. It's my favorite book from my childhood, and I want to share that experience with them. It's also providing great text-to-text connections with Shiloh.
Writing Workshop: We'll begin on Monday!
Math:
We're studying time. YaYa is learning to tell time in 5 minute increments and Elliot is working with elapsed time. I found a great website: Mathstories.com. It cost me $24 for a year's access--this website has pages and pages of story/word/problem solving problems for every TEKS in every grade level. I was writing all of my own problems, but now I can use some of the problems from Mathstories.com. It's already been well worth the investment, as I can use the problems not only with Elliot and YaYa but also with the students I tutor. I highly recommend this website for teachers in public schools and homeschools in Texas.
Science:
One of the displays at the Bob Bullock History of Texas museum was about the Wild Weather of Texas. We will be spending about a week or so delving deeper into the extremes in weather in Texas: droughts, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes. We are tying this information in with social studies by learning how the weather has affected the way people live in Texas for centuries.
Social Studies:
At the Bob Bullock History of Texas museum we got a wonderful overview of Texas History. We will delve into this history, sequentially, more throughout the year with readings, videos, research, adn more field trips--to Nacogdoches, Goliad, Gonzales, the Alamo, etc. Right now YaYa is researching several Indian groups who were living in Texas before colonization. She is gathering information on the region in Texas where they lived, the food they ate, where they got their water, the types of shelter they used, and the weather in that region (and how it affected the Indians' life)--and, extra interesting information (she requested this "box" on her research sheet because she wanted to discuss how the Spaniards introduced horses to the Apache Indians, and hunting buffalo on horseback changed the way the hunted). Elliot is researching Davy Crockett (birth date, when and why he moved to Texas, and his contribution to Texas history, and when and how he died), and soon he will begin researching the events leading up to and surrounding the Texas Revolution.
Music:
The kids are continuing their piano lessons with my best friend and concert pianist, Dr. Carla McElhaney. The three of them have great plans (I'm secretly hoping we have another "Christmas Piano Soiree" in our future). With me, the children will study various classical composers: their lives, their music, and what the neighbors thought (using Kathleen Krull's book Lives of the Musicians: Their Lives, Their Music, and What the Neighbors Thought).
PE:
In addition to YaYa's 10 hours of gymnastics workouts and Elliot's 9 hours of gymnastics workouts per week, I am taking them to Lifetime Fitness every day, and while I get my workout in, the play in the child center (the child center has quite and extensive playscape and gym of its own, and many computers--they've been playing on the playscape and playing tag for about 45 minutes and playing on the computers for about 15 minutes).
Art:
More to come, but it's coming! I believe I'll start with a study of artists: their lives, their art, and what the neighbors thought (a book similar to the music book--I haven't bought it yet, but I know it exists)!
We're really enjoying school!
Language Arts:
Read to: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (their choice from a large stack of novels). We're reading the book, taking notes on character development, and the kids are responding in their RRJ (Reading Response Journal) every day after we read. The first day he responded, Elliot wrote an entire page of thoughts. He told me that was the longest response he had ever written and that he really wanted ti to be good so he would impress me. He did!
Independent Reading: Both kids are reading a book on their own. We will discuss these books and they will write a book analysis (not a book report) when they are finished.
Guided Reading: They're reading grade-level appropriate articles from Time for Kids and taking notes. After they complete an entire "magazine" of articles, they will answer critical thinking questions about the articles.
For Pleasure: Our "after-lunch-cuddle-up-on-the-couch-for-15-minutes" book is Where the Red Fern Grows. It's my favorite book from my childhood, and I want to share that experience with them. It's also providing great text-to-text connections with Shiloh.
Writing Workshop: We'll begin on Monday!
