Just A Night Owl

Category Archives: Homeschool Tips

What’s Working…Curriculum.

Knowledge is power they say. I agree. I have heard so many people say that they learn more about themselves while homeschooling then potentially what the kids learn. I agree with that too. I have definitely figured out after just 18 months (yes, I’m a quick learner) that there is no one way to homeschool. However, I should have known because there is usually not one right way for a lot of things in life. In the beginning, I used to see an idea, read a blog, or a book, and immediately try to implement that glorious plan into my household only to find it was a disaster for me. All was not a total loss, however, because failure is definitely part of learning and growing. It should not be feared. Do not freeze up because you do not know which way to go. Curriculum can be returned (or sold on Ebay), systems can be changed, furniture can be re arranged, chore charts can be thrown out, and craft projects can be repurposed. You never know what kind of fabulous can be created until you try.

Over the next few days I am going to be posting on what is working and what isn’t. Not just in school land but in our house in general. I have been thinking about how things are going lately. A lot has changed since last school year when God allowed us the blessing of picking our lives up, shaking them all around, and flipping them upside down. I have had plenty of failures and successes. They are both equally important.

Curriculum…

I had an original curriculum plan. Some aspects worked some did not. Sonlight has by far the best guarantee and return options that I have seen and Ebay has helped me out too. I have taken advantage of them both. I have made changes and things are working great for us right now.

Emma~

Most subjects are A beka. I decided last minute, last spring, to go ahead and try Handwriting Without Tears through Sonlight. The program personally caused me tears. Too much for my taste. I returned the $80 program through Sonlight and went back to the $15 writing through A beka. There are no tears around here from either of us now. Yay, because that is that important.

Bible~ I do not personally find the Bible through A Beka to be something that fits for us. We chose to go with POSITIVE ACTION. The worksheets at this level go with Bible stories that I easily look up in her children’s Bible and read to her. We do one a week. I did not order the teacher’s guide for this. I didn’t find it necessary.

I love everything we are doing for Kindergarten right now. The bright colorful worksheets from A Beka make us both happy. I love the content. It works for us. I did not order most of the lesson plan books. I tried one, but sold it on Ebay because I waited too long to return it. At the Kindergarten level it is fairly basic to plan this stuff out and I saved a bunch of money this way. My organizing system this year ROCKS for me…more about that another day.

Taylor and Cameron~

Spelling~ A Beka….traditional type lists and tests. One lesson a week. Inexpensive. LOVE!

Read and Thinks~ A Beka….The kids actually enjoy these. Timed stories with comprehension tests. One a week. Again Inexpensive. LOVE!

Bible~ I returned Sonlight and went with POSITIVE ACTION. Sonlight looked fine, but it was a devotional type book similar to what the kids have and do on their own before bed anyway. We love Positive Action.

Language Arts/History ~ Sonlight. I LOVE these products. I LOVE Sonlight’s customer service. I particularly the writing curriculum. There are very creative ideas that beautifully reinforce otherwise potentially boring writing concepts. I did supplement the grammar exercises with a work book that I found at Lakeshore for just $9.95. As for history, the kids have read a ton of books already this year and are completely enjoying this style of learning. The girls also completely enjoyed that the box the Sonlight products were shipped to us in because it was a craft project. A castle waiting for some crafty touches! I’m totally impressed with the little things.

Science~ I completed 6 weeks of Sonlight Science and it all went back to them last week, for a full refund of $250. While I thought it was o.k. I was not impressed. The biggest issue I had with it, is while although it was “God Based” it was by no means written in a way that ever mentioned God one time in the six weeks we used it. A Beka science is completely God integrated throughout the material and for science, in particular, that is a priority for me. Shiny new A Beka science curriculum is on its way to me as we speak. In the interim, I am doing a 7 week A Beka Health course that I never finished last year that actually is part of their science package. So, it all worked out great.

