Our First Homeschool Year 2005-2006

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

October 29, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 3 Comments

We moved from Georgia to Texas during the summer of 2005.

I was pregnant with Victoria.

I couldn’t find a job. I didn’t even get a single phone call or email after I submitted applications and résumés.

Elizabeth has an October birthday.

She had just completed 4K at a private Christian school.

Texas public school rules wouldn’t allow her to enter Kindergarten for another year. She could repeat public 4K – reserved for ESL, special needs, and military dependents.

No, thanks.

We began our homeschool journey.

I have an M.Ed. in secondary English education.

I had taught high school, middle school, and college for almost 10 years.

Everyone in Aaron’s family is a teacher.

I was in no way qualified nor did I feel confident teaching my 5-year-old daughter.

I acquired some old workbooks from Aaron’s mom. She had taught Kindergarten and 2nd grade for 32 years.

My daughter completed Kindergarten in one month.

I discovered The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home.

I followed it like a script.

I discovered Yahoo groups.

San Antonio, Texas, is a great place to begin homeschooling.

So much support. There are oodles of groups for homeschool support.

We “did school” every morning with the recommendations from The Well-Trained Mind.

We did lots of notebooking.

Our Curriculum for Our First Homeschool Year:

First Language Lessons
Spelling Workout
Singapore Math
Notebooking though an animal encyclopedia
The Story of the World

We had a park day every Friday. We didn’t do any book work on Fridays.

We went on lots of field trips.

We explored the San Antonio Missions.

We really liked The Alamo.

We loved being so close to SeaWorld. There were frequent free days for military members and family.

We explored dinosaurs and plants at the San Antonio Botanical Garden.

We dug for roadside fossils. Check out the Fossil Forum for digs!

Liz took weekly art classes at ArtWorks. She learned about artists and different media and produced lovely art.

Liz was very involved at church, singing, and performing in the Christmas pageant.

We kept an herb garden, and eventually planted some fruits and vegetables. We did projects in the Green Thumbs book.

This is the garden in fall:

This is the garden in late spring:

I knew I was doing something right when Liz would spontaneously write and draw and recite facts she’d learned.

Elizabeth became a big sister in March when Victoria was born!

Liz was a big helper.

We took a vacation to Destin and Houston over the summer.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science had an Egyptian exhibit!

Mummies at Houston Museum of Natural Science

We didn’t anticipate continuing to homeschool beyond a year or two. Ha!

Aaron’s mom’s coworker tested Liz’s progress in April and she was reading above a 3rd grade level with great comprehension. So we got no more complaints from family members.

Our first homeschool year was exciting. It was so easy with just one child!

It was a great beginning to our homeschool adventures!

Now we have four kids homeschooling!

Pin1

1 Shares

You might also like:

What I Learned in School

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

October 7, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

That whole “socialization” argument I hear all the time regarding homeschooling? I don’t think the people arguing for socialization really understand what they’re saying.

How could it be a good thing to have 30+ children all born during the same year cooped up in a cinderblock or trailer classroom with 1 exhausted and often ill-trained adult?

I attended 13 years of public school. I remember very little about the lessons I learned from books or the projects I completed.

Most of what I learned in school were the norms of socialization.

The purpose of school is to force kids to conform.

Looking back on what I remember from the academics, I don’t think it was all that biased, but there were certainly gaps. From what I see of current common core curriculum, I worry for the socialist agenda of American public schools.

What Does School Really Teach Children?

Truth comes from Authority.
Intelligence is the ability to remember and repeat.
Accurate memory and repetition are rewarded.
Noncompliance is punished.
Conform: Intellectually and socially.

It is because of my experiences in public school that I realize our choice to homeschool is the right one for our family.

What I learned in school:

Violence. Sexual Assault. Bullying.

Kindergarten:

I could no longer be with my neighborhood best friend. He ignored me in class and played with other boys. I was alone and lost.

I was ridiculed for not paying attention or being able to answer questions.

I was good at art.

1st grade:

I was unable to use the toilet when I needed to go. Because I obeyed the teacher when she told me “No, you may only use the toilet during bathroom break times,” I had frequent accidents and it was utterly embarrassing. My mom had to have with the principal to end this torture.

I was labeled “retarded” for confusing my p’s and b’s in writing.

Miss McKinstry used shame a lot in her classroom. Boys who misbehaved would have to stand at the chalkboard and place their noses in a chalk-drawn circle to be stared at by the class.

When I wrote my name in cursive at the top of my papers, the teacher marked it with a BIG RED X.

2nd grade:

I was sent out into the hallway alone for discipline where I could daydream to my heart’s content.

During recess, I wasn’t accepted as a “family member” in the other girls’ pretend play house, but was told I could portray the family dog since I had long ears (ponytails).

I often felt I exasperated Miss Wilson and learned not to ask questions.

3rd grade:

Multiplication tables and cursive were great joys. I wanted something more challenging but the worksheets were all the curriculum offered. I was often bored and helped the teacher grade papers or staple packets or organize her files.

I witnessed teachers struggle with some very out of control students. One boy got strapped to his chair. It was scary.

I was the only girl who played whiffleball on the playground with the boys.

Mrs. Gilreath was a lovely teacher who seemed to adore me and let me come to her house to ride her horse.

4th grade:

I got a taste of popularity. To maintain it, I shouldn’t play with the boys anymore.

I didn’t understand the Miss Kent’s sarcasm but her tone made me uncomfortable.

I liked science.

5th grade:

I had to deal with my obnoxious male table mate on my own because we were seated alphabetically all year. It occasionally resulted in fist fights which he usually won. Ms. Crawford usually punished me for it.

I was perfect at spelling.

I loved world history and the skits we performed at the end of the year. I played Cortes and Queen Isabella in two different skits.

