Young Children's Dice Math Game

ThinkFun Math Dice Jr.

My daughter actually picked this out at Barnes & Noble with some birthday money from grandma. This kind of shocked(that she picked it) and excited me at the same time! Woo-hoo, learning games that she actually enjoys. This is something you could make yourself with a few dice and a handmade number wheel, but for the price, it's an affordable option. Adding(and subtracting) is learned quickly with this set. The number die is twelve sided. Ages 6 and up.

Math Dice Game Ideas

Library Finds: Picture Books

Two favorites this week for young children:

Water Hole Waiting

Ages 4-8. The Kurtzes, brother and sister, describe a dawn-to-dusk day at a water hole on an African savannah, citing the activities of the many animals that inhabit the ecosystem. At dawn, as a troop of vervet monkeys forages for food, a youngster attempting to take a drink is stopped by Mama, who notices a herd of hippopotami arriving for a swim. At midday the young monkey tries again, only to be deterred by zebras and a lumbering crocodile. Later, a lion and a giraffe come for drinks, and a family of elephants rumbles down for a splash. Only after dark, when the larger animals have gone, does Mama deem it safe for her baby to quench his thirst. Vivid artwork complements the elegant text, often extending it with additional details: the close-up views of thundering zebra hooves and snapping crocodile jaws are particularly impressive. The story will work well on several levels: young listeners will understand the frustration in having to wait for a cool drink; older children will appreciate the diversity of savannah wildlife.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Box Turtle at Long Pond

PreSchool-Grade 2-- A day in the life of a box turtle is rendered carefully in words and lifelike illustrations with a text that respects its subject, avoids any anthropomorphism, and is simple enough for very young listeners. It records the turtle's actions as, slowly but with perseverance, he drinks, searches for food, evades danger, and sleeps. The outstanding gouache paintings in borderless, horizontal two-page spreads are so realistic that one almost reaches out to feel the turtle's textured shell. Although at times the turtle seems to be camouflaged, blending into his surroundings, he stands out clearly once located. The animals he encounters are equally well illustrated--readers will almost hold their breath so as not to frighten the raccoon and chipmunk. The book's design is excellent; even the well-chosen type, superimposed on the illustrations so that there is no visual break from the scenes, is clear and easily read. This is superior nature study for young readers and listeners.
--Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Recent Children's Academic Library Book Selections

Someone(Eva) asked if I wouldn't mind sharing a list of our academic readings. Listed below are a few summer favorites from our public library. Mostly, I browse the stacks and pull books that look interesting, books that are a good review of topics covered(studied) in past years. My son is going into the eighth grade, and some of these books are below his reading level, but were selected for their coverage of a particular area.

Son(age 13):
Ten Kings: And The Worlds They Rule by Wilton Melzer.
Inventions that Made History by David C. Cooke
Cradle of Civilization Series(broad coverage): The Assyrians (The Cradle of Civilization),
The Sumerians (The Cradle of Civilization), and The Babylonians (The Cradle of Civilization) by Elaine Landau
Ten Saints by Eleanor Farjeon
1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up by Julia Eccleshare. HT to Untrodden Paths(Eva).


Daughter(age 5), Picture Books:
Peter the Cruise Ship by Hans Mateboer(geography, cooperation, manners, social studies)
Daisy and the Egg by Jane Simmons(nature science, family)
A House for Hermit Crab (World of Eric Carle) by Eric Carle (nature science, months)
Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (directional words, a bit of science, sequence)
Old Shell, New Shell: Coral by Helen Ward (nature science)
Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker (ecology, geography, family)
Caribbean Dream by Rachel Isadora (geography, family, poetry)
The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown (nature science, the seasons, faith)

Student History Supplement: Old Time Radio WWII Collections on Sale

Live broadcasts from WWII and other original programs from the era. Most MP3 CDs are $4.50 and include over 10 hours of recordings. Patriotic and Fourth of July collections are included. Check them out.
When you click through to a specific collection there will be a full review of the contents and a free MP3 sample.

Image source.

Waning Interest in Cursive Writing

Students nationwide are still taught cursive, but many school districts are spending far less time teaching it and handwriting in general than they were years ago, said Steve Graham, a professor of education at Vanderbilt University. Most schools start teaching cursive in third grade, Professor Graham said. In the past, most would continue the study until the fifth or sixth grades — and some to the eighth grade — but many districts now teach cursive only in third grade, with fewer lessons.

