15 YouTube Videos that MUST Be a Part of Your School Day

By now, after reading through some of my posts, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I like to include YouTube videos in my school plans. Because the videos are enjoyed by my kids, I wanted to share them with you in hopes that your children will enjoy them too!

We have music as part of our morning time. After singing songs that we already have the lyrics to (and know the tune of the song), we watch some videos and sing along with them. [By the way, after only a few days of this, my toddler is already requesting some of the songs! Yay!]

Morning Basket – Including the Toddler

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While we’re on a little break, I’ve decided to change up our routine a little bit and create a more official morning time. I’ve been listening to some of Pam Barnhill’s podcasts about morning time and morning baskets and I think that this sounds like the best way to go about this time of the day. So this week I’ve been working on compiling a morning basket of our own. I’m really hoping that, by incorporating this into our days, we will have smoother starts to the day and days that flow a little better when we start back next week. I’ve noticed over the last 6 weeks that our days need a better start. This isn’t something I planned for, so it’s gotten me thinking during the break.

“Look at me!”

Today I wanted to focus on a particular part of the basket that engages my toddler. Little Man has high energy and, while sometimes he likes to have some time to himself, he usually wants someone’s attention. This is a new hurdle for us this year and we’re working on striking a good balance so everyone is still in a decent mood by the day’s end. {It’s been difficult, to say the very least, this last six weeks.}

Roald Dahl Day

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As kids, we’ve all read Roald Dahl books. We all had our favorites. [Not to mention that some of my favorite movies growing up were the ones based on Dahl’s books.] As a kid, my favorite was Matilda.

As a parent, I’ve loved reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to my girls and also to Rosie’s class when she was in public school. We always read Roald Dahl’s books aloud (let’s face it, his books are way more fun read out loud) and have also enjoyed James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox, and the Magic Finger.

Our first year of homeschooling, my girls were absolutely delighted to find out that there is a day in September just for celebrating Roald Dahl! September 13 is the celebration of Roald Dahl’s birthday.

Friday Favorites – The Red Scarf Project

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Did you know that I like to knit? Probably not since we are still getting to know each other. 🙂 Well, I do like to knit! I find it very enjoyable, and relaxing even…except when I mess up. haha Then it’s frustrating. But mostly, it’s enjoyable.

For today’s Friday Favorites, I wanted to share a different side of myself. We all know, and can relate, to the homeschool mom in us all. But we are more than moms that school our kids at home. (If you’re anything like me, you may have forgotten a part here or there. 😉 ) One of the things I enjoy doing when I have time is knitting. In the past, I’ve knitted both of my girls a couple of scarves each, a scarf for my mom, a scarf for my mother-in-law, and most recently, scarves for both of my nieces. Okay, I admit, it’s not the fanciest knitting repertoire, but it keeps my fidgety hands busy and my loved ones warm. 😉 I will also admit that I have a good handful of projects that have been started but not yet finished…for instance there is a cream-colored baby blanket and a fall-colored ribbed scarf for myself (I’ve also been told those are Harry Potter colors) in my work-in-progress bag. But I digress. Let’s focus on the present!

North Carolina State Project

 

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Today I wanted to share a project idea with you that we’ve done. We’ve spent some time doing a unit study of the history of North Carolina. I figured our state was as good a place as any to start with when it came to history. {By the way, if you are trying to help your kids learn the States and Capitals, there is a neat song on YouTube that has really helped my girls. Check it out over here!} It helps that both girls are completely captivated by the story of Roanoke and the Lost Colony.

For this unit, I found State Research Report Lapbook printables for researching state histories from a teacher over at TeachersPayTeachers.com. I did have to pay for it, but I can say it was definitely worth it. The coloring pages and foldable organizers made it more fun for my girls to search for and organize information about our state.

Our Schedule & a Freebie!!

We are half way through our first six-week session now and I’m going to be honest with you, it hasn’t been easy. There have been days where I’ve questioned my life choices. But thankfully, my husband has been there at the end of the long days telling me it’s okay and we’re all doing just fine.