6th grade:

I snuck teal eyeshadow but couldn’t understand how any of my classmates were “going together.”

I had a substitute teacher for math for the whole year and learned virtually nothing.

Ms. Ontal gave me detention for chewing gum on the playground at recess but everyone had gum and I was the only one punished.

7th grade:

I realized that my bad perm and JCPenney clothes didn’t endear me to the popular kids with their GAP clothes and stylish hair and name-brand shoes.

A state representative’s daughter stole my house key and there were no reparations. Life isn’t fair and I was not protected by authorities at school or by my parents.

I lost out on a year of pre-algebra due to a teacher with zero classroom management. Mr. Donovan was fired at the end of the year, but I had lost out on two years of essential math. Math still haunts me to this day.

8th grade:

Teachers had a zero-tolerance rule for physical touch. I was labeled a prude by classmates and targeted in the hallways. When I was accosted in a bear hug in the PE hall by a boy goofing around, I was issued a detention slip by the band teacher even though I was a victim. He didn’t even show up for the detention and there were no further consequences for him.

I didn’t pass the algebra test to move on in math, so I had to retake pre-algebra, which messed up my whole high school plan.

9th grade:

I received death threat notes when the science teacher announced my assignments were the highest grade in the class. I privately asked her to stop announcing it and she was bewildered. I learned to be silent in class.

Boys found it easy to corner girls to grope and fondle. There were never any consequences nor discipline by authorities. I learned never to walk alone on school property.

10th grade:

This was probably my favorite school year. I loved world literature and world history. I enjoyed biology and geometry.

I rebelled and took an art class. The art teacher was mean.

My parents moved to a different county and I transferred to a new school district before 11th grade.

11th grade

The new school was reputed to be so academic. The school I had attended previously offered many vocational courses, but it was becoming an urban environment. This school was so new, there weren’t even extracurricular activities or sports in place. Rezoning made sure those from the rich gated communities attended this school.

Making coffee for my scatter-brained chemistry teacher was enough for me to pass without learning a bit of chemistry. He was too busy completing his PhD to care about teen students.

Upon learning of dual enrollment with the local community college, I proceeded to complete the paperwork. I received negative feedback from the high school counselor and administrators. They refused to complete their paperwork or sign the forms. I enrolled at the community college on my own merit as a freshman scholar with a double scholarship.

12th grade:

I attended my Zero Period marketing class at my high school and then a college class each quarter. I also worked a part time job.

There were no senior courses offered that benefited me. My English class had a substitute teacher the entire year who preferred I stay out.

I didn’t go to senior prom.

I almost didn’t receive my diploma because I dropped the penlight they issued all students for the graduation ceremony. We didn’t get to keep our caps or gowns either.

We received our cheap yearbooks a month after school ended.

I was part of the second graduating class of that school.

While I know some of my classmates loved school and have great memories, I unfortunately did not. I am not saying all public schools are bad. I am not saying all authorities are clueless.

My experiences formed who I am and what I believe. I am thankful that I can homeschool my children.

I love being able to teach them great academics.

How I “socialize” my homeschooled kids:

I coach them according to biblical principles how to relate to their siblings, peers, elders, pastors, authority figures, wait staff at restaurants, clerks in the dentist’s office, and those in need.

They are free from punishments, rewards, contrived academics, group projects.

Pin8

8 Shares

You might also like:

Civil Air Patrol as a High School Elective

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

September 30, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 6 Comments

Civil Air Patrol is a useful high school elective for all students.

I am counting CAP as a 1-credit elective for each year of high school, so a total of 4 credits on a high school transcript. It could even be as much as 7 credits if you count CAP as early high school courses (because I know many students who take advanced courses in middle school/junior high – and those should count and be listed on the transcript!) or you could include the earlier participation years in the description.

For a course description, I make sure to explain all the major aspects CAP addresses – leadership, character development, aerospace, volunteering, and physical fitness.

Civil Air Patrol as a High School Elective

History:

Civil Air Patrol was founded one week prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Three primary mission areas were set forth at that time: aerospace education, cadet programs, and emergency services.

CAP is the civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force.

We took a little field trip to National Headquarters when we PCSed last year.

Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters Building

Liz was excited to see the office of the previous National CAP commander. He wasn’t in.

My daughter has been a CAP member since she was 12 years old.

High school electives are courses that are outside of the main academic subject areas of English, math, history, science, and foreign language. We more than fulfull the minimum academic requrements in our homeschool high school planning. My children are on schedule for 4-5 credits for each academic subject.

Electives offer so many possibilities for homeschoolers. We have so much freedom and no time constraints. While most school districts require only 3-4 credits of electives, my children will most likely surpass those requirements, again with 4-5 credits or more of electives in subjects they love.

The fine arts, Bible courses, technology, internships, sports and fitness, career prep courses, extra academic classes, and Civil Air Patrol are all avenues for electives that we hope to achieve in our homeschool.

We prefer real courses over video or virtual classes. I want my kids to experience life rather than watching it from the sidelines.

Civil Air Patrol offers many valuable life skills.

Why Civil Air Patrol?

Develop valuable leadership skills
Experience the thrill of flying
Test-fly potential careers
Earn rank and awards
Qualify for college scholarships
Solidify moral character traits
Make friends and have fun!

Civil Air Patrol’s core values of Integrity, Volunteer Service, Excellence, and Respect were first instituted in 1999. The CAP core values mirror the core values of the United States Air Force. These core values reflect how CAP chooses to act as an organization. It’s a statement of how CAP chooses to treat fellow members, customers, and the American public. They reflect the CAP organization’s institutional commitment – as well as CAP members’ personal commitment to public service.

