My youngest has just started 4th grade! I'll be keeping a log of books she reads this year. Those marked * are require for school. The rest are books she reads on her own.
1. Pedro's Journal (Pam Conrad)*
Wednesday, 23 August 2017
Saturday, 22 July 2017
Change
So, I haven't posted very much in the past few years, but we're still here! I keep up with the kids' reading lists on this blog, but that's about it. Just to update any my readers (if you're still there), we are still in transition. After 11 1/2 years of living in England, we moved back to the US. Currently, we are living with my mother and waiting to move to another state. I just finished another year of homeschooling and working on planning for the next. My kids are going into 4th, 8th, and 11th! I am really hoping that we'll be moved before school starts, but we'll see.
Change isn't always easy, and we've had some changes in the past few years with my dad's death and moving country. The kids are adapting pretty well, but we're all anxious to have a home of our own in the region we believe God is sending us to. Once we get settled, things will hopefully feel easier than they have been. I'm praying for a homeschool room, and the kids are hoping for rooms of their own. Though leaving England was hard, we are excited about new beginnings. It's just this transition period that seems difficult, but we'll make it!
Speaking of change, I'm working on changing the look of my blog. Photobucket's new policy pretty much ruined my blog header and other images. I'm not going to pay $5.99 a month to fix it, so I'm starting over with the design. I'd had the same design for nearly 8 years, so I guess it was due a change anyway. I removed a lot of stuff, updated some things, and changed my background. I don't have a fancy header anymore (I designed the old one myself, but it got removed), but I'm okay with that. Blogger has changed so much since I began in 2009, and there are a lot more options now. So, please bear with me as I discover all the new things Blogger has to offer and as I create a look and design I'm happy with.
Once we're settled in a home of our own, I'm hoping to blog more. I'm brimming with ideas; I just haven't had time to blog about them. I'd like to update all my geography units, and I'd like to clean up my toddler posts (even though my last toddler is nearly 10 now). I know there are loads of broken links, so I'd like to fix those. I also want to focus in on children's literature with a series of blog posts; I am, after all, a hopeless book addict. I haven't had time to count my children's books since moving, but I know I have well over a thousand! That's what I have in mind for starters....but, it will all have to wait. I hate waiting, but that's life!
Blessings!
Debbie
Change isn't always easy, and we've had some changes in the past few years with my dad's death and moving country. The kids are adapting pretty well, but we're all anxious to have a home of our own in the region we believe God is sending us to. Once we get settled, things will hopefully feel easier than they have been. I'm praying for a homeschool room, and the kids are hoping for rooms of their own. Though leaving England was hard, we are excited about new beginnings. It's just this transition period that seems difficult, but we'll make it!
Speaking of change, I'm working on changing the look of my blog. Photobucket's new policy pretty much ruined my blog header and other images. I'm not going to pay $5.99 a month to fix it, so I'm starting over with the design. I'd had the same design for nearly 8 years, so I guess it was due a change anyway. I removed a lot of stuff, updated some things, and changed my background. I don't have a fancy header anymore (I designed the old one myself, but it got removed), but I'm okay with that. Blogger has changed so much since I began in 2009, and there are a lot more options now. So, please bear with me as I discover all the new things Blogger has to offer and as I create a look and design I'm happy with.
Once we're settled in a home of our own, I'm hoping to blog more. I'm brimming with ideas; I just haven't had time to blog about them. I'd like to update all my geography units, and I'd like to clean up my toddler posts (even though my last toddler is nearly 10 now). I know there are loads of broken links, so I'd like to fix those. I also want to focus in on children's literature with a series of blog posts; I am, after all, a hopeless book addict. I haven't had time to count my children's books since moving, but I know I have well over a thousand! That's what I have in mind for starters....but, it will all have to wait. I hate waiting, but that's life!
Blessings!
Debbie
Monday, 27 February 2017
Our 2016-17 Curriculum
Because of our big country-to-country, across-the-Atlantic move last summer, I never did get around to posting our curriculum for this school year! To make this quick and easy, I'm going to briefly list what each child is using on this one post.
3rd Grade
1. Bible: Wisdom With the Millers (book and activity book)--studying the book of Proverbs
2. Reading: Doors to Discovery
3. Seatwork: Spectrum Test Practice, Grade 3
4. Math: Primary Mathematics 3 (Singapore)
5. Storytime: We're doing lapbooks along with each of the following books (I stopped lapbooks after grade 3 because they were too much work; however, each of the kids has wanted to do them, so I'm back to lapbooks again!):
7th Grade
1. History: British History (I made my own course using a number of books--click link to view)
2. Reading: She's reading the following books and doing book reports on them:
3rd Grade
1. Bible: Wisdom With the Millers (book and activity book)--studying the book of Proverbs
2. Reading: Doors to Discovery
3. Seatwork: Spectrum Test Practice, Grade 3
4. Math: Primary Mathematics 3 (Singapore)
5. Storytime: We're doing lapbooks along with each of the following books (I stopped lapbooks after grade 3 because they were too much work; however, each of the kids has wanted to do them, so I'm back to lapbooks again!):
- Abraham Lincoln (Anne Colver)
- Stone Fox (John Reynolds Gardiner)
- Door in the Wall (Marguerite de Angeli)
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis)
- Key to the Treasure (Peggy Parish)
- Horse Heroes: True Stories of Amazing Horses (Kate Petty)
- Mr. Popper's Penguins (Richard Atwater)
- Justin Morgan Had a Horse (Marguerite Henry)
- The Apple and the Arrow (Conrad Buff)
6. Language: Language Lessons for the Elementary Child, Volumes 1 and 2 (we're finishing Volume 1 from last year)
7. Spelling: All About Spelling, Level 3
8. Science: Christian Kids Explore Earth & Space (unfortunately for my sanity, we do lapbooks for each science unit, too! At least this is my last year doing lapbooks.)
