And the winner is...
Comment #20, Diana D.
Congrats, Diana. I've sent you an email requesting your mailing information.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Review: The Write Foundation
Writing can be very subjective. Furthermore, teaching writing can bring tears to eyes, of both teachers and students. While some kids seem to just have a knack for writing, others sit blankly at the paper completely lost. My two children are polar opposites when it comes to writing. It has made me realize what a difference a writing program can make. In my early homeschooling years, I didn't really teach writing. I just told my daughter that writing is like talking on paper. And she talked a lot. It all came quite naturally and we just refined the process through practice. My youngest is completely different. Writing seems one of the most unnatural things to him. He needs to be specifically taught.
The Write Foundation is designed with kids like my son in mind. It is a very systematic approach to writing and focuses on learning through repetition.
The Write Foundation curriculum was initially written with a classroom setting in mind, though it is very adaptable to individuals. While it takes a bit to figure out the format of the lessons, it is pretty much a "grab-it-and-go" curriculum after an initial time investment. An introduction, taken directly from the curriculum package, is available for viewing on the website. There are also sample lessons provided for each level.
I initially had trouble deciding what level to review, which required a call Rebecca Celsor, the program developer, to discuss my options. Ms. Celsor seems to understand students like my son and together we determined that my reluctant writer wasn't quite ready to start Level 1. We then refocused on the needs of my 13-year-old daughter, a prolific writer. To my surprise, Ms. Celsor also seems to understand gifted writers and the final recommendation was the Level 3 Essay Writing. In my experiences, I've found that writing teachers focus on one end of writing ability or the other. It was refreshing to be able to discuss the needs of both of my children and be understood clearly.
Each level is available in three packages. Package 1 includes materials for Lessons 1-30. If you intend to go through the program slower or only want to purchase one semester at a time, a Package 2, Lessons 1-15, or Package 3, Lessons 16-30, are also available. I received Curriculum Package 2: Essay Lessons 1-15, in addition to a digital version Essay Additional Resources CD for review.
It took me a little while to figure out the structure of the program. Because it is written for the classroom, there are references to Teacher Presentations (TP), instructions, and student worksheets (WS) in the introduction. After some time, I ultimately realized that the worksheets of the students are largely meant to follow along in a fill-in-the-blank fashion during the instruction. The Teacher Presentation (TP), located on the CD resource, cover the same material as the instructions in the manual and are simply additional resource for a classroom environment.
The lessons are designed to be taught only once a week for 1-2 hours, depending on level and individual lesson, with the rest of the work completed each day for the remaining of the week. While this is ideal for a co-op, it did require some modifying for individual use. Fortunately, this is very simple since the lesson is broken down into separate components.
The curriculum reminds me of another popular curriculum in that seems to take a formulaic approach to writing with a highly structured approach, along with a Checklist, and a No List to be used by the student. Several times the curriculum instructs to not skip steps, as each one has a purpose, even if that purpose isn't immediately apparent.
Some of my personal pros of The Write Foundation:
As I mentioned, my daughter is not a reluctant writer. While this sort of program would be very effective for my son if he were at this level, I was curious how it might work for my daughter? Unfortunately, I haven't been able to use it long enough with my daughter to determine the effectiveness. Since she has already done some essay courses and routinely writes essays for other subjects, much of in the Level 3: Essay Writing is review for her. However, one thing my daughter does need practice on is thinking through the structure of her essays. As natural as writing is for her, writing an outline and truly thinking about the structure of her essay, beyond an opening, three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion, could use some practice. Looking ahead into the future lessons, I can see how the tools provided will help refine a strong writer's work. I am particularly interested in the direction of the second half of this program, with the student ultimately practicing writing an essay in 30 minutes. I see lots of promise with The Write Foundation, for both reluctant and strong writers.
Each complete level of The Write Foundation is available for $100. The complete package includes the Instruction Manual for Lessons 1-30, a complete set of Student Worksheets and the Additional Resources CD. Alternatively, a package including the materials for either Lessons 1-15 or 16-30 may be purchased for $65. For more information, visit The Write Foundation website.
