Slipping language arts into the other subjects

In my last post, Grading subjects that haven't been taught, I touched on integrating language arts into other subjects.  The comment that followed made it clear that I must be more specific.

Here is how I would, and in some cases, have integrated language arts into science and social studies, and art, etc, eliminating the need to do a lot of painful language arts exercises.

Lower Elementary:

Trips to the science museum, zoos, and science experiment workshops are always preceding by reading about the subject matter and the scientists or historical figures involved.  Their interests were most piqued in anticipation of the outing, and so they payed attention, and they were always ready to discuss the subject matter during the outing.  There was one circumstance when we went to an art museum, for

Grading subjects that haven't been taught

I can't tell you how many times I have heard people ask, "how do you decide their grades?"  "How do we know you are even teaching the subjects you say you are teaching?"  That's a really good question, and I suggest people start directing that to the brick and mortar schools and away from homeschoolers.

It is actually a fact that there are teachers giving less and less science instruction, and just filling in the blank or report cards.  Yes, grading a subject they never taught.  It's a shame really.  It's clear that there is little time to teach science due to all the testing and preparing for tests that are going on.  But with a

Thankful for this year's gifts

As thanksgiving approaches, and we become nostalgic, my heart oddly turns inward this year.  It seems that all of the gifts I have been given this year, focus on myself, my heart, my peace of mind.  So here is what I am thankful for.

I am thankful that my son has acclimated to college, even though he appears to be much happier away from home than he was at home.  It makes me sad that he wasn't as happy at home, but I have come to realize that he was becoming a man, and had an urge to go out into the world, and not hang on to

One-half credit in Government

The plan was originally, to do a full unit in Government for my daughter's senior year.  When we found out that is was required for accreditation to do 1/2 unit plus 1/2 unit of economics, our plans were changed.  We went from using the textbook, Politics in America , and the Hippocampus Government program to just using Hippocampus and leaving out the written assignments.   That, I hoped would take a good 60-70 hours creating a half credit.
  

To my surprise, my daughter sped through the information, scoring in the 90th percentile on all tests, within maybe 30 hours tops.  I was concerned that her lack of interest in the subject had translated to

Luck, wisdom, and hard work

I've been called lucky.  I have a good, good husband, who I love and who loves me.  He put's up with my special brand of crazy, he helps me out around the house, and he dominates in the kitchen.  I will gladly report that he is a better momma than I am to the kids, and he's just yummy looking.

But it bothers me when people say I am lucky to have him.  First of all, he didn't just fall into my lap, and he wasn't my only option.  But I looked at him and evaluated his foibles and values against those of others and made a decision with my brain, that he was the person I wanted a relationship with.  His were the genes I wanted to merge mine with.  He was the person I wouldn't get tired of when the excitement of a new relationship was over.  So I let myself love him. That's not luck, that was wisdom.

Dressing homeschoolers fashionably... there's a dilemma

When I started homeschooling, there was a lot of talk about homeschool uniforms.  You know, moms in denim jumpers, kids in prairie wear.  I made it a point to dress as fashionably as possible, even though I really did love my denim dresses (but I owned them long before I ever decided to homeschool).

With my own wardrobe as fashionable and trendy as possible...  T-shirts, jeans (not mom jeans), cute dresses, etc, it came time to help my children form their own styles.  I was grateful that being the height of fashion was not on my son's agenda.  In our Atlanta suburb, saggy jeans that show underwear, $100.00+ sneakers, and other thug-wear is very popular.  I wasn't having it, and my son had no desire to do it either.  So, yes, his clothes border or a little nerdy... we like to call it preppy.  He has a more casual version of his father's professional wardrobe.  Good and done.



But then there was... the girl.  Dressing girls is a pain and a struggle.  They like to experiment.  They don't know the difference between fashionable and skanky.   There are so many nuances, that need to

Resting and figuring out the rest of the year

This has been a low-key week with me staying as close to my bed as possible.  Hence, the lack of blogging.



I was up to my eyeballs in work and business for the last 6 weeks with my daughters competitions, elections, and finally, the fall play, which I was costuming.  With the exception of the pile of dirty dress shirts in the trunk of my car, and answering surveys about my precinct managers, all of that work is behind me.  I am spending the week napping.

On the homeschool front, my daughter is currently finishing up her unit on Government, and then we will start her second trimester for the year.  As of Friday, she will have completed Spanish, Government, and Business & Personal Math, and part 1 of Physical Science.  This next Trimester will be the remainder of Physical Science, Economics, and Analyzing Literature (in the form of a CLEP exam).  After that, sometime in late winter, she will only have to do a health unit, and work on finishing her Senior project.  Another round of competitions and her final high school musical will also dominate her final trimester in the spring, which is why I have left only one little course to finish.