Ok, I just kind of love this! I also love Lin-Manual Miranda (Into the Heights, Electric Company;). This was at the first White House Poetry Jam back in 2009. I think it actually gives some awesome insight into Alexander Hamilton.
Category Archives: Homeschoooling
A Fall Reminder for Homeschool Parents
As we start another school year I just want to remind all the homeschooling parents to take a minute. Take a minute to remember why we homeschool and it isn’t usually just for the school work;). Take some time to talk with our kids and laugh and have fun!
Kid Friendly 4th of July Wreath
This should come as no surprise but, I am not super crafty. I see all these very cute projects on Pinterest but I have not the time nor the talent to attack them. But my kids love to craft and want to spend time with me so I look for cute projects that they can so with me. I saw something similar to this in an All You magazine (last year, maybe) and I tweaked it to a project that I did with my 2 oldest kids!!!
All you need:
Wreath form (the nicer it is the less you have to cover it)
5-7 pieces of 12×12 scrapbook paper (depending on how many patterns you want)
Chip board stars
Ribbon
Glue sticks or tape runner
Hot Glue gun
Paper cutter
Ruler (optional)
Process:
Cut the 12×12 sheets in half. Cut 1 half into 4×6 pieces and the other into 3×6 pieces. Then take 3 pieces of matching paper (both in size and pattern) and do a 1/2 inch accordion fold in each one. I give the kids a ruler and a Pampered Chef scraper to use;). You can also use a bone folder to sharpen the folds.
Take 1 piece that has been folded and fold it in half lengthwise so it looks like a fan. Glue it that way with either the glue stick or tape runner. Take 3 matching fans and glue them together to make a rosette. Do this for as many rosettes as you would like.
Wrap your wreath form in ribbon. You can cover it or do like I did so that you can see the form underneath. I didn’t have a lot of the blue ribbon so I used a second for the red and white. Do it how ever you want. I secured the ribbon with straight pins but you could also glue it onto the form.
Take your small rosettes and hot glue your stars onto the centers. You could probably do it last but I find this easier.
Start arranging your rosettes on the form. You can cover it but my kids didn’t want to make that many rosettes;). I made a point to try to randomize the colors and patterns. Then hot glue it all down. Make sure to leave your wreath flat until the glue cools!
Then my daughter wanted a bow on the wreath. So I just took the extra ribbon and tied a bow to her finger and hot glued it on.
Seriously, that is it. The only thing I specifically bought for this project was the wreath form which we can use again. Everything else is crafting extras that I had in my cabinet from various projects I was going to someday do.
And now we have a super cute wreath that the kids got to help make!!!
Summer Reading Programs
Some studies say that kids lose months worth of reading ability over the summer by not engaging their reading skills. But such a loss is not a foregone conclusion. All that needs to be done to avoid reading ability loss over the summer is some light reading! Luckily there are summer reading programs that help engage children to read!! And gives them something to do!!!
Barnes & Noble:
Read 8 books to get a free one! That is right, read any 8 books and you will earn 1 free book. They have specific choices for the kids to choose from based on grade level. This is for 1st through 6th graders and runs until September. And while you are there make sure you sign up for their kids club. Not will that get you the standard coupons, it will also get you special incentives for the children’s birthdays.
Berean Christian Store:
Berean’s has a 2 pronged reading program going on in June & July. You can read 8 books or read your Bible for 15 minutes a day for 40 days in a row. Each set (books or Bible) can earn them a $5 gift card and they can do both to earn 2 gift cards! This is open to ages 5-13 years old.
They also have a story time every week on Fridays at 10:30am for a Kindergarten and younger children!
Petunia’s Place:
2013 Kids Summer Book Clubs with Emma will meet on July 2, 9, 16, and 23. You can get the books there at the first meeting:
Ages 9 – 11; Meets from 10:30 am – 11:15 am
Milo & Jazz Mystery: The Case of The Stinky Socks by Lewis B. Montgomery.
Ages 6 – 8; Meets from 11:30 am – 12:15 pm
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester.
Clovis Book Barn:
The Clovis Book Barn is bringing in Mother Goose every Tuesday for a story time. It is from 10am to 10:45am. There will be other summer reading activities for kids with them but they are still working on the details so you need to keep an eye on their Facebook page. I have heard rumors of a treasure hunt for middle readers and more!
Fresno County Library:
The library is once again going to have a fabulous summer reading program but the details aren’t out yet. They are going to have a big summer reading kick off on Saturday June 15, 2013 out at San Joaquin River Parkway. There will be all kinds of activities, performers and fun. But if you can’t make that, you can check out their website or pop into the library to get all the details after the 15th.
So what are you still doing here? Get your kids reading!!!
The 385th Carnival of Homeschooling
Hi everyone and welcome to the Carnival of Homeschooling. For those of you who aren’t familiar with CoH I am sure you are asking what this is;). A carnival is a collection of articles in a post on 1 subject. This one is homeschooling and we have some great posts!