9. History: The Story of the World, Volume 2: The Middle Ages (we use the CDs, the activity book, and other supplements)
10. Geography: I make my own geography units. This year, we are studying the following countries:
- United Kingdom (sad that we moved from the UK just before starting this one)
- Saudi Arabia
- France
- Norway
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Netherlands
- Japan
- Russia
- Spain
- Mexico
- Germany
11. Extracurricular: We do these as we have time:
- Art
- Spanish--Teach Them Spanish 1
- Music--Singing Made Easy and piano
- P.E.--Right now, we're making use of our small town's basketball and tennis courts
- Health--Heath, Safety & Manners 3 (A Beka)
7th Grade
1. History: British History (I made my own course using a number of books--click link to view)
2. Reading: She's reading the following books and doing book reports on them:
- George Muller: The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans (Benge)
- Swiss Holiday (Yates)
- The Bronze Bow (Speare)
- Watership Down (Adamas)
- The Windy Hill (Meigs)
- The Hound of the Baskersville (Doyle)
- Tales of the Greek Heroes (Green)
- Full Steam Ahead: The Race to Build a Transcontinental Railroad (Blumberg)
- Stories of Don Quixote Written Anew for Children (Baldwin)
- Old Yeller (Gipson)
3. Math: Teaching Textbooks 7
4. Bible: Explorers Bible Study Quest: Faith at Work
5. Science: Interactive Science: Earth Science
6. Language: Easy Grammar 6 and Easy Grammar Plus (finishing last year's first)
7. Spelling: All About Spelling, Level 7
8. Extracurricular: P.E., Typing (Typing Instructor), Ancient Music and Ancient Art (Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool), and guitar (instruction from her grandma)
10th Grade
*Coming Soon*
Monday, 6 February 2017
3rd Grade Reading Log
Here is the reading log for my youngest! She has no specific required reading for school. She is reading out of textbooks only, and I am reading aloud to her from chapter books. Therefore, these are books she is reading on her own this year--unrelated to school.
1. Adventures of the Wishing-Chair (Enid Blyton)
2. More Wishing-Chair Stories (Enid Blyton)
3. Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Susan S. Adler)
4. The Boxcar Children: The Black Widow Spider Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
5. Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)
6. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Eleanor Coerr)*
7. Haunted House (Peggy Parish)
8. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Singing Ghost (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
9. Felicity Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Valerie Tripp)
10. Skylark (Patricia MacLachlan)
11. The Tower in Ho-Ho Wood and Other Stories (Enid Blyton)
12. The Enchanted Wood (Enid Blyton)
13. The Magic Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)
14. Caleb's Story (Patricia MacLachlan)
15. The Firebird (Retold by Mairi Mackinnon)
16. The Folk of the Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)
17. The Boxcar Children (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
18. Ivan and the Informer (Myrna Grant)*
19. The Boxcar Children: Mountain Top Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
20. The Caravan Family (Enid Blyton)
21. Hannah's Helping Hands (Jean Van Leeuwen)
22. The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
Wednesday, 2 November 2016
Reading Incentives
First of all, I have an important announcement. After nearly 11 1/2 years of living in England, our family has moved back to the USA! We've been here two months now and are living with my mother until we have a place of our own. I've written very few blog posts in the past year simply because I haven't had the time. We've had a lot of changes, with my dad dying last year and everything we had to do to make this huge move back across the ocean. We are still homeschooling; our kids are in 3rd, 7th, and 10th. This is the first year I've neglected to write posts on their curriculum, but I will try to do that soon. Mostly, I've just kept track of the books they've read.
So, on the topic of books... I was wanting to join the Pizza Hut Book-It program, but I'm too late to enroll for this year. So, my husband decided that for each ten books that the kids read (on their own, not school-assigned books), he will buy them a Dairy Queen blizzard.
UPDATE: The kids now have a choice between a blizzard or $5 for every 10 books read. Of course, they're going to choose the money!
UPDATE 2: I have continued this running log of books the kids have read for money from last school year. They are currently half way through 4th, 8th, and 11th grades!
This is where I'll keep my running log of what books each child reads to get rewarded:
I
1. Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins)
2. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Suzanne Collins)
3. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Suzanne Collins)
4. Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Suzanne Collins)
5. Gregor and the Code of Claw (Suzanne Collins)
6. Snakehead (Anthony Horowitz)
7. Scorpia Rising (Anthony Horowitz)
8. Ark Angel (Anthony Horowitz)
9. Crocodile Tears (Anthony Horowitz)
10 Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (Gregg Lewis and Deborah Shaw Lewis)
Blizzard won!
