The Kid loves crafts. All sorts of crafts. Millions of crafts.
I dislike anything I perceive as clutter, so this is a constant balancing act.
But a few things that she has really taken to:
Finger Knitting. We started with this Klutz book and a couple of YouTube videos to get started last winter, and she's made piles of yarn creations since.
Weaving Loom. She received this one as a gift last winter from her grandfather. It takes a lot of patience, so there's not a lot being done with it. She is working on a scarf for herself that will take her about a month if she works on it nightly.
Knot A Quilt. She was just dying for this, and has gotten a start on it before getting distracted by all the other crafts around. She'll go back to it once the "new" has worn off some of the other stuff.
Green Kid Crafts. This is a monthly craft box subscription. I have mixed feelings about it - $20 and she's usually only kept occupied for a couple hours, so I don't see us continuing past the three months we signed up for. But she's excited every time it arrives.
Quilling. I didn't even know this existed. She was subscribed to Surprise Ride boxes for a while and this was one of their projects. Thin little strips of paper, twisted into tight spirals and glued onto cardstock to make pictures. It can take hours to create a picture, so yay for independent play!
LoopDeDoo. This is a little creation that greatly speeds up the creation of friendship bracelets. The Kid bought it for herself with a 60% off coupon from JoAnn Fabrics. Anyone out there want a friendship bracelet? Or maybe a dozen? If she keeps up at this rate, she'll go broke on embroidery floss.
Next up: Knitting. Like with actual knitting needles. I'm a bit skeptical about whether a six year old can knit, but she was determined to try and bought the knitting needles and some yarn this past weekend with her allowance. I decided to buy knitting needles and yarn for myself and learn alongside, since that's the only way I'd ever be able to help her out if she gets stuck. We decided on dishcloths for our first project - small and useful. I'm thankful for YouTube videos, as that's how we'll be trying to learn. We just have to find time - hah!
The other "Next up": LoopDeLoom. From the makers of the LoopDeDoo, this is their answer to speeding up a weaving loom. This will be The Kid's winter solstice present, along with some more yarn. The same makers also have a monthly craft box subscription, which I think might be next up when we're done with the Green Kid Crafts boxes. Their individual kits look like some of the better ones I've seen in a while.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Thursday, December 8, 2016
New Games!
The Kid has developed some new patience and strategizing, and so we've been adding to our game shelf! It's so exciting, because the games themselves are much more interesting for an adult to play.
Some of favorite new games:
Ticket to Ride:Europe: This is definitely at the top end of her ability to manage, but so much fun. The board is massive, you have to manage a zillion cards, and you have to really play with strategy and alternatives. But there's cute little trains. And a bit of geography. And the Europe game has the city names written in their native languages.
Qwixx: Simple dice game with a bit of probability thrown in. Take turns rolling and try to mark off numbers in order before others can. From Gamewright, one of my favorite game makers.
Crab Stack: Simple game where you can move your pieces in limited ways, trying to be the last one still able to move at the end of the game. Minimal strategy (unless I'm missing something), but a game takes maybe ten minutes and it's fun.
Double Shutter: A newer twist on the classic Shut the Box games, adding a tiny bit more strategy. The numbers some in a double row, and you can't play the back rown until the tile in front of it is shut.
Gobblet: This is a twist on tic-tac-toe in which the pieces can gobble each other up by playing a larger piece on top. Who knew tic-tac-toe could be made fun again? We had Gobblet Gobblers, which uses a 3x3 gameboard, but The Kid was ready to upgrade to the usual adult 4x4 gameboard recently.
Dixit: You have a handful of cards with generally surreal pictures on them, use a phrase to describe one of them, everyone else finds a card in their hand that might also fit the description, then everyone tries to figure out which card was the one originally being described. In order to get points, you're best off if some people (but not all) can correctly choose your card. Or if someone chooses your card when it wasn't the original one. It took some getting used to, but is now among The Kid's absolute favorites on our shelf.
Dr. Eureka: Fun, quick visual perception and speed game. You have three "test tubes" and two little marbles of each of three colors. Flip a card and it will have the marbles in various configurations within the tubes and you have to rearrange your setup without touching the marbles with your hands. We've learned for The Kid to play over an empty box lid so we don't spend our time searching for runaway marbles.
Monopoly and New York:1901 have arrived from Amazon, but we haven't even had a chance to break them open yet.
Some of favorite new games:
Ticket to Ride:Europe: This is definitely at the top end of her ability to manage, but so much fun. The board is massive, you have to manage a zillion cards, and you have to really play with strategy and alternatives. But there's cute little trains. And a bit of geography. And the Europe game has the city names written in their native languages.
Qwixx: Simple dice game with a bit of probability thrown in. Take turns rolling and try to mark off numbers in order before others can. From Gamewright, one of my favorite game makers.
Crab Stack: Simple game where you can move your pieces in limited ways, trying to be the last one still able to move at the end of the game. Minimal strategy (unless I'm missing something), but a game takes maybe ten minutes and it's fun.
Double Shutter: A newer twist on the classic Shut the Box games, adding a tiny bit more strategy. The numbers some in a double row, and you can't play the back rown until the tile in front of it is shut.
Gobblet: This is a twist on tic-tac-toe in which the pieces can gobble each other up by playing a larger piece on top. Who knew tic-tac-toe could be made fun again? We had Gobblet Gobblers, which uses a 3x3 gameboard, but The Kid was ready to upgrade to the usual adult 4x4 gameboard recently.
Dixit: You have a handful of cards with generally surreal pictures on them, use a phrase to describe one of them, everyone else finds a card in their hand that might also fit the description, then everyone tries to figure out which card was the one originally being described. In order to get points, you're best off if some people (but not all) can correctly choose your card. Or if someone chooses your card when it wasn't the original one. It took some getting used to, but is now among The Kid's absolute favorites on our shelf.
Dr. Eureka: Fun, quick visual perception and speed game. You have three "test tubes" and two little marbles of each of three colors. Flip a card and it will have the marbles in various configurations within the tubes and you have to rearrange your setup without touching the marbles with your hands. We've learned for The Kid to play over an empty box lid so we don't spend our time searching for runaway marbles.
Monopoly and New York:1901 have arrived from Amazon, but we haven't even had a chance to break them open yet.
Monday, December 5, 2016
October's Top Books
So, it's December and I've been totally slack in my posting. Logged in and realized I never finished this or posted it, so I might as well give these books credit now as favorites for October!
1. Ballywhinney Girl by Eve Bunting - a story about a girl and her grandfather who discover a mummy buried in the bog in Ireland, told from the girl's point of view.
2. The Greatest Power by Demi - an emperor wants to name a new Prime Minister, so he issues a challenge to all children - return in a year and demonstrate what they believe to be the greatest power in the world.
3. The Bat Boy & His Violin - a father and son story. Reginald loves playing his violin, but his dad doesn't understand and requires Reginald to work as a bat boy for his losing Negro Leagues baseball team. Reginald's playing inspires the team, which in turn manages to have his dad open his ears.
4. How My Parents Learned to Eat by Ina R. Friedman - cross-cultural story about two adults learning how to manage a bit of each other's customs, and teaching both to their child. This was a really good find.
Bonus selection! The point of these lists is to spotlight lesser-known books, which this is not. DD read Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary, which is by far the longest work of fiction she has ever chosen to read. We've done many Beverly Cleary read alounds, but this would work horribly as a read aloud, so I had been saving it until I thought she would be ready to read it. She loved it, and I was reminded how much I had loved it as a child. This is one I had read over and over again.
1. Ballywhinney Girl by Eve Bunting - a story about a girl and her grandfather who discover a mummy buried in the bog in Ireland, told from the girl's point of view.
2. The Greatest Power by Demi - an emperor wants to name a new Prime Minister, so he issues a challenge to all children - return in a year and demonstrate what they believe to be the greatest power in the world.
3. The Bat Boy & His Violin - a father and son story. Reginald loves playing his violin, but his dad doesn't understand and requires Reginald to work as a bat boy for his losing Negro Leagues baseball team. Reginald's playing inspires the team, which in turn manages to have his dad open his ears.
4. How My Parents Learned to Eat by Ina R. Friedman - cross-cultural story about two adults learning how to manage a bit of each other's customs, and teaching both to their child. This was a really good find.
Bonus selection! The point of these lists is to spotlight lesser-known books, which this is not. DD read Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary, which is by far the longest work of fiction she has ever chosen to read. We've done many Beverly Cleary read alounds, but this would work horribly as a read aloud, so I had been saving it until I thought she would be ready to read it. She loved it, and I was reminded how much I had loved it as a child. This is one I had read over and over again.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Fairy Tale Project: Snow White
I will confess, I dreaded doing Snow White. I dislike the tale, I dislike the absolute helplessness of Snow White, I dislike that it has a group of men needing to protect her. . .
But The Kid knew that the tale existed because friends had talked about it, and she didn't know the story and wanted to include it.
I had only known the Disney version previously, and I was surprised that there was so much variation in the versions. All but one of them still had her as a helpless female protected by men, so I still can't say I like it, but at least it freshened up the tale for me.
We read:
Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves retold by Cynthia Rylant - Chosen because it is the most well known version in the United States and she really wanted to know the same story that her friends knew.
Snow White by the Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Quentin Greban - The most faithful to the original Grimm tale, this one is more interesting than the usual version in that the witch tries multiple methods to do away with Snow White.
Snow White by the Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Charles Santore - Pretty much the Disney version, but with absolutely stunning illustrations.
The Seven Dwarfs by Etienne Delessert - A reimagining of the tale told from the point of view of one of the dwarves.
Rimonah of the Flashing Sword adapted by Eric A. Kimmel - If all Snow White stories were like this one, I would love Snow White. This character is amazing, smart, strong, and independent. This version is from North Africa.
Obviously, you could watch one or more of the many movies based on this tale, but The Kid is still a little hesitant about the scariness of most movies, so we skipped watching evil queens.
The Kid mashed together several of the Grimm/Disney versions to create her own.
But The Kid knew that the tale existed because friends had talked about it, and she didn't know the story and wanted to include it.
I had only known the Disney version previously, and I was surprised that there was so much variation in the versions. All but one of them still had her as a helpless female protected by men, so I still can't say I like it, but at least it freshened up the tale for me.
We read:
Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves retold by Cynthia Rylant - Chosen because it is the most well known version in the United States and she really wanted to know the same story that her friends knew.
Snow White by the Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Quentin Greban - The most faithful to the original Grimm tale, this one is more interesting than the usual version in that the witch tries multiple methods to do away with Snow White.
Snow White by the Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Charles Santore - Pretty much the Disney version, but with absolutely stunning illustrations.
The Seven Dwarfs by Etienne Delessert - A reimagining of the tale told from the point of view of one of the dwarves.
Rimonah of the Flashing Sword adapted by Eric A. Kimmel - If all Snow White stories were like this one, I would love Snow White. This character is amazing, smart, strong, and independent. This version is from North Africa.
Obviously, you could watch one or more of the many movies based on this tale, but The Kid is still a little hesitant about the scariness of most movies, so we skipped watching evil queens.
The Kid mashed together several of the Grimm/Disney versions to create her own.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
August/September's Top Ten Books
The Kid was camping for half of August, so I'm combining these two months.
1. Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein - I had never read this "billy sook", which is a collection of poems in which the first letters of many words are swapped. The Kid read it twice through, once enjoying the sounds, and again to "translate" it.
