Passing Grade

When you mention traditional (non home-school) school, the topic of grades almost always come up. Grades being A, B, C, not first, second and third. Grades are the standard of measure for progress and learning of the student for parents' and teachers' benefit.

I don't use grades.

Well, except for spelling tests. Then they either get 100% or not. That is all.

My mom used a number system of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best and 1 constituting failure. Or something like that.

My mil actually filled out her kids' transcripts with B's for everything. Which, personally, I thought was ridiculous. It labels everyone as mediocre in everything and excelling in nothing. Not exactly accurate or inspiring.

At this point in time, I am my kids teacher and parent and it is easy for me to see their progress or lack of progress, with out A+'s or E's.

The kids are thrilled when I mark their completed work with an appropriate "good job!" or smiley face. That makes their day. I think it encourages them to continue working hard. A little bit of praise and affirmation goes a long way in the motivation department.

I must mention that my kids are still young. They are in 1st, 4th and 6th grades. Having a grading system is not necessary yet.

Next year however, I will have a middle schooler. And I plan to study up on keeping track of credits and classes, so that when it is time to fill out a transcript, I don't have to guess or fudge on the details. It can be accurate because I have kept accrete records.

I know that Susan Wise Baur broaches this top-class credits-in her book, A Well Trained Mind. I will see what she recommends, plus what is required to graduate and then I will start keeping records.

If you are a homeschooler, do you use grades? How? Have you started keeping grade records for your kids' transcripts? What resources do you use?

Please check out the thoughts and practices of these ladies on grading....
Chareen
Lucinda
Nicole
Julie

Switching Mid-Stream

"Never, never, never give up." Winston Churchill

I imbibe this principle. I was raised with the idea that just because something is hard doesn't mean you shouldn't be doing it, I rarely give up on anything. I pretty much have to be pried away from commitments. Kicked in the butt. Made thoroughly miserable.

Then I will give up. Or move on. How ever you want to phrase it.

Sometimes this is a good thing. Sometimes I wish my learning curve was a bit shorter. Sometimes I wish it was clearer to me sooner when God is closing a door or when I am supposed to keep on keeping on.

Today's homeschool topic is share your top 3 tips for someone who pulled their child out of school mid year.

I have never been in this situation. My kids have always been home schooled. When we started home schooling, we actually started at the beginning of a new year.  I don't know that I know anyone who has actually done this. I do know people who have contemplated it.

But, if I ever needed to change midstream, here's what I'd hope someone would tell me.

1) Forgive yourself. Let go of the guilt. You know exactly what I mean. No matter our choices, we women feel like we have somehow failed. (I will actually be sharing more on that on Thursday.)

This ties in with the above idea of never giving up. This decision you have made to take your child out of school is a big decision, but you have made it based on what you feel is best for your child and/or your family. So, rest in the peace and confidence of that decision.

2) Define your expectations and then hold them loosely. Why are you pulling your child out of school? Are they being left behind scholastically? Are they not being challenged? Teacher-student relationship isn't meshing? Are you pulling them out for moral reasons or convictions? Do you simply want more freedom and flexibility in your family schedule? Is it a temporary situation, with the goal of putting your child back in school within a year or two?

These will all determine what your expectations and goals will be.

If it is a scholastic reason, and you have ground to make up, depending on the time of year, you may not be able to finish your textbooks by the time you'd normally break for the summer. Is your goal to actually do every page in every book? Evaluate your expectations.

You want to teach and challenge your child, but you don't want to discourage them. Especially if that is why you pulled them out of school. Pray for discernment and wisdom on how to teach your child and the proper pace (accelerated or not) for your child.

3) Build your village. Raising godly offspring and/or trying to home school them is a group effort. So get key people in your life involved. Have grandparents listen to reading when they are around. Have artistic friends help with art. Join a home school group or co-op. Don't go at it alone.

What advice do you have for someone who is starting homeschooling mid year? What would you advice scholastically?

I'm betting you may get more practical and technical advice from...
Julie: Finding Resources
Lucinda: 3 Things you must do if
Nicole: Transitioning to Home Schooling
Chareen: From School to Home School
Savannah

He's on My Team

Welcome to our weekly home school post. This is a collaboration of (currently) 6 blogging home school moms. Each week we cover a topic or question related to home schooling. We link to each others' posts so you can get different perspectives on what works for different people. 6 different stories. 6 different methods.

This week's topic is Dad's Role in Home Schooling.

My first reaction when I read that last week was that Mr. Hippie really has no role in our home schooling. He just doesn't. I do the teaching and planning. I am the one at the table (feels like) 24/7.

And for the record, this is not a bad or good thing, it just is. It is what works for us. There is no vestiges of bitterness and gaul about our situation. I love teaching. Mr. Hippie runs his own business and often works long hours, so expecting him to have a hands-on role in the teaching is kind of ridiculous.

I thought about coming up with a list of 10 ways a dad could help in home schooling, but I felt that would be it's own brand of ridiculousness.

We have been given a picture of dedicated home school dads who show their support by doing a portion of the teaching and ordering curriculum and attending home school conferences. But maybe that's not your experience.

It isn't realistic for us.

Maybe you are in the same boat as I am. Maybe your husband doesn't have an active role in home schooling. Maybe, like me, you are okay with that. Maybe, it really grates on you. Maybe it isn't practical in your situation to expect your husband to be teaching a math or science or art class every day.

I am writing from my experience today, maybe even more than some other days, because if you are where I am, I want you to know that you are not alone. And maybe our situation is okay, even if it looks different from someone else's.

As I was reflecting it was very clear to me that Mr. Hippie does play a role in our home schooling. It may not be a hands on role, but it is a definite role nonetheless. Here are some facets of the role Mr. Hippie is playing in our home schooling...

I guess I could add an S for  "snogging" in Harry Potter lingo...

