Homeschool Crew: Seaworthy Award

This year I had the privilege of being a member of the Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. As the Crew year is winding down the members voted for their favorite products in various categories. The winning vendors received the Seaworthy Award for their products (here's the list of recipients).

I also wanted to share a list of my favorites. We had the opportunity to use so many great homeschooling products but I've narrowed it down to our favorite ten products (well, eleven products, but I counted the readers from All About Reading as one product!).

In no particular order:

• Grapevine Studies
• Nature Friend Magazine
• All About Spelling
• Maestro Classics
• KinderBach
• Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling
• Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting
• Beehive Reader and What Am I?
• Math Mammoth
• Super Star Speech & Games

I am sad to see the Crew year winding down but I'm excited to report that I'll be returning to the Crew for the 2010 voyage!

Weekly Report

We finished our final week! We still have a few things to complete (a bit more math and spelling) but, other than that, we are beginning our summer schedule! I'm not sure if I'll do weekly reports but I'll be posting a few updates along the way. We'll see how it goes.

Math: Practicing counting by 5s and 10s and working on trading with the abacus. We have a few more weeks of math to do. I'd like to get to lesson 60 (Corners game) before taking a break. We'll spend the summer playing math games and I'll have TJ do some math worksheets over the summer.

Language Arts: Finished a lesson in writing, spelling, and two grammar lessons. We are putting the writing and grammar books away for the summer. We still have a few lessons in the spelling book to finish up and I'll have TJ do a bit of copywork over the summer too.

History: This week we learned about Hammurabi but we didn't have any big projects. TJ will be spending the next few weeks preparing for Fruitenkhaten's burial (painting the sarcophagus, making scented oil, and other little things to be finished). She wants to keep doing history over the summer so I think we'll probably do a chapter every two or three weeks, taking time for bunny trails and extra reading or projects.

Science: We're on the second week of our plant study. The beans we planted last week grew to amazing proportions! We planted a few outside and put three in pots to grow in the house. Right now we have two on the windowsill and one in the cupboard. TJ will water one of the plants on the windowsill and the plant in the cupboard and next week we'll see what happened to each plant.

Science is our big project for the summer. Since we're studying plants and animals this year, summer is the best time for observing each of those! So, after we finish our plant study in a few weeks, we'll jump right in to our animal study.

French: Still learning about the days of creation. Not sure what we'll be doing for French over the summer. I don't want TJ to lose the vocabulary she's gained this year. I think I'll be making a 'summer listening' playlist (poetry, grammar definitions, French stuff, etc.) and play it a few times a week during lunch.

Reading: Finished reading Five True Dog Stories, started Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories, still listening to The Trumpet of the Swan, reading various history and science books, and picture books. We'll still be reading lots of books over the summer, too!

So, June and July will be our 'light school' schedule as we finish up a few more lessons in spelling and math. August will be completely school free (except for math review worksheets and our animal study) as we get ready for a new year.

Have a wonderful summer!

Crew Review: Lobster Network

Networking is not a new concept with so many people using Facebook and Twitter. But Lobster Network takes that concept to a new level with "item networking". This free online tool helps you keep track of your stuff or share your things with your circle of friends (or you can sell it or give it away).

After setting up your account you'll be taken to your login page. From there you can search for items, set up your own inventory lists, access any groups you've joined, or check your messages. Once you're ready, you can start a list of your own. For each item you add, you can mark it as inventory only (so it's only for your private use) or you can list it for lending, for sale, trade, or for free. You also have the option of making your list available to the open marketplace or just making it available to your communities.

I think that Lobster Network is a neat concept. I'm planning to use it to keep a list of the books in our home library (since I often visit used book stores and find that I come home with a copy of a book we already own!).  I think it would be a great tool for a homeschool group or co-op to share their resources. The TOS Homeschool Crew has done just that by setting up a community to share, lend, and sell resources. I'm hoping to do the same in the fall when our small homeschool group begins meeting.

Lobster Network is totally free and has many uses - check out the Crew blog to see how other homeschooling families used this resource. 

Disclaimer: I received no compensation for my review. All views expressed are my opinions only.