2. The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter - a great picture book biography focusing on the determination and patience of Jane Goodall, ending with talk of her work on preserving habitat.
3. The Monster That Grew Small retold by Joan Grant - a retelling of an Egyptian tale about conquering fears by facing them.
4. The Rich Man and the Parrot retold by Suzan Nadini - a Persian folk tale about greed and possessions, with a parrot who communicates ingeniously in order to find his freedom.
5. Rimonah of the Flashing Sword adapted by Eric A. Kimmel - a North African version of Snow White, this was nothing like any other Snow White story I've ever read. I detest the piles of helpless women in fairy tales, who are all beautiful and completely selfless but have no spunk, and Snow White is among the worst of these. But this one is a complete badass. Absolutely awesome.
6&7. The Boy Who Painted Dragons and The Girl Who Drew a Phoenix by Demi - these Chinese tales are both about young people who pass through trials to gain virtues in their pursuit of amazing artwork. Phenomenally illustrated.
8. Snow in Jerusalem by Deborah da Costa - a tale about two boys who are taking care of the same stray cat, one in the Jewish Quarter and one in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem.
9. Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry by Brian P. Cleary - a nice find. This introduces several poetic devices and styles of poems and then has several fun, whimsical examples of each. An incredibly approachable introduction to poetry terms.
10. Behind the Mask by Yangsook Choi - An awesome Halloween picture book that is not the usual fare, with a Korean-American as the main character.
1. Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein - I had never read this "billy sook", which is a collection of poems in which the first letters of many words are swapped. The Kid read it twice through, once enjoying the sounds, and again to "translate" it.
2. The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter - a great picture book biography focusing on the determination and patience of Jane Goodall, ending with talk of her work on preserving habitat.
3. The Monster That Grew Small retold by Joan Grant - a retelling of an Egyptian tale about conquering fears by facing them.
4. The Rich Man and the Parrot retold by Suzan Nadini - a Persian folk tale about greed and possessions, with a parrot who communicates ingeniously in order to find his freedom.
5. Rimonah of the Flashing Sword adapted by Eric A. Kimmel - a North African version of Snow White, this was nothing like any other Snow White story I've ever read. I detest the piles of helpless women in fairy tales, who are all beautiful and completely selfless but have no spunk, and Snow White is among the worst of these. But this one is a complete badass. Absolutely awesome.
6&7. The Boy Who Painted Dragons and The Girl Who Drew a Phoenix by Demi - these Chinese tales are both about young people who pass through trials to gain virtues in their pursuit of amazing artwork. Phenomenally illustrated.
8. Snow in Jerusalem by Deborah da Costa - a tale about two boys who are taking care of the same stray cat, one in the Jewish Quarter and one in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem.
9. Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry by Brian P. Cleary - a nice find. This introduces several poetic devices and styles of poems and then has several fun, whimsical examples of each. An incredibly approachable introduction to poetry terms.
10. Behind the Mask by Yangsook Choi - An awesome Halloween picture book that is not the usual fare, with a Korean-American as the main character.
Monday, September 12, 2016
All Things Math
Didn't mean to take such a break from posting. Time got away from me.
I know I've done math posts before, but now is time for a gigantic post about non-traditional math. First off: Math is not boring! Many traditional programs are boring, but math is an awesome subject and deserves treatment as such.
Now, some resources for elementary kids:
Beast Academy - this is a hard math program, currently available for 3rd-5th graders, with 2nd grade written soon. They teach concepts and expect kids to be able to figure out the application pretty independently. Some of the questions are things that I have to think about, and can really stump a kid. But it is fantastic, with guides written in colorful graphic novel style, engaging and sometimes unusual math, and an introduction to having to combine arithmetic, logic, and problem solving. This is put out by the Art of Problem Solving company, which also has highly conceptual-proof-heavy books from pre-algebra up.
Books by Ed Zaccaro - These often focus on problem-solving skills, have some cartoonish drawings, and gently lead kids through adding more complex skills to their skill set. I suggest Primary Grade Challenge Math as a first book to try, probably best for someone who has at least 2nd-3rd grade skills.
Time-Life I Love Math series - these are out of print, but easy to find used. Each book has a wide range of skills, maybe Kindy-3rd grade, so they are worth revisiting. The math is typically either in story format or hands-on.
MathStart books by Stuart J. Murphy - These cover a wide range of topics, with the vast majority being pre-K through 1st grade. Short books that each introduce one concept, from matching pairs to multiplication. These are great, engaging books, but I do suggest getting them from the library, as their usefulness is short-lived.
Sir Cumference books - most of these focus on geometry topics (naturally, with that name!) though a few go outside of that scope. Primarily at a 2nd-4th grade level, these can be great independent reads, or you could base entire math units around each book.
Murderous Maths - Awesome and hilarious. Most of these are written for ages 8+ (and I mean that +, as some venture into high school topics). Awesome Arithmetricks would be where to start for elementary kids. These just didn't work as read aloud material for us, so maybe waiting until your child can read independently and comfortable is a prereq.
Hands On Equations - teaches how to solve algebraic equations, broken down so elementary kids can easily understand. Best done before a child hits pre-algebra, and can be started with 1st graders. I know there's an app version, but that rather defeats the concept of "hands on" equations, and I believe the physical manipulating of the pieces matters here, especially if starting with younger kids.
Dragonbox apps - And immediately, here's the contradiction to recommending Hands On Equations only in tactile format. Dragonbox 5+ and 12+ are great apps that teach algebraic concepts in game format. It's entirely possible that your child won't even realize it is a math app. For younger kids, there is Dragonbox Numbers, which is basically games with C-rod-like creatures that help teach number sense and addition/subtraction. And for the older set, there's Dragonbox Elements to introduce geometry.
Math for Smarty Pants and I Hate Mathematics! - two very different titles for two fairly similar books by the same author and publisher. Kids should have at least basic number sense, addition, and subtraction down before starting to read these. These are classic books covering many unconventional topics, written with kids who believe they dislike math in mind, but appealing to kids who already know they like math as well.
Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School - Another classic. Nothing is normal at Wayside School, including a math class that requires spelling books. Throughout this book, there are math and logic problems for kids to do themselves, with silly stories to engage. Most of this book involves multi-digit addition and logic problems, with a good bit of puzzling. There is one short section that involves multi-digit multiplication, which can be completed or skipped depending on the abilities of your child. Kids who really enjoy puzzling can do on their own, but we have had a lot of fun figuring these out together on the whiteboard.
Zeus on the Loose - a fast-paced card game that involves adding, subtracting, and rounding as everyone tries to be the one holding the Zeus statue when the count reaches 100.
Toss Up! - great for beginning probability, the only actual math skill needed is counting and adding within 100. We used an abacus for each person to keep score before paper-and-pencil adding was solid.
Yahtzee - is there anyone who doesn't know this game? Adding, multiplication, and probability all wrapped into one game.
Oh, and if you are going to play a bunch of dice games with young kids, I highly recommend a dice tray and dice cup, both lined with felt. It really is sanity saving.
Sleeping Queens - ok, so there's very little actual math here, just adding multiples of 5 to no more than a total of 50. But it's a fun game on it's own.
Highlights MathMania - each issue is full of math puzzles. Some are straightforward arithmetic, some are logic puzzles, some are spatial awareness. There's a good variety of types of puzzles and levels in each one, mostly ranging from 1st-3rd grade. Homeschool Buyers Co-op often has deals on these.
Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Math - exactly what it sounds like, this is a colorful reference book to many math topics. Covers elementary through at least junior high.
Rat A Tat Cat - enjoyable game for longer than the math provides any challenge, involves adding four single-digit numbers and some logic.
Math Dice and Math Dice Jr - I wish there was a bridge in between these two. The Jr version involves only very simple addition and subtraction, and the standard version is meant to include multiplication, division, and exponents. Definitely much more "this is a math game" than "this is a game that involves math" than most things on this list, probably best for kids who already enjoy math and want to play with it more.
Zometool - We underuse this, and I really need to get it out again. This is a unique building toy, and you can get lesson plans for math, science, and art. The spatial work can be a real challenge. If you want a huge investment, you can purchase the mega-kit on Homeschool Buyers Co-op; it comes with the storage case but the pieces aren't arranged in it yet, apparently resulting in a major discount.
Logic Links - a simple one-person setup, you place colored chips on a card trying to follow the rules laid out on the card.
Any logic-based game - Solid logic skills are needed for math, especially as you move up in level. Any game that strengthens logic is useful - Connect 4, Qwirkle, Forbidden Island, Gobblet Gobblers, Chess...
Library books - 510 is the Dewey decimal call number for math books. Just go poke around. I've been amazed how many great books we've found!
And an honorable mention to some things I haven't personally used yet, but have heard great things about:
Prime Climb
Muggins and Knockout
Secrets of Mental Math
Short-Cut Math
The Book of Think
The Number Devil
I know I've done math posts before, but now is time for a gigantic post about non-traditional math. First off: Math is not boring! Many traditional programs are boring, but math is an awesome subject and deserves treatment as such.
Now, some resources for elementary kids:
Beast Academy - this is a hard math program, currently available for 3rd-5th graders, with 2nd grade written soon. They teach concepts and expect kids to be able to figure out the application pretty independently. Some of the questions are things that I have to think about, and can really stump a kid. But it is fantastic, with guides written in colorful graphic novel style, engaging and sometimes unusual math, and an introduction to having to combine arithmetic, logic, and problem solving. This is put out by the Art of Problem Solving company, which also has highly conceptual-proof-heavy books from pre-algebra up.
Books by Ed Zaccaro - These often focus on problem-solving skills, have some cartoonish drawings, and gently lead kids through adding more complex skills to their skill set. I suggest Primary Grade Challenge Math as a first book to try, probably best for someone who has at least 2nd-3rd grade skills.
Time-Life I Love Math series - these are out of print, but easy to find used. Each book has a wide range of skills, maybe Kindy-3rd grade, so they are worth revisiting. The math is typically either in story format or hands-on.
MathStart books by Stuart J. Murphy - These cover a wide range of topics, with the vast majority being pre-K through 1st grade. Short books that each introduce one concept, from matching pairs to multiplication. These are great, engaging books, but I do suggest getting them from the library, as their usefulness is short-lived.
Sir Cumference books - most of these focus on geometry topics (naturally, with that name!) though a few go outside of that scope. Primarily at a 2nd-4th grade level, these can be great independent reads, or you could base entire math units around each book.
Murderous Maths - Awesome and hilarious. Most of these are written for ages 8+ (and I mean that +, as some venture into high school topics). Awesome Arithmetricks would be where to start for elementary kids. These just didn't work as read aloud material for us, so maybe waiting until your child can read independently and comfortable is a prereq.
Hands On Equations - teaches how to solve algebraic equations, broken down so elementary kids can easily understand. Best done before a child hits pre-algebra, and can be started with 1st graders. I know there's an app version, but that rather defeats the concept of "hands on" equations, and I believe the physical manipulating of the pieces matters here, especially if starting with younger kids.
Dragonbox apps - And immediately, here's the contradiction to recommending Hands On Equations only in tactile format. Dragonbox 5+ and 12+ are great apps that teach algebraic concepts in game format. It's entirely possible that your child won't even realize it is a math app. For younger kids, there is Dragonbox Numbers, which is basically games with C-rod-like creatures that help teach number sense and addition/subtraction. And for the older set, there's Dragonbox Elements to introduce geometry.
