Now We’re Composting!

We have finally gotten organized enough to start our very first compost pile. Here is another great instructional video about how to get started on your own compost pile.

We got started by using some plastic chicken wire and fencing off a small area for our pile. (We have a dog, and she would certainly get into our pile if she had a chance!) We, even Dad was in on the conversation, discussed what a compost pile is for and what kinds of things we would put into it. The kiddos put some of our leaves into the fenced in area, too, to get us started. Then we watched this video on YouTube. We’ve decided that adding to the compost pile is now a job for the kids in our house!

Since our garden is growing so nicely even though I have a brown thumb, I hope that our new compost pile will also be a huge success. The kiddos are really excited about it. They are even talking about how we can reduce the amount of trash that we make every day by putting banana peels and apple cores into the compost pile. Perhaps we will have kids who are more “green” and want to do more to protect the environment! I also hope that our children learn a few lessons about how God is the expert recycler, too, since He created the whole decompostition process. I’ll keep you posted on our progress!

Home School Research: Mallard Duck

In our home school we are continuing to make our lapbook for Make Way for Ducklings, and we have worked on researching Mallard Ducks this week.

We reread the book and discovered that there is a lot of true information about ducks in it, so we decided to do some research on Mallard ducks. One day we listened to songs of the mallard duck online. We looked at photos online as well, and we watched a slide show of ducklings hatching. It was really fun to see the hatching. The kids wanted to listen to the songs over and over, too!

The next time we sat down for some school work, we read a brief article about Mallard ducks and filled out a report form while I read it. We wanted to confirm information on the internet as well, so we used a “Google” search. You could try Wikipedia, too.

On another day we used many resources from Homeschool Share including the From Egg to Animal life cycle wheel and the duck parts printout. The life cycle wheel requires a third page for the back so that you can put it in the lapbook and also for ease of spinning the wheel. I cut out the piece ahead of time so that we would focus more on the life cycle rather than the act of cutting. I had the children put the four events in order and glue them in the book.

Since the children had already noticed the differences in the male and female ducks in the illustrations in Make Way for Ducklings, we colored the duck parts print out as a scientific drawing for the research and discussed the differences. I had to do a bit of directing on this lesson in order to ensure that the parts were colored correctly. Interestingly, the little one even points out the “mommy” and the “daddy” ducks when we are reading now. The children also dictated how they determine if a Mallard is a female or a male.

We also discussed what migration is and used a map to find the migration patterns of the Mallard Duck. The children dictated information about migration to include in the book. They drew a picture of a duck on the cover of the migration book. I described drawing a duck as a big circle with a smaller circle next to it and a triangle on the little circle. I think it came out nicely!

Are you going to try researching Mallard ducks this week?

Make Way for Our Next Lapbook

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey is the subject of our next lapbook. There will be a series of posts with thoughts and photos as we go through the process of this particular lapbook. I will even include titles of other books we are using. Again, I am making up my own lapbook using library and internet resources that are available for free.

I started this lapbook unit by creating a web of ideas for what we could learn about. This is a great way to get started. Based on my web, I searched the internet to see what was available. I looked at an example of what someone else had done for their lapbook on Homeschool Share, and I printed out what I intended on using for my lessons. I put together the first mini book we were going to make as well.

I introduced the book to the kids by talking about Robert McCloskey since we just read Blueberries for Sal. I read the book just for enjoyment this first time. We simply discussed the book as we went along. My kids’ bedroom is painted in a Make Way for Ducklings theme (painted by Caroline Funchion), so we talked about that connection to the book.

The next time we read the book, I wrote the ducklings’ names on our chalkboard- Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Pack, Ouack, & Quack - to use the ducklings’ names for learning about onsets and rimes. We created a flip book with the names. I wrote the letters, and my kids traced over them. The little one did not do a page for Ouack and Quack as I think it would have been too much work.

As a note for the reasoning behind this particular lesson, rhyming is a great precursor to reading. Try playing with rhymes when you’re waiting in the grocery line or at the doctor’s office. Sing rhyming songs for fun. Using onsets and rhymes is also a great strategy for figuring out unknown words when you are reading. Try pointing them out when you see a good one in a book or on the cereal box. This strategy is also helpful with writing. You can point out that a particular word rhymes with another one while you are writing and show your kids how you use that strategy.

