When I first started looking into Heart of Dakota for my four younger children (back in 2015), I read many comments and reviews on the message boards about PLACEMENT. Honestly, I paid no heed to those warnings. I figured placement wasn't such a big deal; after all, I had been homeschooling for so long I thought I knew what was best for my kids. Plus, I was dead-set on combining Eli and Mercie - my then-5th and 2nd graders.
We completed 18 units in Bigger Hearts for His Glory. It wasn't working for us. Eli was too advanced for the material, even though I ordered the extension package for him. It wasn't enough for him. Mercie wasn't quite ready for the history readings and Notebooking assignments. We boxed it up, along with the Little Hearts for His Glory I was using for Silas, who was 5 at the time. He wasn't ready for Little Hearts, either. The story-time and history readings didn't hold his attention at all.
*Sigh* I really wanted Heart of Dakota to work for us. I loved the concept of it, the layout of the teacher's guide, and the wonderful books that go with it. I tried so hard to make it work, but it just didn't.
Now, Mercie is nearly through with 3rd grade and Silas is 6 and 1/2. I was thinking about pulling out Little Hearts for His Glory and starting over with it with him. When I pulled the enormously heavy plastic tub out of the storage building, Mercie dug into the box. She pulled out her binder and started flipping through all of the Notebooking pages. She asked if she could do Bigger Hearts again, and I thought it would be a great idea. We picked up on unit 19 this morning, right where we left off last time. I could tell right away that it was going to be a great fit for her now. The history and science seem just right for her. I even dug out her Rod and Staff grammar book, and we picked up in the middle of the book. She completed her regular Math Lessons for a Living Education and continued reading "The Mouse and the Motorcycle".
Silas also enjoyed the history and story-time readings today. He continued in Math Mammoth, which he enjoys. I also grabbed "The Reading Lesson" from the box, which we had started but it was too much for him. Now, it seems perfect. He flew through the entire first chapter of the book, and we will pick up on chapter two tomorrow.
I was thinking this morning how important placement is in Heart of Dakota. It is totally skill-based and keeps progressing with each level. If your child is placed too low, it will be boring; yet, if your child is placed too high, it will be frustrating. If you are looking into Heart of Dakota for your child or children, I implore you to take the placement chart seriously. Pour over the samples of the first week, also, which will give you a good idea of what the projects and reading assignments will be like.
I am excited that we are starting Heart of Dakota again, at least with a few of mine!
Monday, January 9, 2017
Friday, January 6, 2017
Week in Review: 1/2-1/6
The first week of 2017 is almost passed. We started back to school Monday, and I am so glad we did. Not only do we all function better with a routine, but we had a major cold front come through the past few days. We have been indoors for several days, so I'm glad we could do school to help pass the long, cold days. Of course, these silly boys always find something to do!
Titus got a new toolbox for Christmas with a set of "real" pretend power tools. He quickly added his dad's hammer, a few nails, and a pair of work gloves to his toolbox. He totes this thing around outside, hammering nails into the ground and fixing all of their toys.
He is my preschooler. We started using Progressive Phonics Alphabetti books this week. I wasn't sure how he would respond to them. He is learning letters, sounds, and words all at once. He learned the "c", "a", "t", and "s" this week, along with the words "sat" and "cat". He has a reader that we read together - I read the black words, and he reads the red words. The red words are only the words he knows, sat and cat. He loves doing this each day! I even heard him telling Silas what the storyline was. He was very detailed and used lots of expression when narrating! He even explained the emotion of the cat in the story. I was impressed!
In math, we are reviewing the numbers 1-6, and I introduced the number 7 to him. He completed two worksheets a day, writing the numbers, counting the objects and circling the correct numbers, and cutting and gluing.
Silas is also using Progressive Phonics, the beginner reader. He went over the "at", "an", and "ad" families this week. He also reads the red words while I read the black words. He wants to read the whole story, but of course, he can't yet. He also has two activity sheets to complete each day. I use the words and sentences he is learning for his handwriting practice. He is getting much better at copying sentences, using capital letters and period and spacing between words. He can also spell the words in the word families he is learning. He learned to spell and write his last name this week, which made me so proud.
I purchased Math Mammoth level one for Silas, since Math Lessons for a Living Education wasn't enough math for him at this point. He reviewed grouping numbers into groups, addition, and greater than/less than. He loves completing these colorful worksheets. He can count from 1-100 with messing up too much and can read and write almost any 2-digit number. He has trouble with the teen numbers, which is funny to me. He can read 85, 72, 48, no problem. But he often calls 18, 81 or something altogether different. We're working on it!
We have been working on the very basics with him for a while, so I've been thinking about pulling out the Heart of Dakota guide "Little Hearts for His Glory". We started on it last year, but it quickly became too much for him, and most of the history and science was going over his head. I kept it all, and I think I'm going to go to the storage building and get it out to start using Monday. I will keep on with the phonics and math we are doing, but it will be nice to have a guide to use for Bible, science, history, and other fun things. If it's not written down, I probably won't do it.