Civil Air Patrol offers training in leadership, aerospace, character development, and physical fitness.

Leadership

Cadets advance at their own pace. Typically every two months, cadets are eligible to test for the next rank. Each Phase I and II rank earns an achievement ribbon.

Liz recently earned the rank of 2Lt and is working towards the rank of 1Lt.

To progress in rank, cadets must

participate actively
pass a leadership test
pass an aerospace test
pass a physical fitness test
participate in character development forums
demonstrate they have the maturity to accept increased responsibility

Four Phases of Leadership:

Each rank offers Achievements and greater responsibilities.

The Learning Phase I: C/Amn, C/A1C, C/SrA, C/SSgt

The Leadership Phase II: C/TSgt, C/MSgt, C/SMSgt, C/CMSgt, C/2d Lt

The Command Phase III C/2d Lt, C/1st Lt, C/Capt

The Executive Phase IV: C/Capt, C/Maj, C/Lt Col, C/Col

The awards and decorations of Civil Air Patrol are designed to recognize heroism, service, and program achievements.

Mitchell Cadets completing Phase II who choose to enlist in the Air Force or the Coast Guard are promoted to E-3 upon enlistment and completion of Basic Military Training (BMT), instead of E-1. Mitchell Cadets who enlist in the Marine Corps, Navy, or Army are promoted to E-2 upon completion of BMT.

View the Learn to Lead curriculum.

Explore other opportunities to grow and learn at Encampment, Leadership Schools, National Special Activities, and more.

My daughter has completed three Civil Air Patrol Encampments so far.

Of course, not all CAP cadets choose to join the military. The skills cadets learn can help them achieve any goals for college or career. It’s a great preparatory program for anyone.

Aerospace

Cadets experience flight firsthand through orientation flights in powered aircraft and gliders. CAP pilots are licensed by the FAA, follow a syllabus for each flight, and ensure the flight is conducted safely. Orientation flights are free to cadets.

My Airman Cadet participated in a Civil Air Patrol campout with astronomy and activities during her first year.

View the Aerospace curriculum.

Many cadets choose to earn a pilot’s license with the various scholarship opportunities for pilot programs.

Aerospace training is a great addition to science and technology studies, offers a step up for those choosing to enlist the military, and is just fun and interesting to many students.

Character Development

Civil Air Patrol provides a comprehensive character development program through Education, Training, and Outreach that:

Promotes a positive community service lifestyle.
Encourages youth to remain in school.
Focuses on drug abuse awareness, education, and prevention.
Provides positive activities as an alternative to drugs and gang violence.

Liz received the Air Force Sergeants Association Award for Cadet Leadership in April 2015!

View the Medal of Honor curriculum.

Character development is emphasized in Civil Air Patrol through leadership responsibilities, volunteering, classroom lectures, team-building activities, and guest speakers.

Volunteer Opportunities

Many squadrons participate in community outreach by assisting at military events, honor guard and color guard, partnering with charity organizations, and many other volunteer opportunities to help others.

Liz’s squadrons have assisted at a local aviation museum and ushering at the Officers’ Club and Tops in Blue events.

Achievement ribbons can be earned for acquiring individual volunteer hours outside of Civil Air Patrol.

I know many states require volunteer hours on transcripts and this always looks good on college applications!

Liz also has earned many, many volunteer hours as a Red Cross volunteer at our local hospital, working in the medical laboratory and maternity ward.

Physical Fitness

Cadets are expected to maintain physical fitness standards.

Cadets are measured each month in the following exercises:

The Sit and Reach tests flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings.
Curl Ups test abdominal strength and endurance.
Push Ups test upper body strength and endurance.
The Mile Run or Shuttle Run tests heart and lung endurance.

Monthly PT tests ensure cadets can make rank and be physically fit. See physical fitness requirements.

The time spent and learning achieved during monthly physical fitness training and testing combined with weekly drill along with personal fitness and health education can easily be translated into a PE credit on a high school transcript.

Today’s cadets are tomorrow’s aerospace leaders. Through its Cadet Program, Civil Air Patrol transforms youth aged 12 to 20 into responsible citizens.

What’s CAP like?

Liz describes what Civil Air Patrol is like:

We learn leadership. In the States, you can do Orientation flights with real airplanes. We get to shoot real guns or do simulator activities. I earned a sharpshooter badge from the NRA. At age 16, you can do real search and rescues. Before that, there are mock-ups for practice. We get to do drill: march and look professional. It’s great experience if you plan to join the military.

What’s the time commitment? What do the cadets have to do on their own time?

Squadron meetings are held weekly. Cadets are expected to study to take tests to achieve rank. Extra activities are encouraged, but optional. Encampment is required to become an officer.

More information about Civil Air Patrol:

Air Force “Blues” and camouflage “BDU” uniforms are usually provided by the squadron. Some accessories need to be purchased, like reflector belts and Camelbaks, undershirts and socks within regs, achievement ribbons and rank, and uniform accessories for officers.

Hair and fingernails must be within CAP regulations.

Cadets can excel and earn academic scholarships.

The online cadet resource library provides tips, tools, and information.

Annual membership dues vary by location. I think it’s a small price to pay for so many benefits! Some squadrons do fundraising for special events and encampment costs.

So many great opportunities for local, regional, national, and international activities. See all the special activities offered.

Find a Civil Air Patrol squadron near you! Find out how to join Civil Air Patrol. It’s not just for military kids. Most squadrons are near Air Force bases, but anyone can join. (Also, if your student decides to join CAP, message me for my daughter’s CAP ID number so she gets recruitment credit! Thanks!)

Other info:

Read about our Cadet Airman’s first month.

See how we Homeschool High School.

Pin22

22 Shares

You might also like:

Cookie Maps

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

September 15, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 15 Comments

We made homemade cookie maps for our Ancient Egypt studies!

