FIAR!!!

Well, we’re starting up today for a new session in school. I have hung up the My Father’s World hat and put on the Five In a Row hat. I’m excited about trying something new, but I feel like it’s taking a LOT of time to get ready. I enjoyed the planning time, though but I’m ready to give it a row (as they say in the FIAR world).

Five in a Row (or FIAR pronounced “fire”) uses classic living books as the basis for their curriculum then  gives LOTS of suggestions on how to expand on it to teach MANY different topics. I supplement with other curriculum due to my own goals, but depending on the ages, it may not be necessary. I add my own math, phonics/spelling, and sign language curriculum, but use FIAR’s suggestions for all the other subjects.

I use Sue Patrick’s workbox system to organize our school day. So, here are my 12 workboxes we did for today:

Before the boxes, we read The Story About Ping on the couch. Then, we headed downstairs for the workboxes to begin.

1. Map & timeline. We marked the wall map with a Ping dot and then using a teeny-tiny picture of the book cover, we marked our Add-A-Cetury Timeline at 1933 – when the book was written. Also, there was a black and white map of China for the kids to color and find the Yangtze River. They also did a China map dot-to-dot. These were glued into their Social Studies journal.
2. Math (we use Right Start Math)
3. Spelling (we use All About Spelling)
4. Mommy Reads. I read a fairy tale story out of The Blue Fairy Book
5. Sign Language. I am teaching them sign language (and learning myself) using Signing Online. This was our first day and they loved it.
6. Writing in Journal. “If I were a teacher I would…” then drew a picture.
7. Independent Reading. Magic Treehouse: Twister on Tuesday. 1 chapter.
8. Typing/Keyboarding.
9. Math Game
10. Social Studies Journal Page. (Social Studies Journal) I created a page to be filled out at the start of each book that will go into the journal and printed a black and white flag to color.
11. Extra Social Studies book: People’s Republic of China – read a few pages. We’ll read more through the next two weeks. It went really well!
12. Cut out book characters for magnetic board stories (for later in the week).

I have decided to have full school only Monday, Wednesday & Friday and read the FIAR book for 2 weeks. So, we end up reading it 6 times in the end. I add the basic topics to each full school day. Splitting it up in 2 weeks also allows me to do smaller amounts of work each day while still covering a bunch of topics.

The basic topics I add to a “full” school day are:

• Math (Right Start)
• Spelling (All About Spelling)
• Mommy Reads (any classic that is above their reading level)
• Independent Reading (one at their reading level)
• Sign Language (Signing Online)
• Journaling (I give a simple topic)
• Typing/keyboarding (self-created Dvorak lesson plan)

Here’s my breakdown of a FIAR book study schedule that takes 2 weeks:

Week 1

• Monday: Social Studies (full school)
• Tuesday: Cooking and applied math (during cooking)
• Wednesday: Literary Arts (full school)
• Thursday: No school
• Friday: Art (full school)

Week 2

• Monday: Social Studies (full school)
• Tuesday: Science & Bible
• Wednesday: Literary Arts (full school)
• Thursday: No school
• Friday: Art (full school)

Day one went very well. I was nervous about it taking too long, so I tried to keep the workboxes lighter. I’m happy I did. We were done just 30 minutes after lunch. Which was just about right. Things start to go faster as we get used to a new thing, so we’ll be done in time for lunch after a few days, which is my goal.

The Compliment

I struggled with homeschooling for months before I fully committed. The struggle was not the benefits, but the stereotypes. It’s hard to admit, but what has been displayed via TV and through society was embedded in my brain. I am different than the average woman, I know. I have domestic hobbies and stay at home with my children, but I am NOT weird. HA! I wasn’t weird. I am now.

