Happy National Coffee Day!
Today is national coffee day! What better excuse does one need to settle down in a comfy chair with a steaming cup of coffee and a good book? I don’t need a better reason.
Life is beautiful. Celebrate its small blessings. Savor its precious moments. It’s the tiny things that make every day sweet… like a hot cup of coffee with English toffee creamer. Mmmmm. 
Happy National Coffee Day!
It’s a Bright, Bright Sunshiny Day! Fun Hand Print Sunshine Craft
Who doesn’t love little kid handprints? I know I do. I love the hand print ornaments and projects my kids made in the past because their hands were so tiny. They remind me just how much my kids have grown. I know I’ll treasure these little mementos of their childhood forever.
This morning, we began our school day reading books about the sun. We had a blast with some cute spacey finger plays and had a discussion about our closest star and why it’s important to life on Earth. To tie in an art project, we made paper plate sunshines! They turned out super cute, were very easy to make, and used basic craft supplies. I couldn’t resist sharing this one!
Hand print Paper Plate Suns
Supplies:
Paper plates
Construction paper (yellow, orange, or red)
Pencils for tracing hands
Yellow paint and brushes or sponges
Markers or crayons for making faces
Scissors
Glue
Directions:
1. Paint the back side of a paper plate yellow. We used cut-up sponges and finger paint.
2. Trace your child’s hand on construction paper lots of times. I traced Alex’s hand more than Ethan’s because he has less patience when it comes to cutting them out. Cutting hones fine-motor skills and is very important!
3. Cut out handprints. Encourage kids to do this themselves. Practice makes perfect!
4. Glue the handprints to the paper plate. We glued ours to the front edges so that they peeked around the side. These are the sun’s rays.
5. After the paint dried, each kid drew a face or design on their sun.
That’s it! It’s easy, fun, and builds fine-motor skills. This project could easily be altered to make hand-print flowers too. Enjoy!
Wow! Watch This! Science Fun with Dry Ice!
What frozen substance is used as a cooling agent but can also burn your skin? Dry ice! Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide and is used to keep food items cool during transport (among other uses). Today we joined our Science Club for some dry ice experimentation. Boy, was it cool!
Homeschooling mom Kitty led the experiments for us... thank you Kitty!
When dry ice is placed into a pitcher of room-temp water, the result is pretty awesome. Sublimation occurs. Sublimation is when a substance transitions from a solid to a gas without passing through the liquid phase. It looks like fog pouring out of the pitcher and rising into the air. For a little video of what this looks like, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_ice.
For our first experiment, the kids watched as dry ice was added to plain, room-temp water. Here’s what happened:
Next, dry ice was added to beakers of apple juice and grape juice. Once the dry ice had completely evaporated, the kids were able to drink a small amount of the juice and comment on how the taste changed (yes, this is safe). The general consensus was that the grape juice didn’t taste any different, but the apple juice tasted more bitter than before.
Science Club had a really great turnout today! There were so many kids to enjoy learning about science with. There were lots of moms to visit with as well! I love that there are so many active, interesting, and intelligent homeschooling families in Duval County. There’s certainly no shortage of friends! The kids got to socialize and learn with their peers.
We also made dry-ice bubbles and did experiments with glow sticks. Alex got to hold bubbles while wearing gloves and thought that was pretty awesome. The kids got nice and tired and talked non-stop all the way home (long drive!!!) about the cool things they did and saw. Derek refused to actually wear the safety goggles, so he didn’t get close to the experiment (he wore them all the way to the community center, just not there when he actually needed to wear them). The view wasn’t bad from the back of the room though!
Look what happened to our glow sticks!
Bella kept trying to excape from her stroller!
We unfortunately had to leave after an hour because Bella was being rotten. We’re so glad we went, though! Learning about science is so much fun. I’m so glad the kids had the opportunity to experience this!
Rocket Scientists in the Making: Building Our Own Space Ship
People frequently joke that kids love to play with empty cardboard boxes. Sometimes boxes are even more popular than the toys they contained. It’s true, they do! Here’s a little secret: there are tons of things you can do with cardboard boxes that make them even more fun! A box can easily be transformed into a house, a car, a store, a train, a cave, etc. The possibilities are really endless.
Today we were watching a documentary about planets and a thought crossed my mind: “I bet Derek would love a rocket for his dramatic play! That would fit in perfectly with this week’s lessons!” I could probably order one online… but didn’t want to wait. Where would I get him a rocket on short notice? I could make one! I gathered a collapsed cardboard box from the garage, a box knife, scissors, some brown grocery bags, and a big roll of duct tape and set to work. I had no idea what I was doing, but was feeling creative. It was time to build a homemade space ship!
Fortunately the baby was sleeping. The bigger kids, however, were excited to get involved. They had all sorts of ideas as to how to best build our rocket. They helped hold up walls, cut tape, and stick things together. We went through an entire roll of duct tape! Next, we carried it outside and started painting. What a glorious mess! The kids worked together and discussed what they wanted their project to look like. There were no fights either, no pushing or shoving. I was proud of them for that!
Later in the day, once the paint had dried, we cut out stars from alumium foil and glued them to the rocket. It was done at last and ready for play time! The kids have been playing with it nonstop ever since. They’ve been landing on the Moon, gathering “alien rocks” from Mars, and exploring the outer reaches of the Milky Way. It’s fun seeing them play together and incorporating new concepts we’ve been talking about during Space Week.
With a bit of creativity, a plain old box can become anything. It’s so easy to enhance your child’s dramatic play experiences. Plus, designing and building something together is a great way to bond and practice team work, listening skills, and creative thinking. I don’t expect our space ship to last past tomorrow with 4 kids rough housing with it, but it’s the quality together time that counts, right? What’s the most creative thing you’ve ever done with a box?
Derek begins to paint his side blue
Alex did the lion's share of the painting
Here's the finished product!
Derek loves his new "toy"
Bella kicked him out and claimed it as her own hide-out
How the Heck Do You Teach 4 Kids Anyway?
When people hear that we homeschool, we usually get one of three reactions. The first is, “What the heck is wrong with you? Are you sane?” Next comes,”Oh my Gosh! How do you possibly teach four kids at different levels?” And finally, “Oh, you’re home. You must not be busy. Can you watch my kid while I do such and such?” You can imagine the answer to the third choice. While there are families that successfully homeschool far larger broods than ours, here’s how we manage the madness.
Is teaching 4 kids of different ages easy? No. Is it impossible? No again. It’s challenging and a ton of fun. There is seriously never a dull moment in our house. What exactly goes on? A whole lot. There’s a lot of planning and prep-work, patience and perseverance involved.
For your viewing pleasure, here’s an average school day in our modest châteaux. While I recorded our day in pictures largely for our records, there’s a lot you can learn from how other families conduct their school day. Welcome to today:
8:00-8:30- All kids are playing and watching cartoons, eating breakfast and causing mayhem and destruction.
;-)
8:30-9:30- Story Circle (All 4 kids involved). We introduced this week’s topic, space, and discussed astronomy, the solar system, the sun, planets, small bodies like comets, the Milky Way, etc. We recited “Starlight, Starbright,” “Hey Diddle, Diddle,” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and read lots of space-themed books. To end story time, we played a space travel game. One kid got to be the sun, and the others were planets orbiting the sun. We also pretended to be astronauts traveling through the solar system and remarked on the various planets and stars we saw, reinforcing the information we just read about. Fun!
9:30-10:00- Bella: Morning nap!
