Word Problems & Luci

Word problems are a basic part of any good math program. They help students apply math concepts to real life situations. However, I think perhaps my daughter  might take them a little too seriously. The following conversation took place this morning.

Math Problem:

Bert has 8 horses on his farm. His father sold 3 horses. Bert has how many horses left on his farm?

Luci: What? Why would his father sell his horses? That's not nice.
Me: It's just a math problem, Luci.
Luci: But it's not right for Bert's father to sell three of his horses.
Me: Just figure out the answer, Luci.
Luci: Ok, but it's still not fair. Now he only has 5 horses.

That's my tender-hearted, the-world-must-be-fair, compassionate, seven year old daughter. I love her!

It's Been a While...

It's been a while since I've posted on my blog. So long that I've probably lost some of my followers, but that's OK. I started this blog several years ago just to write about our journey, to share our experiences with family, friends, and other homeschoolers. Somewhere along the way it became a chore and wasn't fun anymore. But, here I am, hoping to jump back in where I left off, but first, a confession...

Confession: This has absolutely been one of our most difficult years of homeschooling so far. Harder even than the first year, when I had no clue what I was doing with my first born 4 year old. Harder than when I went from homeschooling one to homeschooling two. And harder still than adding a third.  

We've added in a number of 'outside' classes that have us schooling "on the go" as much as we are at home! We spend more than three hours each week just driving, not to mention the amount of time we spend sitting and waiting at lessons/classes. It's really changed the way we do things and honestly it has taken me the entire first semester to adjust to schooling this way. It has negatively impacted the amount of time I have to work with the younger two and as a result  we've gotten behind and some things have slipped through the cracks, particularly with Luci since she is more dependent on me than the boys.

Things here aren't all discouraging and depressing, though. Here's just a small glimpse of what's going on with each of the kids:

Photo by Greg Campbell Photography

Gavin (8th grade) is doing very well, especially considering all the changes this year. He's taking two outside classes this year: Spanish I and Algebra I. He is making A's and B's in those classes and I'm very proud of him. He continues to take piano lessons, but is also playing guitar as part of a band with a few other teens in our church. They call themselves The Praise Project and they are doing a wonderful job! He amazes me with his musical talent, especially since I have none!

Photo by Greg Campbell Photography

Ben (5th grade) is also doing well, despite having to make huge adjustments to our homeschool days. He thrives on consistency, but our days are anything but consistent this year. He's had to learn how to read in the park, do math lessons in the van, and take advantage of every spare minute. He has taken on a volunteer position at our church working with the preschool & kindergarten children's church program. I never would have imagined how well he would do or how beneficial it would be for him. He takes great pride in being a helper and the teachers are constantly praising him for his help and patience with the children.

Photo by Greg Campbell Photography

Luci (2nd grade) would love it if school were all about reading, writing stories, drawing pictures, and doing arts & crafts. She's probably been impacted the most by all of our changes this year. Some of her school subjects slipped through the cracks and she's had a difficult time in others. Math has been a difficult area for her this year and I haven't given it the attention it needs. I'm trying to focus more on her this semester and get her back on track. One thing that's helping is changing her math program. She's been using Singapore Math this year. It's mastery approach works well for kids who are naturally good at math, but Luci needs a math with more repetition--something that keeps recycling topics over a long period of time. We've changed to Horizon's and are picking up with the second half of Grade 1 so she can get some more practice in areas where she is weak.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal #12

In my life this week... What a week! Two new classes added to our schedule, sick kids (mostly over the weekend), a 7th birthday, a very full week of school, and planning & packing for our cruise that's coming up soon. I'm very thankful for Fridays! Luci, who was sick on her birthday last weekend, is celebrating her birthday this weekend. She's having her "BFF" spend the night and we are going to make and decorate cupcakes (Thank you Aunt Rebecca & Uncle Rich for the cupcake decorating kit!), and then Saturday morning we are having a girl's morning out. A little shopping, a nice lunch, etc... The girls are looking forward to it and so is this mom :) 

In our homeschool this week... I looked at my planner this week only to realize, rather suddenly, that we are finishing our fifth week of school! This month has flown by. It was a productive week. We added two new classes to our schedule this week as Luci started theater class (Tuesdays) and art class (Thursdays). She loved them and can't wait to go back!  

Gavin is doing well in his algebra class. He said he is probably the youngest in the class (he is 8th grade, the rest of the class is 9th grade), but that's not slowing him down at all. He has his first test next week, and I am excited to see how he does! Spanish I class starts next week as well. That's the last of our outside classes to start. (I am beginning to feel like a chauffeur!)