I baked large chocolate chip walnut cookies for our yummy map bases.

I made simple blue and green icing for the Nile River delta.

The girls were so careful as they drizzled the icing to form the rivulets and fertile plains.

After we decorated and discussed the Nile River delta and growing cycles, I let the kids further decorate with fun sprinkles and candies.

Use your favorite cookie recipe! Chocolate chip, sugar, or butter cookies work great.

Also, play dough, salt dough, or cookie dough make fun maps.

Also see this salt dough map of the Nile River Delta and these landform maps. Check out no-bake cookie dough maps .

Icing:

about 1 cup powdered sugar
a couple tablespoons milk
a couple drops food coloring

How do you make history fun?

Linking up: Life of Faith, The Educators Spin on It, Kiddy Charts, ABC Creative Learning, Living Montessori Now, Simple Life of a Fire Wife, Burlap and Babies, Written Reality, What Joy is Mine, Diamonds in the Rough, 3GLOL, Time Warp Wife, F. Dean Hackett, Cornerstone Confessions, True Aim Education, Los Gringos Locos, Hip Homeschooling Blog, Hip Homeschool Moms, A Little R&R, Raising Homemakers, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Handmade for Elle, Happy and Blessed Home, Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons, The Jenny Evolution, Eats Amazing, Christian Mommy Blogger, The Deliberate Mom, Frogs Lilypad, Imparting Grace, I Choose Joy, XOXO Rebecca, Design Dining and Diapers, The 36th Avenue, Alayna’s Creations, 123Homeschool4Me, Crafty Moms Share, Faith Along the Way, Arabah Joy, The Resourceful Mama, Buns in My Oven, Sunny Day Family

Pin4

4 Shares

You might also like:

Rocks and Minerals Unit Study

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

September 7, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 10 Comments

Rocks and Minerals Roundup of Activities, Books, Resources, and Printables

Tori has always loved rocks. She has said for years that she wants to be a geologist when she grows up. We always look for ways to expose her to rocks and minerals when we travel – with fun field trips, museums, and activities.

I created this list of fun activities we have loved to use to learn about geology.

Geology Resources - Rocks, Minerals, and Gemstones

My kids really love these monthly themed Calendar Connections with fun science and history facts. We chose rocks and minerals for August.

Tori practiced her reading with this great rocks and minerals unit study from Currclick (link below)!

Tori loved seeing this huge crystal at Dorothy’s Glass Hut.

All my kids loved Mummelsee and the rocky Mermaid statue.

We loved the pattern on this eroding rock at Mummelsee.

Pick and Choose from these Amazing Rocks and Minerals Resources!

Projects and Crafts:

Have fun with this edible rock project.
Make crystals.
Rock doodles project
Get crafty and make a pet rock! Be creative. Paint it, glue on googly eyes, and give it hair!
Celebrate Collect Rocks Day on September 16!
Go on a nature walk and collect pretty and intersting rocks to study. Look them up online or in a guide book. Discuss texture, color, class. My kids are obsessed with rocks and collect them wherever we go – cheap souvenirs! (Make sure it’s legal to take rocks wherever you are! Some places don’t like it.)

Books

If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk
Geology Lab for Kids by Garret Romaine
Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor
Milo and the Magical Stones by Marcus Pfister
Roxaboxen by Alice McLarren
Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough by Natalie M. Rosinksy
If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian
Jump into Science: Rocks and Minerals by Steve Tomecek
Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs, and Other Ughs by Anthony D. Fredericks
Rocks, Fossils & Arrowheads by Laura Evert
Ultimate Sticker Book: Rocks and Minerals
National Geographic Kids Everything Rocks and Minerals by Steve Tomecek
National Geographic Readers: Rocks and Minerals Readers by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Geology Rocks! by Cindy Bloboam
Peterson Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals
Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks & Minerals
A Golden Guide: Rocks, Gems and Minerals
Apologia Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics
Apologia Exploring Creation with Physical Science
Apologia Exploring Creation with Astronomy

Notebooking and Printables:

Geology pages from Homeschool Helper
Rocks and Minerals pages from the Notebooking Fairy
Metamorphic pages from the Notebooking Fairy
Igneous pages from the Notebooking Fairy
Sedimentary pages from the Notebooking Fairy
Nature Study from Notebooking Pages (our favorite notebooking resource!)
Handbook of Nature Study: Rocks – Articles, Printables, and Challenges

Unit Studies and Learning Links:

Crystal Unit Study
Montessori Rocks and Minerals Works from Living Montessori Now
Rocks and Minerals from The Homeschool Den
with a great study guide and Powerpoint presentation from Currclick (see pic above of Tori reading aloud from it!)
HUGE list of Rocks and Minerals curricula from Currclick
Rocks and Minerals from Stacy Sews and Schools
Lapbook and Unit Study from Simply Necessary
Old Earth Geology FREE curriculum
Mineralogy4Kids interactive website

Fun Field Trips Around the World:

See a list of Teacher Resources in the USA

Fun field trip ideas for rock hounds: museums, mines, archeological sites and digs, gold panning, canyons, gorges, waterfalls, rivers, creeks.

