Daily Funnies: Actual Item’s From Our Sons Daily To Do List I created a tab at the top so you can find these daily funnies easier! For Your Enjoyment. Our boys create to do lists daily. These items were taken directly from their lists without their consent or knowledge! Because: Parents Rule. Subscribe to this blog. Come back often. It will be worth your while. To Do: Physical Conditioning: Slay a Dragon to warm up and then Work out in Ho mine Father and Mother! How fair thee? A deep recollection hath cometh forth from mine own mind to record yet another daily list. To Do: Stuff little brother into the dead body of a tauntaun to protect him from further disease and sickness. (His brother has been sick with a stomach bug for three days.) To Do: Claim dominion over a clan of shoe-making elves. To Do: Hunt down Sasquatch and claim his pelt in the name of the Abominable Snowman ****************************************************************************** Help your kids organize their school day!
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Summer Mischief and Simple Pleasures: Water Activities for Bored Kids Due to unseasonally warm weather, the swimming area at our local lake closed. To say our boys were bummed when we walked toward the water is an UNDERstatement! My husband said, “I have an idea! My sister and I did this when we were little… Go buy some huge garbage bags.” I baulked. I gave him the look. Yet he insisted… “Trust Me,” he said. So I did. Voila! A memory was born. Recipe For ‘Fun In a Garbage Bag’ Materials: hot kids large garbage bags a hose a flat place Directions: Have hot kids stand or sit on the inside seam of the bag. Have “volunteer” Spray them fill the bags with water from the hose. Observe the fun. Confession: I was absolutely sure the kids would hate this activity. I was absolutely positive they would not participate. I was absolutely, positively, completely wrong! Lessons learned: Trust husband. Don’t take life so seriously that I neglect the overly simple. Divide “I’m too cool to try” kids from the “Sounds awesome!” kids. This varies in each home. Our 22, 17, and 13 year olds said, “No way.” Our 11 and 9 year old reluctantly tried and loved it. Warning: The water was from our well. We stopped when the boys truly began to shiver in the 95 degree yard. This activity would have been better in the shade. ALL water activities should be supervised. Use discretion with younger children. Good luck getting your older kids to try!!
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Am I a Good Enough Homeschool Teacher? I wrestle with feelings of insecurity when it comes to homeschooling our boys. Sometimes I wonder if I am the best teacher for my children… Am I alone? Last week I picked up the novel my son was reading to help him with comprehension. He is reading Call it Courage. As I read the first chapter I realized that this book was not about a boy’s struggle with war. (That’s right! I never even noticed the cover) Good Lord, help my children! OK. I am not the most literate adult I know. In fact I did not read one book in high school. I was that student that could scan and skim, gather the right information and quotes to get an “A” in the class while never really having to read anything. I was pleasantly surprised by the plot of this tiny little book my son was reading, yet it made me question my ability to lead him. How could I possibly teach this child when I couldn’t even scan a book in advance to know it was about an island culture and their worship of courage? How could I look myself in the mirror and be confident in my ability to help my son love learning? After about three days of feeling bad, I realized my son’s interest had awakened as he read about and drew the setting of the story: an island surrounded by a beautiful coral reef. I picked up a Coral Reef book filled with fantastic photographs and we began exploring the complexity and delicacy of these living structures. Oh my, we were and continue to be captivated! In our research we discovered a new creature: The mantis shrimp. Holy smokes! This little guy is fantastic. Supposedly this creature has the fastest movement in the animal kingdom as it punches its prey. We had to learn more… A quick internet search, led us to one of my favorite YouTube Channels “Smarter Every Day” and viola, there was the beautiful, powerful, and astounding mantis shrimp. This one is worth watching with your kids! So there you go. A ride on my homeschooling merry go round. First I allow my son to read a book that I know nothing about. second, I form an opinion about the book strictly by its title. Then, I am struck “dumb” as I read to catchup with my son. next I see an opportunity to follow a rabbit trail down an area of interest. Then, we become engrossed and amazed in a little creature we didn’t even know existed. Yep, a successful homeschooling week I’d say. Of course, I failed again when I fell for the “Finding Nemo is all about a coral reef”: hook, line and sinker. How about you? Do you ever struggle with feeling like you fall short as a homeschooler?
