Summer over, School started.

Here is a post I started - but then blogger crashed, and I gave up for that day....


I hope to find time to blog a bit more - but I'm finding it harder with more kids in school to find time!

Here are a bunch of pics from our summer.  School is going ok so far this year - a bit of fun trying to juggle more kids!

RightStart Card Game Storage

Ok, I haven't gone away.  I've even tried to post a couple of times, and something would always happen.   Anyway, life with 3 students and a preschooler have kept me busy busy busy!

I mentioned on the RightStart Yahoo group that I had finally found the perfect storage for our Math Card Games box.... and everyone wanted pictures.... So here we go.

I was in Ikea, looking in their storage box area, and there it was... a box with nice slots for cards, deep enough for the Number Card Deck, with slots big enough for envelopes for the multiplication deck sets...  and I figured it would be perfect.   I have also bought a couple of little boxes designed for holding paper clips / safety pins at the dollar store.  They are working well for the Corners cards, the Clock Cards, and the Clock Cards that come from Level A/B Appendixes.   Finally I have the Tally Stick / Finger / Abacus / Bead Cards right now in a ziplock bag - they are a bit longer than normal cards, and I haven't found a solution for them yet.   Folded in the bottom I have a hundred chart and the Swim to 10 board.  There is also room for a couple of pencils, a notepad, and a few legos for Swim to Ten.

The Ikea box is a "Glis" box which is about $5 in Canada.

The total cost of this storage solution was about $8, except of course I got the safety pins and paper clips as well.

The only thing that would make it better is if I could put the card games book in there too.

You may want to read about our Manipulatives Storage too.

Curriculum Plan for 2014-2015

So Tristan on Our Busy Homeschool has made a linky for us to share our plans for the next school year, and I thought I'd go for it.  Some of the plans aren't totally figured out yet - but this may also help with that!

First off, we use AmblesideOnline (AO) for our base curriculum.  We do some Canadianizing by removing some of the US history and adding Canadian History and some Lit.  You can see those general changes elsewhere on the blog, so I won't go through them again.

Overall 

AO includes a lot of our topics like History, Science, Geography, etc - and then has items where you choose your own curriculum - like Math or Latin.

Delta (grade 6) - AO Year 4.  I don't think we will do all the new things added in Year 4 for the entire year - I expect to add them 1 or 2 items per term. 

Echo (grade 4) - AO Year 3.

Foxtrot (grade 1) - AO Year 1

Golf (grade K4) - AO Year 0

Penmanship/Copywork 

I am looking at the Getty-Dubay handwriting series.  It is pretty similar to the italic we are already doing, and I've heard really good things about it improving handwriting.  I'm just tired of making my own.  I will probably add some copywork from readings or other sources as well to get the benefits that good copywork selections provide. 

Delta - Level F?

Echo -  Level C or D?

Foxtrot -  Level B?

Golf  -  none

Reading

Delta - possibly Rewards Secondary? 

Echo -  McGuffey's 2nd Reader

Foxtrot -  McGuffey's 2nd Reader

Golf  -  Teach your child to read in 100 Easy Lessons

Math

We use RightStart

Delta - Finish Level D, Start E.  I am looking at 'Hands on Equations' to add some higher math concepts.

Echo -  Finish Level D, Start E

Foxtrot -  Level C

Golf  -  Level A (done as interested)

Spelling
 A non-CM part of our day.  I'm debating between continuing All About Spelling or switching to Sequential Spelling.     We made some really good progress in spelling with All About Spelling - especially with Delta where nothing else seemed to be working.... but it is getting a lot harder as we go along to remember everything.  It also takes me 15 to 20 minutes a day each with Delta and Echo.  With Sequential Spelling, it would be maybe 10 to 15 minutes, and I could do Delta, Echo, and possibly Foxtrot together.  And if I was fortunate enough to get the DVD's it would be a something they could do independently.  (And it is a LOT less expensive!)

Foreign Language

German:

Delta and Echo want to continue with German, even though we aren't getting anywhere.  I need a good program that we can use consistently.  Suggestions?

ASL:

Echo and Foxtrot want to continue with ASL.  Not sure about Delta.  We need to find something a bit more than Signing Time, but a bit less than ASLU.  Suggestions?

French:

Foxtrot has not been at all interested in German.  French would be more helpful here, and there are a lot more resources...  am I crazy enough to try yet another language?

Latin: AO starts Latin in Year 4, so that would include Delta.  I have heard a lot of benefits, and think we will give it a go.  I'm thinking 'Getting Started with Latin'

Musical Instruments

This is an area that really hasn't been going well.  And it is added into AO Year 4.  We have done violin but it just is NOT going well.  We own lots of instruments, but the kids just don't like to practice (common problem) and I just don't seem to have the energy to get them doing it.  But I do feel it is really important.  So do I try more on Violin?  Organ/Keyboard?  Recorder?  something else (we have a flute, guitars, harmonicas, etc.)

Art

We have been using Drawing Textbook... but it is a little.... boring.  We own a couple of Draw Write Now books as well. I do own "Drawing with Children", but find it so intimidating.... 

Grammar

Only Delta is at the age to start Grammar.  I'm going to try out KISSgrammar which is free online and that I've heard a lot about.

Science

We will be doing AO's science in the years - but I am considering doing a family science - 

either one of the Exploring Creation Series by Fulbright... 

 or one of the Science in the series by Wile.

Other

Everything else will be following AO rotations and years.

End of Year!

Well, another school year has come and gone.  I remember in September worrying about how in the world I was going to do it with 3 kids needing school, plus a toddler.  In the Fall, we were behind my planned schedule, and I was worried.  I made a few changes, and we have actually finished the year a it ahead of schedule!  (Ok, I have about 2 math lessons per child left....)