-Supportive. He wants our family to be home schooling as much as I do. He encourages me on discouraging days. He supports the choices I have made about curriculum and discipline and everything really. He is on my team. And there is no doubt in my mind about that, even though he isn't sitting at the table doing school with us every day.

-Sounding board. Mr. Hippie is a visionary. He sees the big picture. He is a dreamer. He comes up with all kinds of ideas. When I decided to switch to a more unit study approach for our Friday school, he was all for it. He has listened to my ideas. He has suggested things that never crossed my mind. He originally suggested having reading lists, and he gave many ideas for this year's lists. While I am scheming, I tell him about my ideas. My ideas for unit studies where history and science and art all tie into historical periods. I also discuss with him week by week what we are learning. He knows and is interested in what we are learning.

-Supplemental. Both in discipline and in art in particular. He completes and enhances our program. When the kids are acting up or refusing to do their school work (which they occasionally do) Mr. Hippie will supplement the discipline I have put in place. And it seems to solidify the lesson. Mr. Hippie is also much more artistic than I am, and he will paint and draw with the kids, giving direction that I can't because I just don't have the know-how.

-Sponsorship. To borrow race and missionary terms...Mr. Hippie is a gold level sponsor. His hard earned cash buys the books, supplies and dvd's we use every day. And he is a prayer sponsor. He prays for us and our day.

This is our experience. This is our real life. And it is good...

Please click on over to these other lady's blogs for other perspectives on a dad's role in home schooling:
Julie...how my husband helps us
Lucinda...dad's role in our home school
Chareen...dad's helping hand in our home school
Nicole...dad-the silent philanthropist
Savannah...dad the bouncer

One more thing...I wrote another post today that is over on Misty's blog. It is a post reflecting on fall, my favorite season. I love fall because it reminds me of harvest-food, life, etc...Please stop on by and say hi! (here)

Historically Speaking

So, this seems a bit redundant, because I have already waxed eloquent on my Unit Study approach to school this year via studying 1600-1800. But, whatever the home school prompt prompts is what you get...Promptly.

Today I am going to share more of the nuts and bolts of how we are tackling this hunk of history. The wherefore's of the equation.

These two pictures show the basic elements of my plan. The upper pic is our timeline, and the lower pic is our textbooks.

To break it down...

-Timeline: Our timeline is actually 4 consecutive timelines covering 1600-1800. We have a line each for United States, Europe, Great Britain, and Asia. At the far left of our timeline is a few facts for these geographical areas at the end of the 1500s. And we are moving on from there. Each week we will add people and events to our timeline, including science and scientific discoveries and musicians, poets and artists. The fat red line already on the timeline is defining the baroque and classical music periods. We put it on Europe because that is where a lot of the composers lived.

-Great Courses: This is a series of thirty 30 minute lectures on the history of the United States. Professor Thompson becomes a major character of the story/facts he is telling in that particular lecture. In the first one he was a Viking (I can't remember the name of the Viking) and in the second one he was Christopher Columbus. These courses are geared for high schoolers, but because of the format, my kids are really enjoying them. (as am I)

After we watch the lecture, we dig further by answering the questions in the workbook. So far we have just discussed them verbally. It is working well. If we need further clarification about something, we have Google and Wikipedia at our fingertips.

When we run out of applicable lectures from this series, we will fill in the remaining weeks with some lectures from the World History series.

-The Story of America. This textbook is listed as essential reading to tie in with the lectures. I bought this copy used online. There is between 10-20 pages to cover every week, but there are also lots of pictures and maps, so it doesn't translate to lots of reading. It reinforces what we heard about in the lecture. Adding one more level to their line-upon-line method of learning.

-BJU World History and US History. I just got these textbooks from my mom. They are the ones I used in high school. There will be a lot of overlap in concepts. But, because these are written from a Christian perspective, I think that will add another layer of understanding. Christianity and religion are very key in the history of the world and the United States. After all, it is God who is ruling over all times, places, people and kingdoms.

-Biographies. I don't have pictures of them, but I did share somewhat a couple weeks ago about how our reading lists this year will be also filling in our big picture of this time period. We are reading a lot of both political and Christian biographies plus historical accounts of this period.

History-stories of people doing things...

How are you broaching the subject of history this year? Do you love history? Or do you suffer through it? Would you ever make it the basis for your curriculum?

Since I really love history, I am looking forward to reading how each of these gals is tackling the subject this year...
Savannah
Lucinda
Julie
Chareen
Nicole

What's On Our Reading List...HomeSchool Edition

I love to read. These days I have to make myself read more than I used to. I know this may be hard to believe, but growing up, there was no such thing as the call of the Internet. I didn't even have an email until I was 19. And that was on dial up. We didn't watch television.

Thus, we had to read. And we got to explore the wonders of worlds far beyond ours.

Which is why I have a tremendous desire to travel. It is so much fun to finely visit a location where so many books have been set. To walk the streets and experience the culture. And then, the next time you read a book set in that location, you can delve into your memories to visualize what things are like.

The Barefoot Hippies are at the end of an era. We have finished the Harry Potter books. It took us over a year of lunches, interspersed with Team of Rivals. End of summer, end of series. Left wondering if we will ever find another series that rivals HP...Sigh...

Thankfully, I have a plan. Not for another series, but I do have a reading list that we will be diving into first thing today. (did I mention it's our first day of school???) In conjunction with our new unit study/traditional/classical education plan, I have several reading lists put together. This is the first year I have put together reading list, though Mr. Hippie and I have been discussing it for several years. 

I made a individual reading list for each of my readers, plus myself, plus one for our literary lunch hours. The boys have over a dozen books on their lists. LC has far less. 

On these lists are books written between 1600 and 1800, biographies of people from this period, as well as fiction and non fiction set in this period. 

The kids will be reading such classics as Ivanhoe, Tale of Two Cities, Pilgrim's Progress, and Robinson Crusoe. Some will be abridged, and some won't, depending on reading and difficulty levels.