Mercie is nearing the end of her third grade year. She started working on fractions this week in math and made a poster showing 1/2 - 1/8 fractions. She is still learning her multiplication and division facts, which is proving to be very difficult for her. We are working on 2s, 3s, and 5s right now. She gets division and multiplication mixed up and is very easily frustrated. We are moving slowly. She copies the fact families in her notebook daily, and I'm hoping this will help.
In language arts, I have been doing my own thing with her this week. She is almost through with Learning Language Arts Through Literature, and as I looked through the book, she won't be learning anything new. I really want her to have a better grasp on the parts of speech, so this week we reviewed nouns and verbs - common and proper nouns, past, present and future tense verbs, and more. I gave her ten spelling words which she already knew or learned easily. She began reading "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" this week. I came up with some fun extension activities for each chapter. She has learned what an onomatopoeia is, drew several pictures and had copywork from the book.
In history, she read about Squanto and made a Notebooking page for him. She is reading about William Penn today. She was excited to tell me how Pennsylvania got it's name! I love when my kids are excited about learning.
In science, she is learning about the different classes of vertebrates and making a small book for each class. She loves the fact that she gets to get on the internet and print out pictures of animals! She glues them to paper and writes facts from her book. She thinks it's a lot of fun.
Eli is my 7th grader using Bob Jones through the DVD classes. Here is a breakdown of his week.
Life Science: This is one of Eli's favorite subjects. He loves the teacher, Mrs. Vick. She makes the lessons so much fun. He finished chapter 3 this week and took the test, which he made a 28/30 on. Mrs. Vick does "Investigations" which are like science experiments, quite often. Eli enjoys watching her do these while he fills in the appropriate worksheet.
World Studies: Eli isn't crazy about this subject, but he does learn a lot. He started Unit 2 this week, "Changes and Development in the Cultures of the World". He learned about Africa this week - the African family and society, religion, art and architecture, early African empires, and commerce in West Africa.
Fundamentals of Math: Eli learned about scientific notation this week and how to perform operations in scientific notation. He also had a cumulative review today and has a test on Monday. I'll have him do a few problems over the weekend from his lessons. They are only assigned the "odd" numbers, so I can have him do some of the "even".
Writing and Grammar: Eli has done well in this subject so far. He has been learning about linking verbs, principal parts of verbs, and tenses.
Bible: He is learning about the holiness of Christ.
Mikaela is my 9th grader also using Bob Jones through the DVD classes. Here is her week:
Physical Science: She had a few hard lesson in Physical Science - really, this is the hardest subject she has. I have such a hard time helping her, even after I read the lessons and study the teacher's guide. She is learning about scientific measurements, which sounds really simple, but it's not!
Cultural Geography: This is her favorite subject! She really likes the teacher on the DVDs, Mrs. Bullock. She finished chapter 3, made a 100 on her chapter 3 test, and completed a fun Island project. She had to draw an island, name it, and label 20 geographical locations on her island and name them. The island's name and geographical locations had to center around a certain theme. For some reason, she chose Potato Island as the name and had fun naming the locations - Mashed Potato Mountains, Grated Potato Gulf, and Baked Potato Beach are a few!
Algebra I: Math is Mikaela's weakest and least favorite subject. She is actually doing pretty well this week learning how to solve multi-step equations and simplify equations. She does Algebra last so I can sit with her and help her. She watches the video by herself, but she usually needs a little help with the lessons.
Writing and Grammar: She doesn't usually need any help from me with this subject. She learned about pronouns this week - demonstrative, interrogative, reflexive, intensive, indefinite...and several more types.
Bible: She is learning about the functions, history and chronology of the Bible. She doesn't have a Bible video every day, but she always has an assignment.
Whew! I was afraid I wouldn't be as involved in their school as I normally was since they have been using the DVDs, but I have to grade and check work almost daily! I think I know more about what they are learning now than I ever have! It's been an adjustment for all three of us, but I think we're finally getting into a groove with it. We are usually done by 1:00 each day when we start at 8:30. They are allowed a ten minute break between subjects, but they don't always take it. Sometimes they take it between two subjects.
We also played the game Blokus almost every day this week! This is my new favorite game. The kids love it, too!
We are still on a break from gymnastics, karate, and piano lessons. It's nice not to be rushing around all the time, especially in this cold!
How was your week?
Titus got a new toolbox for Christmas with a set of "real" pretend power tools. He quickly added his dad's hammer, a few nails, and a pair of work gloves to his toolbox. He totes this thing around outside, hammering nails into the ground and fixing all of their toys.
He is my preschooler. We started using Progressive Phonics Alphabetti books this week. I wasn't sure how he would respond to them. He is learning letters, sounds, and words all at once. He learned the "c", "a", "t", and "s" this week, along with the words "sat" and "cat". He has a reader that we read together - I read the black words, and he reads the red words. The red words are only the words he knows, sat and cat. He loves doing this each day! I even heard him telling Silas what the storyline was. He was very detailed and used lots of expression when narrating! He even explained the emotion of the cat in the story. I was impressed!
