Launching into First Grade Reading

Last night I watched the orientation video for BJU Press Distance Learning for first grade Reading. It's really first grade Composition, Phonics/English, Handwriting, and Reading.

I've now done 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th grade Reading with my children through BJU Press, as well as 7th, 9th, and 10th Literature.  I was an eclectic curriculum-switching homeschool mom for years so this is quite a record. ;-)

One of the reasons I love using BJU Press Distance Learning for Reading is it covers so much more than just reading.  For instance, in the Reading lessons, there are often activities involving composition, art, or music. Some reading units are truly unit studies in the areas of Science, Heritage Studies, or Bible. They've also been a huge motivator for my children to read additional chapter books and have provided great booklists for extra reading. My Paperback Swap account is always filled with book requests from their reading videos.

BUT. . . this will be my first experience with 1st grade reading. I've done most of my first grade reading teaching with very few resources - Explode the Code, TATRAS, and some readers. I tried adding A beka one year and that was definitely not our style.

I have the privilege of working with many other consultants at homeschool conventions during the summer AND having customers rave about their favorite products. First Grade Reading gets excellent reviews, and I'm quite excited about having a first grader to try it out with.

First of all- it's a good deal. The distance learning combines 3 subjects for the price of one. Reading/ Phonics & English / Handwriting. You also get books for all 3 of those subjects, so if you are purchasing them anyway, you can get the distance learning package for not much more.

The class is broken into 4 subjects and is done in this order:  1. Composition  2. Phonics (2 parts) 3. Handwriting  4. Reading

After seeing my friend's child's composition notebook, I think the price of this package would be worth it just for composition. Mrs. Walker is a fantastic encourager. She gives them a topic each day and encourages them to write. She also has "Chip" a little computer guy that she encourages to write. At the beginning, my first grader will "write" by dictating to me.

Phonics includes new teaching and review teaching each day. Mrs. Walker goes over 20 service words. (These are high frequency words that don't follow phonetic rules.) Phonics is taught by phonograms (word endings, more specifically, from the vowel to the end of the word). This way of teaching phonics makes sense and is backed up by loads of research.

Handwriting is a short lesson. Mrs. Walker teaches letter formation in a font that also makes since. It is still print, but it is a curvy print that transitions easily to cursive. Letter formations are taught in a way to minimize pencil pick-ups further easing the transition to cursive. (Cursive is taught later in 2nd grade when fine motor skills are more developed.)

Reading is the last part of the lesson. I'm expecting this to be much like the other Distance Learning Reading programs we have done through BJU Press. There are six units: God's Colorful Creation, Creatures Great and Small, Special Deeds and Inventions, Adventures, Making Melody, and Treasures. There are also 3 optional booklinks:  Once in Blueberry Dell, Buttercup Hill, and Looking for Home.

I watched Mrs. Walker's orientation video last night. I so wish BJU Press would make these orientation videos available for our customers because they give an in-depth overview of the course. Mrs. Walker's incredible teaching skills spill over for parents as well. She teaches US to be a great encouragers for our children, and I can't help but think homeschool parents are getting an "education" on being a great educator when they watch Mrs. Walker teach.  (This isn't our first course with Mrs. Walker as the teacher.)

I do admit I had some hesitations about purchasing this course.

#1) A 70 minute video is a long time for a first grader to sit still.
They are not sitting still. Mrs. Walker has them "doing" quite a bit.
It is broken into segments. There are lots of pauses for activities. It's also broken into 4 segments so you could have a snack, a walk, or playtime in between segments.  Besides that, it's mine to use as I want and if I want to do only 1/2 of it in a day I can.
Also, someone told me I could get a little exercise ball for his little bouncy self to sit on. Moving while you learn is actually good for your brain. I think he'll be fine in a regular chair, so I don't plan on actually doing this unless we need to. If you have an especially wiggly little one, I do think it's a good idea.

#2) It seems to move pretty fast (especially since my little one is hard of hearing).
I can slow it down. He also might do just fine with the pace and I need to give him a chance. I'm always amazed at how much first graders can learn in a year.

Mrs. Walker's orientation was definitely an encouragement to me.  I wanted to share it with you while it was fresh on my mind. I'll have to post another review after we actually use the course.