They also will be reading biographies of Christians and famous characters from this time period. Notables like the Wesley brothers, David Brainard, Oliver Cromwell, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin.

Also on our reading list our books dealing with specific events. Things like the Mayflower and the Revolutionary War, the French and Indian War, French Revolution, and much more.

There is overlap of ideas, events and people in many of the books. The different genres will serve to reinforce the different facts and ideas. 

As for our literary lunch hours, I am hoping to read through David McCollough's John Adams and 1776. I might also pick one or two of the fiction titles that made it on all the lists to read on Fridays with the kids.

I personally will also be reading some books from this period. Sharpening my own saw. I have wanted to read the book, Our Oldest Enemy, since I first saw a review several years ago. This will be the year for it. I also saw a novel called Old Manor House from the 1600s. It bridges the  Goth and Classical genres. I am going to read it, and if it is appropriate, I will have BMV read it also. I am planning to read many of the books I am having the boys read, A Tale of Two Cities, Ivanhoe, Ben Franklin's autobiography.  

I am trying to figure out a time to have a book discussion each day or week. This will give us an opportunity to talk about what each one is learning. I also will have the boys write a book report or biography for each book they read. Alternating the two types of reports will teach different writing and thinking skills. And now I am just thinking aloud, but maybe our "discussions" will be them verbally giving their report. That's an idea...

My main focus in Kindergarten is to get my kids reading well. I have succeeded with 3 kids so far. Meres will break the mold. You have to know that...

Why do I stress learning to read in Kindergarten? I am a firm believer in the concept that if you can read, you can teach yourself anything. If my kids can read books for themselves, they can discover facts and knowledge without me having to be teaching them every bit of it. Which is key in covering time periods. I don't know everything about this time period we are studying. I will be increasing my knowledge along with my kids increasing theirs. We each will be learning at our own pace.

Do you have a reading list for yourself? For your kids? What is on it for this year?

For other reading list ideas, check out...
Chareen
Savannah
Nicole
Lucinda
Julie

Waxing Poetical

For the record, this post is about poetry, not waxing. Didn't want anyone to be confused. After all, homeschool moms need eyebrow waxes too. Moving on...

Those of you who have been around these Barefoot Hippie Girl parts a while, know that I am a new lover of poetry. As a matter of fact, last year was the first year we even tackled poetry in home schooling. I know, it only took 5 years to figure out that it may be worth it.

Before last year, the sum of my poetry appreciation and knowledge would have been Mother Goose and hymnology.

But then I ran across Robert Frost on FB of all things, and I was hooked. I love The Road Not Taken, Fireflies, and Blueberries. We spent last year memorizing an applicable Robert Frost poem every month. It was a lot of fun interpreting them, and often drawing and/or painting pictures to illustrate the poems.

Alas, this year we are leaving Robert Frost to the 20th century. Bummer. If he lived in the 17th or 18th century I would have kept right on going with my favorite poet. That would have been a very well rounded poetical education for my kids..."oh yeah, we studied poetry our entire school career. We know all of Robert Frost's poems."

Instead I am delving into poets from around the world, but mostly in Great Britain and Europe, for our study of poetry this year. Poets who lived and wrote from 1600-1800. Thus everything will tie up neatly with our unit study idea.

I have picked out over a dozen poets with their most famous poems. We will be looking at Robert Burns, John Keats, and Phillis Wheatley, among others. We will read some of their poems and learn about the poet's personal history. I will have the kids memorize an average of one poem per month. We will also try to illustrate the poems in some way, shape or form.

Basically we will be following the same format I used last year with Robert Frost, except for branching out a bit. I am looking forward to continuing to develop our poetry reading and comprehension skills, as well as poetry appreciation.

How do you teach poetry? Do you feel it is a needed subject?


For more poetry ideas click over to...

Nicole
Lucinda
Julie
Savannah
Chareen

A Room of My Own

Growing up, I never had my own room. I lived in a house not much bigger than my current house, but we had 8 kids plus 2 adults squeezed into my growing up home. I shared my bedroom with anywhere from 1-3 sisters until I married. And now I share my room with Mr. Hippie. Sigh. Good sigh.=)

Growing up, besides being a big family in a small house, we also home schooled. And there was no school room. Our dining room did double duty serving as school room and the place where we ate when guests came over.

It seemed logical, then, for me, when I was setting up my own home school room, to make our HQ in our dining room. We don't have an extra room to use, and the dining room contains a big table. Perfect situation for accomplishing school work, or at least, fomenting sibling irritations.

This double duty school/dining room had more similarities with split personality than simpatico. Balancing flags and table clothes, maps and white boards? Not the best situation.

This year I am making two major changes to our school room...remodeling the dining room and making a school room.

-Remodeling the dining room...if you were with my a few weeks ago, you saw 3-4 posts about home making as an art, thrift store decor, and home decorating. My heart has really been longing to not use not a decorator as an excuse anymore, but to make my home beautiful with what I have and to make some maintenance upgrades like painting and such.

My dining room has actually been a work in progress. I painted it two years ago, the floors were refinished and the chairs recovered last winter. I made curtains and will be making faux Roman shades for the door.  I have been using my table cloth to add color. I removed the flags. And I am enjoying my non-school room dining room.

But, I need to use this room as a school room too. I have 3 students and 1 toddler who have to have a place to do there school work. So, my solution-my main addition-to my dining room, is a custom made Amish corner hutch. I will display dishes and knick-knacks on the open shelves above, but behind the closed doors of the bottom half, I am making my school room concession. This is where I will keep my books and supplies. They will be easily accessible in the school room, but they will be under cover, and not detract from the overall aura of the dining room. Pretty clever if I do say so myself. (Unladylike snort)

-Making a school room...to go along with our Friday school.