Math for Smarty Pants and I Hate Mathematics! - two very different titles for two fairly similar books by the same author and publisher. Kids should have at least basic number sense, addition, and subtraction down before starting to read these. These are classic books covering many unconventional topics, written with kids who believe they dislike math in mind, but appealing to kids who already know they like math as well.
Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School - Another classic. Nothing is normal at Wayside School, including a math class that requires spelling books. Throughout this book, there are math and logic problems for kids to do themselves, with silly stories to engage. Most of this book involves multi-digit addition and logic problems, with a good bit of puzzling. There is one short section that involves multi-digit multiplication, which can be completed or skipped depending on the abilities of your child. Kids who really enjoy puzzling can do on their own, but we have had a lot of fun figuring these out together on the whiteboard.
Zeus on the Loose - a fast-paced card game that involves adding, subtracting, and rounding as everyone tries to be the one holding the Zeus statue when the count reaches 100.
Toss Up! - great for beginning probability, the only actual math skill needed is counting and adding within 100. We used an abacus for each person to keep score before paper-and-pencil adding was solid.
Yahtzee - is there anyone who doesn't know this game? Adding, multiplication, and probability all wrapped into one game.
Oh, and if you are going to play a bunch of dice games with young kids, I highly recommend a dice tray and dice cup, both lined with felt. It really is sanity saving.
Sleeping Queens - ok, so there's very little actual math here, just adding multiples of 5 to no more than a total of 50. But it's a fun game on it's own.
Highlights MathMania - each issue is full of math puzzles. Some are straightforward arithmetic, some are logic puzzles, some are spatial awareness. There's a good variety of types of puzzles and levels in each one, mostly ranging from 1st-3rd grade. Homeschool Buyers Co-op often has deals on these.
Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Math - exactly what it sounds like, this is a colorful reference book to many math topics. Covers elementary through at least junior high.
Rat A Tat Cat - enjoyable game for longer than the math provides any challenge, involves adding four single-digit numbers and some logic.
Math Dice and Math Dice Jr - I wish there was a bridge in between these two. The Jr version involves only very simple addition and subtraction, and the standard version is meant to include multiplication, division, and exponents. Definitely much more "this is a math game" than "this is a game that involves math" than most things on this list, probably best for kids who already enjoy math and want to play with it more.
Zometool - We underuse this, and I really need to get it out again. This is a unique building toy, and you can get lesson plans for math, science, and art. The spatial work can be a real challenge. If you want a huge investment, you can purchase the mega-kit on Homeschool Buyers Co-op; it comes with the storage case but the pieces aren't arranged in it yet, apparently resulting in a major discount.
Logic Links - a simple one-person setup, you place colored chips on a card trying to follow the rules laid out on the card.
Any logic-based game - Solid logic skills are needed for math, especially as you move up in level. Any game that strengthens logic is useful - Connect 4, Qwirkle, Forbidden Island, Gobblet Gobblers, Chess...
Library books - 510 is the Dewey decimal call number for math books. Just go poke around. I've been amazed how many great books we've found!
And an honorable mention to some things I haven't personally used yet, but have heard great things about:
Prime Climb
Muggins and Knockout
Secrets of Mental Math
Short-Cut Math
The Book of Think
The Number Devil
Monday, August 1, 2016
July's Top Ten Books
We read so many books, both from our Literature List and also just randomly chosen from the library's shelves, I thought I'd try to start a monthly Top Ten list.
1. The Art of Miss Chew by Patricia Polacco - a great story that features a main character with learning differences
2. Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs by Willy Claflin - We read this as part of our Fairy Tale project (yes, we're still working on that!) and enjoyed the silly mashup of fairy tales.
3. Appelemando's Dreams by Patricia Polacco - an imaginative tale of visible dreams
4. Freedom's School by Lesa Cline-Ransome - set after the Civil War, when schools for African-Americans were being started, but were surrounded by racism
5. Pinduli by Janell Cannon - the author is better known for Stellaluna but I think I like this tale better. Basically a morality tale of "what goes round come around" when you say things that make others feel bad.
6. The Misadventures of Sweetie Pie by Chris Van Allsburg - The story of a mistreated hamster and the many children he is passed around to. Not a happy story, but a simple one that introduced the idea of what happens when animals aren't cared for properly; still has a happy ending for Sweetie Pie.
7. Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel by Patricia Storace - This was my favorite of the Rapunzel stories we read this month, with adjustments to the tale as it is typically known in the U.S. to fit the island setting.
8. A Midsummer Night's Dream retild by Bruce Coville - a well-illustrated picture book retelling of the Shakespeare classic. This was The Kid's first introduction to Shakespeare and she enjoyed it so much that we followed up by going to see a local production of the play.
9. The Cloud Spinner by Michael Catchpool - an imaginative story with the theme of taking only what you need and no more, a greedy king orders a woman who can spin the clouds into cloth to make fine clothes for himself and his family until there are no clouds left and the kingdom is without rain
10. The Shaman's Apprentice by Lynne Cherry and Mark J. Plotkin - tells the tale of a boy who wants to become the next shaman in a remote village in the Amazon, and a village caught between tradition and newly introduced Western ways
1. The Art of Miss Chew by Patricia Polacco - a great story that features a main character with learning differences
2. Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs by Willy Claflin - We read this as part of our Fairy Tale project (yes, we're still working on that!) and enjoyed the silly mashup of fairy tales.
3. Appelemando's Dreams by Patricia Polacco - an imaginative tale of visible dreams
4. Freedom's School by Lesa Cline-Ransome - set after the Civil War, when schools for African-Americans were being started, but were surrounded by racism
5. Pinduli by Janell Cannon - the author is better known for Stellaluna but I think I like this tale better. Basically a morality tale of "what goes round come around" when you say things that make others feel bad.
6. The Misadventures of Sweetie Pie by Chris Van Allsburg - The story of a mistreated hamster and the many children he is passed around to. Not a happy story, but a simple one that introduced the idea of what happens when animals aren't cared for properly; still has a happy ending for Sweetie Pie.
7. Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel by Patricia Storace - This was my favorite of the Rapunzel stories we read this month, with adjustments to the tale as it is typically known in the U.S. to fit the island setting.
8. A Midsummer Night's Dream retild by Bruce Coville - a well-illustrated picture book retelling of the Shakespeare classic. This was The Kid's first introduction to Shakespeare and she enjoyed it so much that we followed up by going to see a local production of the play.
9. The Cloud Spinner by Michael Catchpool - an imaginative story with the theme of taking only what you need and no more, a greedy king orders a woman who can spin the clouds into cloth to make fine clothes for himself and his family until there are no clouds left and the kingdom is without rain
10. The Shaman's Apprentice by Lynne Cherry and Mark J. Plotkin - tells the tale of a boy who wants to become the next shaman in a remote village in the Amazon, and a village caught between tradition and newly introduced Western ways
Thursday, July 7, 2016
RightStart Math: Final Cost, Levels A-C
We've moved on from RightStart Math and I wanted to address one of the most common concerns I hear from people considering this program: cost. Yes, it looks to be a very expensive program, especially with the startup costs of that huge box of manipulatives. Here and there, when people ask online, responses cite the high resale value, but without numbers. Here are my numbers:
RightStart A
I bought the first edition of Level A, before the second edition existed. Costs include the lesson manual, two workbooks (so I could sell with a clean one), and a set of the appendix pages. I believe that the second edition becoming available in the meantime really hurt the resale value on this one!
Cost: $78.50
Sold on eBay for: $34.50
Final Cost to me: $44.00
RightStart B
I bought the second edition of Level B, with an extra workbook and an extra set of Appendix pages (so I could sell a complete, clean set). I did get the extra workbook and Appendix during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale for a discount.
Cost: $97.50
Sold on eBay for: $65.00
Final Cost to me: $32.50
RightStart C
I bought the second edition of Level C, with an extra workbook so I could sell a complete, clean set. All on sale during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale.
Cost: $80.00
Sold on eBay for: $55.00
Final Cost to me: $25.00
Manipulatives Package
I originally bought the set for version 1 and then upgraded. For ease of numbers (and not being able to find my receipt for the original purchase) I am going to use the current price of the full Version 2 Package, which is what I had by the end and sold on eBay.
Cost: $205.50
Sold on eBay for: $152.50
Final Cost to me: $53.00
Taking the total cost to me of the three levels plus the manipulatives ($154.50) and dividing it over the three years this would be expected to last, I come up with a Final Total Cost of $51.50 per year.
Not bad. And it would have come in even cheaper for me if I had started with Version 2 of Level A (the new version had much better resale value) and if I had planned ahead and always bought during the Cyber Monday sale
RightStart A
I bought the first edition of Level A, before the second edition existed. Costs include the lesson manual, two workbooks (so I could sell with a clean one), and a set of the appendix pages. I believe that the second edition becoming available in the meantime really hurt the resale value on this one!
Cost: $78.50
Sold on eBay for: $34.50
Final Cost to me: $44.00
RightStart B
I bought the second edition of Level B, with an extra workbook and an extra set of Appendix pages (so I could sell a complete, clean set). I did get the extra workbook and Appendix during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale for a discount.
Cost: $97.50
Sold on eBay for: $65.00
Final Cost to me: $32.50
RightStart C
I bought the second edition of Level C, with an extra workbook so I could sell a complete, clean set. All on sale during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale.
Cost: $80.00
Sold on eBay for: $55.00
Final Cost to me: $25.00
Manipulatives Package
I originally bought the set for version 1 and then upgraded. For ease of numbers (and not being able to find my receipt for the original purchase) I am going to use the current price of the full Version 2 Package, which is what I had by the end and sold on eBay.
Cost: $205.50
Sold on eBay for: $152.50
Final Cost to me: $53.00
Taking the total cost to me of the three levels plus the manipulatives ($154.50) and dividing it over the three years this would be expected to last, I come up with a Final Total Cost of $51.50 per year.
Not bad. And it would have come in even cheaper for me if I had started with Version 2 of Level A (the new version had much better resale value) and if I had planned ahead and always bought during the Cyber Monday sale
Monday, July 4, 2016
Second Grade Curriculum and Resources
For kindergarten and first grade, I did massive posts about our planned curriculum and resources. I've been more hesitant this year. Our current setup is six-week sessions with five subjects at a time - Spanish, Math, Language Arts, and two of The Kid's choosing. This means that our plans are even more up in the air than usual because all of the "other stuff" is decided on bit by bit.Anyway, here is the list, with a lot more uncertainty than usual.
Language Arts
These will be unschooled unless The Kid chooses a specific topic as one of her class choices. I will decide on resources at that time. BFSU will still be my go-to for science, Art Tango will be my go-to for general art.
Extracurriculars
Who knows? The Kid wants to take gymnastics, dance, circus arts, nature classes, soccer, choir, ice skating, roller skating, art classes, science classes, tennis, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something. It's not all going to fit, so there will be some choices to be made this fall. For the summer, she's doing a couple of weeks of gymnastics camp and a week of science camp.
Language Arts
- Michael Clay Thompson Town level
- Brave Writer - probably some bits and pieces of different products, and lots of referring to The Writer's Jungle
- Online literature class from Athena's Advanced Academy - this is one of The Kid's choices for fall
- Poetry Teas
- NaNoWriMo - only if The Kid chooses it for one of her class picks. It's a BIG commitment!
