Remembering your daily moments while homeschooling

Sometimes it's easy as a homeschool Mom to just focus on the lessons.  As my children's mother and teacher I want to balance the hats I'm wearing.  Although I love that we have truly created a lifestyle of learning in our home, I don't want to forget the moments that just happen.  From the silly moments to the every day ones.  They are all important to me.

Bear got 'stached

our arrival at the Lorax Party

Of course it's also important that I be willing to join in on the fun with them and be willing to actually be in some photographs too. After all, when they're all grown up I want them to remember that although we enjoyed learning together, we also enjoyed just being together.

I'm hoping this will carry us through the teen years.

This post is a part of the Moments to Remember Link Up.  Visit to link up your own memories or see the memories of other participants.

Reading Reflex: the resource that helped my reluctant reader

Pumpkin has had all the skills necessary for reading for the past 1 1/2 years...but she hasn't wanted to learn to read.  Knowing that there are no long term advantages to reading before age 7 I decided to not push it. But I will admit it was getting harder and harder to remain nonchalant about her disinterest in learning to read.

Finally, a friend told me about a reading program that she used with her children called Reading Reflex by Carmen McGuinness and Geoffrey McGuinness.

An effective and easy-to-understand approach, Phono-Graphix enables you to teach your child to read in one-tenth the time of phonics with a 100 percent success rate. In just eleven weeks, you can bring your kindergartner to first-grade-level reading...

Using the photo-copied manipulative cards I began to teach Pumpkin SPELLING, since she didn't want to learn how to read.  This is not what the book recommended you say, but it worked for us.  Other than that I followed the instructions per the book and we began with the lessons in Chapter 3.

Here is a video clip from our very first lesson (filmed on November 9, 2010).  As you can see she was blending and reading in 1 lesson!

If you are struggling with a reluctant reader I highly recommend this program.  I apologize for not posting this sooner but it has been a year of disruptions for us to say the least.

Better late (sharing a resource) than never!

Hands on Science: Polymer Powder & Water

In this video Pumpkin used the Little Professor Science Kit: Polymers   to try the "Perform a cool magic trick" experiment.  The kits come with everything you need. You just add the water! 

I'm sorry to say we actually completed this experiment last year when we were in the midst of living in temporary housing.  So, I apologize for the late posting.  Pumpkin looks very young to me in this video!  

I will say that this ready made kit made continuing our science studies a lot easier. We bought it at our annual homeschool convention but you can also buy direct online.

 

Awana

Pixie & Posey

Our children recently started the Awana program in our community.  Although it was in the middle of the program year they were welcomed with open arms and our entire family is excited about it.  This is such a great program and it has obviously been updated since when I was a kid. 

We have students in Cubbies, Sparks and T & T (Truth and Training).  What I really like about this program (aside from the fact they get to spend time learning about God and having fun with other kids their age) is the home component.  I believe training children in God's word is NOT just the responsibility of the church, but it should rather be a partnership between the parents, child/ren and the church.  The format of this program allows me to easily spend time in the word with my children. It has really become a fun part of our homeschool day and we all eagerly look forward to it---especially me, because so little "prep" is required of me.


I think my children also enjoy the opportunity to earn "awards" for their accomplishments. What child doesn't enjoy a reward system?

Do your children participate in a Awana Kids' Club or something similar? 

Magic Treehouse Mission Game Reward Codes

If your children enjoy the Magic Treehouse Series be sure to check out the website for additional activities such as:

My Passport 

Fact Tracker Showdown

Mission Game

Mission Rewards

Mission Reward codes can be found in the back of recently printed Magic Treehouse books and Research Guides. Unfortunately, it took us several tries before we were able to locate a book with a code (we purchased via Amazon.com).   Unfortunately, our local library doesn't carry any recently printed copies with the Reward Codes either.

To get you started here are a few codes we've found:

Honest

Italy

Emerald

Wolves

Abe

Richter

Bernard

Slither

Are you a homeschool parent or educator? Be sure to check out the Magic Treehouse Classroom Adventures Program website too!

7 Continents Song

Video recorded 2/12/2010

This is an easy song to teach your young children to learn the 7 continents:

I've got the whole globe, in my hands

I've got the whole globe, in my hands

I've got the whole globe, in my hands

I've got the whole globe in my hands.

I've got NORTH and SOUTH AMERICA, in my hands

EUROPE, AFRICA & ASIA, in my hands

AUSTRALIA and ANTARCTICA, in my hands

I've got the whole globe in my hands