homeschool

Owl Mosaic

January 18, 2010 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

We picked back up with our Owl unit this week, reading “Our Wild World: Owls”. I say reading lightly because the text was a little thick for my 4 year old, but the photographs were quite awe inspiring.

So much so that on the spur of the moment we decided to make a mural mosaic of one of them.

We got to work punching circles…

(I am soooo glad I bought that Martha Stewart Circle Punch.)

Trust me you don’t want to be cutting all these circles out by hand.

Plus the kids love to slam down the puncher and watch the circles fly. Good Fun.

And at the end of a 20 sheets of paper, 4 glue-sticks and eating all our meals in the living room, our Owl mural was complete:

We hung him up in the living room, with a view of the kitchen “so he can catch any mice that come in for snacks”

Mice? I don’t think it’s the mice coming in and slurping down all the whip cream for breakfast honey…….

Wanna make one? Here are the Full Photo Instructions…

Base 10 Bean Sticks

November 5, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick 4 Comments

This week we’ve also been working on Place Value.

But instead of using our Base 10 Blocks, we decided to get a little crafty and make a set out of beans.

We used the Jumbo Popsicle sticks, and I think these are red kidney beans.

I put up a full photo tutorial in case you’re not familiar with the idea of Base 10 blocks.

I suppose you could use any other item that would fit on a popsicle stick; macoroni, stickers ect…

You could really customize them to encourage involvement.

Sissy really enjoyed using these sticks to count up to the hundreds, and Bubba liked the feel of the beans on the sticks. Since she was part of the process of making them, I think she participated more in their use.

And of course that got me wondering…….

What special tools have you made special for your children to learn with?

Back in Business!

October 2, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick 1 Comment

Thank you everyone for your prayers! Monkey is doing so much better and I got quite a bit more sleep last night (more then usual lately) and I’m so thankful for that.

(This is not me….being excited)

And as a bonus, this morning when I woke up, my daughter had 80% of her school work done. Apparently she woke up early, got dressed, ate breakfast, and then went into her office to get her work done. (“I even did it when my favorite cartoon was on Mom!). All while I was sleeping!

So who ever prayed for our Homeschool, Thank You so Much!

I couldn’t believe it.

If she does it again tomorrow, I think I’m going to pee my pants.

Zillions of Zucchinis

September 9, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick 6 Comments

So this is our first year growing Zucchini.

We’ve always heard that these always produce more then a family can eat, so we weren’t surprised when our one measly little plant quickly filled up our Fruit bowl:

Please ignore the cobwebs under the cupboards
I just had a baby Sheesh….. :)

Now, obviously we’ve got some overflow issues here.

I’ve made like 12 loaves of delicious Walnut Zucchini Bread:

But now I’m hoping for something different.

What else can I make with this stuff?

So I’m calling out for your favorite Zucchini recipes….

In return, I’m offering up one of my most favorite Fall Recipes:

Puff Pastry Apple Pies

Okay, so it’s not exactly my recipe,
(technically don’t have any recipes of my own making)

But I do make it every Fall, so I kind of own royalty fees and that’s the best I can do.

But be warned. This stuff is like edible GOLD. It will cause strife and jealousy, and overall greediness to enter your peaceful country home.

Look the little monsters won’t even take their mitts off it long enough to get a photo of it.

I suggest you set a few extras aside before you call in the troops.

It’s that good.

Now hit me with some Zucchini goodness!

T-Minus 3 Days…..

September 4, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick 5 Comments

Attorney Expectation: Please state your name and occupation for the record.

Me: Valer…..ahem……Valerie McClintick. Wife, Mother, Homeschooler.

Attorney Expectation: “Mrs McClintick, would it be true to say that you plan on starting school in no less then 3 days?”

Me: “Why….well, I guess…we’ll I’m certain….”

Attorney Expectation: “Please refrain from explanation and answer YES or NO”

Me: (ummmmmmm?) Yes.

Attorney Expectation: “Okay, so you admit that you are beginning the 2010 school year in no less then 72 hours is that correct?”

Me: (What? 72 hours? Is that all I have left?) I suppose so yes?

Attorney Expectation: “In fact, you are so committed to this plan that you’ve actually marked it on the calendar…..surrounded by cute fluffy hearts no less.

Me: Why yes, that is my handwriting.

Attorney Expectation: “Your Honor……….Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, you’ve heard it with your own ears. Now I will present to you photographic evidence that speaks for itself:

Exhibit A: Wayward Games

Attorney Expectation: It’s clear from this photo that she’s got her playtime games mixed with her school games.

And Moving On….

Exhibit B: Bookshelf Blowout!

Attorney Expectation: We can see in this photo that there are bins for storing different books, and perhaps even ways to organize the different materials by theme…..but a closer look reveals that the entire closet is in disarray….The Berenstein Bears are mixed with the Board Books, and the Early Readers are thrown in with the Character Builders…..it’s total chaos as I see it…..

