TOS REVIEW: Download N Go Expedition Austrailia

Farm Boy is my geography nut. He has loved maps from a very young age and now, at six years old, can name and point out almost all of the 50 United States on his wall map. He enjoys world geography as well and often asks about different countries. One of his favorites is Australia.(I have a cousin living there and he thinks that is super cool!) This week we had an opportunity to learn more about Australia through Download N Go Expedition Australia!

This ebook was very well organized and told me what to expect out of it in the intro letter/description. There are "five daily lessons with lapbook components for each day." For someone who has never lapbooked before, this was absolutely the best way to begin! There were book suggestions for each day, some kind of video and links to other websites with tons of information about Australia! The vocabulary words were right on target for my kindergartners.

Music Man has trouble with drawing and writing so he was able to dictate his answers easily while I filled in the blanks for him. (We just skipped the drawings for the most part!) We haven't tried lapbooking before because he also has trouble with cutting. I quickly discovered the benefits of lapbooking as an occupational therapy activity.Cutting, gluing, coloring, thinking and planning were all part of the lapbooking experience.

There were tips throughout the ebook for the teacher such as how to "hide" the comments in YouTube in case something was posted there that you were prefer your kids not to see. I have been using YouTube for years and did not know how to do that!

I personally loved the recipes as I love trying things from different cultures! We were not able to work in an Australian meal during the week but plan to do it the weekend.

Overall, I was extremely pleased with this ebook. It is totally worth the price. I am even looking at writing a subscription into our school budget for next year. It is a must-have if you enjoy lapbooking. I know we do now!

Download N Go Series from The Old Schoolhouse Store and Amanda Bennett (Samples Available!)
Single Editions $7.95 with monthly, semester and yearly subscriptions available!
Ages:  K-4th Grade 
All ebooks published by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine come with a Money-Back Guarantee!

PS I need to seek forgiveness for no new personal pictures the past few weeks. My camera is experiencing technical difficulties and my iPhone does not take blog-worthy photos.

Fun Friday: Earth Friendly, Money Savvy Piggy Banks

Today's edition of Fun Friday comes from Homemade Mamas, a blog written by two sisters in Illinois. This month they are focusing on recycling and being green. We created Earth Friendly Money Savvy Piggy Banks these from two mayo jars and one spice jar. My "anal self" had to find jars that matched each other so both boys would have the same looking system.

Here is the first leg of the project finished (complete with money added already!) We had a lesson on money this morning and I explained to them that we would now be giving them an allowance every week so they could learn how to handle money. Their allowance will be $1 per week in the form of four quarters - .25 to save, .25 to give and .50 to spend.

Dad will have to help with the second part, cutting the top slots for us. Once that is done and they are painted, we will glue the "save jar" shut to prevent temptations. :) Farm Boy has collected coins for quite some time so he had a good head start. I was proud of him for dividing the money up between all of his jars and not just placing it all in his spend jar. (He even gave some to Music Man!) 

Farm Boy has decided he wants to save for a baby sister. :) He's been praying for one for quite some time.



PS My camera is still sick. Pics are taken with my iPhone.

REVIEW: TOS When I Grow Up, I Wanna Be .... a Firefighter!

We all have dreams as a child about what we want to be when we grow up. My youngest son changes his mind weekly, sometimes daily. Most days, however, it is between two things, one being considered most often is a firefighter.

When I was asked to review this ebook, I was thrilled. I had seen this series soon after I visited the The Old Schoolhouse Store last summer, and I had looked with interest at the different titles, 11 in all.

I received this ebook as part of my try-out process for the TOS Homeschool Crew. As I peeked through the curriculum, I wondered how I was going to implement it. There are word searches, color sheets, a lot of interesting (to me, anyway) history and end-of-the-unit party ideas. Unfortunately, I did not find a lot to use for my kindergartners. Their eyes glazed over as I tried reading the history and background to them. They colored the coloring sheets and we talked about visiting a fire station but we did not fully delve into the topic as I had hoped. The age range states it is appropriate for ages 4-10, however, neither of my kindergartners could understand the vocabulary words or questions I asked them from what I had read to them.

I think this is a great series, but I think that the age spectrum is too broad. I think older elementary kids would love it, though I still do not know how to implement the history and background information. Maybe that was just for me? Several pages of single-space information is not something I could just read to my kindergartners. And I did not see instructions anywhere in the ebook about how I was supposed use that information.

The end-of-unit party ideas included games and an adorable fire engine cake, but I decided not to try them out since we really did not make this a unit study.

Part two of the ebook featured Robotics. Again, there was a lot of background and history information here and it was extremely interesting - to me. However, for kindergarten aged kids, trying to explain the terminology was a challenge. There was a pretty cool looking project with instructions on how to make your own robotic hand out of Styrofoam.

Other things included in the ebook were vocabulary words, review questions, a math lesson, crossword and word search puzzles, prompts for creative writing and storytelling, handwriting and copywork. 