In math, we are reviewing the numbers 1-6, and I introduced the number 7 to him. He completed two worksheets a day, writing the numbers, counting the objects and circling the correct numbers, and cutting and gluing.
Silas is also using Progressive Phonics, the beginner reader. He went over the "at", "an", and "ad" families this week. He also reads the red words while I read the black words. He wants to read the whole story, but of course, he can't yet. He also has two activity sheets to complete each day. I use the words and sentences he is learning for his handwriting practice. He is getting much better at copying sentences, using capital letters and period and spacing between words. He can also spell the words in the word families he is learning. He learned to spell and write his last name this week, which made me so proud.
I purchased Math Mammoth level one for Silas, since Math Lessons for a Living Education wasn't enough math for him at this point. He reviewed grouping numbers into groups, addition, and greater than/less than. He loves completing these colorful worksheets. He can count from 1-100 with messing up too much and can read and write almost any 2-digit number. He has trouble with the teen numbers, which is funny to me. He can read 85, 72, 48, no problem. But he often calls 18, 81 or something altogether different. We're working on it!
We have been working on the very basics with him for a while, so I've been thinking about pulling out the Heart of Dakota guide "Little Hearts for His Glory". We started on it last year, but it quickly became too much for him, and most of the history and science was going over his head. I kept it all, and I think I'm going to go to the storage building and get it out to start using Monday. I will keep on with the phonics and math we are doing, but it will be nice to have a guide to use for Bible, science, history, and other fun things. If it's not written down, I probably won't do it.
Mercie is nearing the end of her third grade year. She started working on fractions this week in math and made a poster showing 1/2 - 1/8 fractions. She is still learning her multiplication and division facts, which is proving to be very difficult for her. We are working on 2s, 3s, and 5s right now. She gets division and multiplication mixed up and is very easily frustrated. We are moving slowly. She copies the fact families in her notebook daily, and I'm hoping this will help.
In language arts, I have been doing my own thing with her this week. She is almost through with Learning Language Arts Through Literature, and as I looked through the book, she won't be learning anything new. I really want her to have a better grasp on the parts of speech, so this week we reviewed nouns and verbs - common and proper nouns, past, present and future tense verbs, and more. I gave her ten spelling words which she already knew or learned easily. She began reading "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" this week. I came up with some fun extension activities for each chapter. She has learned what an onomatopoeia is, drew several pictures and had copywork from the book.
In history, she read about Squanto and made a Notebooking page for him. She is reading about William Penn today. She was excited to tell me how Pennsylvania got it's name! I love when my kids are excited about learning.
In science, she is learning about the different classes of vertebrates and making a small book for each class. She loves the fact that she gets to get on the internet and print out pictures of animals! She glues them to paper and writes facts from her book. She thinks it's a lot of fun.
Eli is my 7th grader using Bob Jones through the DVD classes. Here is a breakdown of his week.
Life Science: This is one of Eli's favorite subjects. He loves the teacher, Mrs. Vick. She makes the lessons so much fun. He finished chapter 3 this week and took the test, which he made a 28/30 on. Mrs. Vick does "Investigations" which are like science experiments, quite often. Eli enjoys watching her do these while he fills in the appropriate worksheet.
World Studies: Eli isn't crazy about this subject, but he does learn a lot. He started Unit 2 this week, "Changes and Development in the Cultures of the World". He learned about Africa this week - the African family and society, religion, art and architecture, early African empires, and commerce in West Africa.
Fundamentals of Math: Eli learned about scientific notation this week and how to perform operations in scientific notation. He also had a cumulative review today and has a test on Monday. I'll have him do a few problems over the weekend from his lessons. They are only assigned the "odd" numbers, so I can have him do some of the "even".
Writing and Grammar: Eli has done well in this subject so far. He has been learning about linking verbs, principal parts of verbs, and tenses.
Bible: He is learning about the holiness of Christ.
Mikaela is my 9th grader also using Bob Jones through the DVD classes. Here is her week:
Physical Science: She had a few hard lesson in Physical Science - really, this is the hardest subject she has. I have such a hard time helping her, even after I read the lessons and study the teacher's guide. She is learning about scientific measurements, which sounds really simple, but it's not!
Cultural Geography: This is her favorite subject! She really likes the teacher on the DVDs, Mrs. Bullock. She finished chapter 3, made a 100 on her chapter 3 test, and completed a fun Island project. She had to draw an island, name it, and label 20 geographical locations on her island and name them. The island's name and geographical locations had to center around a certain theme. For some reason, she chose Potato Island as the name and had fun naming the locations - Mashed Potato Mountains, Grated Potato Gulf, and Baked Potato Beach are a few!
Algebra I: Math is Mikaela's weakest and least favorite subject. She is actually doing pretty well this week learning how to solve multi-step equations and simplify equations. She does Algebra last so I can sit with her and help her. She watches the video by herself, but she usually needs a little help with the lessons.
Writing and Grammar: She doesn't usually need any help from me with this subject. She learned about pronouns this week - demonstrative, interrogative, reflexive, intensive, indefinite...and several more types.