Mind you - I am panicking about the upcoming year.  3 children in 3 different AO years, and Golf moving up to the age that I generally start offering some instruction in the basics.  Not to mention that Delta is getting into a heavier year.  I'm sure that at the end of next year I'll be chuckling at my worries.

In the meantime, we have been enjoying ourselves during good weather with things like trips to the zoo.  Enjoy the pics!

Coming Soon: - our rough plans for next year!

More Scouting!

The last week or two has been even more scouting.  Most of it has been pretty exciting though....

First, on Saturday,  the Scouts and Venturers had a Lego Mindstorms Workshop, and the last-year cubs were invited. This involved making various lego robots, and then programming them.

Building the Robot

Delta has a sense of humour - his caption for this is
"You thought you were having a bad day"

Almost done - this robot has a sensor to detect colours.

Will Delta's robot follow a black track?  I'll never tell!

In the morning, they made robots from a selection of plans.  In the afternoon, they could build one from their own design.  Some of the older kids took up the challenge to make a robot that could climb a rope.  Delta chose to make a fighting robot instead.

The Finished product

Delta downloading the program he wrote to the robot

Next came the scout meeting and.... Archery!  This was Delta's first chance at this sport, and he discovered that Legolas makes it look a lot easier than it is.

Legolas makes this look so easy.....

A couple of days later - it was the cub meeting night.  This one was a special meeting though, as the third year cubs were leaping up to Scouts.  

Saying goodbye to the Cubs

Changing uniform under the parachute....

Getting invested as a Scout

Mom gets to put on the Woggle (Neckerchief Slide)

Welcomed to the Troop!

My Scouting Kids

Great selection of Scouting Uniforms in our family!
(Looks like Echo is getting eaten by the Wolf!)

 Then the next Saturday,  the Scouts (including Delta) were selling hot-dogs and Chocolate Bars to make money for their summer camp in the States!   Meanwhile, the Cubs and Beavers were getting pledges for Scoutrees, where they get pledges to plant trees.

 And coming up.... Tonight Delta goes to cubs, and I get to receive a Scouting Award from the Lieutenant-Governor for service!  Later this week, cub meeting, more chocolate bar sales, and so on....

And yes - we are still doing Homeschooling.  Delta is up to the first-quarter test in Math (he started a new level in February) and Echo is close behind.   Spelling is going fine.  And we are on about week 30 of 36 weeks in our AO years.

Duke of Edinburgh Award, Hug a Tree, Lots of Scouting, and more

Life has been SO busy recently - I'm sure you have all given up reading my blog because of the lack of new posts.

I've been really busy with Scouting Recently.  Besides the meetings and activities, I've been taking some training.  That has included working on the WoodBadge II training for Leaders.   I've already earned it years ago as a Scout Leader and a Rover Advisor - now I'm taking it as a Cub Leader.

Temperature for the Klondike Derby!
Delta and Echo were outside for about 5 hours that day...

Echo and Delta starting out on the Klondike Derby

One of those activities was the Klondike Derby - where Scout troops and Cub packs compete at 10 various 'towns' doing things like building bridges, starting fires, and riding a zip line.  Our pack usually has a 'dog sled' (pulled by the cubs) - but it was frozen in snow this year, so they used backpacks to carry their provisions.

Big Brown Beaver's Birthday Cake

Part of my Woodbadge II training was held at the same camp as the Area Winter Beaver Camp.  As this year is the 40th anniversary of Beavers in Canada, it was a Birthday Party theme.  This cake was too good not to share.... well at least the picture of it.

See the Beaver in the 3rd slot?  That is Foxtrot's Beaver Buggy

Foxtrot got to start a race!  (Cars are already down the track)

Golf got to start a Scout Trucks race!

Foxtrot, Echo, Delta, Golf with their Cub Cars.  (Golf has Delta's from last year)

We also had the Cub Car rally this month with the church,  Although the church doesn't sponsor Cubs, Foxtrot came in uniform with her beaver buggy, and she got to run her buggy with the Cub Cars.  There were also Scout Trucks running.

I have also felt it was a good idea to be trained as a mentor for the Duke of Edinburgh Award.  This Award is available for youth ages 14-25 in various (if not all) Commonwealth Countries.  It is quite challenging, but works well with Scouting - and is often included with scouting in Venturer Companies and Rover Crews.   One thing that is cool is that my province has a semi-unofficial challenge for youth ages 11-13 which Delta will be able to start this fall.

As well as that, I also took training to be able to present the "Hug-a-tree" program.  I was actually trained years ago when it was run by the RCMP, but it is now run by a not-for-profit organization, and there have been a couple of updates to the program.   This program teaches youth ages 5-10ish how not to get lost in the woods, and what to do if they are.  (This program almost perfectly completes the Cub level 'Trailcraft' badge....)

Also, Canadian Scouting is going through a review and redevelopment.  They are just starting to pilot some of the changes now, and the pilot programs will continue through next year.  The new program will be implemented Fall 2015 if things go as planned.  I have been attending various meetings about the new program, and hope to become a Mentor for Cub Packs that are doing the pilot, and for the implementation of the new program in 2015.  There may be many interested people though, so not sure the likelihood of being selected.  It looks like it has a lot of potential (besides, it is better to be on board with change that is definitely coming rather than drag your heels...)  I hope that the program turns out to be great!


Here are some pictures from the last couple of months.

Foxtrot figuring out a problem involving hats and shoes - using Tiles

Foxtrot and the Geoboard - Finding all the lines of symetry I think...

One of those homeschooling moments
The Sword in the Stone being reenacted just because they wanted to

 Well, I hope to do better at keeping this blog up....  I hope you enjoyed the pictures!