X is for X-Rays - ABCs of Homeschooling

On 5 Kids and a Dog, there's a series called the ABCs of Homeschooling.  This week's letter is "X."

 ...is for X-Ray.

Up until this letter of the alphabet, I tried to focus on aspects that best reflected how I homeschool Sophia and Olivia.

There aren't a lot of choices when it comes to the letter X. There's xylophone.

Olivia playing the xylophone at the Minnesota History Museum.

Sophia playing a wrench xylophone

also at the Minnesota History Center.

And there are x-rays. Although x-rays are not a major focus of homeschooling for us, they have played a part in learning about history, geography, science, and the human body.

One year, the girls studied about Egypt. We went to the Science Museum to see a mummy and Egyptian artifacts.

A fascinating aspect of the exhibit was the x-ray of the mummy.  The Science Museum took the mummy to a local hospital where they took several x-rays of it.

The smaller x-ray images to the right of the large image of the mummy explain different cross-sections of the bones.

X-ray of a mummy.

Another field trip we took was to the Minnesota Zoo. About three years ago, the girls were able to go in a room that was designed for young children.

Olivia by an x-ray of a shark.

There were four x-rays for children to see of various animals. The one that both girls particularly enjoyed looking at was the x-ray of the shark.

We also have used opportunities when we have been to the doctor and x-rays have been taken to learn more about the human body.

One year, Sophia walked off the bed and injured her ankle. She needed to wear a cast for three weeks.

X-ray of Sophia's ankle and her visit to the doctor.

One of the interesting things that the doctor pointed out was the growth plate on the lower right hand corner of the x-ray (see image above). It still needed to fuse to the larger bone to its left.

Sophia getting her cast cut off.

Another experience that turned into quite the memorable learning experience was when Olivia was 5 1/2 years old.

She was at the 3% growth percentile for most of her life. However, in September when she went in for a well-child appointment, her height and weight had dropped almost off the chart (.44 for weight; .23 for height).

Olivia is holding her stuffed puppy, Chestnut,

before her visit with the endocrinologist.

At that appointment, she had three rather large containers of blood taken so a battery of tests could be performed. Too many to list here.

She also had an x-ray of her left hand which gave her "bone age."

They also did a series of x-rays and moving scans that showed a liquid that she drank move through her system - from her throat to her intestines.

To encourage her to drink the milkshake, I told her it was a "magic milkshake" that would let her see inside her body. 

She requested be flavored with chocolate (they give kids an opportunity to choose a flavor for their milkshake) and ended up drinking almost the entire container of it.

The nurse tried to take it away from her. "Okay, that should be enough," the nurse said. However, Olivia wanted to keep drinking the milkshake. She wanted to see what her body looked like on the inside apparently.

The doctor let her watch the monitor so she could see the liquid move through her body. Several years later, she still remembers the scans and x-rays.

So, even the letter X has played a part in homeschooling the girls - from field trips to medical appointments. Everything can be a learning experience.

W is for Writing - ABCs of Homeschooling

On 5 Kids and a Dog, there's a series called the ABCs of Homeschooling.  This week's letter is "W."

  ...is for Writing.

There are three types of writing that the girls do or will be doing this year as part of homeschooling: penmanship (printing and handwriting); fancy/decorative lettering; and creative writing.

PENMANSHIP

Each year, the girls work on their penmanship. Olivia focuses primarily on printing while Sophia concentrates on cursive or handwriting. Each one has their own series of textbooks that they prefer using. 

Olivia enjoys drawing and coloring, so the Draw Right Now series has been a great choice for her interests and skill level.

Some of the books Olivia will be using this year.

Each lesson includes several short sentences about a topic.

Lesson about penguins.

The lesson also includes a picture that she draws that ties into the sentences she printed.

Lesson about migrating birds.

Sophia prefers a series in which she practices letters and words in cursive.

A page of handwriting that Sophia did for one lesson.

On the last day of the five-day lesson she then writes a Biblical passage onto a page in her workbook that she can color.

Sophia writing the passage on the coloring sheet.

Yes, there's a cat in her lap. It's Eenie.