- Rummy Roots - we never got to this in first grade, but it might help in the jump between MCT's Building Language and Caesar's English
- Second Grade Literature List
- Beast Academy - our core
- Zaccaro's Primary Grade Challenge Math
- Highlights MathMania magazines
- Hands On Equations
- Various math apps - Dragonbox, Slice Fractions, Math Balloons, Prodigy
- Various math books - Sir Cumference, Penrose, Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School, maybe The Number Devil
- Homeschool Spanish Academy, currently 3x weekly
- Spanish picture books
- Coleccion Nacho workbooks that I picked up in Honduras
These will be unschooled unless The Kid chooses a specific topic as one of her class choices. I will decide on resources at that time. BFSU will still be my go-to for science, Art Tango will be my go-to for general art.
Extracurriculars
Who knows? The Kid wants to take gymnastics, dance, circus arts, nature classes, soccer, choir, ice skating, roller skating, art classes, science classes, tennis, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something. It's not all going to fit, so there will be some choices to be made this fall. For the summer, she's doing a couple of weeks of gymnastics camp and a week of science camp.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Second Grade Literature List
This has been the most difficult book list for me to put together. I had two big problems. The first is that there are way too many good books!
The second is that while The Kid is capable of reading anything in
front of her, she still has a strong preference for a high
pictures-to-text ratio. Her pleasure reading currently consists of
really good picture books and meh chapter books. Her picture books have more complex stories, cover some history, and have amazing language. Her preferred chapter books, well, don't. After some
thought and a lot of hours in the library, I decided that this year
would focus on a big stack of the best picture books I can find, with a
few chapter books thrown in near the end of the year.
Poetry to add to our shelves for Poetry Teas
Child's Book of Poems by Gyo Fujikawa
Several selections from the Poetry for Young People series
Picture Books
Life Doesn't Frighten Me by Maya Angelou (poetry)
The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Mary Jane Begin
Kid Blink Beats the World by Don Brown
Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein by Don Brown
Behind the Mask by Yangsook Choi
Midsummer Night's Dream adapted by Bruce Coville
Fairy Tales by e.e. cummings
Bat Boy and His Violin by Gavin Curtis
My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers by Christine King Farris
How My Parents Learned to Eat by Ina R. Friedman
Storyteller's Candle by Lucia Gonzalez
Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes (poetry)
Sami and the Time of the Troubles by Florence Parry Heide
Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
Island of the Skog by Steven Kellogg
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
Erandi's Braids by Antonio Hernandez Madrigal
Escape of Oney Judge by Emily Arnold McCully
Mirandy and Brother Wind by Patricia C. McKissack
Precious and the Boo Hag by Patricia C. McKissack
The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills
Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki
Passage to Freedom: the Sugihara Story by Ken Mochizuki
My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tololwa M. Mollel
Raising Dragons by Jerdine Nolen
Capyboppy by Bill Peet
Eli by Bill Peet
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco
Belle, the Last Mule at Gee's Bend by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Bettye Stroud
The Apple-Pip Princess by Jane Ray
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Testing the Ice by Sharon Robinson
Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown
Sukey and the Mermaid by Robert D. San Souci
Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci
Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka
Johnny on the Spot by Edward Sorel
The Old Man and His Door by Gary Soto
Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff
Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki
Suki's Kimono by Chieri Uegaki
Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris Van Allsburg
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Freedom on the Menu by Carole Boston Weatherford
Stories for Children by Oscar Wilde
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life With Chimps by Jeanette Winter
Longer Books with Few/No Pictures
Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen
26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie de Paola
Stone Fox by John R. Gardiner
Pearl Verses the World by Sally Murphy (poetry)
Tales From the Odyssey by Mary Pope Osborne
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donal J. Sobel
Family Read Alouds
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling
Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm translated by Lucy Crane
Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dagliesh
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz
Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke
Wonder Book for Boys and Girls by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
Gooney Bird Green by Lois Lowry
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
The Princess and Curdie by George McDonald
The Princess and the Goblin by George McDonald
Five Children and It by E. Nesbit
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (there is a phenomenal pop-up version of this!)
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Poetry to add to our shelves for Poetry Teas
Child's Book of Poems by Gyo Fujikawa
Several selections from the Poetry for Young People series
Picture Books
Life Doesn't Frighten Me by Maya Angelou (poetry)
The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Mary Jane Begin
Kid Blink Beats the World by Don Brown
Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein by Don Brown
Behind the Mask by Yangsook Choi
Midsummer Night's Dream adapted by Bruce Coville
Fairy Tales by e.e. cummings
Bat Boy and His Violin by Gavin Curtis
My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers by Christine King Farris
How My Parents Learned to Eat by Ina R. Friedman
Storyteller's Candle by Lucia Gonzalez
Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes (poetry)
Sami and the Time of the Troubles by Florence Parry Heide
Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
Island of the Skog by Steven Kellogg
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
Erandi's Braids by Antonio Hernandez Madrigal
Escape of Oney Judge by Emily Arnold McCully
Mirandy and Brother Wind by Patricia C. McKissack
Precious and the Boo Hag by Patricia C. McKissack
The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills
Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki
Passage to Freedom: the Sugihara Story by Ken Mochizuki
My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tololwa M. Mollel
Raising Dragons by Jerdine Nolen
Capyboppy by Bill Peet
Eli by Bill Peet
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco
Belle, the Last Mule at Gee's Bend by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Bettye Stroud
The Apple-Pip Princess by Jane Ray
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Testing the Ice by Sharon Robinson
Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown
Sukey and the Mermaid by Robert D. San Souci
Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci
Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka
Johnny on the Spot by Edward Sorel
The Old Man and His Door by Gary Soto
Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff
Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki
Suki's Kimono by Chieri Uegaki
Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris Van Allsburg
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Freedom on the Menu by Carole Boston Weatherford
Stories for Children by Oscar Wilde
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life With Chimps by Jeanette Winter
Longer Books with Few/No Pictures
Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen
26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie de Paola
Stone Fox by John R. Gardiner
Pearl Verses the World by Sally Murphy (poetry)
Tales From the Odyssey by Mary Pope Osborne
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donal J. Sobel
Family Read Alouds
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling
Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm translated by Lucy Crane
Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dagliesh
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz
Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke
Wonder Book for Boys and Girls by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
Gooney Bird Green by Lois Lowry
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
The Princess and Curdie by George McDonald
The Princess and the Goblin by George McDonald
Five Children and It by E. Nesbit
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (there is a phenomenal pop-up version of this!)
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
BFSU: Physics Unit
Prerequisites: Energy Unit and Time and Maps Unit
Resources: Magic School Bus episodes
Lesson 1: BFSU C-5: Inertia, part 1
Lesson 2: BFSU C-5: Inertia, part 2
Lesson 3: Magic School Bus Revving Up
Lesson 4: BFSU C-6 Friction, part 1
Lesson 5: BFSU C-6 Friction, part 2
Lesson 6: BFSU C-6 Friction, part 3
Lesson 7: BFSU C-6 Friction, part 4
Lesson 8: Magic School Bus Plays Ball
Lesson 9: BFSU D-7: Gravity II: Rate of Fall. Weightlessness in Space. Distinction Between Weight and Mass, part 1
Lesson 10: BFSU D-7: Gravity II: Rate of Fall. Weightlessness in Space. Distinction Between Weight and Mass, part 2
Lesson 11: BFSU D-7: Gravity II: Rate of Fall. Weightlessness in Space. Distinction Between Weight and Mass, part 3
Lesson 12: BFSU C-7: Push Pushes Back
Lesson 13: Magic School Bus Gets a Bright Idea
This post is part of my series on using BFSU as a science unit study.
Resources: Magic School Bus episodes
Lesson 1: BFSU C-5: Inertia, part 1
Lesson 2: BFSU C-5: Inertia, part 2
Lesson 3: Magic School Bus Revving Up
Lesson 4: BFSU C-6 Friction, part 1
Lesson 5: BFSU C-6 Friction, part 2
Lesson 6: BFSU C-6 Friction, part 3
Lesson 7: BFSU C-6 Friction, part 4
Lesson 8: Magic School Bus Plays Ball
Lesson 9: BFSU D-7: Gravity II: Rate of Fall. Weightlessness in Space. Distinction Between Weight and Mass, part 1
Lesson 10: BFSU D-7: Gravity II: Rate of Fall. Weightlessness in Space. Distinction Between Weight and Mass, part 2
Lesson 11: BFSU D-7: Gravity II: Rate of Fall. Weightlessness in Space. Distinction Between Weight and Mass, part 3
Lesson 12: BFSU C-7: Push Pushes Back
Lesson 13: Magic School Bus Gets a Bright Idea
This post is part of my series on using BFSU as a science unit study.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
First Grade Wrap Up
It's about that time to review what went well and not over the last year.
First, the good:
First, the good:
- Science. Wow, the level and amount of science! We finished the first volume of Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding. As we moved into more child-led studies, there hasn't been a session go by without The Kid choosing a science topic. While we haven't left BFSU behind, we've added a lot of other resources - Ellen McHenry has especially been a hit.
- Handwriting. Finally, after much struggle, The Kid has legible handwriting. Not awesome, but legible. I'm calling it good for now. At the end of last year, I wrote, "But we're still nowhere near being able to do copywork and dictation to start first grade." It took us the whole #@%& year, but she can now do copywork. And I might even attempt dictation in the near future.
- Changes to our school subjects. I wrote in this post about our six-week blocks of four subjects at a time. The Kid feels that she has real power in her school choices now. I have gained clarity about my educational priorities for her. It's been good.
- Math. This is really coming back around, but we went into full math meltdown last winter. Over the last five months, we have done no formal/required math. Slowly, slowly, the love of math has been creeping back and our math break is looking a lot mathier. But I suspect we'll have a balancing act on our hands as we incorporate more math into our days again.
- Executive Functioning. This wasn't even a term I knew until the last couple years, but oh boy, do I know it now. It includes a pile of abilities that The Kid struggles mightily with and make me want to pull my hair out. We've been focused on the basics of emotional regulation for months now, and are just barely starting to edge into more focus on time management and focus. This category is going to be a major part of goals for second grade.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Fairy Tale Project: Cinderella
Yay! We finally got back to our fairy tale project!
And, wow, there really are a lot of versions of Cinderella!
Some of the versions can get extremely dark - did you know that Grimm's version include the stepsisters cutting off parts of their feet to try to fit the shoe? And then getting their eyes pecked out by birds as retribution for their treatment of Cinderella? Yikes.
The Kid doesn't like her stories to be that dark, so we went a different direction: Cinderella stories from around the world. I had no idea how much the stories varied. Here's what we read:
Cinderella by Loek Koopmans (based on the Charles Perrault version)
The Golden Sandal by Rebecca Hickox
The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin
The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo
The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo
Cinderlily by David Ellwand (doesn't really fit in with the round-the-world theme, but pretty and whimsical)
We could have gone on and on. The versions above were chosen because they were readily on my library's shelves the day we went.
The discussions we had from this were quite interesting. I've always thought the tale a little ridiculous with the they-danced-for-a-few-hours-and-then-the-prince-was-utterly-obsessed-and-they-decided-to-marry-from-this-one-interaction bit. But The Golden Sandal is set in a time and place that includes arranged marriages, so the two never even meet until they are betrothed! The Kid didn't know anything about this custom, and we talked about how marriage is treated in different cultures and during different times.