I hope this helps you get started on your Make Way for Ducklings lapbook!

Blueberries for Sal Lapbook

We have finally finished our very first lapbook! It is on Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. I loved making it, and I think the kids enjoyed it, too. There were so many resources online for this particular book. Although there are many commercial resources available, I chose to make up my own lapbook. I borrowed a few ideas from what is available online and came up with a few ideas of my own. Here is what we did.

My children each made a lapbook whith similar work in them. Both children wrote the letter “B” and drew pictures of “B” words and both made blue collages. They both have photos of the different kinds of bears and a bear’s den, and they both have books about our blueberry picking trip as well as a book on the life cycle of a blueberry bush. However, I modified the work for their different levels in order to meet my individual children’s needs. My older child located Maine on a map, but my younger child did not. They both made a counting book, but my older child’s book went up to 10 while my younger child’s book went up to 4. My older child dictated the text for the Full or Empty book, but my younger child just has a flap for full and a flap for empty.

Here are a few of the lessons that I learned along the way.

1. Read the text to the children a lot, and get the book on cd if at all possible. I found that my children made more interesting comments, asked better questions, and made fantastic connections to our work after reading the book many times. We listened to it in the car for days as we ran errands and visited people. A recorded version takes the pressure off of you to reread all of the time.
2. Consider the learning levels of your individual children, and modify the work if that seems most appropriate for your children.
3. Prepare the mini books ahead of time. The kids simply are not going to wait for you to construct something last minute - unless your children are more patient than mine are.
4. Think about where the mini books will be placed inside of the lapbook. You’ll want all of the work to fit into the book perfectly.
5. Be willing to toss out work that did not come out as planned. Some things are just not worthy of keeping whether your planning was the culprit or the kids just were not ready for that type of work. Don’t beat yourself up about it; just toss it.
6. Be ready to change gears. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, but something on the fly works out better. Follow your instincts and try something unplanned that works better.
7. Remember to let the kids review their own work. You are making the lapbook so your child will be able to look back and reflect on all of the learning s/he did. Keep the book in an accessible place.
8. Have fun making the book! This is the most important piece. Any of the work you do with the children will result in learning, so just let go and have a great time with the kids!

I hope that this serves as an inspiration for you to try out a lapbook or two.

Thanks for the Reminder

One of my favorite blogs, Holy Experience, has an amazing re-post called How Would Jesus Teach? It is funny that I received this particular post in my feed today because it really hits home for me. I felt like I was at home when I read it because this is truly how I want to educate my children. My goal is to become more Christ-like, right? Why not teach the same way that Jesus did when He was here on earth?

I want to glorify my God every day. I also want what is best for my kids educationally and otherwise. The funny thing is that following Jesus’ example will actually do both things for me and my kids. I need to teach my children the way that Jesus taught His disciples and the people around Him, out in the world through service and with scripture. Thank you, Holy Experience, for the reminder!

I have been working towards this goal. I have thought through how to make it happen, but I can’t seem to make it all come together. I have been missing one key piece, though - prayer. I have to pray about it and commit to making it happen.

Lord, transform me. Give me the wisdom I need in order to guide my children on this journey called life. Help me teach my children more like Jesus has taught us. Amen.

Family Traditions

My family has survived planning and hosting yet another birthday bash - this time for a two year old. We really had a great time at the party, though! This whole process got me thinking about family traditions. We are a relatively young family, and we’re still developing our family traditions. I can’t help but think of one of the many talks that I have heard at Mom-to-Mom, a local ministry for mothers, about this very topic. Jo-Anne, the administrator, has spoken about how families form traditions and create memories along the way. I hope that the traditions that my family establishes now will make a life time of memories! There are a few family traditions that we have established that are worth mentioning.