Northeast

Sterling Hill Mining Museum in the Highlands region of New Jersey
Mineral Collecting in New England and Mid-Atlantic
Herkimer Diamond Mine in New York
Crystal Grove Diamond Mine in New York

West and Southwest

Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists
Colorado Geological Survey
Northwest Geology Field Trips
Some great Kansas rocks field trips
Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah
Gemstone Museum and Dinosaur Park in Ogden, Utah
Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology
Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine in Montana
Glacier National Park in Montana
Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana
Gold Bug Park in Placerville, California
Julian Mining in Julian, California
Cavern Tours and Mining in the Sierra Nevadas
Royal Peacock Opal Mine in Nevada
Bonanza Opal Mine in Nevada
Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas

Hawaii

Volcanoes National Park for hiking and learning about volcanoes, lava, rocks

Northwest

South

Rock City in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Morefield Mine in Virginia
Sliding Rock near Asheville, North Carolina
Cherokee Ruby and Sapphire Mine in North Carolina
Hiddenite Gems in North Carolina
Crisson Mining in Dahlonega, Georgia
Consolidated Mining in Dahlonega, Georgia
Diamond Del’s Gem Mining Adventure

Virtual

Canada

Check out Mining Matters
Britannia Mine Museum near Vancouver, BC

Australia

The Crystal Caves in Queensland, Australia
Blue Hollow Mine in Queensland
Miners’ Heritage in Queensland
Rubyvale in Queensland
Mt. Surprise Gems in Queensland
Pat’s Gems Fossicking Park in Queensland
The Big Sapphire Gemfields Information Centre in Queensland
Carman’s Tunnel Goldmine in Maldon, Victoria
Gemtree Caravan Park in Northern Territory
Outback Mining near Perth
Australian Museum
Melbourne Museum

Europe

Fischbach Copper Mine in Germany
Berchtesgaden Salt Mine in Germany
Salt Mines – Bavaria, Germany
Hallein Salt Mine in Bad Dürrnberg, Austria
Partnach Gorge in Bavaria – great opportunity to discuss erosion and collect river rocks!
Grube Wenzel Visitor’s Mine in OberWolfach, Germany
KristallWelt in Dietingen, Germany
Mummelsee in the Black Forest, Germany: A kettle hole lake – shallow, sediment-filled body of water formed by retreating glaciers
The German gemstone route – especially the Idar-Oberstein Steinkaulenberg gemstone mine – our family loved it!
Geology Museum in Rome, Italy
Mineralogy Museum in Rome, Italy

What are your favorite tools to study geology?

More fun resources on my Geology Pinterest board:

Follow Jennifer’s board Geology on Pinterest.

ProSchool Membership - Productive Homeschooling

Pin360

360 Shares

You might also like:

How We Do Math

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

September 3, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 5 Comments

Math is very important for productive members of society.

I think many homeschool parents are intimidated by teaching math, especially as kids get older and do more complicated work. I love learning along with my kids, filling in the gaps in my own education.

I got lost in math around 6th grade and never really caught up. I love learning along with my kids now!

Here’s how we do math in our homeschool – from preschool to high school.

Primary curriculum is Singapore workbooks, Life of Fred, and VideoText.

We do lots of supplemental math work with stories, games, manipulatives, and apps.

We love notebooking along with workbooks and occasional drill exercises to ensure our kids know their math facts and concepts well to move on to higher level math coursework.

We love keeping math journals. We do special math projects around seasons. We do fun math activities during the holidays like Valentine’s and Easter. I like to incorporate cross-curricular activities for further review. And we love playing with food. The kids like Montessori math games.

We love reading math stories all year long, no matter our age!

Preschool

Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers should play, play, play!

As soon as my kids showed interest, I would let them lead the way and provide opportunities for them to explore and learn about math.

We focus on counting and number recognition: cardinal and ordinal. We play and make math fun.

There is little writing at this age.

We draw, play with shapes, identify, play matching, games, sing songs, play apps.

Alex soon begged for a math workbook like his sisters.

Luckily, I found Singapore K was just right for him!

He would beg to do so many pages each day that he completed both workbooks in just a few months!

I don’t hold back or push my kids. I let them soar and rest as needed.

Elementary

I follow the natural transitions of my kids’ learning.

We’ve loved Singapore Primary Math for levels 1-6 since the beginning of our homeschool journey.

My children have been ready for the Book 1 Set by the time they were 5 years old.

A complete set of Singapore Primary Math for one grade level consists of two softcover textbooks and two consumable workbooks. There are also teacher manuals and homeschool schedule booklets that I never needed or used.

We love notebooking with Life of Fred math.

I read the books aloud and the girls complete the Your Turn at the end of each chapter together with printable themed notebooking pages.

The elementary set of Life of Fred math are 10 books with titles beginning with the alphabet A through J.

Life of Fred is fun reading: it’s a narrative following the character Fred through adventures that entertain as we learn math concepts.

The math concepts in Life of Fred are interspersed with fun stories, life skills, cross-curricular information. We all love it!

We reinforce math concepts with fun store bought, printable, or homemade manipulatives.

Place value, money, and fractions are easier to grasp with visuals.

The girls love learning math with music, doing special activities around the holidays and seasons, and playing math apps on their iPad minis.

Middle School

Singapore Math changes after Book 6.

My eldest jumped right into VideoText, but my younger kids needed a transition curriculum. Singapore has middle school texts that they do with their dad.

The Life of Fred Intermediate books are a great new addition to our math shelf. They weren’t around when Liz was at this level.

I find it funny their titles continue the alphabet with the alphabet: KLM.

These offer a great transition to pre-Algebra and higher math.

I love the Intermediate and “Before High School” sets of Life of Fred.

We completed Fractions, Decimals and Percents, Pre-Algebra 0 with Physics, Pre-Algebra I with Biology, and Pre-Algebra 2 with Economics in about two years.

Life of Fred Middle School and High School Books

Middle school is a rough time and we have to make sure all the basics are memorized and all the concepts are learned well. This is super important before moving on to high school math.

Unfortunately, most higher education options expect students to complete the SAT or ACT but these texts help with critical thinking.

I plan to enroll my younger three kids in test prep since my eldest didn’t quite get the score she hoped for on the SAT though she was accepted into Ohio College Credit Plus early admission and then to a local university. She might have to take a math placement test or remedial course.