May is a great time to discuss homeschooling. As a current homeschooler, I am using this time to reflect on the past year and plan out next year. I am also talking to a lot of non-homeschoolers who are contemplating what they are going to be doing next year for their children’s education. But enough of me jabbering, lets get to fabulous submissions we have for this week!
Lets look at homeschooling in the news! Corn and Oil look at the Romeike Court Hearing Media Review. They are the German family that are living in Tennessee seeking asylum because they want to homeschool and the German government doesn’t allow it.
There is always a lot of talk about actually how to homeschool. When talking about the logistics of homeschooling the first question is about the validity of the choice! Alasandra’s Homeschool Blog says that Homeschooling is a valid educational choice! At Home and School asks if homeschoolers should use grades at all? Time for Learning talks nuts and bolts of Homeschool Record Keeping. There are so many ways to homeschool! Mommy the Teacher takes a look at online homeschool programs.
Everyone wants to know what homeschool life is like. But while life may not look same in any two homeschool families, there are some commonalities between some. Well, homeschool can allow the chasing of fancy. Laura Grace Weldon talks about Where Fascination Leads. Life is learning and learning everywhere! Why Homeschool’s middle daughter talks about Homeschooling in Action: The Bus Ride. On Planting Seeds talks about Homeschool Outings and 10 things you can do this week.
I love that Kosher on a Budget just got straight to it with The Homeschool FAQ on why and how they are homeschooling! Milehimama tells us that You CAN Homeschool.
Falling Like Rain is reading a fictional book all about a homeschooler’s life called The Homeschool Experiement.
Hodgepodge reminds us all that the calmness you may see in a blog post or in the grocery store may not be real with Imperfect Homeschool: Drama and Trauma.
Aah, then there is actual academics! Lifelong Learning looks at Boys & Writing: Our Journey. Trivium Pursuit asks, “How Logical Are you?” They discuss red herring arguments with examples. Letters from Nebby talks about the books they let their children read. Den School has a great Memorial Day Clip (Creative Learning in a Pinch) that is a great mini unit!
Joyous Lessons talk about their trip to the museum and the art of nature. It looks like so much fun! Tea Time with Annie Kate tells us all about Homeschool Gardening. We just planted our garden too!
And that brings our fabulous carnival to a close! Make sure you read all the wonderful pieces and comment to let the writers how much you appreciate them!!! And then participate in next week’s carnival that will be hosted over at Forever, For Always, No Matter What. You can get all the details on how to what to do over at Why Homeschool!
Have a great week and enjoy homeschooling!
Carnival of Homeschooling!!!
I am so blessed to be hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling here at The NerdFamily Blog!!!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Carnival of Homeschooling here is the deal. Once a week there is a Carnival of  Homeschooling which is a collection of homeschooling posts. There isn’t a theme other than it somehow related to homeschooling. Since homeschooling is a lifestyle, that is a wide net. This is the 367th edition (I believe) anyone can submit a blog piece to it. Every week it hosted at a different blog so next week it will be held at over at Golden Grasses! You can get all the details over at Why Homeschool and I invite you to join the fun!!! The Carnival is once again full of great entries so lets jump right in!
I can not believe that it is 2013!! To be honest I typed 2012 and then had to fix it;). I am so behind I haven’t even finish the post on my word for the year. Well, Time 4 Learning has 5 Steps to Making Your New Year’s Homeschool Resolutions LAST! And I need all the help I can get with that. Proclaiming God’s Faithfulness is Stepping into a New Year and Free Devotional.
And I am not the only one with a list or trying for a fresh achievement! Savvy Homeschool says This year I will complete-2013! As for My House is talking about a New School Year for them. Why Homeschool has Homeschooling and New Year’s Resolutions too!
Homeschooling is such a personal experience. It is always great to hear each other’s stories and experiences. I think it help us tackle our own journey! Homeschool Atheist Mom talks about Homeschooling Fears in her series for prospective homeschoolers. Homeschool for Two shares How It All Began. Over at 7 Sisters they are talking about Homeschooling and Chronic Fatigue.
Then there is how we approach it all! Notes from a Homeschooled Mom talks about  Homeschool Classes and Homeschool School and how it works together! Reading-Writing-Learning talks about Homeschooling in Our Sensory World. Home School vs Public School talks about Teaching Diversity in Your Homeschool. Reflecting His Glory talks about Flexibility-Homeschooling’s Greatest Gift To My Family. I know flexibility has always been a huge blessing to the NerdFamily too!! Dewey’s Treehouse has a piece that really makes you think in Marva Collins and a war of words. Tea Time with Annie Kate talks about the mentality of the 80% Passing Grade (something I do similarly).