Derek: Colored pictures of the sun and a rocket, then colored the moon and stars. He insisted we hang up his amazing art right away. He played in the playroom after this.
Alex and Ethan: Both children colored and practiced reading a book called “Our Solar System.” They also listened to Classical Conversations Memory Work Week 7 in the background. This week’s memory work includes: History (Hinduism), Latin (Noun endings 3rd declension), Geography (Indus River), Science (How do animals reproduce), Grammer (Prepositions in-ne), and Math (13 times 13 table). Ethan is very, very good at memorizing his skip counting facts!
10:00-10:30- Derek: Practiced tracing “I am Derek” and played color matching game with mom
Alex: “French for Kids” Unit 6– En Voyage. She reviewed previous vocabulary, learned how to say things she does and does not like to do, and practiced counting up to 20 in French.
Ethan: Writing/ tracing practice. His practice words this week are space, planets, sun, stars, moon, astronaut, and galaxy.
10:30-11:00- Bella: Up from nap time! She joined in the fun, dancing to nursery rhymes. She surprised me by clapping when I sang “If You’re Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands” for her. Hooray! She also cuddled while I read to her and Derek. Bella spent time playing in the playroom and being held as well.
Alex: She practiced the same space vocabulary words as Ethan, but wrote hers in cursive. Her cursive is improving daily and she can read cursive now! Woohoo! She also re-wrote a paragraph about the solar system, capitalizing proper nouns and adding punctuation. Next, she completed Horizon’s Phonics and Reading Lesson 48, a review of all contractions. To end this time period, miss Alex enjoyed some solitary reading in the living room. This, of course, turned into read-to-the-pesky-three-year-old-brother-time.
Ethan: He watched the Hooked on Phonics First Grade Unit 1 Intro, followed by Lesson One (-ch, -sh words). He then practiced reading the same words in his booklet. He also read a story called “Chad and Liz Set Up Shop.” Next, he tackled his Spectrum Reading K curriculum and practiced letter recognition and writing.
Derek: Derek enjoyed some reading time with mom and later with Alex. He also enjoyed being quizzed on his letter names and sounds. Derek spent a lot of time playing too.
11:00-12:00- Math Hour!
Alex: Alex chose to do math on www.Time4Learning.com today and learned all about addition and subtraction strategies. She completed several lessons, including a quiz. Next, she finished Lessons 82 (shapes) and 83 (counting by 200′s) from her Horizon’s text.
Ethan: Brainquest Kindergarten kept Ethan busy with worksheets on money counting and telling time. These are new concepts for him and require a lot of coaching. We’re getting there! We practiced naming coins and correctly labeling their value, as well as counting by 1′s, 5′s, and 10′s. After this, Ethan enjoyed some solitary reading time and some puzzles.
Derek: Derek worked on his Brainquest Preschool book, tracing the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 and circling corresponding groups of objects. We practiced counting to 20 together. Last, Derek enjoyed some puzzles.
Bella: Bella enjoyed some play time and puzzles. She loves puzzles!
12:00-12:30- Walk and outside play time. Time to enjoy some Florida sun and take advantage of the playground!
12:30-1:00- Lunch
1:00-2:00- Derek, Bella, and Ethan went upstairs to take rests. Yeah!
Alex: Free time on the computer and Ipad (she played a variety of geography, space, and French vocab games). After being denied her request to bring the Ipad in her room for “privacy,” she played with her toys. Ah peace.
2:00-2:30- Derek, Bella, and Ethan are still resting.
Alex: Completed social studies unit, “Families Live in Neighborhoods” while I continued to clean up the day’s messes.
2:30-3:30- Bella gets up from nap time and needs some lovin.’
Alex constructed a model of the solar system out of construction paper and cardboard. It turned out pretty awesome!
Our school day is officially over! Woot woot! Does this mean it’s time for some rest? Unfortunately, no. There’s still more fun to be had. There are games to play and books to read, messes to clean and neighborhood kids to play with at the park. Ethan also had Social Skills Therapy. Whew! This was one busy, fun, productive, and crazy day. On to tomorrow!
Blast Off! Homeschool Adventures in Outer Space!
- Space Flash Cards… Gotta Love Target Dollar Bins!
Today, I introduced the boys to the concept of space and planets for the first time. Derek sat there wide-eyed and curious. Alex wanted to show off all she already knows. Bella tried eating the books and flashcards. Ethan doesn’t react well to learning new information and freaked out (he will remember the info later and be great at it! That is one of his many mysteries). We discussed what space is and what planets, meteors, and the sun are.
We read some fun books (including Mickey Mouse Clubhouse’s Space Adventure!) and had a great time with some familiar nursery rhymes. We colored pictures, made solar system books, practiced writing space words, and created a solar system mobile. I think making the mobile was the highlight of Alex’s day. It’s proudly hanging in the playroom for everyone to see.
There’s a whole week of fun ahead of us. To check out this week’s lesson plan, click here: Preschool Weekly Lesson Plan Template
For accompanying discussions, finger plays, and crafts, click here: Space Theme Preschool
I found tons of awesome worksheets and printable books on our topic at www.enchantedlearning.com. It’s only $20 per year and has over 40,000 worksheets! Wow! I just discovered this resource and will definitely be using it frequently!
What space activities have you done to teach your little ones about the solar system?
Alex made a planet mobile during science today
Derek shows off his amazing coloring job
Today's Story Circle reading selection
NAS Jacksonville’s Forgotten History… A Stroll Back in Time to Mulberry Grove Plantation
Alex Explores Captain's Housing on Historic Mustin Rd
We celebrated fall this morning with a stroll along historic Mustin Road, bordering the St. John’s River. The kids and I headed to one of my favorite spots in the world, the riverside park in Patriot’s Point Housing. We used to live along this road before we were moved into new housing and I would bring the kids here often. It’s a farther walk now, but this place still draws me like a magnet. I don’t know what it is about it, but it makes me feel totally at peace. It’s so quiet, yet so alive. The land rumbles with forgotten history, stories hidden beneath a sheath of time just waiting to be uncovered.
The land where NAS Jacksonville sits was once know as Mulberry Grove Plantation. People lived, loved, and died here. Yet today, all that remains of the past is a plaque and perhaps a ghost or two.
Mulberry Grove Plantation dates back several hundred years. The land was granted to an Englishman named Timothy Hollingsworth by the Spanish crown in 1787. He named his plantation after the numerous mulberry trees in the area. The land passed between many owners over the next hundred years. In the decades following the Civil War, Mulberry Grove Plantation was known for its oranges, cattle, and wide array of fruit and vegetable crops. The main plantation house was spectacular, with a shaded avenue leading to the sparkling St. Johns River. In the late 1800s, supplies were brought to the plantation by steamboats. The plantation was a bustling hub of commerce and life. Today, the magnificant plantation is gone. Not a trace of it survived. Still, the beautiful shaded avenue lives on and makes one wonder about the people who lived here so long ago. Who stood where I stand today, and what was their life like? What was life like for the slaves who once worked this land?
John Reese was an African American whose parents were slaves born on Mulberry Grove Plantation. A kind master, A.M. Reed sold John’s father a 20-acre homestead even before the Civil War granted slaves freedom. Once the Civil War ended, the slave-driven plantation became farm with hired black workers. As a child, John worked hard on the plantation (farm) and his family’s homestead, cutting firewood for the stoves. Crops were grown and harvested year round and oranges were created and shipped on steamboats on the St. Johns River. The River was the city’s lifeblood, offering easy transportation and plentiful fishing. John likely fished the St. Johns River with a little bamboo pole, providing his family with some fresh fish for dinner. Born after the Civil War, children like John worked for wages and loved trips to Jacksonville to buy things like shoes and coats. The St. Johns River was his gateway to the world and Jacksonville was a glittering, busy city full of promise and intriguing shops and sights. It wasn’t a bad life!