Disclaimer: This review was provided as a result in my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Crew. I was provided the product free of charge in exchange for my honest review. I have received no other compensation.
I strive to give a balanced overview of each product, detailing my opinion of both pros and cons and how the product worked for my family. What works for one family may not work for another. I encourage you to read reviews of other Crew members and research sufficiently to determine if any product will be a benefit to your homeschool.
The Write Foundation is designed with kids like my son in mind. It is a very systematic approach to writing and focuses on learning through repetition.
The Write Foundation begins with the writing process, how a student formulates a topic, then a thesis, then supporting points, and by incremental teaching drills in the basics. In most grammatical subjects, we have found that failure is almost totally because the basics have not been learned.
Three program levels, targeting ages 11 - 17, are available from The Write Foundation.. Level 1: Sentence to Paragraph, for ages 11-13, starts with basic sentence structure and progresses to a two-paragraph paper. Level 2: Paragraph Writing, ages 12-15, begins with the structure of a basic paragraph to moves to four-paragraph papers, concluding with an introduction to the five-paragraph formal essay. Level 3: Essay Writing, ages 14-17, covers a rewrite of a three-paragraph parable through composing a five-paragraph essay in 30 minutes.The Write Foundation writing curriculum is a result of 8 years of successfully teaching homeschooled students in a one-day-per-week co-op setting. It has been adapted for a homeschool and used by numerous homeschooling parents to give their own children the tools of how to quickly organize and write an essay with excellence.
The Write Foundation curriculum was initially written with a classroom setting in mind, though it is very adaptable to individuals. While it takes a bit to figure out the format of the lessons, it is pretty much a "grab-it-and-go" curriculum after an initial time investment. An introduction, taken directly from the curriculum package, is available for viewing on the website. There are also sample lessons provided for each level.
I initially had trouble deciding what level to review, which required a call Rebecca Celsor, the program developer, to discuss my options. Ms. Celsor seems to understand students like my son and together we determined that my reluctant writer wasn't quite ready to start Level 1. We then refocused on the needs of my 13-year-old daughter, a prolific writer. To my surprise, Ms. Celsor also seems to understand gifted writers and the final recommendation was the Level 3 Essay Writing. In my experiences, I've found that writing teachers focus on one end of writing ability or the other. It was refreshing to be able to discuss the needs of both of my children and be understood clearly.
Each level is available in three packages. Package 1 includes materials for Lessons 1-30. If you intend to go through the program slower or only want to purchase one semester at a time, a Package 2, Lessons 1-15, or Package 3, Lessons 16-30, are also available. I received Curriculum Package 2: Essay Lessons 1-15, in addition to a digital version Essay Additional Resources CD for review.
It took me a little while to figure out the structure of the program. Because it is written for the classroom, there are references to Teacher Presentations (TP), instructions, and student worksheets (WS) in the introduction. After some time, I ultimately realized that the worksheets of the students are largely meant to follow along in a fill-in-the-blank fashion during the instruction. The Teacher Presentation (TP), located on the CD resource, cover the same material as the instructions in the manual and are simply additional resource for a classroom environment.
The lessons are designed to be taught only once a week for 1-2 hours, depending on level and individual lesson, with the rest of the work completed each day for the remaining of the week. While this is ideal for a co-op, it did require some modifying for individual use. Fortunately, this is very simple since the lesson is broken down into separate components.
The curriculum reminds me of another popular curriculum in that seems to take a formulaic approach to writing with a highly structured approach, along with a Checklist, and a No List to be used by the student. Several times the curriculum instructs to not skip steps, as each one has a purpose, even if that purpose isn't immediately apparent.
Some of my personal pros of The Write Foundation:
- After an initial time investment, the lessons are easy to follow and deliver.
- The lessons have variety and regularly include more creative assignments, such as poetry and MindBender® exercises.