Our basement is half finished. The non-laundry room side has carpet, wood paneling, closets, and dry wall. This is the room BMV does his school work in every day.

It is also the room where we are going to do our Unit study school. There is a computer down there for the kids to watch the history DVDs on. I have (albeit full) book cases in there. It seems like it is the time to convert this room into more of a school room complete with maps, timelines, white boards, flags and globe.

I am really excited about this. I think it will be helpful to have a dedicated space for our school stuff to be displayed. It still is going to be the "play" room, but the kids play down there less and less. Especially since the legos are now up in the boys' room. I feel like after almost 8 years, we are growing into our house, and our house is reflecting us, the Barefoot Hippie clan.

What's new in your school room this year? Or maybe like me, you got a school room? Whoot-whoot!


Join the other ladies to find out what is new in each of their school rooms...
Chareen
Nicole
Julie
Savannah
Lucinda

Radical Changes

*Alternately titled...Barefoot Hippie HomeSchool Year 2013-2014

Welcome back to our Tuesday Home School Help series. The way this works is that there is a pre-determined topic that 5 or more home school moms write about from their own perspectives. Then at the bottom of the post, we each include links to all the other posts so you can read the other's posts if you so desire.

It has been a great summer, and now it is (sort of) time to start thinking about school again. After my school planning day out and my back to (home) school post, I have resolved to mostly put the idea of school on the back burner for another few weeks. I still have a month of freedom to live up. Don't rush me! So, excepting for our weekly posts, this area is going to be a school free zone.

School in the Barefoot Hippie is going to be radically different this year. No, we aren't going to be wearing shoes...

As far as the "R's" go, we are sticking to BJU's curriculum. It is meeting our needs, and why mess with a good thing? My kids are young enough that they still need a formal grammar, spelling, and math program. (Well, we will always do a formal math program...) The radically different approach comes from the fact that I am switching to a unit study approach from here on out.

This may not be exactly what some people think of when they think of unit studies. It is actually more of a hybrid of unit studies and classical education. Hybrids are very hippie-ish. This hybrid is very Barefoot Hippie-ish.

I love history, and I have divided world history into periods that we are going to hit over the next 7-8 years. BMV will cover all of them before he graduates, and then we will just start recycling them until Meres is finished with all of them.

The period of history that we are covering this year is 1600-1800 AD. We are looking at it from religious, historical, geographical, fine arts, and scientific viewpoints. I purchased a series of lectures on US History and world from Great Courses, that will form the historical foundation of our studies. We will make 4 simultaneous timelines covering the United States, Britain, Asia, and Europe. There are lots of things that happened globally, and I am looking forward to delving in to them. Each history lecture has a workbook page to go with it that includes essay ideas.

On the religious front, there was the KJV ordered and published and the Great Awakening. Two critical things for Christianity then and now. Something that bridges religion and fine arts is our singing of hymns every morning. 1600-1800 AD was a very key time in sacred music history. We will be singing hymns exclusively from this time. Hymns by Cowper, the Wesley brothers, Isaac Watts and more.

I am calling art, music and poetry a lump "fine arts" this year. We will cover one of these topics every week. We are studying famous baroque and classical composers from this era, and we will spend time listening to their music. I may even take the kids to an applicable symphony concert. For poetry I have listed over a dozen famous poets from this period. We will learn about their lives, and read and interpret some of their poems. Some weeks I will have the kids memorize a famous poem. Some weeks I won't.

We also will cover some great artists and art forms from this period. And we will practice doing still life's and scenery and portraits. I may wrangle some of my artist friends to teach a class occasionally.

Scientifically, I have made a syllabus of scientists and their discoveries in this period. We will do experiments that tie in with what was learned. And we all love experiments. I have not planned the experiments yet, but I will plan a few weeks up to a month in advance so I can gather supplies.

I have put together reading lists for all 3 kids encompassing authors, classics, biographies, and historical fiction or fact based in this period. This will be key to the understanding of this period-especially on a global level.

Whenever the boys have a writing assignment in grammar, they will base it on what we are learning this year. This will incorporate the unit study idea even more into our schooling. We are going to draw maps and measure things. We are going to study hard, but it will be fun.

Anyway, to say I am excited about this up and coming year would be an understatement. The really cool thing is that the kids are excited as I am. I always have been geeked about big picture concepts and the idea of connecting the dots. So much happens during a historical period and a whole lot of it is connected. This year we are connecting the dots of the 200 years from 1600-1800 AD.

What's new in your curriculum this year? Are you excited for changes or are you looking forward to keeping a good status quo?

Now, head over to the other girls' posts to see what each one is doing differently this year...
Nicole, Chareen, Julie, Savannah, and Lucinda.

NOT Techie Home Schoolers

So, while the Barefoot Hippie clan is barefoot and hippie-ish and proud of it, we aren't too tech savvy. When I read this week's homeschool post theme, (favorite iPad or Droid educational apps) I once again cringed. Because, we really don't use a lot of apps for school-even though we have an iPad, an iPhone, an iPod Touch, a laptop and a desk top computer.

We are more paper and pencil and book type home schoolers. Those tools that were used way back prior to the 21st century...

No, we prefer to use our online and computer time for such mindless pursuits as blogging, FB and twitter (me) and watching reruns and playing video games (the offspring)

That being said, I do have a few apps that I use for educational purposes. Few being 3.

Wikipanion (free) Whenever we are doing science or history, we use Wikipedia. It is very helpful, and the links within links are awesome.

Multiplication Genius x19. ($0.99) I recently purchased this app for Freckles. My goal for him this summer is that he will be able to rattle of the multiplication facts through x12 before we restart school in September. This is a game format, plus it has all the facts through x19. I figure that several games a day will cement these in his mind. Money well spent.