Math:
We're studying time. YaYa is learning to tell time in 5 minute increments and Elliot is working with elapsed time. I found a great website: Mathstories.com. It cost me $24 for a year's access--this website has pages and pages of story/word/problem solving problems for every TEKS in every grade level. I was writing all of my own problems, but now I can use some of the problems from Mathstories.com. It's already been well worth the investment, as I can use the problems not only with Elliot and YaYa but also with the students I tutor. I highly recommend this website for teachers in public schools and homeschools in Texas.
Science:
One of the displays at the Bob Bullock History of Texas museum was about the Wild Weather of Texas. We will be spending about a week or so delving deeper into the extremes in weather in Texas: droughts, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes. We are tying this information in with social studies by learning how the weather has affected the way people live in Texas for centuries.
Social Studies:
At the Bob Bullock History of Texas museum we got a wonderful overview of Texas History. We will delve into this history, sequentially, more throughout the year with readings, videos, research, adn more field trips--to Nacogdoches, Goliad, Gonzales, the Alamo, etc. Right now YaYa is researching several Indian groups who were living in Texas before colonization. She is gathering information on the region in Texas where they lived, the food they ate, where they got their water, the types of shelter they used, and the weather in that region (and how it affected the Indians' life)--and, extra interesting information (she requested this "box" on her research sheet because she wanted to discuss how the Spaniards introduced horses to the Apache Indians, and hunting buffalo on horseback changed the way the hunted). Elliot is researching Davy Crockett (birth date, when and why he moved to Texas, and his contribution to Texas history, and when and how he died), and soon he will begin researching the events leading up to and surrounding the Texas Revolution.
Music:
The kids are continuing their piano lessons with my best friend and concert pianist, Dr. Carla McElhaney. The three of them have great plans (I'm secretly hoping we have another "Christmas Piano Soiree" in our future). With me, the children will study various classical composers: their lives, their music, and what the neighbors thought (using Kathleen Krull's book Lives of the Musicians: Their Lives, Their Music, and What the Neighbors Thought).
PE:
In addition to YaYa's 10 hours of gymnastics workouts and Elliot's 9 hours of gymnastics workouts per week, I am taking them to Lifetime Fitness every day, and while I get my workout in, the play in the child center (the child center has quite and extensive playscape and gym of its own, and many computers--they've been playing on the playscape and playing tag for about 45 minutes and playing on the computers for about 15 minutes).
Art:
More to come, but it's coming! I believe I'll start with a study of artists: their lives, their art, and what the neighbors thought (a book similar to the music book--I haven't bought it yet, but I know it exists)!
We're really enjoying school!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Official First Day of School
Ever since we decided to homeschool, our plans for our first day of school have been to visit the Bob Bullock History of Texas Museum for an overview of Texas History. So today was our first day!!! YAY!!!! Except. . . I woke up with a migraine. NOT on our first day!!!! I realized, though, that since this is homeschool, if my migraine didn't go away, I could move the field trip to tomorrow. With 4 Advil and an Advocare Spark and a little time, my migraine subsided. So, back to our original plans. . . the museum!!!
We said the Pledge of Allegiance and had our devotional and loaded up into the Frontier West "school bus" (my new Ford Expedition that my husband gave me for Mother's Day) at 9:15 (our regular "start time"). We encountered very little (almost no) traffic--another sign that this homeschooling is meant to be (very little traffic on Mopac in Austin in the morning is very rare). We arrived, paid our admission, and began our trip through the museum with the display of the Spanish coming to the Gulf Coast and encountering the Karankawa Indians. We ended with modern times and NASA. Their favorite display was the movie about the Revolution. They also liked the extensive display on Texas ranching, as they felt almost like experts, since they frequent the dude ranch in the Hill Country.
We also saw the Wild Weather of Texas movie. Many facts about weather were accompanied by amazing footage of the extreme weather, and we actually felt thunder, wind, humidity, and saw lots of lightning (it was one of those experiential theaters).
The children have chosen their topics for their first research projects: YaYa will be researching the Indians who occupied Texas before colonization. Elliot will be researching the Texas Revolution and Davy Crockett (and he actually spent several hours this afternoon--after school was over--researching and watching video clips).