So far, I’ve learned that homeschooling with a toddler (a run-full-tilt-till-you-crash-into-something all-boy two year old) is no picnic. But I think we’re on the right track to getting a routine that keeps everyone happy. (And by everyone, I mostly mean the toddler. 😉 )

Friday Favorites: Field Trip Ideas

Hey everyone! We’ve made it through another week! Feels good! 🙂

Earlier this week, I was chatting with a fellow homeschool mom and we got around to talking about the new school year. After comparing some of our new curriculum choices, we got around to talking about field trips. Ya know, it’s funny. Somehow, I don’t know how it happens, but it happens that along the way we forget about going out on just for fun field trips. (It’s funny because that is one of the reasons I thought schooling my kids at home would be so cool!) Sometimes we get so caught up in our book studies and our regularly scheduled out-of-the-house classes that I forget about just-for-fun outings.

First Day of School Activities

 

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We started up school again last week! I know, it seems really early. However, we wrapped up our year in the middle of May. We’ve been on vacation for awhile. Plus, it’s really really hot here right now so we won’t be going outside very much right now anyway. [I spent a good portion of my break planning! ;)]

So, our first week is under our belts! After a month and a half off, the week was an adjustment. Thankfully though, I scheduled a light week for us with more fun than work. This is really only our second “first day of school” and we are still finding our first day traditions. For instance, I wanted to make birthday cake pancakes for breakfast, but all of my kids slept in and we didn’t have time before we had to leave the house. Maybe next year! 😉

Now, regardless of homeschool or public school, you can’t start a new year without first day pictures! Last year my girls each decorated a page with the grades they were starting and posed with it for pictures.

Top 10 Instagram Accounts

It’s Friday! Hallelujah we made it to Friday!

While our week wasn’t quite that bad, it was interesting. We started school back up this week and, well, let’s just say it takes us a little bit to get back in the routine of it all. Totally understandable. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need moment. 😉

Sassy side-eye from my Little Man.

Do you use Instagram? I started using it a couple of years ago. I like it because it’s all about the pictures. I love photography and taking pictures of my kids, the sunset, the beach, the way that rock looks, or of that random thing over there in that tree. [Really, I’m being serious. My mom used to have a ton of pictures on her camera of the leaves on a massive tree she had in her front yard.] So for me, I love that Instagram showcases pictures rather than focusing on your latest status like on Facebook. It seems that I have passed this trait on to my kids. They love grabbing my phone to take pictures of anything and everything. And yes, they do have their own cameras.

A picture of how cool that random rock in the lake looks.

 

 

Which all leads me to this week’s Friday Favorites: Our Favorite Instagram Accounts to Follow!

1.   natgeotravel — While we may not be able to go out and explore every nook of the world, there are those who get to do it for a living. Nowadays, thanks to the Internet and social media, we can travel with them. The photographers for National Geographic Travel really put themselves in the middle of what’s going on to get these photos to share. We’ve watched a photographer be mere feet away on his hands and knees from two wild stallions as they were rearing up and testing each other’s strength in the Netherlands. They’ve captured the northern lights to share, which made my day since seeing them in person is on my bucket list. Needless to say, National Geographic Travel is a must-follow.
2.    natgeo — If we’re following National Geographic Travel, we can’t not follow the original National Geographic! While the previous account is about travelling the world, this is more about the stories behind the pictures. We love watching and learning about mama monkeys and their baby monkeys. We also learn about elephant conservation and what is being done to help the pandas come back from being endangered.
3.     travellingthroughtheworld  — Have I mentioned I would LOVE to travel?? The pictures they are able to capture from all over the world are breathtaking. I like that the kids are able to see first-hand pictures from around the globe.
4.    foodnetwork — In this house, we love food. We all love to be in the kitchen baking yummy treats and cooking up tasty food. Thanks to the short food demo videos, this is a must-follow for us!
5.    nasa — Since being a kid, I’ve had my head in the stars. I’m trying to pass that on to my kids and the pictures NASA shares really don’t hurt. I love the pictures they share along with learning something new with each share.
6.   ncartmuseum — We are fortunate enough to live in an area with an abundance of museums. A few of those are art museums. I’ll be the first to admit that art museums aren’t my thing. My lack of interest in some of the finer arts is not something I want my kids to learn from me. So as another way to get more exposure, we follow a couple of the local art museums.
7.    nashermuseum — This is another local art museum. For some reason, Rosie wants to go to Duke University (probably because the rest of us are North Carolina State University people 😉 ). She was pleasantly surprised to find that Duke has an art museum on site. So we follow the Duke University Art Museum on Instagram too.
8.    natgeocreative — I love National Geographic and wanted to follow as many of their accounts as possible.
9.    homeschoolscientist — This is the account of another homeschooler. I really enjoy following them because it’s fun to share in the journey of others who are on the same path. It also helps that my girls LOVE science and this account highlights that particular subject.
10.    howtobeadad — This guy never fails to give me my daily laugh. In this new adventure, it’s important to laugh- if only to release tension and stress that’s been building. His posts crack me up, especially the one of the collage of “moments we hope [our kids] won’t remember”. For your comedic relief, I highly suggest following this account.

