Me, Gabby, & Some Books...

Fun Fridays...

2010-07-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's site...

http://www.coloring.ws/

The names says it all. A website full of coloring pages for just about everything you can imagine.

Fun Fridays...

2010-06-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's fun site... www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/efc_splash/splash_cam.aspx

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has the neatest web cams for several of their exhibits. The one of the bay is so relaxing to watch, but Gabby loves the penguins. It's not the same as actually visiting an aquarium, but still fun to watch.

Fun Fridays...

2010-06-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's site is...

www.artistshelpingchildren.org/homemade.html

This site has recipes for making a bunch of different craft supplies. I can't wait to make my own bubbles and sidewalk chalk for the summer.

Fun Fridays...

2010-06-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's fun site is definitely on the fun side...

www.a2zhomeschool.com/homeschoolmouse

While not really all that useful unless planning a trip to Disney, this site is really fun to explore. It sure makes me want to move to Orlando and spend everyday "teaching" at Disney World. I will definitely use some of these ideas on our next vacation.

Fun Fridays...

2010-06-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Since it is finally summer (according to me, summer starts the first day of June), I decided to share a site that is more fun than educational...

www.commonsensemedia.org

It's neat site that allows parents and kids to rate media. Everything from the latest TV shows and summer movies to music, games, and my favorite...books!!! I have to admit I am always reading children books. And teen/young adult novels have been keeping me entertained recently (I guess because I never have the time to finish an adult novel lately). Hopefully you can find some good entertainment to keep your kids busy this summer.

Monday Matters...

2010-05-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am taking a break until the fall (actually 1st of August, when we start up school again) on my Monday thoughts/rants/tangents. I will keep adding fun websites on Fridays, and will have the occasional book recommendations on Wednesdays, but for a few months my Monday Matters will go away. Summers are busy with all those vacations (not that we are actually taking one), family visits, swimming, moving (Sevierville here we come), etc., so I'm sure you will find something to fill the time like us. Enjoy your summer.

Fun Fridays...

2010-05-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's site is...

www.lessonpathways.com

The site has complete curriculum plans for grades K-5 all for free. While I wouldn't recommend using just the materials online for your schooling, I think there are some cute lessons that could be used a supplement to another curriculum.

Monday Matters...

2010-05-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

... wreath making, and other things...

As I have stated previously, I don't do the complete curriculum thing. I like to find a few good books, then go from there. While this can be a lot more work, it's also a lot more fun. However, sometimes I have a brilliant idea, but I'm not quite sure how to implement it. I ran into this problem while planning Gabby's social studies curriculum for next year. We will be studying countries of the world, and I was wanting a fun way to teach about traditional clothing for various countries. Well inspiration struck at Micheals Craft store the other day. I was looking for scrapbooking supplies when I noticed these 12 inch tall chipboard people. I could see how easy it would be to make clothing out of construction paper for them and we could even draw little faces on them. They were perfect!

Since deciding to homeschool I have had lots of these little moments were inspiration hits in the most unlikely places. And when they happen, it always reassures me that I made the right decision for our family.

Fun Fridays...

2010-05-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have had a few people ask me about what scope & sequence I am using for Gabby, so I decided to just go ahead and add it to my list of recommended sites.

www.worldbook.com/typical_course_of_study.html

I like this one because it's in plain English, no legal jargon, or superfluous words, just simple and to the point. Pretty basic way to know if you child is on track, or if there is something you may need to work on or add.

Monday Matters...

2010-05-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

...dancing, and other things...

Sometimes I think homeschoolers get caught up in all the books, worksheets, & tests, and forget to schedule in some fun. I know my daughter retains a lot more when I present new ideas in a fun or unique way. Music is a great learning tool. You would be amazed how many things you can learn from a song. My husband can name all the U.S. presidents in order and I can name all the states in alphabetical order in under 20 seconds (I swear it's true) all because of songs we learned when we were little. I have seen songs to teach everything from history, science, math, & language. And if you feel like dancing to your music, I think that counts as P.E. too!