- Expectations/assignments are clearly laid out.
- Tools are provided for students to check/edit their own work.
- Tools are provide to the parent to properly grade student work.
- The focus is on organization and structure.
- Friendly and knowledgeable customer service.
- The use of fill-in-blank worksheets to be used during instruction is too schooly for our family.
- While a pro in some aspects, the formula approach may feel stifling to creative or advanced writers.
- Initial difficulty in figuring out the program is frustrating.
- I would have preferred to have the information on the Additional Resource CD, which I found useful, to be included within the Instruction Manual.
- While quite adaptable, the program is written for a co-op situation. (Note: This would be a definite pro if you are teaching a co-op class!)
As I mentioned, my daughter is not a reluctant writer. While this sort of program would be very effective for my son if he were at this level, I was curious how it might work for my daughter? Unfortunately, I haven't been able to use it long enough with my daughter to determine the effectiveness. Since she has already done some essay courses and routinely writes essays for other subjects, much of in the Level 3: Essay Writing is review for her. However, one thing my daughter does need practice on is thinking through the structure of her essays. As natural as writing is for her, writing an outline and truly thinking about the structure of her essay, beyond an opening, three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion, could use some practice. Looking ahead into the future lessons, I can see how the tools provided will help refine a strong writer's work. I am particularly interested in the direction of the second half of this program, with the student ultimately practicing writing an essay in 30 minutes. I see lots of promise with The Write Foundation, for both reluctant and strong writers.
Each complete level of The Write Foundation is available for $100. The complete package includes the Instruction Manual for Lessons 1-30, a complete set of Student Worksheets and the Additional Resources CD. Alternatively, a package including the materials for either Lessons 1-15 or 16-30 may be purchased for $65. For more information, visit The Write Foundation website.
Disclaimer: This review was provided as a result in my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Crew. I was provided the product free of charge in exchange for my honest review. I have received no other compensation.
I strive to give a balanced overview of each product, detailing my opinion of both pros and cons and how the product worked for my family. What works for one family may not work for another. I encourage you to read reviews of other Crew members and research sufficiently to determine if any product will be a benefit to your homeschool.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
First Lego League, a learning experience for all!
This is the second year that my kids have participated in First Lego League, but the first that I've been involved as a coach. Last year, we jumped on an opportunity to be a part of a last-minute team, funded by a grant. Someone else coordinated. Someone else coached. My part was to make sure they got to the meetings and help. Because of our late start with a team of mostly rookies, it was mainly a conquer and divide to get things done. Our goal was for the kids to have something to present at the competition. Not only did the team meet that goal, but they went on to the State Championship and took Runner-Up for Creative Presentation. Not bad for some strangers thrown together at the last minute.
This year we had more time to plan. The original team decided to split and form two teams, and grow each. There were some logistic issues with almost an hour between some of the families, the primary reason for the split. It left us with three members on my kids' team. We held an interest meeting through 4-H (the original team formed a 4-H club) for those who might want to join the existing teams. It was a great response that resulted in four teams total, with a total of 10 kids on our team.
Ten kids. Ten middle school kids. Ten kids is the maximum allowed for a FLL team. Now I know why. It has had its challenges. Among the 10 kids, there are three sibling groups, a variety of personalities, and a five year age gap. There have been varying levels of expectations among the adults, which always makes things interesting for a coach, especially a coach that really hadn't planned on being a coach. That was the role I landed in, and it has been quite the learning experience.
This past Saturday we had a practice tournament. There were 54 teams, some of them with quite a bit of experience. The tournament is run just like a real qualifying tournament, but it doesn't count as one. The kids learned a ton. I learned a ton. And we all had fun.
This Saturday is our real qualifying tournament for the State Championship. I think the team has a great chance of advancing to the next level. Even if they don't, I will know that everyone learned. Everyone had fun. Everyone did his or her best. And that is all that matters.