FANCY/DECORATIVE LETTERING

This year, Sophia will be learning Spencerian handwriting. It's "old-fashioned" handwriting that was typically used in the 1800s to early 1900s. My grandparents learned how to writing in this way, and it's a lovely, decorative way of writing.

One of the practice books for Spencerian Penmanship.

The practice books begin with learning the lower-case and upper-case letters; move onto connecting letters; and then end with practice sentences. In Book 5, there are sayings that are arranged in alphabetical order.

Two sentences to practice: "Better to live well than long" and

"Criticize your own writing."

CREATIVE WRITING

The third area of writing is creative writing - whether it be poetry, journaling, or short stories. During previous years, Sophia has used a writing book that has a variety of prompts and topics to help her begin writing.

This year, she is using another book that introduces a variety of different types of writing including research projects and reports. 

Two writing books that Sophia uses.

Writing is an important part of homeschooling. Equally important is trying to provide the most appropriate books from which to learn for each of the girls' interests and learning styles; and keeping them engaged and excited about writing.

V is for Volunteering - ABCs of Homeschooling

On 5 Kids and a Dog, there's a series called the ABCs of Homeschooling.  This week's letter is "V."

 ...is for Volunteering.

An important part of homeschooling during the past year has been volunteering.  Sophia, Olivia, and I have been doing a self-directed challenge: 52 Weeks of Giving.

Each week, we try to do something that focuses on giving of our time or resources. Sometimes we are able to volunteer from home, other times we need to bring items that we are donating to a location to drop off, and other times we share our time with people and/or causes who need it.

The girls have been involved with projects on a global level - like donating clothing and school supplies to children who live in a remote village in Africa who are struggling to survive. Clothing and a basic education - two things that we take for granted - are luxuries to these children.

We found out about this village through a family friend who was married last December to a man who grew up in the village, but was able to leave and further his education. He and his wife are now living in Washington D.C. and have made a commitment to collect items to ship back to the village where he was raised.

Folding clothes to ship to Africa.

The girls also have worked locally to help others in need of free or inexpensive clothing. One of the programs that has filled a critical need in the community is the Sharing Shop which is based out of a church about a half hour from our home.

The Sharing Shop has quarterly clothing events where anyone from the community can come to the church and pick out as many clothes as s/he needs. The first bag for each person is free, and each one thereafter is $1. If you volunteer, you may choose clothes for free in exchange for your time.

Olivia folding clothes for the Sharing Shop.

One of the projects we did this past year was cut paper to line cages for orphaned and injured wildlife. This was a simple project to do and only cost us our time. It was also a great way to reuse newspaper and put it to good use once we were done reading it.

Sophia cutting paper for cages for
injured and orphaned wildlife.

The girls also colored some pictures and sent them to an organization that distributes them to senior citizens receiving Meals on Wheels, who live in nursing homes, or who live at home and may need some cheering up.

Olivia coloring pictures for seniors.

Within the first few months of doing the 52 Weeks of Giving program, the girls were thinking of additional ways that they could give back and make a difference. They were caring for a neighbor's dog. Although they paid the girls, they decided to go above and beyond what the neighbors expected and for which they paid.

The girls spent extra time and made additional visits each day to the dog to ensure he was well cared for while the neighbors were gone.

The girls pet sitting for a neighbor.

One of the easy and enjoyable ways the girls like to volunteer and donate is through food. They either donate food to the food shelves on a regular basis; or help make food that can be served to those recovering from surgery or who have a medical issue that interferes with their ability to make food for themselves and/or others.

The girls donating food to a food shelf.

Ready to bring food to a friend who just had surgery.

The girls also enjoy assembling kits or packages for those who are struggling in other parts of the world.

Hygiene Kit for someone in need.

Even though they help others throughout the world, they always remember those who live close to home who may be struggling. The girls were happy to put together a variety of items for men, whomen, and children who were homeless during the winter.

Packaging donations for people who are homeless.

The girls have volunteered their time and shared their interest/abilities in music with others. During the past year, Sophia played in two recitals - one was at a nursing home at Christmas where she played two songs. 

Sophia playing the piano at a concert at a nursing home.

Both the girls have performed at least once a month during the school year through the church choir. They have sang in church as well as at a nursing home.

