cleaning (or please save me from the books)

Math U See Manipulatives (includes plastic case)

I have a 158 piece set of MUS manipulatives for sale. I did buy these used and we have used them, but they are made of sturdy plastic and should continue in good shape through many more students. Because this is more than one set, I am going to list them individually below.  $30, plus shipping and delivery confirmation

(Type: quantity included)
Blocks
One (Green Units): 24
Two: 4
Three: 4
Five: 4
Six: 4
Seven: 4
Eight: 4
Nine:4
Ten: 20
Hundred: 4
Algebra/Decimal Inserts
Red blocks: 20
Red inserts: 8
Green inserts: 2
Blue inserts: 24
Grey inserts: 24

 

BJU Algebra 1 for Christian Schools, Second Edition -- I have the Student book (hardback) and the Teacher's Edition, Book 1 (this is wire, spiral bound with a hard back cover). Both of these are in very good condition. I do not have book 2 of the teacher's edition, but you should be able to find that used. We have chosen to go with "chalkdust" (sort of) after finding that we need DVDs.
Here is a link to the student book: http://www.bjupress.com/product/235846?path=1504
And the two-volume teacher set: http://www.bjupress.com/product/123133?path=1504&spot=1
I am asking $12 for this set, plus media mail shipping and delivery confirmation. Books are in great condition, but I am discounting because you will still need to buy book 2 of the TE.

 

Earth Science for Every Kid (VanCleave)
The Young Naturalist (Usborne)
$8 for both, plus media mail shipping and delivery confirmation. The VanCleave book has been used repeatedly and shows it, but it is still in very usable condition. The only writing is a name inside the front cover. The Usborne book is in very good condition.

 

History Odyssey, Ancients, Level Two study guide -- like new condition. This comes three-hole punched with color covers for inserting in a binder. (I did not put this in a binder, so one is not included.)
Price is $15 plus media mail shipping and delivery confirmation.

 

Mary, Bloody Mary
The Phantom Tollbooth (has a tear on the edge of the cover, book is fine)
Catherine, Called Birdy
Shadow of a Bull
The Door in the Wall (Readable but written in)
$9 for all, plus media mail shipping and delivery confirmation.

 

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling, new edition $12

 

Prentice Hall Science Explorer $8 for all
Animals (2005)
Earth's Waters (2005)

Sonlight Language Arts 6 with student activity sheets (2007 --old style): $8

 

Hank the Cowdog: The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse $2.50

Christian fiction:
Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure
The Quest for Thunder Mountain (Tales from Terrestria)
The Isle of Dragons (Tales from Terrestria)
$9 for all, plus media mail shipping and delivery confirmation, paid via paypal. These are in excellent condition.

homeschoolers, black friday is early for you

I’ve met some wonderful people through The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. They have terrific resources for homeschooling and their Black Friday sale is already underway. They also have a terrific subscription package that includes a planner (look for a couple of my recipes in the 2011 Schoolhouse Planner!), a tote and all sorts of goodies. Some freebies are also available. Enjoy!

curious vicarious volcano

I always wanted one of these, but I thought $15 for a plastic form and some sandy plaster (that I could get from Hobby Lobby for $2) was stupid. At Goodwill last week, I saw a complete, unused kit for $1.25. Score! All my earth building dreams fulfilled:

The boy had fun, too. I am hoping for some seismic activity and ash clouds today. (OK, so it’s baking soda and vinegar. Whatever.)

for you they signed

This week, we are knee deep in the Declaration of Independence. Oh my, what a great place to be. As enrichment to our study, we are reading about some of the signers (particularly those from our state) in “For You They Signed” by Marilyn Boyer. The book includes short biographies of each signer, some of whom I guarantee you have never heard of before. I love the concept of this book. It is decidedly Christian, so know that in advance, and in fact, Boyer suggests that families can use it as a devotional. Whether for personal reading or as a history supplement, the book is a treasure trove of information. I consider this a starting point to the discussion of these men, however. The biographies don’t claim to be in-depth – that’s not the purpose of this book. Since we are using this in our history class, I never want to gloss over the warts of these very human individuals, though their place in history is undeniably important. This was a time when the compatibility of Christianity and slave ownership wasn’t questioned – at least not publicly – and I think it is important to present a balanced view of these men. They were, after all, merely human.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful family resource. It is appropriate for elementary and older and can be a wonderful addition to your homeschool history studies. 