Fall is our favorite season, and every fall my family goes to Stowe, VT to see the foliage. My husband and I actually started this tradition when we got married as we went there for our honeymoon weekend. We just love visiting this quaint town and taking some time to enjoy God’s creation. The cooler weather is great for hiking and biking. We love the slower pace of the area, too. We also take our family apple and pumpkin picking in the fall. We have a particular farm we visit every year that has animals and great picking. It is also centrally located so that many other families can join us. I love how the kids see the reality of where their food comes from. I love watching them try to find the best fruit and how they love climbing high up with Daddy. My father and nephew also join us on the adventure. The kids eat apples in the wagon and we scurry to finish filling the bags. My dad loves the apple pie there, too! We spend time baking and freezing our apples, too.

Then there are Christmas traditions that we are trying to build. I must say that we have not perfected the Christmas season like we have the fall season! We do pick out our Christmas tree at the same place every year. I never had a live tree growing up, so I really want this for my own family. We also take our extended families to church with us for Christmas performances and on Christmas Eve. We have tried several scenarios for Christmas day, and when it works out perfectly, I’ll let you know! One tradition that I am trying to keep is to read the Christmas story together every year. I have the complete story printed out in a little booklet so no one has to leaf through the Bible to find the scriptures. I think that this act speaks volumes about what Christmas is actually about, the birth of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

That brings me to the birthday traditions that are so important to me and the whole reason for this particular post. Birthdays are a celebration of life, and I really want my family to feel like we are living life to its fullest. For every birthday I bake a cake related to the theme of the party. I am not a trained pastry chef. I have never taken a cake decorating class. I use a box mix for the cake, but the decorating is the part that I spend time on. I think that the cake is the most memorable part of the party for kids. I want my children to remember that Mommy made the cakes that they wanted. It is an expression of my love. I also want the children to be surrounded by their closest family and friends. A birthday only comes once a year, and I want each child to feel like a star on that day! We try to do everything possible to make that happen. The parties are carefully planned with the components that each child wants included. I try to get extended family involved in the party in some way, too. My dear husband also takes millions of photos to commenmorate the day. This particular party had a garden theme. My dad and I made homemade games to fit the theme: butterfly bowling, pin-the-petal on the flower, catch the bubble, paint a butterfly magnet, & garden hopscotch. Kids filled their own goody bags with bugs, flower rings, and/or ladybug stickers after playing each game. I made a flower shaped cake out of cupcakes, and the kids decorated their cupcakes. The day was fun for us and the kids. I know that we made some very special memories at that party and in preparation for the party.

Family traditions are special since they provide activities that involved the entire family. Everyone looks forward to (or dreads, I suppose!) those special traditions. Traditions also define your family, so when your children look back on their growing up years, they will remember those times the most - even if they don’t continue those same traditions. Make a few memories this year!

“Lord God. Food. Amen”

“Lord God. Food. Amen.”

My two year old prayed for the first time last week, and volunteered to do it, no less. It was just so beautiful to hear. It was genuine, too.

Jesus tells us that we should come to him like little children (Matthew 18:3). Listening to my dear little one pray reminded me of that. I know that God honored that sweet, little prayer because the intent was heartfelt. It was innocent. It was for God. I want to come to God in that same way, but so often, especially when I pray in front of other people, I feel like my prayers are for the listeners. That is not God honoring. That is self honoring. I want to honor our awesome God instead. I want to come to God as innocently as my two year old does. Have you thought about your prayer life? Are you coming to God like a little child?

My kiddo innocently offered to pray over our meal and extended a hand out to Jesus. This is more than what some adults do, including me. I am challenged by my two year old’s act of faith to reflect on my own intentions this week.

“Lord God. Food. Amen.”

Why Homeschool?

My hubby and I were watching the season finale of “So You Think You Can Dance”. (I am so incredibly behind on my tv shows these days, and thanks to Tivo I am catching up). Nigel Lithgoe was dancing with a group of children, and there was some genuine camaraderie between him and the children. I began reminiscing about my days as a classroom teacher. That particular moment reminded me of what I had always wanted as a teacher - to have a group of kids that I truly felt a special bond with. I wanted to be one of those teachers who changed the world one group of kids at a time like the teacher in the movie Stand and Deliver. Nigel’s moment with those kids stirred that memory for me for some reason. Why did I let that go?

