Comments on: Rainy Day Fun and I Need Your Advice http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/11/rainy-day-fun-and-i-need-your-advice/ Tue, 22 May 2012 12:30:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: MotherHen http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/11/rainy-day-fun-and-i-need-your-advice/#comment-5022 MotherHen Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:13:54 +0000 http://shipfullofpirates.com/?p=7040#comment-5022 Hi Heather, Thanks for the info! That's a new one on me. Looks interesting! :D Hi Heather,
Thanks for the info! That’s a new one on me. Looks interesting! :D

]]> By: Heather http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/11/rainy-day-fun-and-i-need-your-advice/#comment-5021 Heather Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:06:01 +0000 http://shipfullofpirates.com/?p=7040#comment-5021 I recommend efantasmic.com The units are very thorough, and last I checked they have about 350 available. Their units are all based upon books that can be found in the library or videos that you watch for free online. The price is very, very reasonable! I recommend efantasmic.com The units are very thorough, and last I checked they have about 350 available. Their units are all based upon books that can be found in the library or videos that you watch for free online. The price is very, very reasonable!

]]> By: MotherHen http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/11/rainy-day-fun-and-i-need-your-advice/#comment-5013 MotherHen Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:09:22 +0000 http://shipfullofpirates.com/?p=7040#comment-5013 Thanks, Jess! Gotta love FREE!!! :D Thanks, Jess! Gotta love FREE!!! :D

]]> By: jess http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/11/rainy-day-fun-and-i-need-your-advice/#comment-5012 jess Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:51:00 +0000 http://shipfullofpirates.com/?p=7040#comment-5012 Try checking out this link http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ it has some great ideas at my favourite price - free! Try checking out this link http://www.homeschoolshare.com/
it has some great ideas at my favourite price – free!

]]> By: MotherHen http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/11/rainy-day-fun-and-i-need-your-advice/#comment-5011 MotherHen Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:11:33 +0000 http://shipfullofpirates.com/?p=7040#comment-5011 Hi Becky, Thanks for your advice. Ya know, I've done that before, long ago, and it works beautifully. I should give interest led learning a go with the littles. I'd much rather spend the $$$ on some great "living books" than on curriculum. That sounds like a winner! :D Hi Becky,

Thanks for your advice. Ya know, I’ve done that before, long ago, and it works beautifully. I should give interest led learning a go with the littles. I’d much rather spend the $$$ on some great “living books” than on curriculum. That sounds like a winner! :D

]]> By: Becky http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/11/rainy-day-fun-and-i-need-your-advice/#comment-5010 Becky Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:07:00 +0000 http://shipfullofpirates.com/?p=7040#comment-5010 We do unit studies sometimes (sort of). We used Weaver Curriculum 1 yr. I liked the way she laid everything out, but my two problems ended up being: 1) It was cost prohibitive to buy all the suplemental materials that she used (and I had little success finding them in the library most of the time), and 2) I found that I wanted to spend more time, or get more detailed with some things - picture me looking at the curriculum overview going "Volcanos are WAY more interesting than this.", and then running out to the library and picking out 4 neat looking books about volcanos and doing it all myself. Sooo, after one year that's what I did for everything. I'd pick something that I, or one of the other girls thought would be neat to learn about, then we go get books from the library and tie in other subjects. History about whatever it is. There's usually some type of Science you can find out about it even if it's not a 'science' topic. English could be having them write about it (punctuation, hadwriting, etc.) and I've even found math worksheets online to tie into the topic - the girls really loved the math word problems I found one year to go with a study on the solar system. It's pretty much whatever I want to do, and if I hit a mental road block I'd ask the girls to make a list of things they wanted to learn about, and we'd work through those. They'd get really excited when it came time to learn about something they picked out. We do unit studies sometimes (sort of). We used Weaver Curriculum 1 yr. I liked the way she laid everything out, but my two problems ended up being: 1) It was cost prohibitive to buy all the suplemental materials that she used (and I had little success finding them in the library most of the time), and 2) I found that I wanted to spend more time, or get more detailed with some things – picture me looking at the curriculum overview going “Volcanos are WAY more interesting than this.”, and then running out to the library and picking out 4 neat looking books about volcanos and doing it all myself. Sooo, after one year that’s what I did for everything. I’d pick something that I, or one of the other girls thought would be neat to learn about, then we go get books from the library and tie in other subjects. History about whatever it is. There’s usually some type of Science you can find out about it even if it’s not a ‘science’ topic. English could be having them write about it (punctuation, hadwriting, etc.) and I’ve even found math worksheets online to tie into the topic – the girls really loved the math word problems I found one year to go with a study on the solar system. It’s pretty much whatever I want to do, and if I hit a mental road block I’d ask the girls to make a list of things they wanted to learn about, and we’d work through those. They’d get really excited when it came time to learn about something they picked out.

