Sick Days

It’s been a rough start back to school with my daughter not feeling well.  She did some school yesterday.  Today, she slept until 11 and is currently laying in bed waiting for medicine to kick in and help her feel better.

Watching The Miracle Worker

But...  we’ll get to it.  I’m not going to push.  I’m not going to get frustrated by illness. It’s not in my control.  

A lifestyle of learning is about so much more than books and organized learning.  A lifestyle of learning will roll with the ups and downs.

Yesterday was actually a pretty relaxed learning day, despite the illness.  My daughter felt better after a fever reducer.  She did some reading and began to study Alabama.  She watched the movie The Miracle Worker, which was set in Alabama.  

For many reasons, this simple, delight-directed learning style brings me peace.  I find myself excited to explore my own passions as my daughter explores hers.  She is still going through her history rotation once or twice a week, but it’s scaled back quite a bit.  I want her to dig deep when it peaks her interest.  Not everything will.  My job is to expose her to different time periods, different ideas, and great literature.  My job is to make she she knows how to learn and to guide her through the tougher subjects or skills when they arise. 

Sick days come and go.  Realizing that I don’t have to be stressed out all the time, pushing all the time, has been eye-opening in all areas of my life, even homeschooling.  

Harriet Tubman Studies

A few weeks ago I took my youngest daughter to see Harriet, the movie about Harriet Tubman.  It made a strong impact on her.  She loved it, saying it was one of her favorite movies.

Seeing Harriet

I almost didn’t take her.  She can be sensitive and I worried about violence in the movie.  But, I decided that at nearly 13, with me and her grandmother present, she would be okay if we encountered scenes that were too much. 

The movie was pretty tame, but the story was beautifully told.  We left the movie inspired and with a deeper understanding of this heroic woman. 

Yesterday, we went to the library.  It was time for my girl to choose some new topics for her homeschool studies.  She went into the library with Oceanography as a plan... except she has read all the library’s books about oceanography in the children’s section.  She also has read most of the weather and storm books, everything about horses, and much about different animals.  

I told her to browse around and see if any topics caught her eye.  After a few minutes, she pulled out a book about Harriet Tubman meeting Sojourner Truth.  

“I want this.”  She said, her eyes lighting up. 

“Oh ya, you wanted to learn more about Harriet Tubman.”  I responded as I remembered her excitement after the movie.  

I then went on the library’s catalog and looked up all the library’s resources about Harriet.  We came home with a few books and a movie about Harriet Tubman.

Then I remembered that I had watched the movie Hidden Figures without my daughter, and I went in search of that movie to show her.  I love showing her movies of intelligent, strong women.  (I also secretly hoped the love of math would be an example for my math-challenged girl.) We watched that movie this evening, and she enjoyed it also. 

This is a lifestyle of learning.  This is delight-directed learning, following interests and inspirations wherever they lead.  

It’s also the first time my daughter has picked a major that wasn’t something to do with science.  She is studying the Reformation for history right now once a week, so watching her choose a person was very different for her.  

I love that she felt that curiosity spur to life in her.  For a while, I had begun to fear her love of learning was fizzling our while I was busy doing coursework for college.  I had returned to preplanned lessons While working on my own education. My daughter complied, but the mention of “school time” was bringing out the old groans of dread.  

I struggled to get to the library in a timely manner last year because we were so busy.  The fines were ridiculous.  We literally quit going entirely for six months.  For now, I won’t let my daughter check out as many materials at a time.  We’ll just have to be more diligent about keeping up with due dates and make more frequent visits.  

I just couldn’t watch her love of learning fizzle again into duty and dread.  

History Coming Alive

Over the past couple of months I have been implementing Heart of Dakota's Preparing Hearts for His Glory into Megan's schooling.  I've made this transition somewhat slowly because Megan readily admits that she "despises" change.

It's true.  She does.

I began with history and science.  It was an easy sell when she heard the words "projects" and "experiments." 

Making an Egyptian cartouche has been our messiest project.  Megan dug into the mixing of the air-dry clay with pleasure. 

She flattened it and etched carvings into it.

She did a great job, despite our clay being too wet.  The result didn't show the etchings as well as we wanted, but she was still proud of her work. 

We also have been working on a timeline.  Every week my daughter draws a picture on an index card or two that represents what we are studying. 

I tape up the cards in chronological order.    I love watching the timeline grow as we learn more and more.

Megan drew Joseph right before we went on Christmas break.  

Slowly I am implementing more and more of the Preparing Hearts program.  As we start school again on Monday, Megan is going to officially begin dictation.  My older daughter disliked dictation and loved spelling.  I don't care either way, but I decided trying something different might help Megan. She is a good, natural speller, but gets bogged down sometimes in all the workbooks.  

I'm excited for the new year!

