Last year, one of my kiddos struggled in the area of grammar and this year is a different story. This kiddo is diagramming sentences like no body's business now. : )
We switched to Stevenson's Essential Grammar and it has made all the difference. Woo-hoo! I love finding something that works!
~Becky
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Finding common denominators on vacation AKA a sure fire way to go crazy
This was the first time I've ever hauled school books with us on vacation.
And I might not ever repeat it. ; )
Usually, on vacation I can count something we do as a field trip and I leave the books at home.
We usually go and see something historical or educational at least once on a trip...but not this time. We were just planning to enjoy the activities of the time-share resort. -There isn't anything educational about a water slide and a lazy river pool.
I guess I could say, it was an education for me, in 'how cold can it be outdoors before your kids think it's too cold to swim.' ; ) The answer to that is, apparently, pretty cold!
The pool was heated mind you, but we still went in when it was only 54 degrees outside. BRRRRRRRR!!!
I actually saw a guy IN the pool, wearing a SWEATSHIRT!
Yes, we were all trying to make the best of the uncharacteristically COLD weather in FL that week. Too funny! I should've snapped his picture.
Who can possibly concentrate on finding the common denominator when you would much rather be doing this!?
We tried but I don't think it worked too well. ; )
~Becky
And I might not ever repeat it. ; )
Usually, on vacation I can count something we do as a field trip and I leave the books at home.
We usually go and see something historical or educational at least once on a trip...but not this time. We were just planning to enjoy the activities of the time-share resort. -There isn't anything educational about a water slide and a lazy river pool.
I guess I could say, it was an education for me, in 'how cold can it be outdoors before your kids think it's too cold to swim.' ; ) The answer to that is, apparently, pretty cold!
The pool was heated mind you, but we still went in when it was only 54 degrees outside. BRRRRRRRR!!!
I actually saw a guy IN the pool, wearing a SWEATSHIRT!
Yes, we were all trying to make the best of the uncharacteristically COLD weather in FL that week. Too funny! I should've snapped his picture.
Who can possibly concentrate on finding the common denominator when you would much rather be doing this!?
We tried but I don't think it worked too well. ; )~Becky
Friday, January 30, 2009
Andrew recommends...
Don't you love when kids finish a book and say 'That was the best book I've ever read' and they say it after every book they read? : ) I think it's precious. I often feel that way myself when I've just finished a really great book.
Our boys have all LOVED the Great Illustrated Classics series. (I always look for them at used book sales but I've also found them at Wal*Mart and Michael's, of all places!)
Today Andrew clarified that his favorite Illustrated Classic is Call of the Wild but
his favorite book of all time (so far) is:
Billy Sunday: Runner for the Lord
(an A Beka reader)
He love, love, loved this book!
Give it a try! : )
~Becky
Our boys have all LOVED the Great Illustrated Classics series. (I always look for them at used book sales but I've also found them at Wal*Mart and Michael's, of all places!)
Today Andrew clarified that his favorite Illustrated Classic is Call of the Wild but
his favorite book of all time (so far) is:
Billy Sunday: Runner for the Lord
(an A Beka reader)
He love, love, loved this book!
Give it a try! : )
~Becky
Monday, January 26, 2009
What a blessing Teaching Textbooks has been to us!
Math was not my best subject in school.
I had some serious trouble with it.
It wasn't my hubby's best subject either. And it really wasn't a good thing when we took the same math class in college and sat by each other! ; ) Too many love notes were getting passed back and forth.....
Anyway, it looked as if one of our kiddos was an awful lot like us in the math department. Uh oh!
That was UNTIL we switched to Teaching Textbooks.
Now he understands upper level math and has wonderful grades! What a blessing!!!!
The one question people were always posing to me when our kids were little, wasn't the socialization question, it was the 'how will you teach high school math' question.
(did I just happen to LOOK like a person who wasn't good at math or what?!) LOL
Anyway, I had some vague answer about there being plenty of high school math programs available out there....
Of course, I had no idea what we would use way back then. I just knew that it would work out somehow because the fear of teaching high school math certainly wasn't worth sending my children to public school! But that is how people made it sound.
