Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival :: CMBC :: Fall 2016

Welcome, Friends!

Thank you for joining us at the September 2016 edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival!
Many of us are embarking on a brand spankin' new schoolyear, so readers can fully expect many scheduling and planning posts this month along with first day of school pictures and the like. Bloggers be sure to include posts about what you all have been doing over the summer as well!

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The way a blog carnival works is: throughout the month as they blog, CM bloggers can add the link to their posts to the linky below so that the rest of us can easily find them, pop over to their blogs and enjoy learning something from them!

It’s like Charlotte Mason Blog Central. Or that’s the idea anyway. :)

ALL Charlotte Mason educational posts are welcome!!

Readers may want to check back again towards the end of the month for the latest additions. Bloggers, please feel free to link up as many additional posts as you’d like between now and the end of November.

This carnival will accept posts through November, so save the link and come back to share again!


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some serious brain work happening here. #boysread #fisheracademy #amblesideonline #aoy7 #aoy12 #reading #livingbooks #charlottemasonliving

A photo posted by Amy Tuttle (@amadasoy) on Aug 25, 2016 at 7:44am PDT

my BIG summer project.

#discoverreading
#writing
#charlottemason

2014 Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival Schedule

In honor of Charlotte Mason's birthday, today, here is the schedule for the upcoming year of CM Blog Carnivals!
I'm already looking forward to learning and sharing, are you??

This year, there will be one topic designated per month (always optional). All carnival editions hosted and posted during the corresponding month will fall under the same topic. In past years, many that prefer to follow the schedule simply weren't able to keep up with a new topic every two weeks. SO, for those folks, we're allowing for a whole month to meditate on each subject/chapter. We'll see how it goes, and if we like it, we'll keep it. If not, we can change it up*. :)

One more thing, this is really important... the schedule below mentions a bunch of reading selections and blogging topics which are 100% optional! You may blog about any of Miss Charlotte's favorite topics at any time and submit your posts to any CM Blog Carnival all year long! The list below is simply for those who find it helpful, would like to have a plan, or who enjoy communing and thinking along the same lines as others. Please always feel free to share what you are thinking or doing, whether 'officially on-topic' or not.

Go ahead and bookmark or print this post if you'd like to follow along!


Feel free to snag the CMBC logo to link from your blog's sidebar!

2014
Subject to revision, please check the Schedule Page for changes and exact dates.
Optional reading selections & topics are taken from sections of School Education,  Vol. 3 of CM's Homeschooling Series
January
Some Unconsidered Aspects of Physical Training - Chapter 10
A few subheadings from the section:

• Does our Physical Culture make Heroes?
• A Serviceable Body, the End of Physical Culture.
• Ye are not Your Own
• Use of Habit in Physical Training

February
Some unconsidered aspects of Intellectual Training - Chapter 11
A few subheadings from the section:

• Three Ultimate Facts - Not open to Questions
• Limitations of Reason
• The Formation of Intellectual Habits

March
Some unconsidered Aspects of Moral Training - Chapter 12
A few subheadings from the section:

• Authority, the Basis of Moral Teaching
• Limitations of Authority
• Morals do not come by Nature

April
Some unconsidered Aspects of Religious Training - Chapter 13
A few subheadings from the section:

• Authority in Religious Education
• The Habits of the Religious Life
• Fatherhood of God, Kingship of Christ, Our Saviour & The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

May
A Master Thought - Chapter 14
A few subheadings from the section:

• Education is a life
• A Creed which unifies Life
• The Diet of Great Ideas
• A Captain Idea for us, - Education is the Science of Relations

June
School Books and How They Make for Education - Chapter 15
A few subheadings from the section:

• What manner of Book sustains the Life of Thought?
• Our aim in Education is to give a Full Life
• Our Work, to give vitalising Ideas

July
How to Use School Books - Chapter 16
A few subheadings from the section:

• Disciplinary Subjects of Instruction
• Principles on which to select School books & Marks of a Fit Book
• Children must Labour, Value of Narration, A Single Careful Reading & The Teacher's Part

August
Education, the Science of Relations: We are Educated by Our Intimacies - Chapter 17
A few subheadings from the section:

• Only Three Educational Instruments
• On what does Fulness of Living depend?
• The Child a Person

September
We are Educated by Our Intimacies - Further Affinities - Chapter 18
A few subheadings from the section:

• Intimacy with Natural Objects
• Having Touch with the Past necessary

October
We are Educated by Our Intimacies - Vocation - Chapter 19
A few subheadings from the section:

• Sincere Work
• Children have Affinities and should have Relations
• The Highest Relationship

November
Suggestions Toward a Curriculum - Chapter 20
A few subheadings from the section:

• A Definite Aim, A unifying principle
• Knowledge vs. Information
• Children have a Natural Craving for Knowledge

December
What we love MOST about Charlotte Mason, Looking back & Looking forward




*Please always feel free to send suggestions and opinions regarding the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival to charlotte mason blogs AT gmail DOT com (no spaces)!

Scheduling :: Finding Your Family Rhythm

It is my hope that through identifying regular life rhythms and learning to move and dance to them with our families, we will improve the quality of atmosphere in our homes. Finding our family's rhythm and beginning to order our days can also help us (and our kids) to form good habits, help us to look at life calmly knowing what comes next (or where to pick up when we get off track), and help us to make the most of our family's precious time.


It's very likely that your family already has a rhythm, it may be fast or slow (it may seem kind of chaotic at first glimpse!) Take a moment to consider, you may realize you already do many things the same way every single day. Your rhythm is influenced by the individuals that make up your family and what you think is important... and we know what we think is important by what we make time for.