After reading them all, we talked about what made a Cinderella story a "Cinderella story". Many of the versions were big departures from the story known in the U.S. The common threads we found were that the "Cinderella" character had to be badly treated by at least some family members, there had to be a very desirable male, there had to be a "test" of some sort (like fitting the glass slipper), and there was always some element of magic/supernatural. All the rest of what we know as a Cinderella story is quite negotiable in other versions.
The Kid wrote her own version, with the only "rule" being that she had to follow the things we had outlined as being non-negotiable for Cinderella stories. And since she is learning to type, she was determined to write it herself, so this is the first Fairy Tale Project that I haven't taken dictation for! She is so proud of the story that she wrote all on her own!
And, wow, there really are a lot of versions of Cinderella!
Some of the versions can get extremely dark - did you know that Grimm's version include the stepsisters cutting off parts of their feet to try to fit the shoe? And then getting their eyes pecked out by birds as retribution for their treatment of Cinderella? Yikes.
The Kid doesn't like her stories to be that dark, so we went a different direction: Cinderella stories from around the world. I had no idea how much the stories varied. Here's what we read:
Cinderella by Loek Koopmans (based on the Charles Perrault version)
The Golden Sandal by Rebecca Hickox
The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin
The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo
The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo
Cinderlily by David Ellwand (doesn't really fit in with the round-the-world theme, but pretty and whimsical)
We could have gone on and on. The versions above were chosen because they were readily on my library's shelves the day we went.
The discussions we had from this were quite interesting. I've always thought the tale a little ridiculous with the they-danced-for-a-few-hours-and-then-the-prince-was-utterly-obsessed-and-they-decided-to-marry-from-this-one-interaction bit. But The Golden Sandal is set in a time and place that includes arranged marriages, so the two never even meet until they are betrothed! The Kid didn't know anything about this custom, and we talked about how marriage is treated in different cultures and during different times.
After reading them all, we talked about what made a Cinderella story a "Cinderella story". Many of the versions were big departures from the story known in the U.S. The common threads we found were that the "Cinderella" character had to be badly treated by at least some family members, there had to be a very desirable male, there had to be a "test" of some sort (like fitting the glass slipper), and there was always some element of magic/supernatural. All the rest of what we know as a Cinderella story is quite negotiable in other versions.
The Kid wrote her own version, with the only "rule" being that she had to follow the things we had outlined as being non-negotiable for Cinderella stories. And since she is learning to type, she was determined to write it herself, so this is the first Fairy Tale Project that I haven't taken dictation for! She is so proud of the story that she wrote all on her own!
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
What a "Math Break" Looks Like At My House
The Kid says she hates math. This is heartbreaking. I love math. She used to love math.
So we're on an extended math break. We haven't done formal math since December and I don't know when we'll add it back in. Not having math class hasn't stopped us from having lots of math, though. In fact, I'm starting to suspect that we have more math in our day now than we did when we had math class!
Dragonbox Numbers: An iPad app that works like animated Cuisenaire rods. C rods might be the one and only manipulative we never used. The skills for this app are appropriate for preschool to maybe 1st grade, but The Kid is loving using it.
Slice Fractions: Another iPad app. If Dragonbox and Cut the Rope had a baby, this might be it. No previous exposure to fractions is needed, and it is truly a game not just math in disguise :)
Sir Cumference: a series of books with lots of math puns and that requires some math to solve an issue for the characters. They're lots of fun!
Penrose the Mathematical Cat: Oh, how I love Penrose. This book gives a very brief introduction to lots of math topics, most of which are not covered in any standard elementary math program. Honestly, I think this book may be best if the parent enjoys math and can go deeper into the topics as desired.
Math Adventures series and other books by Wendy Clemson: We stumbled across these at the library and The Kid has checked out most the series now and reads them for fun.
Beast Academy guides: Though The Kid isn't ready to try tackling the Beast workbooks again, she does love reading the guides. The math beasts are fun, relatable, and also sometimes struggle with their math.
Murderous Maths: A very British series of math(s) books. These are more dense than the other books on this list, but the authors seem to find joy in making the story around math fun. The concepts presented are often well beyond what The Kid can actually do, but she likes to let ideas percolate in her brain.
Bedtime Math: We renamed this series Mealtime Math in our house, and cover a couple pages at lunch or dinner. This series of math books has a simple setup: a silly bit of information, followed by 3-4 math questions of increasing difficulty. It's brilliant. They're so very silly, and are all in word problem format.
Toothpick puzzles: There are some of these in the first Beast Academy workbook, there is one in every issue of Highlights MathMania, and if you have no idea what I'm talking about you can find some here.
Sleeping Queens: a fun game that includes the need to add up combinations of 5, 10, 15, and 20, plus you use single digit numbers to form equations.
Zeus on the Loose: another fun game that includes adding a single digit number to a 2-digit number, plus occasional subtracting and rounding
And the math book section at the library is at call number 510. Lots of math books are thinly veiled instructional texts or workbooks. Don't get me wrong, those are likely still more fun for many kids than traditional math, but they're not nearly the same as a well crafted book that happens to include math! Have fun and choose wisely.
So we're on an extended math break. We haven't done formal math since December and I don't know when we'll add it back in. Not having math class hasn't stopped us from having lots of math, though. In fact, I'm starting to suspect that we have more math in our day now than we did when we had math class!
Dragonbox Numbers: An iPad app that works like animated Cuisenaire rods. C rods might be the one and only manipulative we never used. The skills for this app are appropriate for preschool to maybe 1st grade, but The Kid is loving using it.
Slice Fractions: Another iPad app. If Dragonbox and Cut the Rope had a baby, this might be it. No previous exposure to fractions is needed, and it is truly a game not just math in disguise :)
Sir Cumference: a series of books with lots of math puns and that requires some math to solve an issue for the characters. They're lots of fun!
Penrose the Mathematical Cat: Oh, how I love Penrose. This book gives a very brief introduction to lots of math topics, most of which are not covered in any standard elementary math program. Honestly, I think this book may be best if the parent enjoys math and can go deeper into the topics as desired.
Math Adventures series and other books by Wendy Clemson: We stumbled across these at the library and The Kid has checked out most the series now and reads them for fun.
Beast Academy guides: Though The Kid isn't ready to try tackling the Beast workbooks again, she does love reading the guides. The math beasts are fun, relatable, and also sometimes struggle with their math.
Murderous Maths: A very British series of math(s) books. These are more dense than the other books on this list, but the authors seem to find joy in making the story around math fun. The concepts presented are often well beyond what The Kid can actually do, but she likes to let ideas percolate in her brain.
Bedtime Math: We renamed this series Mealtime Math in our house, and cover a couple pages at lunch or dinner. This series of math books has a simple setup: a silly bit of information, followed by 3-4 math questions of increasing difficulty. It's brilliant. They're so very silly, and are all in word problem format.
Toothpick puzzles: There are some of these in the first Beast Academy workbook, there is one in every issue of Highlights MathMania, and if you have no idea what I'm talking about you can find some here.
Sleeping Queens: a fun game that includes the need to add up combinations of 5, 10, 15, and 20, plus you use single digit numbers to form equations.
Zeus on the Loose: another fun game that includes adding a single digit number to a 2-digit number, plus occasional subtracting and rounding
And the math book section at the library is at call number 510. Lots of math books are thinly veiled instructional texts or workbooks. Don't get me wrong, those are likely still more fun for many kids than traditional math, but they're not nearly the same as a well crafted book that happens to include math! Have fun and choose wisely.
Friday, April 15, 2016
Some Travel Practicalities and Planning Tips
Any time I mention our travels, I get asked how I found and arranged everything. i wish I had some amazing travel secrets, but I don't. The Kid and I have done two huge trips now - Guatemala in 2015 and Honduras in 2016. I found everything through simple google searches. Language schools are scattered throughout Central America, and most will arrange homestays. Here are a few tips:
1. Make sure your paperwork is in order. Many countries require that your passport not expire for at least six months after you enter. If only one parent is traveling, you may need a notarized form from the other parent stating that you have their permission so as not to be suspected of kidnapping your own child. (Though I have to say, no country has ever asked to see this paperwork, even when it's required. It's a little disconcerting.) If the country you are entering requires a vaccination record, you'll need to have that as well.
2. Medications. Some people travel with half a pharmacy in their bag. I only bring prescriptions, ibuprofen, children's Tylenol, and an anti-diarrhea medicine. Don't forget to check with your local doctor's offices beforehand about any recommended travel vaccines or anti-malarial medication.
3. Money. ATM cards are easiest in most parts of the world, but there are some where ATMs aren't as common or aren't as safe. You'll need to tell your bank that you're traveling, as otherwise many prevent foreign transactions as a fraud prevention measure. Traveler's checks have fallen by the wayside and aren't widely accepted in my experience. Some countries will only accept U.S. cash if it is perfect condition (not even the tiniest tear or ink mark on the bill).
For the trip to Honduras, I remembered to bring my bank card and a credit card. I remembered to make sure my bank knew I was traveling so my card would work in Honduras. I remembered to make sure the ATMs locally were safe to use (some parts of Honduras are well known to have skimmers on machines). And yet, I still forget to see what type of cards were accepted. The ATM did not accept my MasterCard. This means I could make charges at most tourist places, but I couldn't get cash. Damn it. Almost everywhere operates on a cash basis there except for the pricey tourist places. Even some of those are cash only. Fortunately, my husband was still in the U.S. and Western Union works. It barely even costs more than ATM fees, though the lines are definitely longer.
4. Pack lightly. Very, very lightly. Especially if you intend to move around from place to place, you want to be able to carry all your bags in one load.
5. Research before you go. There are so many travel sites online. Trip Advisor is a great one for hotels, restaurants, and activities. 123teachme is a well known site listing Spanish immersion schools, but it is worth noting that schools pay for inclusion so it is nowhere near comprehensive. Guatemala365 is specific to Guatemala, but with the same caveat about not being comprehensive.
As for what to research... It can get overwhelming. So, here's another list:1. Make sure your paperwork is in order. Many countries require that your passport not expire for at least six months after you enter. If only one parent is traveling, you may need a notarized form from the other parent stating that you have their permission so as not to be suspected of kidnapping your own child. (Though I have to say, no country has ever asked to see this paperwork, even when it's required. It's a little disconcerting.) If the country you are entering requires a vaccination record, you'll need to have that as well.
2. Medications. Some people travel with half a pharmacy in their bag. I only bring prescriptions, ibuprofen, children's Tylenol, and an anti-diarrhea medicine. Don't forget to check with your local doctor's offices beforehand about any recommended travel vaccines or anti-malarial medication.
3. Money. ATM cards are easiest in most parts of the world, but there are some where ATMs aren't as common or aren't as safe. You'll need to tell your bank that you're traveling, as otherwise many prevent foreign transactions as a fraud prevention measure. Traveler's checks have fallen by the wayside and aren't widely accepted in my experience. Some countries will only accept U.S. cash if it is perfect condition (not even the tiniest tear or ink mark on the bill).
For the trip to Honduras, I remembered to bring my bank card and a credit card. I remembered to make sure my bank knew I was traveling so my card would work in Honduras. I remembered to make sure the ATMs locally were safe to use (some parts of Honduras are well known to have skimmers on machines). And yet, I still forget to see what type of cards were accepted. The ATM did not accept my MasterCard. This means I could make charges at most tourist places, but I couldn't get cash. Damn it. Almost everywhere operates on a cash basis there except for the pricey tourist places. Even some of those are cash only. Fortunately, my husband was still in the U.S. and Western Union works. It barely even costs more than ATM fees, though the lines are definitely longer.