Our 2012-2013 Reading Lists

 Jasmine's 9th Grade Reading List:

 Jasmine's first year homeschooling brought reading into a whole new arena for her.  While we used a more traditional curriculum, I added some reading that I thought would catch Jasmine's interest.  I chose captivating stories.  Some weren't literature greats, but I knew they would touch Jasmine's heart, like the Karen Kingsbury novels.   Our first year homeschooling has led to a more literature rich curriculum for her second year.  Reading may never be her favorite past-time, but I'm determined that she will have more than a passing glance with books.  We take our time, in Charlotte Mason style.  We savor the books, copy the wonderful words at times, and draw mental and even physical pictures of the stories we read.
 
Raiders of the Sea - Lois Walfrid Johnson
Redemption - Karen Kingsbury
Beauty for Ashes - Joyce Meyer
Freedom's Pen - Wendy G. Lawton
Remember - Karen Kingsbury
One Wintry Night - Ruth Bell Graham
Christmas at Harrington's - Melody Carlson
Return - Karen Kingsbury
The Swiss Family Robinson - Johann Wyss
Walking Wisely - Charles Stanley
Rejoice - Karen Kingsbury
We Had Everything But Money - Roy Reiman
Reunion - Karen Kingsbury
The Harbinger - Jonathan Khan
Fountain of Life - Rebecca Martin
Twice Freed - Patricia St. John

Laura's 7th Grade Reading List:

Laura went through one semester of reading with Ace School of Tomorrow before I switched her back to Heart of Dakota.  Books and Laura just go together.  She missed it, and so did I.  She finished up Creation to Christ and began Resurrection to the Reformation.  She was back in the zone.  While she enjoyed some of Ace's choices for Literature and Creative Writing, she had missed reading for the other subjects.  So, we are back where we belong, and our reading list is in full swing.

Star of Light - Patricia St. John
Painting with Watercolors - Paige Henso
Beautiful Girlhood - Karen Andreola
The Fugitive King - Elizabeth Rice Handford
A Gathering of Days - Joan W. Blos
Freedom's Pen - Wendy G. Lawton
One Wintry Night - Ruth Bell Graham
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever - Barbara Robinson
Christians with Courage - Ruth Johnson Jay
Alexi's Secret Mission - Anita Deyneka
An Illustrated Adventure in Human Anatomy - Kate Sweeney
The Accidental Voyage - Douglas Bond
Rachel's Tears - Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott
Forbidden Gates - Denise Williamson
The Four-Story Mistake - Elizabeth Enright
Peril and Peace - Mindy and Brandon Withrow
Mystery of the Silver Coins - Lois Walfrid Johnson
Naya Nuki Shoshoni Girl Who Ran - Kenneth Thomasma
The Illustrated Book of Knights - Jack Coggins
Exploring Creation with Astronomy - Jeannie K. Fulbright
Morning Star of the Reformation - Andy Thomson

 Megan's Kindergarten Reading List:

It was her Kindergarten year.  I wasn't expecting her to take off in reading.  But...  she did.  Most of the books we devoured were read to her.  But she did read a handful on her own.  I didn't even get them all typed onto the list.  We checked out two books nearly every week from the library during Story-time.  We read all the Curious George books we could find.  Megan soared through both levels of the Kindergarten Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read program.  It was a very successful year for Megan and reading.  After a semester of doing it on my own, we went back to Heart of Dakota.  That gave me more than just books.  We then had the awesome lessons and crafts that went along with our reading.  We also began the Thornton Burgess books.  Oh... how fun those are!  Even my high school girl stops what she is doing and comes into the room to listen to the latest adventures of Reddy Fox or Peter Cottontail.  Reading is an adventure, and Megan is loving the ride!

Curious George's Dream - Margret & H.A. Rey
Curious George's First Day of School - Margret & H.A. Rey
Curious George Feeds the Animals - Margret & H.A. Rey
What's it like to be a Butterfly? - Jinny Johnson
Amazing Animals Elephants - Kate Riggs
I am a Tiger - Linda Bygrave
Bird Talk - Lita Judge
Amazing Animals Dolphins - Kate Riggs
Amazing Animals Wolves - Kate Riggs
Curious George Learns the Alphabet - H.A. Rey
Being Fair - Mary Small
Being Respectful - Mary Small
Being Responsible - Mary Small
Milly, Molly and the Bike Ride - Gill Pittar
Milly, Molly and I Love You - Gill Pittar
Curious George Goes to the Hospital - Margret & H.A. Rey
Curious George Takes a Job - H.A. Rey
Being a Good Citizen - Mary SmallCaring - Mary SmallBeing Trustworthy - Mary Small
Are You My Dog? - Marybeth Mataya
Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon - Margret & H.A. Rey
Curious George and the Firefighters - Margret & H.A. Rey
Reading Makes You Feel Good - Todd Parr
Look and Learn A First Book About Animal Homes - Nicola Tuxworth
Why Should I Listen? - Claire Llewellyn
Why Should I Help? - Claire Llewellyn
Bink & Gollie: Two for One - Kate DiCamillo and Allison McGhee
Birdie's Big-Girl Shoes - Sujean Rim
My Color Book - Carron Brown
My Number Book - Patti Barber
My Shape Book - Ann Montague-Smith
The Fairy Princess Here Comes the Flower Girl! - Julie Andrews & Emma Walton Hamilton
Curious George and the Firefighters - Margret & H.A. Rey
Curious George Goes Camping - Margret & H.A. Rey
Crazy About Clouds - Rena Korb
Fluffy, Fat, and Wet A Book About Clouds - Dana Meachen Rau
Ask Me - Can Lizards Disappear? Reptiles and Birds
Ask Me - Who is in the Mirror? Science
Ask Me - Who Lived In Castles - Highlights in History
I Know It's Autumn - Eileen Spinelli
The Bug in the Jug wants a Hug - Brian P. Cleary
When Autumn Falls - Kelli Nidey
Fall is Here!  I Love It! - Elaine W. Good
These are our Neighbors - Sister M. Marguerite
The Crippled Lamb - Max Lucado
The Christmas Cobwebs - Odds Bodkin
One Wintry Night - Ruth Bell Graham
I am a Butterfly - Linda Bygrave
Let's Read about Butterflies - Susan Ashley
Let's Read about Insects Butterflies - Susan Ashley
What's It Like to Be a Butterfly? - Jinny Johnson
The Magic Bus Butterfly and the Bog Beast - Ting Morris
Bible Stories to Read - Martha Rohrer
Bible Rhyme Story Time The Story of Creation - Beth Atchison
*At A Farm - Rick Wagner
*The Pet - Linda Diamond
 The Adventures of Reddy Fox - Thornton W. Burgess
Franklin and the Bubble Gum - Sharon Jennings
Miss Spider's New Car Reader - David Kirk
The Adventures of Peter Cottontail - Thornton Burgess