Tomorrow we will complete our post-field trip activities, begin our research, start our Reading and Writing Workshop and continue our work with time.
Momma's thoughts: I LOVE homeschooling!!!
Elliot's thoughts: "Fun! Awesome! Cool!! I liked it!! I learned a lot!"
YaYa's thoughts: "Very very fun! Awesomeness and coolness! I enjoyed learning!"
We said the Pledge of Allegiance and had our devotional and loaded up into the Frontier West "school bus" (my new Ford Expedition that my husband gave me for Mother's Day) at 9:15 (our regular "start time"). We encountered very little (almost no) traffic--another sign that this homeschooling is meant to be (very little traffic on Mopac in Austin in the morning is very rare). We arrived, paid our admission, and began our trip through the museum with the display of the Spanish coming to the Gulf Coast and encountering the Karankawa Indians. We ended with modern times and NASA. Their favorite display was the movie about the Revolution. They also liked the extensive display on Texas ranching, as they felt almost like experts, since they frequent the dude ranch in the Hill Country.
We also saw the Wild Weather of Texas movie. Many facts about weather were accompanied by amazing footage of the extreme weather, and we actually felt thunder, wind, humidity, and saw lots of lightning (it was one of those experiential theaters).
The children have chosen their topics for their first research projects: YaYa will be researching the Indians who occupied Texas before colonization. Elliot will be researching the Texas Revolution and Davy Crockett (and he actually spent several hours this afternoon--after school was over--researching and watching video clips).
Tomorrow we will complete our post-field trip activities, begin our research, start our Reading and Writing Workshop and continue our work with time.
Momma's thoughts: I LOVE homeschooling!!!
Elliot's thoughts: "Fun! Awesome! Cool!! I liked it!! I learned a lot!"
YaYa's thoughts: "Very very fun! Awesomeness and coolness! I enjoyed learning!"
Preparation for the First Day of School
Yesterday, Monday, August 16, we had our pseudo-first day. It was mostly a preparation for the "real" first day, which was today.
We woke at 8:00, ate our breakfast, did some chores (dusted main living area, vacuumed main living area, cleaned kids' bathroom), and started our school day at 9:15. We said the Pledge of Allegiance (we have a small American flag hanging on our "schoolroom" door), we had a devotional about God's angels (and how they love praising God and doing errands for God and don't have time to watch t.v.--and how it's much more fun to look at the stars up close or watch a sunset than to watch t.v.), and we sang a song (they chose "Home on the Range"--we just returned from the dude ranch, and it was on their minds). Then we started investigating Texas weather (there is a movie about Wild Weather in Texas at the Bob Bullock History of Texas Museum where we planned to spend our "official" first day of school). We discussed the many different climates in Texas and why there are so many different climates, we talked about how the climate affects the way people live in different regions, we created a simulation of a drought and another one of a flood, we made a model of a tornado and a hurricane, watched videos of these natural disasters and completed a Venn diagram about tornadoes and hurricanes.
In the midst of all of our weather activities, our Frontier West music teacher (Dr. Carla McElhaney) came to teach piano lessons. While each kiddo had their piano lesson, the other one decorated their title page of their Writer's Notebook and wrote their first entry. . . they wrote a short story about angels doing God's work (an extension of our day's devotional).
Then we tackled a little math: time. YaYa reviewed telling time on the hour and half hour, and then we introduced 5-minute increments. She caught on really quickly (in less than 5 minutes)! Elliot also worked with time, with some problem solving using elapsed time. He, too, did well.
We ended our day around 2:00 p.m., and we headed to the gym so the kids could play and I could swim. It was a wonderful pre-first day!!!!
Elliot's thoughts: "AWESOME!"
YaYa's thoughts: "AWESOME!"