What's in the Workbox

The plan for the week:

Morning Devotions: The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories, The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers

Drill and Recitation: Psalm 23; poems - ‘Hearts are Like Doors’, Days of the Week and 'The Purple Cow'; months of the year; skip counting by 2s; pharaohs of Egypt; Super Star Speech; daily math drill

Writing With Ease: Week 8

Spelling: Spelling Workout A, lesson 27

Grammar: First Language Lessons 1/2, lessons 36-37

Math: RightStart, lessons 45-47

Reading Practice: Beginner's Bible

Bible Study: Grapevine Bible Study, Old Testament

French: Mission ABC, lesson 8; French lapbook

History: Story of the World, volume 1 – chapter 7

Science: Plant study - roots

Read Alouds: Picture books, Five True Dog Stories, listening to The Trumpet of the Swan on audio book, various history and science books

Fun Stuff: Download 'N Go study – Whale Tales

Weekly Report

This was a quicker week for us since I spent three days listening to conference sessions (The Old Schoolhouse Expo).

Math: Working with counting by 5s and 10s.

Language Arts: Finished week 7 in Writing with Ease, lesson 26 in Spelling Workout, and lesson 35 in First Language Lessons.

History: We spent some time studying Abraham and his descendents. I've been using the Children's Illustrated Bible for extra Biblical history and it's working well with Story of the World.

Science: We started our plant study this week by looking at seeds. TJ also put some seeds in a plastic cup with wet paper towels so we could watch the plants grow. I made her a little book so she can draw pictures of the plant's growth. TJ and Nick also went on a nature walk to look for more seeds.

Looking at seeds

French: We're learning about the days of creation.

Reading: Five True Dog Stories, The Trumpet of the Swan, history and science books, and picture books.

Crew Review: Ideal Curriculum

Ideal Curriculum offers a year-long preschool program (available in a print version or as a download) divided into 9 month-long units. The program is described as "fun, easy-to-use, and play-based" and each monthly kit is "designed to thoroughly cover early academic concepts in the areas of literacy, oral language, math, calendar, science, and social studies". Members of the crew received Month 1: Transportation (the download version) to use with their children.

After downloading and opening the program you'll find the various parts of the program are divided into folders (music files, print files, read files, and teacher manuals) with a pdf document that walks you through the basics of the program, making it easy to find your way through the provided materials.

Each of the 9 monthly kits include:

• Daily lessons and activities for literacy, math, calendar, oral language, and science/social studies
• Teaching guides
• Workbook
• Music CD
• Science, sight words, and concepts about print books
• Supplemental activities

Each unit is designed to be used one after the other, with new skills being taught and reinforced in subsequent levels. The first monthly unit covers letter names, rote counting, name recognition, and other concepts.

While I like some aspects of this program (some of the activities look like fun and the eBooks are colorful) I think the material is more suitable to a school setting. It could also work for a new homeschool mom who wants something that is all laid out for her.

Each unit is available individually ($55 print version; $30 download) but you can save money by purchasing multiple units. During the month of May you can save an additional 10% by using discount code 'welovekids'. They also offer a free 1-week trial if you'd like to try the program before purchasing. If you'd like to find out what other homeschooling families thought of this program check out the Crew blog.

Disclaimer: I was given this product free of charge to review as a member of the Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation for my review. All views expressed are my opinions only.

What's in the Workbox

The plan for the week:

Morning Devotions: The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories, The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers

Drill and Recitation: Psalm 23; poems - ‘Hearts are Like Doors’, Days of the Week and 'The Purple Cow'; months of the year; skip counting by 2s; pharaohs of Egypt; Super Star Speech; daily math drill

Writing With Ease: Week 7

Spelling: Spelling Workout A, lesson 26

Grammar: First Language Lessons 1/2, lessons 35-36

Math: RightStart, lessons 42-45

Reading Practice: Beginner's Bible

Bible Study: Grapevine Bible Study, Old Testament

French: Mission ABC, lesson 7; French lapbook

History: Story of the World, volume 1 – chapter 6

Science: Plant study - seeds

Read Aloud: Picture books, More Stories from Grandma’s Attic, listening to The Trumpet of the Swan on audio book.

Weekly Report

Our school year is winding down. Just three more weeks and we'll switch to our summer schedule. I think we are all really looking forward to the change in routine.

Math: More work with 4-digit addition and understanding place value. TJ is making a slow transition to using the second side of the abacus in place of the base ten picture cards. I think she's starting to understand the concept but I'm taking things slowly just to make sure.