The US government purchased a portion of the plantation in 1939 and NAS Jacksonville was born. On April 26, 1939, President Roosevelt signed a bill providing for $66,800,000 for a naval air station program. $15,000,000 was earmarked for NAS Jacksonville. The first contract was issued for clearing, dredging, and filling the plantation in October 1939. On January 16, 1940, the first aircraft assigned to NAS Jacksonville, the Grumman J2F-3, arrived at the airbase. Roosevelt himself visited the bustling young airbase on March 20, 1941. The base continued to grow and expand over the next few decades. Today, it’s one of the largest in the Navy. Approximately 23,000 military and civilian personnel work on the base.
I can’t find a resource stating when Mustin Road’s historic officer’s houses were first constructed, but they are quite old and very magnificent. Housing touts them as being “historic.” Regardless of their age, they are marvelous pieces of history themselves. Scores of influential military leaders have lived within their walls. The commander of the Navy Region South East lived here until recently. This place lives and breathes history.
If one wasn’t informed that a Plantation once thrived on this land, you’d never know the difference. The park is quiet and peaceful, shaded by towering oaks and serenaded by the gentle lapping of the river upon the shore. Apart from an aging sign, there isn’t anything left of Mulberry Grove Plantation or the people who worked and died here. A largely forgotten cemetery (Yukon Cemetary), in a heavily wooded area at Avent Drive and Roosevelt Boulevard between Ortega Hills and Yukon (off base), may have originated as burial grounds for slaves serving the Mulberry Grove plantation. It’s overgrown with brush and in very poor shape. Soon it too may be forgotten to the tides of time. Jacksonville’s citizens have tried to get the cemetary recognized as a historic landmark more than once, but the area is becoming more heavily developed with each passing year.
When they were granted their freedom, African Americans planted oak trees along the banks of the St. Johns River to celebrate their newfound rights. Today, Mustin Road is lined with towering oak trees. If you stay here a while, you might just hear whisperings of the past. And if not… it’s still a spectacularly beautiful, warm, and inviting place to be.
Dear Navy.... I'd really, really like to live in one of these houses someday 
The St. John's River
Derek and Bella relax and bond
Alex and Derek in Captain's Housing
Beautiful Sunday Morning Sky Over the St. Johns River
An Ancient Oak Stands Guard Along the Street. Could It Have Been Planted By the Freedmen?
Alex, Age 6
For more information about Mulberry Grove Plantation, visit:
Florida Division of Historical Resources: Historic Markers: http://www.flheritage.com/preservation/markers/markers.cfm?ID=duval
Jacksonville history: http://www.jaxhistory.com/Jacksonville%20Story/Picture%20of%20Iceman%27s%20Helper.htm
Jacksonville Times Union: Times Have Surely Changed in Clay: http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/012799/nec_c4Memoir.html
Jacksonville Times Union: Residents Look to History: http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/063001/ner_6551548.shtml
Naval Air Station Jacksonville History: https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Jacksonville/AboutCNIC/GeneralInformation/index.htm
US Army’s “Spirit of America” Inspires Patriotism, Applause, and Even Some Tears
Alex Anxiously Awaits "Spirit of America".... Is It Time To Go Yet?
We had quite a treat in sunny Jacksonville, Florida, this weekend! The US Army presented its famous show “Spirit of America” at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena. There’s no way we could pass up a musical version of US military history, especially since it was free. I’m so glad we went!
Evidentially, Spirit of America had been performed since before WWII. It’s evolved since then, of course, and offers a live-action, narrative, and musical version of American history through the eyes of soldiers who fought for our nation’s freedom. Not only was it entertaining, but it was beautiful, well executed, and spectacularly patriotic.
I had never heard of this show before I saw an advertisement for it in our local newspaper, and even then I had no idea what to expect. It sounded educational. Also, it was put on by the military and as a military family we love to show support for the armed services. I sent away for our free tickets and arranged a babysitter for the younger kids.
What we experienced was better than I could have imagined. I went to offer my daughter an educational experience, but I was thoroughly engrossed in the presentation! I loved it. We learned about all American battles and wars, starting with the American Revolution and returning to the present wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The vocalists were amazing. The Army Officer who began the presentation (blind or severely vision impaired due to traumatic war injuries) made me tear up. Despite his circumstances, he’s still serving his country and doing what he loves! How inspiring!
We listened to the fantastic US Army Orchestra, marveled at the talents of the US Army Drill Team (Who knew you could do so many things with a rifle?), and were wowed by the Caisson Platoon equestrians. We loved the costumes and the careful drilling of the US Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. These drummers were really awesome! We also witnessed a touching swearing-in ceremony, where 100 or so young men and women became soldiers. This was really special and made a fabulous spur-of-the-moment lesson for Alex about what it means to serve one’s country and what exactly these young people were pledging.
There was lots of simulated gun fire, which was a bit intense for Alex. I covered her ears for those loud moments. I wouldn’t recommend bringing really young kids and am glad I left the other kids home. It was also over two hours long, which would have been too much for the little kids. Alex loved having mom and dad all to herself and didn’t mind the show’s length at all.
If the Spirit of America show visits your town, go see it. It’s worth the crowds. It was an awesome introduction to US history for my 6-year-old daughter and a moving presentation for my husband and myself. I can’t think of a better way we could have spent our afternoon. We left the arena invigorated and prouder than ever to be an American. Thanks, US Army, for the amazing show!
The Continental Color Guard Presents Colors (Flags)
The Caisson Platoon Reinact Paul Revere's Famous Ride
A War Between Brothers-- Civil War Reinactment
- World War II reenactment
US Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps
US Army Drill Team
View of Jacksonville from Veteran's Memorial Arena
Hooked on Learning to Read! Products We Love!
6-Year-Old Alex Has Completed Her 2nd Grade Reading Program!
Learning to read well is one of the most important things a child can do. It’s the basic building block of a child’s education, one that they’ll use throughout the rest of their life. Children who read well tend to do better in school than those who struggle. Reading helps us in our careers and gives us great pleasure as well.
Learning phonics is a time-proven method to learning to read, and in our home we LOVE Hooked on Phonics‘ Learn to Read program! We’ve tried lots of different programs over the years, and this is by far the best! It’s a bit expensive, but totally worth the cost.
My oldest, Alex, is a natural reader. She basically taught herself to read at the age of 3. Yep, 3. We’ve always been a family of avid readers, but she just picked it up! She knew numerous sightwords and was reading basic books by the time she was in preschool. By kindergarten, she was reading chapter books. To make sure she was familiar with all the rules of phonics, we delved into Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Second Grade this school year. Alex flew through the program and loved it. It was a good review and made her an even more confident reader.
My 5-year-old son, Ethan, learns much differently than Alex. He’s bright, but is very easily frustrated. He’s been familiar with his letters and letter sounds for quite some time and I figured it was time to move on. Learn to Read Kindergarten was perfect for him. The DVD is bright, colorful, and musical. The books are engaging. The program was perfect: watch a short show on each new concept, practice reading the same words in the book, then read an accompanying story or book with the same words (and previous words). Ethan learned very quickly. As he learned, his confidence built. We also picked up Bob books at the library to reinforce reading skills. Ethan finished Hooked on Phonics Kindergarten last month and is now going through it a second time just to make sure we got it all the first time. He’s reading everything now!