Sophia and Olivia singing in the church choir.

Volunteering will continue to be a weekly focus during the rest of 2011. Starting in 2012, we plan to focus our efforts on organizations to which we feel the most drawn to, and to which we want to donate our time and resources.

Celebrating Homeschool Diversity

The HomeSpun Life is hosting a Celebrating Diversity Homeschool Blog Hop as a way for homeschooling families to meet one another.  They are inviting peope to blog about their education style, favorite field trip places, and ideas they'll use this year.

I have a rather eclectic style of homeschooling, drawing the parts I like from a variety of homeschooling philosophies. For example, I follow:

...a Unit Study approach when I think of the multi-year, multi-disciplinary U.S. geography study we'll be embarking upon this year. We'll be studying 13 states over the course of this school year and covering a variety of subjects for each state: literature, geography, biography, science, character, home economics, and language arts.

Olivia will be doing another unit study called Five in a Row which focuses on a book that is read daily for five days and has related activities in various subjects (e.g., math, science, home economics, reading).

Last year we completed a multi-year, multi-disciplinary study

of 26 countries (one for each letter of the alphabet).

A favorite part of the study was

making food from other parts of the world.

...a Classical approach when I think of math, penmanship, and computers/typing. Both the girls use Rod & Staff math books supplemented by hands-on activities and games. Penmanship also is done using workbooks as guides. Computers/typing is done using the Mavis Beacon program that has over 400 lessons which will be done over several years.

Sophia's math book from fourth grade.

...a Charlotte Mason approach when it comes to nature study, and six-week studies of poets, composers, and visual artists. So, the girls will learn about six poets, six composers, and six artists this year. During the next school year, there will be six new individuals to study in each of the disciplines (poetry, music, and visual arts).

Olivia measuring the length of a dandelion stem.

This was a part of a nature study about dandelions.

...a Literature-Based approach for history. All of the books are "living" books rather than textbooks. The focus is on reading quality literature - whether it be non-fiction or fiction - that engages the reader/listener rather than just listing dates and dry facts. As I have done for the past two years, I'm using Sonlight's books for this area of study.

...a Waldorf approach for particular units of study. For example, Sophia will be doing a multi-week geometry study that combines math and art.

...an Unschooling or Child-Led approach for topics that are of particular interest to each one. Sophia has chosen the following areas of interest this year: cooking, sewing, harp, piano, and singing/choir.

Olivia has chosen these areas of interest: American Sign language, music/instrument building, piano, singing/choir, puzzles, and art (with a focus on visual arts).

A 300-piece puzzle that Olivia can now quickly do.

She's up to 500-piece puzzles now.

The girls will be making lapbooks for several of their multi-week, in-depth studies of several science topics: human body, germs, veterinary science, and teeth/dental care.

Olivia also will be doing notebooks for a couple multi-week studies (e.g., Aesop's Fables, Native Americans) that include a variety of hands-on activities and interactive elements that she can look back upon in the future.

This year, I am integrating 4-H projects into the girls' curricula. Each one has chosen quite a few project areas in which they will set goals and do activities.

Some of the projects they have picked include: photography, quilting, geology, wildlife biology, veterinary science, child development, rabbits, horse/pony, clothing and textiles, woodworking, crafts and fine arts, pets, cats, communication, dogs, and dairy.

The girls carving pumpkins at a 4-H meeting.

They helped display the pumpkins at a local nursing home

They also will be doing Brownies and Girl Scouts as Juliettes (independent scouts). In this way, they can work on activities for earning badges and Try-Its at their own pace and in areas they find interesting. One of the benefits of being in Girls scouts is that they can participate in Girl Scout-sponsored activities (kind of like field trips).

We are looking forward to beginning this homeschool year which begins tomorrow (Saturday) for us as we do our annual Not-Back-to-School Trip.

This year we are headed off to New England to explore six states: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. We are excited to do a lot of history, nature, animal-related, and literature-related activities during the trip.

U is for Unscheduled - ABCs of Homeschooling

On 5 Kids and a Dog, there's a series called the ABCs of Homeschooling.  This week's letter is "U."