When I put together a lesson from scratch, I expect to have to work harder in making sure my kids understand it and I have covered all aspects of the lesson. But it also gives me the flexibility to tailor it to their needs. When I purchase a ready-made lesson, I expect to be able to sit down and work through it without a whole lot of complication and hassle. I personally prefer a curriculum to be designed specifically for a more narrow range of ages rather than a larger gap age range. If it is one that can be used for several ages, I think it needs to be stated in the description how to use it for different age groups. 

If you are looking for a great study for older elementary age kids, look no further. But if your children are young, like mine, I suggest you look for other great products available from The Old Schoolhouse Store.

TOS WannaBe Series

TOS WannaBe Series  So You Wanna Be ... a Firefighter!

$8.95

Ages 4-10 (though I would say it is more appropriate for 8-10)

Lesson Pathways: Building Paths for Online Learning

This is the most exciting resource I have found in a very long time! I cannot even contain my excitement - so much my dear hubby's eyes glazed over as I began trying to describe it to him! This is a FREE online curriculum called Lesson Pathways that isn't actually done online. Think automatic lesson plans for eclectic homeschoolers (like us!) You set up a profile for each child and assign the "pathway" to each one based on what year (or stage) of learning they are in! It is easy to set up the "planner" for an entire year just by adding a "Guided Journey" or you can choose to add separate building blocks to create your own curriculum. It is stand-alone from what I can tell and goes from K-5!! WOO HOO! I wish I had found this in the fall when we began planning for the year.

Check out the Lesson Pathways Blog and their own description of what they are!


Lesson Pathways: Building Paths for Online Learning

Ultimate Blog Party!

If you are visiting from the Blog Party, WELCOME!! I'm Dawn aka cookfromscratch on most webpages I visit. 

I have never participated in one of these before but I am so excited! The more I blog, the more blogs I find myself reading! And THAT is what a Blog Party is all about! I am thrilled to have a reason to read other people's blogs (like I really NEEDED one.)

I am a Christian homeschooling mom from Georgia. Married to my college sweetheart since 1997. I love to cook. I love photography and you will often find me hiding behind a camera. My boys, Music Man and Farm Boy, keep me busy. We school in the mornings and usually have activities in the afternoon ranging from taekwondo to dance therapy to homeschool PE. This is our first year homeschooling and we love it! 

Music Man is my oldest. He always has a smile on his face (as long as he isn't hungry or tired!) and loves anything to do with music and dancing. Music Man has what is called FG Syndrome, a rare chromosomal disorder characterized by heart defects, low muscle tone and developmental delay. He also has ADHD which we combat with diet following the Feingold Program. We deal with sensory issues on a daily basis and have to think outside the box in many things we do with him. 


Our middle son, Samuel, died at birth due to multiple congenial abnormalities including FG Syndrome and possibly ARPKD (Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease.) I created a non-profit organization, Remembering Your Baby, in his memory to help other parents who lose a baby at birth. 

Our youngest, Farm Boy, is totally typical and all boy! He loves living in the country, all living creatures -especially those that live outside and brings a great deal of energy to our family. He began taekwondo this January at the Athens Taekwondo Center and just earned his Yellow Belt.


So that's me in a nutshell. Feel free to look around. There are homeschooling helps, recipes and just random bits of info on us and our life. Glad you stopped by!

Whoops! Let me not forget that THERE ARE PRIZES in this party! I personally love surprises and these prizes take the cake! Especially since you can make a list of the ones you prefer in case you win! My list of preference in the prizes would be US105, USC75, USC31, US17, US56.



Or any of the PayPal, Amazon or Target Gift Cards!

Homestead Academy: Dolch Kit

On last week's Fun Friday, I posted about the Dolch Word Bingo Cards from this website. It is a great FREE resource created by a first grade teacher in California who is now retired. She not only made cute bingo cards, but also a complete Dolch Kit. There is even a booklet of the words split up into lists! I printed one out for Farm Boy to use in the car.

Homestead Academy Fun Friday: Dolch Word Bingo Cards

It's FUN Friday at the Homestead Academy!  This week we played Dolch Word B-I-N-G-O!

Bingo Cards

Feedburner Finally Moved to New Blog

WOW! I got the email today showing where my Feedburner subscriptions were finally moved over. I apologize for leaving y'all out for so long! I hope that the update did not confuse or overwhelm you all! I am working to remove the very OLD OLD subject line for the Chandler Family Web Home. Hopefully by the time you get this update, it will be gone. Just know it is still us writing to you!

The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Annual Open House

I am so thankful to live in an area where homeschooling resources abound! Spring has sprung in the south and with it we have many fun field trips available! Our next one is planned for Friday, April 2, 2010! Can't wait!!

The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Annual Open House

Happy 1st birthday: Mother keeps McDonald's Happy Meal for a whole year... and it still hasn't gone off | Mail Online

Um, gross! And people think our eating habits are freaky! Really glad we gave up McDs and all the other fast food places!! BLEH!


Happy 1st birthday: Mother keeps McDonald's Happy Meal for a whole year

Craft Your Own Abacus! | Activities | Education.com

Craft Your Own Abacus! | Activities | Education.com

Announcing Earth Fare's Family Dinner Night!