The Story Mouse Talking Books (app is free, individual stories cost $1.99) This is LC's favorite app. I like it because it keeps her entertained. But, also because each familiar story is read by a man or woman with distinct British Isle accents. Why wouldn't that be a great thing? Regardless, they have decent illustrations and all the words are on the page. Each paragraph is highlighted as it is being read. This is great for word recognition. Especially if you are into your child learning to read with a British accent.

Once again, a short and sweet post. I'm sure the other girls will have a more rounded lists. What are your favorite educational apps? 

*Btw, this is our last Tuesday home school post until the beginning of August. I have enjoyed writing on the subjects, and I hope you have enjoyed reading them. I will still be writing for Tuesday's though, so don't think you get a pass.=)

Chareen's favorite website's and apps for learning
Hwee's technology: a few considerations
Nicole's iWorld of homeschooling
Erin's if I had an iPad...
Julie's husband created an iPad app to help with multiplication
Savannah's 20 free learning apps
Lucinda's favorite homeschool apps for kids and mums

Scientifically Speaking

Growing up, science was never a big interest of mine. The thought of science appealed to me...scientific method and all that. But it was too dry and textbook. I learned very little that stuck with me.

I decided to change that with my kids. We are taking a shoes off (barefoot hippie, get it?!), hands on approach to science. My goal is to make science memorable and fun.

We generally do an experiment, then ask 3 questions.
1. What did we do?
2. What happened?
3. What did we learn? (or, what were we supposed to learn?)

Each child writes their answers in their science notebook to keep forever. Or not.

My science book philosophy is rather similar to my reading textbook philosophy. You can get both rather cheaper by not using a curriculum. Which works really well for younger students. I would say that as you approach high school, it might be a good idea to do formal biology, basic science, earth science, and chemistry. At least, we probably will.

For now, I have found two great science books for under $10 each, at Barnes and Nobles. Both have 365 experiments.  The fancier one has categories for astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics and weather. It has a page at the beginning of each section to record the date, experiment and notes. I use it to write down what we need for each experiment so I remember to buy the materials.

We have made ginger ale (that really fermented-our own distillery), recorded moon cycles, inflated balloons with gases from yeast, grew mold in jars and swung buckets of water around our heads to illustrate centrifugal force.

kind of looks a bit vulgar...

I consider our garden a part of our science studies. We get to learn about dormancy, photosynthesis, seeds and growth.

We also read through library books dealing with animal life, and motion, and all that is chalked up to science too.

I have found that biology, astronomy and geology are much easier to do in the spring, summer and early fall-when it is warm and things outside are growing. Chemistry and physics are able to be hands on in the middle of the winter. Mixing chemicals and watching those reactions. Great, exciting winter activity.

We spent the winter semester this past year studying the periodic table of elements. That was interesting. We'd look the elements up on the internet, and find out characteristics, where they are found, and what each is used for. I think we will possibly continue on with that next winter.

My bff also just told me about a show, Outrageous Acts of Science. This show has video clips of people doing some rather stupid stuff. (darwin award status) But, the science part comes in when scientists explain the why's and wherefore's of what just happened in the stupid clip. From the little I've seen, it is very interesting, educational, and right up my boys' alley. We just might incorporate some of that into our studies next year.

I am also heading towards a more unit study approach to school next year, so we may try some experiments based on things learned scientifically during the time period we will be studying.

All in all, I think we have had a great time doing science, and we have learned some cool things too. When you actually do something, and see the result, it is more memorable than just reading about it in a book. I think so, at least.

Did you like science when you were a kid? How do you teach science to your kids? What is the most spectacular experiment you have ever done?


For more great ideas on how to teach your kids science, check out
Chareen
Hwee
Savannah
Julie
Nicole
Erin
Lucinda

Unable to Commit

Long, long ago, in a faraway place...

This week's home school connection question deals with whether or not we are in homeschool groups.

I am not.

But I was.

And here is the story:

When I was a mother of three, but not four, and the offspring were quite a bit younger, we were part of a home schooling group. About 50% were cousins, and the other 50% were random home schoolers. (we picked them up off the street, you know?)

Our goal was to meet once a month, and study a topic corresponding with a letter of the alphabet. We started with airplanes for A, which included a visit to a private air strip, and a ride in a private plane. Churning butter was the activity for B. We toured a cheese farm for C, and a fire station for F, and ink factory for I and a radish farm for something.

It was great fun, and it was interesting. It was wonderful to just spend time together too. We learned new things, and all had a good time.

There was just one continual issue-no commitment. No one was willing to say, "I will be at our group meeting every time unless there is a major catastrophe in my life."

We aimed to hold our field trips on a regular day of the month, generally the second Thursday. But no matter what the day, we could not get hardly anyone to commit to coming, more than a day or two in advance. There was no concept of, "I can't do that other thing on this date, because I already have plans-i.e. the field trip." Which is rather a problem when you need a head count for rates and such.

I am really not sure what the hold up was.

I wonder if this lack of commitment is a hallmark of my generation, or of this day and age. But I don't think it is a good trend. Not for young people, or Christians, adults or home schoolers.

It is not polite to refuse to commit to something because some better offer may come down the pike. And, sometimes being an adult means saying, "I'm sorry, I have a previous standing Tuesday engagement. I can't do _____." Commitment means giving your word and sticking by it, even if sacrifices are involved.

Time is a precious commodity-for all of us. I am willing to make a regular commitment, and to stand committed to it. I do it for many other areas of life: Bible study, dinner with the BFF, dates with Mr. Hippie, Bible club, church, etc.. Sickness, death and being out of town are the only things that get me out of commitments.

So, for ill or nil, our home school group petered out well before Z. It was too hard to organize something and wonder if anyone would show up. I figured I could take my own kids to museums and such by ourselves with a whole lot less fuss.

But also a whole lot less community and support and practical friendship.

I haven't been involved in a group since.

I am not opposed to home school groups, whether with a formal field trip planned or simply as a time to informally hang out. I would love to have a time to learn together or just hang out and chat as moms together. My heart and soul needs that.