Race to Rome

Laura's project this week was to make a game.  At first, she thought the project was going to be silly.  She doesn't like doing projects that are messy and gooey (yes, she's my neat freak).  So, mixing glue and bread pieces was icky.  She had her older sister, Jasmine, mix the dough.

After all the games pieces dried and were painted, the game was on.  Jasmine joined in the game.  When I heard laughter coming from the dining room, I knew the game was a success.

Laura won the game, but it was a good time for both girls.

Resurrection to the Reformation Begins Tomorrow!

Today was the last day of Creation to Christ.

Granted, Laura only had around a month to complete when we switched back to Heart of Dakota after Christmas.  That month gave me time to file our taxes, wait for and receive our return, and order the next level. 

Tomorrow Laura will officially begin Resurrection to the Reformation.

I almost skipped this level.  Laura has covered the history and most of the science with a different program.  To save money, I almost just started her half-speed on Revival to Revolution.  However, beginning Laura on this level would have required me to also begin her older sister.  Unfortunately, even at half speed, I was afraid to have my high school student to begin a second program while still finishing the first.  The extensions add a lot of reading, and I really don't want any of my children overwhelmed so much by all their work that their learning suffers.

So, after praying about it, I went ahead and ordered Resurrection to the Reformation for my daughter. Then I added some of the lessons in it for my high school daughter to help prepare her for Heart of Dakota's more Charlotte Mason type of learning.

Despite the repeat of the history and some of the science, the depth of the learning is completely different than what my daughter has been doing.  Heart of Dakota also has so many skills built in that I didn't want to skip a guide and make things more difficult later.  Instead of four days per week, we will do five and get through the program more quickly.

When Math is a Struggle

Like many homeschoolers, the foundation of my curriculum is Christ-based.  We are in our fifth year of homeschooling.  My daughter, Laura, was my first student.  While I eventually homeschooled two of my older children (one graduated, one a freshman), and have since begun homeschooling my little Kindergartner, Laura has been my constant every year since she was in the third grade. 

She had done well.  She has tolerated all my curriculum hopping. She loves to read, is artistic, and does well in school.  She was so very shy as a little third grader.  Now, after all these years, she may be quiet, but she's not shy.  She's turning into quite the little leader.  She loves God with her whole heart.

Homeschoolers are a unique bunch.  If someone asks Laura what grade she is in, she will tell them the grade she should be in if she had stayed in public school.  Many of the homeschool programs, whether advanced or at level with national standards, use the "grade" system for their curriculum. But what happens when a child doesn't perform like the scope and sequence suggest?  In a public school, if a child tests well and performs well in learning, they are usually labeled as gifted.  If a child tests poorly or struggles to learn at the same pace as the rest of the class, they are often held back in thee previous grade and/or labeled as learning disabled.

My Laura is in at least two different levels of school at any given time.  Her reading level is high.  She could easily handle more advanced work, but I've purposely kept her at a level where she is challenged, but not rushed.  I try to balance not holding her back with not burning her out.

In Math, Laura is at a lower level than her grade.  Since Kindergarten, math has been her weak spot. I think she would have benefited immensely with a more hands-on curriculum in her early years, but she was in public school.  When I began homeschooling her, I bought the first math book I could find. To my dismay, it was too advanced. No one told me that often homeschool materials are more advanced than public school materials. That began the vicious cycle of switching, switching, switching math materials.