Fun Fridays...

2010-05-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's site...

http://www.notebookingpages.com/

While we don't actually do any of this yet (Gabby hasn't quite mastered reading), I have been looking into notebooking/lapbooking. I think it's a neat idea, and it's similar to the binders I already do for her. This site has some nice print-outs to use for notebooking/lapbooking. I really liked the templates, which I might even use for scrapbooking (but that's what my other blog is about).

What We're Reading Wednesdays...

2010-05-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

Inch by Inch

I got this book and a set of plastic worms to help introduce the concepts of length and measurements. The worms are four different sizes (1, 2, 3, & 4 inches) and come with a guide that suggests different objects kids can measure with them. Super cute idea for anyone teaching early measuring skills.

Monday Matters...

2010-05-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

... playing in water, and other things...

I would just like to say I love to visit children's museums. There are so many great one's all around the U.S. (and I'm sure all around the world, I just haven't visited any outside the U.S.). I love all the programs and hands-on activities they offer. We recently took a mini stay-cation to Chattanooga (just a couple hours away). While there we visited their children's museum which offered all kinds of classes. We took a cooking class in the morning, where we made a carrot salad. In the afternoon we attended an art class, where the kids learned about pastel colors and played with foam rollers. I was a little disappointed that they didn't offer a discount to homeschoolers (most other museums do), but it was still a great experience. So go out and discover museums in your area.

Fun Fridays...

2010-05-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's site...

www.ymiclassroom.com

This site has some fun lesson plans that tie-in with companies or products. While most are of questionable educational value, there are some cute worksheets. The movie tie-in activities would be good to use after a family movie night or on a rainy day.

What We're Reading Wednesdays...

2010-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Red Pyramid
Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series, has just come out with the first book in The Kane Chronicles. I loved the Percy Jackson series, it really made Greek mythology come alive. Now his new series will hopefully do the same thing for Egyptian mythology. I love it when you can find books that are both exciting and teach history. It's just a bummer my daughter isn't ready to read them yet, maybe in a couple of years.

Monday Matters...

2010-05-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

...using a knife without cutting herself, and other things...

I don't know how many of you watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, this spring, but let me tell you, it's just another reason to homeschool. School cafeteria food is gross, but when I found out that elementary school kids are no longer allowed to have knives I couldn't believe it. Who ever came up with the idea of waiting till kids are in middle school to learn how to use a knife is a complete moron. I mean no wonder our kids weigh over 100 pounds in elementary school. Of course you are going to get fat if all you eat is finger foods!!! Now we are not talking about sharp knives, just butter knives, plastic butter knives. Seriously, if you kindergartner can't use a butter knife, same on you. My 4 year old not only uses them, she puts them up in the drawer after they are cleaned.

Fun Fridays...

2010-04-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's site is...

www.seaworld.org/just-for-teachers/guides/index.htm

Sea World & Busch Gardens have come up with some pretty neat eductaional workbooks for science/animal studies. Most of them are for sea life and inlcude lots of projects and hands-on activities. A great way to prepare to make the most of a trip to the zoo or aquarium.

What We're Reading Wednesdays...

2010-04-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week we are reading...

Story Times To Go

This isn't actually a book, but a kit from our local library (thanks Knox County Libraries). They were designed for schools & daycare facilities, but they allow homeschoolers to check them out. Each kit comes with several books, a flannel board, various games/puzzles, and a guide book all relating to a specific theme. The first one we checked out was the Community Helpers kit. It had the cutest puppets that came with it. We have only checked out a couple so far, but are eager to check them all out by the end of the summer.

Monday Matters...

2010-04-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

... collecting rocks, and other things...

Those of you who have been looking at our photos every Monday, may be wondering if we ever do anything other than eat and make crafts. I assure you we only do that 80% of the time. We use the other 20 % of our time to sleep, read, and watch Wow Wow Wubbzy. Of course I am joking, but I have noticed that lately I seem to only get the camera out when we are having fun. It is difficult to accurately document your life if you only try to remember the good times. I am going to try to do better at capturing the every day moments (like I did when Gabby was younger). So maybe someday soon, you just might see photos of us reading or studying (which I promise we actually do).