4. Pack lightly. Very, very lightly. Especially if you intend to move around from place to place, you want to be able to carry all your bags in one load.
5. Research before you go. There are so many travel sites online. Trip Advisor is a great one for hotels, restaurants, and activities. 123teachme is a well known site listing Spanish immersion schools, but it is worth noting that schools pay for inclusion so it is nowhere near comprehensive. Guatemala365 is specific to Guatemala, but with the same caveat about not being comprehensive.
1. Where to go in general. What countries sound interesting to you? Do you want a small town or a city? A beach? Mountains? Forest? Are there activities that are important to you? What is your budget and can you manage in your areas of choice? These can be very specific to your family - we learned by experience that a place with no open spaces for playing was not a good choice for us, even though the area gets fantastic reviews from others. Now we know to ask about public green spaces!
2. Which language school? Some areas have a lot of choices, some just a few. Find all the reviews you can. Most areas copy the basics from each other - if the standard in that city is for classes to be 1-on-1, all the schools will do it that way. If the standard is to have group classes, all the schools will do it that way. Homestays are not common in touristy areas, but they are commonly available elsewhere. Prices are pretty standardized in some areas and quite variable in others.
Once you narrow it down, email each of your top schools to ask any specific questions. Our questions always include whether homestays include more than one student (more students means hearing more English), whether we can be sure of being placed in a homestay with other children present, and how the level of instruction is determined.
3. What else is there to do? You don't want to spend all your travel time finding ways to keep occupied. Besides, you may have very limited internet. Have a decent idea of other activities in the area and going rates. But don't try to fill up every minute of your time in advance. You'll get ideas from locals and other travelers once you arrive.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Honduras: Week 5
Roatan! How beautiful, and sunny, and beachy! Never mind the fact that I got burnt each day despite putting on SPF 70 every hour and buying a long-sleeved rash guard! It was gorgeous and I never wanted to leave.
And then... we returned home. I miss paradise.
There were hermit crab races for charity:
There were fire dancers:
There was this beach only a block from our hotel:
The Kid went parasailing:
She played with monkeys:
We saw so many starfish!
We took an all-day boat tour and had lunch on a private island:
And then... we returned home. I miss paradise.
Friday, April 8, 2016
Honduras: Week 4
Our last week in Copan Ruinas!
We started it out by touring a coffee farm. Neither The Kid nor I had previously had any idea how coffee was grown. It turns out to be grown on little trees on steep mountainsides. This was an interesting trip that managed to keep both of us engaged - perfect for our last big Copan excursion!
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| One coffee berry, squashed open to find the coffee bean inside |
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| Lots of coffee bushes! Oh, glorious coffee! |
I'm super pleased with our Spanish progress. I'm now able to speak in future and past tenses as well as present. The Kid has unlocked the mystery of conjugating verbs that previously eluded her and is much, much more comfortable actually using the Spanish she knows. I call that a definite success!
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| My daughter's teacher, during a class time trip to the park |
This week was *really* hot! Three days at 95+ degrees! It's been so long since I lived without air con that I just forgot how miserable those temps can be. We spent a lot of time indoors to be out of the sun. Even ice cream would have melted too fast to eat.
We had only been out to one restaurant plus out for some snacks, so we splurged one day on a nice restaurant lunch. It was an awesome treat!
On Friday, we left school after just two hours and headed to the bus station. We had a 7 hour bus ride in front of us, which turned out to be 8.5 hours. Ugh. The Kid did great, just played on her iPad pretty much the whole time. I get carsick if I try to use a tablet or read a book in a moving vehicle, so I spent the ride watching Honduras go by out the window. We then spent one night in a hostel in La Ceiba before taking the ferry to Roatan the next day. That afternoon, we finally got to see my husband again! He met up with us for this week in Roatan, along with a family friend. Impressions and stories from Roatan will be coming next week!
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Honduras: Week 3
Allergies? Seriously? Other than mild seasonal allergies, The Kid has never shown any sign of allergies. Until now. Of course, at home, I could think about what new thing had been introduced just recently. But here, there are lots of new things. Where would I even start?
We'll probably have no idea what caused the crazy rash that covered most of her body. It was red and itchy, started slowly on Friday and by Sunday was covering her. At that point, we went to the pharmacy and asked for something for allergies. There is no wandering the aisles of a pharmacy here like at home. You walk in, there is a counter, you tell them what you want (in whatever Spanish you have), they give something to you, and you pay. As it turns out, what they had was liquid loratadine (generic Claritin) with dosing instructions in both Spanish and English. I would have preferred Benadryl, but took what I could get. Whether it was the medicine or the rash resolving itself, it did get much better in the days to follow.
After a cool weekend, the weather heated back up. I like the warmth, so no problem for me! The Kid was happy for the excuse to go for ice cream in the park. Ice cream bars cost around 15 lempiras (US$0.75) and a small ice cream cone costs 5 lempiras (US$0.25). Tuesday was hot enough that the ice cream would have melted before it could be eaten, so we opted for licuados instead. Licuados are fresh fruit, sugar, water, and ice blended together and absolutely wonderful.
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| Climbing trees is a great pasttime no matter what the country! |
As before, school is great but uneventful. The Kid is learning to conjugate irregular verbs. I'm learning how to use the past tense. We get a lot more practice now in our homestay. We talk to people at the table over meals. The Kid plays with the seven year old. (The seven year old goes to the bilingual school and is reasonably fluent in English, but happy to operate mostly in Spanish with The Kid, so it works well. They start with Spanish and if there is difficulty, they try flipping into English.)
On Saturday, we headed to the hot springs. Soaking in warm water for three hours was a bit much for The Kid, who kept wanting to move around and splash, so I felt like I spent all my time trying to corral her and zero of my time relaxing. The night before, it rained, making the rural roads muddy and difficult for the van driver to navigate, meaning the "40 minute ride"each way turned into an 80 minute ride each way. Overall, I have to say between the long ride and corralling The Kid, this excursion was more of a bust. We did both like the natural mud bath.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Honduras: Week 2
Week 2 started with a bit of a stomach upset for me. Nothing major, just traveler's sickness. Still, it meant very little food for about two grumpy days. The Kid seems to have an iron stomach.
We capped off that visit with a stop at The Tea and Chocolate Place (el luger de té y chocolate), an amazing place that grows absolutely everything they sell - the plants for the teas, the cacao for the chocolates, any herbs used... All of it, and all organically. The Kid ordered the best hot chocolate either of us had ever had, ground cacao unfiltered in the milk and just a touch of sweetness. We took advantage of the unusual selection to buy an Equinox present for my husband and a couple small presents for our homestay family. I also squirreled away a package of freshly ground cacao to make more of that amazing hot chocolate at home!
Still, we had plans. Sunday, we went to Enchanted Wings, a small mariposaria (butterfly farm). It was pretty, totally worth the quick trip.
Monday morning, The Kid and I had a talk about our "B&B homestay". We had both enjoyed our homestay last year in Guatemala and were pretty disappointed not to be living with a family here. During the first week, The Kid played with two other kids here, but they both speak fluent English. The adults were too busy working to spend much time letting me practice my Spanish. We had specifically wanted to live with a family, not a hotel. After classes, we talked to the school director, who promised to look into other possibilities for our homestay.
School was uneventful. Every day, we went and learned new things. Every afternoon, we did our homework. We're definitely learning more and more.
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| Studying in the garden after class |
Friday, we moved to our new homestay. There was an awkward conversation with the first homestay trying to explain that we liked them and didn't want to hurt their feelings, but wanted to live with a traditional family while in Honduras. The new homestay was exactly what we hoped for! We settled in immediately, had some wonderful soup for lunch, and started learning names. That afternoon, we walked about this new part of town with a couple of local children, including the seven year old granddaughter of our homestay mom and a neighbor. Oh, I wish I were better at mental mapping!
The one downside to the new homestay - they do not have Internet. It's been a while since I've been without internet for any appreciable amount of time and I forgot how isolating it can feel. There is Internet at the school, but not much time in which to use it.
Saturday, we went to the bird sanctuary. In English, it is known by the name Macaw Mountain. To the locals, it is El Parque de Aves. Either way, it was an absolutely gorgeous place to walk through the forest. They have a number of very nice, large cages for a variety of parrots and toucans, obtained either as unwanted house pets or confiscated by the government when found in illegal trade busts. There is a small breeding program to reintroduce macaws (guacamayas) to the nearby ruins, where there is already a flock thriving.
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| With a macaw at the sanctuary |
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| Some of the flock of macaws at the ruins |
We capped off that visit with a stop at The Tea and Chocolate Place (el luger de té y chocolate), an amazing place that grows absolutely everything they sell - the plants for the teas, the cacao for the chocolates, any herbs used... All of it, and all organically. The Kid ordered the best hot chocolate either of us had ever had, ground cacao unfiltered in the milk and just a touch of sweetness. We took advantage of the unusual selection to buy an Equinox present for my husband and a couple small presents for our homestay family. I also squirreled away a package of freshly ground cacao to make more of that amazing hot chocolate at home!
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| Lots of freshly roasted cacao beans! |
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Honduras: Week 1
The Kid and I traveled to Honduras for five weeks! Some of our adventures from week 1:
Getting there: a plane from Indy to Miami and then another to San Pedro Sula. Our plane arrived too late for the last bus to Copan Ruinas, so we took a hired car. This made for a loooong day of travel! We woke around 4am and arrived at our destination around 7pm (6pm local time). I exchanged some money, which seemed totally sketchy as it was exchanged by some guy standing in the airport holding onto a big wad of cash and a calculator, but this is apparently the actually official way to do it.
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| We had a cheap upgrade to first class! Woot! |
When we woke and took a look around, we discovered that our "homestay" was actually a small B&B. Hmmm. We had been looking forward to staying with a local family, as we did in Guatemala last year. We debated but decided to give this place a shot. The owner's 6yo granddaughter comes around frequently, which is a big plus for The Kid.
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| Our "B&B homestay" |
We took a walk and found that this parque centro had a lot of kids and a tiny bit of green space - major improvement over last year! Plus someone selling little ice cream cones for only 5 lempiras ($0.25).
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| The parque central as seen from the second floor of a nearby coffee shop |
Monday was our first day at Escuela Guacamaya. The Kid gets two hours of one-on-one instruction per day and I get four hours. Really, 3 1/2 hours and a break. Day 1 included each of our instructors trying to figure out what we know, which can't be easy with the odd hodgepodge of Spanish learning we've each had.
Throughout the week, we've been thrilled with the teaching we've had. The Kid already has the usual "kid basics" down - colors, foods, animals, basic nouns - and they've been working a lot on verbs, expressing opinions, etc. there's lots of game playing and she has "homework" for the first time. Most of the first week has been closing holes in my own knowledge, increasing vocabulary, and trying to work on my horrendous accent.
All of our meals are provided at our B&B homestay, but we have gone out for some snacks. Ice cream bars are available in most of the little stores for under US$1. We had this feast of a huge piece of torta, a cup of Honduran coffee, and a licuado (smoothie) for US$5 at a cafe downtown.
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| Torta and drinks |
On Saturday, the end of our first week, we visited the Mayan ruins that the town is named for. In addition to the ruins themselves, The Kid was thrilled to finally get her first tuk tuk ride of this trip! A tuk tuk is kind of like a three-wheeled, semi-enclosed taxi. They're cheap and plentiful, but we don't take many because it feels too lazy!