With the exception of the more expensive programs, I think we've tried or at least looked at most of the math options available.  Some worked for awhile, others failed miserably.  When Laura would struggle, falling behind where I thought she should be, I would best myself up.  Laura would feel bad about herself because, after other subjects coming so easily to her, she thought math should too.  I would think to myself, "If she had to go back to public school for some reason, they would hold her back."

Last summer she got "behind" again.  Since I know that, if Laura doesn't keep practicing her math skills over the summer, she will lose then, I usually try to have her do some work a few times a week. Last summer, however, it just didn't happen.  I gave Laura an assessment test.  I was shocked at the loss of skills!  "Lord," I prayed. "Am I failing my child in this area?"  The answer didn't come right away.

In fact, it was just a few days ago, after working with Laura on her math, seeing the triumph on her face as she understood a new concept, that I feel God gave me direction.

It doesn't matter if Laura is ahead or behind. It only matters that she is steadily learning.  If we have to work summers to keep Laura's skills fresh and growing instead of losing ground, we will.  If my daughter, who is excelling in other areas, begins upper math a little later than others, who cares?  (She isn't years behind.  She just has to work harder to retain what she has learned.)

I guess I just don't feel stress over whether she is at the same level as students her age, or if she is at the same level for all her subjects.  No two children are alike.  It's "schoolish" thinking that says all children in the same grade near the same age must develop and grow at the same time.

I had one child that walked at ten  months. I had another that  didn't walk until she was at least thirteen months old.  Could anyone tell that now by looking at them? If we don't expect children to grow or develop physically at the same time, why do we think they should academically?

This year I've relaxed a bit.  My days are busy.  I see steady growth in my daughter's math skills.   She works very hard.  I go through the lessons and a few problems with her if need be.  Many days, she doesn't need me.  She understood without me.

Math may never be my daughter's favorite subject.  I'm okay with that, as long as she gives it her best every day. 

Box Day 2013!

We had a box day a few days ago... in our pajamas!  The UPS man showed three days in a row.  The first day was a delivery from Christianbook with Jasmine's English, and Spanish (Rosetta Stone!); Megan's phonics, and some extra books.  Then, on day 2, the big order arrived! Our Heart of Dakota showed up in two large boxes.  The total weight of the two was over 80 pounds!  It was wonderful!  Then, on the third day, we received a second shipment  from Christianbook English and the rest of her Etymology for this year.

Megan was super excited.  She just received her Little Hearts for His Glory a couple of weeks ago.  I decided to go ahead and order Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory.  That way, we can move right into the Beyond guide when we finish Little Hearts.  Megan will probably move into the Beyond math activities before she gets to the rest of the guide.  Having it here will alleviate the need to purchase it later.  The only part of Beyond that I didn't purchase was the Emerging Readers set.  At the moment, Megan will need to go through at least the first grade level of Hooked on Phonics, and possibly the second grade level, before I feel she will be ready for the emerging readers.  I am anticipating that will take at least one year.

Laura will begin Resurrection to Reformation within the next two weeks.  She is finishing up the few days of Creation to Christ.  She was happy that we went back to Heart of Dakota after a semester of using other things.  She has missed her reading.  I have missed her enthusiasm.  Only with Heart of Dakota do I hear the familiar, "Mom, Guess what!"  Then she will proceed to tell me about some fascination thing she is learning.  She has missed her projects, her weekly science experiments, and the artwork she gets to do.  She is doing an amazing job with Creation to Christ.  After using two solid Heart of Dakota programs with her, I am here to stay.  She LOVES it, and is learning SO much!

 

Jasmine, my darling little high schooler, was a bit more work and definitely more expensive!  Her materials won't begin until probably fall, unless she wants to begin over the summer.  While her high school classes were mostly bought through Christianbook, Carrie Austin has posted on the Heart of Dakota message board numerous ways to beef up current Heart of Dakota programs meant for junior high to the high school level to make them credit worthy. After much prayer, and some advice from Carrie on the message board, I picked Revival to Revolution for Jasmine to use for her 10th grade year.  With the extensions, the advanced level of physical science, and some other add-ins that I've picked up, Jasmine will cover the first half of American History and her High School Government class.  Then, in her Junior year, using Missions to Modern Marvels with extensions and some extras, she will cover the second half of American History and Economics.  I'll have to beef up her science too, but that is next year's focus. While the amount of reading intimidates her a little (she's always struggled a bit with the reading), she is excited to work without the dreary history textbooks.  She is loving reading We Had Everything But Money for her literature study of a nonfiction book.  She is looking forward to more of her learning being with real books and projects and notebooking.  She got a taste of notebooking with our Christmas study and enjoyed it immensely!

These are the plans for the next few weeks through the next year.  After Laura finishes Res to Ref she will move right into Rev to Rev.  As a mom, I'm a little nervous to try three guides at once.  However, I'm excited too.  I see the fruit in the lives of my daughters in their spiritual growth and in academics. 

