This is a very simple temperature poster that I created to make it easy each day for the kids to use a dry erase marker to record that day’s temperature. Please let me know what you think of it or any tweaking that you feel I should do, otherwise, I pray and hope it can be of some benefit for you and the kids.
Simply print it out, laminate it, and it’s ready to be used.
Today’s Temperature Is
If there is one thing besides the bible, that you shouldn’t put off reading, I STRONGLY suggest to take advantage of today to read our Constitution.
On April 15, 2009, people across this great Nation participated in Tea Parties,not because they were Democrats or Republicans, but because they believe in the Consitituion and the principles that our Founding Fathers had laid down.
A society that will trade a little liberty for a little order will lose both, and deserve neither.-Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to Madison
There is no excuse not to read the Constitution. It was written,FOR the people, by the People, about the People.
This is not a right or left…it’s a Constitution thing.
You can even get FREE copies of the Constitution for your home or your purse or bag simply by going to the Heritage Foundation or to read it today for you and your kids, you can read it online.
Updated 4/20/09-You can print a free copy of the Constitution. A handy, 6 page version can be found here:
If there is one thing you can do for yourself and your kids, take the time today to read the Consitutition today and remember what it was meant by the Preamble:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
If you would like to teach your kids the Constitution; Here’s a great public domain book called “Catechism of the Constitution” .
332 Questions/Answers on the Constitution with step by step commentary on all of the important features of “a government of law and not of men.”
You can download it for free here: Catechism of the Constitution
Hey…there’s even a group for Homeschoolers to talk to called, “The Conservative Homeschooler”.
Visit The Conservative Homeschooler
One of the members there, wrote a great letter that emphasize the importance why, it doesn’t matter who we are, the importance of getting involved.
As a homeschooling mom, I am very concerned about my children’s future and the future of my country.In this country, we have had freedom, family unity, faith, values and principles. Our country was founded on these valuable things and from them, our country became great.
Our country has slowly been drawn away from these values though. Prosperity has made our lives easy and instead of remembering where our blessings originate from, we have turned to our selves and man.
So, our prosperity has been abused and now our once great country, founded upon values and principles, has forsaken them and turned in, upon itself!
Neighbor against their neighbors, parties against parties, family members against family members.
We have been divided and divided we will fall.
As mothers and homeschoolers, I believe, it is our call and our duty to unit, no matter our religion, political party, background, or whatever divides us, and go in to the fight for the freedom of our country, our faith, and our family!We MUST live by the values and principles of our founding Fathers and apply them to our daily lives.
We must educate ourselves about history, to make sure we know who we are and what our country stood for.
Why should we, mothers be involved?
Because We are the center of the home!
Because We are the teachers of our children (the next generation)!
Because the future of our country depends upon us.
If we do not educate ourselves about the founding of this country, the principles and values it is based upon, how will we be able to educate our children to be the next generation of leaders, parents, teachers, and businessmen, etc?How will they be able to live and thrive and raise their children (on values and principles) in a free country?
There are so many things happening in our lives and in our country right now.As the gatekeepers of our home, the “watch-women” in the watch towers of our castles, how will we meet what is approaching us?
How will we be prepared?
I pray that You pray about these things everyday!I pray that you become involved, that you are concerned enough, and viligent, and strong enough, to take a stand, for Your Family, Faith and Freedom!
After all, are you not homeschooling for this very reason?
God bless you in your High-calling as a mother!Here are some places for you to join and become involved!
conservativehomeschooler.ning.com/
the912project.com/
the912project.us/
smartgirlpolitics.ning.com/
What a fantastic letter and one that strikes to the core…so if anything else, if, just for starters….Get a copy of the Constitution and read about it and share about it to your kids.
Using a whiteboard has been a big help with our homeschooling, since many times it helps to be able to demonstrate a concept visually and it saves
money as well, since instead of paper, the kids can use the whiteboard to practice writing with.
Lately, I’ve looked into getting a chalkboard to add to our resources, but had to consider:
and although, there are more options available these days, just buying a chalkboard wasn’t feasible due to cost and we have had to tighten our belts (haven’t we all) a lot more lately.