11. Gold of the Gods (Bear Grylls)
12. Flight of the Eagles (Gilbert L. Morris)
13. Way of the Wolf (Bear Grylls)
14. Sands of the Scorpion (Bear Grylls)
15. The Gates of Neptune (Gilbert L. Morris)
16. Tracks of the Tiger (Bear Grylls)
17. Claws of the Crocodile (Bear Grylls)
18. Strike of the Shark (Bear Grylls)
19. Rage of the Rhino (Bear Grylls)
20. Lair of the Leopard (Bear Grylls)---10th grade
$5 won!
21. The Tombs of Anak (Frank Peretti)
22. Escape from the Island of Aquarius (Frank Peretti)
23. The Deadly Curse of Toco-Rey (Frank Peretti)
24. The Door in the Dragon's Throat (Frank Peretti)
25. The Secret of the Desert Stone (Frank Peretti)
26. Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea (Frank Peretti)
27. Gathering Blue (Lois Lowry)
28. Point Blanc (Anthony Horowitz)
29. Skeleton Key (Anthony Horowitz)
30. The Legend of Annie Murphy (Frank Peretti)
$5 won!
31. Eagle Strike (Anthony Horowitz)---11th grade
32. The Sword of Camelot (Gilbert Morris)
33. Winged Raiders of the Desert (Gilbert Morris)
34. The Final Kingdom (Gilbert Morris)
35. Never Say Die (Anthony Horowitz)
36. The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster)
37. Code of Silence (Tim Shoemaker)
38. Back Before Dark (Tim Shoemaker)
39. Below the Surface (Tim Shoemaker)
40. Voyage of the Dolphin (Gilbert Morris)
$5 won!
41. Infidel (Ted Dekker)
42. The Terrible Beast of Zor (Gilbert Morris)
43. By Divine Right (Patrick W. Carr)
44. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
45. Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
46. Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins)
47. A Cast of Stones (Patrick W. Carr)
48. Chaos (Ted Dekker)
49. Empress of the Underworld (Gilbert Morris)
50. Divergent (Veronica Roth)
$5 won!
51. Stormbreaker (Anthony Horowitz)
52. Scorpia (Anthony Horowitz)
53. Russian Roulette (Anthony Horowitz)
54. The Mystery of Mar Saba (James H. Hunter)
55. The Diamond Brothers in Two of Diamonds (Anthony Horowitz)
56. Toro! Toro! (Michael Morpurgo)
57. Public Enemy Number Two (Anthony Horowitz)
58. War Horse (Michael Morporgo)
59. Saving Zasha (Randi Barrow)
60. South by Southeast (Anthony Horowitz)
$5 won!
61. Waiting for Anya (Michael Morpurgo)
62. Kensuke's Kingdom (Michael Morpurgo)
63. Chosen (Ted Dekker)
64. Friend or Foe (Michael Morpurgo)
65. Crossover (John C. Dalglish)
66. The Shock of Night (Patrick Carr)
67. The Door (Lorilyn Roberts)
68. The Caves that Time Forgot (Gilbert Morris)
69. Kaspar: Prince of Cats (Michael Morpurgo)
70. The Wreck of the Zanzibar (Michael Morpurgo)
$5 won!
71. Arklight Operation Nightfall (J.M. Myrick)--12th
72. Renegade (Ted Dekker)
73. Lunatic (Ted Dekker)
74. Crescent (Homer Hickam)
75. Elyon (Ted Dekker)
M
1. The Sign of the Twisted Candle (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
2. The Haunted Bridge (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
3. The Secret Boat (Patricia St. John)
4. In Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
5. The Haunted Carousel (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
6. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Eleanor Coerr)
7. Still More Stories from Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
8. The Healer's Apprentice (Melanie Dickerson)
9. Little House in the Big Woods (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
10. The Haunted Carousel (Nancy Drewe Mystery by Carolyn Keene)--7th grade
$5 won!
1. Treasures from Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
2. Happy Birthday, Molly! A Springtime Story (Valerie Tripp) AND
Addie Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Connie Porter)*
3. Meet Kit: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp) AND
Meet Kaya: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)*
4. Meet Addy: An American Girl (Connie Porter) AND
Molly's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Valerie Tripp)*
5. Meet Molly: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp) AND
Meet Felicity: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)*
6. Felicity Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Valerie Tripp) AND
Meet Josefina: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)*
7. Meet Samantha: An American Girl (Susan Adler) AND
Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Susan Adler)*
8. Happy Birthday, Kit! (Valerie Tripp) AND
Meet Kirsten: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)*
9. The Invisible Intruder (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
10. The Mystery of the Tolling Bell (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
$5 won!
*Two short books count as one for her
1. Mary Todd Lincoln (Katharine E. Wilkie)--8th grade
2. Felicity's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Valerie Tripp)
Kirsten's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Janet Shaw)*
3. Outside (Andre Norton)
4. The Hidden Window Mystery (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
5. The Merchant's Daughter (Melanie Dickerson)
6. The Silent Songbird (Melanie Dickerson)
7. The Princess Spy (Melanie Dickerson)
8. The Fairest Beauty (Melanie Dickerson)
9. The Captive Maiden (Melanie Dickerson)
10. The Golden Braid (Melanie Dickerson)
$5 won!