This year we had more time to plan. The original team decided to split and form two teams, and grow each. There were some logistic issues with almost an hour between some of the families, the primary reason for the split. It left us with three members on my kids' team. We held an interest meeting through 4-H (the original team formed a 4-H club) for those who might want to join the existing teams. It was a great response that resulted in four teams total, with a total of 10 kids on our team.
Ten kids. Ten middle school kids. Ten kids is the maximum allowed for a FLL team. Now I know why. It has had its challenges. Among the 10 kids, there are three sibling groups, a variety of personalities, and a five year age gap. There have been varying levels of expectations among the adults, which always makes things interesting for a coach, especially a coach that really hadn't planned on being a coach. That was the role I landed in, and it has been quite the learning experience.
This past Saturday we had a practice tournament. There were 54 teams, some of them with quite a bit of experience. The tournament is run just like a real qualifying tournament, but it doesn't count as one. The kids learned a ton. I learned a ton. And we all had fun.
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| Goofing around while cheering on our team on the floor |
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| Taking a break in the pit area |
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| Line dancing while the judges calculate the scores |
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| A tense moment during the robot game |
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Clean floors make a person happy! CSN Stores
A few weeks back I mentioned that I was getting a review opportunity with CSN Stores. I had such a hard time selecting an item. Did I want something fun or practical? Something for myself, my kids, or to save as a gift for someone? CSN gave me a lot of choices, as they have many items appropriate for all of the above.
Though not the most fun option, I decided to be practical and get something I needed for the kitchen. My hand mixer is on the way out, my toaster oven door needs propped up with a bowl to stay shut, and some new bakeware would be nice. I had a hard time deciding. I eventually picked up a Dirt Devil Easy Steam Deluxe with Bonus Pads to replace my old steam mop that completely died several weeks ago.
About half of my downstairs is hardwood floors, including by the main entrances. Not only do I have the usual kitchen messes to clean up, but I have dirt being tracked in my children and pets. A good sweeping just doesn't cut it.
I absolutely love this steam mop. I don't need to deal with buckets of water and mops, nor do I need to use any chemicals at all. Getting a build-up of cleaning product on a wood floor is bad news when it comes to refinishing. The steam from this mop is all you need.
I don't think this one heats up as hot as my first, but the pad grips better and the triangular shape helps get in corners and tight places. The price was more in my budget range than other mops on the market. All in all, I felt it was a decent steam mop for the price.
CSN Stores' customer service was great too! I receive a bonus of upgraded shipping for faster service, which was nice.
This first experience with CSN Stores was a pleasant one, in addition to practical. If I get another review opportunity, perhaps I won't be as boring and go for something fun! In the meantime, I'm enjoying my clean floors.
Though not the most fun option, I decided to be practical and get something I needed for the kitchen. My hand mixer is on the way out, my toaster oven door needs propped up with a bowl to stay shut, and some new bakeware would be nice. I had a hard time deciding. I eventually picked up a Dirt Devil Easy Steam Deluxe with Bonus Pads to replace my old steam mop that completely died several weeks ago.
About half of my downstairs is hardwood floors, including by the main entrances. Not only do I have the usual kitchen messes to clean up, but I have dirt being tracked in my children and pets. A good sweeping just doesn't cut it.
I absolutely love this steam mop. I don't need to deal with buckets of water and mops, nor do I need to use any chemicals at all. Getting a build-up of cleaning product on a wood floor is bad news when it comes to refinishing. The steam from this mop is all you need.
I don't think this one heats up as hot as my first, but the pad grips better and the triangular shape helps get in corners and tight places. The price was more in my budget range than other mops on the market. All in all, I felt it was a decent steam mop for the price.
CSN Stores' customer service was great too! I receive a bonus of upgraded shipping for faster service, which was nice.