There are my top 10 Instagram accounts to follow! I love seeing the new posts everyday. Sometimes just scrolling through all of the beautiful, and funny, photos is relaxing and helps me step back from the daily grind for a minute.

And while you’re there, feel free to follow us too @TheHarned5! 🙂

Are there some good ones that I forgot about? Tell me about them! I love finding new things! 

Stay cool (’cause it’s a scorcher here) and have a good weekend y’all!

Planning for Another School Year: Combined Subjects

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On Monday I shared how I plan for the new year.  I outlined how I determined which subjects and topics I plan to teach for the upcoming year. I also shared some of the tools I use to get that done. Then I shared all of curriculum choices I made for the core subjects.

Today, I want to take some time to share what I’m planning for the subjects that my girls will be studying together. (This is a different outline than last year’s since we did a lot of unit studies like this one. This year, I wanted a little more structure since Rosie is headed into her middle school years. ) I find that these combined subjects tend to be more fun because we do lots of hands-on activities and learning seems to be more natural in a group setting.

To recap a little from Monday, I put this table together to outline my plans for the combined subjects. I wanted to cover all of these subjects over the year, but initially couldn’t figure out how without us sitting at the table all day everyday. (That really isn’t what we want…and there’s just no way my kids want to sit still for that long.) After deciding on a schedule of 6 weeks in school followed by 1 week off, I assigned each 6-week “session” a subject that we would learn about together.

With this outline in mind- and on paper, I’m old-fashioned, remember? 😉 – I headed to a homeschool bookstore about 40 minutes from where I live. (It’s seriously worth the drive…and we moved to the middle of nowhere so everything is a drive but this drive is worth it.) This bookstore sells both new and used books and you could easily spend an afternoon in this place. There is just so much stuff! Thankfully they have the books I was looking for divided on the shelves by topic versus by grade like some subjects.

So we started with Science.

I lucked out and found a used science textbook for studying ocean animals: Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day. I like that it uses a biblical worldview, has hands-on “try this!” activities throughout the lessons and ends each lesson with a project.

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If you can afford it, they sell a kit that contains everything you will need to complete the activities in the lessons. They also sell a student’s notebook that goes along with the text. (I only bought the used copy of the textbook; I’m pretty sure there isn’t anything too extravagant needed to complete the activities.) I didn’t buy any other books to supplement because we already have some at home and we’ve found numerous cool books at the library for this topic.

While still browsing the Science shelves, we looked for Astronomy.

I wasn’t looking for any kind of textbook for this topic. I have a few hands-on activities already in mind for this and we already have a handful of books at home about stars and the universe. My aim here was to find something that gave a good overview of Astronomy and would be a good companion for our studies. I found The Astronomy Book by Dr Jonathan Henry; it’s part of the series of books Wonders of Creation.

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Still in Science, I needed something for my last topic.