Math~ Teaching Textbooks. I absolutely could not love this more and even better my kids love it. They literally ask me to do math now. It is a complete online curriculum that even tracks the grades for you. It’s brilliant. It’s a bit pricey, but honestly worth every single penny.

Electives~ Cooking, art, park/library…we aim for one of these each, one time a week.

Extracurricular~ Currently Awana and Football. We LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Field Trips~ see our plan here.

More to come…

Field Trips.

Written on September 19, 2010 by just a night owl in 170 School Days. 2010, Curriculum, Homeschool Tips

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There are so so many options for field trips that it kind of hurts my head. How often should we go? Do they HAVE to match what your studying? If so, I have three different curriculums, so which one should it match? You know, all those new home school mom questions. So, this year I decided to bag all the questions and just go on field trips. My goal was one a month. I spent quite a while researching websites and finding interesting places to go that hopefully wouldn’t break the bank. Once I compiled my overall list, I chose the ones that fit this year the best and committed. Last year, I had all the best of intentions and life just got too busy and they never seemed to happen. This year I have given the kids a list of where we are going and when and I have them all in my planner as well. This way we can all look forward to them.

I have noticed that most places have some kind of home school discount or free day…even Disneyland. Imagine that. I emailed some homeschool friends on some of them to get group discount rates and take advantage of tours and things. Not to mention, it’s just all more fun with friends along!

My overall budget for the whole year is $382. That is the cost for myself and the kids and on occasion my husband is joining us. Considering that includes an overnight trip and 10 additional field trips for 4-5 people…I am pretty pleased!

Sep. OLD SCHOOLHOUSE ($2)

Oct. MAGIC CIRCLE THEATRE/ CHARLOTTE’S WEB LIVE ON STAGE ($20)

HIGH HILL RANCH~ APPLE HILL ($20)

Nov. SKY HIGH JUMP ($15)

Jan. EXPLORIT SCIENCE MUSEUM (Free)

Feb FREE MUSEUM DAY (TBD~Sacramento has a city wide free museum day, so we will choose when it gets closer)

March CA RAILROAD MUSEUM (Free)

April CA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE IN SAN FRANCISCO ($75)

May 6TH GRADE OVERNIGHT TRIP ON THE U.S.S. HORNET FOR MY OLDEST SON AND HUSBAND ($200)

GIRLS SLUMBER PARTY FOR THE REST OF US! ($20)

May CROCKER ART MUSEUM (free)

June BOWLING/LUNCH FOR LAST DAY OF SCHOOL ($30)

I am sure it will vary slightly as the year goes along, but it is so nice to have a plan that is reasonable. If I had my way, everyday would be a “field trip” somewhere!

Day 135. Real Simple Chore Chart.

Written on May 11, 2010 by just a night owl in 170 School Days. 2009., Homeschool Tips, My home

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I have always held some grand aspirations of beautiful chore charts hanging in my home. I am able to keep up with them for a week or two at best, but life is usually too chaotic and I get sidetracked and we stop the chart. Things have changed after months of homeschooling. First and foremost is WE ARE HOME. I have wondered at times over the past couple years why we pay for this house? It seems as though we are never in it, except to sleep. I didn’t realize at the time, the one good thing about that was, it hardly got dirty.

It’s a little different story around here now. Two adults, three children with one more on the way, and a two year old yorkie live here in this house A N D ….someone or something is home around the clock. One of the first pieces of practical advice I received when crossing into homeschool land was that your house better be cleaned and organized because it was going to be used like never before. Boy is that true. After all, it is called homeschool for a reason.

I heard a concept recently called the Partial Chore mentality that kind of clicked it all into place for me. It states that you rarely get an uninterrupted opportunity to clean the entire house at one time. Why not do a little bit at a time? Your whole house may never be clean at the same time, but it’s never going to be all the way dirty at the same time either. So, this brilliant statement got me thinking. In the past, part of my hesitation of having the kids help is that they are kids and can’t get the cleaning done up to the standards that I want it. It was then that I realized, I rarely get to the cleaning at the “high standards” that I want it. So, why not have the kids pitch in and help? While the house isn’t going to be clean up to my standards, it isn’t going to be dirty all the way to the bottom of my standards either.