I haven’t gotten that tattoo across my forehead yet that says, “WE HOMESCHOOL.” And, I live my life completely different than the stereotypical homeschooler did in Law & Order. (Which is where I drew my accurate homeschoolers-are-crazy information from. This is a WHOLE other topic)

A fun thing I have discovered is helping others squash their stereotypical images of homeschoolers. Here is one recent example. There is a local bike shop owner named Chad. He’s a great guy and we go in to his store and shoot the breeze.  He is even coming to our church now, which is giving us more time to get to know him. Like most small towns, we know his brother and sister-in-law, and Dana came over the other day. During our conversation she unknowingly gave me a great compliment.

Dana said, “Chad asked me, ‘Did you know that Rebecca homeschools? They seem so normal.”

Woo Hoo! Normal Homeschoolers!! We’re breaking down that stereotype one by one and shifting it away from Crazy Homeschoolers. It may never completely turn around, but I love hearing when people hit that same point I did of enlightenment. It’s God’s work on people’s hearts, and He has done it to me too.

I don’t know, though, do they look crazy to you too?

Wait! Where’d their tattoos go?! Darn it. I know I put them somewhere.

Workbox Wednesday

Here’s a photo of our workbox system. These are Jeega’s (6 years old). The same set up is with Bear, but we’re more relaxed with his since he’s 3.

Jeega's Workbox System prepped and ready

This picture was taken a month ago, right before St. Patrick’s Day. A couple things I’ve learned since then:

1. to break up the lessons into multiple boxes if possible. With the 1st grade My Father’s World curriculum, I put the bible reader in one box (#6) and then the copy work into another box (#8). But the copy work had so many parts to it, that Jeega would end up spending a long time on it, and getting frustrated. So, I split up the#8 box into 2 boxes separated by other things and she can get them done quicker and happier that way.

2. Work stations are a pain in the rear end. I’ve tried to incorporate them, but it takes me a LOT of time to figure out what I want and then set it up. Any suggestions would be great!

3. It’s SO worth the time to get the boxes set up! The kids do a great job at school when I take the time to set them up. I’m beginning to get the set up done quicker, and get to bed in a reasonable time. The kids keep me in line with the boxes! They don’t let me slack off too much. 🙂

Oh I could NEVER do THAT!!

The next time someone tells me that they put their kids in public school, I’m going to respond with an emphatic, “OH! I could NEVER do THAT!!”

In the workshop entitled The Socialization Trap I took last weekend, Rick Boyer gave me this great idea. It makes me grin since that is a standard response to my words, “we homeschool our kids.” The other big response, if people don’t feel that they need to appear supportive is, “Don’t they need to be with kids their own age?” Or more directly, “What about socialization?”

Until Rick’s workshop, I felt the stress of living up to the socialization “standards” set by the government-controlled-public school system. And, was I being dumb. Here, in this one hour class, I had a paradigm shift. And, I’m still trying to uncover all that it means for my family. Here are some thoughts floating around in my brain

1. It’s not okay to send kids to age-segregated schools/functions/etc and then expect them to respect any one else but their peers.
2. Why do people feel that it’s important for children to get more peer socialization than their parents?
3. When as adults are we segregated by our age? Church? no. Work? no. Shopping? no. Why do we need to segregate our children by age? I don’t choose my friends by their age, making sure that they are no more than 2 years difference. I choose them by their integrity, honesty, and other internal factors.
4. The natural cycle of Serving Up and Teaching Down is key to success. Not segregating. I remember the few times that I learned from my grandparents about how they grew up. That stuck with me more than anything else I learned in school about the history at that time. Why do we not make that the norm? Text books are better? NO!

So, stew these ideas around. They’re tough changes and most people will back away. But, ask yourself why you’re doing things. The answer “because that’s how I grew up” is a cop-out. Really, is it the best for your children?

The MACHE Conference

WOW! My brain is still processing all the information I tried to shove into it last weekend at the Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators Annual Conference.