Now, here I am on the other side of that hurdle and I'm praising the Lord for providing the right program and for the Sabouris! He is faithful in every way.
~Becky
I had some serious trouble with it.
It wasn't my hubby's best subject either. And it really wasn't a good thing when we took the same math class in college and sat by each other! ; ) Too many love notes were getting passed back and forth.....
Anyway, it looked as if one of our kiddos was an awful lot like us in the math department. Uh oh!
That was UNTIL we switched to Teaching Textbooks.
Now he understands upper level math and has wonderful grades! What a blessing!!!!
The one question people were always posing to me when our kids were little, wasn't the socialization question, it was the 'how will you teach high school math' question.
(did I just happen to LOOK like a person who wasn't good at math or what?!) LOL
Anyway, I had some vague answer about there being plenty of high school math programs available out there....
Of course, I had no idea what we would use way back then. I just knew that it would work out somehow because the fear of teaching high school math certainly wasn't worth sending my children to public school! But that is how people made it sound.
Now, here I am on the other side of that hurdle and I'm praising the Lord for providing the right program and for the Sabouris! He is faithful in every way.
~Becky
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Look out, George Washington!
I posted the other day about our unit study on George Washington and doing copy work using His Rules of Civility...
My youngest misunderstood the next rule we copied. He thought that it contradicted the Bible! He was upset! He quoted an applicable verse of scripture and was ready to let George Washington have it! : )
I love his zeal for the Lord and the Word.
Thank you, Father for giving him such a heart for You!
~Becky
My youngest misunderstood the next rule we copied. He thought that it contradicted the Bible! He was upset! He quoted an applicable verse of scripture and was ready to let George Washington have it! : )
I love his zeal for the Lord and the Word.
Thank you, Father for giving him such a heart for You!
~Becky
Monday, January 12, 2009
How yawning reminds us of George Washington
My youngest kiddos and I are starting a unit study on George Washington and we are using his
Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation (that's a mouthful isn't it?) for some handwriting practice. We copy a couple a day. Apparently, there are 110 rules he copied in his youth.
Because of this we all now think of the Father of our Country every time we yawn.
Weird, huh? Here's one of the rules we looked at the other day:
"If you cough, sneeze, sigh or yawn, do it not loud but privately, and speak not in your yawning, but put your handkerchief or hand before your face and turn aside."
I have never noticed until now, how often I try to speak in my yawns!!! Oh my goodness...
I'll have to work on that!
Just posting this is making me yawn...
Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation (that's a mouthful isn't it?) for some handwriting practice. We copy a couple a day. Apparently, there are 110 rules he copied in his youth.
Because of this we all now think of the Father of our Country every time we yawn.
Weird, huh? Here's one of the rules we looked at the other day:
"If you cough, sneeze, sigh or yawn, do it not loud but privately, and speak not in your yawning, but put your handkerchief or hand before your face and turn aside."
I have never noticed until now, how often I try to speak in my yawns!!! Oh my goodness...
I'll have to work on that!
Just posting this is making me yawn...
Time to call it a day!
~Becky
~Becky
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Learning Glitches
Dyslexia runs in our family. It's been a challenge to deal with and caused me to spend lots of time in prayer. It has also made me very thankful that we can home school.
I've recently been made aware of Diane Craft's materials for teaching the right brained child. I am really excited about trying them.
If you have kiddos with "learning glitches" she may have the resources you've been looking for.
I'm excited about trying the multiplication cards for the right brained child. They have pictures for each number and a story which will help the RB child get the facts into their long-term memories. I'm also going to use her materials to help my struggling reader.
Her web site also has some fascinating info on nutrition for behavior problems.
Check her out! : )
~Becky
I've recently been made aware of Diane Craft's materials for teaching the right brained child. I am really excited about trying them.
If you have kiddos with "learning glitches" she may have the resources you've been looking for.
I'm excited about trying the multiplication cards for the right brained child. They have pictures for each number and a story which will help the RB child get the facts into their long-term memories. I'm also going to use her materials to help my struggling reader.
Her web site also has some fascinating info on nutrition for behavior problems.
Check her out! : )
~Becky
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