Language Arts: No big issues with the programs we are using for language arts, everything is going well. TJ finished lesson 25 in spelling, a few grammar lessons, and week 6 in writing. She's not having any trouble reading through the Beginner's Bible. There are a few new words she hasn't encountered before.

History: This week's lesson was about Sargon and the Akkadians. It was a fairly quick and easy week. We didn't get to our project, making a Sumerian seal, but I might try to squeeze it in this week since we don't have any big projects scheduled.

Science: We didn't get to science this week. We'll be starting our plant study next week – learning about seeds.

French: We're learning a few new songs and reviewing shapes, numbers, and the alphabet.

Reading: More Stories from Grandma's Attic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, history books, and picture books.

Well-Educated Mind: The Halfway Point!

I've had a busy month but I managed to accomplish my goal of reading the first 36 chapters of book two (in Don Quixote). I have to say that the second book is better than the first, thankfully. It was tough going for awhile but I'm at the point where I'm enjoying the book now. Sancho Panza is a riot!

Here are my goals for the month of May:

1. Continue reading Don Quixote four times a week
2. Finish the second half of book two by the end of May

100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know

The New York Public Library has posted a list of the 100 picture books everyone should know. We've enjoyed many of the books on this list but there are so many more I would have included! (Okay, I can't resist adding a few of our favorites: We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Blueberries for Sal, Angus Lost, Seven Silly Eaters, Miss Rumphius, The Little House, The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship). If you could add your favorite picture books to the list, what would they be?

(The books we've read are italicized.)