Charlotte Mason taught that a big part of education is atmosphere. Our family rhythms influence much of what she would call 'atmosphere': the things we think are important, the way we move from one thing to the next and the way we treat one another in the midst. She also labeled education a discipline... this has to do with forming habits. The habit of orderliness (with our time, especially), is something we are looking to strengthen when we identify, concentrate on, or begin new family rhythms. It is calming to certain personalities to know what comes next. Finding and keeping a rhythm will especially help those kinds of people.

Keep in mind, when making lists or schedules, you don't want to create another guilt-inducer that will scream back at you when it simply doesn't work, something changes, or when for some reason or other you are unable to carry it out. Our goal for finding family rhythms is to come up with a visual reminder based on what we are already doing or things we'd like to add, which should serve as a tool to help us improve the atmosphere of our homes. After taking care of basic needs, we can calmly accomplish the things we've determined are really the most important.

If at any time you notice that following a list or schedule is stressing your family out more than it's helping (after the initial working-out-the-wrinkles stage), you need to remind yourself that all of these are only tools. They are meant to serve us, we should never find ourselves slaves to a schedule (or anything else for that matter). We aren't marionettes, we must find the freedom to move in a way that reflects our individuality!

Why, if we we get ourselves too tied down to a certain way, or try to dance to someone else's tune, that'll take the joy right out of dance! :)
Here's a little printable guide that hopefully will help you to identify, develop and dance to Your Family Rhythm. (Please let me know if you have any trouble downloading).

Daily Rhythms :: Fisher Academy

Our Week in Nature! {NSM}

My friend Tammy says that I find the most amazing bugs. Well, that's probably only half true. I should admit of several possibly unfair advantages. For one, I have an extra ten pair* of eyes {ahem... edit required. that would be *five pair, ten total. now, how many of you actually counted??} Many times the first sighting is accomplished by one of those extended pair. Second, we live in a place with an AMAZING amount of insects. I think I can safely say that not a day goes by that I fail to see something awesome. If I am looking, that is.

Without an internet connection, it's amazing what you have time for; the things you see and can get done! I don't even get to be online tons because of a limited source of internet, but as that ran out last month, I found myself without the wisp of a possibility and I felt as free as the birds for a whole week! Here are a few of our sightings... Lamentably, I don't always get photos of everything!

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I have really enjoyed reading your posts! SO. much. goodness.
Please keep sharing them!

If you care to tell others, I'd love if we were able to share more nature study encouragement!! This is the last week to add posts to April's Nature Study Monday Linky! (Of course, we'll start it all again next month with a brand spankin' new linky,  but I just thought I'd add that this one will close on the last day of April. :)

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to do... to day

I'm more than half way through my homeschool planning day.
It's 4pm and here's what I have left to do... we shall see ;)

TO DO:

Picture study files drop off
Buy medicine
Lunch
Haircut - (jac)

P/U pictures, buy: diet coke, boxed milk

transfer...
4 print
4 mp3 players
4 kindle

details...
Handicraft
Music
Drawing lessons
Work projects

if there's time leftover...
Organize folders
Blog post

It's my party and I'll vote if I want to! ;)

Wow! I think it is SO fun that someone(s) nominated this blog for the Homeschool Blog Awards!  Thank you :)  I'm so excited about one nomination in particular: Best Homeschooling Methods...  I wholeheartedly agree!  A living education as advocated by Charlotte Mason herself is the BEST!  Join with me and make her principles famous?! 

I've made the difficult decision to vote for myself oh, I mean, Fisher Academy in Best Homeschooling Methods category!! (We've also been nominated for Best Nature Study, and Favorite Homeschool Mom - hah! you guys are too much! seriously. I laughed out loud on this last one. I'm flattered though :)

Here's why:

1. Charlotte Mason is the BEST and I want her method of delightful, living education to be famous!!
2. It's fun to win stuff!!
3. There are so many great blogs, it's probable I won't win anyway, so I might as well get one vote!! ;)

You can vote for Fisher Academy or any number of my friends' wonderful blogs here (I counted at least eight CM bloggy buddies on there, so we have a good chance of winning between us!):





You can only vote for Fisher Academy in one of the following categories...
Best Homeschooling Methods Blog
Best Nature Study, and Favorite Homeschool Mom

Have fun, and enjoy the party!! ;)

To do or not to do... hands-on activities

My good friend Jimmie, in her post, not only shows how in many ways we agree, but has provoked an extremely lengthy response from me on the merits of hands-on projects, which I decided might make for a happy post all by itself and possible continuation of discussion here :)  or not.  Either way ;)





In her post, Jimmie quoted something I'd posted awhile ago in answer to this question:  "I guess my question is when you read the books do you have activities that you do or implement to go along with them or is reading enough?"  A few words to first give a little context; to quote myself… ;)

”Though it might seem crazy, a child doesn’t really need a lot of hands-on activities to learn things or make connections when reading living books!!”

Hands-on projects are not necessary to a child’s learning when they are reading living books, is the idea I’ve expressed here, and I have to say that I agree with myself  ;)

First, this implies the idea that the children are of living book reading age. :) Second, when I say hands-on projects, I'd like to define those as crafty activities that are usually planned ahead with the intention of reinforcing a concept being taught.  These can be fun, perhaps even helpful, but I still maintain they are most often unnecessary when using living books*.  What I'm not referring to is handicrafts (basket weaving, sewing, wood carving, etc. see below) which are an absolute delight to most children and especially those in our family.  :)

However, like Jimmie said and I’ve said elsewhere and Charlotte Mason says and so-and-so also says and… <grin>  It is ABSOLUTELY necessary for very young children to get their hands onto things to learn – especially when it comes to abstract ideas (like math). And I would venture to say not just abstract concepts like math, but in those early years it is vital to experience all things outdoors and there ought to be much opportunity for hands on play with *things* very much apart from books. (As an aside, CM actually says NOT to read too much to a very young child!)  BUT, as Jimmie has defined in another post, getting their hands onto things can be different than pre-planned ornate hands-on projects. I am all for the first, and less excited about the second. But that’s just me.