“Schools today, we say we’re preparing our kids for the 21st century,” said Jacqueline DeChiaro, the principal of Van Schaick Elementary School in Cohoes, N.Y., who is debating whether to cut cursive. “Is cursive really a 21st-century skill?” Read more here.

I gave up on cursive with my son. He prefers print, and we didn't pursue cursive past fifth grade. I was the same way in giving it up in middle school for print. I do miss seeing it, but not enough to pursue it in our homeschool. My parents and older sister still write letters in cursive. Sometimes it's difficult for my son to read the letters. We just don't see it enough in our everyday life to keep it as a practiced skill.

Vintage Book Finds

Some great finds at one of our local used book stores, about $5.00 each:

Misericordia Readers, Sixth Reader, 1934(Nihil Obstat Catholic school reader, Sisters of Mercy, Baltimore, Md)

1952 early reader, What's Next(third grade? - need to research) , Scott, Foresman and Company
Young Folks Library, 1902, Thomas Baily Aldrich, Hall & Locke Company.

Treasury of Life and Literature, Volume Four, 1937, Rollo Lyman, et al; Scribner.

The Lion of the North(30 years war), (first edition?), G.A. Henty, A.L. Burt Publisher

Some of these we'll use for summer reading.

Ebook Reading Experience

After Christmas we bought a Kindle to read ebooks - classics and others available in public domain. It turns out none of us like reading virtual books on a small device. Fortunately, my husband found the Kindle very useful for his audio books, music, and random internet access from work. I've decided that nothing beats the sensory experience of holding a book in your hands, the crisp sound of turning pages, the smell of an old library, and their constant visual presence in the bookshelves. They become a part of your home, beckoning you to come visit. Similarly, public library visits have become a part of our routine, an enjoyable outing, and a stress reliever to quietly browse and wander among the stacks of books.

We still access school materials online, but when it came to reading for pleasure, the ebook readers just didn't cut it for us. The physical presence of books feels more like home.

Richard Norquist of About.com Grammar and Composition ponders:

"My dad never made it beyond Andrew Jackson High School, but the books he lovingly collected set me on a course that led to grad school and a career teaching English. So I'm not surprised by the results of the study.

But I wonder about what lies ahead--after the bookcases have been dismantled to make room for wall-sized LCD panels and all the books have been replaced by Kindles and iPads.

Sure, every book you can imagine will be available for download (along with every movie, TV program, and video game). But without the physical presence of books in the house, will kids experience the same sense of discovery and adventure? More importantly, will they still feel at home with books?"

Moles and Daffodils

We went out into the garden this morning to find little mole tunnels throughout the lawn in the backyard. It needed aerating anyway, and the moles, as carnivores, keep down the population of insects(larvae) and slugs. My cat catches his fair share in the summer when they come up and away from the dry soil.

Enchanted Learning had a nice "Label the Mole" printout of a mole, and I've gone online to reserve a few library books about moles for my daughter.

Children's fact sheet about moles

I had no idea they were once prized for their pelts, as an aristocratic fur."Queen Alexandra, the wife of Edward the Seventh, ordered a mole-fur garment in order to start a fashion that would create a demand for mole fur, thereby turning what had been a serious pest problem in Scotland into a lucrative industry for the country. Hundreds of pelts are cut into rectangles and sewn together to make a coat. The natural color is taupe, but it is readily dyed any color."

Some of our daffodils after this morning's rain.

Ladybugs and Butterflies

Insect Lore Ladybug Land and Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden

I purchased both these habitats online for $26.84 with free shipping. We received the larvae today(separate purchase of $3.00 each) and have been enjoying the babies scoot around in their containers. There is a coupon for the larvae and website address which comes with the habitats. These two did not come as eggs, but as second stage babies - larval ladybugs and Painted Lady caterpillars.

We also checked out the butterfly and ladybug Backyard Book series(Kingfisher) from the library. They all begin with the same title, "Are you a ___ ?" These are very cute engaging stories of the life cycles of particular insects and bugs - clearly written and to the point with nice illustrations. My daughter was able to memorize these(restate the content) and enjoy them because they were short, made for the limited attention span of young children, and memorable. There is a snail book which is particularly cute with a mama and baby snail. All are written in the manner of speaking directly to the reader - perfect for preschoolers through Kindergarten.