But I also need people to be committed to coming. If they aren't, I may as well plan on staying home. It's easier. Some may call it cynical, I call it practical. And kind of sad.

What has been your experience with home school groups? Was it better than mine? How do you foster commitment in your group? I'd love to hear some good ideas.


For much more positive outlooks at home school groups, check out
Chareen
Hwee
Julie
Erin
Nicole
Savannah
Lucinda

Beneficial Co-op(eration)

Co-op. Co-operative education. Dictionary.com makes very clear the importance of the hyphen on this one. You wouldn't want it confused with coop. Imagine the chaos. Snort.

"Coop or not? Why or why not?" People would think we were talking chickens for this week's home school post. That's extreme home schooling right there.

So, co-operative education or not? Why or why not?

Short answer: "No. My kids are too young."

That being said, youth is the only reason I haven't done any co-ops. I love the idea of a co-op. It is the opportunity for each person to shine in their strengths and talents for the good of others.

If you couldn't tell by yesterday's post, I love history. I love making history come alive. I would love to teach a junior and senior high school history course. It would totally stretch me, and be my element. Timelines, mythology, classics, biographies, and cartography...

I think a co-op would also be very beneficial for the sciences and lab work. Someone who love dissecting and blowing things up, supervising a bunch of students. That would be awesome. Though, that person would not be me. I've never dissected anything, and I have no intention of starting.

Or what about the higher maths? Algebra 1 and 2, Calculus, and Geometry. I did okay in algebra and geometry, and actually got pretty good at it teaching it to the next couple siblings under me. But, it isn't my passion or love. Someone understands math much better than I.

Art. If you have read me for more than a month, you probably have heard me say that I am not an artist. I am trying to learn a new skill set, but really, it isn't my cup of tea. But, I am blessed to be surrounded with artists. And, for the past 2 years, I have organized an art day for home schoolers, bringing in some local talent to teach drawing techniques, painting, sculpture, and origami. It has been well received, and I am already contemplating another go at it this fall.

The other area I have considered using a co-op is foreign language, particularly Spanish. We have a couple friends who are fluent in Spanish, being from Latin America and Spain respectively. I can't teach my kids Spanish. I could get them a Spanish course. But, I think it would be more affective for them to learn from and converse with a Spanish speaker.

I have seen something floating around FB and Pinterest about "We've seen the village, and we don't want it raising our children." While I appreciate the sentiment behind that, I don't completely agree. Actually, my most popular post for a while was It Takes a Village. I am willing to admit I don't know everything, and that my kids need the influence and gifts of others to enrich their lives.

BMV will be in 6th grade this fall. It is almost time to start contemplating some co-operative education. This is something I will be praying about. And if you are a homeschooler in my neck of the woods, I may be approaching you about what we can work together on.

Do you use co-ops or coops? Will you ever?



For more why's and why not's on co-ops, check out
Chareen
Hwee
Nicole
Erin
Julie
Savannah
Lucinda

Hippie Method: Food Philosophied

A philosophy is simply a belief. But it sounds more sophisticated. I have a lot of philosophies. And a belief or two, also.

I love to cook. And I love to write. And I love to home school. I don't love to clean, but I love to have a clean house. I love to run. I love to be outside. I love to eat. I love to sleep. I love to read. I love to drink coffee. I love to talk with people.

Obviously, I have a lot of love to's. How do I fit in all my loves with limited time?

Well, I like to live simultaneously. I try to live simply. I am learning to say no and to rest. I live by a rhythm/schedule. And I am learning to let good be good enough.

In our home schooling posts we have talked about juggling home schooling & alone time as well as home schooling & cleaning. Today we are going to cover juggling home schooling and cooking. Because home school moms are premier jugglers. Circus level performers. Maybe more illusionists than jugglers.

My personal food/cooking philosophy is to make delicious food that looks nice without it taking my more time to prepare than to consume. I also strive to make (relatively) healthy food. And I attempt to keep my dinner menu rather varied and fresh. And, the closest I get to using pre-prepared food is frozen ravioli and canned beans.

I have four key strategies for fulfilling my cooking/food philosophy and to be able to juggle all my other loves and responsibilities.

1. Same old-same old, for breakfast and lunch. Our breakfast and lunch menu is the same, every day. The kids eat oatmeal every morning except Thursdays and Saturdays. Those two mornings they have eggs or pancakes or something like that. I eat granola for breakfast everyday. Granola and raisins. Quick and delicious.

See, doesn't that look good?=)

Lunch for the kids is sandwiches (usually peanut butter and jelly), pretzels or chips and cookies. If we have leftovers, I will heat those. For me, lunch is milk and cookies and fruit. I know. I am the epitome of healthiness. I occasionally eat a sandwich-mostly on the days I have run and swam and need the extra uummph.

A boring, but easy, breakfast and lunch menu. And the kids haven't complained, so, I am not changing it. Not that I would even if they did complain...

2. Crock Pot. I am a whole hearted crock pot advocate. Here's why: I can make a fabulous dinner when I have a window of time in my day (morning for the low setting, or early afternoon for the high setting) and not be crazy woman during the witching hours of 4-6 p.m.. I have shared my favorite several of my favorite crockpot recipes on this blog. Recipes like Chicken Tacos, Coq Au Vin, Scarpariello, and Pulled Pork. If you go to my Small Kitchen Adventures tab, you will find links to these and many other  easy and delicious recipes. For a list of 51 meal ideas, check out Why Didn't I think of That?

3. Simple. Most dinners I make take between 30-60 minutes to whip together. I'd say that over half of them are much closer to the 30 minute mark than the 60 minute mark. It is possible to make delicious, varied and healthy food, in a small chunk of time. All the recipes shared on my Small Kitchen Adventures tab fit within this 30-60 minute window.