Derek learned his letters and letter sounds using Learn to Read Pre-K. He still asks to watch his “Learn to Read” frequently and labels letters wherever we go. He really liked the sticker-reinforcement. His learning style is different from the first two kids. Derek will do anything for a good prize!
If you’re looking for something to help your child become a stronger reader, you really should give this program a try. We have nothing but praise for all 4 grades of the Learn to Read program. Hooked on Phonics, thank you for making my kids great readers!
Learn to Read Pre-K Complete: http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Read-Pre-K-Complete-Exclusive/dp/1604991771/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b
Learn to Read Kindergarten Complete: http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Read-Kindergarten-Complete-Exclusive/dp/160499178X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316656152&sr=8-1
Learn to Read First Grade Complete: http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Read-First-Grade-Complete/dp/1604991798/ref=pd_sim_b2
Learn to Read Second Grade Complete: http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Read-Second-Grade-Complete/dp/1604991801/ref=pd_sim_b2
Forbes 400 Billionaires Dish on How to Best Reform America’s Schools
Take the time to reconnect with the classics
Not only does America rank 31st out of 65 industrialized nations in math, but 1.2 million kids drop out of school annually as well. 6,000 kids drop out of school every single day. Another sad fact: More than half of 8th graders don’t read at grade level and will never catch up. That’s a pretty cloudy forecast. Something has to be done if America wants to remain a world leader and be competitive in the global marketplace, but what? Forbes interviewed billionaires on their Forbes 400 list and asked how they would reform America’s schools. Here are some highlights:
-Raise expectations and stop teaching to the lowest common denominator
-Take the Montessori approach, customizing a path for each child based on their interests rather than following the cookie cutter approach
-Focus on project-based learning, teaching kids how to find information, how to assess the quality of information, and how to creatively and effectively use information to accomplish a goal.
-Keep enthusiasm alive by pushing gifted kids to the extent of their abilities. If they’re consistently held back with the class, their enthusiasm for learning will wane.
-Parental involvement is key!
-Curriculum must inspire lifelong learning in students. Today’s system makes test results the goal, rather than lifelong learning.
-Underwrite prenatal care for poor women, which will reduce learning disabilities as well as the ultimate cost of education (interesting idea)
-Stop applying fads and politics to education and focus on what works (classical education)
-Outsource education to parents—HOMESCHOOL! (I can’t believe homeschooling is on this list.. how exciting!)
-Public schools need to be transformed into high-performing enterprises from the inefficient bureaucracies of today
-Create personalized learning experiences for each child and invest in research to determine which techniques are most effective for different kids
What do you think? Which of these recommendations do you think could best transform American education? Which would you apply to your homeschool?
Read it for yourself:
Forbes: The Best Ideas for Fixing K-12 Education: http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2011/1010/opinions-human-ingenuity-conversation-fixing-education-forbes-staff.html
Really Cute Song for Teaching Opposites!
Cover of Opposites (Concept Sliders)
I came across an adorable song today for reinforcing opposites and just had to share! It’s called “Opposites” and it comes from the Scholastic Professional’s Book “50 Learning Songs Sung to Your Favorite Tunes- Teach & Delight Every Child With Skill-Building Songs That Are Fun to Sing & a Snap to Learn!” by Meish Goldish. That’s a lot of title!
I introduced the song during Circle Time at the start of our school day. The kids weren’t sure what to think the first time through, but after a few times they were having a blast. I would start each sentence, “You say hot (or whatever) and I say _____.” They would shout out the second word and liked trying to beat their siblings to the punch. My 5-year-old still struggles a bit with opposites and my 3-year-old is just learning them, so this was an awesome way to reinforce the concept! I overheard them singing (aka shouting) the song at/ with each other during free play time. Yeah!
Why do we bother teaching opposites? To get technical, teaching opposites is one of the first steps to developing higher level thinking. They help us recognize relationships between words and concepts. Opposites are one of the basic concepts young children need to master in order to grasp reading, writing, listening skills, math, and following directions. Opposites also teach kids lots of new vocabulary words and help them learn to describe their environment. Kids who gain a solid foundation with the basics do better academically later on.
That’s a lot of responsibility for such a simple concept. Here’s the song:
Opposites
(sung to “Ten Little Indians”)
You say yes, and I say no,
You say stop, and I say go,
You say fast, and I say slow,
These are opposites!
You say day, and I say night,
You say dark, and I say bright,
You say heavy, I say light,
These are opposites!
You say big, and I say small,
You say short, and I say tall,
You say none, and I say all,
These are opposites!
You say wet, and I say dry,
You say low, and I say high,
You say laugh, and I say cry,
These are opposites!
You say hot, and I say cold,
You say bought, and I say sold,
You say young, and I say old,
These are opposites!
You say fat, and I say thin,
You say lose, and I say win,
You say out, and I say in,
These are opposites!
Tuesday Art Class at the Cummer Museum! Today’s Masterpiece: Hats
Alex's Amazing Masterpiece
Guess where we spent this rainy, stormy Tuesday evening? Why, at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens of course. Where else? Today was a big day because it was Ethan’s first time participating. He did great! No tears or anything. Alex and Ethan both had fun touring the museum and painting hats. Alex made a “Garden Hat” and Ethan made a cowboy hat.
While the big kids took their class, the little kids and I played in the children’s section of the museum. Bella was such a busy body today! She wouldn’t stay in one spot for more than a second at a time. Whew! She carried her dollies all over place. Bella sure loves her dollies! Derek had a great time too. He loves creating art.
Once again, the kids had a blast at the Cummer. They’re already anxiously awaiting our next class.
Alex checks out a Roman sculpture. She couldn't get enough of it for some reason.
Bella busily walked the museum as the big kids took their class
Bella and Derek do art together
Alex and Ethan had a blast in art class today!
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- Stop and Smell the Roses at the Cummer Museum (homeschoolinghelicoptermama.wordpress.com)
- Jacksonville’s Gem: Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens (homeschoolinghelicoptermama.wordpress.com)
- Original Creations at the Cummer Museum – Art Class! (homeschoolinghelicoptermama.wordpress.com)
Airplanes and Helicopters!
- My Future Aviator
When it comes to planning an exciting week of school, there are benefits to living on a Naval Air Base. This weeks theme is “Airplanes and Helicopters.” We’ve read books about airplanes, discussed their uses and why people fly, and read stories about the history of aircraft. We’ve done aviation-related crafts and colored lots of pictures. What better way to learn about aircraft than to get up close and personal with some retired Naval and Marine airplanes and helicopters?
Near the enterance of NAS Jacksonville, there is a great static airplane park, with lots of stationary, historic aircraft on display and paved walking trails between them. It’s located near the runways, so one is able to enjoy watching working aircraft flying, taking off, and landing as well. This alone keeps the kids entertained for quite a while. After a few hours of school, we got out to stretch our legs and enjoy our beautiful base. We discussed different types of planes throughout history and retold the story of the Wright brothers. Alex read us each informative plaque and marveled over the size of each aircraft. The kids loved running around and closely examining the planes. I enjoyed watching them learn.
We see this park nearly every day as we drive by, but that doesn’t do it justice. You’ve really got to get up next to these beasts to see how amazing (and huge!) they really are.