I require my kids do lots of things apart from reading books with their hands ;) that probably do not classify technically as ‘hands-on’ learning projects though they are all very hands on:

• nature study
• various art
• sketching
• handicrafts (wood carving, cookie deco, fimo clay, beginning sewing, etc)
• learning an instrument

…and occasionally these things naturally connect with the things they’re learning about in their books.
But, most times the activity is completely independent of their book learning.

NOW. I think all those hands-on projects are great for the people and children who love them! Absolutely!
Especially when those hands-on projects can in someway benefit others (making gifts, repairing something, etc). And if they reinforce a concept being learned elsewhere, why not?!  Excellent.
I just don’t do it. But, I don’t prohibit it either… I just don’t specifically plan them into my children’s education.  (Except when grandparents visit, they are not only encouraged, but specifically required to do crafty things with my kids, heheh!)  That doesn't mean lots of hands-on activities don't occur quite spontaneously, that is what I LOVE!  When my kids come up with their own stuff!  That is completely and utterly satisfying.  :) 

I’m not saying that what we do is the way it should always be done, it’s just the way it works in our family (for many reasons: a non-crafty momma, multiple children, a strong CM focus, limited craft supplies available, etc., etc.). Families ought to find their happy medium in these areas and then feel confident they are doing their best… and STOP worrying! We cannot teach our children everything. They will continue their learning all throughout their lifetimes, just as WE teachers are still learning!

It’s part of the beauty of life. :)


PS.  Children with special learning needs are always the exception.  Their education must be tailor fit to them in SO many ways, and I know from friends who have this kind of exceptional kids that hands-on activities are often VERY helpful!

reflections on a Charlotte Mason education.

{Question}:

"What are your favorite aspects of AO? Why did you choose to use that as your primary curricula?"

Basically, here's the thing with Charlotte Mason/AO...
The idea is that the child is born a natural learner.  And that all the while he's living (if we don't give him reason not to) he'll delight in learning from nature, observing things around him, picking up ideas from the stories he's told and the experiences he's having and making connections between them all... that the child naturally remembers the things that interest him.  As something interests him and he begins to form a relationship with that area (with birds for instance), he'll naturally notice them in the backyard, and then identify personally with them in Burgess Bird book and file this information away for the next encounter he might have for example at a family outing to the aviary or park to feed the ducks and notice the differences between water birds and the birds he sees at the birdfeeder...etc. etc.  We can gently capitalize on these moments and help them by giving them small tidbits, more food for thought, or provide them with more experiences that add to the whole compost of ideas that's churning inside them.  These kinds of relationships are what real living education is made of... it really has no pin-point-able beginning or end - well, excepting birth and death; even then there's heaven. Who knows if we'll ever stop learning!...    :)



I think the thing that attracted me at first to Ambleside Online was the fact that a lot of the resources were available online.  Second was CM's emphasis on the natural beauty of learning itself.  That we don't have to be taught to enjoy learning... only encouraged to keep on loving it...  (with modern methods, sometimes it seems virtually impossible to maintain interest! at least that's what happened in my case and a good many others I know of!  ;)

As I began AO/CM, the thing that secured my interest was how it all flows together.  How we can and ought to integrate a lot of areas of education, that education is a life, and atmosphere in itself... I realized how important it is to give the gift of culture, the arts, living history to my kids so that they can be whole, diverse and interesting people!  :)  AO/CM encouraged everything I ideally wanted to incorporate even though initially I didn't know how to do it.  So, I dove in, learning as I went (I'm still learning!).  I fell more and more in love with 'education as a life' philosophy as I too was being enticed by all the knowledge that somehow I'd looked on as 'boring' and left by the wayside during my earlier education years.

As I've continued on with AO/CM, I've been amazed at how much my kids know!  Reading living books, narrating them back, being exposed to the arts, and nature study (observation, attention, etc), it is SERIOUSLY amazing how natural and enticing a living education really can be!  My kids really enjoy learning, and they retain a TON!  They still remember books/lessons/poetry/art from 5 years ago!  It really is shocking.  :)



{Question}:  

"I guess my question is when you read the books do you have activities that you do or implement to go along with them or is reading enough?"

Though it might seem crazy, a child doesn't really need a lot of hands-on activities to learn things or make connections when reading living books!!  :)  A drawing, an acting out, a couple of sentences written/dictated about what he's read (all actually forms of narration, retelling), in whatever way is particularly interesting to your child... all of these things are good.  Basically, the only thing required is the child in some way retell what he's just heard.  When the material is interesting, the kids amazingly remember.  :)

So, please do share with us...

What is YOUR favorite aspect of a CM education?

Would you consider posting and sharing your thoughts about this?
If you do post, please do link up below! ;)

oh my good golly... nominated?

Oh my good golly..

I was just over at the HSBApost where the Annual Homeschool blog awards happen.  I was perusing the different categories, eying my favorite blogs...  and voting... and my heart's beating fast...  and my thoughts are racing... and...




OH. MY. GOOD. GOLLY.
(there, I said it again.)




I've been nominated!



hilarious.


Now, I'm not going to ask you to vote for me (though you can if you honestly think I deserve it) because there are a number of really great blogs on the list!  Of course you could vote for one of my friends' blogs and ask one of your kids to vote for mine!  ahahahahahah!  If I asked for your vote, I would feel like I were asking you to NOT vote for some of my very favorite blogs!!  ;)    For instance.  Some of my long time friends are nominated too!

Jimmie @ Jimmie's Collage, who I've known since the good ol' days at HSB

Jeanne @ A Peaceful Day

Mama Squirrel @ Dewey's Treehouse

Barb @ Harmony Art Mom

Amy, Marshie and all the rest of the delightful people @ Heart of the Matter

And of course a good number of newer friends have been nominated too...

