Learning Log of March 2015

 Spring is here! I finally get to garden and grow some yummy food! I bought some plants because I just couldn't wait to see things grow! this year I'm growing Swiss chard, arugula, lettuce, onions from bulbs and lots of strawberry plants.

I had so many strawberry plants that I offered the kids plants for them to sell in exchange of their help in the garden. We began by cleaning the strawberry beds and transplanting plants into cups to sell. Check out the photos and links below.

Read aloud Books

 * We are still reading through the Bible with the kids. Reading Exodus but falling by the wayside.

* Just the Right Size by Nicola Davies

Audio Books

* My kids, one time or another have the files below in their mp5s to which they listen to every night at their choosing: Fairy tales and classic stories , worship music, Story Hour files, The Piano Guys, Jonathan Park and The Brinkman Adventures, The Chronicles of Narnia and Story Nory (lots and lots of FREE audio goodness: Bible stories, Classics, educational stories even ones for non-English speakers wanting to improve their English. We love this website!).

* DD12 is listening to  The Spiderwick Chronicles.
* DD9 is also listening to the Story of the World - Vol. I
* DD7 is listening to the Story of the World - Vol. I
* DD4 is listening to Story Nory

DD5 independent reading list:

DD5 has been asking me to learn to read, so I finally decided to work with her. We began ClicknKids Phonics program. This is a software that you download to your computer and your kids have daily lessons. There are 2 programs: a phonics and a spelling one. I used this software with my 3 oldest to remedial spelling and to help DD7 learn to read. As with all software, after a few lessons my kids get bored because the program is too repetitive or they have already mastered the skills they need to proceed on their own. Not one of my kids finished either programs.

DD5 has done lessons 1 to 10. I sit with her on my lap in front of the computer and together we do the lessons. I am also using printable lessons from BOB books free worksheets created by a diverse group of homeschooling moms. One of my favorites is Walking By the Way. I used these with DD7 when she was beginning to read. I am also using phonics books from Abeka and other books I find at the library.

She is also using Starfall website to help with the sounds of letters and practicing putting words together.

DD7 independent reading list: 

 She is also reading aloud  Read with me Bible to us all during lunch time. Also Calvin and Hobbes books are a favorite before bedtime.

* Calvin and Hobbes comics

* The Lizard Man of Crabtree County by Lucy Nolan
* Daisy Dawson and the Secret Pond by Steve Voake

* Daisy Dawson on her Way by Steve Voake
* Daisy Dawson at the Beach by Steve Voake


Read Aloud to her sibling(s):

* Nate the Great and the Fishy Prize by Marjorie Winman Sharmat
* Nate the Great and the Pillowcase by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Rosalind Weinman

* Khan Academy Math- 3rd grade math;
* Singapore Math 2B
* Working on memorizing her multiplication tables.
* Reading chapter books and completing a workbook on phonics, spelling, grammar, reading comprehension, etc.
Copy work as well as reading to her siblings or to me out loud as well as quietly to herself. 
Science and History is covered by our reading alouds, documentaries, audio books or videos.

DS9 independent reading list:  

* DS9 is reading the Action Bible on his own.

* Calvin and Hobbes -DS9 reads a few strips at night before falling sleep.


* The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo - once he finished the book, we watched the movie and DS9 made comparisons between book and movie: how different they were; how much was added to the movie, etc.

* Call of the Wild by Jack London
* Hack Attack - A Trip to Wonderland by Jan Fields
* The Calm Before the Storm - A Night in Sleepy Hollow by Jan Fields

* Bugged - How Insects changed History by Sarah Albee

* The Titanic - An Interactive History Adventure by Bob Temple - You Choose Books

Read Aloud to his sibling(s):

Academic Work:
* Finished 5th grade Math on Khan Academy. Began 6th grade Math on Khan Academy.
* Also doing Life of Fred - Fractions;
* Learning Coding with Khan Academy;


* Doing Science Detective from The Critical Thinking Co. covering earth science, anatomy and biology. When he gets tired of this, he picks an Usbore Internet-Linked science book, reads and researches it online. I am letting him pick his own subjects and interests.
* Spelling and vocabulary based on the books he's reading. Mostly done orally.

DD12 independent reading list

 * Ripley's Believe it or not! - The Remarkable, Revealed. - Can be creep at times, but really interesting.

Fantasy books:
*  Erak's Ransom - book 7 - Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan
*  The Kings of Clonmel - book 8 - Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan
* Halt's Peril - book 9 - Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan

* Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis - Dragons in our Midst series - written by a Christian author; he has been compared to CS Lewis.

