Learning Log of May 2015

We have gone Vegan 6 days a week. 

At the time of this posting, it's been over 13 weeks, my husband and I lost 30 pounds each 

and we are feeling great. This is really working out for us. In general, we all eat lots of veggies, fruits and grains. Once or twice a week the kids will eat dairy and wheat. 

Once a week we all enjoy ONE meal of meat. We no longer use sugar, and I have had no coffee in over 5 months. I got more energy and my sleeping problems are gone. The kids are eating well and once in a while I let them have a treat like a sandwich with deli meat, candy at the library, chocolate bar and pancakes. My husband who was a carnivore now eats mostly vegetarian 6 days a week. His blood pressure and sugar are now normal! PTL! 

Check out the links below for more news!

Read aloud Books

* During the day I began doing a devotional with the kids: Jesus Calling 365 Devotions for kids.

Reading out loud to the little girls Grandma's Attic Story
This is the best book. I loved to hear my Grandmother's stories when I was little. I am reminiscing as I read this enjoyable book to my girls.
To everyone I read:
* Battle for a New Nation - Causes and Effects of the Revolutionary War by Kassandra Radomski
* Sacagawea by Kitson Jazynka - National Geographic Kids

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  listened to Jonathan Park
* DD9 is listening to Story Nory - Rikki Tikki Tavi,Jonathan park episodes and
* DD7 is listening to Jonathan Park episodes, Piano Guys and other worship music.
* DD4 is listening to Story Nory

DD5 independent reading list:

Still tackling reading with DD5. She's doing  ClicknKids Phonics program on the computer. 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 remedy spelling and to help DD7 learn to read. As with all software, after a few lessons my kids get bored either 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 finished about 7 lessons and covered short vowel sounds for A and O as well as sight words. We also incorporating 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 the Starfall website.

* Usborne Phonics Readers - Ted and Friends by Phil Roxbee Cox and Stephen Cartwright
* Sofia Makes a Friend - Level Pre-1 (we read this one together). DD5 is dying to learn how to read. So she keeps asking me to help her read. For now that goes like this: I read a sentence and she repeats it. :) She is already recognizing words though.
* Loud Louie - Doc McStuffins World of Reading - we read this one together.
* Welcome to Royal Prep - Sofia the First World of Reading
* 1001 Animal to Spot - Usborne Book
* 1001 Bugs to Spot - Usborne Book
* The Usborne Book of Bible Stories with CD.

* Free Phonic Readers website

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

* Billie B. Brown - The Midnight Feast by Sally Rippin
* Billie B. Brown - The Secret Message by Sally Rippin
* Billie B. Brown - The Best Project by Sally Rippin
* Billie B. Brown - The Spotty Vacation by Sally Rippin
* Billie B. Brown - The Little Lie by Sally Rippin
* Billie B. Brown - The Second-best Friend by Sally Rippin
* Billie B. Brown - The Beautiful Haircut by Sally Rippin

* Hey Jack! - The Scary Solo by Sally Rippin
* Hey Jack! - The New Friend by Sally Rippin
* Hey Jack! - The Bumpy Ride by Sally Rippin
* Hey Jack! - The Worry Monsters by Sally Rippin
* Hey Jack! - The Winning Goal by Sally Rippin
* Hey Jack! - The Robot Blues by Sally Rippin
* Hey Jack! - The Top Team by Sally Rippin

* Sofia Martinez series - The Missing Mouse by Jacqueline Jules
* Sofia Martinez series - Picture Perfect by Jacqueline Jules
* Explore the Deciduous Forest by Linda Tagliaferro
* Explore the Grasslands by Kay Jackson

* Amelia Earhart by Caroline Crosson Gilpin - National Geographic Kids
* Usborne Illustrated Stories from the Greek Myths - DD7 built a Trojan Horse on Minecraft to illustrate her reading.

Read Aloud to her sibling(s):
* Welcome to Royal Prep - Sofia the First World of Reading

* Khan Academy Math- 3rd grade math;
* Singapore Math 2B - mental math;
* Also perusing Xtramath.org to get speed and accuracy in her operations;
* Working on memorizing her multiplication tables. We are using Multiplication.com to help her out. They teach little stories to help kids memorize the facts. I used the website before with my 2 oldest.
* Reading chapter books and completing a workbook on phonics, spelling, grammar, reading comprehension, etc. Also using Explode the Code workbook 3.
* 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.