This is one of my favorite shots!
17-month-old Bella explores the park
We love helicopters!
From Crayons to Condoms: Do You Really Know What’s Going On At Your Kid’s School?
From Amazon.com
I was bored Friday night and needed to something new to read. After a bit of digging around in the education section on Amazon.com, I found Steve Baldwin and Karen Holgate’s “From Crayons to Condoms: The Ugly Truth About America’s Public Schools.” The title intrigued me and it got good ratings, so I downloaded it to my Kindle and dug right in. What I was about to read shocked the socks off me.
We all know how much of today’s culture is steeped in political correctness, but do you really know how much that affects your child’s education? This book is an intriguing collection of parent and teachers stories about extreme political correctness (agenda pushing, gay education, sexuality, morals, religion, atheism, etc) in America’s public schools. Parents often run into problems with their child’s school, but when they try to talk to the school about it they’re bullied, intimidated, or told they’re the only one who has an issue with the subject. They aren’t taken seriously in some cases and in other cases are treated very poorly. We ran into that problem at Ethan’s old school. This book proves that you’re not alone. This book wasn’t written to attack specific schools or to promote homeschooling, but instead to point out a growing trend in today’s schools. Parents: listen up.
America’s schools were once a world standard. Today students are promoted and given A’s to help their self-esteem without being taught the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic… not to mention American history and government. More time is spent on teaching kids “politically correct” attitudes and values than real academics. Our test scores show just how much good that did. Our schools aren’t performing well because they don’t focus on academic achievement. Instead, faddish educational practices (cooperative learning groups with group grades, inventive spelling, whole language instead of phonics), self-esteem programs, and social engineering occupy our kids.
Here’s an interesting quote from the text from one of the stories, “It is apparent that academics are no longer the primary focus of today’s public education system. The following quote from our former superintendent, in our school newsletter, shows what educators consider important for today’s student:“The skills employers most desired were behavioral and social skills. The least important skills were academic basics like math, science, computer literacy, and foreign language.”
Here’s another passage that stood out: “Today, parents dare not assume that books their children read are okay just because they are approved by the school or sent home by the teacher. Parents need to monitor what their children bring home. They may be surprised or even shocked. Because we couldn’t find other parents to help us, the district now requires high school students to read books describing the rape of virgins, spousal abuse, suicide as a peaceful solution to problems, extramarital affairs, transvestites, the occult, prison rape, and murder.” Many of the stories shared by parents included experts from their kid’s middle school and high school English class books that were vividly sexual. WHAT happened to the classics?
When it comes to sex education, what are your kids really learning? Here’s what one teacher told her 13-14 year-old students: “If you have sex, do it with zest and enjoy it!” That’s definitely get hormonal young teens to keep it in their pants, don’t you think? Another class learned about the “joys of gay sex” and had bulletin boards displaying pornographic gay magazines in their school’s halls, as well as information about gay centers and parties. Parents brought this to court in California, and the judge ruled that these materials were educational. Educational? Hmmm… I think I’d rather have my kids learn calculus instead of how two consenting adults enjoy time together. That information is not only inappropriate, but in no way prepares them for life.
Other parents wrote about rap music played during math class. Kids in one school are evaluated for math levels, then put in cooperative groups with much lower-performers and given group grades.. what happens to their drive and determination when they get C’s in math due to classmates not pulling their weight? Ninth graders performed plays using obscene language. Kids were assigning books about female genital mutilation. Kids were surveyed about how much money their parents make and who their parents’ friends are, as well as about their own personal sexual habits (9th grade). No wonder Johnny is learning anything! Do you really think he’ll be able to complete with his Chinese peers in the competitive business world when he grows up? No. He can’t comprehend what he reads or do basic math without a calculator. But at least he knows why Carlos has two daddies and what those daddies do in bed. Some things are important after all.
This book is for every parent. It doesn’t matter if you’re a republican, a democrat, or somewhere in-between. You need to be aware of what’s going on behind closed doors and the impact it’s having on the next generation of Americans. Some of the stories made me irate. Others were great examples of what parents can do if they step up, work together, and fight injustices in their schools.
Check it out on Amazon.com or at your local library. I can’t wait to hear about what you think!
New Concordia University Study Confirms the Benefits of Homeschooling
Derek works hard on his pre-k tracing curriculum
Good news for the homeschooling community: Yet another study confirms the academic benefits of homeschooling! A recent study by Concordia University and Mount Allison University found that structured, curriculum-based homeschooling gives kids an academic edge.
The study examined the standardized test results of children ages 5-10 years old and assessed their reading, writing, and math skills (etc). Homeschooled students had superior test scores on all subjects. Concordia Department of Education professor Sandra Martin-Chang contributes this advantage to several factors, including more time spent on core subjects( reading, writing, math), smaller class sizes, and individualized instruction. Maternal education levels and family income did not affect the results, as homeschooled students of various socioeconomic backgrounds and parental education brackets performed spectacularly well.
Unfortunately for the unschoolers, they didn’t perform as well as either traditionally homeschooled children or public school kids. Children taught in a structured environment rocked the socks off of the tests and left their unschooled peers in the dust. Unschoolers did not exhibit the achievements associated with homeschooling.
We are a very structured, curriculum based homeschooling family and have seen first-hand how the kids thrive with personalized attention. It’s awesome to be able to work at their speed and push them to the fullest extent of their abilities. I know quite a few families who prefer not to follow a schedule, but it really does work for us. I don’t think we could do the unschooling thing. I’m far too academic for that. I love textbooks and workbooks (as well as all sorts of projects, programs, outings, and hands-on-activities to make them exciting!).
Although the study was pretty small, the results are still pretty great . It’s always nice to see studies prove what we already know: homeschooling is awesome! Kudos to all you homeschoolers out there! You are giving your kids an awesome start to life. Bravo/ Brava!
Resources:
Structured Homeschooling Gets an A+: http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-homeschooling.html
High Marks For Homeschooling, A Small Study Finds: http://healthland.time.com/2011/09/15/high-marks-for-home-schooling-a-small-study-finds/
Related articles
- New study confirms homeschoolers outperform public schoolers and unschoolers (homeschoolcommunity.wordpress.com)
- Homeschool, but Not Unschool, Superior to Public School (reason.com)
- Home-schooled students keeping up with school-taught peers: Study (canada.com)
Math is Cool! Why It’s Especially Important To Get Girls Excited About Numbers
"This stuff is so easy, I can do it in my sleep!"
Despite the fact that women earn more college degrees than men today, there’s still a huge gender gap in math, science, and engineering-related fields. Until the last few decades, the scientific community believed that boys were inherently more gifted at mathematics because of their brain makeup while girls were naturally better at verbal communication. While we women definitely have the gift of gab, I believe we’re also just as capable when it comes to crunching numbers.
So, is it biology that makes girls shy away from advanced math courses, or is it our culture? Culture definitely plays a role. Whether it’s the “Math is Hard” Barbie from the 1990s or the “I’m too pretty to do math, so my brother does it for me” tee-shirts from 2000′s, our culture gives young girls the message that math is hard, bad, geeky, no fun, unpopular, unattractive, etc. The list goes on. From the time they begin to totter, little boys are given legos and simple machines to tinker with and they begin to develop math skills. Boys are often encouraged to pursue math more than girls as they go through school. This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Girls don’t develop the basics as strongly as boys, which makes advanced math classes more difficult. Their natural conclusion is that they aren’t good at math. How would this be different if we taught our girls that math was cool and reinforced math concepts as thoroughly in our little ladies as we did with our lads? Would things be different if teachers made math fun, relevant, and interesting? What would the world be like if our kids looked up to smart, sexy, accomplished female mathematicians and astronauts instead of movie stars and reality-tv actresses?