I am usually quite frugal (cheapskate?).  However, I have tried the spend a little, use the library, create my own lessons, etc.  I'm not good at it.  I have done with workbook route when financially I could only afford a bit at a time.  After all of this, I have learned (AND RELEARNED) some vital lessons about myself.  I don't mind using the library occasionally, but I have a difficult time using it a lot.  Our local libraries aren't well-stocked, especially with Christian material, and using inter-library loan hasn't been overly successful. Throw in the fact that my plans always seem... boring.  The kids don't have near the fun with them that they have with Heart of Dakota.  Plus, I love not having to stress over school.  With all the plans completely laid out for me, it's perfect!  I may have to sacrifice from our tax refund to purchase the curriculum, but I have come to look at the purchase as an investment.  Yes, it is an investment in my children, but it is also mostly re-usable.  That means I can use the upper levels with my younger children when they get to that level.  I've figured out the cost of consumable curriculum versus something like Heart of Dakota.  For my three children, the non-consumable curriculum is a MUCH better investment!  Plus, it has a resale value should I decide to sell it after my youngest has completed the level.  

I praise God that He has placed me on this journey.  Homeschooling is difficult, but very worth it!

Laura's Painting

My daughter loves to paint.  She loves the poetry in Creation to Christ because each poem includes creating a painting.  She is sad that, after finally restarting Creation to Christ, she is almost finished.  She only has a few more days and Resurrection to the Reformation is on the way!

She even loves the painting that comes with some of the projects.   She enjoys creating and making things "pretty".  I love that my daughter is artistic.   While she is her own worst critic, she has learned a lot of technique with the Creation to Christ poetry paintings.  In Resurrection to the Reformation, there is scheduled Art Appreciation.  I am SO excited!  Laura is going to LOVE learning more about painting and art!

Resurrection Cookies

Laura is a bit off time-wise with the CTC guide from HOD.  When I decided to go back to HOD I had Laura begin where we had left off last year while I wait for the funds to order the next guide and books.  Laura was excited to get back to what she was doing.

Today her history project was to make Resurrection Cookies.  Made with Crescent rolls and marshmallows, these little cookies end up hollow inside when the marshmallow melts, like the empty tomb.  

Whenever there is a fun project, especially a food project, all the kids want to be a part of it!  School stopped while all the kids watched and helped Laura with her project.   Jasmine is excitedly anticipating next fall when she will be doing HOD too!  

The result was very yummy!  The girls enjoyed eating the delicious snack.  In fact, we had to hide a few of the cookies to save a few for Daddy.

Worry About "Measuring Up"

I've been attempting to plan next year's curriculum.  Oh, not the type of planning that requires me to actually plan the work, just the type of planning that has me choosing exactly what we will use and what we won't.  This has required prayer on my part, since I want to invest money wisely. 

I really want to use Heart of Dakota for all of my students.  For my younger two daughters, this is NOT a problem.  However, Heart of Dakota doesn't have a High School program yet.  They will be coming out with their first high school level in August that covers World Geography.  However, my daughter is covering that material this year through a different program.

However, Heart of Dakota has this amazing message board.  The advice on this board is amazing.  The author or her sister is often on the board, answering questions.  They are both very sweet and knowledgeable ladies.  I posted about my daughter, her learning difficulties in high school, and my desire to use Heart of Dakota with her at the high school level.  Within a day I received an amazing advice giving me a couple of options for my daughter.

Apparently many of the programs meant for the junior high level can be "beefed" up for high school.  After reading about how to do this, and what materials to use, I am SO excited.  I still haven't made any certain decision on which program to begin my step-daughter in, but I am excited that I can do this.

"Beefing" up a program requires adding high school level materials to the existing program.  This means using high school level math and English, adding in high school level literature and electives, and adding some reading to the history that is advanced enough to make the material credit worthy.  For upper level science, this means adding in materials that will go more in-depth.  However, the advanced option for Physical Science is already high school credit worthy.

To me, this is a relief.  Then, as I truly considered it, I realized that this "beefing" up isn't as big a deal as I was trying to make it.  Most high school reading materials is averaging a 5th grade level!  As a mom, I obviously want better for my daughter.  But the materials in even the junior high level books are higher than the average high school reading material.  Adding in the suggested extensions that Heart of Dakota offers, plus High School level literature, makes the educational level much more in-depth and detailed than what is offered in most public high schools and even some private schools.

Heart of Dakota uses a mixture of newer materials as well as books that are considered public domain.  These older works are a great resource for in-depth vocabulary and sentence structure.  I also have my children reading the McGuffey Readers.  The McGuffey readers are advanced, with the 4th Reader of the original books, not the revised, easily hitting high school and early college levels.  I don't believe that my daughter is going to receive an education that is inferior or unacceptable at the college level.

My step-daughter spent years as an LD student.  She worries about measuring up.  I worried about it too when I first brought her home.  Now, however, as I see her growing and succeeding, I have come to the realization that I should just relax and let her learn.  Pressure doesn't help either one of us.  She stresses and shuts down, unable to absorb the material.  I get edgy and defensive.  Instead, I've decided to use the Heart of Dakota program, taking it a day at a time, and allow her to really explore and learn at the slower, Charlotte Mason-inspired pace.