And there’s more…

Exhibit C: Fireplace Fill-up

Attorney Expectation: Just what exactly do you expect to do with all this overflow Mrs McClintick? Just store it up in boxes and put it away on a high shelf somewhere? What are you going to do if you need a book from it? It will take you forever to get to it…..

And finally I present the most disheartening photographic evidence yet ……….

Exhibit D: Crafty Classroom Meltdown

Attorney Expectation: Oh……..tsk….tsk…tsk…..Mrs McClintick, I would have expected more from you. Do you not call your school “The Crafty Classroom?” How have you let things get so bad……

I’d say The destruction speaks for itself….

Mrs McClintick, please explain the state of your house to the Jury…….address the impending date on the calendar…..and HOW you will be able to pull off your regular household and Motherly duties alongside these new challenges?

Me: “Your Honor, in light of this new evidence the defendent would like to request a short recess to examine and evaluate how to proceed.”

TO BE CONTINUED……………….

First Grade Curriculum

August 18, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick 3 Comments

I DID IT!

I’m totally done.

I’ve got it ALL!

It feels SOOOOOO Good.

Since this was my second year picking out homeschool curriculum, I really feel like I know what I’m doing.

(Snicker)

Seriously though, I was able to pick and choose things that we’re more tailored to my daughters learning style

(And my lack of ability to keep a schedule)

Since we’ve moved from KG to First Grade, I’ve decided to at least keep a little bit of a schedule for Sissy….who I hoping will be able to do a bit more independent work this time around.

I’ll post more about our Daily Schedule soon

But for now Check out what I’ve got planned for the next year.

It took me HOURS, but I Posted All My Picks including why I chose them here on our main site. Every Book is linked up to a Photo, Description, and My Review of why I Picked the Book so if you want to know more about a title, just click it.

(I KNOW!…..you can thank me later :)

I’m also going to update the reviews through out the year as I decide more on whats working and whats not working!

And I’m totally interested to hear if anyone has used any of these titles, and what your experience was of them

(even if you hated it….I want to know!)

So come back and tell me…………

Garage Sale Finds

August 5, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick 5 Comments

This is why I love garage sales….

I spent a total of $11 (which is like the price of just one thing from a Teacher Supply Store)

Unifex Counting Cubes: $1.00

USA States Fact Book: $1.00

2 Fraction Circle Set: $1.00

2 Tile Fractions Set: $2.00

And my very most favorite deal:
36 Premade Laminated File Folder Games: $6.00
(Did you get that? 36 games! That’s like what….15 cents a game?)

Anyone else snag some Garage sale goodies this summer?

Busy, Busy, Busy Bags

July 20, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick 11 Comments

Okay, so how long has this site been up?

And how many free Printables have I posted?

Less then 10? Less then 5? Less then 1?

Yikes,

I know some of you are going through withdrawls:

Okay….So it’s most likely only me going through the withdrawls.

Moving on….

A printable from me to you.

Fantastic right?

Oh…..

Are you wondering what it is?

Check it all out here.

But don’t forget to come back and tell me how cool it is.

I know you love it. (Because I love it)

And it’s the only way that I even had time to write up this blog post.

Which, in case anyone is wondering…

was interrupted by a vomit spewing Monkey on my lap.

But still I typed on.

Must…….Make…….Printables……. ;)

It’s Official

July 9, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick 4 Comments

We’re in the club….

Seriously, do we get some kind of induction award or something?

Ya’ll remember the day you came home with a set of Base 10 blocks right?

It’s like crossing the line between

“We’re thinking about Homeschooling

……and……

We are a Homeschooling family”

(I’m not kidding….It’s even mentioned on YouTube

…that means it’s got to be true!)

Anyway, the set came with it’s own workbook of ideas and activities, but we were also able to pick up this handy little game book that adds a bit more spice and interaction for my soon to be 1st grader!

It has some great punch out cards that you can use to make up your own games with…..and Sissy loves games……and competition…..

And a chance to beat Mom.

Seriously, when we played this afternoon, she didn’t even realize that she was learning.

And it took all of 10 minutes for her to start counting in the hundreds.

The girls got it figured out.

So now of course I’m on a Base 10 Mission

(Sounds Official doesn’t it!)

And I’ve been tracking down some helpful worksheets and activities online:

Teaching with Base 10 Blocks

Printable Base 10 Blocks

Custom Place Value Worksheets

Place Value Word Worksheets

Place Value FlashCards

Place Value Online Video

Okay, and there are like a ZILLION others online if you just do a search.

Anyone want to share their favorite Base 10 game or activity with us?

I know ya’ll know of some good ones!

