Hymn Rotation

I have loosely based this rotation on the AO Hymn Rotation.  I went through the AO selections, and any identical hymns (or at least named the same), I have kept.

Next, if the AO hymn wasn't also an LDS hymn, but gave me the thought of another hymn (similar theme), I put in the one of which I thought.

Finally, I have added in popular LDS hymns.

I hoped by doing this, to get a wide selection of popular LDS hymns, as well as some that might not be as well known.

Sorry if I missed your Favourites!

* - scheduled in the AO rotation (or a hymn named the same).

RESOURCES
http://www.ldshymns.com/   - unofficial, but has some extra resources
http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/ - official website

Rotation 1 (2012-2013 School Year)

September: For All the Saints (#82)  *
October: For the Beauty of the Earth (#92)  *
November: I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go (#279)
December: Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow (#242) *
January: The Morning Breaks (#1)
February: Rejoice, the Lord is King! (#66)
March: Lead, Kindly Light (#97)
April: Count Your Blessings (#241) *
May: All Creatures of Our God and King (#62) *
June: Lo, the Mighty God Appearing (#55)
July: Be Thou Humble (#130)
August: Lord, I Would Follow Thee (#220)

Rotation 2 (2013-2014 School Year)

September:Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken (#46) *
October: Now Let Us Rejoice (#3)
November: Come Ye Thankful People (#94) *
December: How Great Thou Art (#86) *
January: Because I Have Been Given Much (#219)
February: Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah (#83) *
March: Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd (#221)
April: Glory to God on High (#67)
May: I Need Thee Every Hour (#98)
June:  More Holiness Give Me (#131)
July: Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Morning (#280)
August: Awake, Ye Saints of God, Awake! (#17)

Rotation 3 (2014-2015 School Year)
September: Abide with Me! (#166) *

October: High On the Mountain Top (#5)
November: Press Forward Saints (#81)
December: I Believe in Christ (#134)
January: Have I Done Any Good? (#223)
February: Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer (#103)
March: For All the Saints (#82)
April: Improve the Shining Moments (#226)
May: Should You Feel Inclined to Censure (#235)
June: Let Us All Press On (#243)
July: Redeemer of Israel (#6)
August: How Firm a Foundation (#85) *

Rotation 4 (2015-2016 School Year)

September: What was Witnessed in the Heavens? (#11)
October: There is Sunshine in My Soul Today (#227)
November: Come Away to the Sabbath School (#276)
December: Come, Come, Ye Saints (#30)
January: True to the Faith (#254)
February: Master, the Tempest is Raging (#105)
March: Praise Ye the Lord (#74)
April: Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee (#141) *
May: Come, All Ye Saints of Zion (#38)
June: We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet (#19)
July: Faith of Our Fathers (#84)
August: You Can Make the Pathway Bright (#228)

Rotation 5 (2016-2017 School Year)
September: Be Still, My Soul (#124) *
October: Joseph Smith's First Prayer (#26)
November: God Speed the Right (#106)
December: Once in Royal David's City (#205)
January: The Lord is My Light (#89)
February: The Spirit of God (#2)
March: Did You Think to Pray? (#140)
April: Redeemer of Israel (#6)
May: Jesus, Lover of My Soul (#102) *
June:Praise to the Man (#27)
July: Today, While the Sun Shines (#229)
August:  Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (#72) *

Rotation 6 (2017-2018 School Year)

September: Israel, Israel, God is Calling (#7)

October: Scatter Sunshine (#230)
November: The Lord is My Shepherd (#108)
December: With Wondering Awe (#210)
January: Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words (#232)
February: The Wintry Day, Descending to its Close (#37)
March: Dearest Children, God is Near You (#96)
April: Sweet Hour of Prayer (#142)
May: Do What is Right (#237)
June: Praise to the Man (#27)
July: Choose the Right (#239)
August: Count Your Blessings (#241)

Rotation 7 (2018-2019 School Year)

September:  I Am a Child of God (#301) 

October: Our Savior's Love (#113)
November: God is Love (#87)
December: Amazing Grace  (I felt this was worth keeping)
January: Let Us All Press On (#243)
February: Come Unto Him (#114)
March: We Listen to a Prophet's Voice (#22)
April: Saviour, may I learn to love thee (#220)
May: Gently Raise the Sacred Strain (#146)
June: I Need Thee Every Hour (#98) *
July: Onward, Christian Soldiers (#246)
August: Called to Serve (#249)

Rotation 8 (2019-2020 School Year)

September: A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief (#29)