I hated math as a young girl. I found it really, really hard. I also discovered that I could get away with skipping math practice (mostly) and focus on my passion: writing. I was in 3rd grade and I had this figured out! I wish that my teachers had insisted I focus on my math problems and truly learn the basics (instead, I made them cute poems and stories and they let me off the hook). Guess what happened? My more advanced classes were really, really hard because I didn’t understand the basics. Because I didn’t get it, I didn’t pursue math and science. It wasn’t until I was required to take math in college that I really learned the basics of math.
My daughter determined last year (in kindergarten!) that she hated math.It was hard, and she’d much rather spend her time writing. Sound familiar? This was not a good trend. Fortunately for her, I saw her repeating my same mistakes and vowed to change that. Math was about to become a big part of our lives. We began practicing it daily, making it fun. We quiz for prizes. She loves IXL.com, because she can earn rewards there too. We made math hands-on and interesting, relevant and engaging. There are no lectures or boring drills here. We combine workbooks with online instruction, quiz cards with math bingo. We learn skip-counting songs and make fractions and basic math skills a part of our daily life. Math because easier and easier. Alex got faster and more proficient. Math became…. Fun.
Math is one of our BIG THREE subjects we study every single school morning before lunch: foreign language, math, and reading/ phonics. The more we practice, the easier it gets. Alex not only enjoys it, but she’s getting very good! She’s finished ½ of her Horizons math program and 75% of the first grade work on IXL.com. She keeps telling me it’s too easy! Hooray! We’re just about ready to make the big switch to Second Grade.
Do you know what my former math-loather did during math period today? She did five lessons on IXL.com: Subtraction skill builders, probability and statistics (mode and range), Roman numerals (I, V, X), Adding and subtracting 10′s, and addition and subtraction facts up to 10. Then, she accomplished two lessons out of our Horizons book: ordinal numbers and subtraction word problems. To top it off, she begged to play a few rounds of math bingo and won a heaping pile of coins for her piggy bank. There was no complaining… apart from saying “This stuff is too easy!” That is music to my ears. I love hearing that what we’re doing is too easy, because we can always go up a level. What I never want to hear from my daughters is that math is too hard!
How can American girls become math superstars? It starts at home. Whether you homeschool or not, parents make all the difference. Encourage your daughter to love math and science. Engage her in fun learning games. Buy her science kits if she likes. If she struggles, find her a great tutor who can make math relevant and interesting. Abstract concepts are boring to young kids. If math is touchable, it’s relevant. Talk to her about math stereotypes and teach her why they aren’t true. Laugh at the silly myths together. Introduce her to real female scientists and mathematicians, not the geeky stereotypes on tv (in person is awesome, but stories and books work too). Let her know that she is just as good as any boy when it comes to number computation. Who knows. Maybe the next generation of girls will help bring America’s math scores out of the tank.
I don’t care if my girls become engineers or astronauts. They don’t have to major in mathematics in college. But… I want them to have the skills necessary should they wish to pursue those dreams. I want them to be prepared to make the most out of their lives and want them to have the ability to reach their goals. Isn’t that what every parent wants for their child?
Related articles
- Girls Can Do Math, Too! (blogs.sfweekly.com)
- Math Worksheets and Printables (education.com)
- Subtraction Worksheets and Printables (education.com)
- Second Grade Worksheets and Printables (education.com)
- Children’s Math Ability In The Future Can Be Predicted At Preschool (medicalnewstoday.com)
- Girls And Math (realmathinaminute.wordpress.com)
Arsenic in Apple Juice?
Image via Wikipedia
Did anyone else hear about arsenic in apple juice on Doctor Oz? What on earth? In case you missed it, Dr. Oz claims that many brands of apple juice contain unsafe levels of arsenic. Many common types of apple juice are made from apple concentrate made overseas, where they are not required to meet the same safety standards as US products. In his study, he found unsafe levels of arsenic in apple juice drinks that many American families regularly enjoy. Dr Oz recommends drinking apple juice made in the USA.
Dr. Oz says that various groups have been publishing reports on arsenic in apple juice for years now. He says that the American people have the right to know the long-term effects of kids ingesting higher levels of arsenic than safe. 60% of our apples come from overseas, where apples may contain higher levels of arsenic than is safe. In the study, Dr. Oz compared various brands of apple juice with the amount of arsenic found in drinking water. 10 samples contained arsenic levels higher than the limits for water. “Unregulated arsenic in the apple juice in America is unacceptable,” Oz says.
The FDA states that Dr. Oz’s testing was erogenous and disputes the study. They released a statement even before the show aired: “There is no evidence of any public health risk from drinking these juices.” Government scientists and juice manufactures also dispute the study, claiming that it is nothing but irresponsible fear-mongering. They say that the report causes a health crisis when there shouldn’t be one.
Here’s something you might not know: While we think of poison when we think of arsenic, there is arsenic all around us. Organic and nonorganic. Organic arsenic is found all around us, in food and naturally occurring in the environment. Organic arsenic is nontoxic. Oz’s testing checked for total arsenic, not differentiating between the dangerous and non-dangerous organic kind. Doctors have come out on the news saying that the report was “highly irresponsible.”
I’m not sure what to think. My kids occasionally drink apple juice and I certainly don’t want them ingesting harmful substances. However, I also recognize that there are both safe and unsafe (manufactured) types of arsenic and that the studies may not have differentiated between the two. At the very least, I’ll make sure my apple juice is made in the USA. The best apples come from the Pacific Northwest anyway. What do you think? Do you think that apple juice is possibly dangerous to our kids?
Related Articles:
News4Jax: Arsenic for Apple Juice: http://www.news4jax.com/news/29189053/detail.html
ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/dr-richard-besser-dr-mehmet-oz-debate-arsenic/story?id=14526426
Related articles
- Arsenic in apple juice – who knew? (timesunion.com)
- FDA, Others Dispute Dr. Oz Claims Of Arsenic In Apple Juice (newyork.cbslocal.com)
- FDA to Dr. Oz: Apple juice is safe after all (msnbc.msn.com)
- Arsenic in Apple Juice? (foxnews.com)
- FDA disputes TV suggestion of apple juice risk (sfgate.com)
- FDA disputes TV suggestion of apple juice risk (boston.com)
- Arsenic in apple juice? Dr. Oz and FDA square off (ctv.ca)
- Dr Oz and the FDA Differ on Apple Juice Arsenic Content – Show Ratings Did Not Disappoint (ducknetweb.blogspot.com)
- FDA disputes TV suggestion of apple juice risk (thenewstribune.com)
- FDA Disputes TV Suggestion of Apple Juice Risk (abcnews.go.com)
- GMA’s Richard Besser Slams Dr. Oz For ‘Fear Mongering’ Report On Arsenic In Apple Juice (mediaite.com)
Introducing the World’s Most Interesting Breed of Lions!
Introducing the world's most "interesting" lions!
Today’s amazing jungle craft was creating Paper Plate Lions. These homely creatures went well with today’s Story Circle topic, lions and tigers. The kids had a blast making them and the supplies were very basic. Alex wanted to join in as well… and took 1 1/2 hours making a very intricate mane. French time and phonics disappeared today. At least she had fun, right?