Ben and I finished reading Moccasin Trail this week. He has thoroughly enjoyed this book! Up next is The Great Turkey Walk. He and Luci have been studying Pinnipeds this week. Don't know what that is? It's the order that includes seals, sea lions, and walruses. 

On Tuesday I journaled throughout the day and took photos as we worked so that I could share "A Day In the Life of a Homeschool Family". If you haven't already, take a look at our busy day!

Places we're going and people we're seeing... We went to the park Tuesday and Thursday this week while Gavin was in algebra class. Ben and Luci enjoyed the chance to get some fresh air, run around and play for a while. I'm glad the weather is starting to cool off a bit, it will make these mornings more enjoyable. 

My favorite thing this week was... As I mentioned, Luci started her theather class this week. When I picked her up she told me she'd had a wonderful time and had learned to faint, a skill which she then demonstrated when we got home. She puts the back of her hand up to her forehead, lets out a sigh, and then collapses to the floor. My little drama queen is going to have so much fun in this class!

Things I'm working on... I really wish I could say I was working on something. Anything. But the truth is these last five weeks have been so busy that there has been little time for anything. I guess I could tell you I've been working on my packing list for our upcoming cruise :) 

I'm reading... A sweet friend of mine at our church just finished reading Heaven is Real, the book about the little boy who had a glimpse of heaven when he came near death after his appendix burst. I've been wanting to read this as well, so I was excited when she passed it on to me this week. 

I'm praying for... Eleven year old Cynthia White. Cynthia is the daughter of a homeschool mom in our local support group. She was recently diagnosed with Epithilioid Sarcoma, a rare sarcoma. Join me in praying for Cynthia and her family as they learn about treatment options and make these critical decisions for their daughter.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

A Day In the Life of a Homeschool Family

It has been quite a while since I did a "Day In the Life Of..." post here on my blog. Today seemed like as good a day as any. This is a glimpse into a typical day in our homeschool. Not every day looks exactly like this. Some are a bit more laid back. Some have less coming and going and more staying and working.

7:00 ~ For the past 20 minutes I've been looking at the clock every couple of minutes. I can't sleep past 7 this morning. Places to go...people to see. For a few minutes I check email on my iPhone, nothing pressing.

7:15 ~ Get the coffee brewing. One of these days I just might get in the habit of setting the coffee pot before bed. But until then, it's the first thing I do when my feet hit the floor. When the coffee's going I'm off to shower.

7:30 ~ Start waking the kids. Ben's already up. He's been sick for a couple of days and slept a lot yesterday. While the kids are waking up I get to have a little computer time while I drink my coffee. I read a Proverbs 31 Devotional. I wish I had made more time with the Lord today. But I ask Him to guide my steps today and help me to be the mother and teacher my children need me to be.

7:45 ~ Talk to Brian on the phone. We have to decide whether I should take Ben with me, or drop him off at the church (Brian is there for Tuesday prayer with the pastors). He's feeling a lot better today, but coughing still. I decide to take him with me. He can sit and read at the park. The sunshine will do him good. If there are no other kids there playing then he can run around and play if he feels like it.

8:00 ~ A flurry of hair brushing, teeth brushing, book gathering, and dressing.

8:30 ~ We are all ready to go with 15 minutes to spare. Breathe.

8:40 ~ Remember that no one took their medications. Scramble to get meds in those who need it before we load up and go.

8:45 ~ Out the door. Gavin's algebra class is at 9:15 and lasts an hour and 15 minutes, so I drop him off and head to the park with Ben and Luci.

At the Park...

When we got to the park I set up my books for a little planning. My planner is filled in for the first semester, but I fill the boys' weekly planners in by the week.

That way if they miss a day or get off track I don't have to go in and make changes. Today, I planned to use my time at the park to fill in Ben's planner for the week.

When I opened my planner I found a sweet note from my daughter. She sure knows how to brighten a person's day! The kid's played a bit and did some reading and then we went for a walk. This park has certain trees labeled throughout so we stopped and noticed the different trees.

At 10:15 we headed back to pick Gavin up from his Algebra class. On the way home I had to stop by Kroger to pick up a few things. We have a gathering tonight for which we need to bring a "Mexican" themed dish, so I picked up stuff to make an enchilada casserole. Ole!

Back at home...