Not only are they simple, time-wise, they don't have 110 steps or 110 ingredients. Less is more. Way more.

4. Leftovers. I plan my dinner menu in 2 week segments, and I usually plan for 1-2 dinners a week that are leftover dinners. It may be the leftovers of one meal, or the leftovers of a combination of meals, but we eat leftovers for dinner. If I make soup or chili or marinara sauce, I make a BIG batch-enough to feed our family at least 2 meals. Usually 2 meals, and then some. I must say that my leftovers are fewer these days. What's with preteen boys and their appetites? Crazy!

Do you have a food/cooking philosophy? What are you tips for juggling cooking with life and home schooling?

For other views and tips on this subject, visit
Hwee
Julie
Erin
Chareen
Nicole
Lucinda
Savannah

*Welcome to Nicole and Erin, two other bloggers joining our panel.

Just a Homebody

I am a homebody-except when I'm not.

Actually, I love being home. In my daily rhythm, drinking lots of coffee and tea, bumping around doing chores, reading and writing. Last week I shared my dream home wishes, but really, I am quite content in my current little house.

I don't like running around. (besides running around) I get stressed when I have to be out and about a lot. I like activities for variety occasionally, but for the most part, I love my home and the people in it-and I try to stay there as much as possible. What's the point of home schooling and home business if you are never home?

There are some weeks when I really don't leave the house much. I leave for runs and swimming, Bible Study on Monday nights, and dinner with the BFF every other Tuesday, church on Sundays, and shopping every other Monday. Besides that, I'm home.

Which brings us to our home school topic for this week. Extra kid's activities? How much? And how much is too much?

Currently, we don't have many extra kids' activities on the docket. All three of the oldest kids attend BSF-the boys with me on Monday nights, and LC on Thursday mornings with her aunt. The kids also sporadically attend a Friday night kids' club at a local church. Sporadically, because if we have had too busy of a week, or if something else is going on, they don't go. I feel bad about the non-commitment, but it is the only viable option right now.

As far as extracurricular activities, (by definition: educational activities not falling within the scope of the regular curriculum-including dramatics and athletics.) We don't do ANY of those.

At this point in time we don't do athletics or music lessons or dramatics. (besides the daily freebie drama that comes from having 2 young girls in the household.)

Next year, however, I am committed to revisiting the music lesson thing. BMV has a good ear for music, and I want him to take piano lessons for at least a few years. So, I will be working that into our schedule next fall.

As far as sports go, we just haven't done them yet. They like playing soccer and baseball, but its a time thing...

Because I feel too much is too much when it interferes with schooling, fills too many afternoons/evenings with practices and games, when family time is sacrificed to individual activities and I am away from home way.too.much. 

I only have so much time. And a lot of my time is already booked. If our kids are to do sports, something else in the schedule would have to give. I am willing for something else to give, I just haven't looked into the specifics of what would have to give. It would be based on schedules. (can you wrap your mind around that long run on thought?=))

I think that this whole topic falls into a very personal category. Each family has to decide what works for them and their schooling and life goals. I don't think there is a clear cut right or wrong answer for everyone.

There is both band and drama available for home schoolers in our city. Personally, I am unwilling to drop off my kids at 9:00 in the morning and pick them up at 3:00 in the afternoon, one day a week, in order to have them be involved in a music or drama program. It would cut into my schooling time/goals. That is my choice for this life season. Others have chosen differently, and that is quite all right.

As my kids get older, this might very well change. We probably will enroll them in sports. We might seize the opportunity to be part of our local drama scene or homeschool music program.

I know the value of sports and fitness-for guys and girls. Running has made me push harder and go farther than I ever would have thought possible. I think the discipline and the persisting through physical pain is a very good thing to experience. Not giving up. I don't want to deny my kids that, just because it is easier for me to stay home. Plus, it is good to have an outlet for all that energy. I do see sports in our future. I'm just not sure of the how's yet.

I want my kids to have a musical base. Which is why I have started each of them with piano lessons, though we fell off the wagon. I want them to be able to read music and to enjoy the finer nuances of music.

But, I really can't envision myself ever running and running from one activity to another. The quintessential soccer mom I am not. Though I do have the mini van. Which I am saving for BMV in another 5-1/2 years. Then I will get my Hippie mobile, aka a bug. And BMV can be the quintessential soccer sibling, and chauffeur his sibs around. In the mini van.

What extra activities do you do with your kids? Do you feel you have found a good balance? What tips would you have for me?

This week we are welcoming a new blogger, Lucinda, onto our panel. I hope you will stop by and say "hi", and see what she has to offer on this subject. Be sure to also check out Hwee, Chareen, Julie, and Savannah.

Doing 'Rithmetic

In Laura Ingalls Wilder's day, school was all about the three R's, reading, writing and 'rithmetic. Funny how two of the three aren't technically "r's". Spelling must have rated less than phonics.

Our home school topic today is all both the last r, a-rithmetic. "Math, math, all about math." That's how the syllabus puts it.

I have to say, that once again, my traditional method of homeschooling leaves me a bit short for this post. Hmmm...

I could say, "we do math." (We even do math everyday.) That'd about cover it. And would earn it the vaunted spot of shortest Barefoot Hippie Girl post ever.

When I was growing up, and doing home schooling, we used BJU curriculum, including their math program. I have heard it is challenging, but it is what my siblings and I all used, and it didn't pose any unnecessary difficulties.

Being the if it ain't broke, why fix it? person that I am, when deciding on curriculums to use with my own kids, I chose to go with BJU (Bob Jones University). I am familiar with it. I like it. Plus I get used books from my mom for free.

I start all of my curriculum usage in first grade, not kindergarten. I use cheaper bookstore options for curriculum for kindergarten. Thus, to date, I have used BJU up through fifth grade with my oldest, and third for my second oldest.