High School

We love continuing Life of Fred math for high school.

I purchased the last of the series: Beginning and Advanced Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry.

I also purchased Calculus, which is listed as college-level, but it tells the story of Fred’s baby years and we wanna know! There are also books on Linear Algebra and Statistics.

We use VideoText Algebra and Geometry for our main college prep high school.

The VideoText Algebra program gives these credits: pre-algebra, algebra I, and algebra II.

The VideoText Geometry program gives these credits: geometry, trigonometry, and pre-calculus.

It was always highly recommended by homeschoolers I knew for high school math. The videos are a little dry, but the lessons cover all the material needed. Both Videotext algebra and geometry can be completed in two years if you rush it.

My eldest went through VideoText Algebra in a little over a year. She and her dad worked through one lesson each school day.

We’re lucky that I’m a history/language arts/biology person and my husband is a math/chemistry guru.

Liz completes her video lesson and notes during the day and then she works through the text with Dad before dinner each evening. There are also quizzes and tests.

We teach to mastery, reviewing and supplementing as needed.

Visit my Math Pinterest board:

Follow Jennifer’s board Math on Pinterest.

Resources:

Ideas, Activities and FREE Notebook Pages
Life of Fred Worksheets
Is Life of Fred enough?
Life of Fred; Apples, Chapter 5
Life of Fred; Apples, Chapter 1 Math Lesson
Free Printables for Life of Fred

What are your favorite math activities?

0 Shares

You might also like:

Our Curriculum for 2015-2016

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

July 15, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We have gotten to a really good place with our curriculum. We know what works and what we like. No fluff! We are streamlined. We prefer a literature and history-based homeschool with lots of books. The kids are at a great age to do their hands-on projects independently.

We’re done with preschool work and it’s so fascinating to me to have the girls reading fluently. Alex is also coming along nicely with reading and writing. He’s a whiz at math!

Our Curriculum Choices for the 2015-2016 School Year

The Boy

Alex is 5.

He is beginning 1st grade Singapore math. He loves Life of Fred and we’re reading Butterflies together.

We’re continuing with All About Reading Level 3. He has a manuscript writing workbook from A Beka that he loves.

He often listens in with our history and science reading, but I don’t make him do any work other than coloring pages. Tapestry of Grace has a new Primer program that is designed for littles.

He likes Bible Treasures and it gives us a good overview and introduction.

Alex does fall soccer and baseball in the spring.

The Girls

Tori is 9 and Kate is 8.

They’re beginning 4th grade Singapore math. The girls are finishing up the elementary series of Life of Fred with Farming. We’re doing Apologia Astronomy and Botany this year.

I let the girls choose their schedule:

Monday: First Start French I, then Level II!

Tuesday: German for Children, then German Demystified

Wednesday: Guitar lesson for Tori and Piano lesson for Kate

Thursday: Song School Spanish…then I don’t know what.

Friday: Prima Latina, then Latina Christiana I

Weekly: Art and Nature Study

Kate does fall soccer. Tori does gymnastics in fall and winter and track in the spring.

The Teen

Liz will be 15 in October.

She is finishing up Videotext Algebra. The goal is to complete that program by Christmas and move on to Videotext Geometry.

We sat down and planned out the next school year and set goals. She’s finishing Second Form Latin by mid-September. She wants to switch to French, so we will do that as a family.

Apologia Biology should be completed by mid-September. Liz begged me to find a 2nd edition Chemistry by Dr. Jay Wile. There’s a new 3rd edition, but we weren’t impressed with the reviews. She will complete Chemistry, then move onto Physics (I’ve already purchased that in case it goes out of print too!).

She is excited to study homeschool Christian psychology this year.

She is ranking up in Civil Air Patrol and is excited about new leadership this year. She has to pass a physical training test every month.

See what our high school homeschool looks like so far.

The Whole Family

We are rotating back to Year 1 cycle in history with Ancient Studies in Tapestry of Grace.

We use the book lists and assignments in Tapestry of Grace Year 1 for Bible, literature, history, geography, writing, and art. We will have a whole Old and New Testament overview this year!

We supplement art studies with Artistic Pursuits.

We anticipate lots of traveling to see ancient sites this year! We’re traveling to Greece this fall and celebrating Christmas in Rome!

We’re working on time management skills with the girls having their own agendas that they check off every day.

When I started easing back into a full-time school routine, I worried we’d be “doing school” all day long. The first day was rather long. The second day, everyone had completed work by lunchtime!

We kinda finished our entire ancient history curriculum in one semester, including trips to Greece and Rome.

We’re spending a few weeks reviewing, notebooking, completing projects, and filling in the gaps of ancient history.

Elizabeth is beginning VideoText Geometry and finishing Apologia Chemistry. She has to complete some philosophy and government readings for history credits. She’s still enjoying Homeschool Christian Psychology. We’re finishing up with I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. We’re having some amazing conversations between that and the psychology book. She’s performing in a local production of the musical Mary Poppins this winter.

Alex is starting All About Reading Level 4! I can’t believe how much he’s learned in so short a time. He’s excited to start Singapore Math 1B.

I’m beginning Apologia Botany with Alex, Tori, and Katie. This will be the first time he’s had a notebooking journal!

I’m reading Changes to Tori and Katie. They’re excited to start Singapore Math 4B and Latina Christiana 1. We’re also adding the Greek Alphabet.

I have spent some time considering what’s most important and removing the fluff from our school time…and our lives.

I’m still purging our home of stuff, cleaning and throwing away and donating. If we haven’t used those items for crafts this year, it’s tossed.

I have all these unit printables in files that the girls loved but Alex doesn’t. They’re gone.