In the middle of my dreamy state I realized that I have something better than that kind of experience now. Instead of bonding with someone else’s children for just one school year, I have my own children to bond with for a lifetime. Instead of being limited to a certain curriculum and schedule, I can decide with my children what we will learn about. (Yes, I do mean “we”. I learn along side of my children.) We can take our time to learn. I can take my kids on field trips to any place that I feel is educationally worthy. And in the middle of it all, I am able to spend time with my children. I am making memories with them, and I am enjoying them while they are young. I am influencing my children. I am giving them the greatest gift I can think of - the love of Jesus. Why wouldn’t I homeschool them?!

My struggle with the idea of home education is that sometimes it feels like a burden to me. Being the parent and being the teacher is a lot of responsibility. Deciding on our curriculum is a big responsibility. Staying organized and committed to doing work every day is difficult. The burden of explaining why I am homeschooling and how my children benefit from home education makes me uneasy. Then I read about everything happening in California with homeschooling and read up on the presidential candidates’ opinions of home education, and I get overwhelmed. Why would I homeschool my children?!

When I see myself doubting, I have to remember what I want for my family. I want my children to love God and to feel loved. I want my children to have great memories from their growing up years. I want my children to grow closer to each other. I want my children to have positive role models and to be safe at school. I want my children to know their parents and see how we navigate life in this fallen world yet still love Jesus. Who else can give them that? Why wouldn’t I homeschool?

My little pep talks usually get me back on track.

I think again about my goals for my children. I remember how I know that my children imitate me - whether the behavior is good or bad - and they imitate people they look up to. I want to be the model that they follow, not someone else who does not have a lifetime invested in them. I want to be the person they ask about the big questions in life, not someone else who doesn’t understand our values. I know that teachers have the best intentions and do wnat what they think is the best for their students. However, they are employees of the school system they work in. They have to comply with the school’s goals. They want the best for my children, but they are not my children’s parents. They will not care nearly as much about my children’s well-being as I do despite their best intentions. Why wouldn’t I homeschool?

My head spins when I think again about the responsibility. It would be easier for me to allow the schools to educate my children, and if we need something, then I would be able to say that the school has to help us. As a homeschooler, I have to be more vigilant about my children’s needs and take a different role than a typical mother. Talk about intimidating! Then I remember that I do not have to go it alone. God is ultimately in charge, and if I believe, I will see Him do the impossible. (Jeremiah 32:27) I do not have to educate my children on my own. God is right here. Nothing is impossible for God! I can offer my life as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) and watch Him do the rest! Why wouldn’t I homeschool?

I can be like the teacher in “Stand and Deliver”. I can have that special bond with my own children and change the world one group of kids at a time. Why wouldn’t I homeschool?

Encouraging Reading Comprehension Strategies

The other day our family was in the car listening to Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey for the millionth time this month. (I really do love the book, but I am ready to put it to bed for at least another year!) We have been finishing up our lapbook on this title, and now we are just rereading the book for (the kids’) enjoyment. During the story, my kiddo made some interesting comments that showed great inferencing and questioning skills. This kiddo is on the verge of reading right now, so we have been working hard on decoding this summer, but as I reflect on this particular moment, I see some great comprehension strategies at work that some kids who are already reading do not use. Why is this so significant?

There are many children who can “word call”, or recognize words, who cannot understand what they are reading. As a reading teacher, I often worked with struggling readers who needed to develop their comprehension skills. Even proficient readers don’t always use all of the reading strategies that they could when they read, and I taught many lessons on how to apply those reading strategies. Some kids do not even realize that they are supposed to think while they are reading, so they simply “read” the words from the page to get through it. (This one of the reasons that some kids hate reading.) Comprehension is the reason that we read, though. You read to find out or as an escape from the real world. You need to understand what you read.

I am impressed by my kiddo’s ability to make inferences and ask great questions about books. How have I encouraged this?