Bible: She is learning about the functions, history and chronology of the Bible. She doesn't have a Bible video every day, but she always has an assignment.
Whew! I was afraid I wouldn't be as involved in their school as I normally was since they have been using the DVDs, but I have to grade and check work almost daily! I think I know more about what they are learning now than I ever have! It's been an adjustment for all three of us, but I think we're finally getting into a groove with it. We are usually done by 1:00 each day when we start at 8:30. They are allowed a ten minute break between subjects, but they don't always take it. Sometimes they take it between two subjects.
We also played the game Blokus almost every day this week! This is my new favorite game. The kids love it, too!
How was your week?
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Today...1-5-17
Today, the weather is very chilly. We are staying indoors because the kids have runny noses, coughs, and sore throats. It's 2:00, and the kids are all finished with their school work. Titus and Mercie are playing with Play-dough. Mercie, Silas and Eli just got finished painting with our water-color pens. Mikaela just completed her Island Project for Cultural Geography.
Today, I am trying to figure out what to do with Silas and phonics. He is 6 and 1/2 years old, the oldest child I've had that can't read yet. We have tried many things. They all work well for a while, but he hits a wall, so I try something else. I don't expect to him to be able to read right away when we start a program, but I do expect to see progress. We were using the Kindergarten Mom's R.E.A.D. program, which teaches word families and sight words. It worked well for a while, but he wasn't really progressing. I printed out the Progressive Phonics beginner reader to try with him, which we have been using this week. I'm not sure about it yet. I will continue it for a while longer, unless I can figure out another plan. I want him reading by the end of the year. Reading is such a big factor in learning - and homeschooling curriculums as well. He should be in 1st grade this year, and he is for math, but most first grade programs assume the child can read at least some words.
Today, I am resting. I was sick earlier this week with a horrible sinus infection. I am finally feeling better, but have been pushing my body too much. With the cold weather outside, I plan to rest on the couch with a blanket and some Bonanza DVDs. The older two can fold the four loads of clean laundry I have waiting in baskets and put them away for me. I'm learning to delegate work more to the children. I can't do it all!
Today, I am trying not to think about the fact that we will be off to another job in a few week. This time, we will be headed to Alabama, which is close to home. We still need to decide if we are going to purchase a new travel trailer or try to rent a house and haul some furniture. I'm not doing a very good job of not thinking about this.
Today, I am going to put a big pot of vegetable and beef soup on the stove to simmer. I'll make cornbread to eat with it tonight.
Today, I am thankful for a new year and new beginnings. I am thankful that God's mercies are new every morning (because I need my share of new mercies).
Today, I am trying to figure out what to do with Silas and phonics. He is 6 and 1/2 years old, the oldest child I've had that can't read yet. We have tried many things. They all work well for a while, but he hits a wall, so I try something else. I don't expect to him to be able to read right away when we start a program, but I do expect to see progress. We were using the Kindergarten Mom's R.E.A.D. program, which teaches word families and sight words. It worked well for a while, but he wasn't really progressing. I printed out the Progressive Phonics beginner reader to try with him, which we have been using this week. I'm not sure about it yet. I will continue it for a while longer, unless I can figure out another plan. I want him reading by the end of the year. Reading is such a big factor in learning - and homeschooling curriculums as well. He should be in 1st grade this year, and he is for math, but most first grade programs assume the child can read at least some words.
Today, I am resting. I was sick earlier this week with a horrible sinus infection. I am finally feeling better, but have been pushing my body too much. With the cold weather outside, I plan to rest on the couch with a blanket and some Bonanza DVDs. The older two can fold the four loads of clean laundry I have waiting in baskets and put them away for me. I'm learning to delegate work more to the children. I can't do it all!
Today, I am trying not to think about the fact that we will be off to another job in a few week. This time, we will be headed to Alabama, which is close to home. We still need to decide if we are going to purchase a new travel trailer or try to rent a house and haul some furniture. I'm not doing a very good job of not thinking about this.
Today, I am going to put a big pot of vegetable and beef soup on the stove to simmer. I'll make cornbread to eat with it tonight.
Today, I am thankful for a new year and new beginnings. I am thankful that God's mercies are new every morning (because I need my share of new mercies).
Friday, December 30, 2016
Homeschool Goals for 2017
Homeschooling is pretty much my life right now. I have five kids ranging from 9th grade down to Preschool. I feel like my mind is running on "homeschool mode" constantly! It's a wonderful life to have, though. Here are my goals for the 2017 Homeschool Year.
- Finish Bob Jones University with Mikaela and Eli. This curriculum has proven to be a challenge for them and for me! We have until the end of 2017 to finish the 9th and 7th grade courses, and there is no question in my mind that we will complete it. Before I ordered it, I made a promise to my husband that I would not switch or quit using it!
- Teach Silas to read. Silas is 6 and 1/2, and he is still not reading. Sure, he can sound out some CVC words and recognize some sight words, but he cannot pick up a book and read yet. He has some speech issues which could be a hindrance. I am not pressuring him, and we have been working steadily through the R.E.A.D. Curriculum. I am seeing some progress, but have decided to try Progressive Phonics with him. I've read so many great reviews about this FREE curriculum, so I printed off the first book for him to use. If he is reading by this time next year, I will be so happy.