A Day in the Life of Our Homeschool

I often find myself trying to explain that just because we use textbooks doesn't mean we do nothing but worksheets. I thought I’d give you a few details from our day yesterday that show you.

#1) I see Samuel coming down with the microscope because Mrs. Vick used a microscope in science class today. Hannah can’t resist and she joins him for a while looking at things under the microscope. Samuel asks me to please let him know the next time I let bread mold so he can look at it.

#2) Faith goes to violin lessons. A neighbor takes her for me.

#3) I have a conference with Isaac. I assign specific due dates for a response to literature, a memorization quiz for the preamble to the constitution, a chemistry lab, and history project involving the names of local areas. I had watched the lessons on the response to literature the evening before, and was again reminded how much I love this curriculum with its encouragement of a personal walk with the Lord.

#4) Faith has a lesson on Beatrix Potter. Since Justin is studying “authors” and “illustrators” this week in K5 with an emphasis on Beatrix Potter, I let him watch the lesson with her. Faith has a print out of the characters that she cut out and attached brads and straws so they are movable. She plans to do a shadow play with them today.

#5) Samuel insists that I go back and watch Lesson 46 in his reading. So, I sit and watch it with him while eating my lunch. It is a hilarious poem about a girl who talks to her plants. The teacher discusses alliteration, assonance, and reading aloud with appropriate emphasis. She also explains “overstatement” and Samuel prints off a cartoon page where he can write his own overstatements. We giggle about those all day, and everyone he shows it to comes up with their own ideas.

The teacher also shows different kinds of plants and how to put them together into a gift basket. She explains to the students that this can be a type of ministry for them. (We did a similar thing for a grandma recently and this is why Samuel wanted me to watch it.) I learned that I can plant my daffodils behind my hastas and hide them after they’re no longer pretty. In the afternoon, Faith and Samuel dig up some tiny cedar trees that were going to be trodden and replanted them for future gift basket use.   

#6) Faith asks me to get her a notebook or folder to save her special work in. She’s especially proud of her poem about Tow Trucks with the picture she drew.

#7) I find Hannah on the porch with her portable DVD player and her math book. Yes, it’s a beautiful day! She’s watching her math lesson and enjoying the great outdoors at the same time.

#8) Faith has made a game (looks like some sort of board game) and is playing it with Justin. I’m not quite sure what lesson that went with, but I have time to bake a meal for a new mama.

#9) Justin asks me how to spell several words for a birthday card for Faith. He also draws a really neat volcano just because he wants to.

I love all this activity in my house. I wouldn't like directing all this activity at my house, but I love smiling and encouraging their projects.

Free Educational Websites I Actually Use

Spelling –

Spelling City   www.spellingcity.com

Missed words from their writing and spelling journals into Spelling City. I put them straight into here and send them to work on those words when we have a small block of time to fill.

Writing-

Kidblog   www.kidblog.org

Set up a private classroom blog. Editing is allowed. We put in Grandma and Grandpa from out of town and they LOVE it. It’s also great for keeping members of our family who sometimes “miss” things “in” on things.  

Math-

Xtra Math  www.xtramath.org

This is great for fact practice. They practice each day for a very short time. They log in by clicking their name.  It tells them when they’re done. I get an email report of progress once a week, and a notification email if they don’t log in and do their practice. The student tries to get the facts in 3 seconds for a smiley face, but it gives him 10 seconds before giving the answer. It’s just what I’ve always wanted and it’s free.

Reading –

Book Adventure   www.bookadventure.com

Five to Ten Question Quizzes on lots and lots of books. Brian found this for me when I asked for something similar to Accelerated Reader. We don’t use it a lot, but it gives me an extra record of a few of the books they’ve read and reminds them to read carefully. I have started writing on my own books if there is a book adventure quiz to go along with them.

I know there are LOTS of other really cool websites – but there is only so much I can use! LOL!  