TEXT Wars: Teaching the Dangers of Texting and Driving by Playing a Simple Game We have five sons. Five. We are currently teaching son #2 to drive. Phew! If you want to know the condition of your heart, teach a teen to drive. Teens Know Everything. They know how to eat, sleep, hang out with friends, do their work, drive and live like they are invincible. Every teen I have ever known has had at least a mild case of “that can’t happen to me”. When I was a teen I had a terrible case. My favorite thing to do was to walk right out into the street without looking. I used to say, “The driver has to stop for pedestrians.” Yes, I was that stupid. Not sure how I survived. Today, teens have a bigger temptation to dangle in front of certain and sudden death: texting and driving. The statistics for texting and driving, or distracted driving in general, are scary. So how do you teach the dangers of texting and driving to a teen? By being sneaky. I created a Game to Trap Teach Teens About Texting and Driving. Here’s the insider’s scoop. Step One: Challenge them into a “I can text faster than you.” Their own ego traps them in this stage of the game. It’s beautiful. Step Two: Reward their accomplishment of beating you with a small treat. Step Three: Take their text times and “translate them” into driving distances. (don’t worry, The sheet and directions are in the game) Step Four: Take it outside and use dice and hazard cards to give them a proper wake-up call! Step Five: Agree to NEVER use a cell phone while driving. All drivers sign a contract. I am terrified that one or all of our boys will be tempted to text and drive or even to simply glance at their phone. The next time you are driving around town simply glance at all the drivers that pass by. Chances are, at least one will be looking at their phone. So, I created a Game. For Parents, Grandparents, Teachers, Librarians, Sunday School Teachers, Soccer Coaches, Driver’s Ed Instructors, Neighbors and Friends to play with Young Drivers… Please download your copy and play the game today. My prayer is that it will save lives…
Parenting in Today’s World We don’t fit in as parents today. In general parents today let their kids float. Through life.Through school.Through everything.I stink at that.My kids don’t float. They work. Things We Fail at in Parenting.Letting boys be boys.I have five of them. Trust me, they do not need help being boys. They need help being future men.We are training up the future men of this world, and we take that seriously. Our boys are clean, clean cut, and hard working… Whether they like it or not.Letting boys sit around all day.My “Mommy Sense” (similar to Spider-Man’s ‘Spidey Sense’) kicks into overdrive when I see my boys sitting on the sofa during the day.I immediately start asking, did you do this, did you do that?Sorry. Boys should not sit unless they are on the toilet.Letting my boys have their own style of dress and hair.Future men worthy of serving God, loving their wives, running their businesses, etc should be others centered.If they wear their hair and clothes in a way that makes “grandma” to feel uncomfortable and cross the street to avoid contact with them. Not acceptable.While I’m all for freedom of expression, my boys express themselves in a boring way physically and that will give them an edge. Expecting teenage years to be Easy.We expect the teenage years to be hard because we will make them hard. Hard to disrespect us,. Hard to disobey the house rules Hard to live in our house and break our rules, hard to break things like curfews, Hard to be a glutton. Yep. Teenage Years will be hard. Moms and dads, if you have boys join us at stinking to raise them to be wimpy, lazy, self centered men. If you have little girls, stink at raising them to be focused on selfies, self, make-up, and sexuality. We need to stink at parenting “today” and excel at parenting for tomorrow. PRINT THIS FREE HOMESCHOOL MOM REMINDER. This post comes with a free printable reminder list to help keep your heart focused on the heart of homeschooling. I always have the hardest staying focused. This printable simplifies it! Here is a sneak preview… DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PRINTABLE Download the checklist. You’ll get the printable, plus join 9,000+ homeschool moms who receive my weekly parenting tips and ideas!Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal.Place it on your refrigerator as a helpful reminder.