...is for Unscheduled.

Anyone who knows me would be thinking, "What do you mean? You have a schedule and follow a routine with homeschooling."

That's true. I have a plan for the year and know what I want Sophia and Olivia to do and learn each week.

There are activities that the girls participate in that happen on certain days and times - homeschool co-op and piano lessons on Monday; Sophia's harp lesson on Tuesday; church choir practice on Wednesday with singing at two services on some Sundays; and Olivia's speech therapy and special education sessions on multiple days and times.

Each day during the school week there is a routine and rhythm that we follow. On days when there are activities outside the home, the schedule is modified to include them.

Generally, we wake up, have breakfast, take care of the horses, and then begin homeschooling. We take a break for lunch which we eat together. The girls play outside for a bit and then we resume homeschooling. After we are done homeschooling, the girls are free to do what they want to do until dinner which we eat together. In the evening, we read together, listen to books on CD, and play.


Sophia and Olivia on a nature walk/study with Bailey (the pony).

We focus on the more challenging subjects such as math and reading in the morning while leaving the "easier" subjects - such as geography, art, and home economics - in the afternoon. (These are not the only subjects that the girls study...they're just a few examples.)


Olivia working on reading skills.

What I'm referring to when I think of "unscheduled" is having the flexibility to sit down with the girls each week and say, "For math this week you need to do lessons 1-5. For penmanship you need to do lesson 1. For reading, I would like you to read chapters 1-15 this week," and so on.

By having blocks of time that we homeschool, the girls and I can spend as much time as needed on a particular activity. So, for example, if I'm reading a book aloud for history and we are all captivated by it, I will read until we are ready to take a break.


Sophia having fun one afternoon on the ice. She and Olivia were having so much fun skating that we ended up staying longer than we planned.
If I followed a strict schedule and didn't deviate from the set times, then there would be many times I would have to tell the girls, "We're done with this subject for the day. Time to move on to the next activity."

I can only begin to imagine the frustration the girls would feel with being interrupted right in the middle of being focused on their work and being told to leave something uncompleted. If they are focused and/or enjoying what they are doing, I see no purpose in interrupting their work unless there's some sort of emergency or dire need at stopping (which doesn't happen frequently, thankfully).

With homeschooling, I like having the ability to give the girls their assignments for the week and/or day and then letting them determine how they are going to reach these goals. If they want to do all their grammar lessons for the week in one day...fine. If they have the energy and motivation to do two math lessons in one day...great.


Olivia learned how to make a circuit. She was happy to see the light bulb work. Success!

The girls - who are 8 and 10 years old - are learning about time management and knowing their strengths and areas of challenge. They know that devoting time each day to practicing the piano or harp will be easier than practicing for 3 1/2 hours at one time because they didn't budget their time well.


Sophia playing the harp and learning a new song.

By not giving Sophia and Olivia a set schedule each day with specific times for each subject, it allows them to fully use their minds and skills in self-direction. Also, with learning disabilities and sensory issues, there has to be flexibility and freedom to work at one's pace during the day...at least that's what works for us.


Olivia was needle-felting a heart for Valentine's Day. She was ready to start homeschooling right away at 7:00 in the morning and chose to start with art/creative expression.

Having a homeschooling plan that details goals and activities for each week is critical to staying on track and meeting educational goals. Being flexible and committed to an unscheduled way of life and way of homeschooling is essential to making learning fun and engaging.


Sophia spinning in a Hmong outfit that was part of an interactive exhibit at the Science Museum.

T is for Talking - ABCs of Homeschooling

On 5 Kids and a Dog, there's a series called the ABCs of Homeschooling.  This week's letter is "T." 

...is for Talking.

Although there are plenty of quiet times with homeschooling when the girls are busy with their schoolwork and reading, a good percentage of the time is spent talking at home and in public.

Some of the ways that the girls talk; communicate with others; and share their skills and knowledge include:

PERFORMING IN PLAYS

Both Sophia and Olivia have acted in many plays through classes at the homeschool co-op as well as in community theater.


Olivia in her first community theater play. She was 6 years old. She had 50 lines and many songs that she memorized for the play.