For our last session, I know I want to do something with simple machines, forces and energy. I had wanted to do this last year and had bought a book last year on simple machines. This time, I needed something for the forces and energy. I found a textbook with lots of activities and pictures that I think will engage my kids called Motion, Forces, and Energy: Science Explorer by Prentice Hall.//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=macncheesecof-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0131150995&asins=0131150995&linkId=779fe44e28b561ca592efaf42df83011&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true

Moving on to History.

We’ve already started covering North Carolina history so I already have a few history books that also cover United States history. Also, since I haven’t had time to go through those books and come up with an outline for that session, I’m not sure which books, if any, I’ll need yet. So I focused on Ancient Greece. Wow, were there a lot of choices! I picked the 2 that I liked best to go along with an ancient civilizations textbook I already had at home (because last year we studied Ancient Egypt). My first choice was an Usborne book titled A Visitor’s Guide to the Ancient World. This book definitely has kid-appeal with the fun style of writing and the illustrations, as well approaching the topic as if you are going to visit today. My second choice was a book specific to Ancient Greece since my other books covered a few ancient civilizations. I found that Ancient Greece: Cultural Atlas for Young People by Anton Powell is written at a little higher level and may be more appropriate for Rosie, but Ladybug will still be able to benefit from it. After getting home I took to Amazon with a specific book of hands-on activities in mind for Ancient Greece. (I’ve ordered a book for Geology from this series and it was pretty neat.) I ordered Ancient Greece! 40 Hands-On Activities to Experience this Wondrous Age by Williamson Books.
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Last up, World Geography.

This topic was a little trickier…which is probably why I saved it for the end. While teaching world geography, I know I want my focus to be Christmas traditions around the world (because I know that this will be our subject of study in our last session before our Christmas break). But there weren’t any books specifically for this. I flipped through a lot of books. Honestly, I started to get discouraged that I wasn’t going to be able to find any books to go along with our studies. As I was about to throw in the towel (because at this point we had been in the store for going on 2 hours and I did have all three kids with me…), we found what seems to be the perfect book. The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World Geography with Complete World Atlas is going to work well for my plan. I love how it breaks down the countries and continents around the world into 6 regions and tells a little bit about each. With 6 regions and 6 weeks to teach it, I can do one region a week and complete a crash course in world geography. I’m really excited about this session! It’s going to be a lot of fun!

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Actually, there is one more thing.

I wanted to start exposing the girls to famous artists. I’m not expecting them to become experts, but I want to at least introduce them to various artists and see what sticks. To do this, without overwhelming our schedules, I made the first Friday (which is our non-planned day) of each month an Artist Study. I lucked out and found a book at the homeschool bookstore that was perfect for getting this monthly artist study started: Short Lessons in Art History by Phyllis Clausen Barker. I like this book because it breaks down the artists by when they were alive or where they were from or by their style. The book has 28 artists, some of which I’ve already introduced the girls to. I really like that the lesson on each artist gives a short but concise summary about him or her and then I can follow it up with pictures of their work and a project.

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In addition to our language arts curriculum and handwriting curriculum, I’m having the girls pick a few out-of-state family members to start writing to on a regular basis. I’m also looking into the penpal correspondence program with Peace Corps volunteers.

To round things out though, both girls do have piano lessons, Ladybug takes gymnastics, and Rosie does drama. For the fall, once every one else starts up school again as well, both girls will be taking a foreign language. I’m hoping our local group will put a French class together again, and if so, both girls will join that class. (If not, I’m not sure what Ladybug will do.) Rosie, regardless of how French pans out, will be taking an American Sign Language class. (I learned that ASL counts as a foreign language in high school! So cool!) Also in the fall, both girls will be in a Girls Scouts troop. Lastly, but not least, we are going to start up a Chess Club again in the fall with our local homeschool group.

So that’s it!  That’s what I’ve got planned so far for this new school year with a 3rd grader and a 6th grader here at home!

In case you missed it, I initially talked about the Top 10 Things My Homeschool Can’t Survive Without. Seriously, all of things are a must-have for us.

In the last post, I talked about the core subjects that differ based on the levels/grades my girls are at individually.

What do you have planned for this year? I’d love to hear about it!

Need some help thinking up some first day activities? I’m sharing some of our favorite first day activities!