Are You a Ladybug? (Backyard Books) and Are You a Butterfly? (Backyard Books)

Simple life cycle printables for the very young: ladybug and butterfly.

I'm thinking about getting a frog and praying mantis habitat. My daughter has a special interest in nature, so this has been a lot of fun for her, and me because it gives her joy.

Homeschool in Transition

We have had it so good for these past seven years. My son has sailed through the Rod & Staff curriculum, loving most of it. We also used Climbing to Good English and the Pathway Readers. There is something about those Amish/Conservative Mennonite texts and workbooks that really appealed to him. All were very much to the point, yet thorough and without a lot of distracting color or illustrations. Topics flowed well and were logically organized. It also blended well with our vintage Catholic texts because of it's generic Christian tone. Once he learned to read well, he was able to work through these books with minimal instruction. Rod & Staff texts are good for independent learners - they pretty much self teach, each grade builds upon itself in a fluid manner.

Rod & Staff texts only go through eighth grade(full curriculum), and the last grade begins to lean heavily toward Mennonite doctrine and history. So, I've been exploring options for eighth grade and beyond. We'll most likely transition to mathematics with Christan Light Education, similar to Rod & Staff. We may even use their Bible study if it's free of doctrine. Rod & Staff Bible study(K-7) has been excellent - so interesting with many bits of ancient history and culture. Since my son has been leaning in the direction of self directed learning for a while now, I've decided on the Robinson Self-Teaching program. He's an independent learner who likes to research things which interest him. He also loves to read, so I think this reading heavy curriculum would be a good fit for the rest of his schooling.

Robinson uses vintage texts in public domain. We have used these sources for ancillary learning. He seems to prefer the mature tone of the older books. We will probably be reading most of these on our mini lap top as we have in the past with public domain texts. I download them to a Sansdisk compact flash memory card(AKA: Thumbdrive) stick for easy access. We don't have the Kindle ebook Reader; however, I think you can use this device to read the books as well. Best of all, it's a very good value with only a one time purchase for all twelve grades(doesn't include math).


Robinson Self-Teaching main website

From phonics to physics, these 22 CDs and a set of Saxon math books are all that you need to give your children a superior education. You can use this curriculum to supplement your children's current schooling or as a stand-alone education using the included self-study methods.
The Robinson children teach themselves (as do the 60,000 children now using this system) ­ so well that their 11th and 12th grade work is equivalent to high quality 1st and 2nd year university instruction in science, history, literature, and general education.
They also teach themselves study habits that do not depend upon planned workbooks, teacher interaction, and other aids that will not be available later in life.
They teach themselves to think.
Dr. Robinson has spent less than 15 minutes per day teaching all six children...
Many home schools are limited by the burden of teaching that is placed on parents. Dr. Robinson has spent less than 15 minutes per day teaching all six children ­ ages 6 through 18. Yet, both of his oldest students scored over 1400 on the SAT (over 1500 on the new SAT) and received two years of advanced placement in college. The younger children are doing as well.
Teach your children to teach themselves and to acquire superior knowledge as did many of America's most outstanding citizens in the days before socialism in education.

Independent Robinson Resource Site - freebies, tips, links, etc.
Books Sorted by Reading Level 

Happy Hearts Homeschooling Library

Reviews:
Personal review
HomeschoolReviews.com 

An Old Fashioned Education has a similar approach using public domain books, only all the lesson plans and helps are free.

Samizdat Express has a mind boggling amount of books by subject on CD. I purchased the children's set for my niece years ago. His prices have gone up quite a bit; I think he has realized the value of his collections, especially with the popularity of Amazon's Kindle. Samizdat lists all the books in each CD collection, all are in public domain, so it's a good reference as well. If you'd like to pair this will some auditory learning of a dramatic flavor,  OTR Cat offers old-time radio show collections on CD at a very low cost, a super time saver. Some are live recording of wartime coverage, others are historical shows. Free downloadable versions here at Internet Archive, Old Time Radio. Also see: Librivox Free Audio Books.

A huge archive of children's history books organized by reading level and historical period. Free to read online, or order collections of CD. Some of these books may be found online in public domain as PDFs - try a Google search as well.

Update: I just noticed that Robinson files are actual scans of book pages(not PDF or plain text), so we may go another route, but still using the vintage texts. They are serious about not wanting the curriculum to be read on a computer screen.