We woke at 8:00, ate our breakfast, did some chores (dusted main living area, vacuumed main living area, cleaned kids' bathroom), and started our school day at 9:15. We said the Pledge of Allegiance (we have a small American flag hanging on our "schoolroom" door), we had a devotional about God's angels (and how they love praising God and doing errands for God and don't have time to watch t.v.--and how it's much more fun to look at the stars up close or watch a sunset than to watch t.v.), and we sang a song (they chose "Home on the Range"--we just returned from the dude ranch, and it was on their minds). Then we started investigating Texas weather (there is a movie about Wild Weather in Texas at the Bob Bullock History of Texas Museum where we planned to spend our "official" first day of school). We discussed the many different climates in Texas and why there are so many different climates, we talked about how the climate affects the way people live in different regions, we created a simulation of a drought and another one of a flood, we made a model of a tornado and a hurricane, watched videos of these natural disasters and completed a Venn diagram about tornadoes and hurricanes.
In the midst of all of our weather activities, our Frontier West music teacher (Dr. Carla McElhaney) came to teach piano lessons. While each kiddo had their piano lesson, the other one decorated their title page of their Writer's Notebook and wrote their first entry. . . they wrote a short story about angels doing God's work (an extension of our day's devotional).
Then we tackled a little math: time. YaYa reviewed telling time on the hour and half hour, and then we introduced 5-minute increments. She caught on really quickly (in less than 5 minutes)! Elliot also worked with time, with some problem solving using elapsed time. He, too, did well.
We ended our day around 2:00 p.m., and we headed to the gym so the kids could play and I could swim. It was a wonderful pre-first day!!!!
Elliot's thoughts: "AWESOME!"
YaYa's thoughts: "AWESOME!"
Monday, August 9, 2010
School Supplies
The kids and I went shopping for our school supplies on Saturday. I printed out my curriculum that morning (I'll be following the Texas public schools' state-mandated curriculum, the TEKS). I also prepared our before-field-trip activities for Monday, before we head to the Bob Bullock History of Texas Museum on Tuesday. We'll be doing science experiments in preparation for viewing the exhibits on Texas Weather, and we'll be completing some KWL charts about Texas History before meandering our way through the exhibits of the events that shaped out state. Surrounded by several piles of paper, I realized it was time for some notebooks. So, we went for school supplies!
We didn't need much--everyone at Frontier West (including the teacher) needs:
1. a three-ring binder with dividers for each subject area
2. a composition book for our Writer's Notebook
3. lots of notebook paper (Office Max had 100-sheet packs for 20 cents a pack-- a limit of 6; I'll probably go back another day and get 6 more)
4. pocketed, bradded notebooks for field trips/field experiences
5. a whiteboard (8.5 x 11)
6. highlighters
7. sticky notes
8. pretty pencils
Not much, really. But boy did we have fun shopping, and bringing everything home, and labeling everything with our names and our school name/mascot!! As we were sorting and labeling everything, I said, "I don't think I've ever been this excited about a school year. . . and I've had decades of beginnings-of-school-years!" Both kids chimed in, "Me neither!" (I realize their sentiments might not have the impact that mine have since they've only experienced a few beginnings-of-school-years, but they really are excited! -- YaYa has been asking if we can just start the school year now several times a day since Saturday. She says, "I'm just so excited. . . I don't want to wait until the 17th.") (actually, we'll be doing prep work on the 16th, now, so I guess that's our "official" first day--one less day to wait!)
The kids also made nametags for their desks (oversized t.v. trays that slide under my desk for storage, but can slide around the office area as needed for proximity to the teacher, the computer, whatever...). And YaYa made herself a number line, because, as she said, "I still need that to help me with subtracting sometimes." To see their desks with a little bit of their personalities is fun!
Today, we purchased "locker crates" for each kid and a bigger one for me. These will hold their school supplies and can be toted from room to room if necessary. They conveniently tuck underneath their desks.
I think we're all set. Now we just wait! In the meantime there is fun to be had: the kids are participating in a golf camp M - TH mornings this week, and on Thursday after golf camp, the kids, my mom, and I head to the dude ranch 'til Sunday. . . and then we start!!!!! YEE HAW!