Go here to check them all out.

{Make sure to click on the blog's link before you click the dot to vote 

because after you vote the list vanishes 

** UPDATE: Here is a list of all this year's nominees.}

So.  I just can't believe it.  Seriously.  And all I want to say is, thank you to YOU my friends who read this blog and think it useful.  :)  I want you to know how nicely and warmly that makes me feel.  :)

there.  I'm done.

:)

Planning around life.

Well, I'm just pulling my plans together for Term 2 (we started the year early and have to continue on - see note below :), and I've come to realize that the sample weekly list I posted a few days ago was REALLY complicated looking!  hahah!

I guess I'd just gotten used to looking at it since I'd been using it for over a year... but today as  I started subbing this term's information into the boxes... whoa!  I could hardly look at it!  With the cute fonts here and there, it was much too busy.  So, I've renovated and made something a LOT more plain... as well as legible. ;)  I thought I'd put it up here in .doc format and that way if there's anyone doing a AOy6 or AOy2, maybe you could even tweak it to work for you?  Well, regardless, I'm putting it here for my own use... I'll always know where I can find it when I need it!  :)  Also, the list shows how I keep track of multiple students using different years.

Here's what the new format looks like...



Click here to download a copy.

Notes about how I organize:
*I am easily overwhelmed with information overload!  To help with this, I categorize the readings by subject and assign each subject a day (for example, Tues=History, Wed=Literature, etc.).  I do this in order to have a daily checklist.

*I've worked out a daily schedule that we follow loosely, this has been essential for maintaining order around here.  Just to get my head around it, several years ago, I used Managers of Their Homes for working through that.  Our schedule undergoes almost constant tweaking.  Regardless of how I plan, our days are rarely regular.  And we're okay with that ;)

*A daily checklist helps me to easily see the things that need to get done.  When something doesn't get done on the assigned day we move it neatly into 'catch-up' day and don't worry about it a bit until then!

*I re-vamp our weekly list often (as you may have noticed) at the beginning of every term.  I sub in all the readings for that term into the list with page numbers and print off copies for my own use as well as for my older boys.

Keeping it real:

This term includes a good amount of disruptions to normal living as there are two more river trips planned before the end of the year, we'll have guests for several weeks and then will be packing up (putting everything in storage) and moving (across the country to Trujillo).  Then crawling on top of each other adjusting to life in a tiny apartment (for a couple of months... yay!) as well as traveling to and around the US (we may be in Term 3 by then...)  ALL while trying to finish the school year.  heheh.  Life has a way of getting kind of complicated sometimes. (My husband wrote a cool article about our life in missions here.)  At the moment I feel kind of overwhelmed about how it will all work out, but I'm sure it will all work out...


The cool thing is, as homeschoolers we are able to roll with the punches!  We can be flexible!  We can work with what we're given.  Isn't that one of the best perks of teaching our own kids at home?    

I will be finishing my Teaching Reading series this coming week (I've been SO enjoying my study of it). I hope you all will continue to comment and add anything I forget!  Also, make sure to link up in the comments if you've blogged any CM reading lessons so that we can all find them and learn from you!

how to go weekly...

How to make a weekly list using the Ambleside Online curriculum...

...notice I use my AO list to note groceries, and new guitar chords I'm learning too ;)

I need lists.  I need to see what needs to be done, as well as be encouraged seeing what's been finished!  Lists are wonderful!  However, if the list is too long, or too boring, or poorly organized it does me NO good.  I make lots of lists, but the one I use absolutely MOST often is my AO weekly list!  :)


Get a hold of the Term Schedules:

First of all, we are spoiled rotten because of the files AmblesidOnline is coming out with VERY SOON (*edited 4/9/2013) for EVERY AO year in both .pdf and .doc format! You will be able to find all these schedules at AmblesideOnline.org or on the forum. I print a copy of the entire year for my Homeschool Planning Day every year and use it extensively in my planning throughout the year.

The same information is available on the AO site for every year.  You'll see the pages for the booklists and the schedules for each year.  But, that long list is SO overwhelming for me... having to find my place each week, and oh me oh my...  I'm so thankful for the Term Schedules!

Here's an idea of what you'll be looking for in minuscule version :)

Term 1

Term 2

Term 3

Basically, what we have here is all the AO subjects/readings for year 2 plotted out by week (horizontally), and books/subjects (vertically).  In a lot of cases it even has the readings broken up.  Sometimes not, it depends on the book because there are different versions available, so you can easily just count the pages in your book and evenly divide it up over the term.

I used to just have a print out of this glued to my forehead handy at all times and crossed everything off as we read/narrated.  It has blank fields for you to add in assignments for math, language arts, foreign language, handiwork, etc.  This was a really easy way to go in year one and two even.  But increase the number of children = the result is more complicated...

SO.  I personally need to limit what I see.  Too much information leaves me feeling quite swamped and overwhelmed.  Which leads me in the direction (finally) this post is supposed to be going; the need for a weekly list.

Converting to a weekly list:

The idea is to basically just transfer all the information from one week at a time from the Term Schedule (or from the AO Schedules online), to fit our daily routine.  I fill out this weekly list each term so that I have 12 weeks done ahead of time.  This is my main task each Homeschool Planning Day.  Transferring the information to a weekly list, counting off pages, filling in the assignments for the other subjects, etc.

If you need help figuring out, or putting order to your daily routine, I highly recommend Managers of Their Homes (MOTH), which was vital early when I was first beginning juggling of days. :)

My weekly list incorporates time frames that normally (hah!) work for us... but we are SUPER flexible.  It's there as a guide, nothing more.  Mainly, I work from the following schedule as a list of what I have to accomplish that day.  Here's an example (sorry it's not super clear).



