Sunday, June 24, 2018

Make Writing Fun!



Regardless of the age of your child, writing can be fun with these activities.

1. Create a Family Newsletter.

Invite your child to create a newsletter that has one or more short articles about family events. The newsletter can be as simple as one page written in pencil or as elaborate as something done on a computer, complete with fonts and art. Then have the child send the newsletter to a family members.

2. Break the Code.

Help your child make a code breaker. Use a pen to draw a wheel pattern. Write the letters of the alphabet in sequential order in the spaces on the outer edge of the wheel and the corresponding numbers on the inner wheel.

 

Write your child a secret message in code on a separate piece of paper; that is, substitute the corresponding number for each letter. Then have your child decode the secret message by using the code breaker.

3. Guess the Object.

Place an object inside a bag or box. Invite your child to write questions about the object in effort to discover its identity. Pointing out the capital letter at the beginning of each sentence and the question mark at the end, before answering them. A maximum of ten questions can be asked before the object is revealed; however, at any time during the question and answer exchange, your child can try to guess the object. If your child correctly identifies the object, a new object is placed in the bag or box and play is continued.
Happy Homeschooling!


Sunday, June 17, 2018

Make Reading Fun!


Regardless of the age of your child, reading can be fun with these activities.

1. Dress-Up Day.

Invite your child to choose a character from a favorite book. Help your child find descriptive passages that tell about the character. Then invite your child to decide how the character would dress and act. Have a dress-up day when your child dresses up as the character and reads portions of the book aloud.

2. Guess the Character.

Take on the role of a character from a favorite story. Then have your child try to guess the identity of the character by asking a maximum of ten questions that can be answered “yes” or “no”. Take turns with different characters and see how many questions it takes to guess the character.

3. Character Interview.

Invite your child to pretend to be a character from a favorite story. Explain that you are going to interview the character, and they should answer all your questions as the character would. After you interview your child/character, choose another character together and switch roles. Now it’s your child’s turn to interview you!

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Learning Through Literature about Ice Cream


Summer is here; but the learning continues at My Happy Homeschool. Ice cream is a cool, creamy treat on a hot, humid day here in Texas.  Here are a few recommendations to learn through literature about ice cream.

 

The Scoop on Ice Cream! by Bonnie Williams.

Did you know that immigrants to Ellis Island were served ice cream as part of their first meal in America? Or that George Washington spent more than $200 on ice cream during the summer of 1790? Learn about the history behind ice cream with this fact-filled reader. A special section at the back of the book includes relevant information on subjects like geography and science, and there’s even a fun quiz so you can test yourself to see what you’ve learned.

 

Of Sugar and Snow: A History of Ice Cream Making by Jeri Quinzio.

Jeri Quinzio traces the confection from its earliest appearance in Europe to the small towns of America. She explains how ice cream is made, describes its social role, and connects historical events to its business and consumption.  The book provides an array of recipes, from a seventeenth-century Italian lemon sorbet to a twentieth-century American strawberry mallobet, and traces how this one elite status symbol became today’s popular treat.

 

Sweet Spot: An Ice Cream Binge Across America by Amy Ettinger.

A journalist channels her ice cream obsession, scouring the United States for the best brands and delving into the surprise history of ice cream and frozen treats in America. From a visit to the one place in the United States that makes real frozen custard, to the vicious competition among small ice cream makers, to extreme flavors, Ettinger encounters larger-than-life characters and uncovers what’s really behind America’s favorite frozen treats!

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Classical Composition I: Fable Set - Crew Review


Memoria Press has blown the dust off of the writing curriculum used in the best schools for over 1,500 years and put it in an easy-to-teach format that will revolutionize your homeschool curriculum. Presented clearly and systematically in a structured curriculum, the Classical Composition I: Fable Set will give you a clear road map to writing excellence. This set includes the Student Book, Teacher Guide, and DVDs.

There are twenty lessons in the Classical Composition I: Fable Set. Each lesson begins by reading aloud one of Aesop’s Fables. After the first reading of the fable, the Teacher Guide lists difficult word, ask students to define these words to help them better understand the fable. After the second reading of the fable, students are asked to identify three plot components – recognition, reversal, and suffering. The Teacher Guide provides examples for each fable. At the end of Section 1, students retell the fable in their own words while staying faithful to the original in regard to characters, place, and time.

 

The variations exercise trains students to paraphrase at two basic levels: words and sentences. Words are paraphrased by thinking of synonyms. Each exercise asks the student to vary three or four words from a given sentence, which comes from the fable. After the words have been varied, students will move to the level of sentence. Each exercise asks students to substitute the selected words with their synonyms.

 

Students will discover the plot structure of the fable by summarizing it in the form of an outline. This exercise is best completed with the DVD to help the student understand the format of a fable outline. The DVD thoroughly teaches each lesson, tells students what to do and when to do it, and gives sample answers. Then with the aid of their outline, students retell the fable orally.