Fun Fridays...

2010-04-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

This weeks's site is...

www.sbees.blogspot.com

This is a blog from a very entertaining homeschooling mom. On top of her regualr posts, she also has all her curriculum from past years listed, along with guidence on what has & hasn't worked for her family. The site is super cute and cheerful too.

What We're Reading Wednesdays...

2010-04-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's book...

Skippyjon Jones

This book and it's sequels are hilarious if read with a Mexican accent (that's how it's supposed to be read, not just some random thing we came up with). Anyways, it's about a Siamese cat who thinks he is a chihuahua. Absolutely adorable.

Monday Matters...

2010-04-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

... changing the world, and other things...

So I was online this week looking for some fun educational resources when I stumbled upon this site from G.E. (you know the appliance, energy, etc company) and it had lesson plans on energy conservation. So I registered to get the lesson plan, and guess what? They sent me an e-mail this morning saying our school was chosen to receive 100 flower bulbs (daffodils & gladiolas). So now the Finstad Homeschool Coop is being sent a package of 100 bulbs for our school to plant to beautify our community. Funny, huh? So I called up some of my family members and we are going to split them between our houses. It's amazing the resources out there for educators, you just have to be willing to put a little work into finding them. And yes, i do know my picture is of a weed, but I haven't received my flowers yet, so that is all that is growing right now.

Fun Fridays...

2010-04-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's site is...

www.poissonrouge.com/

It's an international interactive educational site for kids. Gabby would play on this site for hours on end (if I would let her). She loves the music and the coloring activities. There are also math and foreign language activities on the site

What We're Reading Wednesdays...

2010-04-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's book is...

Hello Kitty Phonics

Another adorable book set from our Scholastic Book Club. I wasn't actually sure if I would like these books, but when they arrived I fell in love. They are the most adorable first reader books for little girls. By the way, if you are homeschooling and don't know about the Scholastic Book Clubs, you are seriously missing out. Most books are under $5, and you can find books on every subject. Getting set up is a bit of a hassle (you will need to have your own homeschool group, or be a member of one), but once you get that done, you can order all sorts of books and other resources.

Monday Matters...

2010-04-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

... becoming the next Picasso, and other things...

I have recently discovered my local library. Now I always knew it was there, but I never really knew everything they offered. A good friend, and fellow homeschooling mother, told me to make friends with the local librarians. And that might have been the best homeschooling advice I ever received. You would not believe the help and assistance I receive when I go in. I walk in and they help me gather every book they can find on whatever subject Gabby & I are interested in at the moment. They also make recommendations based on other things we have already checked out. Recently, I've been checking out all their classic movies (anything with Doris Day). And online book reservation is the best idea ever. I can reserve books for future pick-up dates too. In our area the library also offers a program for preschoolers to receive a book a month for free until they turn 5. Not all of them are great, but most of them are pretty cute. So if you haven't explored your library recently, you really should.

Fun Fridays...

2010-04-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's site is...

http://www.justenoughblog.com/

While I don't agree with all her points of view, Tammy (the blog's owner) does an excellent job of keeping up with current events and news articles relating to homeschooling families.

What We're Reading Wednesdays...

2010-04-07T10:00:00.001-07:00

This week's book...

39 Clues

Sad, but true. I have become addicted to yet another children's book series. I can't wait to share all my wonderful finds with Gabby when she is a couple years older. This series is actually a great way to get your kids to pick up a few histroy facts. I've learned a few things from it myself.

Monday Matters...

2010-04-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

... making lilies, and other things...

Spring... I have a love/hate relationship with this season. I love that it's finally warm and I can send my kid outside with minimal clothing for extended periods of time. But I hate the fact that everything starts growing (and pollinating). I have the world's worst allergies; for a brief time I was able to escape them while living in San Diego. While others see new flowers and think of life and happiness, I think of Zyrtec and runny noses. This is why I could never, ever do the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling (no long nature walks for me). Just so you know.