I am still undecided about whether to go through World History or US History first.  I am leaning towards doing World History, as is traditional.  I'll have to use a different guide for the science, but I think I can make it work without issue.  In this way, Jasmine and Laura would be doing the same history, Bible, and Writing.  They would have their own levels of grammar, literature study, and math.  They would be using different science levels. 

The more I think about it, the more excited I get.  I worried that I needed to have the girls in different programs to keep my older daughter from comparing herself or feeling bad that she was in the same level as her younger sis.  After discussing it with her today, however, the older sis thinks it would be fun.  She doesn't see a problem with it at all.

The time is getting closer to where I will be ordering.  As I pray for God's guidance in this and all areas of my homeschool, I have a peace that He is leading.

Back to Painting

Laura started back with Creation to Christ with Heart of Dakota (HOD) this week.  At the end of last school year we didn't finish all of CTC.  With about a month's work remaining, I stopped for the summer.  Then, I chose a different curriculum for fall when we added a student.

Returning to HOD, I decided to have Laura pick up where she left off to get her back into the HOD routine.  Her new program will hopefully be ordered in a couple of weeks. 

Laura was happy to get back to the poetry in CTC.  She loves painting, and creating a painting for each poem is so fun for her!  She's a talented little artist.  I love encouraging her to be artistic and creative!
She is finishing up her study of Robert Frost poetry.  She dived back into Heart of Dakota, grateful to be back to learning adventures.  She'll start the science from HOD in a week or so.  She has missed the fun experiments with HOD and is eager to begin the lessons in anatomy.

McGuffey Arrives!

So, as I've been making plans for our schooling next year, I decided to throw in an extra.  Last year I had Laura reading McGuffey.  I never bought the next reader though.  Over the summer I read the book Homeschool Sanity.  In it, Sherry Hayes, the author, talks about how utterly ingenious the McGuffey readers are.

Written at a time when most families had a Bible, but few if any other books, the McGuffey readers were used in schools.  From the 1830's until 1920; 120,000,000 McGuffey readers were sold! 
Many homeschoolers have made use of the McGuffey readers.   I think they are charming and adorable.  Laura enjoyed the second reader when we used it.  When she saw the new reader had come in, she snatched it from my hand yelling, "Yay!"

I also bought the Pictorial Eclectic Primer for my 5 year old.  Looking through it, I am stuck by how simple and yet effective this little book is!  I'm excited to hi through it with her!

I sometimes think we make education too difficult.  We complicate everything.  We add subject after subject.  While I love having things laid out for me, especially by those that have more homeschooling experience, I am leary of "experts" that have magic solutions or quick working methods. The McGuffey  readers are meant to go through slowly, sucking every bit of education they hold.  The books aren't meant to rush through quickly, but to savor slowly over a couple of years. The lessons aren't meant to bog down the student.  They are short lessons that, over time, add a lot of educational punch. 

I'm excited to add these to my plans!

Mid-Year Review of Laura

For all the years past, Laura was the focus.  I spent the most time on her schooling and her curriculum choices.  She was my first homeschool student.  We began our homeschool journey when she was in the third grade.

At the end of the school year last year, I was tired.  This wasn't an exhaustion caused from homeschooling alone.  In fact, homeschooling wasn't to blame at all.  It had just been a rough year.  My husband and I had been fighting for custody and homeschooling rights of his daughter after a year long roller coaster ride of an investigation into my step-daughter's life at her other home.  When we won not only custody but the right to homeschool, we were elated.  However, it didn't take long before I was living in fear.  What if I had to prove myself in court later?

We chose a traditional Christian program for my step-daughter that was recommended.  I had used it before.  Truthfully, the program is not a bad program at all, despite the negative reviews it has received.  Since I had chosen this program for my step-daughter, and I was struggling to put my own curriculum together, I decided to put Laura back into this program.

I don't regret that.  Laura needed the consistency in her math and English lessons.  Her spelling has improved with the Word Building curriculum.  No program is perfect, however.  I had hoped that by using Ace, this traditional program, Laura would finish early and have time to spend on her own interests.  Two things went wrong with this hope.

First, Laura didn't finish nearly as early as I would have hoped.  Instead, she took her time, knowing that she had all day.  Second, Laura lost any interest in doing things that she deemed "schoolish" when her work was completed.

The fact that using this traditional program was killing her desire to learn got my attention.  Laura says she likes Ace.  I think that what she likes is her check off sheet with her list of lessons that she can check off as she completes them.  However, last year she was having conversations with me that got to me.  She read about Albert Einstein last year.  She learned that she shares the same birth date as this great scientist and was instantly interested.  Finding out that he was homeschooled also sparked her interest.  She devoured the book on him.  She would run to me after reading and gladly tell me all that she had learned about him.  That is what is missing this year.

Last year Laura's great love, painting, was fed into with the poetry program.  As she studied Robert Frost she got to paint.  She learned techniques that she still uses.  She loved being artistic.  I still have every painting.  That is missing this year.