This first experience with CSN Stores was a pleasant one, in addition to practical. If I get another review opportunity, perhaps I won't be as boring and go for something fun! In the meantime, I'm enjoying my clean floors.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Review: Collectorz
Back when I first started homeschooling, and my home library was rapidly growing, I went on a crazy mission. I decided I was going to catalog every book I owned. I created a spreadsheet that had fields for the title, author, category, and likely some other details that I no longer remember. It didn't seem like an unreachable task...until I actually started getting to work. I spent hours entering information and finally gave up at some point past 1000 entries.
Ever since that failed project, I've had a desire to somehow manage and catalog the books that seem to grow exponentially in numbers on my shelves...and under beds, in cabinets, etc. It has nothing to do with wanting to feel some sort of control over my book addiction. Nope. That couldn't be it.
Imagine my delight when I discovered that I would be reviewing Collectorz, a provider of database software for books, DVDs, music, games, and more. Collectorz sells different programs for each type of collection; I was provided with the Book Collector Pro edition.
After the easy download, the first thing I wanted to do was to start adding my titles into the database. I found this extremely easy to do. You can do an automatic add or a manual add, both activated by clicking an icon. For the manual add, you enter all the information on your title into each field on a pop-up form. Using the automatic add, you simply enter the ISBN into the appropriate field and hit return. As you enter books, they are added to a search queue. Once done, click "search all" and the program finds all the information needed, included a cover image. To make this process even easier, I purchased a Cue Cat scanner, available through Collectorz and elsewhere, to add the ability to scan the ISBN rather than type. I had a bit of learning curve, including discovering that many books also have a barcode on the inside cover that yields the correct ISBN, rather than one on the back, but found that the scanner moved things along greatly.
Even so, adding books to the software is a time-consuming process, especially if you are a book addict like me. I have not yet entered anywhere near my entire book collection yet. Right now I sit at 539 titles, and I've only made it way half way through my school room. It will be awhile before I get to those books stashed under beds. There have been some annoyances, like some unrecognizable ISBN numbers, out-of-print titles, or books so old they don't have an ISBN. The information on titles such as these need to be entered manually.
Remember though, you only have to enter once. Once you get your entire collection in, you need only add books as you first purchase them. I just hit a book sale today and I plan to scan my purchases before they even hit the shelves. This is a case where a lot of hard work on the front will pay off later.
The software allows you to display and sort your collection in a variety of ways. Being a visual person, I preferred to browse through my library using cover images.
However, this program does so much more than just let you browse books on your computer that you can readily see on your shelves.
- Browse your book collection
- Add data & covers automatically
- Available data fields
- Sort and Search your database
- View your data in various skins
- View statistics of your database
- Export to CLZ Books (iPad, iPhone, Android)
- Data export options e.g. to HTML
- Use the loan manager
- Print your book data
- Book Collector Network Support
So, it can do a lot of stuff, but is it user-friendly? Well, yes and no. I seem to have an aversion to user manuals and tend to just jump in. That little habit doesn't really combine well with the fact that I'm not very techy, but it does provide a great platform for determining user-friendliness. As I mentioned, adding books to the database was straight-forward and easy. Searching for a title, author, or keyword was also very easy. I was able to handle all of the basic functions for general use just by exploring the program on my own.
However, one day I went to open up my collection and it was completely gone. After entering over 500 books at that point, I felt like crying...or screaming. Or both. It was then that I realized how handy a user manual is, but I also discovered there is a user forum at the Collectorz website for questions or trouble shooting problems. While I don't know what caused the initial disappearance, I was able to get my entire collection back pretty easily. Though the basic functions are fairly intuitive, I know there is a lot to this program that I have not yet discovered. I see a lot of potential.
While having my books cataloged all neat and tidy on a screen has given me a sense of control, I have yet to really use this program to its full capabilities. What I have used it for has certainly been helpful. For example, several times since owning the program, I used it to see if I owned a particular title. Shall I mention that while scanning, I found several titles that I own in duplicate? Just this feature alone saved me from scouring shelves or purchasing titles I already own. I'm also excited about being able to track titles that are on loan or for sale. Another use I see in the future is for an easy way for my children to see what books we have in the house. It isn't uncommon for them to check out titles from the library, unaware the title is sitting on one of our many bookshelves in our home library.