Fun Fridays...

2010-04-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

This week's fun site is...

www.artsreformation.com/records

My mother still owns a record player, and I remember having fun dancing to old 50's records on it when I was little (for the record I am only in my 20's, so this is a fairly modern record player). So when someone in my co-op recommended this site, I thought it was an adorable idea. It has some cute records recorded in mp3 form. The Snow White one reminds me of the soundtrack to Disney's Snow White which my mother has.

What We're Reading Wednesdays...

2010-03-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week it's...

Dusty D. Dog

This was one of my favorites when I was little. It's a tiny book my mother read to me so often when I was young that I still have it memorized today. It teaches feelings from the point of view of this little dog named Dusty D. Dog. So cute.

Monday Matters...

2010-03-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

... licking the bowl clean, and other things...

So I've been thinking about giving our school a name (after reading that cute article). We have given our extended family co-op a name, Finstad Homeschool Cooperative. It's not very original, just the family name, but I needed it to register us with Scholastic Book Clubs. Still, I would like a cute name for our own family's homeschool. My daughter suggested "Pretty Cutie Pies", not so sure that that sounds like a respectable school. Any suggestions?

Fun Fridays...

2010-03-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's site is

www.wikihow.com/Category:Homeschooling

This site has a list of "how to" articles on homeschooling. Like Wikipedia, it's sister site, it is open for anyone to add their own instructions, so if you want to give advice, here is great place to do it.

What We're Reading Wednesdays...

2010-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's book is...

I Can...

This series includes I Can Listen, I Can Help, and I Can Share. They are cute little books I got in a set from Scholastic this month. We are working on our life/social skills this week. Help & sharing come pretty easy to Gabby, but listening is not her favorite activity (however, she expects a lot of listening from others).

Monday Matters...

2010-03-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

...learning to dress ourselves, and other things...

Today I just have a short thought (and it's not even mine). Over at homeschool.com, there is an article titled The Ten Most Important Things. I loved number 10, so here it is... "Trust in your child. They learned how to love, smile, crawl, walk, talk, run, dress themselves, and understand their world before starting school, and they will continue to grow and learn without school."

Fun Fridays...

2010-03-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's fun site...

www.tlsbooks.com

This site has some neat worksheets for just about everything. You can browse by subject or by grade. My favorites were the holiday ones, which I plan on using this year.

What We're Reading Wednesdays...

2010-03-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week...

Homeschool Your Child For Free

It's full of fun, interesting, & unique internet sites (some of which I will share in coming weeks). There are also little stories and notes of advice all through the book. It's a great resource for anyone who wants to use the internet with their homeschool curriculum.

Monday Matters...

2010-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

...taking a much needed break, and other things...

Often I feel like I can tell, or show, my child something 5 million times and it just doesn't click until they want it to. I think that that moment of inspiration and understanding is difficult to achieve everyday. I notice that lots of things (those awful distractions) make it difficult for Gabby to concentrate. Some days it's a TV someone is watching in another room, other days it's her ADHD coming out, and occasionally it's just the wrong time of day. I find these to be much bigger hurdles in homeschooling than worrying about curriculum or making sure my daughters is on the right track. People will tell you that your own intuition is the best judge of what to do for your kid, which is true, but I occasionally find it difficult to seperate my intuition from my insecurities (which sometimes tell me I must have been slightly crazy when I decided to homeschool). I give no advice on how to overcome this, just the knowledge that you are not the only one out there that feels this way sometimes.

Fun Fridays...

2010-03-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

This week's fun site is...

http://www.heartofthematteronline.com/

This site has cute little articles about all different aspects of homeschooling. My favorite so far was an article in February about why you should display your children's "masterpieces" in the home. As a scrapbooker, I always think about displaying my work, but not always my child's. Also cute is their article on ideas for naming your homeschool. I think I have inspiration for my Monday post...

What We're Reading Wednesdays...

2010-03-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

This week...