1. For Love & Honor (Jody Hedlund)
2. The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest (Melanie Dickerson)
3. The Beautiful Pretender (Melanie Dickerson)
4. The Orphan's Wish (Melanie Dickerson)
5. The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Elizabeth Speare)
6. The Healer's Apprentice (Melanie Dickerson)--2nd read
7. The Warrior Maiden (Melanie Dickerson)
8. A Daring Sacrifice (Jody Hedlund)
9. The Invisible Friend (Lois Walfrid Johnson)
G
1. Adventures of the Wishing-Chair (Enid Blyton)
2. More Wishing-Chair Stories (Enid Blyton)
3. Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Susan S. Adler)
4. The Boxcar Children: The Black Widow Spider Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
5. Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)
6. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Eleanor Coerr)
7. Haunted House (Peggy Parish)
8. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Singing Ghost (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
9. Felicity Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Valerie Tripp)
10. Skylark (Patricia MacLachlan)
$5 won!
11. The Tower in Ho-Ho Wood and Other Stories (Enid Blyton)
12. The Enchanted Wood (Enid Blyton)
13. The Magic Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)
14. Caleb's Story (Patricia MacLachlan)
15. The Firebird (Mairi Mackinnon, retold)
16. The Folk of the Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)
17. The Boxcar Children (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
18. The Boxcar Children: Mountain Top Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
19. The Caravan Family (Enid Blyton)
20. Hannah's Helping Hands (Jean Van Leeuwen)
$5 won!
21. The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
22. Little House in the Big Woods (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
23. Meet Molly: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)
24. Meet Kirsten: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)
D
1. The Fully Funded Missionary (Rob Parker)
2. The Case for Christ (Lee Strobel)
3. Breaking the Stronghold of Food (Michael L. Brown)
4. The Fire of Delayed Answers (Bob Sorge)
5. The Secret of Happiness (Billy Graham)
6, Boundaries (Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend)
7. Captivating (John & Stasi Eldredge)
8. Jesus Revolution (Greg Laurie & Ellen Vaughn)
So, on the topic of books... I was wanting to join the Pizza Hut Book-It program, but I'm too late to enroll for this year. So, my husband decided that for each ten books that the kids read (on their own, not school-assigned books), he will buy them a Dairy Queen blizzard.
UPDATE: The kids now have a choice between a blizzard or $5 for every 10 books read. Of course, they're going to choose the money!
UPDATE 2: I have continued this running log of books the kids have read for money from last school year. They are currently half way through 4th, 8th, and 11th grades!
This is where I'll keep my running log of what books each child reads to get rewarded:
I
1. Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins)
2. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Suzanne Collins)
3. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Suzanne Collins)
4. Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Suzanne Collins)
5. Gregor and the Code of Claw (Suzanne Collins)
6. Snakehead (Anthony Horowitz)
7. Scorpia Rising (Anthony Horowitz)
8. Ark Angel (Anthony Horowitz)
9. Crocodile Tears (Anthony Horowitz)
10 Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (Gregg Lewis and Deborah Shaw Lewis)
Blizzard won!
11. Gold of the Gods (Bear Grylls)
12. Flight of the Eagles (Gilbert L. Morris)
13. Way of the Wolf (Bear Grylls)
14. Sands of the Scorpion (Bear Grylls)
15. The Gates of Neptune (Gilbert L. Morris)
16. Tracks of the Tiger (Bear Grylls)
17. Claws of the Crocodile (Bear Grylls)
18. Strike of the Shark (Bear Grylls)
19. Rage of the Rhino (Bear Grylls)
20. Lair of the Leopard (Bear Grylls)---10th grade
$5 won!
21. The Tombs of Anak (Frank Peretti)
22. Escape from the Island of Aquarius (Frank Peretti)
23. The Deadly Curse of Toco-Rey (Frank Peretti)
24. The Door in the Dragon's Throat (Frank Peretti)
25. The Secret of the Desert Stone (Frank Peretti)
26. Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea (Frank Peretti)
27. Gathering Blue (Lois Lowry)
28. Point Blanc (Anthony Horowitz)
29. Skeleton Key (Anthony Horowitz)
30. The Legend of Annie Murphy (Frank Peretti)
$5 won!
31. Eagle Strike (Anthony Horowitz)---11th grade
32. The Sword of Camelot (Gilbert Morris)
33. Winged Raiders of the Desert (Gilbert Morris)
34. The Final Kingdom (Gilbert Morris)
35. Never Say Die (Anthony Horowitz)
36. The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster)
37. Code of Silence (Tim Shoemaker)
38. Back Before Dark (Tim Shoemaker)
39. Below the Surface (Tim Shoemaker)
40. Voyage of the Dolphin (Gilbert Morris)
$5 won!
41. Infidel (Ted Dekker)
42. The Terrible Beast of Zor (Gilbert Morris)
43. By Divine Right (Patrick W. Carr)
44. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
45. Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
46. Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins)
47. A Cast of Stones (Patrick W. Carr)
48. Chaos (Ted Dekker)
49. Empress of the Underworld (Gilbert Morris)
50. Divergent (Veronica Roth)
$5 won!