There were things about Heart of Dakota that Laura wasn't overly fond of.  She never was big on dictation.  We stuck it out for a long time, but she never liked it.  She wasn't big on the Rod and Staff English, even when we went through it together.  She also never really enjoyed the Singapore math selections.  We switched to CLE and then finally back to ACE.  Laura didn't enjoy the What In The World CDs.  However, she listened to them.  I think she learned from them.  For me, it was another sense being used to learn. 

Yes, there were things she didn't love.  But, in life, there are many things we must do that we don't love.  However, those "things" she didn't love didn't stop her from loving the learning process with Albert Einstein and Robert Frost.  Math and English programs can be switched out.  The What in the World CDs may become her favorite when she listens to a different time period.  Either way, I know when my daughter is enjoying learning, even when she doesn't want to admit it.

Laura has done okay with Ace.  This is the first year I have graded her work.  She has gotten A's, B's, and the occasional C.  She gets nervous when I grade her tests, as if afraid that she isn't going to measure up somehow.  I never realized that she was insecure until her work wasn't being evaluated based on how hard she worked but how well she performed.  Yes, grades will be a part of college life.  I just think that they are overrated.

I love the reading selections for Ace's Literature and Creative Writing.  I put Laura in the sixth grade reading selections because the seventh grade paces were not as detailed.  Instead, one pace was to encompass all the year's reading. The sixth grade paces has two paces per book.  I'm not sure why the discrepancy, but I want my daughter to be somewhat well read.  My opinion on what makes a great book is different than most, but I still love reading.  I own DITHOR for both the 4/5 and the 6/7/8 levels.  Yes, I think we will move over to Drawn into the Heart of Reading when our Ace paces are finished.

As I once again transition to Heart of Dakota from traditional materials, I am reminded of the grace of God.  No matter how many times I make the same mistakes over and over, He always forgives and teaches and guides. He is patient as i explore.  Every wrong move is not a failure, but a lesson in what works for me and what doesn't.  I was all set for the Unit study track, and couldn't make it work effectively. I was exhausted, and traditional, self-taught materials seemed like a chance to get my goals re-prioritized.  It worked.  God took me back to the beginning, gave me confidence once again to trust Him, and put peace in my heart.

Back to Work/Back to HOD

Today we officially started back to school.  My oldest left for college.  The routine is back on track.  For me, I am slowly recovering from my bout with bronchitis. 

I have a couple weeks before we are officially in second semester.  Having evaluated what is working and what isn't, I'm changing up some things over the next few weeks.  I've also planned school for next year.
 
This year, I'm not going to mess around when it comes to purchasing what we need.  While we have a LOT of places our tax refund needs to go, but I'm making school curriculum a priority.  I cannot do another year of stressing every few weeks about if I will have enough to order needed materials.  Using Ace gave me the ability to purchase a few units at a time, but it had also limited me on my choices.

I'll be going back to Heart of Dakota.  I'll still use Ace for subjects here and there. I can't say anything negative about Ace.  I enjoy the peace that Ace brings.  School happens on a consistent basis.  It's simple to plan.  It's Godly.  The foundation is incredible.  Like I said, I plan to use it for certain subjects.

After homeschooling my step-daughter for a semester, I firmly believe she needs a curriculum that is a little less traditional.  She is doing well with Ace.  She is getting great grades and does well on her tests.  However, she isn't retaining.  She's bored with what she is learning in some of her subjects. 
She spent years being labeled, sent to LD classrooms, and told she isn't as smart as other kids.  The reality is she just learns differently.  She needs to see it and do it.  The projects we did with the Christmas unit study and the Wisdom unit study were amazing for her.  I watched a girl that hates school turn into a kid passionate about research.

With the extensions and the advanced options in the science, I believe I can make the level Laura will be at in HOD high school credit worthy for Jasmine.  There are lots of posts on their message board on how to advance some of the programs to a high school level.

One of the reasons I didn't use Heart of Dakota this year was the cost for two kids, plus a different program for my high school student.  When we first got permission from the court to homeschool her, we were using the services of a credentialed teacher. She recommended Ace, and it has done wonders for a girl that needed to have her confidence in her own abilities increased.  Now that the teacher has moved away, and my step-daughter has seen that she can do well, it's time to move to a program that will challenge her, but be gentle at the same time.  I need a program that uses more of her senses in the learning process, that hits a topic from more than one angle.  I knew from experience that Heart of Dakota does this.

I regret not choosing Heart of Dakota for my younger two daughters this year.  Money was SO tight that I just couldn't do it.   But this is something I can remedy.
 
I'll hopefully be ordering in the next few weeks for next year and for the remainder of this one.  The cost is going to be high, but worth it totally.  Experience has taught me, more than once unfortunately, that I'm just not adept at putting my own stuff together.  I stress too much and burn out.  I like having things laid out for me, with hands-on projects already broken down and books already planned.

Laura likes Ace.  She likes just doing her pages for the day and being done.  I admit that Ace has built her Math and English skills immensely!  Those are subjects I'm not tossing.  I'm also planning to finish the Literature and Creative Writing.  But I want books for science and history. I want the Charlotte Mason/unit study approach.  I want the in-depth Bible time that Heart of Dakota provides.
Laura does miss Heart of Dakota's science.  She misses having weekly experiments.  Science is one of her favorite subjects and, when it isn't hands on, she gets bummed.