Dragonfly Freebie for Your 3rd-5th Graders Free is good, right? Here’s a fun freebie for you! You will find this product in my store. Remember: The site is a FREE member site. It is easy to sign up. There are tons of amazing free and for purchase resources out here! Join our Summer Bucket Series on Facebook. Simply jump over. Like our page. Click “get notifications”
Friday Pool Games: Summer Bucket List for Kids Join us on Facebook for a Summer of Fun! Each day we will post a different activity, adventure, or link to share with your kids! All Summer Long Today’s Fun… Friday Pool Games: Classic- Marco Polo! Two or more players. To play, choose one player to be “it”. That person closes his or her eyes, or is blindfolded, and counts to a certain number. While the “it” person counts, the other players scatter around in the pool. When the count is over, the “it” player tries to tag the other players, using only the sound of their voices to find them. The “it” player calls out “Marco”, and the other players call out “Polo”. When the “it” player tags another, that player becomes the “it” person and the game starts over again. Each day has a theme: Monday Madness, Tickle Me Tuesday, Water Fun Wednesday, Thoughtful Friday, and Pool Game Friday. Please: Like, Follow, and Share! #abetterwaytohomeschool.com
Choosing Our Battles: Our youngest son loves to wear his socks inside out. They are comfier. The seams don’t bug him. And it drives me crazy!! This is not one of those battles that I choose to fight. Whether it is socially correct or not, this guy will be allowed to wear his socks inside out. Really, it is not that important. So why does it bug me so much? Parenting is hard. Parenting multiple generations at a time is incredibly hard! There are so many days that I choose to die on mountains like this. “Turn your socks right side out!” We are raising five future men. They vary in age from the nine year old foot above to the twenty-two year old working quietly across the table from me as I write this. Parenting is hard. There are battles worth fighting: you will be kind, you cannot lie, you need to make your bed, you will love to read, etc. I think I over-complicate parenting by engaging in battles over the trivial, non-eternal, ridiculous expectations that my brain creates at night while I sleep in a rose colored world. I think: my boys will not fart allowed my boys will not have belching contests my boys will wear their clothes properly, especially in public my boys will help the elderly couple load their groceries without being told my boys will choose hairstyles that I adore my boys will accept my motherly wisdom without rolling their eyes my boys will bend toward my will for their lives… oops. Maybe I see a problem. “My will for their lives”. I am not saying that I shouldn’t expect them to have manners and wear clothes, I am saying I should allow them to seek after the Lord and live their lives according to HIS will… Even if that mean they wear their socks inside out. Dear mama, choose your battles with your kids… there will be so many to choose from. Choose to let the “socks” go and concentrate on the issues that are eternal and life impacting. I need to pray for my kids, love them, and lead them. But I also need to let them be themselves. God is able to work them all out. I need to not neglect my duty as care-giver, teacher, mentor, tutor, mommy, guide, and prayer warrior. But… I really need to let somethings go… ****************************************************** Join NotebookingPages.com Free Member Program http://notebookingpages.com/free-resource-center
Chemistry and Pizza: Life Made Interesting Chemistry and Pizza: Life Made Interesting Whoever said, “Pizza is boring?” Not this guy!! Looking for Kitchen Chemistry Ideas?
Guest Blogger Melissa Jenkins: Teachers and Homeschoolers Sharing Wisdom Ready for some more teacher/educator/homeschooling sharing? I am pleased to introduce you to Melissa Jenkins of My Broken Bootstraps. Melissa is fellow homeschooling mom and educator with a passion for teaching and she has so much knowledge to share with us! Be sure to visit her blog and grab some of her resources! ~Bekki Without further to do… Here’s Melissa! I have always known I would be a teacher. I remember lining up my dolls and stuffed animals as a child and diligently teaching them their ABCs every Saturday. While others worried about their career paths, I had an inner calm already knowing my purpose. And I was right. Twenty years out of college I can look back and see the many students whose lives I touched. More importantly, so many of them touched me. I have worked with infants through college, Deaf Education, Special Education, and Regular Education. I have had students that are adults now find me on Facebook and tell me how much I helped them. Several have become teachers themselves and give me some credit for making that decision. And yet… Without a doubt the students I loved teaching the most are my own twin daughters, now age 19. They are one week from graduating high school and I couldn’t be more proud. They both have learning disabilities, so school was a long hard battle for them as well as me. Their first grade teacher said Megan and Katie needed to repeat that grade, so they did. With me. I homeschooled them to the dismay of several public school teacher friends. We did not follow the typical public or private school curriculum. I saw how they learned. I knew where the gaps were and decided to focus on that alone. We did reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmatic, with an emphasis on reading. By the end of the semester, Megan, who entered homeschool as a non-reader, was now reading on a second grade level. We had gained two and a half years in one semester. Talk about miracles! The next time we decided to homeschool was during the terrifying Middle School years. I took a break from teaching other students to focus on my own. We had the joy of homeschooling 6th – 8th grades. There were many reasons behind this, but the main one was we wanted to draw them closer to our family unit. This is such a risky time when so many choices have life-long consequences, either good or bad. My daughter Katie has since come to me and admitted that if we had not homeschooled her during middle school, we might very well had lost her. She has already declared that she will be doing the same when she has children of her own. While homeschooling my own children, I pulled so much information from my training and experience as a professional teacher. I have been on both sides of the tracks. I fully support any family that wants to homeschool their children. Just as I heard dismay from public school teachers when I let them know of my plans to teach at home, I saw the wringing hands of homeschool families when