The Periodic Table: Elements with Style!

Basher's, The Periodic Table: Elements with Style! is great fun. I heard about it from a friend and bought it for Sterling for a Christmas present last year. This would be a great coffee table book! If I had a coffee table. We got rid of ours when Sterling was a baby because we were worried about corners and bumps. In  the book, each element has it's own avatar and has a blurp about the element.  along with facts like color, density, place on the periodic table, etc. It's fun and it's chemistry.

The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home

This book, The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home, is a giant resource book for the classical education home schooling approach. I LOVE it. It's support, it's smart, it has guidelines for curriculum, it has lists of recommended methods and books. It was written by a woman and her grown daughter (whom she home schooled) and both (I believe) are qualified educators. It talks methods first, amazing, and then it is broken into three sections: Grades 1-4, Grades 5-8, and Grades 9-12. They also go over some things to do pre-grade 1. It's been a couple of months since I looked through it. Maybe I need to revisit that section because Carter is there:) Seriously, WOW, if you are thinking about home schooling, you like the classical approach and you want a find-it-all resource book this is it!

So the highlighted text is linked to the book's website if you want to find out more.

Why do I home school?

Most people think you are crazy when you mention home schooling. Some are excited for you, but it's very few. Bless the few! So when we have hard home schooling days I have to remind myself why I'm doing this and of course, everyone wants to know why you chose to go against the mainstream and be the oddball out. I still like to hear what brought parents to choose home schooling for their children. So, like yesterday when I my brother, in a comment under his breath (have I mentioned how much I LOVE teenagers) say something like, "You need to put these kids in real school." I remind myself why I like home schooling. Here are some of my top reasons:

1. I do not have to adhere to any schedule. I don't have to get my children up and off to school. I don't have to be home from anywhere by 3 pm or sit in a pick up line at the school for a half-hour and then, of course, there's the drive there time and the drive home time. Nope, we are as free as birds. We take a field trip to the science museum or the lake or the park and stay until we are ready to come home!
2. I love teaching my children! I love seeing the spark in their eyes as they grasp new concepts. 
3. My children's time is their own. They are not tortured with sitting through classes all day only to come home to an hour of homework and dinner and a little playtime and bed. They get to play, explore, relax and be children (and still learn).They have more than a fifteen minute recess in a day and they can talk in the hallways!

Maybe I'll have to add the things I'm struggling with home schooling next . . . 

Learn With Me

I have this eery feeling that I'm ripping off someone's blog or book with the title "Learn With Me" but I hope not. I decided when I created the blog that it made sense to me. As I have taken on home schooling, I feel like I am learning right along with my children. Yesterday, Sterling and I were reading about Alkali Metals and Lithium was the first in the series. In just emphasizing three facts about lithium and what it is used in I think I have a better idea of one more element on the periodic table, albeit a common one. Chemistry always seemed so out there to me. I loved the math parts of chemistry, but all the memorizing of the elements was overwhelming because I was memorizing names and places and symbols and electrons and neutrons and protons without the practical uses. I was trying to figure out what lost an electron in a compound. I missed a lot. Hopefully, by taking it slow and enjoying the Basher book about the elements and the periodic table (LOVE it) and by introducing my children to the elements a little at a time--they'll have a better base on chemistry when they study it more in depth at a later point.

In the meantime, I'll be better versed in those foundations that somehow I skipped over. I thought I was well-read until I saw the list of one-hundred classics that The Thomas Jefferson Education put together. I thought I knew a little something about history until I read the guidelines of important people your child should learn about in certain periods of history--and I knew maybe half of the names (and that's being somewhat generous for my pride's sake).

Humbled, I realized when embarking on my children's education I have so much still to learn. Hence, the "Learn With Me" title of this blog.

Poetry

Can I just say, without being judged, that I'm not a huge fan of poetry? I feel very uncultured saying such an indecent thing. I like poetry that is children's poetry, like the funny book of poems that I enjoyed reading as a child. And I like the poetry that is readily understandable. You know, "Two roads divulging . . . . I take the road less traveled by" kind of poetry. But any abstract poetry, not such a fan.

But, at our co-op last week, my friend did a quick explanation of poetry for the children and let them create their own poem (sometimes with a little help from mom for the younger ones) and the children just ate it up. They came up with some very unique poems! It was great. Maybe I'll read my children some more poetry and as they learn to accept poetry, maybe I will learn to like it a little bit more myself. That's part of my goal to be continuously learning myself to be an example to my children and a better person overall.

Science project

Yesterday, we had a science project playdate at our house. I've been wanting to get such a group together for a while now, but all our friends are so busy. We had fun with a short experiment and then the boys got to play with their friends. I got the experiment from a book that I think is completely awesome: Mudpies to Magnets.

Actually, I think our particular experiment yesterday was from its sequel MORE Mudpies to Magnets, but whatever, both are great. They have short science experiments that use mostly household items.

Like yesterday, we did a little experiment that involved water, cooking oil and food coloring. Of course I didn't take pictures because that would mean that I was actually on top of everything. But, maybe we'll do it again and I'll take some pictures. Who am I kidding? That's not me . . . . but it is the me that I dream of being. Doing things and documenting them.

PBS Kids

Can I just say, "Thank you PBS kids!!!"

Is it pathetic to admit that S learned his alphabet and was singing it by the time he was 15 months from Sesame Street? C also learned his alphabet and sounds from Sesame Street and Super Why. J doesn't get as much time watching PBS kids because TV time is usually older kids shows and I'm wondering if that's why he's two and so far behind his brothers. Poor third child. Completely loved and completely a little "big kid"!!

Anyway, I woke up with a mild migraine and lay on the couch with the boys this morning after breakfast and enjoyed some cuddle time. Then, my head feeling a little better, I moved to the computer to do a little "research" for our school day and got side-tracked on a craft blog (no, I'm not crafty, but I day-dream that I was) and the boys are still watching PBS kids.

I hear Carter yelling out letters, like "S" or "K". So he's learning, right? Someday I'm actually going to have to make a donation to PBS kids because really, they've taught my kids so much and . Completely embarrassing to admit--that my kids learned so much from television. 

Thank you, PBS Kids!