 New Leaf Publishing provided me with a review copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

want one? win a workbox/storage cart

We tried plastic shoeboxes for Sue Patrick’s Workbox System last year. Meh. Too messy for my taste and we don’t stick to the workbox plan anyway. CSN Stores sells pretty much everything, from Legos to console tables and since I had been seeking something a little more compact and more attractive, CSN sent us this drawer cart to review. The cart is perfect for homeschooling. It is not incredibly sturdy and even though it has casters, we don’t roll it. However, it is plenty strong enough to hold Nolan’s massive books – that algebra book is heavy, I tell you. Even the shallow drawers hold a great deal, but the bottom two are quite deep. We added a plastic bin to the top for works in progress.

The cart does require assembly. I wouldn’t know much about that because the boy put it together by himself in about 10 minutes. Admittedly, at the ripe old age of 12, he is probably handier than I am.

By the way, I priced this item on a number of sites and CSN had the lowest price, even with shipping. I have been very pleased with their prompt service and fast shipping.

And now for the cool part --- Homeschoolers, want to win one of your own? (Actually, you don’t have to be a homeschooler to win, but I think this item lends itself well to school stuff.) CSN will send one of my readers their very own cart. Leave a comment below by noon on Oct. 25 to enter. No hoops to jump through – One comment will be randomly chosen.

CSN provided me with this item for review and is also providing the item for the giveaway. My opinions are my own.

the mysterious islands – enter to win at hotm

I have a review of “The Mysterious Islands” running today at Heart of the Matter. Click on over and enter to win your very own copy. It is definitely not just for homeschooling families.

getting ready

The first day of regular school (as opposed to occasional school we do in the summer) is Aug. 16. I have much to do. Some tips on some of the resources we are this year:

• As we enter U.S. history, we are using America: The Last Best Hope. There is a corresponding web site – the Roadmap – that is available by subscription. I had heard from others that you could only buy a subscription to the site if you bought the book from them. Too bad for me, because I had already bought a used copy of the book. I  called Houghton Mifflin and asked and they were more than happy to sign me right up. No problems at all.
• We are also anxiously awaiting our free DVDs of The Story of Us from the History Channel. Kudos to the History Channel for inviting homeschools to participate in the DVD giveaway.
• We are doing Algebra 1 this year (and yes, I mean “we”) and we are using the cheap equivalent of Chalkdust. I bought the Larson Algebra book used (dirt cheap) and got the Dana Moseley DVDs from Amazon. Many hundreds of dollars worth of math for less than $50. The book and set cover Algebra 1 and 2.
• I think I posted this one already, but to supplement our science we are are using Hakim’s The Story of Science. I think it will be an interesting look at what lead to many discoveries.
• I downloaded the free version of Homeschool Tracker. So far, so good. I will have to see if it works well for us once we are in daily lessons.
• Nolan is taking physical science through the Virtual Homeschool Group this year. The awesome Debra will be teaching the class one day per week and we are so excited. The other days will be done in our regular homeschool mode. If you aren’t familiar with VHSG, do check it out. (It’s free!)
• Also free, because free is my favorite – Microsoft Dreamspark available through the Homeschool Buyers’ Co-op. My husband, the computer genius, tells me the software Nolan can use through this program is the same stuff developers use. This is a terrific program – Microsoft is trying to encourage the next generation of developers to get started and build their skills early. Nolan is very keen on anything electronic. He did a short HTML course last year and loved it so I think this will be a huge asset – and free.

lobster network

Lobster Network is free and it’s run by a homeschooling family. That should be enough to get your interest but if not, how about this? It is a virtual (web-based) file cabinet/storage closet/pantry/garage for well, pretty much anything. While the goal is to make it a way to reach out to your cyber neighbors to lend and borrow whatever you can think of (Homeschool books? Anyone?) it is also useful for tracking your own widgets, higgymafloppers and whozits. I am hoping to get my act together enough to use it as my virtual card catalog for the ridiculous number of books we have around here. It can be used to catalogue your assets (for your homeowner’s insurance), to manage the trades of outgrown swim team gear, taps shoes and scout uniforms for your group, or … anything.