1. Read aloud to your children - no matter how old they are. It is crucial that you model good reading (and comprehension skills) for your children.
2. Read the selection to yourself before you read it to your children. This only applies if you are planning on explicitly teaching particular reading strategies with the title. It helps to think about the text and about your own reactions and questions before you read with the children.
3. Tell your children what you are thinking about when you read aloud. (aka think aloud) Here is another example of modeling for your children. You might also bring up a point about the text that your child hadn’t thought of.
4. Ask your child questions while you read. These questions can be used to check basic comprehension like “What did Sal do with the blueberries?” Or ask for a prediction like “What do you think Sal’s mother will do when she realizes that Little Bear is following her and not Sal?”
5. Have your child find the answers to your questions in the text. Showing you what in the text made yoru child think of something can be very enlightening, especially if there is a misunderstanding. It also shows you that your child is using the information in the text and not just experiences to understand the book.
6. Ask follow-up questions to help your child take that extra step. You can deepen your child’s comprehension and general knowledge if you push them beyond the basic comprehension questions.
7. Make inferences and ask inference questions. Again, this is a way of modeling comprehension strategies. Ask, “Why would Sal’s mother be afraid to have a baby bear following her?” inferencing is a difficult comprehension skill, so try to model it often.
8. Make connections. When you read, you think about how the book relates to your life, other books, and the world at large. Start thinking about how you do this and try modeling it for your children.
9. Point it out when your child is actually using a comprehension strategy. This is really encouraging and labels the skill for your child. Chances are your child will use that strategy more in the future.
10. Have a genuine conversation about the text. Respond to what you are reading. Talk about what you like about the characters or what you don’t like about the writing style. Ponder about the story line.

Remember that reading is supposed to be fun, but it is only fun if you understand the text. Teach your children a few reading strategies in order to make reading a pleasurable experience. Happy reading!

Dreamer in Need of Focus

I have been thinking about how the fall is fast approaching and I have done nothing to prepare for it. My office/school space is a disaster, and I have no idea where anything is. The kids are not cutting me a break either as they have been coming in and rifling through everything. My stuff is somewhere in all of these piles!

This summer we have had school in session on and off depending on vacation plans and what have you. It has been so great to have a really flexible schedule. (I know they are learning no matter what.) Starting this fall we are combining home school with a part-time Montessori school. (I have tons of paperwork to fill out for that!) I have not gotten my act together for our home school yet, though (At least I know part of what will be happening with school this fall.) What is keeping me from getting things in order?

I am a big picture kind of gal - a real dreamer. I love to think about all of the possibilities there are, but I find it hard to get down to the details. That is where I am right now. I am overwhelmed by the many things that we could do this school year, but I can’t seem to focus on what is important. I also can’t seem to find the time to get it all planned and organized either!

Are you in the same boat? Here are few things that have helped me in the past that you might find helpful, too:

1. Write down all of your ideas. Basically make a web of your ideas. It helps to be able to get it all out and see the possibilities. You will also have the ideas available for future reference.
2. Break the work down into little pieces. If you take one idea and make plans for it every day, you will feel more accomplished. You’ll even have something finished by the end of the day!
3. Ask the kids what they want to learn. You can use this as a starting point to get back into the groove of things. They will be more invested in what you are doing because it is based on their interests.
4. Establish some valuable school work that will run by itself. What I mean is find a few things that do not require daily or even weekly planning. For example, the children could have diaries that they write about anything they want in. They could have independent reading accompanied by book reviews they have to write. You don’t have to make any plans for this kind of work. The kids already know what is expected, and they do the work. Then you will have some time to do a little research, setting up, planning, etc instead of planning everything now.
5. Ask for help. Perhaps you have a friend who is more organized than you are. Friends who love order are great for this kind of task. They often really get into the project because it is what they love to do (and they often need to see the task to completion). Maybe your husband can help you out, too. Could he take on some extra responsibilities around the house to free you up? Could he do some preparation for the school year for you? Even if he is not around (traveling, etc.) maybe he can do a little research for you. He certainly can encourage you and help you get your head in the game!
6. Pray. It seems so simple, but God will help you in times of trouble, even if you think that the request is insignificant. I often forget to pray, but it is such an important thing to do.

I hope that this post helps you get back on track! Enjoy the last bit of summer, and I hope that the beginning of the school year goes well for you. Happy learning!