After the ruins, we had a late lunch at Pizza Copan. That's right, American food! I forget how awesome comfort food tastes after a week of eggs, beans, and tortillas.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
New Goals: A Side Effect of Child-Chosen Classes
As I talked about a few posts ago, The Kid gets to choose two classes per six-week session of school. We brainstormed a big list of things she might want to choose for classes based on current interests and things she has randomly mentioned.
She really, really wants classes with other kids. There are no academic co-ops available to us. She knows about online classes, so she asked to be able to take one of those - online kids are definitely better than no kids! After some exploring, The Kid decided she would like to try a class through Athena's Advanced Academy next fall. So, yay, I won't even have to teach all her classes next fall!
Most of Athena's classes have similar prerequisites - a minimum reading level, being comfortable speaking in an online classroom, the ability to give 4-5 sentence responses to forum questions. She's got the reading levels and the ability to talk (boy, does she ever!). But she's a hunt-and-peck typist and when I told her she would have to write her answers in paragraph form she asked me what a paragraph was.
Per our new scheduling, she gets to choose two classes for spring and two for summer, so she has already chosen that spring includes typing and summer includes paragraph composing. Yay for being able to set goals!
She really, really wants classes with other kids. There are no academic co-ops available to us. She knows about online classes, so she asked to be able to take one of those - online kids are definitely better than no kids! After some exploring, The Kid decided she would like to try a class through Athena's Advanced Academy next fall. So, yay, I won't even have to teach all her classes next fall!
Most of Athena's classes have similar prerequisites - a minimum reading level, being comfortable speaking in an online classroom, the ability to give 4-5 sentence responses to forum questions. She's got the reading levels and the ability to talk (boy, does she ever!). But she's a hunt-and-peck typist and when I told her she would have to write her answers in paragraph form she asked me what a paragraph was.
Per our new scheduling, she gets to choose two classes for spring and two for summer, so she has already chosen that spring includes typing and summer includes paragraph composing. Yay for being able to set goals!
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Creating Unit Studies
When I went in search of curricula for some subjects, sometimes I couldn't find what I was looking for. I started pulling together a mishmash of resources, and only later started thinking of some of these as unit studies. I thought I'd share the steps I go through in creating these.
1. Choose a topic. This includes not only the general topic, but any areas we want to focus on. We consider how deep we want to go and a general idea of how much time we want to spend.
Example: My daughter requested a unit on chemistry. She wanted quite a lot of information on it, definitely wants to cover the periodic table/elements, and wants lots of hands-on. We had a big trip scheduled, which presents a natural ending point for us, so we had about 6-8 weeks to spend on this.
2. Start gathering resources. Ask on homeschooling groups, do internet searches, see what the library has, take a critical look at anything we already have in the house we can use, check out online MOOCs, field trip opportunities. The idea here is to see what is available to you, not to do any choosing yet.
Example: "Chemistry" is rather a huge topic, so I decided to start by asking on one of the homeschooling groups to get ideas for materials others have found especially good. I needed to narrow the field. I knew we had a couple things in the house, including a molecular modeling kit, so I wanted to incorporate that. I got recommendations for a huge amount of books, curricula, websites, apps, and kits.
3. Evaluate the resources. Some just won't fit with your goals, your ages/abilities, your interests, your time frame, your budget. You might want to keep a record of these for the future, but take them out of your options for now. Some will hopefully be standouts and have you and your child really excited about jumping in - these are the essential pieces you can most build your unit around. Some are very good, but not spectacular - if they are affordable, then these are great to have on hand for open exploration even if you don't formally incorporate them into the unit. Some may not make you excited, but are the best choice for fulfilling some aspect of your goals.
Example: So much stuff! I find this the most overwhelming part of planning a unit because I want to include ALL THE GREAT STUFF! I had been wanting to try the Ellen McHenry units for a while, and she has one called The Elements, so I looked at a sample with my daughter, who agreed it appeared to be a good fit, so that became one of our main pieces. There are games in that, but not much in the way of experiments, so I needed something to fulfill that piece. I was planning on a traditional chemistry set, and Thames and Kosmos has some decently well rated ones at a fair price, so I looked there. While looking there, I came across Candy Chemistry - light on the chemistry but heavy on the fun and the candy! My daughter is young, and we'll definitely do more serious takes on chemistry later, so I went with Candy Chemistry. The kit is a bit ridiculously priced, so I downloaded the manual for free and gathered the supplies. There are some great books that were available at the library, and some recommended apps that were priced ok, so I added those to the stack, though I don't intend to formally include them. Add in a periodic table placemat, and videos from subscription sites we already have and we can easily fill our time!
4. What else can I incorporate? What can I let go of in the rest of our schooling?
Example: We were ready for a break from formal math, and there's a fair bit of math in chemistry anyway, so we shelved our math program for a bit. She kept some notes and did some written activities, so handwriting was covered. We were just about to do a bit on crystals in science anyway, so we did that and also included the crystal growing kit I had for that - fits in perfectly alongside the chemistry unit!
1. Choose a topic. This includes not only the general topic, but any areas we want to focus on. We consider how deep we want to go and a general idea of how much time we want to spend.
Example: My daughter requested a unit on chemistry. She wanted quite a lot of information on it, definitely wants to cover the periodic table/elements, and wants lots of hands-on. We had a big trip scheduled, which presents a natural ending point for us, so we had about 6-8 weeks to spend on this.
2. Start gathering resources. Ask on homeschooling groups, do internet searches, see what the library has, take a critical look at anything we already have in the house we can use, check out online MOOCs, field trip opportunities. The idea here is to see what is available to you, not to do any choosing yet.
Example: "Chemistry" is rather a huge topic, so I decided to start by asking on one of the homeschooling groups to get ideas for materials others have found especially good. I needed to narrow the field. I knew we had a couple things in the house, including a molecular modeling kit, so I wanted to incorporate that. I got recommendations for a huge amount of books, curricula, websites, apps, and kits.
3. Evaluate the resources. Some just won't fit with your goals, your ages/abilities, your interests, your time frame, your budget. You might want to keep a record of these for the future, but take them out of your options for now. Some will hopefully be standouts and have you and your child really excited about jumping in - these are the essential pieces you can most build your unit around. Some are very good, but not spectacular - if they are affordable, then these are great to have on hand for open exploration even if you don't formally incorporate them into the unit. Some may not make you excited, but are the best choice for fulfilling some aspect of your goals.
Example: So much stuff! I find this the most overwhelming part of planning a unit because I want to include ALL THE GREAT STUFF! I had been wanting to try the Ellen McHenry units for a while, and she has one called The Elements, so I looked at a sample with my daughter, who agreed it appeared to be a good fit, so that became one of our main pieces. There are games in that, but not much in the way of experiments, so I needed something to fulfill that piece. I was planning on a traditional chemistry set, and Thames and Kosmos has some decently well rated ones at a fair price, so I looked there. While looking there, I came across Candy Chemistry - light on the chemistry but heavy on the fun and the candy! My daughter is young, and we'll definitely do more serious takes on chemistry later, so I went with Candy Chemistry. The kit is a bit ridiculously priced, so I downloaded the manual for free and gathered the supplies. There are some great books that were available at the library, and some recommended apps that were priced ok, so I added those to the stack, though I don't intend to formally include them. Add in a periodic table placemat, and videos from subscription sites we already have and we can easily fill our time!
4. What else can I incorporate? What can I let go of in the rest of our schooling?
Example: We were ready for a break from formal math, and there's a fair bit of math in chemistry anyway, so we shelved our math program for a bit. She kept some notes and did some written activities, so handwriting was covered. We were just about to do a bit on crystals in science anyway, so we did that and also included the crystal growing kit I had for that - fits in perfectly alongside the chemistry unit!
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Interesting Asynchronicity
I just posted about our new scheduling. So what does The Kid choose for one of her first subjects?
Chemistry.
I was thinking mixing things together to see what happens. She wanted to learn about the Periodic Table. She wanted to learn about atoms and molecules. She wanted to learn about electrons.
Really, kid? You're five years old.
The Kid writes very little, has about third grade math skills, and generally wants high input and low output. She can read at a high school level but prefers mid-to-late elementary text with lots of pictures, enjoys verbal instruction at about a late elementary/early junior high level, and will happily watch documentaries of YouTube information at adult level. Balancing this is weird. It's not like I can add up all the different grade levels, find the average, and pick material for that level.
The Internet came to my rescue and I found that other parents had already been there and done that with interested young kids. I actually was able to put together a chemistry unit that we both loved, was appropriate for her level, and kept us learning and busy.
Chemistry.
I was thinking mixing things together to see what happens. She wanted to learn about the Periodic Table. She wanted to learn about atoms and molecules. She wanted to learn about electrons.
Really, kid? You're five years old.
The Kid writes very little, has about third grade math skills, and generally wants high input and low output. She can read at a high school level but prefers mid-to-late elementary text with lots of pictures, enjoys verbal instruction at about a late elementary/early junior high level, and will happily watch documentaries of YouTube information at adult level. Balancing this is weird. It's not like I can add up all the different grade levels, find the average, and pick material for that level.
The Internet came to my rescue and I found that other parents had already been there and done that with interested young kids. I actually was able to put together a chemistry unit that we both loved, was appropriate for her level, and kept us learning and busy.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Blending Structure and Freedom
We recently switched around the organization in our homeschooling again. We are trying out something new - breaking our studies into six week "sessions", with four subjects each session, each subject being given 30 minutes per school day. The Kid and I agree that Spanish will always be one of her subjects. I choose one subject each session. The Kid chooses two subjects per session. (If she is feeling less schooly, she can choose less than two. The joy of being five years old!)
We've found before that no structure ends with The Kid frustrated, and too much structure ends with The Kid frustrated. A few years ago, I assumed that I would unschool until she was 7 or 8, but that doesn't quite fit her. We were doing daily core subjects and switching between science, history, art, music, grammar, poetry, and maybe some other stuff - it was exhausting to keep track of and plan! I wanted an option that blended heavily child-led with enough structure to keep us both happy. So far, so good!
We recently wrapped our first session, and it went great. We are now in the midst of a five week trip, so this session is all Spanish, all the time. But we've already chosen our subjects for the next session, and are excited to get underway again!
We've found before that no structure ends with The Kid frustrated, and too much structure ends with The Kid frustrated. A few years ago, I assumed that I would unschool until she was 7 or 8, but that doesn't quite fit her. We were doing daily core subjects and switching between science, history, art, music, grammar, poetry, and maybe some other stuff - it was exhausting to keep track of and plan! I wanted an option that blended heavily child-led with enough structure to keep us both happy. So far, so good!
We recently wrapped our first session, and it went great. We are now in the midst of a five week trip, so this session is all Spanish, all the time. But we've already chosen our subjects for the next session, and are excited to get underway again!
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
BFSU: Rocks and Crystals Unit
Prerequisites: Air Unit
Resources: Magic School Bus Episodes
Thames and Kosmos Crystal Creations kit
Rock On! Geology game
Note: We used the Thames and Kosmos Crystals kit fully, and therefore went through the BFSU sections quickly in order to do this more hands-on. If you are to skip the kit, you would likely want to devote more time to the BFSU lessons A-9 and A-10. The kit is excellent and well worth the money.