11:30 ~ As we drive down our street we noticed a dog in a neighbor's yard, an unfamiliar dog who's sides were so sunk in that we could count every rib. The kids ran inside to get him some food & water but by the time they came back outside he was gone. Even with a bicycle trip around the block he didn't turn up. They are keeping an eye out for him though and if we see him again we will offer food and then make a phone call to the animal shelter.

11:45 ~ Gavin fixed lunch for himself, Ben and Luci today. Turkey pastrami, sliced cheese, and ketchup sandwiches. (Ewwww) Glad I didn't have to eat that!

12:15 ~ Shortly after noon, once the dishes were cleared off the table, we got down to the business of school work. Luci has two pages in Explode the Code to work on. Gavin's writing two paragraphs about the humility and simplicity of St. Francis. And Ben is reading.

12:30 ~ Luci practices her cursive "P" on the chalkboard. Ben is still reading Freedom Train and Gavin is working on his grammar and then his science. Twice I catch Gavin having slid over to the computer, checking Facebook or looking through his iTunes library. After the second time he's told he'll be grounded if he gets back on the computer again before school is finished. I take a few minutes to work on this "Day In the Life" blog entry. If I don't keep up with it throughout the day, it'll never get written. I also take a few minutes for some email correspondence and website maintenance for our homeschool group.

12:50 ~ I read Moccasin Trail to Ben. He is really enjoying this read aloud! He works on a puzzle to keep his hands busy while I read.

1:15 ~ Gavin's been working steadily since lunch, and has finished his day's assignments already. He has a lighter load on Tuesdays & Thursdays because of his outside classes. He has algebra on Tuesday and Thursday. Beginning next week he will also be taking a Spanish Class on Tuesdays and piano on Thursdays that will fill his afternoons.

1:20 ~ I get Ben started on his math test. Gavin is reading with Luci. He is responsible for reading her history books with her each day. Some days he does this with willingness and enthusiasm, other days he does it grudgingly. Today he does it grudgingly~iTunes is beckoning him. He asks for an explanation of why HE has to read her history. It is for a number of reasons: (1) He has a somewhat weak background in World History. While he has a genuine passion for and knowledge of American History, he has always cared little for World History. By reading Luci's World History texts, he is gaining a bit of knowledge at the same time. (2) I think it's good experience for him to be responsible for helping to impart a little knowledge to his sister. (3) I think that it's good for their brother/sister relationship to spend this time together.

1:40 ~ I go over a lesson in multiplication with Luci and then get her started on a page in her workbook. By the time I finish Ben has brought me his math test to grade. He's missed two problems out of twenty and I give him his test back to see if he can correct his mistakes for half credit. I think it's his own handwriting defeating him. He corrects both wrong answers and gets a final grade of 95%.

2:00 ~ Ben wants to disappear for a few minutes, but I reel him back in for a spelling & grammar lesson while Luci is working on rewriting a sentence and moving the attribution to the end of the sentence. We are getting pressed for time. Luci's theater class is at 3 o'clock. Gavin is practicing on guitar. He's recently joined up with a band with a few other youth in our church. He's been spending lots of time practicing.

2:30 ~ Luci is practically dancing at the door in anticipation of her theater class that starts today. I still don't know where the classroom is once we get on campus. My email and my phone call to inquire about this have both gone unanswered today. I guess we'll figure it out when we get there!

2:45 ~ With the single exception of Ben & Luci's science everyone is officially finished with school work. The boys have chores to work on while I take Luci to her theater class.

While Luci's at her theater class I take advantage of the short break and dash into Spunky Monkie, a local consignment. I looked around for 20 minutes or so, but didn't find anything that made my heart go pitt-a-pat.

4:00 ~ I picked up Luci from theater class. She thoroughly enjoyed herself! The teacher said it is a great group of kids and she didn't have to work hard to "draw" any of them out of their shell, they are all natural performers. Luci proudly told me that she learned to faint today! And when we got home she demonstrated that new talent for us. I can tell already, this theater class is going to be entertaining.

4:15 ~ It's time to cook for our gathering tonight. Mexican is the theme so I am making an enchilada casserole. The boys have earned their video game time. All the chores are finished and I'm calling the school day complete.

Oh, and if your wondering, we never did see the dog again. I hope he found someone to feed him.

Up To My Eyeballs

I really had plans to begin blogging daily once school got started again. Really. I promise!