Here is what I like about having my kids do the same curriculum all through the grades. The patterns of the textbooks follow the same flow. So, if my 5th grader is doing geometry in lesson 101, chances are, my 3rd grader is also doing geometry in lesson 101, albeit at a more basic level. This continuity is very helpful for me as the teacher of multiple grades. (the same principle carries over into grammar and spelling.)

I like BJU because it hits the same principles over and over, adding a new concept each time. And they use a lot of review. It has worked very well for us.

I also like BJU because it has worked well for both my boys, and that is saying a lot. They are both vastly different, and have different learning styles. Freckles works well both seeing and hearing something. (there probably is a proper term for that, but I don't know it off hand) He verbally works out a lot of his math. By hearing the information, it sticks in his mind better.

I know a lot of people use manipulatives for math. I really haven't up to this point. We did just make a set of multiplication fact flash cards to use with my third grader (Freckles). This ties in with his verbal-auditory learning style. I want him to be able to rattle those things off before the start of school next year. We will be working on it all summer.

when my kids don't get a math concept,  make up my own problems, and work with them until I know they understand.

My go-to math curriculum for Kindergarten has been Kumon. Have you heard of it? Kumon started over 50 years ago, as an after school math and reading tutoring center. They made up their own curriculum with the philosophy of practicing material until concepts are mastered, and advancing in small, manageable increments. Most of their workbooks have 30-40 lessons. Each lesson takes 20 minutes or less to complete.

Kumon starts very basic, and they use fun concepts. Dot to dots and mazes. Learning to count and add. It has given all three of my oldest kids a great foundation for the math skills they have continued to use with the BJU curriculum. At $6-8 a book, they tend to be quite a bit cheaper than traditional curriculum. I have also used Kumon's telling time and money books. Again, because of their step by step philosophy and practice.

They are available online, or at Barnes and Noble. And, how about a plug for B&N? Home school moms get the educator discount at B&N. It is a 20% savings. That knocks the price down even further.

What I have found interesting about this series is that I write what works for me, and what I am doing. Not what others are doing, or even what else is out there. I am sharing from my experience. And each of the other ladies are sharing from their experiences too. I hope you take the time to look everyone's posts up. What works for me, might not be your cup of tea, but maybe one of the other lady's ideas will get your juices flowing.

Oh, so you want to hear my greatest math moment this year? It ranks right up there with the yellow dyed sugar scrub...

I was cleaning my basement closet the other day, and discovered that I have the 5th grade math teacher's edition. Yes, it is the end of the year, and I have figured out each and every one of those math problems/answers on my own this entire year. End of year, end of book. Sigh...

At least I rediscovered the 6th grade teacher's edition at the same time...

What curriculum do you use for math? Do you use manipulatives? What is your favorite thing about your math curriculum? Your least favorite?


For more tips on math, check out Julie, Hwee, Chareen, and Savannah.

Homeschoolers Get it Free

Home schooling is a cheaper option than private or Christian school, but that doesn't mean it is cheap. It can be very costly buying new books and supplies every year for multiple children. And if you are using an internet or satellite option, it is even more expensive.

LC trying a new look...nerdy?

Something that comes up on my FB feed rather regularly is Women Get it Free. It's a deal site that advertises quite thoroughly on FB. Must be demographics or something.

Well, today I'm here to tell you that home school moms get it free too. There are resources available that are free. I have five freebies I have regularly plumbed...

mom: I go to my mom for home school books that my siblings have out grown. Things like math, reading, and science textbooks. My mom started home schooling in the late 1980s. The pictures may be a bit outdated, but reading is still reading. You start with simple and move up. Math principles haven't changed, though colorful illustrations may have been added to the newer editions.

So, you may not have a mom who can pass textbooks down to you, but maybe there is someone in your life who invested in curriculum but is no longer home schooling. They may be willing to pass it on to you-for a modest rate or for free.

My mom with my niece

library: The local library system is my greatest ace in the hole. If my own branch doesn't carry what I am looking for, I can order it in. I use the library for books on countries and people, as well as the reading materials my kids use every day. We make a trip to the library weekly to get new materials.

Our local library also has many free programs. There are story times for non-readers, and reading programs with incentives for readers. There are shows to do with music and magic and animals.  

internet: I am very thankful to be living in the modern age of google! What can't you find out by googling it? Nothing I have yet to search. My top internet site for school is Wikipedia, the encyclopedia of this generation. I look up the elements on the periodic table for science, the US Presidents for our timeline, the countries we are studying for geography and so much more.

Freckles researching Lord Nelson for grammar. Meres getting in on the action.

I also use the internet to find poetry to memorize, and currently we are plumbing the depths of americancivilwar.com for our Friday studies on that subject. YouTube has a lot of junk but it also has many educational videos on all subjects.

Though I am not connected with any, I know there are many online home school forums. Based broadly on homeschooling or more specifically on things like teaching styles.

And never underestimate the power of Pinterest for a homeschooler. There are science projects and crafts, free organizing downloads and pep talks for your heart.

mentors: There are many women in my life who are either done with the home school journey or considerably farther on than I, that I approach for advice. Most woman are more than willing to share from their experience. Mentors can include both women you know IRL, and ones you have met online. I have both. A favorite online homeschool/life unofficial mentor is Lisa Pennington.

museums: Most museums and attractions have free days annually, if not on a monthly basis. It can be a real savings to take advantage of. Also, all the national museums in DC are free. Always. If you live near our capitol, or are visiting in the area, it is totally worth it to visit. There is tons to see, even just in the Smithsonian Square area.

What free resources do take advantage of? Besides me, and my regular column, of course.=) Share your ideas in the comments.

Five Homeschool moms, five unique lists of free resources. Please take time to check out what these other women have to share.
Homeschool For Free by Chareen
A Sample of Free Curricula by Hwee
10 Free Websites to Help Homeschoolers by Savannah
Best Free Educational Resources  by Julie