For Fellow BJU Press Users
*I use BJU Press as my "core" for all these subjects. These are great little extras in less than 10 minutes and fit well with BJU Press.
For Spelling City, I add words using words from their own writing mistakes. I mostly use their journal entries from spelling, but if I've noticed another word from another subject I'll add it as well.
I use Xtra Math instead of (or in addition to depending on the child) fact practice print-offs from the Teacher CD in the teacher's manual.
I use Book Adventure as a quick report of all that extra reading their reading teachers have encouraged :-).
We use KidBlog to tell about their projects, to publish their writing, to tell how much they love school (yes - they've done this), but mostly to tell their stories. :-)

New School Year Plan

Yep. BJU Press for just about everything this year – but it still took me forever to figure out what I wanted to teach, what I wanted to combine, and what things I wanted DVD or online for!

Justin-

                BJU Math 1 with Mrs. Lawson – We’re training Faith now to keep the manipulatives organized                                   and to get him started. He’s loving this.

                BJU K5 Beginnings with Mom – We’re almost done w/ Week 4. He’s eager.

                Explode the Code – (Take 5- as in child #5 to do this book) We’re on C and hope to make it through at least Book 2

                Bible Story Books – He’s really enjoying the Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes right now, but I have                                                a collection. J I’m hoping to sing with him every day too.

                Reading – I bought an extra shelf for the school room and pulled all the books I want to make                                    sure we read to Justin this year. I have LOTS of great science readers at this level.

                Speech – I haven’t set this up yet, but he’ll need this too. I think he’s advanced enough we might                            be able to get away with quarterly or longer evaluations. Hope so.

Faith – BJU Books Mom teaches – Math 3, Handwriting 3

                BJU Books with Samuel  & Mom – Spelling, History, Science, Bible

                BJU w/ DVD – Reading & English (until spring she’ll start Math 4 DVD

                VIOLIN lessons – after answer to prayer, and Gymnastics

Samuel – BJU Books Mom teaches –Handwriting 4, English & Math in the spring

                BJU Books with Faith & Mom – Spelling, History, Science, Bible

                BJU w/ DVD – Reading, English, Math (until Spring)

                And maybe Teaching Textbooks 6 in the spring

                Speech work – specific words and /th/

Hannah – History with Faith & Samuel, with lots of additional readers & God’s World News

                  Bible with Mom & Isaac

                BJU DVD – English/Lit, Life Science, Fundamentals of Math

                Spelling continued & lots of use of her new Spelling Corrector J

                She really wants to learn more about sewing. I can cut and stitch but hate machines. I’m hoping                                                we can find someone to help her.

Isaac – BJU Online Grade 11 with 10^th grade English and Spanish 1  - sounds simple but it’s lot of work for               him (not so bad for me.) – We still have some other grade 10 subjects to do, but will do them next year. It's cheaper for us to combine these subjects this year.

                Bible with Balancing the Sword (and Hannah and me), Ludy sermons

Everyone - Lots of writing on our Family Blog with both sets of Grandparents - We'll call this "Introduction to Social Media" :-)

Week 2 is done and I only have the high school Bible and lower grade history to add in next week. The first couple of weeks we go slow and spend time getting everyone used to the routine, where to find things, where to put things, and so on. So far, it’s going surprisingly well. I’ll post more specifics later in the year.

Isaac's School Plan

School Planning: High School

That would be Isaac. He’s in 10^th grade this year. Several of his courses are technically Grade 11. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a year ahead. He’s doing ALL his core courses with BJU Press Online Distance Learning. I’ve come to the place where I technically could teach these subjects, but I have difficulty doing them justice with the time in my day. I did feel a little bad when I found an old note from Isaac that said, “I’m glad I have a mom who can teach me algebra.”  We got lost in Saxon Algebra 2 and with its spiraling style I couldn’t figure out where we got off track. No biggie – he’s a 10^th grader. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!

Here’s the short version:

American History

Algebra 2

Chemistry

Spanish 1

Writing and Grammar 10

Literature 10

For Bible, I’m combining Isaac and Hannah and teaching the Bible Truths C. (A BJU Press book – but not the one used for distance learning.) He’ll continue working in Balancing the Sword and watch a lot of online sermons.

Other extras – a little bit of Rosetta Stone, a little bit of music theory & piano & maybe guitar, continue photography, Haiti trip, lead some P.E. days with the younger children, and spend some time at the gym.

I’d love to do Spanish 1 with him “just for fun” – I can probably do it through the first couple of weeks. LOL!  Ja, Ja, Ja!