You'll notice the little checkboxes!  These help me keep track of what everyone's doing and done.  :) I'm such a listy girl :)  Basically, a LOT of the information on this list is just transcribed from Judy's Term Schedules pictured above. I put in every assignment and every reading, the exact page numbers so that not only they know what to read, but I know what they're reading (so that I can stay ahead in the readings, if desired, and so that I can know what they are to narrate).

Every 4 weeks I print off the two older boys and myself a booklet of 4 weeks worth (4 pages) of their weekly assignments.  I print it off using booklet format on my computer and it ends up looking something like this:

Imagine that middle gray as a fold ;)

Of course, I had to go and make a fun version for my seven year old girl to check off her assignments as well, here's a peek at hers (she doesn't have all the page numbers on her assignments because for the most part, we're still doing most of her readings together out loud... they are detailed out on the weekly list pictured above):



Now, I could go on FOREVER about my routine, schedule, weekly list... but I'll stop and see if there are any questions.  If there are, I'll be happy to elaborate  ;)  If not, I'll be satisfied knowing that this post covered everything you wanted to know about how to make a weekly list for multiple children doing Ambleside Online!!   heheh.  ;)

I did make a blank weekly list that someone may be interested in using as a guide in making your own weekly list... it's here:

(right click the image and select Save As... to save the full-size pdf file to your computer)
and here's a zip file of the pdf and doc version :)

handwriting... who cares?!

I have some posts scrambling around in my head trying to get out, and yet life keeps happening and they're shut up inside for another day...  but here's one that pretty much just snuck out. 
*(question: uh, how does one say 'sneak out' in the past tense?  ...sneaked out just does NOT sound right.)

Below, I will be posting a picture of some of my boys' handwriting/copywork samples from this past week.  I know that once you see my boys' handwriting you will be able to say to yourself, heh! ... my kid IS normal!  So, let's just go ahead and get this out in the open... My kids are not over-acheiver homeschooler super-human specimans who have impeccable handwriting (...are you okay with that?  will you still read my blog sometimes?) Now that I've made my confession, you can admit it too, and we'll all breathe a sigh of relief because we all know exactly what to expect of each other... normalness.

Phew.

I'm glad we got that out of the way...
OKAY.  Moving right along...





Please take into account that Siah has yet to be introduced into the rigors of Fisher academia and has had no prior training in how to write (well, very little anyway). All things considered, I am actually quite proud of this sample. *including the fact that he writes his name almost perfectly backwards... ;)


While, this sample is a far cry from what I taught him using Cursive First, I actually am kind of proud of this sample too. I mean, my son has with no real coaching on the matter, officially developed 'manly handwriting'. It IS legible. It IS small. It is much like many a man's writing I've seen. and I'm okay with that... :)


Now, a certain other child of mine (who alas, disallowed his sample from being posted) is of the opinion that neat handwriting is not really very necessary as it is becoming somewhat of a lost art. He reasons that typing skills are much more necessary. And how might you think I responded to that?  I said the teacherly thing. of course. I sung the praises of having neat handwriting, how admirable a trait it is, and I did not fail to mention that I write notes when I'm studying my Bible in the morning by hand, and that I journal by hand, and...
Well, I'm curious, what would you have said?

So how would you rate your kids' handwriting on a scale of 1 - 10? 

Is there a difference between your girl's and boy's handwriting?

Does anyone even care about handwriting nowadays?

A digital homeschool magazine for less than $8?!

Hey friends!  Check this out!  

**Attention all international homeschooling families!

(psst!  Lisa, Sarah CT, Martine, Techy, Jeanne, Sarah, DeeDee...

and all the rest of you, please chime in in the comments if I accidentally overlooked you!)

The Old Schoolhouse is having a Labor Day weekend sale on their magazine subscriptions.  And you just can't beat the price for the digital edition!  $6.95 for international subscriptions!!

Go here to read more!!

Even you US dwelling homeschoolers get a super deal too on the printed version for only $7.95!
That's awesome!!

"We are offering a one-year print subscription for just $7.95 or a one-year plus current issue print subscription for only $12.95!  Plus, you can get a digital subscription for just $6.95 for 4 issues. It's perfect for international homeschooling families."

I'm also going to check out the Homeschool Expo (an online homeschool conference) scheduled for the first week of October! Look here for more details on that...

**This has been an official Fisher Academy International Teaching Home announcement... ;)

I hope you very much enjoyed it.

I gain absolutely nothing whether or not you buy anything... so feel no guilt!! 

Book of Centuries and Timelines Galore

Our 'Book of Centuries' (which is actually a Timeline Notebook):
*Update - Timelines are AWESOME fun for younger kids. This post outlines the timeline notebook we use communally when the kids are younger and includes creative ideas and links. Please see this post, and this post for details of the actual BoC that CM used! We will start using a Book of Centuries styled after these in AOy7 when each student will make their own. :) Click here and here to see what we've done.

1) I found a 3-ring binder, well yes, it has been love worn hasn't it...
(if I could get a new one here in Peru and if I hadn't glued the cover right onto the front, I'd say I should change binders already!)

2) I downloaded and printed the free Book of Centuries pages from SimplyCharlotteMason.com
3) I made a collage of clip arts and such for the cover and taped it right on (if I'd had the option at the time, I'd have gotten one of those binders that has the clear plastic cover).  I use picasa to make my collages [read more here]!
4) I put each page in a clear plastic page protector.
5) I made a beginnings page.




Here's the text from that page:

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."  Genesis 1:1

Before there was dirt, grass or houses. When there was no sun, or clouds or oceans - way back then. There was Nothing.

God made Everything.

And time began...

6) I started collecting timeline figures from the internet and here and there and everywhere.  I bought the homeschool in the woods CDs.  The pile of figures below came from some pages I photocopied out of George Washington's world and cut up (AOy4).  The kids like to color these in...