This new found thinking combined with my new found lifestyle where we live IN and enjoy our home has brought about the need for a change. The kids have always helped with chores, but only when I have asked. Life changed last week. Mine for the better, their’s for the worse, they say.

It all came down to a calendar on an end cap at Target. It is part of the REAL SIMPLE collection. It is priced at 10.99 and is now our chore chart. I hung a bulletin board in the hall by the kids rooms and put this glorious creation right on it in plain view. After about 45 minutes, I had laid out chores for the entire month for the kids. Each child has their own color. Cameron~blue. Taylor~green. Emma~ brown. These chores are in addition to the regular make your bed, pick up your stuff, kind of chores. These chores can be done at any point during the day, on their time, but I will not be reminding them daily. They will not receive any cash for completing them and failure to do complete them correctly, has some serious consequences.

What if you “forget”, or “couldn’t find the time” to do them? No problem, you are forgiven. However, you will do them the next day, in addition, to that day’s chores AND go to bed 30 minutes early. If you do the chores poorly…you will redo them and go to bed 15 minutes early as well. This is the first month we are at this and this is undoubtedly going to have a little bit of a learning curve. I am sure it will be adjusted some. However, I LOVE that this is a once a month commitment on my part to maintain the chart part and it provides me with the flexibility to change from day to day what I have them do, if needed.

I have high hopes for this….REALLY HIGH. This morning I walked out of my room to find my 12 year old emptying the trash…ALL ON HIS OWN. Ironically, as I finish up typing this my 9 year old skipped in with Windex and a roll of paper towels to wipe down my bath for me. PINCH ME…I MUST BE DREAMING.

How do you handle the chore situation in your home?

Now there are just 35 school days left until summer.

Day 110. A Project A Piece.

Written on March 26, 2010 by just a night owl in 170 School Days. 2009., Grown Up Crafts, Homeschool Tips

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The kids favorite part of school is doing experiments and projects. It doesn’t matter what the subject. They enjoy the hands on learning a lot. We are currently working on the following:

First, I have started Bible Memory Verses with my 5 year old. She can’t read yet, but Abeka has these great Memory Verse cards for preschoolers. The pictures become the prompts for her verses. Her first one is

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made” Psalm 139:14

She walks around saying this all day. I hope this penetrates into her heart and mind…forever. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all live the day to day, with this as the truth of the foundation of our souls? How would we be different?

Next is my 11 year old son. Grandma gave us a Chia professor. Creepy? Uh huh. Perfect for a 11 year old boy. It lives in the classroom, thank goodness. The reviews say that he will grow a mullet first. Oh, how I hope so. An Einsteen Chia with a mullet. Brilliant.

Finally my 9 year old daughter is growing stalactites. This truly amazed me. Maybe I am too easily entertained, but you should try this. It’s crazy. This picture is after three days.

Here’s how you can do this…take two glass jars. Fill with warm water and baking soda. Keep adding baking soda until there is enough that it will no longer dissolve in the water when stirring. Next, take a piece of yarn and tie a paper clip on each end. Place the ends of the yarn in the two jars with a plate or something to catch the extra crystals underneath. You don’t dip the yarn in the water mixture…it does this on it’s own. The water creeps up through the yarn. Creeping crystals? What’s not to love. If you wanna get a little out of control, then try adding some food coloring to the water too. We will do that next.

This may be common knowledge to most, maybe I just didn’t pay attention in science. Whatever the case, I find this pretty fascinating. It happened so very quickly.

Now there are just 60 school days left until summer.

Day 109. What’s in those Boxes?