 

In the paraphrase 1 exercises, the whole fable will be rewritten to be like the original, yet varied with anemographia (a vivid description of wind), dendrographia (a vivid description of a tree), and ethopoeia (a description and portrayal of a character). The paraphrase 2 exercise asks the student to paraphrase the fable by inverting its sequence of events. The student must work from effects to causes, which is a deductive exercise. Paraphrase 2 was quite a challenge for my sixth grader, she had never been asked to paraphrase anything by inverting its sequence of events.

The second round of variations provides a break from paraphrasing. Then students complete their final draft on a separate piece of paper. The teacher helps the student with correcting – the final tasks in every good piece of composition. After students have finished marking their first draft with these corrections, they will write and proofread the final draft alone.

As students move on, the stages will become more and more difficult, but that also means they will become a better writer. Remind students to take their time and follow the example of the tortoise: “Slow but steady wins the race.”

Visit the Crew Blog to read what the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about the Classical Composition I: Fable Set, as well as other products from Memoria Press.

 

Monday, June 4, 2018

Critical Thinking Detective - Vocabulary Book 1 - Crew Review


The Critical Thinking Co.™ offers students a fun way to learn new vocabulary with their Critical Thinking Detective – Vocabulary Book 1. A collection of fun mysteries for grades 5-12 available in print or eBook form. Students must identify the meaning of new vocabulary as they try to uncover the subtle clues hidden in the statements from witnesses and suspects. Each activity features between 18 and 25 vocabulary words and every one of them has the potential to implicate or exonerate a suspect. Each mystery requires careful reading, critical thinking, and synthesizing information to identify the innocent and guilty. Critical thinking improves as students assess evidence found through reading comprehension and deductive and inductive thinking skills. Learning to identify and evaluate evidence is the very heart of critical thinking.

 

To solve the mysteries, students will read each activity carefully and keep in mind all statements that are true. Each activity establishes two to three parameters for identifying the culprit. Students consider these parameters as they evaluate the statements from the suspects and witnesses. Remember every vocabulary word is important to solving the mystery. Students will need to consult a dictionary as needed for definitions. As they look up words, student will realize which words are synonyms and antonyms of each other. Make notes when you find evidence. Synthesizing more than one piece of evidence can establish innocence or guilt. Students will then use a process of elimination to narrow down suspects. After solving each case, students use the vocabulary words to complete sentences; and each word can only be used once.

My girls had a lot of fun narrowing down suspects. After I read each case, my 15-year-old would note words to look up and then my 16-year-old would read the definition. Then my 12-year-old would state who she thought was the culprit, and the other two would follow, as I looked in the answer key in the back of the book to see if they were correct. To my surprise, they were able to answer each case correctly. But should your students need a little help to narrow down the suspects, the answer key explains why each suspect is either innocent or guilty, so you can help your student think through each case.

The Critical Thinking Co.™ is committed to developing students’ critical thinking skills for better grades, higher test scores, and success in life. They do not teach through drill and memorization or teach to the tests – they empower the mind! Critical thinking is identifying and evaluating evidence to guide decision making. Critical thinkers use in-depth analysis of evidence to make decisions and communicate their beliefs clearly and accurately. Over time, students who practice critical thinking learn to apply it throughout their education and lives.

After having the opportunity to review the Critical Thinking Detective – Vocabulary Book 1 and seeing the many other critical thinking resources in their catalog, our family plans to work through Book 2 throughout the summer and learn more vocabulary through critical thinking. A fun way to learn vocabulary during our summer travels!

Visit the Crew Blog to read what the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about this book, as well as other products from The Critical Thinking Co.™.

 

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Receive FREE shipping + 15% OFF any size order from The Critical Thinking Co.™! Use coupon code: TOSCREW18. Expires 12/31/2018.

 

Sunday, June 3, 2018

Sevice Scouts

After serving many years as a Girl Scout Troop Leader, 4-H Leader, and Keepers of the Faith Leader, I was not pleased with every aspect of these programs and was seeking for a Christian and purposeful group that my girls could participate in; but found nothing. So, I developed and launched our first Service Scouts group last year and it was a hit in our area! Here are the first four Program Principles, you will need to request the Service Scouts Handbook for more details.

Principle 1 - Program
Service Scouts, a patch program designed to award youth for their community service. The program may be used in families, small groups, homeschool groups, or church groups. Groups may vary in size; but share the same desire - Showing Christ by Serving Others!

Principle 2 - Service Scouts Verse
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:35

Principle 3 - Service Scouts Promise
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live showing Christ by serving others!

Principle 4 - Membership
Youth are eligible to participate in the Service Scouts program if they are 11-years-old and in the sixth grade by August 31 and have not reached their 19th birthday on or before August 31. To serve with the Service Scouts program, all members must be formally enrolled. They must complete and submit a Membership Enrollment Form every year; and pay a $20 enrollment fee which provides each member with all corresponding patches for their planned Patch Program.

Members meet in September to plan their Patch Program. There are many patches to choose from within the following categories: Animal Welfare, Community Outreach, Eco-Action, Emergency Prep & Response, Homelessness, Hospital Helpers, Hunger, Patriotism, and Senior Citizens. The Service Scouts Handbook has all the details and all the Leader Resources to help you lead our youth.