Overall, I think this program is very worthwhile for the $49.95 price for the Pro Edition. Also available is the Standard Edition for $29.95. The software runs on either Windows or Mac. There is even an iPhone app that can be purchased to use with the software, allowing you to check out your collection away from home. To try before you buy, a free trial (limited to 100 books) is available for you to fully check out all of the features. Visit the Collectorz website for more information on this product and more.
Disclaimer: This review was provided as a result in my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Crew. I was provided the product free of charge in exchange for my honest review. I have received no other compensation.
I strive to give a balanced overview of each product, detailing my opinion of both pros and cons and how the product worked for my family. What works for one family may not work for another. I encourage you to read reviews of other Crew members and research sufficiently to determine if any product will be a benefit to your homeschool.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Don't forget to vote on November 3rd (really!)
Ha! Did you think I was losing it after an important election day? While not exactly all that critical for the country, tomorrow's vote in the photo contest through Homeschool Science Academy is important to yours truly, since I'm in the finals. The prize is a laptop, which I would absolutely love. If you haven't voted yet, I would love it you would take a minute and vote (preferably for #21!)...pretty please?
**To vote, all you need to do is send an email to Greg@LandryScience.com and include the number of your selection in both the subject and body of the email. For example, to vote for photo #21 (hint hint) you would just need to put "21" in the subject line and the message body, then zip it off to Mr. Landry. Make sure you sign up for his newsletter too (here, at the bottom of the page), since voters should be subscribed.**
Voting ends November 3rd, 2010.
I posted the entry last week, but here it is again:
Of course, if you must, you can check out the other 25 entries before voting for #21 (smiles). All the details are at my earlier post about the contest. To all of you that vote, please accept my cyber "I voted today!" sticker and a big thank you!
**To vote, all you need to do is send an email to Greg@LandryScience.com and include the number of your selection in both the subject and body of the email. For example, to vote for photo #21 (hint hint) you would just need to put "21" in the subject line and the message body, then zip it off to Mr. Landry. Make sure you sign up for his newsletter too (here, at the bottom of the page), since voters should be subscribed.**
Voting ends November 3rd, 2010.
I posted the entry last week, but here it is again:
Of course, if you must, you can check out the other 25 entries before voting for #21 (smiles). All the details are at my earlier post about the contest. To all of you that vote, please accept my cyber "I voted today!" sticker and a big thank you!
Monday, November 1, 2010
I'm IT...again!
There has been a game of tag going around the blogsphere. I've been tagged a couple of times, but this time Nanette at The joys of homeschooling has tagged me with a new set of questions to answer. In turn, I'm supposed to take 8 more people. Since I've already done some tagging, I'm not going to tag 8 more at this time. However, I'll happily answer Nanette's questions.
Here are my answers to Nanette's questions:
1. How do you stay organized? The assumption here is that I am actually organized. I'm not. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants. Sometimes that is a good thing. Sometimes it is not. I do try to keep my things organized, in hopes that my brain will follow suit. At the very least, it gives the appearance of being organized.
2. What is your favorite curriculum and why? (Ex: Apologia, Life of Fred, etc.) I have several favorites. I love All About Spelling for my 11-year-old, a struggling speller. IEW has been great for him too. My oldest has enjoyed the Apologia science texts so far. And Sonlight has been a favorite, but I have never successfully used it as intended. I love having the Sonlight books, though. I could go on. I'm very much a curriculum junkie. Perhaps it would have been easier to ask which was my least favorite?
3. Do you notebook or lapbook? Do you have any successful secrets to share to a lapbook newbie? I wish I were a crafty person like that; I love the look of notebooks and lapbooks, but they aren't for me. Ironically, I have developed a new line of lapbook and notebook materials which I will be revealing very soon. I am just wrapping up some administration and website details, but I have products in hand that I'll be posting about in the very near future. I did have some lapbooking testers and advisors so I could understand the needs of lapbookers. I'm hoping that lapbookers will enjoy the products!