- Have a dedicated "Preschool Hour" each day. I plan to start having time with Titus each day one-on-one. An hour would be the perfect amount of time for us! I plan to read books to him, work on his school, and play games without any interruptions.
- Have all of my kids on the same school year. I would love to have all of my children on the same "school year". We used to be, but lately things have gotten a little mixed up. I started Mikaela and Eli on their new school year the end of November. Mercie is almost finished with 3rd grade. I really feel she could move right into 4th grade curriculum with no problem, as it will begin with review and 3rd grade ends with review. If she could be finished with 4th grade by this time next year, when Mikaela and Eli are finishing. Silas is moving into mostly 1st grade work, and Titus has been doing preschool for a while now. Hopefully, the beginning of 2018, Mikaela will be in 10th, Eli in 8th, Mercie in 5th, Silas in 2nd and Titus in Kindergarten.
- Read more. We get so busy sometimes that I don't read aloud to my kids like I used to. Sure, we read the Bible and I read to the little ones, but I miss taking the time to read a chapter book to everyone! If I could read 4 books to the kids by this time next year, I will have met my goal in my eyes.
- Give each child a "Focus Day" each week. I have five kids and there are five days in a week. Perfect! Each child will have one day that is their "Focus Day". I will review their work with them, work on any problems, help with a project, and just devote most of my "homeschool mom" attention to them that day. Not that I will ignore the other kids, but I think it will help each one to know they have a special day where mom gives them more attention during school hours. The "Focus Day" will only be for school work and extra-curricular activities such as piano or karate.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
The End of 2016
As this year draws to a close, I cannot help but marvel at how quickly it has gone by. So many things have happened and so many changes have been made this year!
I was on the Homeschool Review Crew this year, and it was such a blessing to our family. Together, my children and I tried lots of new curriculum, games, books and movies. We had fun experimenting with things we normally wouldn't have tried {like the Logic of English}, and I was happy to use some things I had been wanting to try {like Math U See}. I decided not to reapply for 2017 for several reasons, but I did get a spot on the Singles Review Crew. The Singles Review Crew differs from the Homeschool Review Crew in several ways - I don't have to post the review on my blog, for instance, and I can do as little or as many reviews as I want to. This will be a good balance for me.
My children, bless their hearts, have been such good sports as we have flip-flopped from one curriculum to the next. As Mikaela and Eli are getting older, though, I feel the need to have them stick with one curriculum. After many hours researching and reading review after review, I decided to order Bob Jones University Distance Learning for them. We are using the complete curriculum with the DVDs. Mikaela is in 9th grade, and Eli is in 7th grade. It has proven to be a challenge, but as we continue to use it, the kids are getting used to the workload, and I am seeing a real learning leap in both of them.
Mercie is in third grade, and she is doing great. She has been using Math for a Living Education and is halfway through with her book. We are working on multiplication, fractions, and telling time and temperature. She is also using Learning Language Arts Through Literature and is nearly finished with the book. I will be ordering the next level in this series, the orange book, soon. She is also working through Language Smarts, level E, which was a review item. We work several pages a week, and it gives her a variety of language arts skills to review and practice. She is using Abeka's science and history textbooks for third grade. We read a little in them each day, and she creates a Notebooking page or we do some other activity. She is working on her cursive and getting better each day. She loves to read, especially books by Beverly Cleary.
Silas is in kindergarten/first grade. He is still not reading on his own, but he can sound out CVC words and knows close to 20 sight words. We have been using R.E.A.D. by the Kindergarten Mom, but I think he is ready for a bit more reading practice. I printed out the first book by Progressive Phonics, along with the flashcards and activity pages. We will start this next week. He is also using Math Lessons for a Living Education, but I also got him The Complete Book of Math for Grades 1-2. He wants more math that MLFLE is giving him, so I'll let him work a page or two in this book each day along with his regular math. He works on handwriting daily, and we have been using Elemental Science's Intro to Science a few times a week.
Titus is my preschooler. We will be starting the Alphabetti books by Progressive Phonics next week, along with handwriting practice. He will have a hands-on math activity at least three times a week, as well as at least one math worksheet to complete.
We had a great holiday season, from Thanksgiving until now, almost New Year's. We took off two weeks of school for Christmas. My sister, Melissa, is home from London, where she is attending med school. My sister, Ashlie, is home from Florida, where her husband is working and they are living for now. We have had lots of good visits and have enjoyed each other's company!
I was on the Homeschool Review Crew this year, and it was such a blessing to our family. Together, my children and I tried lots of new curriculum, games, books and movies. We had fun experimenting with things we normally wouldn't have tried {like the Logic of English}, and I was happy to use some things I had been wanting to try {like Math U See}. I decided not to reapply for 2017 for several reasons, but I did get a spot on the Singles Review Crew. The Singles Review Crew differs from the Homeschool Review Crew in several ways - I don't have to post the review on my blog, for instance, and I can do as little or as many reviews as I want to. This will be a good balance for me.