However, for the frugal home school mom, there is still a way to get a chalkboard without the cost and the same if you need a larger whiteboard but can’t afford the investment.
In comes, the tri-fold display board.
Not only is it great for school projects, but with a little work, this handy dandy, tri-fold display board can be used for a quick, inexpensive whiteboard and/or chalkboard.
How you ask? Well, first of all, if you are wanting to add a chalkboard to your homeschool tools, it’s as easy as going to your local hardware store and buying paint.
Yes, you heard me paint, chalkboard paint, that is actually not only very inexpensive, but you can use to paint a chalkboard for your kids room as one parent did for theirs’ as shown here: Cabinent Chalkboards,
where one mom got an old cabinent door (can find them at garage sales, thrift stores, look around or just get a piece of plywood) and converted it to a chalkboard that can be easiy hung anywhere, or with the chalkboard paint, if you want something more permanent,paint an area in the kids room to use.
Not only is this going green (hey your recycling), but you don’t have to break the bank for your child’s education. Sometimes, less IS more.
Want a pink chalkboard or a chalkboard that matches your decor? Not a problem…from Crafts at Home, there is this fantastic recipe for homemade, CHALKBOARD paint.
How does the tri-fold display board fit in?
With limit spacing that many homeschooling parents face and if you’re not handy with a saw (if you use a plywood, you can just get three pieces of wood, add hinges in the back, paint the surface so when you’re done for the week, you can fold up the blackboard and put it away for the weekend), I had the idea of just either covering the surface of the poster with contact paper and then, painting it over with the chalkboard paint so when I’m done at the end of the week, I can just fold up the board and put it away.
There are many ways to create a chalkboard of your own and it’s just a matter of using your imagination and the resources you have on hand.
Hey,if you have a better idea of creating a chalkboard using either store bought or homemade chalkboard paint, leave me a comment so other parents can get some ideas.
So where does the whiteboard fit in all this?
On babyparent.com, if you want a large whiteboard or even handheld without the cost, they recommend buying contact paper.
Not sure what will work? Try out this site that shows you various whiteboard surfaces you can get from around the house or at the local store:
Whiteboard Surfaces Recommendations
This is just me, but I like the following idea that I can use on a display board (once again, light, cheap (often under 4.00) and easy to fold and put away) :
Contact Paper
Just head to your local retailer and pick up a roll for a couple dollars. Quick and easy. Test it out before buying to make sure that your type of contact paper will erase cleanly because some textures and materials do not work with dry erase markers. Typically, the cheaper contact paper works better.
and hey, if you have access to a laminating machine, guess what..yes…you can make a whiteboard that way too!
Laminate
If you laminate tagboard, you can create fairly good dry erase boards without spending loads of money. This would work great for teachers who want each student to have a whiteboard, or if you want a cheap whiteboard to keep track of figures at your desk. I have used them while playing D&D to keep track of turns and my hit points during battle.
Pro: It is quick, easy, and cost-effective.
Con: When marks linger for a while, they may stain the plastic. It is not as easy to wipe off as a real whiteboard.
The method is simple: Just find some tagboard and laminate it. You may need to find a local copy shop or a school to get it laminated with one of those nice industrial-strength laminators. I have heard of bad results if you try to use some types of clear contact paper or a similar sticky plastic as a laminate. You want to find the type that is melded together by heat under a roller as a press.
So if you are on a tight budget and would like a whiteboard or chalkboard; You can still do it; It’s just a matter of thinking creatively and out of the box.
In North Carolina, there is a news headline that is raising talk everywhere on homeschooling boards, in groups and email exchanges regarding a judge’s decision to basically force a divorcing mom to put her children into public school and contended that, ” the judge also said public school would “prepare these kids for the real world
and college” and allow them “socialization.”
link:Judge orders NC mom to place homeschool children into public school and Christian Wire News has the full story
I came across this post via,”The Homeschool Lounge” and it was an eloquent reminder that homeschooling isn’t a trend or just about religious beliefs..