we decided to put them back in public school. I have never understood why there are opposite “camps” on this issue. I think that at times there can be a benefit to both sides. As a professional teacher I have had the opportunity to try new things with a variety of students and happily tuck away the successful ones for future use. Here are a few ideas I have used when my students are struggling. One of the most difficult skills a good teacher MUST learn to do is break down information into smaller bites. WE know the information already, but our children do not. Think from the child’s perspective. Break the information down into small steps. Do not go to step two until they understand step one. This takes a lot more time, but it is so worth it in the end. Don’t be afraid of silence. When you ask your child a question, wait. And wait. Aaaand wait. The fancy word for this is latency, but the purpose is the same. We already know the information, and the fact that we were going to ask it. Your child does not have that knowledge. Plus, if it is a child who is struggling, they may need longer time to process that information. Variety is the spice of life. It is also the spice to teaching. When you are teaching something new, talk about it, read about it, youtube about it, make something about it… Make sure your child has the opportunity to see it, hear it, visualize it, and experience it. The more opportunities they have to learn in different ways, the better they will internalize the information. Wash, rinse, repeat. Repetition is critical for a struggling learner. Research has shown that young readers need to hear a story read to them up to 20 times in order to internalize it. It’s the same with any new information. Go back to information you have already taught and review it from time to time. After you’ve taught the concept, let them take a turn to be the teacher and explain it to you or a younger sibling. Random Teacher/Mommy Handwriting Hack: When you are working with a child that has atrocious handwriting, try writing what you want them to practice with a yellow highlighter first. They can copy the highlighted letters and get a feel for how they move. This will give them more confidence when they write on their own. A Freebie from Melissa: Math Anchor Charts-Freebie Two more favorites: Literacy Activities Detective Family Kit Writing Center Kit-Posters and Activities Also, I try to have freebies every Monday on my blog. It has not been as regular as I wanted, but I think I am back on track. Thank you so much for this opportunity! Melissa Jenkins, aka My Broken Bootstraps Disclosure: I receive no monetary perks for any of the teaching and learning packets shared in this post. I am simply trying to share my heart for becoming a better educator by connecting great teachers with great homeschoolers. We have so much to learn from each other!
PIT STOP: Amazing Race EXCLUSIVE GAME FOR MOMS inside 2019 Homeschool Mom Conference! You can get inside the conference until 11:59pm May 5, 2019 You have found your way to this pit stop! Be sure to keep a list of all tasks completed!! You’ll need it to claim your prize!! The finish line is closer. Copy and paste this on your Facebook Wall BEFORE Noon May 5, 2019. Oh my goodness, This Homeschool Mom Conference is so amazing! There are so many AMAZING speakers, like Abby Banks, Bekki Sayler, and Kerry Beck! I have learned so much! HURRY! You can get in too before the doors close forever! https://bit.ly/2VVl0d3 Got questions? Just ask!!! Tag at least ONE friend in the post. AFTER your challenge is complete, return to the Conference and visit my Make and Sell Workshop. Look for your Next Clue. (Hint: May 3) EXCLUSIVE Game and Prize for Homeschool Mom Conference attendees!! (The game begins in the vendor hall 5/4/2019)
A Simple Bible Study for Kids A Simple Bible Study for Kids Studying God’s words does not need to be complicated. One way to study scripture is by using the letters S-O-A-P. Choose a Bible verse and follow the letters through the study. I have a verse jar just in case the kids cannot pick a verse. The thing to remember is that studying God’s word is a a discipline that kids should be taught, so that when they grow up they already know how to “rightly divide the word of truth”. Walk your kids through the verse by focusing on the four letters: S=Scripture. Simply writer the Bible verse down. Younger kids may want to cut and paste the verse. O=Observation. Every verse has some truth to it, some facts. In the observation step, look at the details of the verse. This is a good place to put the verse into your own words. A=Application. God wants us to be “doers of the word”. What does this verse instruct us to do? P= Prayer. Ask the Lord to help us follow His direction. I love this way of studying scripture. I am working on teaching our boys to break open Bible verses this way. While there are many ways to “study” scripture, this is one of my favorites! I created a simple template to encourage kids to focus on observing, applying, and praying over their Bible verses for the week. I am so pleased with how much they are getting out of this exercise that I want to share the resource with you for FREE. 1. Download the Template and directions here. 2. While you are in my store, be sure to follow me. 3. Add your feedback in my store (directions are in the packet). Here is one of my boys’ devotions from today. Don’t you love the design he created along the side? I appreciate all of your love, encouragement, and support. Every time you download one of my products or make a purchase from my store you are helping me continue to “work from home”. I am so thankful! More Bible Studies for Kids: Bible Study Printables: Romans 15:13 Days of Creation Board Game Days of Creation Printables Days of Creation Food Ideas (free) Sunday School Activities: Fruits of the Spirit Bible Study BUNDLE #1 Daniel 1: Bible Study and Children’s Ministry Activities Bible Object Lessons for Kids: Waterfalls Bible Fun for Kids: ABCs of God’s Character Advent Activities for Kids: Freebie Advent Activities for Kids- Complete Bible Study: What Can I Learn from the Camel Bible Study: Pearl of Great Price- Matthew 13:45-46 Bible Study: Transfiguration of Jesus- Matthew 17 Daniel 4: King Nebuchadnezzar’s Tree Dream Sunday School Lessons on Prayer for Preschoolers Bible Study for Kids: What Can I Learn From the Ant? Memory verse for kids: Exodus 14:14 My personal statement of faith: I believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God. I believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. I believe “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and that we are saved by faith in Jesus. My favorite Bible teachers are my husband (Craig Sayler), Pastor Jon Courson, Pastor Chuck Smith, CH Spurgeon.