The kids are mostly old enough to do arts and crafts unsupervised. I allow them the freedom to complete projects their own way – even if it’s messy and veers off in a different direction than I’d planned. I bought the girls watercolor calendars.

I hope it’s a fun year!

Pin1

1 Shares

You might also like:

We Don’t Do a Homeschool Co-op

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

June 15, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 42 Comments

I know many homeschoolers participate in co-ops and love it. I know many parents who utilize co-ops for homeschool courses they don’t feel comfortable teaching – art, upper level math, writing, foreign language.

I’ve seen formal co-ops that are run like private schools. I’ve participated in parent-led co-ops. I know many homeschoolers who do very specific, curriculum-based co-ops. And lately, online co-ops seem popular.

Many families homeschool for different reasons with different methods. We homeschool because I am anti-school. My husband and I are capable of teaching our children all academics and life skills that they need. I am raising critical thinkers, not conformists.

I’m sure co-ops are a wonderful resource for many homeschool families.

Homeschool co-ops are not for us.

Why We Don’t Do Homeschool Co-ops

Cost

Most co-ops charge fees. I get that there are expenses. When I taught school, I spent so much of my own money on my classroom decor and supplies.

Of course, the drop-off co-ops need payments for teachers, materials, teaching space, cleaning fees, whatever.

Even the parent-led co-ops require registration fees, materials fees, cleaning fees…so much money. At the high school level, I could see how sharing a lab cost could maybe be a frugal option. I have four kids and the fees add up so quickly.

I’ve seen that many co-ops require training for the parents. And that’s another cost for a trainer and materials. I was a certified teacher. I have a master’s degree in education. That’s a Nope.

In Ohio, a local Christian school offers a homeschool co-op that requires uniforms, completing forms including which church a family attends, and signing a statement of faith. Tuition is more than $1000 per child per year. There are additional fees for art, sports, drama, and other extracurricular activities.

Socialization?

Of course I want my kids to socialize with other kids.

When we participated in co-ops, it reminded me of the reasons why we homeschool.

Too much of my time after co-op day was spent in deprogramming my kids from the negative behaviors they learned from the other kids and parents at co-op. My eldest daughter was bullied by several girls her age. I felt bullied by several homeschool moms who thought they were way more Christian than we were.

No one ate lunch with our family.

Most of the co-op families attended the same church. And it was not a church I would attend. We were left out.

The negative influences upset our family and it wasn’t worth it.

I found I was getting physically ill the evenings before co-op days and I knew we shouldn’t continue. No one in our family was enjoying it midway through second semester, so why bother signing up next year?

Most co-ops want conformity and that is literally what I don’t want in my family.

Freedom

I like to be free to teach at my own pace. I want my kids to learn at their own paces.

I don’t want them stressing over learning some timeline song or some ridiculously confusing method to write a notes outline each week.

I’m all for schedules and routines and I know many families do grades and tests, but we don’t. I don’t feel it’s necessary when I have four students. I know what they know. I know their strengths and weaknesses. We complete portfolios and learn to mastery.

I don’t want to have curriculum or information or values dictated to our family. This is why we homeschool. I have the freedom to choose our learning styles and topics.

Parents complained when I made a joke they felt was inappropriate. They didn’t like my book selection for February for my story art preschool class. I never realized how strict some people are about things that shouldn’t matter.

I can stay home. Or take a relevant field trip. Or go to a movie. Or take a fun day to play in the snow or sunshine.

Whenever we want.

Schedule

I like to be home for lunch.

When my kids were babies and toddlers, I liked to be home for mealtime and naptime.

We attended a couple very informal co-op events when we first began homeschooling in San Antonio. These were only an hour or two long, more like field trips that were topical – like arts and crafts or looking for tadpoles or just a fun park day. I had two babies at the time, so I went for my eldest daughter so she could play and learn with other kids her age. She loved it, being the social butterfly she is.

I tried to participate in a classical history co-op in Hawaii. I had two toddlers and I spent most of my time corralling them while my eldest daughter was on her own with the other kids and moms. I felt lost and alone.

When we did a more formal co-op in Utah, I had to pack 5 lunches and snacks each Thursday for the day-long co-op. While of course we eat lunch every day, I had to make sure we had food items that didn’t need to be warmed up for co-op since there were no facilities and lunch time was only 20-30 minutes long. Most of the families sat on the cold floor and that drove me nuts. We felt degraded and less-than because we couldn’t even sit at a table for lunch. I tried to make it fun like a picnic but I really hated it.

When we last participated in co-op, Alex was almost 4 and he was completely exhausted by the time we returned home about 2 in the afternoon. And that exhaustion rolled over to the next day, so we lost so much time playing catching up.

I spent lots of time preparing for my turn to teach classes (and I wasn’t too impressed with some of the preps from other parents). Some days, I helped in the nursery and didn’t see my kids at all. Other days, I spent the entire co-op in the preschool room with Alex because he wasn’t completely toilet trained yet. We missed his sisters.

Most of the online co-ops weren’t at a time that worked for us when we lived in Germany. I don’t feel comfortable committing to or scheduling my life around an online class.

Authority

Groups have to have rules and regulations. I get that.

Despite the fact that it is a homeschool co-op, most group kids by ages and not abilities and refuse any exceptions to that school model. That defeats the whole purpose of homeschooling. My kids are all great readers and typically at least one grade level ahead in most subjects, by school standards, but many homeschool parents running co-ops don’t care about any of that.

Some of the co-ops we participated in had bizarre and arbitrary rules and few consequences. My girls were confused about the dress code that seemed to apply to some but others got in trouble, like skinny shoulder straps on tank tops. My girls were only 5, 6, and 11.