Homeschooling is about parents/family, making a personal choice and taking the personal responsibility of what is best for their children and yet there is still a persistant myths regarding socialization and homeschooling.
Before making a decision either wise about this,as mention before, take the time to read the news article for yourself and here is a really wonderful explanation of why homeschooling is a choice and for many familes, the best choice.
Homeschool is a type of smaller classroom.
The children are given individual attention along with the ability to challenge them on their proficiency of the curriculum. In times of weakness within a subject, the children are allowed to continue on the topic until they reach mastery in that area. Public schools cannot take time to allow for such an accomplished environment.
As far as socialization within the homeschooling community, the children participate in various extracurricular activities throughout the school year. Teachers in a public school environment, tend to spend countless hours disciplining the children to keep some sense of order in their classroom. Ergo, socialization is only wanted during lunch and PE.
Homeschooled children are given the freedom to socialize throughout the day whether it is among their homeschool family members, during an organized PE class held through a local homeschool co-op, or from participating in a sports league. From this standpoint, you can surely see that homeschoolers are quite socialized.
Homeschool is a preparation for life skills.
Homeschool families give their children the necessary skills to “make-it” in the real world every day. Many times working parents do not have the time to devote life skill teaching for their children. Thus, we end-up with countless problems contributed to the lack of “home-training” because the parents have to work. Many others would love to be able to stay at home and “raise” their children….with homeschooling in mind.
You might ask, “So, when do they get to test out their knowledge of life skills?” Their knowledge is tested everyday, in every step of life. Going back to the socialization aspect, the kids MUST put forth their knowledge of life skills when dealing with their peers during any type of social activity. I have already explained the social activity range. Therefore, life skills are being tested each day.
As you notice, I do not mention anything about religious beliefs. This is because homeschooling is a choice, no matter the reason.
link: thehomeschoollounge.com/forum/topics/my-email-to-judge-mangumtell
I would love to hear your thoughts about this interesting case and your thoughts why people worry so much about socialization and being socialized (they are actually two different things).
Getting organized has been a work in progress for me; The beauty of homeschooling is that nothing is set in stone and it’s about adapting to your child’s learning style and needs and you can change and work with different teaching methods.
After trial and error, I’m finding that I”m slowly finding a method that works for me and my household, but like all things, open to adaption as the kids grow older and our learning needs and methods grow and change.
Right now, here is a pic of the current system(s) we are using…all laid out on the counter each Monday through Friday (or Saturday) and then put away on the weekends.
As you can tell, it’s a combonation of several systems.
First, there is the file crate system.
Each child has their own file crate (the youngest one isn’t pictured). In the front of the file crate, are a set of folders for Monday through Friday and this is where I place workbooks, manuals, examples, manipulatives, if we are going on a field trip, I place information to be retrieve (directions, what to bring, etc.) on the corresponding day.
After those files, there is a color folder for the specific child. In that file, are the following folders:
After that, any books that we use on a daily basis such as the kid’s bible, any textbooks, or books we are currently reading get place behind the folders. This keeps them within reach and makes it easier for the kids to just reach in and get them, or if Daddy takes over, they are there for him to get without searching.
Behind the books, I keep our watercolor pads within easy reach.
When I was looking at file crate organization, I found the following sites a HUGE help in helping me figure out what to do with mine. As the kids get older, I expect the file crates to get a little bit more tweak with what we are doing with each school year.
I followed this with what you see in the above picture with binders-My notebook system.
Each child has two notebooks. One is a working notebook and the other is a 3″ notebook to keep their completed work for the year; This is really geared more for the oldest right now.
In the working notebook, there are 5 binders for each day (Monday through Friday) and every Sunday night, they are filled with “consumables” for that week.
The advantage of this, is this can be taken on the road, so to speak, if something comes up and we have to run an errand, go to the doctor’s, etc. or if Daddy takes over, it will have that week’s work already in there, ready to be worked on, without Daddy worrying what to do.