October: Come unto Jesus (#117)
November: From All that Dwell below the Skies (#90)
December: While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks (#211)
January: Come, Ye Disconsolate (#115) * (Beth's favorite hymn in "Little Women")
February: We Are All Enlisted (#250)
March: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (#68) *
April: Put Your Sholder to the Wheel (#252)
May: The Day Dawn is Breaking (#52)
June: Thy Spirit, Lord, Has Stirred Our Souls (#157)
July: True to the Faith (#254)
August:  Carry On (#255)

Rotation 9 (2020-2021 School Year)

September: Who's on the Lord's Side? (#260)

October: Now Thank We All Our God (#95)
November: Battle Hymn of the Republic (#60)
December: Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains (#212)
January: Come Fallow Me (#116)
February: Hark, All Ye Nations! (#264)
March: Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice (#21)
April: Before Thee, Lord, I Bow My Head (#158)
May: The Time is Far Spent (#266)
June: God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand (#78) *
July: Oh Say, What is Truth? (#272)
August: O My Father (#292)

Rotation 10 (2021-2022 School Year)

September: Now the Day is Over (#159)

October: For the Strength of the Hills (#35)
November: Be Still, My Soul (#124)
December: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (#214)
January: O God, Our Help in Ages Past (#31) *
February: Does the Journey Seem Long (#127)
March: Great is the Lord (#77)
April: Truth Reflects upon Our Senses (#273)
May: I Know That My Redeemer Lives (#135) *
June: Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love (#177)
July: Nearer, My God, to Thee (#99) *
August: More Holiness Give Me (#131)

Rotation 11 (2022-2023 School Year)

September: How Gentle God's Commands (#125)

October: The Iron Rod (#274)
November: Come, Ye Children of the Lord (#58)
December: Angels We Have Heard on High (#203)
January: Thanks for the Sabbath School (#278)
February: From All That Dwell below the Skies (#90)
March: Abide with Me! (#166)
April: Where Can I Turn for Peace (#129)
May: Sweet Hour of Prayer (#142) *
June: Rock of Ages (#111) *
July: I Stand All Amazed (#193)
August: Love at Home (#294)

You Don't Say?

Zulu, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Yankee, Golf - after swimming

I was thinking the other day, that I should share a few of the cute things my children have said in the past...  of course, once I thought that.... it was hard to think of them!    But here are a few....

Foxtrot:

Driving in the car near a forest, I said "Forest!"
Most of the kids agreed, "Forest!".
Foxtrot (age 3 at the time) said, "I don't see it!"
I point it out - "over there...."
Foxtrot says "All the trees are in the way!"
I had to laugh, as I said.... "So.... You can't see the forest for the trees?"

Echo:

For a long time, Echo (age 2-3ish) called a telephone a "talkaphone".  hey - makes sense to me!  Some of Charlie's friends still call it that because of her....

Echo (about age 2) - would put a backpack on backwards, and call it a "paint smock"

Foxtrot (originally and still), and Golf (and now all the kids)

7-11 is called a "Slurpee-House".....

Delta:

Not something he said exactly, but when he was young, Mike and Delta went to use a public restroom at the park.  Mike came out reporting that while Delta was in the stall, he started humming "The Bridge over the River Kwai" song.....

Zulu

"We've been driving around and around for hours and hours and hours and maybe even 7 minutes!"

 This is a video of Echo when she was 2 calling the backpack a paint smock

Canadianized AO Year 1

There are some ideas on Canadianizing AO here, but for Years 1-3, we just didn't have access to any of the Canadian History books recommended.  I am still not totally satisfied with the history books we have found - but will make use of what is available.

My general plans for all the years, are available here, (there are some changes) - but this post will give much more detailed information for Year 1, including fitting it in the AO Year 1 schedule.  Note that there are changes from the last time we did Year 1 - so there may be changes in the future.

Most of the year will be based on AO's Year 1

There are some changes listed here which are personal changes instead of Canadianizing....

Booklist Change Summary:

• Remove - Benjamin Franklin
• Remove - George Washington
• Remove - Buffalo Bill
• Add - Hudson - Janice Weaver
• Add - Laura Secord - Janet Lunn
• Add - Alexander Graham Bell - Elizabeth MacLeod
• Add - Canadian Minutes (the Canadian Minute ads from Historica - we watch them online)
• Remove - Blue Fairy Book (We didn't enjoy many of the Blue Fairy Stories selected by the AO Advisory.)
• Add - Rainbow Fairy Book (We bought this at a good price - so our Fairy Stories are from here)
• Add - Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt
• Add - A Fiddle for Angus
• Add - Very Last First Time
• Add - Dragonfly Kites
• Optional in Free Reads- Pocahontas, Red Fairy Book)
• Note - we also don't do Trial and Triumph

Note - I generally tried not to add something without removing something, so as not to overburden the year. I was quite careful to balance out the Rainbow Fairy Books, similar to how the Blue Fairy Book stories were scheduled.