Parenting: How to Survive a 12-year-old son My son almost died today. That’s right, I almost killed him. If you just sucked in all your breath and blurted, “How can she say that?”, then I will assume you have daughters, have never had a 12-year-old son, or your sweet little boys are still under the age of ten. Like this love-bug. Now, of course, I would never harm my children. I adore them and see them as precious gifts from the Lord on High. This, however, does not get them to stop testing my limits of self-control daily. My 12-year-old son didn’t wake up hoping to severe the last shred of my sanity. He woke up thinking he was in charge of the universe and that I should bow to his every need. Silly child. What was he thinking? He woke up: believing that he is invincible. Why would I question his ability to run across a busy street while dodging cars? Or that he can catch an arrow between his teeth? with a full measure of resolve. Apparently, what I have been teaching him no longer applies to him because he is 12, after all. He is ready to go toe-to-toe with me over cereal, showers, and anything else that can be spelled out in English. arrogant. And a genius. I can retire because “He knows everything”. a weeping mess. This one confuses me most. Division and handwriting never made him cry before today. This is a problem because I am his teacher. tears cause him to get angry. I mean screaming and stomping and huffing and puffing angry. This too is a problem. Anger is normal for everyone, but outbursts of anger are unacceptable- call me old-fashioned. Can you say, “HORMONES?” As a mom of five sons, I would testify in a court of law that nothing tests a mom more than a hormonal 12-year-old son. Nothing. I mean NOTHING. Nothing except maybe being crazy enough to have five sons, like me. That’s five 12-year-old sons to survive. I should get a gold medal. Do you have a Hormonal 12-year-old Boy (maybe 11-13)? My advice: Watch Captain America together. Pop popcorn even. I am being perfectly serious. Watch the scene where the wimpy Captain Rogers is willingly strapped into the apparatus that transform him into Captain America. Explain to your son, “this is EXACTLY what you are going through right now. You are the pre-captain. Son, you are strapped in for the ride of your life. You will be pumped full of hormones that will stretch your bones, increase your muscle mass, cause hair to grow in strange places, confuse you, give you endurance and courage and will ultimately transform you into being the man you are destined to be.” Son, It will hurt. It will cause pain, not just for you but for those of us watching. But you will come through the other side. I promise. Mama, your job is to help him through this “gauntlet of change”. His job is to realize that while it is painful, scary, and down-right hard, there are some definite boundaries. Attitude, determination, drive, self-control, humility. You need to talk about these. A Lot. That’s why this is clip is so great. Expert tip: Remember, popcorn makes it better. Anytime you feed your son you have better access to his attention. The captain goes through an excruciating transformation, but he never gives up. …even when he is closed in and no one can see what he going through. Not even when he is scared. Or when it hurts. The woman in the scene (like a mom) just wants the pain to stop. She can’t stand seeing the suffering. As moms, we cry, “STOP!” We can’t stand to see our kids struggle. We are confused that our sons, who used to worship the ground we walk on, no longer want us to coddle them. How can we help them through this gauntlet? Show your son what happens in this scene of Captain America: The captain screams in agony. People line up to watch. The Mom figure cries out in horror. The Dad figure swears. Sparks fly. Things explode. Machines break. Suddenly, hero music breaks through, the machine tilts, smoke provides the backdrop for the final results: Captain America is Born. No one questions the results, no one regrets the struggle, everyone beams with pride. It was all worth it. Yes. Watch this with your boys. Over and over again.Talk about it often! Transitioning from childhood to manhood is painful. People will watch him closely. Moms will cry, dads may swear, sparks will fly and things may explode. Sons will feel trapped and may suffer in agony. Growing pains, acne, uncontrollable body functions and emotions are confusing and can cause real pain. But he can make it through the process successfully. Don’t Let Him Be Confused Watch the clip and explain the process his body is going through. Be specific. Talk about the man he hopes to be on the other side but describe him in detail. He needs to know what his “Captain America” looks like, acts like and feels like. Truthfully, you do too. He needs to know what his “Captain America” looks like, acts like and feels like. Quite honestly, you do too. Mama, don’t despair about your hormonal son. He can make it through his transformation alive. Although, it may not be fun for either of you, though. It doesn’t have to be fun for either of you, just successful. Sorry to break your bubble, but “fun” is overrated. Remember, You are raising a future man. How Can you Help Your Son? How can YOU survive the Process? If you are married, trust