Lesson 1: BFSU A-9: Matter IV: Dissolving, Solutions, and Crystallization, part 1 and 2
Lesson 2: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 1
Lesson 3: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 2
Lesson 4: BFSU A-10: Rocks, Minerals, Crystals, Dirt and Soil, part 1, and introduce Rock On! geology game
Lesson 5: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 3
Lesson 6: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 4
Lesson 7: BFSU A-10: Rocks, Minerals, Crystals, Dirt and Soil, part 2
Lesson 8: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 5
Lesson 9: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 6
Lesson 10: BFSU A-10: Rocks, Minerals, Crystals, Dirt and Soil, part 3 and 4
Lesson 11: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 7
Lesson 12: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 8
Lesson 13: BFSU D-4: Land Forms and Major Biomes of the Earth
Lesson 14: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 9
Lesson 15: Magic School Bus Blows Its Top
Lesson 16: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 10
Lesson 17: BFSU D-8: Rocks and Fossils, part 1
Lesson 18: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 11
Lesson 19: BFSU D-8: Rocks and Fossils, part 2
Lesson 20: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 12
Lesson 21: BFSU D-8: Rocks and Fossils, part 3
Lesson 22: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 13
Lesson 23: BFSU D-8: Rocks and Fossils, part 4
Lesson 24: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 14
Lesson 25: Magic School Bus Busasaurus
Lesson 26: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 15
This post is part of my series on using BFSU as a science unit study.
Resources: Magic School Bus Episodes
Thames and Kosmos Crystal Creations kit
Rock On! Geology game
Note: We used the Thames and Kosmos Crystals kit fully, and therefore went through the BFSU sections quickly in order to do this more hands-on. If you are to skip the kit, you would likely want to devote more time to the BFSU lessons A-9 and A-10. The kit is excellent and well worth the money.
Lesson 1: BFSU A-9: Matter IV: Dissolving, Solutions, and Crystallization, part 1 and 2
Lesson 2: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 1
Lesson 3: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 2
Lesson 4: BFSU A-10: Rocks, Minerals, Crystals, Dirt and Soil, part 1, and introduce Rock On! geology game
Lesson 5: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 3
Lesson 6: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 4
Lesson 7: BFSU A-10: Rocks, Minerals, Crystals, Dirt and Soil, part 2
Lesson 8: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 5
Lesson 9: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 6
Lesson 10: BFSU A-10: Rocks, Minerals, Crystals, Dirt and Soil, part 3 and 4
Lesson 11: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 7
Lesson 12: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 8
Lesson 13: BFSU D-4: Land Forms and Major Biomes of the Earth
Lesson 14: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 9
Lesson 15: Magic School Bus Blows Its Top
Lesson 16: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 10
Lesson 17: BFSU D-8: Rocks and Fossils, part 1
Lesson 18: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 11
Lesson 19: BFSU D-8: Rocks and Fossils, part 2
Lesson 20: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 12
Lesson 21: BFSU D-8: Rocks and Fossils, part 3
Lesson 22: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 13
Lesson 23: BFSU D-8: Rocks and Fossils, part 4
Lesson 24: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 14
Lesson 25: Magic School Bus Busasaurus
Lesson 26: Thames and Kosmos Crystal Kit Experiment 15
This post is part of my series on using BFSU as a science unit study.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
BFSU: The Human Body Unit
Prerequisites: Living Things unit and Land and Rocks unit
Resources: Magic School Bus episodes
Blood and Guts by Linda Allison (this book is where most the material for this unit comes in. It is an excellent resource and I highly recommend it. If you wish to do this unit without this book, it is more of a straightforward, basic overview of how animals function without much of the "human body" part.)
Lesson 1: BFSU B-6: How Animals Move I: Skeleton and Muscle (brief discussion)
Lesson 2: Blood and Guts, read pages 21-30
Lesson 3: Magic School Bus Flexes Its Muscles
Lesson 4: Blood and Guts, pages 31-36
Lesson 5: Blood and Guts, pages 37-48
Lesson 6: B-7: How Animals Move II: Different Body Designs. Major Animal Phyla, part 1
Lesson 7: B-7: How Animals Move II: Different Body Designs. Major Animal Phyla, part 2
Lesson 8: BFSU B-8: How Animals Move III: Coordinating Body Movements: The Nervous System (brief discussion)
Lesson 9: Blood and Guts, pages 111-122
Lesson 10: Magic School Bus Works Out
Lesson 11: BFSU B-9: How Animals Move IV: Energy to Run the Body
Lesson 12: Magic School Bus For Lunch
Lesson 13: Blood and Guts, pages 75-82
Lesson 14: Blood and Guts, pages 49-58
Lesson 15: Blood and Guts, pages 59-70
Lesson 16: Blood and Guts, pages 83-86
Lesson 17: Blood and Guts, pages 87-96
Lesson 18: Blood and Guts, pages 105-110
This post is part of my series on using BFSU as a science unit study.
Resources: Magic School Bus episodes
Blood and Guts by Linda Allison (this book is where most the material for this unit comes in. It is an excellent resource and I highly recommend it. If you wish to do this unit without this book, it is more of a straightforward, basic overview of how animals function without much of the "human body" part.)
Lesson 1: BFSU B-6: How Animals Move I: Skeleton and Muscle (brief discussion)
Lesson 2: Blood and Guts, read pages 21-30
Lesson 3: Magic School Bus Flexes Its Muscles
Lesson 4: Blood and Guts, pages 31-36
Lesson 5: Blood and Guts, pages 37-48
Lesson 6: B-7: How Animals Move II: Different Body Designs. Major Animal Phyla, part 1
Lesson 7: B-7: How Animals Move II: Different Body Designs. Major Animal Phyla, part 2
Lesson 8: BFSU B-8: How Animals Move III: Coordinating Body Movements: The Nervous System (brief discussion)
Lesson 9: Blood and Guts, pages 111-122
Lesson 10: Magic School Bus Works Out
Lesson 11: BFSU B-9: How Animals Move IV: Energy to Run the Body
Lesson 12: Magic School Bus For Lunch
Lesson 13: Blood and Guts, pages 75-82
Lesson 14: Blood and Guts, pages 49-58
Lesson 15: Blood and Guts, pages 59-70
Lesson 16: Blood and Guts, pages 83-86
Lesson 17: Blood and Guts, pages 87-96
Lesson 18: Blood and Guts, pages 105-110
This post is part of my series on using BFSU as a science unit study.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
BFSU: Plants Unit
All right, I'm going to be honest. My daughter asked for a VERY in depth look at botany, so I'm ditching this plan. I'm going to post this for anyone wanting to see how I *intended* to do this unit before she asked me to do something else. In May, when we're done with what we actually ended up doing, I'll post that one, too - even though it doesn't use BFSU.
Prerequisites: Living Things unit and Rocks and Crystals unit
Resources: Magic School Bus episodes
ASK Kit: Seeds
Lesson 1: BFSU B-10: Plant Science I: Basic Plant Structure, part 1
Lesson 2: BFSU B-10: Plant Science I: Basic Plant Structure, part 2
Lesson 3: Magic School Bus Gets Planted
Lesson 4: Magic School Bus Goes to Seed
Lesson 5: BFSU B-11: Plant Science II: Seed Germination and Seedling Growth
Lesson 6: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 1
Lesson 7: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 2
Lesson 8: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 3
Lesson 9: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 4
Lesson 10: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 5
Lesson 11: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 6
Lesson 12: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 7
Lesson 13: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 8
Lesson 14: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 9
Lesson 15: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 10
Lesson 16: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 11
Lesson 17: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 12
Lesson 18: BFSU B-12: Plants, Soil, and Water, part 1
Lesson 19: BFSU B-12: Plants, Soil, and Water, part 2
Lesson 20: Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad
This post is part of my series on using BFSU as a science unit study.
Prerequisites: Living Things unit and Rocks and Crystals unit
Resources: Magic School Bus episodes
ASK Kit: Seeds
Lesson 1: BFSU B-10: Plant Science I: Basic Plant Structure, part 1
Lesson 2: BFSU B-10: Plant Science I: Basic Plant Structure, part 2
Lesson 3: Magic School Bus Gets Planted
Lesson 4: Magic School Bus Goes to Seed
Lesson 5: BFSU B-11: Plant Science II: Seed Germination and Seedling Growth
Lesson 6: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 1
Lesson 7: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 2
Lesson 8: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 3
Lesson 9: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 4
Lesson 10: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 5
Lesson 11: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 6
Lesson 12: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 7
Lesson 13: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 8
Lesson 14: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 9
Lesson 15: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 10
Lesson 16: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 11
Lesson 17: ASK kit: Seeds, activity 12
Lesson 18: BFSU B-12: Plants, Soil, and Water, part 1
Lesson 19: BFSU B-12: Plants, Soil, and Water, part 2
Lesson 20: Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad
This post is part of my series on using BFSU as a science unit study.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
BFSU: Air Unit
Prerequisites: Energy Unit and Matter and Magnets Unit
Resources: Magic School Bus episodes
Lesson 1: BFSU A-6: Matter II: Air Pressure, Vacuums, and Earth’s Atmosphere, part 1
Lesson 2: BFSU A-6: Matter II: Air Pressure, Vacuums, and Earth’s Atmosphere, part 2
Lesson 3: BFSU A-6: Matter II: Air Pressure, Vacuums, and Earth’s Atmosphere, part 3
Lesson 4: BFSU A-6: Matter II: Air Pressure, Vacuums, and Earth’s Atmosphere, part 4
Lesson 5: BFSU A-6: Matter II: Air Pressure, Vacuums, and Earth’s Atmosphere, part 5
Lesson 6: Magic School Bus Goes On Air
Lesson 7: BFSU A-7: Air: A Mixture of Gases, part 1
Lesson 8: BFSU A-7: Air: A Mixture of Gases, part 2
Lesson 9: BFSU A-7: Air: A Mixture of Gases, part 3
Lesson 10: BFSU A-7: Air: A Mixture of Gases, part 4
Lesson 11: Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm
Lesson 12: BFSU A-8: Matter III: Evaporation and Condensation, part 1
Lesson 13: BFSU A-8: Matter III: Evaporation and Condensation, part 2
Lesson 14: Magic School Bus Wet All Over
This post is part of my series on using BFSU as a science unit study.
Resources: Magic School Bus episodes
Lesson 1: BFSU A-6: Matter II: Air Pressure, Vacuums, and Earth’s Atmosphere, part 1
Lesson 2: BFSU A-6: Matter II: Air Pressure, Vacuums, and Earth’s Atmosphere, part 2
Lesson 3: BFSU A-6: Matter II: Air Pressure, Vacuums, and Earth’s Atmosphere, part 3
Lesson 4: BFSU A-6: Matter II: Air Pressure, Vacuums, and Earth’s Atmosphere, part 4
Lesson 5: BFSU A-6: Matter II: Air Pressure, Vacuums, and Earth’s Atmosphere, part 5
Lesson 6: Magic School Bus Goes On Air
Lesson 7: BFSU A-7: Air: A Mixture of Gases, part 1
Lesson 8: BFSU A-7: Air: A Mixture of Gases, part 2
Lesson 9: BFSU A-7: Air: A Mixture of Gases, part 3
Lesson 10: BFSU A-7: Air: A Mixture of Gases, part 4
Lesson 11: Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm
Lesson 12: BFSU A-8: Matter III: Evaporation and Condensation, part 1
Lesson 13: BFSU A-8: Matter III: Evaporation and Condensation, part 2
Lesson 14: Magic School Bus Wet All Over
This post is part of my series on using BFSU as a science unit study.
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