Weekly Changes 
(I haven't noted the readings by week that you don't read from the AO schedule for the books that were removed.)

Week 2

• Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt (Entire Book)

Week 3

• Rainbow Fairy Book - The Nightingale

Week 6

• Rainbow Fairy Book - Snow White and Rose Red

Week 8

• Hudson (1/3+)

Week 9

• Hudson (1/3+)

Week 10

• Hudson (finish book)

Week 12

• Rainbow Fairy Book - Hansel and Gretel

Week 6

• Rainbow Fairy Book - Master Cat

Week 15

• Rainbow Fairy Book - Jack and the Beanstalk

Week 17

• A Fiddle for Angus (Entire Book)

Week 18

• Rainbow Fairy Book - The Six Swans

Week 19

• Laura Secord (1/3+)

Week 20

• Laura Secord (1/3+)

Week 21

• Laura Secord (finish book)

Week 26

• Rainbow Fairy Book - Cinderella

Week 27

• Very Last First Time (entire book)

Week 28

• Alexander Graham Bell (1/3+)

Week 29

• Alexander Graham Bell (1/3+)

Week 30

• Alexander Graham Bell (finish book)

Week 31

• Rainbow Fairy Book - Rumplestiltzkin

Week 32

• Dragonfly Kites

Week 36

• Rainbow Fairy Book - East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Canadianized AO Year 2

UPDATED HERE

Well, as you have probably heard, we are trying AmblesideOnline again - which means we need to Canadianize it.   There are some ideas on doing this on the AO site here, but for Years 1-3, we just didn't have access to any of the Canadian History books recommended.  I am still not totally satisfied with the history books we have found - but will make use of what is available.

My general plans for all the years, are available here, (there are some changes) - but this post will give much more detailed information for Year 2, including fitting it in the AO Year 2 schedule.  Note that we haven't done Year 2 yet - so there may be changes in the future.

Most of the year will be based on AO's Year 2

Booklist Change Summary:

• Remove - This Country of Ours.  (Used the D'Aulaire biographies where there is an option.  TCOO is not used at all)
• Add - The Story of Canada  - Janet Lunn (Note that you could also use My First History of Canada / Great Canadian Lives option - I haven't planned out the weeks for that option)
• Add - Canadian Minutes from Historica (these are the "Canadian Minute" ads from TV - we watch them online)
• Add - The Fishing Summer (authors last name is Jam)
• Add - The Fabulous Song (authors last name is Gillmor)
• Add - Owls in the Family (Fawley Mowatt)
• Optional in Free Reads - Abraham Lincoln & Brighty of the Grand Canyon 
• Note - we also don't do Trial and Triumph

Note - I generally tried not to add something without removing something, so as not to overburden the year. For History, that was generally easy, as we were not doing Trial and Triumph, and also removed the US History.   For Literature, I made 2 books optional in the Free Reads - and 2 of the Canadian additions are fairly "light"   I also looked at the number of readings each week, as well as chronology of the history, to determine where to add in the Canadian content.

Weekly Changes 
(I haven't noted the readings by week that you don't read from the AO schedule for the books that were removed.)

Week 1

• Watch the Vikings  Canadian moment on Historica
• Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - 1st Section, and "Where was Vinland"

Week 5

• The Fishing Summer (entire book)

Week 10

• The Fabulous Song (entire book)

Week 13

• Owls in the Family Chapter 1

Week 14

• Owls in the Family Chapter 2

Week 15

• Owls in the Family Chapter 3

Week 16

• Owls in the Family Chapter 4

Week 17

• Owls in the Family Chapter 5

Week 18

• Owls in the Family Chapter 6

Week 19

• Owls in the Family Chapter 7

Week 21  (yes, no reading in week 20)

• Owls in the Family Chapter 8

Week 22

• Owls in the Family Chapter 9

Week 23

• Owls in the Family Chapter 10

Week 24

• Owls in the Family Chapter 11

Week 33

• Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - Explorers Section

Week 34

• Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - St Stadacona Section

Week 35

• Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - Fur Traders and Northern Seas Section

Week 36

• Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - Rats, Weeds, and Viruses Section

Trying to work it all out

I know I haven't posted often this whole year - I just have felt like our homeschool just hasn't been running quite the way I want all year...  and it has caused us to be doing light homeschooling for a month or two (reading, writing, arithmetic) while I try to work things out for next year.  And I have been working hard to figure things out for next year.  Of course, my non-homeschooling friends feel that next school year is so far away.... but I feel like it is really close.