7) In the past, we've been very hit and miss with our Timeline Notebook.  I started it in year one.  But I realized that it was my thing.  Little by little the kids have taken interest.  This year, we are really in earnest.  It actually has its own time slot on the schedule!  Thus the motivation for this post ;) We sometimes paste the figures in, and other times we just slip it into the page protector.  EASY!!  :)  Nothing too fancy or it simply wouldn't get done!!
Here are what some of our pages look like:

If I were a craftsy kinda girl, I'd do one of the cool timeline ideas I've read about, or make up my own.  But I'm not.  So I won't.  To be perfectly honest.  heheh. :)  Here are the ideas that I might do if I had more time, less children... (you may have to join the yahoo group to see the messages?)

Timeline on a string 
{use those little black binder clips (or even paper clips) to hold index cards on fishing line [click here and scroll down, or at the end of the post, click the next entry to read the whole thread]};

 

on a string wrapped around a door; 

or even a Family Tree version.

Below, I've listed some of my favorite links that I've collected over the past several years. Please do share any cool resources you've found or link to your own timeline or book of centuries posts!!

AmblesideOnline specific links:
Common Questions about AO History
The Teaching of Chronology, from the Parent's Review
AmblesideOnline : Files
AmbleRamble : Files

An Island Story:
AmblesideOnline : Message: Re: Island story need timeline figures ch. 22
AmblesideOnline : Message: Our Island Story - Timeline figures

50 Famous Stories:
AO 50 Famous Stories AmblesideOnline.org

Timelines Online
BBC - History - British History Timeline - LOVE this one.  Great for An Island Story, AOy1-5  (use the search option for year or name)
Gazetteer for Scotland Scottish History Timeline 17th Century 
World History HyperHistory - another one with lots of time periods.
Here's a page with a timeline for any time or occasion... http://www3.canisius.edu/~emeryg/time.html

Timeline Figures
TO BUY:  I totally recommend these timeline figures.  They are AWESOME.  They have TONS of figures and are very nicely done.  Easy to search for the person you want... you can also use them as coloring sheets... yes.  I love them.  :)  HTTA - Historical Timeline Figures 

FOR FREE:  There are people studied in the AO years that are not included in the above CDs...
Here are the sites I've used:
Images of Famous British People - British Kings, Christian Heroes, etc, etc. (has almost all the AIS kings, even from the first few chapters, if I remember correctly and lots of figures to use for Shakespeare paper dolls or Little Duke, etc.)
The Famous Kings & Queens of England  (I like the look of these figures best for AIS, but I had already printed the figures from the previous link... :) covers years 872 - 1952.


General Clipart:  (I don't know why anyone would choose to do this... too much time to search and format and print, etc... but here are the links I saved when I was deluded enough to think free made it worthwhile!  :)  Clipart ETC Homepage


Timeline Tutorials
Timelines, Paula's Archives  - This is the single most helpful source I've found online.
History Timelines

Timeline Examples
Book of Centuries - I LOVE this book.  If we advance to the point next year, that each boy makes their own (or if I make MY OWN!), I would like to encourage them to look at this one.  Charmaine did a very nice job.
Timeline Ideas



**Hey!  Don't forget...
please, please share any helpful links!!  that way everyone who stops by can benefit!!  :)  Thank you!

Folksong: Farewell to Nova Scotia

This Term's Folksong:

Farewell to Nova Scotia


photo by philly_j

While the exact author is unknown, Helen Creighton is the folklorist who first published it.  It seems to have been inspired by the poem The Soldier's Adieu, by Robert Tannahill.  You'll want to read the wiki HERE, but the Canadian Encyclopedia actually has more detailed information.  I'm not sure why, but a several of the folksongs are actually Canadian... not that I have a problem with that... [ahem.]  But AO having mainly American adherents I wonder why we don't choose American folksongs... hmmm.  Well, I don't mind either way.  Just sayin'.

Listen and learn the song:

This version is in the Celtic Punk genre and frankly, I didn't hate it... but, it was different.

This one by the Irish Rovers pretty much sounds identical to the Homestead Picker Folksong version.

Ryan's Fancy - Farewell to Nova Scotia Sing-a-long! - This is my kids first pick because they say the music is more lively.  The instruments definitely sound more folkish if you know what I mean ;) I liked that it was a kid-safe page with no inappropriate images.  I also like that the page has the sheet music with more than just the guitar chords + the lyrics, so you can follow along as the song plays.

Free downloads:

I've made a printable of the lyrics which match the version by the Irish Rovers linked above.

Right click HERE and 'save file as...' to your computer.

Go to this page for a FREE mp3 download of Farewell to Nova Scotia by jeez And Cheez And Kineez.  

Homeschool Planning - Part one

3 ways to plan for order in YOUR homeschool:
a 3-part series :) 

original photo by typofi

1. Yearly Homeschool Planning Day(s) - part one... You are here :)

2. Weekly Planning - next post

3. Yearly Book Ordering - last post

Peace and order are some of my key words for 2010! In that mindset let's talk about planning for peace and order in the homeschool. Making time to schedule the above occasions to plan, has made planning not only a breeze but a real JOY instead of a constant sense of worry or guilt.  Surely you know what I mean by worry and guilt?  The worry that I'm not doing enough and the guilt of knowing that I haven't done things as well as I could have?

Taking at least one day a year to really plan has totally revolutionized my feeling about homeschool (If I can, I'll gladly use 3 days! 1 HPD per term*).  It helps SO much to get the majority of things worked out ahead of time so that I don't have a huge list of unfinished and undefined tasks hanging over my head.  Separate time a couple of weeks before the new school year will begin (or whenever it happens to be best for you) to complete the following steps or obviously adjust them to fit your personal needs.

Step One:  Brainstorm a list of all the homeschooling areas that need attention.