4. What kind of fieldtrips, or outings do you go on for school enrichment? We used to go on a lot of field trips, but not so much anymore. When we first started homeschooling, I'd call numerous businesses and organizations and ask if they'd be willing to do a tour. You'd be surprised at how open most are. As a result, I found many great field trip opportunities in my immediate area. The kids loved it! Live theater is still on my list of things I try to do with the kids regularly. Unfortunately, our schedule lately doesn't allow for many other field trips.
5. Do you have any awesome science experiments to share? Dissections have been a hit in the past. So many shy away from doing dissections at home, but it isn't as bad as some think! Right now my daughter is doing the egg in vinegar experiment for the second time.
6. What is the best website, book, etc; you have found that has helped you through your homeschool journey? Other moms sharing their experiences have been the best resource for me. I connect up with other parents in person and on the internet. If I had to pick one website, it would be Rainbow Resource! LOL! One stop shopping without leaving the house.
7. Within your homeschool, what is one thing you could never live without?That's easy - the computer!
8. What is the craziest thing you’ve ever heard from a non-homeschooler? It can be something from a child or an adult."Your child is so polite and well-behaved. I'm concerned that they aren't well-socialized."
Wow! Didn't Nanette ask some great questions? Thanks for the tag, Nanette!
Here are my answers to Nanette's questions:
1. How do you stay organized? The assumption here is that I am actually organized. I'm not. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants. Sometimes that is a good thing. Sometimes it is not. I do try to keep my things organized, in hopes that my brain will follow suit. At the very least, it gives the appearance of being organized.
2. What is your favorite curriculum and why? (Ex: Apologia, Life of Fred, etc.) I have several favorites. I love All About Spelling for my 11-year-old, a struggling speller. IEW has been great for him too. My oldest has enjoyed the Apologia science texts so far. And Sonlight has been a favorite, but I have never successfully used it as intended. I love having the Sonlight books, though. I could go on. I'm very much a curriculum junkie. Perhaps it would have been easier to ask which was my least favorite?
3. Do you notebook or lapbook? Do you have any successful secrets to share to a lapbook newbie? I wish I were a crafty person like that; I love the look of notebooks and lapbooks, but they aren't for me. Ironically, I have developed a new line of lapbook and notebook materials which I will be revealing very soon. I am just wrapping up some administration and website details, but I have products in hand that I'll be posting about in the very near future. I did have some lapbooking testers and advisors so I could understand the needs of lapbookers. I'm hoping that lapbookers will enjoy the products!
4. What kind of fieldtrips, or outings do you go on for school enrichment? We used to go on a lot of field trips, but not so much anymore. When we first started homeschooling, I'd call numerous businesses and organizations and ask if they'd be willing to do a tour. You'd be surprised at how open most are. As a result, I found many great field trip opportunities in my immediate area. The kids loved it! Live theater is still on my list of things I try to do with the kids regularly. Unfortunately, our schedule lately doesn't allow for many other field trips.
5. Do you have any awesome science experiments to share? Dissections have been a hit in the past. So many shy away from doing dissections at home, but it isn't as bad as some think! Right now my daughter is doing the egg in vinegar experiment for the second time.
6. What is the best website, book, etc; you have found that has helped you through your homeschool journey? Other moms sharing their experiences have been the best resource for me. I connect up with other parents in person and on the internet. If I had to pick one website, it would be Rainbow Resource! LOL! One stop shopping without leaving the house.
7. Within your homeschool, what is one thing you could never live without?That's easy - the computer!
8. What is the craziest thing you’ve ever heard from a non-homeschooler? It can be something from a child or an adult."Your child is so polite and well-behaved. I'm concerned that they aren't well-socialized."
Wow! Didn't Nanette ask some great questions? Thanks for the tag, Nanette!
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