51. Stormbreaker (Anthony Horowitz)
52. Scorpia (Anthony Horowitz)
53. Russian Roulette (Anthony Horowitz)
54. The Mystery of Mar Saba (James H. Hunter)
55. The Diamond Brothers in Two of Diamonds (Anthony Horowitz)
56. Toro! Toro! (Michael Morpurgo)
57. Public Enemy Number Two (Anthony Horowitz)
58. War Horse (Michael Morporgo)
59. Saving Zasha (Randi Barrow)
60. South by Southeast (Anthony Horowitz)
$5 won!
61. Waiting for Anya (Michael Morpurgo)
62. Kensuke's Kingdom (Michael Morpurgo)
63. Chosen (Ted Dekker)
64. Friend or Foe (Michael Morpurgo)
65. Crossover (John C. Dalglish)
66. The Shock of Night (Patrick Carr)
67. The Door (Lorilyn Roberts)
68. The Caves that Time Forgot (Gilbert Morris)
69. Kaspar: Prince of Cats (Michael Morpurgo)
70. The Wreck of the Zanzibar (Michael Morpurgo)
$5 won!
71. Arklight Operation Nightfall (J.M. Myrick)--12th
72. Renegade (Ted Dekker)
73. Lunatic (Ted Dekker)
74. Crescent (Homer Hickam)
75. Elyon (Ted Dekker)
M
1. The Sign of the Twisted Candle (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
2. The Haunted Bridge (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
3. The Secret Boat (Patricia St. John)
4. In Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
5. The Haunted Carousel (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
6. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Eleanor Coerr)
7. Still More Stories from Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
8. The Healer's Apprentice (Melanie Dickerson)
9. Little House in the Big Woods (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
10. The Haunted Carousel (Nancy Drewe Mystery by Carolyn Keene)--7th grade
$5 won!
1. Treasures from Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
2. Happy Birthday, Molly! A Springtime Story (Valerie Tripp) AND
Addie Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Connie Porter)*
3. Meet Kit: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp) AND
Meet Kaya: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)*
4. Meet Addy: An American Girl (Connie Porter) AND
Molly's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Valerie Tripp)*
5. Meet Molly: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp) AND
Meet Felicity: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)*
6. Felicity Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Valerie Tripp) AND
Meet Josefina: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)*
7. Meet Samantha: An American Girl (Susan Adler) AND
Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Susan Adler)*
8. Happy Birthday, Kit! (Valerie Tripp) AND
Meet Kirsten: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)*
9. The Invisible Intruder (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
10. The Mystery of the Tolling Bell (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
$5 won!
1. Mary Todd Lincoln (Katharine E. Wilkie)--8th grade
2. Felicity's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Valerie Tripp)
Kirsten's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Janet Shaw)*
3. Outside (Andre Norton)
4. The Hidden Window Mystery (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
5. The Merchant's Daughter (Melanie Dickerson)
6. The Silent Songbird (Melanie Dickerson)
7. The Princess Spy (Melanie Dickerson)
8. The Fairest Beauty (Melanie Dickerson)
9. The Captive Maiden (Melanie Dickerson)
10. The Golden Braid (Melanie Dickerson)
$5 won!
1. For Love & Honor (Jody Hedlund)
2. The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest (Melanie Dickerson)
3. The Beautiful Pretender (Melanie Dickerson)
4. The Orphan's Wish (Melanie Dickerson)
5. The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Elizabeth Speare)
6. The Healer's Apprentice (Melanie Dickerson)--2nd read
7. The Warrior Maiden (Melanie Dickerson)
8. A Daring Sacrifice (Jody Hedlund)
9. The Invisible Friend (Lois Walfrid Johnson)
G
1. Adventures of the Wishing-Chair (Enid Blyton)
2. More Wishing-Chair Stories (Enid Blyton)
3. Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Susan S. Adler)
4. The Boxcar Children: The Black Widow Spider Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
5. Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)
6. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Eleanor Coerr)
7. Haunted House (Peggy Parish)
8. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Singing Ghost (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
9. Felicity Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Valerie Tripp)
10. Skylark (Patricia MacLachlan)
$5 won!
11. The Tower in Ho-Ho Wood and Other Stories (Enid Blyton)
12. The Enchanted Wood (Enid Blyton)
13. The Magic Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)
14. Caleb's Story (Patricia MacLachlan)
15. The Firebird (Mairi Mackinnon, retold)
16. The Folk of the Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)
17. The Boxcar Children (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
18. The Boxcar Children: Mountain Top Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
19. The Caravan Family (Enid Blyton)
20. Hannah's Helping Hands (Jean Van Leeuwen)
$5 won!
21. The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
22. Little House in the Big Woods (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
23. Meet Molly: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)
24. Meet Kirsten: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)
25. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum)
26. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Purple Pool (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
27. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Stolen Boxcar (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
28. The Boxcar Children: Mystery Behind the Wall (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
29. Bad Kitty vs Uncle Murray (Nick Bruel)
30. Happy Birthday Bad Kitty (Nick Bruel)
$5 won!