Can you guess whose lion is whose? The kids are very proud of their lions and can’t wait to show dad when he comes home from work.
Here’s what you need to make your own creations:
Paper Plate Lion
What You Need:
- Paper Plates
- Crayons/Markers
- Paint and sponges
- Yarn (Cut it up before hand! I wish I had!)
- Scissors
- Glue (heavy duty school glue works best)
What You Do:
- Give the children the materials and let them create a lion. Sponge paint the paper plate to give it color. The kids can glue the yarn to the edges of the plate to create a mane. Once the paint is try, draw or paint on a lion face. Get their creativity flowing and be prepared for some interesting pieces of art.
Related articles
- Jungle Art! Paper Plate Snakes (homeschoolinghelicoptermama.wordpress.com)
Alex’s Most Amazing Banana Muffins Ever
What is one food that comes to mind when you think of the jungle? For us, it’s bananas. The base commissary had bunches of bananas on sale for $0.89 because they were starting to get spotty, so we picked out a bunch and baked some amazing banana muffins. We couldn’t possibly have a jungle-themed week without making something out of bananas!
We couldn’t find exactly the recipe we were looking for, so we created one of our own. We took a little bit of this and a little bit of that from a bunch of banana bread recipes we found online and came up with something that suited our tastes. With a little estimation and a lot of experimentation, we created some really great muffins! Mmm! It was an awesome lesson in fractions and some great mother-daughter bonding. There were plenty of muffins for snack time, lots left over for breakfast tomorrow, and even more to share with our neighbors!
Alex scoops banana batter into each muffin cup
Alex’s Most Amazing Banana Muffins Ever
Ingredients:
5 very ripe bananas (the kind the kids won’t eat because they have… gasp… brown spots!)
4 eggs
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin pans with muffin lining papers.
2. In a medium bowl, mash bananas and stir in eggs until well blended. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter or margarine and gradually add sugar. Stir in vanilla and banana mixture. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Blend into batter. If desired, add walnuts (we didn’t have any on hand, so ours were nut free).
4. Scoop generous helpings of banana batter into each muffin tin.
5. Bake for 22-26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Enjoy your 24 big, moist muffins! We sure did! Bon Appetit!
Delicious Fresh Muffins
My Lovely Little Baker
Lookout for the muffin swiper!
“I Can’t Wait To See What Happens Next!”
My Baby Derek
No matter how early morning may come or how much coffee may be required to get the wheels rolling, a homeschooling-mama’s work never really ceases. Not that I’m complaining. I love it. It’s just that this morning seemed to come particularly early today. Just as the early morning sun’s rays began to lighten the room, my soon-to-be-5 -year old son Ethan rushed into my room. “Good morning, mama!” He was fully dressed and donned a shinning grin.
Me (groggily): “Morning, Ethan. What are you doing up so early?”
Ethan: “I can’t wait to see what happens next!”
Me: “What on earth are you talking about? It’s 6:30 in the morning. Why are you up?”
Ethan: “Is it time for school to start? I can’t wait to see what happens next! Can we do math now?”
Next, Derek came barreling into my room. He’s always smiling and full of life. My turbo-charged preschooler came to a screeching halt at the foot of my bed and started dancing around excitedly, “Monkey see, monkey do, monkey does the same as you!” He fell to the floor laughing, his brother rolling his eyes in despair. Well, Tuesday’s fingerplays must have left a mark on him.
Ethan: “How about some reading, mom?” (If you ignore your little brother, he’ll go away, right?)
Derek: “It’s lion day… raaaar!” Three-year-old Derek crawls around the floor pretending to be a lion. He pretends to bite Ethan’s leg. ”Raaaar! I live in the jungle!”
Ethan: “We didn’t do enough math yesterday, mom. I can count backwards from 100 by 10′s. 100…90…80..70 (and so on).
Derek: “I’m three! I turned three yesterday!” (Actually, his birthday was in July). “I am a three-year-old lion. I like giraffes. Maybe I am a three-year-old giraffe. I eat leaves on giant trees.”
Ethan: “30…20…10…”
Me: “All right. I’m up. But…. let’s at least wait until after breakfast to start school.”
The boys ran from the room laughing, racing to the breakfast table to get the day started. Alex is already downstairs playing “The Bear Went Over The Mountain” on the piano for the millionth time and Bella is in her crib, “Hi!!!!!!!”
It looks like it’s going to be another beautiful… and enthusiastic…day in the jungle.
Homeschool Classes at the Jacksonville Zoo!
Alex had a blast at her first homeschool classes at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. There were at least a dozen other kids in her class (ages 5-6). Today’s classes were Fur, Feathers, and Scales, Animal Friends, and Animal Families. Each was 45-minutes long and full of great learning experiences. She’s been talking nonstop about the great things she learned, the animal experiences she had, and the kids she met. We can’t wait till next month!
In Fur, Feathers, and Scales, Alex learned about different animal body coverings, discussed the five classes of backboned animals, and talked about major characteristics of vertebrates. Alex describes her class in her own words: “We learned that if you touch a slimy animal, it won’t be good because the slime protects it. The animals we learned about in this class all have backbones.”
“ Fur is on mammals sometimes, but not every single mammal cause we are mammals and don’t have fur. Fur protects some mammals and keeps them warm. We met a bunny with fur. Its name was Coco.”
“Also, water slides off of feathers so that the body of the bird doesn’t get wet. We got to see a collard dove and got to touch it. I can’t remember its name. The feathers were white and the collar was black. It was beautiful and really soft. ”
“When we talked about scales, we got to touch a snake. It was a nice snake and it was red with spots. It was a really long snake. Snakes have scales. Some scales are rough and some scales are smooth. The snake we touched had smooth scales.”
Her second class was called Animal Friends. She learned about pet animals, farm animals, and wild animals (including zoo animals). The class discussed why animals are important to people, the benefits of pets, and animal products. They talked about why wild animals don’t make good pets and that it is good to protect and respect wild animals. Alex says, “The teacher gave us a quiz and put out animals, and we had to guess what type of animal it was. There was a chicken from a farm. She also put out a snake as a wild animal and some other animals too.”
“We also learned about zoo animals, like we learned that the zoo animals are tamed. Wild animals are not tamed.”
The last class was Animal Families. She learned that animals are living things and talked about the characteristics of living things. The class matched baby animals to their parents and learned that some animals hatch from eggs while others do not. She also learned about animal conservation. Alex says, “Some baby animals come from eggs, but not all eggs have baby animals inside. Not just chickens lay eggs. Other kinds of birds lay eggs too and crocodiles do too.”
“All the animals we talked about were living things. Living things move, eat, and have a place to live. Some animals, when they’re first born, take care of themselves. Others have mothers and fathers taking care of them.”
“The teachers brought in an owl. The owl was a small owl. It was brown and white. It just sat on her arm and it looked at each kid. I liked the owl because owls are hard to find in nature cause they only come out at night. They also brought in a chinchilla. It had a tail and it was really cute. It was black and it was hard to see its eyes. I liked the chinchilla because it was tame and it’s an herbivore.”
I asked Alex if she likes being homeschooled, and she replied, “Yes! Absolutely, because you get to have more field trips than public school. You also don’t have to hear lots of noisy kids on the bus and you get to take classes at the zoo and other places!”