Help Dealing with Homeschool Burnout

I saw these at About.com Homeschooling.

Two of my favorite:

Hitting the Homeschool Wall by Holly Richardson

Avoiding Homeschool Burnout by Isabel Shaw

These are coping mechanisms that I learned the hard way. Students are not the only people who learn and grow in homeschool. It has been the catalyst for spiritual and emotional growth for the adults in our family as well.

Addressing the Reluctant Student

A helpful blog post here:Addressing Reluctance in Your Homeschool.

Homeschool Friendly Work Spaces

Collected from various places across the web(Mid-Century Modern, Eames, Danish Modern, Vintage Modern, etc.), I keep them as a part of my decorating scrapbook(digital) for inspiration. I used to see these vintage furniture styles all the time at the thrifts; however, now that they have become popular, they are more difficult to find!  The tops are all laminate which makes for a friendly surface to paint, roll play-do, glue and do other messy projects. I gave up trying to keep my wood table clean and went with a hard surface table and pleather/metal seats. I enjoy projects so much better now because clean-up is quick and easy, just a wipe down with a cloth and some mild cleanser.

We also got rid of much of our carpeting a few months ago, and went with painted floors. So far, so good. The floors are much easier to keep clean. Although our place may not be magazine worthy, my life is a lot less stressful. It works for us.

Try Craigslist for inexpensive homeschool pieces. We've purchased much of our children friendly furniture inexpensively from sellers on Craigslist. Thrift stores are good too; however, in our area the quality and condition is often not as good.

A gallery of pictures here to envision these styles better.

Homeschooling Fine Arts: Letting Them Choose

"The great artists of old knew that they needed to focus their energies within their own talent’s sphere. They did venture forth and learn more, but it was all within the confines of their own medium. So how do you choose what to focus on and what to pass over?" ~ A thoughtful post/article about Letting Them Choose.

Establishing a Rhythm

This cooler weather is wonderful! I think it's giving me a boost, and we've gotten a rhythm down with my new homeschool student, my kindergarten daughter. She is really enjoying the structure and one-on-one attention that comes with the formal table learning. These initial  sessions have been very short, but it has been fun to work with her toward those first steps to reading. We are doing a letter(or two) a week with review along the way. When we finished today, we continued to sit at the table coloring, drawing, and chatting together for at least an hour - so relaxing. I'm enjoying this nature coloring book from Rod & Staff(giggle). I color while she practices her letters and numbers. She doesn't like being watched over, so this takes the pressure off her.

My son, a seventh grader, is an independent learner, so he needs very little supervision or formal teaching. I spend a little time with him going over corrections or filling in the weak areas, but otherwise he keeps up with his learning. He was tough to teach when he was younger, but he hit his stride around third or fourth grade. We spent quite a bit of time on character development in those early years.

Dover Classic Art Cards on Sale

Dover 6 to 24 art card sets are on sale at Dover Books. A few 24 piece sets are less than $3.00, and the Tissot six card set is only .60 cents. I found a few Dover sets on sale at Amazon.com. You can purchase these free with your Swagbucks, virtual bucks(points) earned for using their search engine. I use my points to purchase Amazon gift e-cards. I check both sites to see which is the best deal.

These art cards are wonderful for homeschool studies of fine arts(copy work), art appreciation, and/or art history. I am purchasing the American Impressionists set and a few others in order to round out a big set that I purchased last week.

Dover September $10.00 coupon code with purchase of $50.00:  SeptW

Happy Hearts Academy At-home Learning

The tween has set up camp in his room this year. He keeps his school items in his bookshelf next to his bed. He and the cat spend the morning together on the carpet working through math problems, etc. We've been using a mix of Rod & Staff, School Aid, and Seton homeschool materials.

The Kindergartener spends a limited amount of time at our table working on handwriting, math skills, and phonics. Much of her formal learning is via Starfall, a free online learning program. We use the CD-ROM. The rest of the time she plays with learning toys, helps me around the house, and goes outside exploring the flora and fauna. Her favorite outdoor toy is a magnifying glass. She and her father spent at least an hour outside this morning examining caterpillars, worms, and plants.

They went to the library and returned with a learning backpack about teeth and an interactive Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD. I really like these DVDs because she can watch it on the computer and play the learning games, ages two - six with two levels. I read to her as much as she will allow. Her attention span is still developing, and hers is very short, just like her brother's was at this age.