As for Meg, she is doing great with the program I've been putting together.  But... It's become a workbook nightmare.  My creative girl is tired of coloring.  Her fine motor skills have improved immensely, but she sighs and frowns.  Last year she was very active!  She was doing finger plays, jumping on letters, building with blocks, and acting out Bible Stories.  She begged to do school.  Now, she's losing that desire.  I won't kill her love of learning!

Even though I've been using a couple of Heart of Dakota's book selections, it's not the same.  So... I stopped what we were doing until I get the guide in.  In the meantime, we'll continued with her phonics, which she likes, and math.  We'll continue to read her Bible stories.  I'm going to do a butterfly unit study with her, read a lot to her, and relax.

For Megan, I just plan to do the entire year of HOD, even if it means working through the summer.  For Laura, I plan to adjust some of the work so that she is ready to join Jasmine in the fall with Revival to the Revolution.

If there's any lesson in this for me, it's that I now know and am humble enough to admit that I'm not great at my own planning.  I've also learned that I need to make curriculum purchasing a priority.  I could always make do with only one or two children.  Having three full-time students, two of which are in need key of more advanced materials, means making sure I am a good steward of my finances. 
I've also learned that this is MY homeschool.  I may have to answer to the courts one day, and that fear left me chained to "traditional" materials.  However, I don't see the problem any longer.  The more I learn about how Jasmine learns, the more know I can defend my choices if I need to.

Earthly Wisdom Projects

Last week Jasmine and Laura did their first project for the Wisdom  Bible study we are doing together.  Their assignment was to find examples of earthly wisdom in the news or in current culture and explain why it is an example of earthly wisdom versus Godly Wisdom.

 The project had the girls choosing ten examples each.  I had them choose five instead to save time and to get them more used to project-based lessons. 

Laura did a wonderful job with her examples.  I was proud that she didn't just stick to news stories, but also added in Spongebob as an example of a current popular show.  She also had the forethought to add in The Church, not as Godly wisdom as most would think, but on how many churches are compromising the authority of God with earthly principles that aren't in the Bible.  I thought that was quite advanced thinking for a 12 year old.

Jasmine really got into this project.  She loved that she could be creative and have some control over what topics she could choose for her report.  Since this is her first year homeschooling, I was excited that she jumped in with both feet so quickly.

She spent quite a few hours researching, printing out, and pulling together her information.  She chose topics such as Obamacare, the availability of the morning-after pill to girls her age in public school without parental knowledge or permission, and alcoholism.  She pulled together an awesome presentation.  To me, this is reinforcing the idea that Jasmine learns in a very visual way.  I plan to add a lot more projects and notebooking type of learning to her schedule as we progress.  She is doing well with Ace, but for the things I add extra, I would like to incorporate the ways she learns best.

I am debating which direction to take our family Bible time after Christmas.  Right now we are doing the Wisdom study, and that will continue until we finish.  I also added a Christmas Unit Study by Amanda Bennet.  That will be done next week. 

The girls seem to learn quite a bit from doing school this way, but I just couldn't seem to put it together with the unit study that I had purchased at the beginning of the school year.  Ace gives me the assurance that they are learning and school is being done.  However, I also love the Heart of Wisdom teaching approach. Effectively combining the two has been interesting and fun. 

Our Venture into Notebooking

When we began the Christmas Unit Study by Amanda Bennett, I was excited about the included notebooking pages.  Notebooking is new to us.  I've read about it over and over.  I've been intrigued, but sometimes I struggle with taking things I read and putting them to practical use.  Over and over, I would see these amazing notebooking pages on homeschool blogs and forums and think, "How awesome!"

Laura quickly got creative with her notebook.  She is taking the printouts I downloaded from the Unit Study and is coloring them and making them hers.  I love seeing the girls come to life with their studies.

Megan isn't doing a lot of what the unit study asks.  Being five, I think a lot of it is beyond her.  However, we are reading One Wintry Night.  I also checked out a bunch of Christmas books from the library.  I have Megan creating her own notebook.  With a focus on Christ, I am having her color pictures of the Nativity Story. 

I struggle with having Christmas be about anything but Christ.  In this culture, all around is other things that everyone wants Christmas to be about. 

Megan loves making her pictures colorful!  She is having fun doing the coloring.  She loves all the reading we are doing!  I love that I get to go through the Christmas story with her once again.  I know that we have read it before, but re-reading it is such a blessing.  I want the stories of Jesus ingrained in her soul, to be a part of her!

I think notebooking is going to be fun!  I used to scrapbook, way back before Megan was born.  I enjoyed it immensely.  I stopped after having a new baby.  There never seemed to be time or extra funds.  There has been a little bit of notebooking materials in some of the curriculum materials, but it wasn't very creative.  It was copy this picture, write that paragraph as copywork.  It was okay, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for.  This is a nice change of pace.