My children, bless their hearts, have been such good sports as we have flip-flopped from one curriculum to the next. As Mikaela and Eli are getting older, though, I feel the need to have them stick with one curriculum. After many hours researching and reading review after review, I decided to order Bob Jones University Distance Learning for them. We are using the complete curriculum with the DVDs. Mikaela is in 9th grade, and Eli is in 7th grade. It has proven to be a challenge, but as we continue to use it, the kids are getting used to the workload, and I am seeing a real learning leap in both of them.
Mercie is in third grade, and she is doing great. She has been using Math for a Living Education and is halfway through with her book. We are working on multiplication, fractions, and telling time and temperature. She is also using Learning Language Arts Through Literature and is nearly finished with the book. I will be ordering the next level in this series, the orange book, soon. She is also working through Language Smarts, level E, which was a review item. We work several pages a week, and it gives her a variety of language arts skills to review and practice. She is using Abeka's science and history textbooks for third grade. We read a little in them each day, and she creates a Notebooking page or we do some other activity. She is working on her cursive and getting better each day. She loves to read, especially books by Beverly Cleary.
Silas is in kindergarten/first grade. He is still not reading on his own, but he can sound out CVC words and knows close to 20 sight words. We have been using R.E.A.D. by the Kindergarten Mom, but I think he is ready for a bit more reading practice. I printed out the first book by Progressive Phonics, along with the flashcards and activity pages. We will start this next week. He is also using Math Lessons for a Living Education, but I also got him The Complete Book of Math for Grades 1-2. He wants more math that MLFLE is giving him, so I'll let him work a page or two in this book each day along with his regular math. He works on handwriting daily, and we have been using Elemental Science's Intro to Science a few times a week.
Titus is my preschooler. We will be starting the Alphabetti books by Progressive Phonics next week, along with handwriting practice. He will have a hands-on math activity at least three times a week, as well as at least one math worksheet to complete.
We had a great holiday season, from Thanksgiving until now, almost New Year's. We took off two weeks of school for Christmas. My sister, Melissa, is home from London, where she is attending med school. My sister, Ashlie, is home from Florida, where her husband is working and they are living for now. We have had lots of good visits and have enjoyed each other's company!
Mikaela, Eli, Bryton, Mercie, Sawyer, Silas, Laylah, Titus and Liam
I don't usually make New Year's Resolutions, but I do think they are a good idea! Last year, I made the "goal" of reading my Bible every single day of 2016. I am happy to say that I only missed about 3 or 4 days - not bad out of 365! Here are my "goals" for 2017:
- read my Bible every single day
- spend at least 20 minutes a day praying for others
- cook and eat healthier for my family
- get more exercise as a family
- spend less money
- memorize large chunks of scripture
My goals are mostly spiritual, but spiritual growth is a priority in my life. Cooking and eating healthier should always be priority but it gets pushed to the back burner too often.
What are your New Year's Goals?
Friday, December 16, 2016
First Thoughts on Bob Jones Distance Learning
My oldest two children, Mikaela {14} and Eli {11} have been using Bob Jones distance learning {using DVDs} for several weeks now. Mikaela is in 9th grade, and Eli is 7th grade. They have completed 18 days using this curriculum. This is in no way a review of BJ; these are just my first thoughts on this curriculum for anyone interested!
My very first thought was "Oh my goodness, what have I done?", when the UPS man brought me four gigantic boxes of curriculum. I have never received so much curriculum at one time for two children. I was so overwhelmed, I didn't open the boxes for a few days!
Once I did unpack the boxes, I was very impressed, and still a little overwhelmed. The textbooks are so beautiful, colorful and thick. I enjoyed flipping through them, looking at the pictures and reading some of the information. For each subject, there is a textbook, a teacher's guide, a test booklet, and a tests answer booklet. Some subjects also have an activity book and teacher's guide. There were also the DVD's, which are packed in their own cases - some have nearly 20 DVD's per subject! I didn't know where on earth to put all of this stuff in our smallish house. We don't have a school room, and I didn't expect there to be so much!
I had to go to the store and buy 12 binders for the teacher's guides, which come 3-hole punched, loose in shrink wrap. I didn't like this part, and don't know why they don't bind them like they do the textbooks. Some binders had to be 2 and 1/2 inches for the papers to fit! So, on top of all the money I spent on this curriculum {nearly $2000}, I had to buy binders.
Once I got all of the papers and books organized, I was starting to feel a little better. It's still a lot of stuff, and my kids were very overwhelmed at first. We spent an entire day watching "orientation" videos, which helped us figure some things out, but took hours.
So far, there are things I really like about this curriculum, and there are things I'm not so sure about.
PROS:
These are my thoughts so far. I plan to do a detailed review of each subject for each grade after the new year, one a week. Have you used Bob Jones before? What are your thoughts?