Some co-ops require extensive applications and signatures on statements of faith. I don’t often feel comfortable agreeing to these forms. And too often, the outward behavior of the co-op families don’t align with the statements.

Some of the parents who manage co-ops and teach courses don’t have a clue about the curriculum or how to teach children.

This was quite noticeable to my eldest when she took a writing class and could have taught the course at age 11. When I asked the teacher-parent about some of the methods in the course, she couldn’t explain anything to me. She was either ill-prepared or ignorant. I pulled my daughter out of that class. It was a waste of an hour.

I protect our time.

We homeschool, therefore I want us to be home. We’re developing relationships with our family members. We seldom even do field trips with local homeschoolers because they often embarrass us with their behavior or make listening to the guide virtually impossible.

These are hard decisions but almost every time I second-guess myself and enroll the kids in a class, I regret it.

Does your family participate in a homeschool co-op? Why or why not?

You might also like: How We Do Homeschool and Life Series.

Pin17

17 Shares

You might also like:

Homeschool High School

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

April 22, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

I stressed over the transition from middle school to high school. I worried my daughter would get “behind” in her studies. We struggled with schedules and checklists and planners and keeping up with the lessons.

I did her a disservice the last couple years with review items and I should have listened to my gut and let her be to complete the core four: science, math, history, and literature. She got bogged down and overwhelmed with all I expected her to do. And I cannot live vicariously through her with the education I would have wanted.

What Can Homeschool High School Look Like

I realize she is so much more successful if I just back off.

We still have curriculum: books and a schedule to complete. I discussed how I would like her to cram it all in the next couple months but she’s not interested. If she wants to “waste” her summer, so be it.

The awesome thing?

She’s been learning so much.

I must keep an active, safe conversation flowing.

I listen to her rattle on and on and on about her play rehearsals and what he said at CAP or what she learned about lab science that day.

It can be tiresome but I give her my undivided attention. I must make sure she feels important. Otherwise, she will clam up and there will be no relationship there. I am trying to maintain attachment before she feels that peers are more important than family.

What can homeschool high school look like?

Civil Air Patrol

Liz is currently a C/MSgt.

So proud that Liz received the Air Force Sergeants Association Award for Cadet Leadership!

Several CAP cadets are also members of JROTC and Liz was invited to the JROTC Ball.

Drama

Liz was AMAZING in the play Kindertransport with KMC Onstage. She won an award.

Science

Liz earned first place at our little homeschool science fair.

She worked really, really hard on it and actually did all the research and data and analysis in the medical laboratory.

She learns well this way and applies what she reads in her books.

We had loads of fun at an eclipse party with these fun glasses!

Literature

We love to read and watch the films based on the books we read. We go to the library weekly and use Netflix and Amazon to view movies.

I am currently thrilled to be reading through some of my favorite books that I read and used to teach to my students.

Sometimes, we just read the book and don’t do massive amounts of analysis and work. Sometimes, I have her narrate orally to me what she learned. We like Venn diagrams and notebooking. We’re working up to a couple literary analysis essays in the next couple months.

I don’t force grammar studies or formal writing. We get lots of grammar learning with Latin and foreign language. Liz is a natural writer with all the reading she does and when I work closely with her, I know which areas need improvement.

Much of our literature reading corresponds to our history studies.

We recently visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

History

We’ve been traveling and learning about events and culture to tie in with our history studies.

It’s such a wonderful opportunity to live in Europe and see all the cultural and historical sites.

Liz is on the E in Amsterdam outside the Rijksmuseum.

There we all are!

Art

We love to read about our favorite artists and attempt to recreate something in that style…

but to actually see the originals?

We love the d’Orsay and the van Gogh Museum.

Alex was also thrilled to see his boats from his favorite art game – Art Ditto.

We enjoyed the artistic flower sculpture and displays at Keukenhof.

Math

Liz is slowly completing the algebra program with VideoText.

We plan to log in her activities in a portfolio to make transcripts easier.

It’s been an uphill battle with homeschooling and parenting the last couple years but things are settling down well and I’m seeing the fruits of her labor and I am so proud of her.

I look forward to seeing greatness during high school years. Liz is a social butterfly and unafraid to try new things and I pray for wonderful learning opportunities in her future. Dual credit is a great option for many students. Look into your state and local colleges for more information!

High School Homeschool:

Pin34

34 Shares

You might also like:

Rain Painting

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

March 31, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert 2 Comments

It’s still quite cold and cloudy here. We had a short reprieve of sun, but it was still windy and chilly.

I had hoped we could time it to have the paper and paint outside and real rain mix the colors, but it just hasn’t been warm enough and the rain won’t cooperate anyway.

Perfect on a windy day to take paper and spray bottles outside to represent rain and mix powdered paints, right?

The kids had fun watching the colors run as they sprayed the powdered paints.

We pretended we were rain as we mixed primary colors on paper.

They compared the types of raindrops from the sprayers to the drops and drizzles from the bowl and cup.

We sprayed water on our powdered primary colors to mix into secondary colors. They loved watching the wet swirls blend and run together.

Alex knew that red and yellow make orange and yellow and blue make green. He even knew that red and blue make purple.

One of our pages had mostly reds and another was predominantly blues and the other was more yellow. They all turned fun shades after mixing.

I brought the papers inside to dry and the kids really love their rain paintings.

We extended the lesson by reading Mouse Paint and discussing the color wheel. We looked for pretty colors around us and determined which primary colors were mixed to make them.

We just bought raincoats so we can go out to explore all the lovely spring buds popping up, even when it’s foggy, cloudy, or rainy.

Another fun color book that Alex adores is The Day the Crayons Quit. We read it every week while we wait on his sisters in their music classes.

And we love the book Press Here. It’s a fun book for active little boys.