Why is it called Lobster Network?

 

You can join or set up communities with whom you can share stuff or you can keep this all to yourself. You control the flow of information. Watch a video tutorial for details. You can also buy and sell, using the site as a virtual marketplace.

My favorite part about Lobster Network is that it is family-friendly. While you can list pretty much anything on the site, you do have to agree to a code of conduct that prohibits not only the usual prohibited things (items that are illegal or stolen) but also items that are objectionable or for mature audiences. Super cool.

 

We were asked to review the site as part of the TOS Crew. Membership is free and I was not compensated. My opinions are my own.

cerebellum a.p. test prep

A timely product for us, for sure -- as part of the TOS Crew we were asked to review Cerebellum Corporation’s Light Speed Video Learning product for Advanced Placement test prep. We were sent the History of the U.S. It just so happens that my eldest is taking the AP U.S. History test this week. And while I can’t tell you if this really helped her test score, I can tell you that if you love the Standard Deviants, you will love this. It is fast (very fast) and funny. It is by no means a substitute for regular, year-long AP prep or a study guide book, but it is a great supplement and is perfect for shaking things up when you just can’t look at the Barron’s book for ONE MORE MINUTE.

While the video portion of the DVD is much like typical Standard Deviants fare, the DVD also includes a digital workbook with printable quizzes and more. If you have a visual learner at your house, I just can’t say enough about what a help this is. You can watch video samples online to see what I mean.

AP prep DVDs are also offered for Chemistry (shudder), U.S. Government and English Language. The list price for each is $14.98, but as of this writing, they are on sale for $11.24 each --- and if it helps at toward raising that AP score, it is well worth the cost and far cheaper than three hours of college credit.

 

We were given a copy of the DVD for review purposes. My opinions are my own.

andrea carter and the trouble with treasure

Again, another resource I’d never heard of… and this one is wonderful. As part of the TOS Crew, we were asked to review Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure by Susan K. Marlow. The book is part of the Circle C Adventures series. While the book and the series center around a young girl named Andi Carter, don’t write this off as a series for girls only. In Trouble with Treasure there is enough peril and suspense to keep both genders entertained.

Marlow does a wonderful job of weaving in her own Christian values without being heavy-handed at all. Andi prays and draws strength from a verse she remembers, but it is a natural part of her life (Hey! Like real life!) and never feels forced.

I don’t want to give too much away, but there is a good bit of danger and intrigue in this book, though nothing at all inappropriate or too suspenseful for the target audience of ages 9 – 14. To draw on the book’s themes to enhance your homeschool, you can download a free study guide that includes discussion questions, vocabulary and interesting information about rattlesnakes, gold mining and more – which may are may not be included in the book. Ahem. (OK, they are, but don’t spoil it for your kids.)

If you are a lapbooker, A Journey Through Learning has lapbooks available for purchase that correspond with Circle C Adventures.

Autographed books can be ordered directly through Marlow’s site for $8 each, plus $2 shipping, or for $7.99 from Kregel Publications. You can also download a free preview of the book.

 

We were given a copy of the book for review purposes. My opinions are my own.

the art of conversation

People who haven’t known my family for very long might assume that my son is quiet around strangers because he is an isolated, unsocialized homeschooler.

You know that isn’t the case.

I have found that homeschooling has actually taught my boy the art of conversation in some very unexpected ways.

(Read more at Heart of the Matter Online…)

history channel dvd

Homeschoolers, if you receive the History Channel’s Educator’s Guide, then you probably saw the story about the upcoming Story of Us series, which begins April 25. I haven’t seen it yet (unfortunately, no media sneak peek) but it looks good. Run, don’t walk, to the History Channel’s web site to request a free DVD of the series for your homeschool. Hooray for the History Channel who explicitly states that the offer is available to homeschools!