Chicken Soup With Rice

I'm not really a fan of this book, but after finishing learning the days of the week, we needed something that taught the months in order. I'm thinking that it may be time to go back to the library, there has got to be other books which teach the months of the year. Any suggestion?

Monday Matters...

2010-03-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

... building a masterpiece, and other things...

I'm not sure if it's due to my daughter's age (only 4), her disposition (naturally curious, sometimes down right nosy), or my superior teaching skills (highly doubtful), but for some reason Monday is one of Gabby's favorite days of the week. I don't let her do her workbooks on the weekends, so by Monday she can not wait to do school work again. Now I remember when I was young I dreaded the school week, especially Mondays, because I felt like all we did was memorize facts for a ridiculous standardized test. Maybe that's the real difference in homeschooling. I don't teach to a test (this does not mean I will not use other methods to asses her progress). Everything we study has a purpose. We don't learn math to pass a quiz, we learn math to know how to measure ingredients in a recipe or to know how many miles it is to grandma's house. We don't read to write research papers, we read to have better understanding of good books or to know if a book is in fact a good book. And now I have gone on much longer than intended. But my point is simple that we homeschool because we want to continually learn, because last time I checked, knowledge is the only thing I get to take with me after this life (now if only I get by scrapbooks to come with me too...)

Fun Fridays...

2010-03-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

This week's fun site is...

http://www.scholastic.com/

While selling books is their main business, if you register with them as a homeschool teacher (which is free), you can access all kinds of fun printables. Many of them you have to pay for to print, but you can always look at them to get your own ideas of things to do. Since my husband is an attorney, I have to tell you that directly copying anything from their site, or any other site, without permission is copyright infringement (which is against the law). So please don't do it. Because who would homeschool your child if you went to jail?

What We're Reading Wednesdays...

2010-03-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Every Wednesday I will try to share one of the books we have been reading together. Here is this week's...
Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons

Let me tell you, when they said easy, what they meant was easy if your child is a phonics reader like the majority of the population, not easy if your child is the rare sight reader. I'm not saying the lessons aren't easy, because they are; or that the results aren't easily noticeable, because they are too. It's just much more difficult to try to train a sight reader to understand phonics.

Moday Matters...

2010-03-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

...contemplating a sandwich, and other things...

Mondays are at the beginning of the week, so they are the perfect time to think about the week ahead & reflect on the mistakes of the week that just passed. This applies to homeschooling as well as the rest of my life. Mondays are a great time to contemplate whether or not you are going where you want to go in life. I usually spend this time telling myself that as long as Gabby is growing and learning everyday then I must be doing something right (I think).

Fun Fridays...

2010-02-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

Fridays are the one day of the school week that I plan on not planning. It's the day when Gabby goes to co-op. So I've decided to call them Fun Fridays (mostly because lazy does not makes an alliteration with Friday). So to keep with this theme, every Friday (that I actually remember to) I will be sharing a fun homeschooling site that either someone has shared with me, or I have simple stumbled upon during my excessive hours browsing the internet instead of sleeping. Unfortunately I have not yet found a site that helps fix run-on sentences.

So here's my first one...

http://www.learningpage.com/

It has some of the cutest worksheets for math & science. You have to register, but it's totally free, and so worth it if you have kids in lower elementary. The site also has links to it's sister sites that have other useful resources.

The Beginning...

2010-02-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

So Gabby & I (see I can use proper English) are starting this long and crazy journey called homeschooling. We have no set method, and no intentions of ever buying a complete curriculum (doesn't that kind of take the fun out of homeschooling). But we do have a love of learning and an ever expanding library of books with everything from Dr. Seuss to Victor Hugo and even Stephanie Meyer (but don't worry I won't be teaching her to love Edward anytime soon).

I've set up this blog to document our first year (and maybe many after) of homeschooling. I'm using it to tell myself (and anyone else who stumbles upon this site) what is working and not working. Things I want to try, or ideas I want to incorporate. I'll also list books, lots of them, that have helped us learn and grow.

So have fun exploring...