I am getting things worked out.... well, some things.  Others I'm trying to work out still.  It is amazing the number of things to decide.  Did I want to continue a CM program, or should we do something else?  If doing CM, what program - or should I try to make my own?  Do work together as a family (with level-appropriate added activities) - like Simply Charlotte Mason?  Or do everyone working on their own level - like AO?  This seemed so fundimental!  And then... do SCM? Milestones? Old Fashioned Education? Higher Up and Farther In? Ambleside Online? Tanglewood? Something else?  My own plan?

Everything had advantages and disadvantages.  And I admit - my decision on what to do kind of surprised me.

I think we are back to AO!  Yes, I hate "This Country of Ours" (which several of the CM programs use.) - and I don't like the AO Advisory's response to criticisms of this book.  BUT, that said.... as we are doing Canadian History instead.... we weren't even going to use the book.

So now, having worked this out.... I'm trying to figure out more of the implementation details for the family.  I won't have time to do all the readings to both Delta and Echo (not to mention some good readings for Foxtrot and Golf) - so we will need to use a few audiobooks as well.

I need Delta to be able to be more independent - which is something I think will work well with him.  So I need some organization which allows that... which is where I'm stuck right now.  Here are the options I'm looking at...

• planner along the lines of www.URtheMom.com 
• workboxes
• daily printouts from the SCM Organizer [SCMO] (which we already use)
• a "weekly printout" (daily printout, with various items showing upcoming assignments) from SCMO
• another paper schedule - I saw one I liked that had 3 weeks on a (2 sided) page!
• having Delta mark things off on the computer - either with SCMO or Skedtrak, or another similar

And again, there are advantages and disadvantages of each option.

• planner like from UR the Mom - I'm not sure how to go about doing the recommended goal setting when using a scheduled program like AO....  and (like all the options) - I need to have the AO schedule in some format for Delta to reference....   This does allow the most independence, including decision making (if I don't schedule each day.)  I like a lot of the ideas of this - just trying to figure out how to make it work for us.
• workboxes - this worked well for us our first year of AO, and I really like the idea of it.  I also think this might work the best for Echo at this stage.  It allows for independence - but not decision making. The problem is the space it takes.... even the various variations.  We did workbox folders for part of our other AO year - it worked ok (not quite as well) - and it had the advantage of portability....   This really is a big space question.
• Daily printouts from SCMO - we have done this in the past too - there is an issue about the amount of paper that ends up being used... 2 or 3 pages per person per day isn't uncommon!
• "Weekly printout" from SCMO - the SCMO isn't setup to do this - but you can get 3 more assignments to show up by opening up the next assignments - so that is almost a weeks worth for most things.  Less paper than Daily printouts - still more than I really want...
• The 3week mini-term schedule.  I liked this - it used 3 different colours - 1 for each week - and you setup all the assignments for the 3 weeks.  But it would take a lot of editing, as I have to make it for each mini-term.  (I'm sure the first takes the longest).  It just seems like a lot of work that I shouldn't have to do....
• Using the computer for Delta to see what is available, as well as to mark it off.  This would be great as I already have everything in SCMO - but some of the things I have done to put in the AO schedule - makes sense to me, but wouldn't to him.... plus there isn't a student login - so he could, in theory, mess something up in the schedule.   I looked at Skedtrak (which is free) that has student logins - but then.... I'll have to duplicate the work I do already in SCMO... and I think I had tried it and found it a little less convenient that SCMO....

I am also a little "scared" of the upcoming year, with 2 different levels of AO - especially since Echo is complaining about doing a couple of little subjects of school each day - and they are so used to "light school"...  I'm worried about juggling the need for my help, and the overall time that might be needed.  I guess we will see how it goes.

Out of This World!

Echo, Zulu, Major Hansen, Delta

Earlier this week, we got to meet a Real Live Astronaut!  Mike was reading the news, and discovered that Major Jeremy Hansen, Astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency, would be giving a talk at the museum to a few groups, and that the public could register for remaining seats.  Knowing a great opportunity, and the love that Delta has for all things space - how could I pass it up?   I even arrange with Bravo to have Zulu miss school so we could take him too.