Many thanks to Sheri for letting me know about this.

schoolhouse expo

Hey Homeschoolers, The Old Schoolhouse is hosting an online conference in May. If you register before March 31, the cost is $19.99 (that’s a $5 discount). Click over and check out the freebies that come with registration.

 

The speakers are going to be very interesting:

From TOS:

Susan Wise Bauer shows you a simple, eight-step, systematic process for producing good writers.

Todd Wilson explains how being REAL can be life changing with his usual wit and humor.

Amanda Bennett, unit study author extraordinaire, will help you better understand unit studies.

Diana Waring reveals how discovering your child's learning styles, learning modalities, and learning intellect will help you adapt your teaching strategies and choose curriculum wisely.

Andrew Pudewa, one of our readers' favorite homeschool speakers, discusses the four core language arts and how to teach each in the proper way!

Sue Patrick provides insight on implementing the Workbox System.

Mark Hamby will help you deal with sibling rivalry, marital conflict, and holding on to the wrong things.

Heather Laurie discusses special needs homeschooling.

Lee Binz of HomeScholar explains how to organize a high school transcript.

Davis Carman explains how the family is the best way to defend the Christian faith.

Karen “Spunky Homeschool” Braun tackles how to use the Internet and electronics responsibly in an era when many want to chat and twitter their time away.

 

 

As part of the TOS Crew, I get to “attend” (virtually) this conference at no charge, but my opinions are my own.

homeschool library builder

Are you familiar with this site? I have explored it pretty thoroughly and I became a member (it’s free), though I haven’t ordered yet. We were asked to review Homeschool Library Builder for the TOS Crew. It is essentially an online used books store for homeschooling families. Books are available for preschoolers through adult, with search categories by age, genre, curriculum and more. The prices are reasonable. The site is Christian-run, so the inclusion of a number of more difficult to locate books -- biographies of missionaries, for instance – make this a unique resource.

The site also includes links to a wide variety of homeschooling resources. This is a great stop for families who are just beginning their homeschooling journey. By the way, membership in the site helps you earn book points with each purchase.

And really, you can’t have too many books.

 

 

I wasn’t provided anything for this review – just the same access to the web site that is available to anyone. My opinions are my own.

the plan, or what I still need to buy for seventh grade

Have mercy. Is it the end of February already? Here’s a look at our plan for next year. We keep going for a couple of days per week during the summer, so this really picks up as soon as we finish our sixth grade materials.

Suggestions are welcome. ;)

Math: Math U See Algebra 1*

Science: Prentice Hall Science Explorer (Chemical Building Blocks, From Bacteria to Plants, Weather, more if needed). We are also going to do Hakim’s The Story of Science series, beginning with Aristotle Leads the Way. This is a history of science and scientific thought which I think will be cool.

English:

• IEW’s Fix It Grammar (I just got this and I think it’s going to be great.)
• IEW’s Windows to the World (literary analysis)*
• Write with the Best Vol. 2. (This is a half-year at most, so I will need something after. I am considering a higher level IEW course, but I am not sure yet.)
• A slew of historical fiction will once again be on the agenda. The novels will track with history studies.

History: Continue with MOH 3, and then on to The Story of US (Hakim) (This requires complete lesson planning on my part, but I really think the boy is going to like this series.)

Spanish: Continue with co-op classes and Rosetta Stone, if the library continues to let us use it online. If we lose our RS license (a likely occurrence), we will move on to the new online resource offered by our local library.

Art/Music: Both are taught in co-op classes. We are also beginning Artistic Pursuits’ middle school program at home and the boy will start guitar lessons soon. We also do a composer study that tracks (via date) with history.

PE: We hope to continue the YMCA’s homeschool PE class and we do health here at home.

Computer Apps: Nolan is in the midst of a semester of keyboarding and I am planning to create a semester course in computer apps. This will free him up to move right in to computer science in high school.

*Still need to buy

Heart of the Matter’s Online Homeschooling Conference, Feb. 22–25

Winners!!! Random.org chose:

Jennifer said...

These speakers look interesting, especially that last title. I'd like to know everything! :)

Loving learning at Home said...