We didn't need much--everyone at Frontier West (including the teacher) needs:
1. a three-ring binder with dividers for each subject area
2. a composition book for our Writer's Notebook
3. lots of notebook paper (Office Max had 100-sheet packs for 20 cents a pack-- a limit of 6; I'll probably go back another day and get 6 more)
4. pocketed, bradded notebooks for field trips/field experiences
5. a whiteboard (8.5 x 11)
6. highlighters
7. sticky notes
8. pretty pencils
Not much, really. But boy did we have fun shopping, and bringing everything home, and labeling everything with our names and our school name/mascot!! As we were sorting and labeling everything, I said, "I don't think I've ever been this excited about a school year. . . and I've had decades of beginnings-of-school-years!" Both kids chimed in, "Me neither!" (I realize their sentiments might not have the impact that mine have since they've only experienced a few beginnings-of-school-years, but they really are excited! -- YaYa has been asking if we can just start the school year now several times a day since Saturday. She says, "I'm just so excited. . . I don't want to wait until the 17th.") (actually, we'll be doing prep work on the 16th, now, so I guess that's our "official" first day--one less day to wait!)
The kids also made nametags for their desks (oversized t.v. trays that slide under my desk for storage, but can slide around the office area as needed for proximity to the teacher, the computer, whatever...). And YaYa made herself a number line, because, as she said, "I still need that to help me with subtracting sometimes." To see their desks with a little bit of their personalities is fun!
Today, we purchased "locker crates" for each kid and a bigger one for me. These will hold their school supplies and can be toted from room to room if necessary. They conveniently tuck underneath their desks.
I think we're all set. Now we just wait! In the meantime there is fun to be had: the kids are participating in a golf camp M - TH mornings this week, and on Thursday after golf camp, the kids, my mom, and I head to the dude ranch 'til Sunday. . . and then we start!!!!! YEE HAW!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Things we're looking forward to about homeschooling
The kids and I are really getting excited about our homeschool!
We're looking forward to many aspects:
Sleeping late: Both Elliot and YaYa (and their mom) really like their sleep. Cut their sleep hours short, and you have some cranky kids on hand. One day last February, we had a snow day, and school starte 2 hours late. That morning, we slept until we woke up on our own (no alarms, no "wake up. . .wake up. . . we have to get ready for school. . . wake up. . . wake up. . . " just a casual awakening. We ate a leisurely breakfast, the kids played in the snow for a little bit, we finished getting ready for school, and we watched the first 10 minutes of Ellen, and we laughed. Hard. Then we got in the car to go to school. YaYa said, "That was the best morning we've ever had." She was right--there was no rushing, no pushing, no hurrying. That was the morning that YaYa "bought in" to the idea of homeschooling. We're looking forward to mornings like that. Our official start time will be 9:15 a.m.
Field trips: We plan to do a lot of learning through field trips. In fact, on our first day of school, August 17, we are taking a field trip. We are going to the Bob Bullock Texas History Musuem. The museum offers a thorough look at all of Texas History. Since the 4th grade social studies curriculum is Texas History, we'll be getting a great overview. After our visit, the kids will each have to choose a person, event, or time period that interests them, and they will begin their first research project. There will be plenty more field trips during the year, but that's our first one.
Reading and Writing: We're going to participate in real reading and writing workshops done the way Nancie Atwell advocates in her book, In the Middle.
We're going to have several educational vacations: to Nacogdoches for the Ghosts of Nacogdoches trail (a hiking trail my uncle blazed through the town with a lot of stops to learn about the history of the oldest town in Texas); to Goliad, Gonzales, and the Alamo to learn about the "formation" of Texas; to various parts of Texas to learn the different geographies (the coast, the hill country, the forest). . . and more to come. . .
Socialization: Both kids will continue their involvement in gymnastics. Elliot works out 9 hours a week, and YaYa works out 11 hours a week. They will be active in church activities as well. We may find another outlet or two for their socialization.