1. ABUELA  by Arthur Dorros,
2. ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY  by Judith Vorst
3. ANANSI AND THE MOSS-COVERED ROCK by Eric A. Kimmel
4. ANDY AND THE LION  by James Daugherty
5. BARK, GEORGE by Jules Feiffer
6. THE BOSSY GALLITO: A TRADITIONAL CUBAN FOLK TALE retold by Lucia M.Gonzalez; illustrated by Lulu Delacre
7. BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES by Russell Hoban; illustrated by Lillian Hoban
8. BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE? by Bill Martin, Jr.; illustrated by Eric Carle
9. BRUNO MUNARI’S ABC by Bruno Munari
10. BUZ by Richard Egielski
11. CAPS FOR SALE; A TALE OF A PEDDLER, SOME MONKEYS AND THEIR MONKEY BUSINESS by Esphyr Slobodkina
12. THE CARROT SEED by Ruth Krauss; illustrated by Crockett Johnson
13. A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER by Vera B. Williams
14. CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault; illustrated by Lois Ehlert
15. CLICK, CLACK, MOO : COWS THAT TYPE / by Doreen Cronin
16. COME ALONG, DAISY! by Jane Simmons
17. CORDUROY by Don Freeman
18. CURIOUS GEORGE by H. A. Rey
19. DINOSAUR ROAR! by Paul Stickland and Henrietta
20. DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS! by Mo Willems
21. DUCK ON A BIKE by David Shannon
22. FIRE TRUCK  by Peter Sís
23. FREIGHT TRAIN by Donald Crews
24. FROGGY GETS DRESSED by Jonathan London
25. THE GARDENER by Sarah Stewart
26. GEORGE AND MARTHA by James Marshall
27. GO AWAY, BIG GREEN MONSTER! by Ed Emberley
28. GOIN’ SOMEPLACE SPECIAL by Patricia McKissack
29. GOOD NIGHT, GORILLA by Peggy Rathmann
30. GOODNIGHT MOON by Margaret W. Brown; illustrated by Clement Hurd
31. GOSSIE  by Dunrea Olivier
32. GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY by Allen Say
33. HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON by Crockett Johnson
34. HARRY THE DIRTY DOG by Gene Zion ; illustrated by Margaret Graham
35. HENRY HIKES TO FITCHBURG by D. B. (Donald B.) Johnson
36. HORTON HATCHES THE EGG by Dr.Seuss
37. HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOOD NIGHT? by Jane Yolen
38. I KISSED THE BABY! by Mary Murphy
39. IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE by Laura J. Numeroff
40. IT COULD ALWAYS BE WORSE: A YIDDISH FOLKTALE retold and illustrated by Margot Zemach
41. JOHN HENRY by Julius Lester; illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
42. JULIUS by Angela Johnson ; illustrated by Dav Pilkey
43. KITTEN’S FIRST FULL MOON by Kevin Henkes
44. LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE by Kevin Henkes
45. THE LINE-UP BOOK by Russo Marisabina
46. THE LITTLE RED HEN: AN OLD STORY by Margot Zemach
47. LON PO PO: A RED RIDING HOOD STORY FROM CHINA by Ed Young
48. LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE by Bernard Waber
49. MABELA THE CLEVER by Margaret Read MacDonald
50. MACHINES AT WORK by Byron Barton
51. MADELINE by Ludwig Bemelmans
52. MAISY GOES SWIMMING by Lucy Cousins
53. MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS by Robert McCloskey
54. MAMA CAT HAS THREE KITTENS by Denise Fleming
55. THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS by Mordicai Gerstein
56. MARTHA SPEAKS by Susan Meddaugh
57. MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL by Virginia L. Burton
58. MILLIONS OF CATS by Wanda Gág
59. MISS NELSON IS MISSING! by Harry Allard and James Marshall
60. MR. GUMPY'S OUTING by John Birmingham
61. MUFARO'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS: AN AFRICAN TALE retold and illustrated by John Steptoe
62. MUNCHA! MUNCHA! MUNCHA! by Candace Fleming
63. MY FRIEND RABBIT by Eric Rohmann
64. THE NAPPING HOUSE by Audrey Wood
65. NO, DAVID! by David Shannon
66. OFF TO SCHOOL, BABY DUCK! by Amy Hest
67. OLD BLACK FLY by Jim Aylesworth
68. OLIVIA by Ian Falconer
69. OWEN by Kevin Henkes
70. PAPA, PLEASE GET THE MOON FOR ME by Eric Carle
71. PIERRE: A CAUTIONARY TALE by Maurice Sendak
72. THE POLAR EXPRESS by Chris Van Allsburg
73. PUSS IN BOOTS by Charles Perrault
74. THE RANDOM HOUSE BOOK OF MOTHER GOOSE: A TREASURY OF 386 TIMELESS NURSERY RHYMES by Arnold Lobel
75. ROUND TRIP by Ann Jonas
76. RUMPELSTILTSKIN by Paul O. Zelinsky
77. THE SNOWY DAY by Ezra Jack Keats
78. SPOTS, FEATHERS AND CURLY TAILS by Nancy Tafuri
79. THE STORY OF FERDINAND by Munro Leaf
80. THE STRAY DOG Marc, Simont
81. STREGA NONA by Tomie De Paola
82. SWIMMY by Leo Lionni
83. SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE by William Steig
84. THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT by Beatrix Potter
85. TAR BEACH by Faith Ringgold
86. TEN, NINE, EIGHT by Molly Bang
87. THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY by Simms Taback
88. THE THREE BEARS by Paul Galdone
89. TRASHY TOWN by Andrea Griffing Zimmerman
90. THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS BY A. WOLF by John Scieszka
91. TUESDAY by David Wiesner
92. UPTOWN by Collier Bryan
93. THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR by Eric Carle
94. THE WHEELS ON THE BUS adapted and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
95. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak
96. WHERE'S SPOT? by Eric Hill
97. WHISTLE FOR WILLIE by Ezra Jack Keats
98. THE WOLF’S CHICKEN STEW by Keiko Kasza
99. YOKO by Rosemary Wells
100. ZOMO THE RABBIT: A TRICKSTER TALE FROM WEST AFRICA retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott 

What's in the Workbox

The plan for the week:

Morning Devotions: The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories, The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers

Drill and Recitation: Psalm 23; poems - ‘Hearts are Like Doors’ and 'The Purple Cow'; days of the week and months of the year; skip counting by 2s; pharaohs of Egypt; Super Star Speech; daily math drill

Writing With Ease: Week 6

Spelling: Spelling Workout A, lesson 25

Grammar: First Language Lessons 1/2, lessons 33-34

Math: RightStart, lessons 40-42

Reading Practice: Beginner's Bible

Bible Study: Grapevine Bible Study, Old Testament

French: Mission ABC, lesson 6; French lapbook

History: Story of the World, volume 1 – chapter 5

Science: Human Body Study – Health

Read Aloud: Picture books, More Stories from Grandma’s Attic, listening to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on audio book.