Because I knew it would be a popular event, we arrive early.  We were waiting before Major Hansen even arrived.... but that worked out well as he stopped as he was coming in, introduced himself, shook all their hands, and posed for a picture.  Oh, and being the first in line, we got seats right up front.  

Major Hansen gave a great presentation about space, and had a good slide show.  (Ok, Power-point presentation.)  We learned important things like: right now astronauts HAVE to learn Russian; the module in which they travel too and from the space station is VERY tiny and cramped; because the travel is done in Russian Rockets, they land the module in the Russian fashion - like a car crash on land (not a splash-down in the ocean!); and that the ride in the air-plane that is used to simulate zero-gravity is a lot of fun.  They also learned that if they want to become an astronaut, the important things to do are: do something you truly love (for him that was flying and the military, for others it may be science, or medicine, or something else.); get a degree - probably a masters or Phd, and then watch for opportunities to apply.

At the end, they had formal pictures.  By the way.... we just wore the Scouting uniforms because it just seemed like the thing to do.

New Free Tool

I found a great little tool yesterday - and the best part is - it is free!

Anki is a flash-card program that you can use directly on your compute, from the web, and many mobile devices.  I came upon it while I was considering what to use for doing some basic spelling with Delta that he could do on his own - but it has so much more potential than that!

I have found it fairly simple to use so far, although I do recommend watching the videos to find out how to best setup your cards.  With a little customization, you can do even some pretty complicated things like "3 or 4 sided cards"  (for instance, one "side" has you saying a word (by recording you saying it), another "side" has the word typed out (the answer for spelling) - but you could also set it up so that it shows the word, and you try to remember the definition!

There are premade cards for various subjects that you can download to use - but really I think at this point that making your own can be a lot more productive.

But I haven't mentioned the best part yet....  it is designed to show you the cards at a frequency to help you best remember it based on how hard or easy you find that particular card.  I'm not claiming to totally understand the method used (I haven't seen the formula or anything like that...) - But when you look at the answer of the card, you indicate whether you got it wrong, got it right but it was hard, right and it was easy, or right and it was very easy.   When it will show you that card again will depend on things like how hard you found it, and how you have done on that card previously.


So - here is what I'm doing with it so far.... (keeping in mind I found it yesterday)

Math - I have entered in the addition math facts.  Yes, RightStart doesn't use flashcards... but I figure a few minutes a day won't hurt, and could help.  I tagged each fact with the strategy(ies) being used - so I can in theory have it select cards based on a strategy I want them to practice.  I will add other facts later.

Spelling - I have entered in a few spelling words to give this a try.  For these cards, I am requiring an answer to be typed in

Scripture Memory - I have entered our Scripture Cards into this, so that we are less likely to forget a scripture.  One thing I noticed right off, is I don't have the scriptures and their references matched up in my head - so I have added a "hint" button to the references... when I click on the hint, I get a topic or a couple of words to get me started.   I have these cards testing both ways - give me the reference and I try to say the scripture - or give me the scripture and I try to give the reference.   I may end up adding in some intermediate cards with these - ones that show most of the scripture, but with some words missing, etc...

Violin - I'm not sure if this is going to work the way I want, and I had to do some tweaking... but I've entered in the names of the violin songs we practice.  The card will come up, and the child plays the song - then evaluates how they did to give the answer a rating....  it should help us practice songs that aren't known as well more often than the ones they have been playing for years....   But I had to do some adjusting... I am hoping I have it so that the songs will be played at least once every 3 weeks no matter how mastered they are listed as...   I'll need to monitor that... if it is set so the card/song isn't due to come up for too long a time - I'll reset that card to be a new card...

Plans....

This program was originally made to help people learn languages (specifically Japanese) - so I plan to put our foreign language vocabulary and eventually phrases in.  With ASL, I'd want to find either Videos or very good pictures of the words.

Other Memory - Scouting promises/laws/mottos,  poems, other "facts" that come up...  Maybe even setup a fun one with clips of music and they have to say the group/performer or the title....  (their dad would get a kick out of that...)

One minor thing - it seems to be designed for one user... but you can have various "decks" of cards, and can import and export... so you may want to name the decks things like Delta Spelling and Echo Spelling.  You just need to make sure you keep them all with all the cards...   (for one user, you can sync cards and progress using the internet to multiple computers and devices...)

The kids can't wait to try it out tomorrow!

Oh, and in case you think I forgot... you get the program here!