Music: They will continue their piano lessons with pianist extrodinaire, "Autnie" Carla McElhaney. We will schedule practice time into our school day, and they will really take off with their piano playing.
Project-Based Learning: I will be creating cross-curricular projects based on the kids' interests and learning levels.
We've planned 10 lunches that are healthy, that they like, and that I'm willing to make. We'll rotate those lunches every two weeks.
We're going to plant a garden.
We're going to tidy the house and empty the dishwasher before we start school every day.
We will begin our day with a short devotional, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a song.
We're going to make "school" shirts with our school name (Frontier West) and our mascot (Cowboys).
Sweet Elliot told my aunt that he was most excited about knowing he was going to have the best teacher ever this school year.
There is a lot that's going to be great!
We can't wait to get started!
We're looking forward to many aspects:
Sleeping late: Both Elliot and YaYa (and their mom) really like their sleep. Cut their sleep hours short, and you have some cranky kids on hand. One day last February, we had a snow day, and school starte 2 hours late. That morning, we slept until we woke up on our own (no alarms, no "wake up. . .wake up. . . we have to get ready for school. . . wake up. . . wake up. . . " just a casual awakening. We ate a leisurely breakfast, the kids played in the snow for a little bit, we finished getting ready for school, and we watched the first 10 minutes of Ellen, and we laughed. Hard. Then we got in the car to go to school. YaYa said, "That was the best morning we've ever had." She was right--there was no rushing, no pushing, no hurrying. That was the morning that YaYa "bought in" to the idea of homeschooling. We're looking forward to mornings like that. Our official start time will be 9:15 a.m.
Field trips: We plan to do a lot of learning through field trips. In fact, on our first day of school, August 17, we are taking a field trip. We are going to the Bob Bullock Texas History Musuem. The museum offers a thorough look at all of Texas History. Since the 4th grade social studies curriculum is Texas History, we'll be getting a great overview. After our visit, the kids will each have to choose a person, event, or time period that interests them, and they will begin their first research project. There will be plenty more field trips during the year, but that's our first one.
Reading and Writing: We're going to participate in real reading and writing workshops done the way Nancie Atwell advocates in her book, In the Middle.
We're going to have several educational vacations: to Nacogdoches for the Ghosts of Nacogdoches trail (a hiking trail my uncle blazed through the town with a lot of stops to learn about the history of the oldest town in Texas); to Goliad, Gonzales, and the Alamo to learn about the "formation" of Texas; to various parts of Texas to learn the different geographies (the coast, the hill country, the forest). . . and more to come. . .
Socialization: Both kids will continue their involvement in gymnastics. Elliot works out 9 hours a week, and YaYa works out 11 hours a week. They will be active in church activities as well. We may find another outlet or two for their socialization.
Music: They will continue their piano lessons with pianist extrodinaire, "Autnie" Carla McElhaney. We will schedule practice time into our school day, and they will really take off with their piano playing.
Project-Based Learning: I will be creating cross-curricular projects based on the kids' interests and learning levels.
We've planned 10 lunches that are healthy, that they like, and that I'm willing to make. We'll rotate those lunches every two weeks.
We're going to plant a garden.
We're going to tidy the house and empty the dishwasher before we start school every day.
We will begin our day with a short devotional, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a song.
We're going to make "school" shirts with our school name (Frontier West) and our mascot (Cowboys).
Sweet Elliot told my aunt that he was most excited about knowing he was going to have the best teacher ever this school year.
There is a lot that's going to be great!
We can't wait to get started!
How I came to my decision to homeschool
During the fall of 2009, my third grade son jumped into the car one afternoon and said, "I'm reading on a third grade level, Mommy!" "I know," I replied, "You've been reading on a third grade level for a couple of years now, Elliot." He said, "Well, my teacher tested me and told me I was reading on a third grade level." I knew that the school district did not require teachers to assess students any higher than their real grade level, but I also knew that a teacher worth her salt would assess a student in his reading ability until he was "frustrated," so she would know exactly where to instruct. Red flag number one.