your husband’s instincts in regards to your son. He will instinctively know how to help him transition to manhood, although you may think he is being harsh. He’s not. Men are hard-wired to expect strength, dignity, respect, honor, and hard work. Let your husband lead. Have a backbone. This is not the time to coddle him. Love him, yes. Coddle? No. Do not allow your son to walk all over you. Work that boy! Make sure he sweats daily! Forget what society says and hand that son a shovel. If you do not have a yard big enough to keep him busy, lend him to the neighbors. (Obviously use discretion, but someone always needs help in their yard. Who knows, maybe he’ll earn a few dollars as well) Give him purpose: He needs jobs to run and lead. Boys need to know they make a difference. Teach him to do chores, change a tire, split wood, cook meals, and change diapers. Be careful, though. There is a difference between keeping him busy and training him to be truly needed. He knows the difference! Pray often. You need supernatural help to be the best mom you can be. Pray hard. This world sees prayer as weakness when it is actually the definition of strength. Be warned: Prayer is hard work. Trust the Lord. Because He promises to never leave or forsake you- even when your son is 12-years-old! Hang in there! I have been through this four times so far and the results have been the same. Pretty soon the music will play, the smoke will clear and you will be looking in the eyes of a great man. Your man.
Math Steps and Military Troop Safety: What they have in Common Should I make my boys show all their work in math? If you have 11-14 year old boys, you know why I am asking. They see no point in doing something, unless that something has a point… …let me tell you a little story… I once had a brilliant student in my 5th grade class. (Back in the days I taught 5th and 6th grade) I mean crazy brilliant. We all knew he would grow up to create Iron Man for real or blow up the moon. This student refused, I mean refused, to write down the steps in math. But we stayed on him. We kept making him and he kept refusing. We were determined to help him learn the discipline of showing his work. **************************************** That was about 10 years ago. This morning I woke up curious, so I decided to ask him. Here is the core of my message: Hi there! I wanted to ask you a homeschooling question, that truthfully, you are the most qualified to answer from personal experience… When you were in 5th/6th grade we used to “make you” write out all the steps in math. We argued that as you got into higher and higher math (and problem solving in general) that this would be necessary. …I’m curious from your perspective as a now extremely successful adult… Were we right? Do you now see the value of writing out the steps logically? Why the heck am I asking you? I am now teaching my own younger boys (4, 6, and 7th grade) and every time I am “making them” write out the steps I think of you and wonder. ~Mrs. Sayler His response made my day… “Well, to be fair I am one of the few people in the world that benefited from it.I went all the way through calculus 3 and ended up becoming a non communication signal intelligence analyst in the Air Force. I use high level electro – magnetic theory on a daily You can let your boys know if they want to break apart the signal of a missile guidance or reverse engineer the jammer blocking out all the GPS systems of our troops on the ground, you are gunna have to show your work because it only gets harder the cooler the stuff is.” **************************************** There you have it. Make ’em show their work, otherwise they will be reverse engineering important things in their heads!!! Related: Math Fact Mastery Kit
11 ThanksgivingActivities for Toddlers and Preschoolers! 15 days of Thanksgiving Homeschooling ideas: 11 Thanksgiving Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers! I love Thanksgiving. The decorating, the preparation, the cooking, the whole kit and caboodle. Everyone has their own expectations for this fun day, even the little people in your life. Here are some fun ideas to make the day special for your toddlers and preschoolers, that do not take too much of your time to throw together. Have Fun! Turkey Feather Hunt Parenting knows what my younger kids love to do: Parade around declaring they are the winners to whatever game is being played. (current character lesson: humility). This one is a simple, yet fun idea. Collect some feathers at the craft store and have the “turkey” hide them inside or outside… Then let the hunt begin! Make their own Turkey Cups This one is a two-for. Kids love creating their own special cup, and parents do not have to go through three times the amount of disposable cups! Fruit Gobbler Food.com suggests a cute craft/snack. Make eating a healthy snack fun while waiting for the turkey! Make a Thankful Tree I love this one from Artful Homemaking! Gather some twigs, place in a solid container and supply the kids with leaf shaped coloring pages. They color, write what they are thankful for and then decorate their tree. Fun! Mayflower Hand print: Too Cute! Preschool Crafts for Kids is loaded with cute (and easy) ideas for your little people! Become a Native American Kids love to