Written on March 23, 2010 by just a night owl in 170 School Days. 2009., Homeschool Tips

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Yesterday I told you my deepest feelings about our new implementation of the workbox system. I will keep showing you from time to time what’s inside some of our workboxes. As a newbie, this past summer, I purchased the k4, 4th grade, and 5th grade “kits” from Abeka. I realized after discovering the workbox system that my frustration in feeling like a facilitator, not a teacher was not the curriculum’s problem. It was wrapped up in the way I was trying to implement it. After thinking about it, I really do enjoy Abeka. I plan on sticking with it for most subjects next year.

Here is the workboxes in all their glory. Under the unfinished curtains and the not yet completed painted wall. We are going from green to tan. One day, hopefully by the end of the year, I will actually finish the classroom.

We always have a science experiment, or a plant, or Christmas tree or something that needs a spot! So the tops of the carts have become a great home for these things. Right now we are growing crystals on top of the rolling cart on the right. I also have an “in box” for each child which is on top of the left box. They always put their completed assignments in these boxes. This way I can get to grading them when I have the time, rather than having papers shoved in my face all the live long day.

Some of my kids favorite finds in their boxes have been:

Leap Frog Math Circus DVD with a baggie of graham crackers to eat while watching the movie.

A note ” Go get the yellow chair in the car (from iKea), build it, put it in the classroom, and clean up the trash”. (That one was genius on my part! I see more household projects creeping in from time to time. )

and any type of art project. I can gather all supplies and it’s ready to go.

They have also found….the US puzzle to help practice states and capitals.

Reading…I have been using 3×5 notecards in the box if their is any possible confusion on the assignment.

and a science lesson with supplies for an illustration about the earth’s diameter. This was the first day of using our workboxes. I looked over and Taylor was munchin’ this apple…”hey Tay, you’re eating the earth” I yelled. She was as red as the apple. After all, I did tell them they could find a snack in their boxes.

Today we were up and at school by 7 am. We were able to finish early and spend some time outside in this awesome weather at an amazing park. I could barely find the kids to get pictures of them. They were running for a couple hours. It was perfect.

See two of them running underneath….and as a side note, I love California weather. LOVE IT.

Here’s to peaceful workbox days…

Now there is just 61 school days left until summer.

Day 108. How Sam’s Club Saved My Life.

Written on March 22, 2010 by just a night owl in 170 School Days. 2009., Homeschool Tips

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I have a tendency to be overdramatic, let’s get that out of the way immediately. However, if you homeschool…OR have even a hint of imagination for someone else’s struggles, you may realize while I sound over the top, deep down in my heart, I am completely serious.

Let me recap how I got here…

Mother of 3 children.

The kids attended an amazing Christian school for years.

Then THE DAY happened.

God said, you’re going to homeschool now. If He was still choosing to burn bushes today, I am certain I would have seen one up in flame. It was that clear.

I threw a fit, then surrendered.

That’s the short of it.

So, for the sake of this post, I had a few months to whine and prepare. Come to think of it, I don’t know if you are ever truly prepared for homeschooling. September arrived and I was ushered into my first year with my 5th grade son, 4th grade daughter, and pre-k daughter. I relate it to how it felt when as I first time mom, I had been laboring peacefully with the blessed epidural and the doctor decided to turn it off right before pushing. BAM. No warning…With homeschooling, the choices are endless, the information overwhelming, and the resources almost too many to be helpful. Over the summer, I managed to successfully purchase curriculum, supplies, and have fun creating a classroom in our home. However, in the fall the day to day left me feeling like a facilitator of worksheets rather than a teacher. I went in search of new curriculum thinking that must be the problem. I didn’t feel like we were LEARNING anything.

Then I found it…(insert dramatic music please)…THE WORKBOX SYSTEM….the rolling carts come from Sam’s. My awesome and spectacular friend Cindy texts me the next day (after she saw my Facebook post of my new found plan to workbox it) and says, “I’m at Sam’s…can I get you three?” If that isn’t good enough, I decorate for her and she says…let’s just trade for hours! DONE! I own the workboxes.

Some velcro dots, time with my Xyron, and a little building of carts later…I am a mom, who home schools, who uses the workbox method. I do wish they would rename it. Workbox method does not do it justice.