Woo hoo!!! Finally a KIDS EAT FREE that we can participate in!

Announcing Earth Fare's Family Dinner Night!

Parenting Special Needs Magazine Winter '10

This issue features the son of a college friend of mine, Sarah Cook! It focuses on autism.Ain't he the cutest thing? His mom is a photographer too so the pictures of him are fab!

Parenting Special Needs Magazine

Raising Olives' Homemade Hamburger Buns

This is the first homemade bread I've ever attempted to knead by hand. It was super easy and so very yummy! I made child-size buns but unfortunately didn't get a picture of my own. I must say I am pretty proud of myself though!! I know they passed the picky eater test when Adin asks me to make them everyday! :)

Homemade Hamburger Buns

I Took His Hand and Followed

I Took His Hand and Followed
Mrs. Roy L. Peifer

My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood...
My kitchen wasn't swept today
But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill...
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,
That I didn't brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.


I Took His Hand and Followed - BestHomeschooling.org

Money, Money!

This week's math lessons have focused on money. We dumped our big change jar out and I let the boys each have their own piles. They sorted the coins (using the pincher grasp for Music Man) and picked out anything that didn't belong in there (such as screws or foreign money.) Then we talked about what the different coins were and who was on them. The boys are fascinated by the Presidents this month since we just have the holiday and the birthdays of Lincoln and Washington. So we talked about the Presidents a bit as well. Then they were instructed to make $5 out of the coins. Farm Boy decided on two dollars worth of dimes, one of nickles, one from quarters and one from pennies. I showed him how to organize and stack the pennies so he could easier count my tens. Music Man struggled a bit with the difference between nickles, dimes and quarters. I abandoned him creating the dollars and just let him sort. We talked about the different shapes. We'll pick up money again at another time for him.

Two Months - Really??

It has been a while since I took so long to blog. The weather has been frightful the last few months and our computer was in a room that we don't heat up often. I came in today and realized there was much to blog on. However, I will just have to play catch up at another time.

There isn't a whole lot I can just begin blogging about because so much has happened since November!! I will attempt in the next few weeks to get you all caught up on our life since November.

The biggest news is that Farm Boy did not return to public school after the break. We are enjoying having him home with us and it has been good for Music Man and they learn from one another.

CURRENT CURRICULUMS
Explode the Code 1
Handwriting Without Tears
basic math - time, calendar, money, memorizing math facts
Bob Books
Exploring Creation with Zoology 1
Unit Study on Georgia

We are also taking some extra-curricular classes (PE, dance therapy class for Music Man and taekwondo for Farm Boy.) Several of the moms from the PE class are also talking about an American Sign Language class. We stay busy and it is tiring but I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Music Man still attends physical, occupational and speech therapies. So that's what we are up to at the moment.

A New Year and a New Student

(Note: When we moved to GA last year, we continually hyped to the boys that they would be "farm boys" once they moved to GA. We explained that they would be living in the country full time, something they had only done for a week at a time on visits to see their grandparents. My youngest son quickly adopted the name "Farm Boy" once I began using anonymous names for them online.)

Around Farm Boy's birthday, we gave him the choice between going back to "school-school" or staying home with us. He overwhelmingly chose to homeschool. We continued our regular homeschool plan through the Christmas break taking the week between Christmas and New Year's off, but getting in our regular three days with him during his break. We hit a few snags since he is a rule follower, lol! He kept wanting to tell me how to do things and that I was making a "sad /l/." His teacher at school-school apparently used this term as they were beginning to form their letters. I finally had to tell Farm Boy that Music Man and I wrote differently than he was taught and that he was going to have to choose which way he wanted to write. We'll see.

As we hit the mid-year slump that always visits in January, I am exploring new curriculums. Both boys are on the same level for many things (math, science and social studies.) I am planning to go back to Explode the Code 1 to teach them both all the way through. Farm Boy loves workbooks and worksheets. Music Man does not care for them.

So here we go! Two students! I am so glad to have us all together again and to be embarking fully on this adventure called homeschooling!

But he's so social!!! How can you homeschool?

Ugh, how many times have I heard that since we started telling folks we were going to homeschool Music Man. People, that was the problem!!! He was TOO social at school! Music Man loves people. He loves to watch them, to see what they are doing, to mimic them. He gets super distracted just going to wash his hands before a meal. When you put him in a classroom (even a small one with only a few kids) he wants to see what each one is doing. Then another teacher comes in or the bell rings to change classes. Or it is time for a different activity. Then the speech therapist will come get someone for class. Oh the distractions in school-school!

Music Man needs quiet to concentrate. He needs to be one-on-one with a teacher or his assignment. He excels at the computer and concentrates hard when it is something he is interested in. The issue with school-school is that he cannot concentrate on something fully when there is so much going on. His resource teachers did the very best they could with him, but they had more than just him to teach. He couldn't be the center of attention with them. But he can with me!

Printable Telling Time Worksheets

Printable Telling Time Worksheets