31. Bad Kitty Drawn to Trouble (Nick Bruel)--3rd grade
32. The Boxcar Children: Mystery in the Sand (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
33. The Boxcar Children: The Camp-Out Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
34. The Boxcar Children: The Castle Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
35. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Missing Cat (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
36. Little House on the Prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder)--4th grade
37. The Boxcar Children: The Radio Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
38. The Boxcar Children: Caboose Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
39. The Boxcar Children: The Lighthouse Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
40. Molly's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Valerie Tripp)
$5 won! ALSO Pizza Hut pizza won! (We were able to start this October 2017)
41. Five Go Adventuring Again (Enid Blyton)
42. On the Banks of Plum Creek (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
43. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Crooked House (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
44. Happy Birthday, Molly! A Springtime Story (Valerie Tripp)
45. The Boxcar Children: Mystery Ranch (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
46. I Survived (True Stories): Five Epic Disasters (Lauren Tarshis)
47. The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip (Jerry West)
48. Meet Marie-Grace (Sarah Masters Buckey)
49. Meet Cécile (Denise Lewis Patrick)
50. Kirsten's Surprise (Janet Shaw)
$5 won!
51. Five on a Secret Trail (Enid Blyton)
52. The Saucy Jane Family (Enid Blyton)
53. Up and Down the River (Rebecca Caudill)
54. Five Go to Demon's Rock (Enid Blyton)
[BEGIN GRADE 5]
55. I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (Lauren Tarshis)
56. I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (Lauren Tarshis)
57. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 (Lauren Tarshis)
58. I Survived the Shark Attack of 1916 (Lauren Tarshish)
59. The Famous Five: Five Go Off to Camp (Enid Blyton)
60. The Famous Five: Five Get Into a Fix (Enid Blyton)
$5 won!
61. The Famous Five: Five Fall Into Adventure (Enid Blyton)
62. The Famous Five: Five Go Down to the Sea (Enid Blyton)
63. The Famous Five: Five on a Hike Together (Enid Blyton)
64. The Boxcar Children: The Yellow House Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
65. The Boxcar Children: Schoolhouse Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
66. The Marvelous Land of Oz (L. Frank Baum)
67. The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat (Enid Blyton)
68. Treasures of the Snow (Patricia M. St. John)
My husband decided that the kids could opt for $5 for every ten books they read, so that's what we're doing now. If he did that for me, he'd go broke! However, he has made me the same offer for reading Christian nonfiction books. I'm not really a lover of nonfiction, though I do love Christian fiction, so reading ten Christian NONFICTION books is a challenge for me. Will I do it for $5? I like spending money (to buy more books of course), so yes, I will! My list is below:26. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Purple Pool (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
27. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Stolen Boxcar (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
28. The Boxcar Children: Mystery Behind the Wall (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
29. Bad Kitty vs Uncle Murray (Nick Bruel)
30. Happy Birthday Bad Kitty (Nick Bruel)
$5 won!
31. Bad Kitty Drawn to Trouble (Nick Bruel)--3rd grade
32. The Boxcar Children: Mystery in the Sand (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
33. The Boxcar Children: The Camp-Out Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
34. The Boxcar Children: The Castle Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
35. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Missing Cat (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
36. Little House on the Prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder)--4th grade
37. The Boxcar Children: The Radio Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
38. The Boxcar Children: Caboose Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
39. The Boxcar Children: The Lighthouse Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
40. Molly's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Valerie Tripp)
$5 won! ALSO Pizza Hut pizza won! (We were able to start this October 2017)
41. Five Go Adventuring Again (Enid Blyton)
42. On the Banks of Plum Creek (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
43. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Crooked House (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
44. Happy Birthday, Molly! A Springtime Story (Valerie Tripp)
45. The Boxcar Children: Mystery Ranch (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
46. I Survived (True Stories): Five Epic Disasters (Lauren Tarshis)
47. The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip (Jerry West)
48. Meet Marie-Grace (Sarah Masters Buckey)
49. Meet Cécile (Denise Lewis Patrick)
50. Kirsten's Surprise (Janet Shaw)
$5 won!
51. Five on a Secret Trail (Enid Blyton)
52. The Saucy Jane Family (Enid Blyton)
53. Up and Down the River (Rebecca Caudill)
54. Five Go to Demon's Rock (Enid Blyton)
[BEGIN GRADE 5]
55. I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (Lauren Tarshis)
56. I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (Lauren Tarshis)
57. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 (Lauren Tarshis)
58. I Survived the Shark Attack of 1916 (Lauren Tarshish)
59. The Famous Five: Five Go Off to Camp (Enid Blyton)
60. The Famous Five: Five Get Into a Fix (Enid Blyton)
$5 won!
61. The Famous Five: Five Fall Into Adventure (Enid Blyton)
62. The Famous Five: Five Go Down to the Sea (Enid Blyton)
63. The Famous Five: Five on a Hike Together (Enid Blyton)
64. The Boxcar Children: The Yellow House Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
65. The Boxcar Children: Schoolhouse Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
66. The Marvelous Land of Oz (L. Frank Baum)
67. The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat (Enid Blyton)
68. Treasures of the Snow (Patricia M. St. John)
D
1. The Fully Funded Missionary (Rob Parker)
2. The Case for Christ (Lee Strobel)
3. Breaking the Stronghold of Food (Michael L. Brown)
4. The Fire of Delayed Answers (Bob Sorge)
5. The Secret of Happiness (Billy Graham)
6, Boundaries (Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend)
7. Captivating (John & Stasi Eldredge)
8. Jesus Revolution (Greg Laurie & Ellen Vaughn)
Sunday, 9 October 2016
10th Grade Reading Log
This is my son's reading log for 10th grade. This log will include books required for school (*) as well as books he reads on his own.