1. Subjects I'd like to introduce into our homeschool that we've never done before
   
2. Areas that I want to improve
   
3. Curriculum that has got to go and will need a replacement.
4. Behavior issues
5. Plan for Preschoolers
6. Scheduling issues
7. Etc, etc.
   

Step Two: The hard part.

Figure out how to make a homeschool planning day a reality.  Things do not run well without you, but you can let things slide for a day or two while you get things oiled and primed for the year.  When can you get away and who can help?  A weekend when dad's home?  A babysitter?  Grandma?  Plan for a WHOLE day out.  Either that, or 2-3 mornings in a row... You'll need it!  Whether it's the coffee or the actual planning time... :)

Step Three: Gather your materials.
For instance one HPD, I needed to hash out my home schedule, so I needed my brainstorm sheets and my laptop.  This last HPD, I actually needed to plot out the weekly readings from the books on the booklist and for a couple substitutions I'd made, so I took the actual books with me (it was a big and heavy bag!).  I also needed to work out this term's composer study so I took a couple CDs to browse through... but, you get the point.

Step Four: Go
Decide ahead of time to be ultra-efficient.  Don't get distracted!  Do the things on your list in order of priority.  Don't call home, and if you have to sneak back for something, do NOT get caught! (I recommend eating out even though it costs more... it is more efficient use of time and in future years you can budget this meal into the yearly homeschool budget.)  Don't go home unless absolutely necessary!

photo by lusi

Some planning forms: These help me immensely, and are just to give you an idea of perhaps where you'd like to begin

Teacher Planning (pdf) - This is basically an outline of planning steps I take for each school year.
Daily List (pdf) - This list outlines what subjects are covered each day.  This is vital for those days that we are totally running helter-skelter and can't get back to the schedule.  This helps me reorientate in order to get everything done.
Week 15 (pdf) - This is last week's schedule/list of individual assignments for each day.  Each boy now gets a copy of this as they are becoming more responsible for their own studies.  This is my big task on my homeschool planning days to get this detailed schedule worked out.  One day a term of planning and it's pretty much ALL done for 3 months.  This is my homeschool brain... I've finally gotten it down to a fine science**.

*Ambleside Online is a FREE online curriculum guide, based on Charlotte Mason's methods and philosophy as outlined in her Original Homeschooling Series.  Learning is based on a balanced view of education, using hands-on life experience and observation, living books when a real-life experience can't be provided and including such enriching subjects as nature study, artist & composer studies, foreign language (learned to actually be spoken). Download an informational brochure here.

The AO schoolyear is separated into 3 terms, Term 1: Sept-Nov, Term 2: Jan-March, Term 3 April-June.  However, this information is to be taken as a loose guide as many have differing starting dates or as in our case, school year round.  However, the Artist & Composer, Nature, Folksong, and Hymn studies are all scheduled according to the terms, for those of us who enjoy the camaraderie of learning along with other AOers and sharing resources.  Also, handy-dandy schedules are available that split up the booklist readings into terms of 12 weeks, for a grand total of 36 weeks/school year.  This is what I refer to as 'Term' in my blog, materials, etc.

**If a post on how to schedule would be helpful, please let me know.  I'm assuming anyone who reads this blog (anyone?) already would have some idea of scheduling.  But, I didn't know anything before I knew it... so you never know ;)

Some helpful links:

Basic Intro to AO

An AO Start-up Guide

Charlotte Mason's List of Attainments for a child of 6 and of 12 years old

Posts in this series:

1. Yearly Homeschool Planning Day(s) - part one... You are here :)
2. Weekly Planning - next post
3. Yearly Book Ordering - last post

Home Management: Scheduling

Scheduling is one thing I didn't know I needed to know anything about when I first became a home manager, aka wife & mother. I just did what needed to be done, when it needed to be done and for the most part I had plenty of time for everything and even had time for my hobbies. I didn't have to really follow a plan, I had enough brain power to keep track of everything mentally. hah!

Matter of fact, we made it through 'winging it' for at least the first five years even though our lifestyle was amazing with many moves and lots of international travel. However, after having settled overseas, speaking a different language (really drains brain power), with 3 children, the older two in need of some schooling, outside-the-home ministry commitments, a household to run (complete with an housekeeper - but don't get your hopes up, it was actually MORE work to have hired help in my home), it became obvious that a little formal planning/organization would be helpful if not absolutely necessary.

Fast forward several years, and find me today, add in 2 more children and lots more international moves and...

I would seriously lose my mind without my schedule!

My schedule is my mind on paper. It keeps us all happy. I know what I 'should' be doing, the kids know what to expect next, and it gives me something to show Micah and anyone else who wonders what we do all day!

So, without further ado, see our schedule here.

Some of my notes on scheduling: taken from pdf link above

A schedule is so helpful as a guide. Yet, I cannot let myself become a slave to my schedule. You see, many times something happens that throws us off, and we need to be flexible enough to
realize that God sometimes ordains interruptions! We use our schedule so that when the
inevitable happens, we can get back on track quickly and easily. Sometimes we pick up where we left off, other times as the situation allows, we skip the stuff that can be skipped and just take from up wherever we are at the time, after we’ve cleaned up the toothpaste from all over the hallway and can focus again on the things at hand :)

Because I’m the main one to keep everyone on task, I’ve listed my name first, then kids in
order from oldest to youngest, and lastly Micah... he’s only on here so that I can have a general
idea of what he’s doing. He’s agreed to all of the above, and his work hours are obviously left
blank. :)

Sometimes {okay, many times}, having multiple children it is hard to keep track mentally
what everyone should be doing at any given moment & the kids are quite expert at scattering... all throughout the day, but, especially during schooltime! On the timetable, ‘table time’ is highlighted to call attention to the times that we all should be gathered together. This is mainly for me, so that with one quick glance at my watch and then the timetable, I can easily see what is coming up :)

Some days we head out at lunchtime to eat a ‘menu’. On these days the schedule will change, @ 12:30pm we’ll leave the house, to return around 2:00pm. We’ll just take our memory
box with us.