And lastly we get to some of the actual book learning;)! Homeschooling Hearts and Minds talks about Nurturing Novelists. Den School shares some Winter/Snow Themed worksheets. Epi Kardia reviews King Alfred’s English. I am going to have to check it out too because it sounds awesome! Trivium Pursuit has some great Winter Books to Read Aloud. Homeschooling in Buffalo has a fun Kid and Winter Prompted Science Experiment that we will be doing soon! 3 Boys and a Dog Deals have some Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Printables for everyone. And what is an education without music? Classical Music Appreciation with Gail has The Story of Franz Schubert (part 1).
And that brings us to the end of this week’s fabulous carnival!!! I want to that all the contributors for their great pieces. Please go read their articles and comment!!! Then write a post yourself and submit it so you can join in too!
Carnival of Homeschooling
Welcome to the Carnival of Homechooling! Won’t you come on in, get a cup of coffee and make yourself comfortable? We have quite a few great entry’s this week so lets jump right in!
No matter what your education style is we all agree that life happens. One of the blessings of homeschooling is that homeschooling can work with the chaos of life! We have some great entries that specifically look at life and the flexibility of homeschooling!!!
Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling as a great piece on why they have The Year Round Homeschool and flexibility is a key point!
Why Homeschool talks about the chaos of moving back into their house and homeschool in Life Goes On.
Everything Home with Carol has a great piece on teaching with flexibility in Math on His Turf.
Life is complicated as homeschooling parents! Getting started is its own craziness! Den School talks about their First Major Homeschooling Mistake, I don’t see any problems ;).
A Little Homeschool Blog talks about the necessary evil of Multitasking and the Homeschool Mom. I don’t know if I am good at homeschooling but heaven knows that I do a lot of it!
With all the craziness life it is nice to read articles from Barbara Frank about Keys to a Successful Homeschool Convention Experience (part 3) do we can be quipped to handle this all just a little better!
I really think a great way to manage the chaos is found in Parent at the Helm in R*E*S*P*E*C*T: Find Out What it Means to Your Kid. It really can calm everything  to feed our kids well too! Mel’s Mouthful on Mothering looks at 32 Snacks for Energy to feed your kids!
Then we get to the nuts and bolts of homeschooling! Starting with Close Shave and their Learn English Comedy Podcast. Our Curious Home has a great and beautiful piece on their field trip to The New England Aquarium last Thursday. No Fighting No Biting has a great peace on 4 Children Reading Under the Covers on getting kids to not just read but loving it!
Homeschool vs Public School talks about Combining History, Geography, & Economics in Your Homeschool.
Practical Pages has a great piece on Hands-On Knots! Great piece for even older kids. Then over on Free Homeschool Deals has a wonderful Free Printable Set for Little Mommy: Caring for Babies. My 4 year old will love this!!!
The last article to close out this week’s carnival is with a wonderful article that reminds me of what I am striving for! Homeschooling Atheist Mom has a piece by her daughter about how Homeschoolers are Weird (and frankly, I am glad!).
That wraps up this week’s carnival! I want to thank everyone for these awesome articles!!! I encourage you to go and read them and then make sure to comment! Bloggers live on comments;).
Why don’t you join in the fun? Submit you article for next week’s Carnival of Homeschooling!
Have a great week of homeschooling! And remember, it is a marathon not sprint!
CVT: Bird Feeders for All Ages
Home made bird feeders are so much fun!!! And so cheap and easy. I have 3 different sets of bird feeders you can make. Choose based on the age of your child, how much you want to help and the materials you have on hand!
I have Bird Feeders Even Toddlers Can Make! All you need is Cheerios and some odds and ends. There are also Peanut Butter Bird Feeders for young students that need peanut butter and bird seed! There is even Popsicle Stick Bird Feeders that you can fill with anything!!!
These feeders make a great jumping off point for bird watching or the beginning of a bird unit!!!
(Welcome if you are coming here after seeing me on Central Valley Today! The links will take you to the various bird feeders I showed on KSEE 24 today!)
The Heart of the Matter
I hear about kids not liking to read very much and I am often asked how to change it. The first thing I suggest is that parents change their perceptive and focus on the real heart of the matter!
My Daughter Does Not Have Bieber Fever
Aah, the insight holiday specials give us about our children!
So I was snuggled in with the Nerdlings watching the Michael Buble Christmas Special and on comes Justin Bieber. So these girls start screaming on the show to the point that they are crying. So NerdPie asks why these girls are so worked up over silly Justin Bieber. I tell her that they’re very excited to see this singer that they all think it’s cute and wonderful. She shook her head in disbelief. She says plainly,”They’re freaking out over some person they don’t even know!” So I asked her who she would get excited and freak about seeing. She looks me straight in the face and says plainly, “My dead grandfather.” So I ask which one and she said either of them. We went on to talk about why we both think that this reaction to stars is silly.
Is it wrong to say how proud I am of my 8-year-old little girl that she has not bought in to all this craziness over pop stars. Is this due to the homeschooling or the extreme nerdiness? Either way it’s a win.