1. The Cat of Bubastes (G.A. Henty)*
2. Ben-Hur (Lew Wallace)*
3. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Suzanne Collins)
4. Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Suzanne Collins)
5. Gregor and the Code of Claw (Suzanne Collins)
6. Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins)
7. Scorpia Rising (Anthony Horowitz)
8. Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (Gregg Lewis and Deborah Shaw Lewis)
9. No Fear Shakespeare: Julius Caesar (Shakespeare)*
10. Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins)
11. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Suzanne Collins)
12. Snakehead (Anthony Horowitz)
13. Ark Angel (Anthony Horowitz)
14. Crocodile Tears (Anthony Horowitz)
15. Gold of the Gods (Bear Grylls)
16. Pearl Maiden (H. Rider Haggard)*
17. King Arthur and His Knights (Howard Pyle)*
18. Flight of the Eagles (Gilbert L. Morris)
19. Way of the Wolf (Bear Grylls)
20. Sands of the Scorpion (Bear Grylls)
21. A Man for All Seasons (Robert Bolt)*
22. The Gates of Neptune (Gilbert L. Morris)
23. Tracks of the Tiger (Bear Grylls)
24. Claws of the Crocodile (Bear Grylls)
25. Strike of the Shark (Bear Grylls)
26. Rage of the Rhino (Bear Grylls)
27. Lair of the Leopard (Bear Grylls)
1. The Cat of Bubastes (G.A. Henty)*
2. Ben-Hur (Lew Wallace)*
3. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Suzanne Collins)
4. Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Suzanne Collins)
5. Gregor and the Code of Claw (Suzanne Collins)
6. Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins)
7. Scorpia Rising (Anthony Horowitz)
8. Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (Gregg Lewis and Deborah Shaw Lewis)
9. No Fear Shakespeare: Julius Caesar (Shakespeare)*
10. Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins)
11. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Suzanne Collins)
12. Snakehead (Anthony Horowitz)
13. Ark Angel (Anthony Horowitz)
14. Crocodile Tears (Anthony Horowitz)
15. Gold of the Gods (Bear Grylls)
16. Pearl Maiden (H. Rider Haggard)*
17. King Arthur and His Knights (Howard Pyle)*
18. Flight of the Eagles (Gilbert L. Morris)
19. Way of the Wolf (Bear Grylls)
20. Sands of the Scorpion (Bear Grylls)
21. A Man for All Seasons (Robert Bolt)*
22. The Gates of Neptune (Gilbert L. Morris)
23. Tracks of the Tiger (Bear Grylls)
24. Claws of the Crocodile (Bear Grylls)
25. Strike of the Shark (Bear Grylls)
26. Rage of the Rhino (Bear Grylls)
27. Lair of the Leopard (Bear Grylls)
Friday, 7 October 2016
7th Grade Reading Log
This is my daughter's reading log for 7th grade. This log will include books required for school (*) as well as books she has read on her own.
1. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall (Carolyn Keene) [Nancy Drew Mystery]
2. George Muller: The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans (Janet and Geoff Benge) [Christian Heroes: Then and Now series]*
3. Beric the Briton (G.A. Henty)*
4. In the Days of Alfred the Great (Eve March Tappan)*
5. Wulf the Saxon (G.A. Henty)*
6. The Secret Boat (Patricia St. John)
7. Swiss Holiday (Elizabeth Yates)*
8. In the Days of Alfred the Great (Eva March Tappan)*
9. The Haunted Bridge (Carolyn Keene) [Nancy Drew Mystery]
10. In Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
1. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall (Carolyn Keene) [Nancy Drew Mystery]
2. George Muller: The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans (Janet and Geoff Benge) [Christian Heroes: Then and Now series]*
3. Beric the Briton (G.A. Henty)*
4. In the Days of Alfred the Great (Eve March Tappan)*
5. Wulf the Saxon (G.A. Henty)*
6. The Secret Boat (Patricia St. John)
7. Swiss Holiday (Elizabeth Yates)*
8. In the Days of Alfred the Great (Eva March Tappan)*
9. The Haunted Bridge (Carolyn Keene) [Nancy Drew Mystery]
10. In Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
11. The Haunted Carousel (Carolyn Keene) [Nancy Drew Mystery]
12. The Bronze Bow (Elizabeth Speare)*
13. In Freedom's Cause (G.A. Henty)*
14. Watership Down (Richard Adams)*
15. The Wool-Pack (Cynthia Harnett)*
16. The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day (Scott O'Dell)*
17. Still More Stories from Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
18. Children of the New Forest (Frederick Marryat)*
19. Isaac Newton: Inventor, Scientist, and Teacher (John Hudson Tiner)*
20. The Healer's Apprentice (Melanie Dickerson)
12. The Bronze Bow (Elizabeth Speare)*
13. In Freedom's Cause (G.A. Henty)*
14. Watership Down (Richard Adams)*
15. The Wool-Pack (Cynthia Harnett)*
16. The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day (Scott O'Dell)*
17. Still More Stories from Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
18. Children of the New Forest (Frederick Marryat)*
19. Isaac Newton: Inventor, Scientist, and Teacher (John Hudson Tiner)*
20. The Healer's Apprentice (Melanie Dickerson)
Thursday, 7 April 2016
Paper Boats for Sale!