Kindergarten is the easiest and most fun year of homeschooling. The real work happens later when I am trying to teach her to read. I'm praying she is easier than her brother!  He took a lot of patience and hard work. First and second grade were very long, but it was also the most rewarding. Once he learned to read , he really enjoyed it. I'm glad we persisted with the phonics because he now has a really good foundation and grasp of  English. We used(use) the challenging and thorough Rod & Staff English/Reading curriculum.

Some of our extended learning resources is gained from free online public domain(vintage) curricula.

Both children are strong visual learners.

Art History Cards

 Masterpiece Cards

These are a bit pricey, but a good value for the number and selection of classic art cards in the set. I had received two samples earlier this year, and when my daughter showed interest in them, I ordered the set. Her birthday money from family nearly covered it all. Each of the 250 cards has succinct art history information on the back. This set is good for all ages. The younger children can look at the pictures while older children and students can use them as a study aid.

9/13/10 Update: We receive them today and my daughter really liked them; however, I did need to remove at least one due to adult content - a 1960's modern nude by Tom Wesselmann. Sorry, I'm not a fan. In this nude the women is treated like a commodity - seductive and depersonalized. There may be more modern reclining nudes, but a quick scan reveals mostly classic art.

The collection has more of a secular flavor(almost downbeat and hard-edged) than I would have liked. Italian art was only briefly represented, and there was a good number of modern artists from the 1950's - 1960's which I didn't like. This survey collection was different than the art covered in my 1980's college art history survey courses(U.of F.) using Gardiner's Art Through the Ages. Although I was a bit disappointed, it is still nice to have for homeschool, and maybe I can add to it with some postcards from another source(s).

Schoolaid Health Curriculum

We've been using a health curriculum published by SchoolAid since early elementary. Schoolaid is a conservative non-profit Christian publisher(Conservative Mennonite/Amish). They also publish the Climbing to Good English curriculum. The series, grades three through eight, dedicates itself to teaching Christian principles in basic health knowledge, affording a practical foundation for healthy living.  Physiology, nutrition, home economics, safety, first aid, and  manners are covered in a straight forward way. The early books were very helpful in learning good hygiene and  household safety. I talk to my son about these things(in one ear and out the other), but it really sunk in after he studied this book series. The first two in the series are workbooks, and the remaining two are textbooks. This series is very practical! Most everything learned is useful for everyday living.

Free printable food and hygiene coloring pages for younger children.

Old Time Radio Broadcasts, Homeschool Audio Learning

There is an interesting war-time biography on Hitler(free) at the OTR widget on my sidebar today.  More vintage educational history broadcasts here with samples. Freebies here, although not always of the educational variety.

Listener's favorites:
01. Churchill (Winston) Recordings
02. Mr President
03. AFVN Recordings (Armed Forces Vietnam)
04. Blitzkrieg
05. Complete Broadcast 1944 (D-Day Invasion of Normandy CBS)
06. World War II Collection
07. Great Moments in Radio
08. FDR Fireside Chats & Speeches
09. Complete Broadcast 1939 (Nazi Invasion of Poland)

Of interest:
Science Magazine of the Air
"Leonardo di Vinci is considered the Renaissance man. From being the first man to come up with the concept of the helicopter to being able to leap over a man that was standing straight upward, Leo was very gifted. Only if good old Leo could be in this time period, in order so he could hear the story of his life immortalized on the radio in Science Magazine of the Air. A show during wartime for serviceman, Science Magazine of the Air told the stories of extraordinary human beings that accomplished extraordinary things."

Frontier Fighters
"From Robert La Salle's navigation of the Mississippi River, to Lewis and Clark's dauntless challenge of reaching the West Coast of North America, Frontier Fighters takes you on a historical voyage that pits you in the middle of the taming of the West. So, if it you're following John C. Fremont on his legendary "Oregon trail" or helping Zebulon Pike verify the true source of the mighty Mississippi river, Frontier Fighters will transport you to a time where American history is unfolding before your very own ears!"

Their prices have remained low over the years, many are no more than $5.00 per MP3 CD collection. Shipping has always been fast. I'm a customer and an affiliate.

Some vintage radio shows can also be found free and in public domain at Internet Archives, and other places across the net.