* White Fang by Jack London
* The World's Oddest Inventions by Nadia Higgins
* Anne Frank by Alexandra Zapruder - National Geographic Kids
* The Underground Railroad by Allison Lassieur - An Interactive History Adventure
* I am Walt Disney by Grace Norwich
* The Songs of Stones River - A Civil War Novel by Jessica Gunderson
* Judy Moody Declares Independence by Megan McDonald
* Usborne Illustrated Stories from the Greek Myths - DS9 built a labyrinth to illustrate his reading on the Minotaur.

Read Aloud to his sibling(s):

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

* Using Usbore Internet-Linked science and history books. He reads a topic and researches it online. I am letting him pick his own subjects and interests. 

DD12 independent reading list

Biographies:

* Lives of the Writers - Comedies, Tragedies (and what the neighbors thought) by Kathleen Krull
* Lives of the Athletes - Thrills, Spills (and what the neighbors thought) by Kathleen Krull
 * Lives of the Musicians - Good Times, Bad Times (and what the neighbors thought) by Kathleen Krull


Fiction:
* Longleaf by Roger Reid
* Space by Roger Reid

* Savvy by Ingrid Law
* Scumble by Ingrid Law

* Missing by Gabrielle Lord - book 1 - Conspiracy 365 Black OPS series
* Hunted  by Gabrielle Lord - book 2 - Conspiracy 365 Black OPS series
* Endgame by Gabrielle Lord - book 3 - Conspiracy 365 Black OPS series

* January - Conspiracy 365 by Gabrielle Lord
* February - Conspiracy 365 by Gabrielle Lord
* March - Conspiracy 365 by Gabrielle Lord


Fantasy books:
* Circles of Seven book 3 - Dragons in our Midst by Bryan Davis - DD12 did not finish this book. This series began getting weirder and weirder. I don't think I understand this Christian writer and his works. :/

Historical Fiction:
*Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
* The Underground Railroad by Allison Lassieur - An Interactive History Adventure

Animal books: 

* Spirit by Sable Hamilton - Stardust Stables series
* Wildfire by Sable Hamilton - Stardust Stables series
* A Star is Born by Sable Hamilton - Stardust Stables series

Magazines:

National Geographic


** Take one or two or three (i.e. reading these yet again!)

Read Aloud to her sibling(s):


Academic Work:

* Doing Pre-Algebra on Khan Academy 70% completed; she is taking a break from Khan Academy and working on Life of Fred book.
* Working through the Life of Fred: Pre-Algebra with Biology book;

* Learning Coding with Khan Academy;

* Working through Exploring Creation with Biology from Apologia. Finished module 7 and took test. Began Module 8.
* Began US History Detective Book 1 from Critical Thinking co. - she's doing a lesson a day; currently at Lesson 17. 

Activities at Home

* Trying to keep 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.

* Swimming. Gardening. Cleaning. Cooking. Crafting with Clay. Minecrafting. Wii playing. Trampoline.

* Friends' visit with lots of playing, swimming and conversations.
* Pool play dates.
* Prepping for Grandparents' visit.

* Keeping with the 2015 in 2015 challenge.

 Field Trips/ Activities Outside Home

* Homeschooling Meeting.We had an end of the year picnic at the park.

* Lego Club

* Story Hour for DD5 and DD7.

* DD12 is volunteering at the library this summer and helping out with many of the activities of the Summer Reading Program.
* Spring Fair

 Websites/ Links we found and used/ Apps

* Gradespelling.com : FREE website that teaches, practices and tests spelling according to grade level. Trying this out with the kids. So far so good.


* Blog full of fun Unit Studies - 

* BrainPop - videos on Hybrid cars, blogs, google, Game up

* Xtramath - FREE website to get speed and accuracy on all 4 operations (math facts)

* Multiplication.com - stories and games to help with multiplication facts.

* Free Phonic Readers - free phonic readers to print and color, or just read online.

* Billie B. Brown website - DD7 is reading Billie B. Brown books and found out she had a website, so browsing she went. There are some books available on line to read as well as coloring pages and other things.

* SheppardSoftware -

* 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 to learn to read.

* 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.

* Iamflix.com - watched American History series;

* The Story of Us episodes:

* The Patriot - I had forgotten how violent this movie was. Only DD12 was able to watch it with us and we had her turn her head in a few parts. 

* Dogs with Jobs - Netflix series on working dogs - season 2 episodes


* Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

* Between the Lions episodes on YouTube - DD5 is watching these to help with reading/ phonics.

* Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street season 1 episodes on Amazon.

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


* Up Before Daybreak - Cotton and People in America by Deborah Hopkinson

* Positive Parenting Solutions

* Lose Weight Here by 
* Why I Jumped by Tina Zahn

* Fallen by Annie Lobert
* Good Garden Magic by Celia Toler

Blessings,
Tereza