Alright enough drama, here is the deal. Bullet pointed for your reading pleasure.

1. Workbox method is NOT a curriculum. It is a method how to implement any curriculum you choose.

2. There are 10 drawers and 3 carts. 1 cart per child. 1 drawer per subject or assignment. Refilled every day with assignments for the next day of school.

3. The workboxes are to be used in order with no peeking ahead.

4. My kids feel like they are “opening a present” with each drawer they pull out. (yes, they really said that)

5. I insert notes, sticks (our reward system in our classroom), or snacks in different drawers. I have even been known to include a “free box”.

6. The boxes are numbered. When they complete a box they move the number to the right side to keep track of where they are.

7. I fill the boxes daily when school is over. As I fill them, I move the number back to the left. This way I know which ones have been filled.

8. Filling the boxes daily, keeps me more on top of their curriculum and waaaayyyy more accountable. (To who? I don’t know, but it works.)

9. The kids know what’s expected of them and how much they work they have remaining. It provides a visual and eliminates the question…”how much more work do we have left today?”

10. I have extra notes such as “Teacher Help” or “recess” to put on the boxes as I see fit. This way if I know one child needs help in math and another in science, I schedule those boxes at different points in the day. I avoid feeling like I’m stuck in a pinball machine and the kids can actually have my attention.

10. I have at least a couple of extra boxes every day that I can fill with “fun” activities such as baking, art projects, or different educational games. I intermingle those with core subjects.

11. This whole system has really allowed me to wrap my head around what we are actually doing each day. It gives me some structure, yet enough freedom to really be able to put in science experiments and all the “extras”. I used to find that I rushed or eliminated those types of things to “get done” quicker with school.

12. My frustration of being the “facilitator” is gone. Instead of spending valuable time when I should be teaching the kids, running around grabbing supplies etc… I enter the room, completely prepared with all the supplies pulled and stored in such a fashion that it gives the kids some independence, some surprise, and generally makes the day go 1 million times smoother.

13. It’s the first system that I have tried, that works for all ages of kids. I have a 5, 9, 11 year old. I can use this same system for all three!

My final thought is this…you may have been thinking that everywhere carries these rolling carts right? This one is perfection in my opinion. Not obnoxious in color, just the right amount of boxes, the right size of boxes, and super sturdy. If your gonna try this, just get it at Sam’s…and no one is paying me to say that.

Tomorrow, I will continue my over the top review about this method, with lots of pictures and examples of what goes into the different workboxes. If you homeschool (especially if you’re new and or have multiple children) and haven’t tried this, consider it. It just may end up saving your life too.

Now there is just 62 school days left until summer.

Day 95. Giving A Day.

Written on March 7, 2010 by just a night owl in 170 School Days. 2009., Homeschool Tips

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All week long my kids and I have been working on a charity project with an amazing reward. You may have heard of it? Disney’s Give a Day, Get a Day. I had tried unsuccessfully to get a volunteer date a couple of times. Well, last Saturday I was able to get one! It was to help Powerhouse Ministries stock their food closet. All we had to do was collect items and drop them off.

I sent an email out to some friends and in just five days we were able to collect all this!

Powerhouse ministries was so appreciative when we went and dropped this off during school today!

We are SO pleased to receive tickets to Disneyland. Our end of the year school field trip….YEAH!

Thanks to Grandma, Cindy, Michelle, Chris, Tammy, and Amber for helping with Powerhouse Ministries and helping us have such an amazing upcoming end of the school year trip!!!!

Now there is just 75 school days left until summer.

I’m the Map.

Written on March 4, 2010 by just a night owl in Grown Up Crafts, Homeschool Tips, My home

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I NEED YOUR HELP!

I purchased this map and now it is roughly tacked up to the wall to see if I like…I wanted a bold statement, um haha.

Here lies my problem.

See all the white? It all has to be trimmed.

Is it prepasted? um no, adhesive needs to be purchased and applied.