Pitter Patter….

June 4, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick 1 Comment

…..Pitter Patter….

Hey What’s that sound?

…..Pitter Patter…….

There it is again?

….Pitter Patter……Pitter Patter…..

I know it’s not my children
(they sound like “stomp…stomp…crash…bang”)

And it can’t be the baby
(his range is a bit confined and can only kick my ribs)

….Pitter Patter….Pitter Patter…..Pitter Patter…..

Now I see what it is…..

It’s the adorable Japanese Sandals we made today…

Sheesh

And I was thinking there were little mice running through the house or something….

I was about to get the gun.

Early Reader Bible Study

May 2, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick 1 Comment

Oh, I just love the days when we find good books that fill a need in our classroom.

~~Lately~~, Well, Okay For a while now I’ve been feeling more and more tired….just plain ole’ lazy sometimes….but really just tired.

Tired and Homeschool are just two words that don’t mesh very well together are they?

Anyway, now that Sissy is 6 years old, and that I’m so tired.….I’ve been on the look out for homeschool materials she can utilize independently…… and one of the things on my list has been a Daily Bible Study plan.

Nothing to daunting or serious

Just something she can use to begin building the necessary skills of seeking God’s will for her life.

(You know like……..Read God’s word…..Find Answers to Questions…..Spend quiet time in prayer and devotion…….Ask more questions….Read God’s word again…ect…)

But the catch is I wanted her to start to learn to do it independently

Which means:

Bible Stories she can read on her own
(i.e. No more “Mom, what does this say?”)

Questions she can read and answer without help
(i.e. No more Mommy asking “What did Joseph’s father give him” ect.)

Too Tall an Order?

Would you believe that just this week I found the answer to this little desire?

It’s called the Early Reader Bible,
and it’s about the best thing since fried rice.
(do people still say that?)

Anyway, Here are a couple of photos of my favorite parts!

The stories are three pages long.

There are colorful and engaging Illustrations for each page

Before each story there is a Word Bank, of the new words introduced.

At the end of each story there is a “Something to Ask” which has comprehension questions, and personal reflection questions.

After that there is a “Something to Do” section, which provides ways for children to apply what they’ve read about God to their daily lives. (After reading about Creation, children are encouraged to thank God for the different things, people, and blessings in their lives)

I’m really excited to add this to our routine,

And Today, I helped Sissy to understand what would be expected of her when I ask her to do her “Bible Study”.

Here’s what happened:

Me- Sissy, you’ll need to read the pages of each lesson, then answer the questions in the back. You can use your notebook to answer them.

Sissy- But these stories are really long (3 pages) ……..sigh.

(Sissy reads the first page in like 10 seconds)

Sissy-Hey, reading can be fun when you get good at it.

Me- (Haven’t I said that…..like a million times this year?) Yes, Sweetheart, it’s fun when you get the hang of it.

So it’s not the most challenging of text for her,

but you know what….

The purpose of this book is to encourage and equip her with the confidence and skills necessary to explore God’s word on her own….and I think it’s a pretty good fit for what’s needed at our house lately!

(Not to mention the new little Kitty journal that fits pretty well too. Sometimes a pretty journal makes all those writing tasks a bit easier to bear!)

If you’re interested you can read some more sample pages here.

I’ll be adding this review to our Homeschool Curriculum page, which if you haven’t already noticed it….this is where I am (slowly) beginning to post about the different materials we use on a daily basis. Be warned this page is a work in progress ……….LOL, ….(as is our Homeschool)

Flower Pot Mosiac

April 28, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

Since we’ve been busy in the garden, planting all of our seeds, and working on our Gardening Lapbook, I realized that we better throw in a little bit of Garden Crafting too!

I found this amazing book called
“The Christian Kids Gardening Guide”
and I just had to order a copy for our homeschool classroom, what better way to start learning about gardening, then by learning God’s word right alongside it!

(Here are some sample pages to check out….looks really neat doesn’t it! (Now to try and wait patiently for it to arrive…..that’s the hard part.)

Anyway, as we’re learning all about the different flowers and vegetables that will be gracing our garden this year, we started out by adding a bit of flair to some regular old clay pots.

You can do this craft with any old flower pot, so check out the Goodwill, Freecycle, and Garage sales because they’re much cheaper then buying new pots at the craft store.

And since this is a “Hot Glue” craft be sure and follow your gut as to whether or not you’re child is ready to try this one! (I’ll tell you that my 6 year old did just fine, but my 3 year old wasn’t so keen to keeping his fingers out of the glue….but he just didn’t want to quit making it either….LOL, he is his Father’s son)

Click Here for Full Photo Instructions

We’ve been real busy with our Flower Pot Crafts, so stay tuned for some more fun Gardening ideas! Don’t forget to subscribe (on the left) if you want email updates!