Each of the kids have their own Nature Study binders which are portable 8.5 x 5.5 but sometimes they just take a portable art book with them and we just tear out the page they work on that day, hole punch it and place it in their “Field books”.
The other binders are really more for me.
There are different binders for subjects that are more specific such as “Nature Study” where anything related to Nature Study such as the “Outdoor Hour Challenge”, photocopy chapters from the “Handbook of Nature Study”, printable field guides, etc. will go in.
I also have a binder for Art History/Art Appreciation to keep art prints, I printed out “Questions to ask about art” that I found at this link, artmuseums.com/questions.htm, to keep on hand to use with the kids when looking at art work.
An idea that I got from,Trivium Academy, was to use quarter binders to ease lesson planning for the year. Since we are schooling year round, the quarter binders, make it easier to just break down what we will be learning more specifically and help me feel less overwhelmed.
Each quarter binder has:
Here are really great sources on how to get ideas for creating your own binder system:
Then there is the last item in the picture….my purple teacher file storage box.
I use this to keep my lesson plans, either written by me or printed and other school items.
The files are broken down basically
For now this file storage box has been of great use though I foresee as the kids get bigger, a need for something bigger than what I have.
Then there are the banker storage boxes.
Yes… a little bit more.
Each child has their own.
In these boxes, I keep
This isn’t a perfect system and one I know will change as the years (and maybe even just months) go by, but coming up with an organization system that works good for you and your family helps make homeschooling a lot smoothing.
It cuts down on looking for books, workbooks and a lot of paperwork and helps you feel more relax and really enjoy homeschooling more.
The added plus is being able to have a place to store your child’s work to go back in later years to see how they have progressed.
Hope this helps!
Me and the kids began working on their individual animal notebooks that they will be using when we begin our study of animal classifications and will work as a personal notebook/storage of information that we will gather as we begin learning about mammals, insects and birds.
This is separate from their nature journals, which will be smaller and easier to carry when we go on our nature walks/field trips.
For our goals for creating the Animal Notebooks, they are
In addition, we are taking an online “Creating an Animal Notebook” class that is being offered here:
Here is what the kids made for their “Animal Notebook” covers:
and then here is the other:
I’m anxiously awaiting a copy of this book to use in the fall, but in the meantime I created a lesson plan to use with the kids.
Because we are using somewhat more of a Charlotte Mason method, the emphasis is more on discussion and understanding with some copywork and less on worksheets and I pray and hope, that people who are using the Charlotte Mason or Ambleside method, will find this friendly and easy to use.
Traditionally, Charlotte Mason does not use lesson plans and feel this is restrictive to a child’s learning, so I guess, it’s better to say, this lesson plan is a guide and not set in stone.
The age group this is geared for is for PreK-2nd grade with the understanding that the parent will do most of the reading and develop the discussions with the kids.
It’s basically an introduction for toddlers to the 10 virtues outline in the book of virtues with emphasis on a scriptue (suggest memory verses are included).
I left copy work, additional reading and reading selection up to the parent so they can customize it more to fit with their curriculum.
If you use it, I would love to hear your feedback if it’s worth it or not.
<a href=”http://www.mediafire.com/?lnc1breoynw”>Book of Virtues-Lesson Plan for Primary Grades</a>
Just to help people get a general idea of our PreK and Kindergarten curriculum’s; I’ve uploaded copies for anyone to print out.
Please feel free to use them as a guide for your own curriculum and keep in mind Charlotte Mason’s philosophy about education:
“In this time of extraordinary pressure, educational and social, perhaps a mothers first duty to her children is to secure for them a quiet and growing time, a full six years of passive receptive life, the waking part of it for the most part spent out in the fresh air.”
As she had quoted, because we have it written down doesn’t mean we have to follow it word for word and have learn to keep flexible to what the day, the month, or the season brings us.
If you would like to know more about our PreK and Kindergarten Curriculum for this year, follow the links on the sidebar.
I love this quote that I came across,
“Let them once get in touch with nature and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight and habit through life.”-Charlotte Mason, Original Homeschooling Series
She is a strong believer that through the parent and outdoors is the best way to introduce children to science and help nurture and develop in them a love and an appreciation of God’s creation.