My very first thought was "Oh my goodness, what have I done?", when the UPS man brought me four gigantic boxes of curriculum. I have never received so much curriculum at one time for two children. I was so overwhelmed, I didn't open the boxes for a few days!
Once I did unpack the boxes, I was very impressed, and still a little overwhelmed. The textbooks are so beautiful, colorful and thick. I enjoyed flipping through them, looking at the pictures and reading some of the information. For each subject, there is a textbook, a teacher's guide, a test booklet, and a tests answer booklet. Some subjects also have an activity book and teacher's guide. There were also the DVD's, which are packed in their own cases - some have nearly 20 DVD's per subject! I didn't know where on earth to put all of this stuff in our smallish house. We don't have a school room, and I didn't expect there to be so much!
I had to go to the store and buy 12 binders for the teacher's guides, which come 3-hole punched, loose in shrink wrap. I didn't like this part, and don't know why they don't bind them like they do the textbooks. Some binders had to be 2 and 1/2 inches for the papers to fit! So, on top of all the money I spent on this curriculum {nearly $2000}, I had to buy binders.
Once I got all of the papers and books organized, I was starting to feel a little better. It's still a lot of stuff, and my kids were very overwhelmed at first. We spent an entire day watching "orientation" videos, which helped us figure some things out, but took hours.
So far, there are things I really like about this curriculum, and there are things I'm not so sure about.
PROS:
- beautiful, colorful textbooks
- interesting and engaging teachers
- the DVD's are fun to watch {for the most part}
- peace of mind for me - I don't have to worry about writing lesson plans or meeting grade level requirements
- there are quizzes almost daily - this is a pro and a con - a pro because I like to see how much information the kids are retaining and they don't take long to do {except math}
- the curriculum is very biblical based and the science is a young-earth mindset
- the kids have to write essays and biographies
- there are tons of fun projects to do in Eli's Life Science {making an insect collection, making a living organism scrapbook, etc}
- long days - nearly 6 hours for each of them
- the math is hard, very advanced, and there's a lot of math each day {it takes them over an hour to do math each day}
- lots of writing and busy-work in some subjects {it can be overkill}
- some teachers get long-winded {like Mr. Harmon!}
- I have a lot of parent responsibility - grading quizzes, tests, and daily work and recording them
- Mikaela's physical science has labs - this wouldn't be bad, but the equipment for the labs can get expensive! We are choosing to do half the labs and just watch the other half.
These are my thoughts so far. I plan to do a detailed review of each subject for each grade after the new year, one a week. Have you used Bob Jones before? What are your thoughts?
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
We've Been Busy
I haven't blogged in a few weeks, and it's been a nice break! We have been really busy lately. I'll try to recap our past few weeks in a few paragraphs...
Silas and Eli were in their first karate tournament a few weeks ago. We traveled to Shreveport, which is about 3 hours from our house. My mom went with us, and we stayed in a hotel for two nights. My mom's mom lives in Shreveport, as does her sister and brother and their families. We got to visit with them, which was nice! We also went to Sci-Port, a huge science museum, and the Boardwalk, where the three little ones got to build a stuffed animal at Build-a-Bear. Silas brought home two medals and Eli brought home a third and second place trophy! I was so proud of them for entering.
We started a new "school year" for Mikaela and Eli. They started the 7th and 9th grade! Wow! We are going a very, very different route for them this time. I ordered the Bob Jones University Distance Learning {DVD} full-grade kits for them! It has been an adjustment - their days went from 3 hours to 5 or 6 hours long. The workload is much heavier, but, honestly, it's what they needed! They start around 8 or 8:30 and have been finished before 2:00 each day. The challenge has been good for them. I have quite a bit of grading and work-checking to do, but it's a relief not to worry about what curriculum to use, what projects to do, and if I am teaching them the right way! They each have five subjects. Mikaela has Algebra 1, Physical Science, Cultural Geography, Writing and Grammar, and Bible. Halfway through the year, Writing and Grammar will turn in Literature. Eli has Fundamentals of Math, Life Science, World Studies, Bible, and Writing and Grammar {which will also turn into Literature halfway through}. The DVD's are anywhere from 15-30 minutes a day, with 10-30 minutes of work afterward. The teachers on the DVD's are great and make the kids laugh quite a bit. They each have a portable DVD player with a 14 inch screen to watch their videos on {with earbuds}.
I also decided not to rejoin the Homeschool Review Crew next year. With Mikaela and Eli using the DVDs, it would be too much for them to add anything to their day. I also will enjoy freedom on my blog to blog when I want to! The Crew was great, and I had a lot of fun, but it was for the best to say my farewells for now.
Mercie has been using Abeka history and science for a week or so. I only ordered the student books for her. She reads a little each day aloud, we talk about it and answer the questions orally. She has been doing well with her cursive since I created her own cursive book. Being left-handed is quite a challenge sometimes, especially when copying work. Her hand would cover what she was supposed to be copying, and she would get so frustrated. I took a cheap handwriting tablet and wrote her words to copy on the right side of the page, so she can see them as she writes them. She has improved so much and has started writing everything in cursive {which is great!} She's been learning multiplication in math and is still using Learning Language Arts Through Literature. She has shown a deeper interest in reading lately, which is amazing. She reads for 20 minutes a day {required by me}, but I often find her reading beyond that time. She has about ten weeks left of 3rd grade, which mainly means I'll just buy her a 4th grade language arts and math book when it's time.