The last few weeks have been, for lack of a better word, jam packed! Often, over the last three weeks, I've felt like I'm being pulled in a million different directions and truthfully, while it's not 'a million', I do have a lot going on at this particular time. I feel like a juggler some days-- balancing church, school, family, friends, keeping up with email, managing the membership & website for our local homeschool group, planning for a family cruise/vacation, and struggling to find a minute or two for myself.

Don't mistake this for complaining. I am blessed to have so many opportunities in my life to serve and be a part of great things happening in our home, church, and homeschool group. But this time of year it seems they all peak at the same time and thus, the feeling of being stretched in all directions.

We are now in our third week of school for the 2011-2012 school year and so far things are going pretty smoothly. I attribute a lot of that to our new scheduling tools.

I am using The Well Planned Day's yearly planner to keep track of assignments for all three kids. I absolutely love everything about this planner! Here's a glimpse of where we are right now (click photo for an enlarged view):

You can see that each subject has it's own space for each day of the week, and each space has four lines for scheduling up to four children. Checkboxes make it easy to see what's been finished each day. I'm left wondering now how I survived my first 9 years without this planner! Aside from the perfect planning pages, there are also pages for tests, attendance records, and weekly tear-out shopping lists.

If you think you'd love this planner as much as I do, please see my affiliate link on the right side of my blog! I'd appreciate it :)

The Homeschool Mother's Journal #11

In my life this week... We started back to school this week. Like every year before this one, it was a chaotic, sometimes tearful, sometimes hysterical, first week. By the end of the week we could see past the rough waves and see smooth sailing ahead. 

In our homeschool this week... So far we are loving all of our new curriculum. Gavin especially likes the quick, straight-to-the-point, daily lessons in Easy Grammar Ultimate. But his favorite thing is the fact that he's studying physical science this year. His lessons started off with an experiment the first day. He was in his element! Ben had the most difficult time of all settling back into a school routine. Ironically, he's the one who benefits most from the routine. By the end of the week there were fewer tears, groans, and wails. He jumped right into math, declaring this math is EASY! Gotta love review material. Luci loves school, right up until math time. But even then, she doesn't do too bad. She worked on a paragraph this week and couldn't have been more excited about the whole process! She constantly amazes me. All three of my children are different, have different learning styles,  different strong points, different weaknesses, etc... But Luci somehow manages to be polar opposites of both her brothers at the same time. She is SO incredibly different!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share... I purchased the boys a personal school planner for this year. They are a huge hit! I think keeping the boys on track with these will prove to be a much easier task. We purchased the NIV Middle school and NIV Elementary Planner from Rainbow Resource. 

What's working/not working for us... We have new chore charts in place (see a picture here) and they are working out great. It helps to have clearly defined responsibilities for the kids. In the past we've always used Accountable Kids, and I am still a huge fan of their system; however, I no longer have the wall space in our school room to devote to the boards. Our printable charts are working out great! 

I'm reading... I've been spending a lot of time reading about the gluten-free diet and Celiac disease. We suspect this is what has been plaguing our son for quite some time. If so, it is going to cause a lot of changes in our house. We expect test results to be in within the next couple of days, but the wait is awful!

I'm cooking... This week's dinner menu: 

• grilled chicken salads
• BBQ pork loin (slow cooker) on buns, baked beans, green beans
• spaghetti with ground turkey, steamed broccoli
• Mexican chicken in the slow cooker, tortillas
• Pineapple glazed drumsticks, brown rice, green beans
• baked pork chops, squash & lima beans

I'm praying for... This week, I'm praying for clear, concise results from Gavin's biopsies. Let there be no doubt, no need for further testing. 

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...

This is a look at our homeschool area before we started school. It's my goal to make it look exactly like this at the end of each week!

Writing a Paragraph With Luci

1. Choose a topic ~ That was the easiest part. Is there any doubt that Luci would choose an animal? And what animal does she know best? The family dog, Suzy.

2. Create a "keyword outline" ~ While Luci is using Sonlight LA 2, I am drawing from what I've learned from IEW's Teaching Writing with Structure and Style, in helping her to organize her thoughts so that she can create a cohesive paragraph. Each line in the keyword outline is a different subject related to her topic. For example, line one keywords relate to her appearance and line two keywords relate to the way she smells, and so on...

3. Use words in "keyword outline" to make sentences ~ Each set of keywords is a starting point for making a sentence. 

4. If desired (and believe, me she desired it greatly), type your paragraph ~ She started typing her paragraph and one hour later accidentally lost all but the first three words. She gave in at that point and let me type it. 

5. Print & illustrate ~ This is the fun part!