They've acted in several American Girl plays though the homeschool co-op which was a wonderful way to bring historical fiction stories to life.


Sophia performing in an American Girl play at Barnes and Noble for a special event.

GIVING SPEECHES

One of the things that I want the girls to learn and be comfortable with is giving speeches. Growing up in the public school system, I did not have to make a single presentation or speech until junior high school.

Since I had never had to talk by myself in front of a group of people, I was terrified. I did not want the girls to have that same fear. So, I began encouraging them (a.k.a. requiring) them to do speeches for classes I taught at the homeschool co-op.


Sophia making a presentation during home ec class.

The girls also did their first demonstrations for their 4-H club and at the County Fair. These were great experiences for sharing their knowledge with a wider audience beyond their peers. The girls did their demonstrations in front of other children, teens, and adults.


Olivia doing a demonstration about how to make a puzzle sandwich.

INTERVIEWING

As part of showing projects through 4-H at the county fair, the children talk with different judges for each of their projects. The girls have been involved with 4-H now for two years, and have had the opportunity to talk with many judges about a range of projects and subjects.


Sophia meeting with one of the 4-h judges at the county fair.

Being interviewed as a child helps them think of appropriate answers and be able to easily converse with an adult about a variety of interests they have or skills they have gained. In the long-term, being comfortable in the interviewing process will help them as they seek a job or are ever in the position of interviewing others for a job.

THERAPEUTIC SPEECH

When Olivia was adopted, she was said to be a healthy child with no special needs. However, initial doctor appointments revealed a host of developmental delays and physical challenges.

During the 2010-2011 school year, I had her tested further since she continued to experience difficulties with speech and learning.

She qualified to receive weekly speech therapy appointments as well as special education to assist with learning disabilities and auditory processing issues.

One of Olivia's favorite ways to practice her speech and talk was through two therapeutic horseback riding programs she did for five years.


Olivia enjoying time on horseback while practicing her speech/communication skills.

Therapeutic horseback riding helped move her from saying only one-word sentences and using American Sign Language at 3 years old to being an almost-constant talking 8 year old.

NARRATION

This year the adding will be adding narration to their ways of communication.

Narration is something that educator Charlotte Mason advocated that children do. With the amount of reading that we'll be doing this year, adding the skill of narration and the ability to summarize and re-word what has been heard will be something good to work on.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Talking is such an important part of homeschooling for us, and a skill that continues to unfold and develop with each passing year.


This article was written by Harvest Moon by Hand.

52 Books in 52 Weeks - Week 33 - The Journeyman

During the past week, I've been reading aloud to Sophia and Olivia The Journeyman by Elizabeth Yates as part of the Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.

This was actually one of the books from Sophia's fourth grade Sonlight curriculum for history. We didn't have a chance to read it last spring, so I was going to read it to her over the summer to wrap up that subject.

I'm so happy that I waited to read this book. It is set in New England during the 1800s. The girls and I will be heading to New England next month for a trip through six states. This book mentions several of the states that we will be visiting as well as some cities.

It gives an interesting historical picture of the pioneers and life during that time period. It focuses on itinerant painters who traveled from town to town seeking work and board. At times, they would simply receive board and food in exchange for their work. Other times, they also would receive payment.

The book explores apprenticeships and how early artisans began their work by learning directly from a mentor for about five years before being able to go out on their own and establishing their own business.

At that time, it seemed like people worked together more and helped each other grow in their field in exchange for time and labor. It was a mutually-beneficial relationship that helped foster the growth and expansion of the United States.

The book intersperses historical and artistic facts throughout the text. Hopefully, we will see some of the stenciling and symbols used in the artwork during the 1800s reflected in what we see on our trip next month. Regardless, The Journeyman has been a fascinating and engaging book to read this week.

Kidsrecipes website continues to steal posts from Harvest Moon by Hand

Kidsrecipes.us continues to steal photos and posts from Harvest Moon by Hand's blog. Over 30 recent blog posts have been automatically uploaded to their website. Kidsrecipes.us DOES NOT HAVE PERMISSION to take any of Harvest Moon by Hand's posts and claim them as their own. Yet...watch...this post will post show up on their site printed verbatim.