A few weeks later, Elliot came home with a math paper on which the teacher had written, in three places, in red pen, "Mom, please teach Elliot this concept--he doesn't understand it." So, I pulled out the manipulatives to teach Elliot the concept. He, however, understood it perfectly. I asked him why he had performed so poorly on the paper. He said, "She [the teacher] handed the paper out and told us it was a test, then she timed us." Well, Elliot has a little bit of test anxiety, and he really dislikes being timed. Red flag number two.
That same day, Elliot told me that he had learned about solids, liquids, and gases that day in school. I asked him what his teacher had done to teach him these concepts. He pulled out a "notes page" that had the definition and some sketches of molecules loosely packed, more densely packed, and very densely packed. "What else did she do to teach you these concepts?" I inquired. He said, "This is it, and I have to study it, 'cuz there's a test tomorrow." I decided to reteach solids, liquids, and gases with an ice cube in a pot on the stove; it melted then evaporated--hands-on science instead of a notes page. Red flag number three.
Before I put the ice cube in the pot, I mumbled under my breath, "If she can't teach you properly, then I'll pull you out of school and teach you myself." Well, that's what came to be. Throughout third grade there were a number of other red flags. We muddled through the rest of the year--I questioned the teacher's instruction, I retaught Elliot at home, I transferred Elliot to another third grade classroom, I continued to be frustrated with the instruction, and then I decided to homeschool.
So, I will be homeschooling Elliot (4th grade) and YaYa (2nd grade)** during the 2010-2011 school year. We have named our "school" Frontier West, and our mascot is the Cowboys.
WE ARE THE FRONTIER WEST COWBOYS!!!
**It should be mentioned that YaYa's first grade teacher was excellent--she differentiated the curriculum and constantly challenged YaYa. But if I'm going to homeschool one of them, I'm going to homeschool both of them. Besides, YaYa is excited about getting to sleep late!
A few weeks later, Elliot came home with a math paper on which the teacher had written, in three places, in red pen, "Mom, please teach Elliot this concept--he doesn't understand it." So, I pulled out the manipulatives to teach Elliot the concept. He, however, understood it perfectly. I asked him why he had performed so poorly on the paper. He said, "She [the teacher] handed the paper out and told us it was a test, then she timed us." Well, Elliot has a little bit of test anxiety, and he really dislikes being timed. Red flag number two.
That same day, Elliot told me that he had learned about solids, liquids, and gases that day in school. I asked him what his teacher had done to teach him these concepts. He pulled out a "notes page" that had the definition and some sketches of molecules loosely packed, more densely packed, and very densely packed. "What else did she do to teach you these concepts?" I inquired. He said, "This is it, and I have to study it, 'cuz there's a test tomorrow." I decided to reteach solids, liquids, and gases with an ice cube in a pot on the stove; it melted then evaporated--hands-on science instead of a notes page. Red flag number three.
Before I put the ice cube in the pot, I mumbled under my breath, "If she can't teach you properly, then I'll pull you out of school and teach you myself." Well, that's what came to be. Throughout third grade there were a number of other red flags. We muddled through the rest of the year--I questioned the teacher's instruction, I retaught Elliot at home, I transferred Elliot to another third grade classroom, I continued to be frustrated with the instruction, and then I decided to homeschool.
So, I will be homeschooling Elliot (4th grade) and YaYa (2nd grade)** during the 2010-2011 school year. We have named our "school" Frontier West, and our mascot is the Cowboys.
WE ARE THE FRONTIER WEST COWBOYS!!!
**It should be mentioned that YaYa's first grade teacher was excellent--she differentiated the curriculum and constantly challenged YaYa. But if I'm going to homeschool one of them, I'm going to homeschool both of them. Besides, YaYa is excited about getting to sleep late!
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