Measurements on website were incorrect by a lot. Now the map is significantly bigger than my wall and we will lose part of the world when it is trimmed down to the correct size.

Color? it arrived significantly brighter then shown on my computer screen.

I am not happy about the amount of time to install, but it can be done. I love how visual it is. Although, I think I like the idea of it better than I like it. However, some days I walk in and am not feeling it. I am not after a map, just something to do with that wall that’s fun and different.

The map wall usually has all three desks sticking out from it. They are currently thrown around the room as the map is hung very insecurely with a couple of tacks.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? KEEP IT? or RETURN IT?

I won’t tell you which way I am leaning, for fear of possible public humiliation if you disagree with me!

I leave it up to you….however if you decide no my kids may cry, cuz they adore it !

Day 94. A Pizza Party.

Written on March 4, 2010 by just a night owl in 170 School Days. 2009., Curriculum, Homeschool Tips

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Now this is my kinda school. A Party? When my friend Kim sent me an email to this link, I was completely floored. For $7.95 you download 105 pages of this week long study. It is aimed at a broad age range of kids. Now while this study does cover math, history, geography, art, and other topics…It is not a complete curriculum. However, I can see many many more of these in our future. We are having a great time learning together! ALL of us on the same page….literally.

These studies would also be great for a family that does not homeschool. They really are FUN. They have links to videos, library book suggestions, family fun ideas, and more…

I printed 3 copies out on my computer at home. By the end of the week we will have put our first Lap book together. If you are new to homeschooling you may be asking what is a Lap book? You can see one here.

You can guess what was for lunch?!

One BIG HUGE lesson I am learning this year, is that things are only brand new for a short while. Because of this, we have taken this week “off’ of our normal studies. When something is NEW it takes longer, for everybody. This will allow us all to figure out the routine of this unit study and lap book thing, as well as get ready for our open house on Sunday. More pics to come this week of our quest for ultimate pizza knowledge…

THANKS KIM FOR THE TIP!!!!

Now there are just 76 school days left until summer.

Day 84. Janet’s Guest Post.

Written on February 18, 2010 by just a night owl in 170 School Days. 2009., Guest Posts, Homeschool Tips

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I am so excited to be kicking off this series of Guest Posts. These posts will arrive over the next 3 weeks as I continue to receive them. Each one of these women have G R E A T things to say. All from different perspectives and all from different hearts. THAT is what makes it all so beautiful.

Janet Falcone is as great as they come… a W O N D E R F U L lady from my church and veteran homeschool extraordinaire. Thanks for sending this in Janet! Enjoy……

10 Years of Homeschooling…Top 10 Things I have learned

1) Homeschooling is a choice and a privilege but isn’t for everyone. Respect those who choose not to.

2) If you choose a Charter School take advantage of classes they might offer. Especially if its an area that you might have trouble in, for me it was teaching math (not a strong point for me).

3) Use the Internet. There are so many fun things you can find that help promote learning. 3 of my favorites were “Time for Kids”, National Geographic for Kids and Web Museum. When teaching art I used Web Museum a lot.

4) What I love most about Homeschooling is it can be flexible, don’t beat your self up if you start school at 11:00 not 9:00 on some days.

5) It was helpful for both my daughter and me if we went over what we were going to do the next day. She had her own calendar so she always knew what was happening for the day.

6) I learned that all children learn differently and you know what “That’s OK” Don’t put your child in a box.

7) I learned that a trip to the Grocery store could totally be a learning experience. I would have Emily pick a recipe than make the grocery list. We would shop and than she would cook the meal that evening. So she got a bit of math, life experience, and cooking.

I tend to be very structured and want to get all accomplished that was on the schedule for the day. What I learned was life happens. That’s the beauty of homeschooling pick it up the next day.

9) On the days I’m ready to throw the towel in and frustration sets in STOP- go to the park, library, take a nature walk anything to regroup.

10) Find other homeschool Moms and kids to hook up with. On Holidays create a craft day, cookie making, just fun things for the kids to do together. It creates community for them and support for you.