On the subject of personal exercise, I don't have it scheduled. If I were really trying to lose weight, or in need of some extra self-discipline in that area, I'd probably schedule it in on the main schedule. However, my reality is that some mornings I do try to get out for some exercise and I have an alternate schedule for those days. Otherwise, I’ll use my afternoon free time when it isn’t TOO hot outside.

Though I have all the kids chores/duties and school subjects listed here for quick reference,
we use other charts/schedules to keep track of those. {I’m ever-so-slightly-list-crazy} Technically, we should be able to get by with just this list.

** Momma’s free time is (barring all exceptions & interruptions which are all too common):

Tues, Thurs, Fri from 2 - 5:30
Mon, Wed from 4 - 5:30

** Bria and Josiah’s school is new this year and is loosely as follows:

9-9:45 (@table) Bible, color, trace/copy letters
10 (@table) Math games
11-11:15 AO Read-alouds (no required narration for Siah) & SWR phonograms
11:15 (@table) Phonograms, Rule cards, 3-5 fingerspell practice drills
Read-alouds at bedtime

Learn Hebrew

Evonne Mandela helps you teach your kids Hebrew quickly and easily!
I just heard a talk over at the Heart of the Matter Online Homeschool Conference by this fun gal:
http://www.wholesomelearning.blogspot.com/

Not a Christian site, but lots of fun kids stuff:
http://www.torahtots.com/educmtrl.htm


Here are some sites that came up in discussion:
http://omniglot.com/writing/hebrew.htm
http://hebrewpodcasts.com

BTW, you can still buy a ticket to the conference for only $12.95! and though you've missed most of the conference, it gives you access to the mp3 downloads and the awesome drawings and the freebies/handouts, etc. SO... if you're interested!

Now, I've got to get away from this computer! 2 posts in an hour... and I'm packing!! ;)

The Homeschool Conference: Help or Hindrance?

Surely, the homeschool conference is among the most overwhelming experiences you will face as a new homeschooler. As an experienced homeschooler, they are simply over-stimulating; from choosing the most engaging speakers, or those talks most applicable to your homeschool, to becoming disoriented with too much information and getting lost in the Vendor Hall. Be that as it may, I have learned what it takes to enjoy them!

Pros and Cons:
One of the greatest benefits of homeschool conferences are networking with your local homeschool families, making friends and contacts for support. There are always inspirational talks on pretty much every category, and if there's not a speaker, there's a vendor or experienced homeschool families on hand to talk to. Sometimes you can get material at a discount, but at the very least you can buy it there and won't have to pay shipping.
However, I can't really imagine any environment, that I've experienced apart from Disneyland and the like, that is more overwhelming and over-stimulating. There's a lot you can learn, but there's an awful lot you'd be better off not even knowing about! There's simply too much. The only way to do it is to set your expectations ahead of time, maybe even go with a friend who can help you stay on task, but most importantly, have your plan ready.

Yikes, look at all those people!
The lady who took this said it wasn't even half!!

My Experience:
My first 2 homeschool conferences, I probably looked like a deer in the headlights the ENTIRE time. I felt like a deer in the headlights. I was stunned. I'm sure I walked around in a daze. I know that I bumped into people! It was astounding! I never knew there were so many homeschoolers... and it seemed they'd all written their own books and every other one was selling their own curriculum! It all looked so GOOD! My kids were too little (preschool) to realistically get excited about too much, but it was all so new and fascinating. I was wide open, I didn't have any notion of what I was going to do, and I had no books or anything to do it with either... so, I did the logical thing, I went to the conference!

In retrospect:
In my ignorance I did things backwards. I should have figured out what I wanted, and then gone to the conference to fill in the cracks... well, those were the days before everyone and her sister were blogging about homeschool, writing curriculum reviews online and the availability of buying used curriculum online and at amazon wasn't nearly as prolific as it is now. But nowadays, there is no excuse. One must research online. However, one cannot do it all. Before doing anything, sit down and really figure out your kids. Look at yourself, how do you learn, how do you teach? THEN go to work online figuring out what will work for your family. There are websites designed for this very thing. Start there LONG before going to a conference. However, once you know what you want, conferences can be a very enjoyable experience. If you can put your 'blinders' on, tune out most of the noise and stay focused on what your family's necessities are... you'll do fine!

Since those early days, I know our family's style, I've investigated some online, I have my list of books and resources I'd like to look through for a given subject made out ahead of time. I always study the list of speakers in the weeks before the conference to determine between those which will really be a help to me and those that are good but really just added 'noise'. If I can, I like to go to a conference every year. Obviously, living in Peru has prohibited that in the last years, but never fear, there are now online homeschooling conferences! Will we ever escape?

This subject merits a whole page of its own. I'm sure someone has done it somewhere... don't you just love google? ;)

Each of the following are the conferences I've attended over the years:

Heart of the Matter Online
The link to this year's conference: 2009 Parenting and Home Education Conference
 
(I really enjoyed being able to be in my own home and listen to the speakers at my leisure!  You also don't miss any of the speakers... you can listen to ALL the workshops!  The other cool thing is they give you the mp3s for FREE, so that you can listen again later!
This option does not help with the local networking aspect or with cutting down on shipping costs for curriculum, however. )  I posted about my experience HERE.  The price is now a lovely $12.95! 


The Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators
This year's conference: June 5th and 6th at First Federated Church
Des Moines, Iowa


Washington Association of Teaching Christian Homes
They are going to have KEN HAM this year!!! I so, so, SO want to go!
Conference & Family Retreat
August 7-8, 2009


Oregon Christian Home Education Network
June 12 & 13, 2009 Oregon Convention Center
Portland, Oregon