Silas is still using R.E.A.D. curriculum from the Kindergarten Mom. He is reading many word families and 15 or so sight words. He completes several lessons a day in math. He can count to 100 without much help, can count by 10's, and can recognize numbers from 1-99 pretty easily. He loves addition and will often get the dice out just to roll them and add them together! His handwriting is really improving, and he has been working in an interactive language arts journal twice a week.
Titus is using the Bible ABC curriculum from the Preschool Mom, and has learned A-G so far. We are going to take a week off next week to review these letters. He can recognize the numbers 1-6 and can count to ten without help. He can easily count items and can recognize the numbers on the dice by sight {we play a lot of Yahtzee!} I found some preschool math workbooks in my storage building this week, so I plan to up his math lessons to ten minutes a day instead of five. He will also be using a handwriting book soon. I have the All About Reading pre-reading level ready for him to use as soon as he finishes this ABC curriculum.
We started using Elemental Science's Intro to Science with Silas and Titus. We learned about solids and liquids last week. We melted broken crayons in muffin tins and made cookie crayons! We felt ice as it melted and talked about things that freeze and things that melt.
Eli killed his first deer this week! He was so excited. We have so much deer meat in our deep freezers, plus we butchered a cow, so we have hundreds of packages of fresh burger, roasts, and steaks.
Mikaela turned 14 on the 23rd of November. My mom, Mercie, Mikaela and I went to the mall for some shopping, and then we had a cake on Thanksgiving at my mom's house.
How have you been?
Silas and Eli were in their first karate tournament a few weeks ago. We traveled to Shreveport, which is about 3 hours from our house. My mom went with us, and we stayed in a hotel for two nights. My mom's mom lives in Shreveport, as does her sister and brother and their families. We got to visit with them, which was nice! We also went to Sci-Port, a huge science museum, and the Boardwalk, where the three little ones got to build a stuffed animal at Build-a-Bear. Silas brought home two medals and Eli brought home a third and second place trophy! I was so proud of them for entering.
{All of the boys who participated in the tournament from our dojo}
{The boys and their trophies and medals}
{Eli watching Mrs. Vick, his grammar and life science teacher}
I also decided not to rejoin the Homeschool Review Crew next year. With Mikaela and Eli using the DVDs, it would be too much for them to add anything to their day. I also will enjoy freedom on my blog to blog when I want to! The Crew was great, and I had a lot of fun, but it was for the best to say my farewells for now.
Mercie has been using Abeka history and science for a week or so. I only ordered the student books for her. She reads a little each day aloud, we talk about it and answer the questions orally. She has been doing well with her cursive since I created her own cursive book. Being left-handed is quite a challenge sometimes, especially when copying work. Her hand would cover what she was supposed to be copying, and she would get so frustrated. I took a cheap handwriting tablet and wrote her words to copy on the right side of the page, so she can see them as she writes them. She has improved so much and has started writing everything in cursive {which is great!} She's been learning multiplication in math and is still using Learning Language Arts Through Literature. She has shown a deeper interest in reading lately, which is amazing. She reads for 20 minutes a day {required by me}, but I often find her reading beyond that time. She has about ten weeks left of 3rd grade, which mainly means I'll just buy her a 4th grade language arts and math book when it's time.
Silas is still using R.E.A.D. curriculum from the Kindergarten Mom. He is reading many word families and 15 or so sight words. He completes several lessons a day in math. He can count to 100 without much help, can count by 10's, and can recognize numbers from 1-99 pretty easily. He loves addition and will often get the dice out just to roll them and add them together! His handwriting is really improving, and he has been working in an interactive language arts journal twice a week.
Titus is using the Bible ABC curriculum from the Preschool Mom, and has learned A-G so far. We are going to take a week off next week to review these letters. He can recognize the numbers 1-6 and can count to ten without help. He can easily count items and can recognize the numbers on the dice by sight {we play a lot of Yahtzee!} I found some preschool math workbooks in my storage building this week, so I plan to up his math lessons to ten minutes a day instead of five. He will also be using a handwriting book soon. I have the All About Reading pre-reading level ready for him to use as soon as he finishes this ABC curriculum.
We started using Elemental Science's Intro to Science with Silas and Titus. We learned about solids and liquids last week. We melted broken crayons in muffin tins and made cookie crayons! We felt ice as it melted and talked about things that freeze and things that melt.
{The kids coloring with their cookie crayons!}
Eli killed his first deer this week! He was so excited. We have so much deer meat in our deep freezers, plus we butchered a cow, so we have hundreds of packages of fresh burger, roasts, and steaks.
{Eli with the traditional bloody face from his first deer}
{Rod and Eli after he killed the doe}
{Mikaela on the left, and her best friend on the right, taking selfies on the way to church}
How have you been?
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