dress up. Although I know how to do this craft in my sleep, I gathered this link at Free Crafts for Kids. A few paper bags, some construction paper, scissors and glue and viola! Kids are busy and happy for at least 30 seconds:). ***Warning*** I have 5 boys. When they dress up as Native Americans they also “become” Native Americans. They forget the history lessons about how wonderful and peaceful these people were and become savages on a mission. In my house, they dress up and then go outside:). Thanksgiving Movie Festival Build an indoor Fort Pop a Turkey:) Pop some popcorn and create your own Popcorn Turkey! Isn’t this cute? One Charming Party has the directions for this fabulous bird! Pam at Over the Moon has put together a short list of kid friendly Thanksgiving movies. Pool Noodle Toss! Bubble Break! All kids love chasing bubbles. If the weather permits, make a few fun bubble wands, some super duper bubble solution and head outside! More Thanksgiving Activities Here Thanksgiving Math, Reading, Science Activities for 3rd Grade 30 Thanksgiving Activities, Crafts, and Games for K-2nd Grade 21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Kindergarten 4 Thanksgiving Jokes Solved with Divisibility Fall Math and Literacy Super Bundle- Grades K-2
4 Fabulous Thanksgiving Day Activities 15 days of Thanksgiving Homeschooling ideas: Day Seven : 4 Fabulous Thanksgiving Day Activities 4 Fabulous Thanksgiving Day Activities is a post from Bekki @ A Better Way to Homeschool where we learn to train our children to become lifelong learners. If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Bekki on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+! Thanksgiving is next week! AS you are busily menu planning, shopping, and decorating you might want to prepare a few fun activities for the family. I know we will be preparing our second annual “Turkey Shoot” where we will be shooting balloons and turkey targets with bows and arrows and BB guns… Yes, I live happily with my husband and 5 boys. Here is My Top 4 List of Simple and Fun Activities Thankful Pie Spinner by Simply Modern Mom I love this idea. Trust me, even older kids will enjoy making a spinner wheel. Turkey Feathers You’ll find the directions and the cute printable at by The Idea Room. Thanksgiving Story Bracelets All you need is a pipe-cleaner and a handful of beads and you can lead a wonderfully memorable story time for your kiddos while the turkey is baking. My Monetessori Journey has a nice story printable and the directions for the beads. Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt Kids of all ages will love participating in your first annual scavenger hunt. I love this starter list by Family Fun. Have the kids brainstorm and add a few fun items to make it your own. More Thanksgiving Activities Here Thanksgiving Math, Reading, Science Activities for 3rd Grade 30 Thanksgiving Activities, Crafts, and Games for K-2nd Grade 21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Kindergarten 4 Thanksgiving Jokes Solved with Divisibility Fall Math and Literacy Super Bundle- Grades K-2 Did You Enjoy this Article? Subscribe to receive our latest and greatest: right here I’d love to here about your Thanksgiving Traditions…
How the Heck to Plan a Successful Homeschool Day Inside: How the Heck to Plan a Successful Homeschool Day and what to do when everything goes wrong. Homeschool kids smell an unplanned day like wild animals smell fear. Normally this is not an issue. I take the time to sit and think through what we are doing in our homeschool day about 4-6 weeks at a time. I create an easy to follow calendar for each of the boys so they know that- “mom has a plan for today, so I better get busy.” I am a little stressed right now because my current calendar/plan runs out in less than 36 hours. Related: I have a free homeschool Success plan Printable for your refrigerator! The fact that I am not ready for the next step is like a ticking time bomb.Come Monday morning, if I do not have a clear plan of attack for our homeschooling week, my boys will eat me alive. Kids KNOW when we do not have a plan. The run, they hide, they break out the Legos right after breakfast, they seem stunned that we expect them to clean their dirty faces, fix their bed-heads and GASP- learn something. If you do not have a plan, your kids will suddenly forget how to get up, make their beds, add and subtract, multiply and divide, and write legibly. They may even forget that they are homeschooled. I think it is a conspiracy. “Psst-Maybe if we pretend to forget how to do school mom will let us play all day and live in our pajamas.” Can you relate?If kids do not see that we are well prepared for our day, week, or topic they do not buy in to whatever learning experience we set before them. They see us grab our teacher’s manual and then say, “OK, let’s get going. We have a lot of school to do today.” They see us begin reading the lesson and make that certain face that says, “what am I supposed to They see us begin reading the lesson with a confused expression and they silently whisper, “She doesn’t know what to do, let’s slip away”. When we, the teachers, finally grasp the core of today’s lessons they have snuck away from the school area and are resentful that we try to lasso them back to