• Organizing
• Simplifying
• Training
• Leading
• Disciplining
• Teaching
• Curriculum
• Biblical Principles
• …And on and on…

So, my plan is to take one aspect at a time from the conference over the next few days and unload my thoughts and feelings about them. Hopefully that way I can organize them and have coherant discussions on them eventually. Right now, I just wander around the house chanting, “Wow. That was a lot of information. Wow. Now what?”

My first topic will be on Rick Boyer‘s session on The Socialization Trap. OHHHH, was it GOOD!!

The hard days

Today is a hard day. My soon-to-be 4 year old, Bear, is pushing every button I know of and some that I didn’t know I had! But, we’ve had these days before and this is a great reminder of how few and far between these days have become.

Remember on those hard days, friends are there to listen, comfort and hug. Call your friend and share. Also, if your friend calls on a hard day, don’t offer advise unless she asks. Just listen and empathize, even if you don’t agree. It will be good practice for listening to your children!!

Divine Circumstance

I don’t believe in coincidence. I believe that God controls the circumstances around us.

I taught a lesson about this topic on Sunday School last week. In the lesson book, it wanted us to give examples of the steps of divine circumstance in our lives, and to ask the children if they could think of any in their lives. Of course, I couldn’t think of a good one last Sunday. But, I had one pop into my head tonight that I am blessed to be a part of, and I wanted to share it. Here’s the steps:

1. I am accepted into an engineering college right out of high school.

2. I join a sorority (which is NOT like me)

3. Mary joined the same sorority.

4. Mary and I become friends.

5. Mary decides that she is not happy with the sorority and leaves.

6. 12 years later, in the spring of 2009 Mary and I find each other on facebook.

7. One beautiful spring Saturday I plan with our family to go spend the day outside.

8. I decide at the last minute that I needed to stay home and get some stuff done and send the hubby and kids out the door.

9. Mary sends an instant facebook message asking to talk just as my family walks out the door.

10. I quickly learn that Mary had just slept through her abortion appointment, and felt like God may be telling her something.

11. After praying through our conversation that day, we parted, not knowing what was going to happen.

12. Mary’s baby is three months old now, and the love of her life.

The card that she sent of her little angel read: I really couldn’t repay you for playing such a big part in bringing my little miracle to me. I’m so glad we reconnected!

Oh, it wasn’t me. It was Christ! He is awesome. Thank you Lord for allowing me to be a part of this story!

Little angel, you are prayed for!!

Making seed pots out of newspaper

We had a great time making seed pots out of newspaper a couple of weeks ago. Here’s our process:

1. Bring the fold of the newspaper up to meet the open end.

2. Fold the newspaper in half again, bringing the bottom up to meet the top.

3. Unfold the paper one time. Using a straight-sided glass, roll the paper around it while lining up the top of the glass with the fold.

4. Here it is after rolling. The glass only goes halfway up the tewspaper.

5. Now, shove the top of the paper that is sticking up, inside the glass.

6. What it looks like after it’s shoved in there. (You don’t have to be neet about it.)

7. Pull the paper off the glass without unfolding it.

8. Shove down the insides that are sticking up, forming the bottom of the paper cup.

9. Using the bottom of the glass cup, slide it inside the paper cup, press down and twist. This will more solidly form the bottom.

10. Optional: Roll down the top 1/4 inch to make it more sturdy.

11. Taaa Daaa. Complete with crazy son in the background.

There, that’s a better picture of the nut. 🙂

St. Patrick’s Day Fun

Being Irish has its  disadvantages.

1. Hair-trigger tempers.

If looks could kill

2. Fair skin that burns instantly, even in Minnesota sun.

3. Ummm…That’s about it.

Now, for the advantages!!

1. Leprechauns

They're magically delicious!

2. St. Patrick’s Day

All decked out

3. Hair-trigger tempers 🙂 See photo above

4. Corned Beef and Guiness – you think these stuck around long enough to get a picture? HA! Nope.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Our Leprechaun Trap:

Do you think we’ll get him?