Historical Fiction:

* By the Big Horn Spoon! by Sid Fleischman - A Gold Rush Adventure
 * Jim Ugly by Sid Fleischman
* The Titanic - An Interactive History Adventure by Bob Temple - You Choose Books
* Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell


* Welcome to Kit's World - 1934 - Growing Up During America's Great Depression - American Girl book - this was a great find at our library. I highly recommend as a complement to this past of American History. The books are filled with lots of photos of the time and interesting descriptions and facts.

* A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck - if you like Southern humor you will enjoy this book. DD12 did!
* A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck - the sequel to A Long Way from Chicago - even funnier than the first!

Animal books:
* Prince Rabbit by A.A. Milne
* The Anne Marie by Israel J. Parker - for the animal lover.

** Take one or two or three (i.e. reading these yet again!)
* The Hunger Games by Suzanna Collins

Read Aloud to her sibling(s):


Academic Work:

* Doing Pre-Algebra on Khan Academy 70% completed;
* She began Life of Fred: Pre-Algebra with Biology book;

* Learning Coding with Khan Academy;
* Began learning Java Script with Code Academy;

* Finished The Hunger Games study guide by Progeny Press; we began listening to the audiobook for The Bronze Bow with the intent to do a study guide on it, but she couldn't go past chapter 2.
* Working through Exploring Creation with Biology from Apologia. Reviewed modules 1-4 and took Quarterly Test on them and scored 90%.

Activities at Home

* Quiet time everyday. This time is for reading or doing an activity on their own. Time for thinking, resting and learning to entertain oneself. It's also QUIET time for Mom. Time for me to recharge.

* Computer play time has increased to an hour this month.

* Spring Cleaning. We took the first week of March to declutter and clean house. School work decreased to one picked subject for about 20-30 minutes only.

* More crafts and painting projects.

* Cooking: teaching DD12 new recipes: gluten free cornbread muffins, beans, oatmeal. DD5 andDD7 are helping in the kitchen more often. We are cooking and eating vegan most every day of the week. I lost 8 pounds in a week. :)

* Cooking projects: milk kefir, vegan suppers, oat soaking and oatmeal making.


* Gardening: thinning our strawberry beds and selling the extra strawberry plants; building a new box, filling with dirt and prepping to plant;

* DS9 is helping DD7 memorize her multiplication tables 1 to 5.

* Keeping with the 2015 in 2015 challenge.

 Field Trips/ Activities Outside Home

 
* Homeschooling Meeting. The theme was animals. DD12 shared about    , DD7 talked about habitat and the series she is reading about a little girl who can talk to animals and DD5 shared all about horses that she learned while reading a book with Mom. DD9 decided to just watch this time.

* McWane Trip - they had a new exhibit called Mindbenders with lots of games and puzzles. Another opportunity to reconnect with another homeschooling family. We had a fun time.

* Game day at the library.

* Story Hour for the young ones.

* I had to renew my driver's license, so we used the opportunity to have a picnic at the park and enjoy some sunshine.

 Websites/ Links we found and used/ Apps

* Blog full of fun Unit Studies - 

* BrainPop - videos on Copyright, Martin Luther King Jr.; Math games; food chain games;


* Khan Academy -

* Code Academy - DD12 is learning Java Script here for FREE. I joined her because everyone needs to learn how to program. :)

* Starfall - great website for learning to read. DD5 is using this one.

* ClicknKids - a program that teaches phonics and spelling. DD5 is using it also.

* Dance Mat Typing - a free resource that teaches kids how to type.

TV shows/ Videos/ Movies/ YouTube

*  Studio C - Family friendly, clean sketch comedy tv shows produced by BYUtv. Super fun on YouTube for FREE. We have spent hours watching these videos as a family.

* A Tale of Desperaux

* Planes and Rescue

* The "Drop Box" full story on YouTube - the Korean man who rescues abandoned babies tells his story of conversion and what God has done in his life.

* On programming videos:

* The Amoeba Sisters on YouTube - science videos.  DD12 using it to complement her HS Biology curriculum. She watched the videos on Osmosis,

* Big Hero 6 - the bomb!!!

* Encounters at the End of the World - very liberal film with very interesting images.

Books, blogs and other things I am reading...


* What Women Fear by Angie Smith

*Leota's Garden by Francine Rivers - audiobook

* Timothy Keller - Prodigal God mp3 files.

* Bought - movie about vaccines

* Positive Parenting Solutions

* The Pleasure Trap - Ted Talk. Want to find out why you eat so much and of the wrong things? Watch this short talk and begin a new healthy journey in your life.

* The Starch Solution by John McDougall MD - begin with this talk and if you got health issues purchase the book by the same name.

* Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr Caldwell Esselstyn - Amazing results and research to show for it too.

Blessings,
Tereza Crump