]]> By: Teresa http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/11/rainy-day-fun-and-i-need-your-advice/#comment-5009 Teresa Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:16:34 +0000 http://shipfullofpirates.com/?p=7040#comment-5009 Thank you for the info Anita, mine are still on the younger side so have not really checked into it much (of course right now they are still all about cutting and pasting:). I do not think I would like that much either. Thank you for the info Anita, mine are still on the younger side so have not really checked into it much (of course right now they are still all about cutting and pasting:). I do not think I would like that much either.

]]> By: MotherHen http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/11/rainy-day-fun-and-i-need-your-advice/#comment-5008 MotherHen Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:56:41 +0000 http://shipfullofpirates.com/?p=7040#comment-5008 Hi Anita, Thanks for the heads-up about the Hands of a Child lapbooks. I feel the same way. They'll do better to be producers than consumers! :D Hi Anita,
Thanks for the heads-up about the Hands of a Child lapbooks. I feel the same way. They’ll do better to be producers than consumers! :D

]]> By: Anita Chamblee http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/11/rainy-day-fun-and-i-need-your-advice/#comment-5007 Anita Chamblee Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:43:03 +0000 http://shipfullofpirates.com/?p=7040#comment-5007 Oh, we tried the Hands of a Child lapbooks and decided to drop those. I was just lecturing the kids and they were just filling in the blanks on the lapbooks not creating anything of there own. I want my children to be producers, not consumers!! It's also a lot of copying and a lot of cutting mess! Oh, we tried the Hands of a Child lapbooks and decided to drop those. I was just lecturing the kids and they were just filling in the blanks on the lapbooks not creating anything of there own. I want my children to be producers, not consumers!! It’s also a lot of copying and a lot of cutting mess!

]]> By: Anita Chamblee http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/11/rainy-day-fun-and-i-need-your-advice/#comment-5006 Anita Chamblee Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:40:57 +0000 http://shipfullofpirates.com/?p=7040#comment-5006 KONOS definitely works with the wiggle! You can do/plan as much or little as you want, but there aren't plans that tell you what to do or say each step. UNLESS you get the in-the-box version. There are available in attentiveness, obedience, orderliness and then two country units on Africa and Russia. I am planning loosely (very) right now, but have planned everything out to the T before. We are reading the suggested books from my home library or the public library, the children are narrating from the reading and we are doing some of the activities straight out of the book. Most right now are just discussion and dramatizing but we will do a few artsy things next week. I read out loud a lot to the crew while they sit (I started to say quietly, but really they are hanging upside down or sideways or are coloring pages that go along with our lessons or are playing with blocks, etc. Each child (those who read) also has some assigned reading. We love it, but I really haven't tried much else. We went the classical route for about 3 months and we were all in tears. Trying now to eliminate most paper work except for what the kids create themselves with copywork, dictation or narration instead of spelling sheets and grammar worksheets. Check out the website. Jessica is still recovering from a MAJOR auto accident this spring and is taking physical and speech therapy. So hard to comprehend that she is having some speech difficulties. She is probably one of the most eloquent speakers I have ever heard! KONOS definitely works with the wiggle! You can do/plan as much or little as you want, but there aren’t plans that tell you what to do or say each step. UNLESS you get the in-the-box version. There are available in attentiveness, obedience, orderliness and then two country units on Africa and Russia. I am planning loosely (very) right now, but have planned everything out to the T before. We are reading the suggested books from my home library or the public library, the children are narrating from the reading and we are doing some of the activities straight out of the book. Most right now are just discussion and dramatizing but we will do a few artsy things next week. I read out loud a lot to the crew while they sit (I started to say quietly, but really they are hanging upside down or sideways or are coloring pages that go along with our lessons or are playing with blocks, etc. Each child (those who read) also has some assigned reading. We love it, but I really haven’t tried much else. We went the classical route for about 3 months and we were all in tears. Trying now to eliminate most paper work except for what the kids create themselves with copywork, dictation or narration instead of spelling sheets and grammar worksheets. Check out the website. Jessica is still recovering from a MAJOR auto accident this spring and is taking physical and speech therapy. So hard to comprehend that she is having some speech difficulties. She is probably one of the most eloquent speakers I have ever heard!

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