“We are all meant to be naturalists, each in his own degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things.”
“There is no part of a child’s education more important than that he should lay – by his own observation – a wide basis of facts towards scientific knowledge in the future.” -Charlotte Mason
It’s because of this that one of my favorite parts about Ambleside/Charlotte Mason is the emphasis on Nature Study.
To read Charlotte Mason’s thoughts about children and nature study you can read them here:
Go here to read 8 Reasons for Nature Study
With the Ambleside Curriculum, nature study doesn’t officially begin till Year 1, however it doesn’t mean that earlier on, you can’t take small steps. I
t’s as simple as taking notice of the world around you while at the park or on walks.
“Let them once get in touch with nature and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight and habit through life.”-Charlotte Mason
Basically, on Mondays and Wednesday’s,me and the kids work on our Science and then every Friday and even Saturday, we will devote that to our Nature Studies.
“We must assist the child to educate himself on Nature’s lines, and we must take care not to supplant and crowd out Nature and her methods with that which we call education. Object-lessons should be incidental; and this is where the family enjoys a great advantage over the school. The child who finds that wonderful and beautiful object, a “paper” wasp’s nest…has his lesson on the spot from father or mother.” (Charlotte Mason; Parents and Children, pg. 182)
Until Spring officially starts and we get some bird feeders up to attract some more birds, we are going to actually begin with working on creating a nature journal and from there start with Insects and reading the “History of Insects”.
A free copy of the “History of Insects” can either be downloaded or read online here.
Followed with that, we will begin reading “Burgess Book of Birds” by Thorton Burgess that can either be bought online, or if you prefer, you can download a free public domain copy here or even read it online.
In addition, we are using our copy of the, “Handbook of Nature Study” by Anna Comstock and a ield guide to birds and insects.
Also, beginning in the spring, we are using the blog, 
“Handbook of Nature Study” to help guide us through Anna Comstock’s book using their,Outdoor Challenge each week, starting with this Saturday.
Those of you who need a little more structured, I highly recommend visiting Ambleside Online guide for incorporating Nature Study in your homeschooling, join their group or if you want, I’ve formatted a copy of Anna Comstock’s 16 page book,”Syllabus of Lectures-Nature Study” that is a great guide for what to teach and for some selected subjects, there is a “graded lesson plan” by grades.
We’re pretty excited about introducing and beginning this new subject in our curriculum.
Something I learned VERY quick that a key component of homeschooling,both for the organized, the unorganzied, the schooling or the un-schooler, is that it really does help to have a calendar.
This can be either through Gmail, Outlook, a wall calendar, your cellphone or something you print to but in your planner, but either way, having a calendar really does help you keep track of holidays, gatherings and special events.
Take for instance February; It’s Dental Health Month that flew under the radar for me and had I placed it on a calendar, I think I would have remember it better and then there are the birthdays, the after school events, and the list goes on.
Having a calendar doesn’t mean you become a slave to it or that if it’s not done on 9:00 on a Monday, the rest of your week is gone, but it just provides a helpful guideline of what to expect and help better plan for it.
Oh wait…that reminds, the Great Backyard Bird Count is coming up too! Yikes!
For a beginning homeschooling, this can be a invaluable resource; Don’t even worry about keeping a daily lesson plan; Just use a basic calendar and write down what you are doing everyday there or plan what you want to teach.
A calendar is VERY low key and just helps encourage and motivate and you’ll find that not only can you visually see what is working or not, but it helps you get over that inital learning curve and serves as a personal diary.
There are plenty of resources either at your fingertips or online that you can use and utilizing a planner can also serve as a diary of what you taught or learn as well and helps if you live in a state that requires records, so you can backtrack what you need or missed, or just for general “FYI”, even if you live in a state that doesn’t require records, you can remember where you left off reading, what you need to print for the following week or hey, remember those books you ordered?
You didn’t…yikes…in that case, check out the following resources for some ideas of printable calendars that are out there.
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