school. If you are honest, you would resent attending a class where the teacher wasn’t prepared too. I took the time to come to school, surely she could have prepared in advance to teach me. You took the time to come to school, surely she could have prepared in advance to teach you. Right? Our kids are no different. They need to see that we have invested in their education by taking the time to become familiar and excited about the learning material before we declare it is time for school. Kids smell a day without a plan and begin wiggling to get out immediately. What can we do: Plan school for 2-6 weeks at a time. In pencil. Become extremely familiar with the material before we try to present it to our kids. (remember the teacher from Ferris Beuller? Help us not be like him! I know this is hard. It takes time. I am currently teaching High School Algebra and Biology to our freshman- no fun. But I have to put in the time to study, otherwise, I confuse the hell out of him.) Schedule lessons out for 2-6 weeks in advance. Write them in pencil, so that when life happens you simply erase and begin again the next day. Never try to teach the school week without a plan. Even if you take a rabbit trail because your kids show a sudden interest in penguins, you will be much better prepared. As homeschoolers include a dinner plan/menu into your school day. Be excited about what you are learning together. How do I plan? I have 4-5 weeks of student calendars printed and ready to go, labeled with their names and dates. I teach 5 core subjects: Bible, Math, English, History, and Science FIRST, mark off all school holidays and family days. I schedule math in first. Cause, it’s easy. It usually is just the next number lesson. I include activities like flashcards, videos, and games in my calendars. If I do not schedule flashcards, the kids do not do flash cards. Kids need reminders. Next, I schedule the rest of the “do the next page” assignments. Handwriting, handwriting, phonics workbook pages, and spelling. Now I have to think. I plan a weekly memory verse and Bible reading. True brain power needed. I have a 5-6 week history focus. History is my core, my golden thread. I look for 3-5 main ideas to pull from a lesson and look for English, Math, and Science activities that go along with what we are learning. I have to skim the readings, pull vocabulary and scour for student activities that will work with my boys. This year I am using Story of the World and they have a great Activity Book from which I pull reading comprehension, map, art, and cooking activities. And then, of course, there is Pinterest. I have a whole series of Homeschool boards to help you and help me. Science is my weakest subject as a teacher. Alas, I am not entirely sure why, but even superman had a weakness. Science is mine. Again, I deal with science in chunks: main idea, 3-5 learning objectives, and at least one hands-on activity per topic. (This is ideal. I am lucky to get 2 experiments in a year). I plan English last. The older my kids, the more I plan. Younger kids need lots of time reading, being read to. Older kids need more and more time writing. Here is a great list to help you teach writing. Lastly, I double check my pencil calendars against the master calendar looking for conflicts. Are we home all of the days I planned to teach school? Are there any obvious monkey-wrench days (days that are destined to fail before they begin). I make adjustments whenever necessary. Sacrifice While every homeschool family has different goals and ambitions, talents and abilities, we all sacrifice something to homeschool.My husband and I personally sacrifice time. Lots of time. It is not easy homeschooling a troop of boys of various ages, grades, interests and learning styles. After 18 years I have learned that the key to success is being prepared before the day begins. Grab your FREE copy!
Mosaic Craft: Learning about the Byzantine Emprire and Mosaics Did you know that you can make beautiful crafts with painted eggs shells? My boys and I are studying the Middle Ages right now. We were fascinated with the incredible mosaic displays of the Byzantine Empire. Talk about patient artists! We did some internet research, looked at incredible mosaic designs (like in the Hagai Sophia!) So we decided to give this type of art a try. We collected and painted eggs shells (using nail polish borrowed from a friend with girls), then began creating our own terra cotta pot designs. The kids loved this activity so much! It is funny how easy it is to bypass the messy crafty things with our kids and to opt for the quick “read and discuss” strategy. Things like this take time. It took us two weekends to collect and wash enough eggshells for 3 boys, another few days to paint them (since we opted for nail polish it was stinky!), and then 3 sittings so far to work on the actual mosaics. We have had many discussions as the boys work about how incredible the ancient mosaics are and they are beginning to truly understand that they did not just “happen”. I created an activity packet to go along with our Story of the World study. The inspiration for this packet and activity is from chapter 4, in case you too are reading Story of the World with your kiddos. You can get your copy by clicking on the image.