Thanks for this wonderful opportunity. I would love to win a ticket. I was just looking at the site and wondering if I could fit this in the budget. Hopefully now I won't have to. LOL

 

Want a ticket? I have two to give away. (Find conference details here!)  Leave a comment below. If more than two of you want a ticket, I will do a random drawing. The catch? I have to give HOTM the winners’ info TODAY! Drawing (if needed) will be late this afternoon. If you comment, please be sure I can contact you. I will need to give HOTM your name and email address.

The conference is online (live) next week, but the ticket will allow you to download mp3s of the sessions later. This can be a real source of encouragement and information.

Here’s the line up:

 

• Belinda Bullard, founder of A Blessed Heritage - How Will I Be Remembered? A Mom for all Seasons
• Cindy Carrier, founder of Values Drive Family Ministry - Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers, OH MY!: Successfully Integrating Little Ones into Your Homeschool
• Sheila Carroll, founder of Living Books Curriculum - Planning for Learning--Homeschool Planning the Charlotte Mason Way
• Maggie Hogan, founder of Bright Ideas Press - 7 Highly Effective Habits of Happy Homeschool Moms
• Kris, author of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers - Adding Spark to Your Homeschool with Hands-on Learning
• Katie Kubesh, co-founder of In the Hands of a Child - Beginning Lapbooking
• Diane Lockman, author of Trivium Mastery and The Classical Scholar - Reading Aloud: The Key to Language Development
• Carolyn Morrison & Jennifer Leonhard, authors of Guilt Free Homeschooling - Taking the Mystery Out of Learning Styles
• Jim Mueller, founder of Bite Sized Physics - Bite-Size Physics
• Dari Mullins, co-author of Galloping the Globe and Cantering the Country - I'm Homeschooling, but I'm NOT HAPPY
• Jay Ryan, author of Classical Astronomy and Signs and Seasons - Topic TBA
• Natalie Wickham, author of Pajama School - Everything Your Child Needs to Know and How to Teach it to Them

If you want to buy a ticket, they are $12.95 each and available through HOTM.

snail mail

Cassie at Our Adventures in Education has organized a postcard swap with one homeschooler from each state (minus Delaware, Massachusetts and West Virginia – click on over and let her know if you are in one of those states and want to participate). Ostensibly, this is a “learn the states” swap and obviously, my 11-year-old knows the states – but he loves to get mail and I thought this would be a fun writing exercise as well. I will post some of our postcards (because I am redundant that way) as they come in.

crackberry (or, boldly to go where no camera has gone before)

OK, I held out as long as I could. I didn’t really need to be connected ALL the time, right? But I like it – and it has a super cool camera, for a cell phone.

At the Peace Center for a performance by the Greenville Symphony Orchestra. They opened with the theme from Indiana Jones. The boy, he was pleased.

At the Upcountry History Museum for a homeschool class on the technology of World War II. And again, the boy was pleased.

gymathics

OK, super cool. Member of the TOS Crew were asked to review Gymathics, an exercise DVD for kids from Exploramania. The math portion (patterns, etc.) is seamlessly incorporated with the exercises, making for a fun mid-day break for us. Despite some eye-rolling from the boy about the math (it is too young for him), he has fun with the exercises and we are including it in our PE credit this year.

With the ark-worthy amount of rain we have had lately, we need something for indoors. This fits the bill. The math facts are targeted for grades 2 – 5, though I see there is a new video with math for grades 4 - 7. I was pleased that a range of ages were represented in the exercisers (an older boy –hooray!) . That definitely made it easier for my son to join in. And I have joined in, too. (I am tired of Jillian Michaels yelling at me.) If you have a kinesthetic learner, this is especially appropriate.

I just hope they hurry up and do an algebra version.

 

Sample videos are available online here and on YouTube.  DVDs are $24.99 each through Exploramania, but they are also available through stores and online retailers.

 

We reviewed this as part of the TOS Crew.

 

We received a free DVD for review. I was not compensated. My opinions are my own.

big toys

So while the little ones got plastic fire helmets and delighted in sitting in the driver’s seat of the fire truck, I watched the big boys (my son and his friend) eyeing the gadgets. A very astute firefighter came up to them and said, “You boys ever heard of the jaws of life?”

Christmas came early this year, boys and girls.