We were very happy with our Jacksonville Zoo class experience and are very happy that we signed up for the entire year’s offerings. At $3 per class ($9 for all three), it’s an awesome deal. The other kids and I spent the 3 hours of class time exploring the zoo. This was an easy and entertaining way to tie in our jungle theme! There’s always so much to do and see there. It never gets boring. It was Bella’s first time walking at the zoo and she had so much fun. She’s been napping for several hours now! What a great day.
16-month-old Isabella explores the zoo
The kids check out the giant anteater mama and baby
Bella chats with her BFF
America’s SAT Reading Scores At All Time Lows
While reading the news this evening, I happened upon a disturbing story about an all time American low. No, I’m not talking about Obama’s approval rating. SAT reading scores fell to the lowest level on record last year, and the combined reading and math scores were the lowest since 1995. Does this mean that American kids are getting duller or that our education system is failing us?
Sure, partially. But it’s really not as cut-and-dry as that. An interesting note is that 27% of SAT-takers in 2010 had a first language other than English, compared to 19% in 2000. What can we do better to accommodate America’s diverse demographics? Obviously what we’re doing now is not working. How do we help non-native English speakers learn to speak, read, and write English fluently? Or, alternately, how do we make our schools capable of successfully accommodating the multitudes of languages and cultures of American students?
According to the news story, more students took the test than before in 2010, thus “naturally” lowering the test scores. It’s great that more students are preparing for college… but does “more” naturally mean “worse”? That doesn’t sound like a very good explanation to me. It means that more students than ever before are simply unprepared for college. Another interesting fact presented in this study was that only 43% of test-takers reached the College Board’s “College and Career Benchmark.” What’s this, you ask? This measure of success determines how well a high school student will perform in college. For example, a student who scores 1550 or above on the SAT has a 65% likelihood of attaining a B-minus or better GPA during his or her first year of college. What percentage of SAT-takers hit that mark? Read it and weep: 43%. That is terrible!
Regardless of the reasons behind the sagging scores, they are a sad sign of the times. Our young adults are less prepared than ever to be viable citizens. Reading is fundamental to function in today’s world. Not everyone will spend their hours reading scientific journals and enjoying classic literature, but basic reading skills are vital. If one can’t read, job and aid applications are impossible to decipher. Street signs and maps don’t make sense. Reading reports and memos and writing intelligible responses are important in the business world. If a person has poor reading skills, they are at a disadvantage in the workplace. If one wants a good job in this competitive world, they must be literate!
To thoroughly understand what it’s like to be functionally illiterate, imagine that you woke up in a foreign country. You do not speak the language, nor can you read a word of it. To you, it looks like Greek! How do you get and hold a job? Who would hire you? Do you blame them for not hiring someone who can’t conduct business and communicate in their language? How do you purchase food or find yourself a place to live? If you do manage to obtain a roof over your head, you know what’s in your rent agreement? No, because you have no idea what it says. Your landlord could take advantage of you and you wouldn’t even know it. Everything around you is gibberish. You feel frustrated and confused. You feel hopeless and menial. This existence is hellish. Sending your kids into the real world without strong reading skills is like sending them into an unfamiliar land without a translator or any language skills.
Reading works our most important muscle, our mind. Learning new things educates us and keeps our mind sharp and strong throughout our lives. Reading allows us to discover new ideas and information. It helps us compare and contrast products or stocks before making important financial decisions. Reading keeps us current on important health and consumer information, potential dangers, and world events.
Reading plays a huge role in a person’s success from the time they are a small child. Studies have shown that students who had frequent exposure to books before preschool tend to do better in all academic areas than their peers who are not read to. Reading teaches kids how to put together thoughts and sentences. This, in turn, helps him learn to comprehend the information he reads. Strong reading skills from a young age are the foundation to a good education. Much of our academic career involves reading textbooks… if we can’t comprehend what we’re reading we’re not learning. Reading is the first building block, the foundation on which a house is built. Without it… you get the point. Reading comprehension is hugely important throughout our lives!
The more we read to our children, the greater their interest in learning to read will be. Their verbal skills will be better. Their vocabulary will improve. They will become more creative and knowledgeable. If children learn to read well and learn to utilize the breadth of information at their fingertips (Internet, libraries, books, schools, etc), then they will forever have access to all of the great discoveries, thoughts, inventions, and stories that await them. They will never lack entertainment if they appreciate a good book! There are many reasons why we must teach our children to read well. It doesn’t matter what your primary language may be, your race, or your socioeconomic status. Reading allows us to tackle to demands of society and the workplace. Reading makes us educated and allows us to acquire new information. Reading is great for personal fulfillment. Reading opens new worlds to us.
Today’s news regarding America’s sad SAT scores is a wakeup call—if you’re listening. We really can’t expect America’s schools to change overnight. It’s on your shoulders as a parent. If each parent made the commitment to lead their child down the road of enlightenment– and literacy– this country would be much better shape. Go read to junior. If he is struggling with his reading, get help. If you can’t help him, find a tutor who can work with him one-on-one. Do whatever it takes to give him the gift of literacy. One day he’ll thank you for it.
Related Article:
SAT Reading Scores Fall to Lowest Level on Record: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/09/14/sat-reading-scores-fall-to-lowest-level-on-record/?cmpid=cmty_fb_Gigya_SAT_Reading_Scores_Fall_to_Lowest_Level_on_Record
Stop and Smell the Roses at the Cummer Museum
If you’ve never experienced the gardens at the Cummer Museum of Arts and Gardens, then you haven’t really experienced Jacksonville. We’ve been there many times but it never fails to be awe-inspiring. I could live in those gardens and be a happy girl.
We had an awesome, busy homeschooling day today. Academic time, drama club, library time, art projects, and life skills (aka: chores!) kept us on our feet most of the day. The hubby was working late today, so the kids and I figured it would be great to hit up the Cummer Museum for an art class. Unfortunately, it turned out that art class was cancelled for an event. No worry. We spend a great evening in the gardens with our awesome neighbor and her baby Evie. The kids did art in the gardens and enjoyed exploring. I loved chatting with a great friend and hanging out in the gardens.
If you’ve never been, the Cummer Museum of Arts and Gardens in Riverside has an Italian Renaissance and a Traditional English garden. Sigh. It’s heavenly. Here are some new pictures of one of my favorite places in the world. All I need is a glass of tea, a good novel, and I would be in heaven. Seriously… I think this is what heaven looks like.
Jungle Art! Paper Plate Snakes
Derek loves his new pet
Preschool art was great fun today, so fun that my kindergartener and first grader begged to join in too and made a total of 6 masterpieces. We made paper plate snakes. Talk about an afternoon of entertainment! Derek loved cutting out his snakes and played with them the rest of the afternoon.
Here’s what you need to make your own jungle snakes:
Paper Plate Snake
What You Need:
- Paper Plates
- Crayons/Markers
- Paint (and perhaps sponges for painting)
- Scissors
- Glue
What You Do:
- Have the children draw a line that goes around and around their plate starting at the edge going to the middle Next have them cut out the line (you may have to help depending on the age of you children) Have the children decorate their snakes with the materials. You can then hang them from the ceiling or put them on the wall.
First step: Draw circles starting from the middle of the plate
Next, fine tune those fine-motor skills with some safety scissors
This project was a great way to practice cutting skills! Decorate before or after, depending on how anxious your child is to get to cutting. The kids loved how the snakes unravelled and bounced about. We started with one per child, and now have six paper plate snakes hanging from the playroom ceiling. This was a fun craft!
The Kids Loved Their Snakes