I chose Online because of online grading. I’ll admit it. I have a very difficult time keeping up with the grading of high school subjects. I’ll still have “homework” grading to do and test essay questions and wrting assignments– but they tell me what things to spot check. J

Getting Ready for School

This morning with an online Bible study group, a friend posted this status:

Matthew 12:34b "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." This is so neat. It's a really easy way for us to evaluate our own hearts and our kids' hearts. No wondering what is really in the heart. Do our words primarily build up? Complain? Argue? Thank? Express Joy? Love? Anger? Spite? Pride? Love? Judgment? etc. It's easy to look at other's words and know their heart, but sometimes it's easy to deceive ourselves. Maybe you/we could ask a close friend, child or husband what primarily comes out of your/my mouth? (If you truly want the truth). =)

I read it rather quickly, and decided I'd watch things I say today. (This is much easier than asking someone you love for the truth.)

A little later in the morning, I was making some last-minute phone calls to try to book fundraisers with the local schools. I have a dozen last-minute things I (notice the capital I) want to get done before our school year starts. Calling principals was top on my list. 

I like to read the principal's message on the school's website before I call. It gives me a little reminder of what they are like. This morning I read this principal's message. Here's the last part:

I can't wait to get started. When we get down to mere days before the start of school I get a huge surge of excitement. That is one of the many great parts of my job. It is just like being a kid again and getting excited for the first day of school. I will get to see all of my friends again. I usually buy new pens and notebooks, and even think about what I will wear for the "first day of school," just like I did when I was ten. I hope that all of our teachers, staff, students and families are just as excited and pumped for the new year. I know it will be a great one!!!

It really convicted me.

She’s excited about the upcoming school year.

Really excited.

Have I been that excited about our school year?

Um. No.

I don’t think I’ve been actually complaining out loud, but I’m afraid to ask.

Either way, I also haven’t been expressing abundant joy about the task.

That’s because I forgot to be thankful.

Ladies, it is a tremendous blessing to be able to homeschool our own children. My mother worked as her children got older. My grandmother worked when her children got older. We’re getting to spend some precious years WITH our children. MORE time than our grandparents had. We get to share both the gospel and the wonders of God’s creation. We have no constraints. We have no testing. We have no meetings we have to attend. We have no standards to meet but God’s and our own.

We should smile – a lot. We should tell the children how thankful we are that we can home school them this year. We should let them know that we are so excited to see them in the morning and to spend the day with them. We should set a high standard in the Lord and cheer with great joy as we watch them reach it. I’m getting pumped as I type!

Hmmm. . . what to wear?

Conservative pajamas?

Homeschool-mom skirt/blouse and a matching pen behind my ear?

Mad scientist outfit with a lab coat and crazy eye-brow glasses?

Wildflowers and tie-dye?

The kids would think I’m crazy, but they’d probably smile. ;-)

Why Four Year Olds Need to "Do School"

                For today’s lesson, we counted 100 pennies in groups of 10 and traded them for a dollar bill.

Me: Justin, can you remember what metal is in pennies?

Justin: Copperheads.

Me: A copperhead is a snake. When we talk about a metal, we just say “copper.”

Perhaps he’s heard that verse about the love of money being the root of all evil and associated it with snakes?

Me: Justin, do you remember whose picture is on the penny?

Justin: Abraham Lincoln

Me: Very good.

Justin: “Father Abraham had many sons, and many sons had Father Abraham.”

Me: Different Abraham. This one was a president. Ok, Justin all those pennies in your hand are really heavy and it would be hard to get them all in the store without dropping them so we can trade them for this one dollar bill that will buy the same thing.

Me: Now this one dollar bill also has a picture of a president on it. His name is George Washington.

I lay the one dollar bill on the table perhaps with a bit of flair.

Justin: Slap George Washington.

Too much Slap Jack perhaps?

So there’s a reason to “do school” with your four year old. . . It’s just too funny to skip.

Oh, and certain four year olds need refinement.  

*Justin uses Footsteps for Fours from BJU Press. It's a pretty detailed curriculum if all you really want is a few workbooks to teach colors, numbers, letters, and shapes. For Justin, I wanted all the extra activities for listening skills, vocabulary development, etc.  If you considering it and would like to talk to a mom who has used it, you may contact me.