Yesterday, my eight-year-old daughter came downstairs to announce that she had boats for sale...only ten pence per boat. I thought it adorably cute, but I thought she was just pretending. Once I realized that she really intended to sell them and expected us to buy them, I didn't want her to be disappointed.
Unfortunately for her, the teacher in me came out instead of the mommy, and I thought to give her a lesson in economics. I told her if she wanted to sell something, then she needed to sell something that people wanted. Bad mommy. Instead of getting my point, she started crying. I felt really bad, but truthfully, I didn't want a paper boat. This week, I've been working hard to de-clutter the house of paper; the last thing I needed was a paper boat.
It did bring back memories of when I was probably just a year or two older than her, and our family was having a yard sale. I picked up several rocks and put them on a table with a price tag. I'm sure they were ordinary rocks, and I'm sure I thought they were beautiful, and surely customers would feel the same. No one bought any rocks until my sweet grandpa (Hedden) felt sorry for me. He bought one of my rocks, and I was so happy.
My husband promised to buy a boat from our daughter (good Daddy), but I soon forgot all about it. This morning, he was going to take her to Home Bargains with him, and she wanted money to spend. I heard her sweet, little voice ringing throughout the house again. "Boats for sale! Only ten pence a boat! Boats for sale!" That's when the mommy in me came out. I am now the proud new owner of TWO paper boats. The smaller one was two pence.
This incident really got me thinking. Someday, my daughter will understand all about economics, and then I will know she's not a little girl anymore. I will remember the days when she tried to sell paper boats to make a little money. I am not looking forward to her growing up. I want to hold onto this moment...when my baby girl is still little. She'll grow up too soon, and I will never forget this. Truly, twelve pence is not too much to pay to see a huge smile on your child's face. Despite the fact that I have been ruthlessly recycling baskets full of paper this week, I am going to keep my lovely paper boats for the rest of my life.
Incidentally, older brother bought three of her boats, and older sister plans to buy one, too. I have a happy little girl, and that makes me happy.
Unfortunately for her, the teacher in me came out instead of the mommy, and I thought to give her a lesson in economics. I told her if she wanted to sell something, then she needed to sell something that people wanted. Bad mommy. Instead of getting my point, she started crying. I felt really bad, but truthfully, I didn't want a paper boat. This week, I've been working hard to de-clutter the house of paper; the last thing I needed was a paper boat.
It did bring back memories of when I was probably just a year or two older than her, and our family was having a yard sale. I picked up several rocks and put them on a table with a price tag. I'm sure they were ordinary rocks, and I'm sure I thought they were beautiful, and surely customers would feel the same. No one bought any rocks until my sweet grandpa (Hedden) felt sorry for me. He bought one of my rocks, and I was so happy.
My husband promised to buy a boat from our daughter (good Daddy), but I soon forgot all about it. This morning, he was going to take her to Home Bargains with him, and she wanted money to spend. I heard her sweet, little voice ringing throughout the house again. "Boats for sale! Only ten pence a boat! Boats for sale!" That's when the mommy in me came out. I am now the proud new owner of TWO paper boats. The smaller one was two pence.
This incident really got me thinking. Someday, my daughter will understand all about economics, and then I will know she's not a little girl anymore. I will remember the days when she tried to sell paper boats to make a little money. I am not looking forward to her growing up. I want to hold onto this moment...when my baby girl is still little. She'll grow up too soon, and I will never forget this. Truly, twelve pence is not too much to pay to see a huge smile on your child's face. Despite the fact that I have been ruthlessly recycling baskets full of paper this week, I am going to keep my lovely paper boats for the rest of my life.
Incidentally, older brother bought three of her boats, and older sister plans to buy one, too. I have a happy little girl, and that makes me happy.
Monday, 12 October 2015
2nd Grade Reading Log 2015-16
This is my youngest daughter's reading log for this year. Books marked * are required for school. I will add books as she reads them.
1. Tornado (Betsy Byars)*
2. In the Garden (Sarah McKenzie)*
3. The Adventures of Laura and Jack (Laura Ingalls Wilder)*
4. The Story of Ferdinand (Munro Leaf)
5. The White Stallion (Elizabeth Shub)
6. Molly's Pilgrim (Barbara Cohen)
7. The Magician's Nephew (C.S. Lewis)
8. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis)
9. Susan's Journey: Step Through the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis Pte, Ltd)
10. Dick Whittington and His Cat (Eva Moore)
11. Meet Samantha: An America Girl, Book One (Susan S. Adler)
Summer Reading:
12. The Boxcar Children (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
1. Tornado (Betsy Byars)*
2. In the Garden (Sarah McKenzie)*
3. The Adventures of Laura and Jack (Laura Ingalls Wilder)*
4. The Story of Ferdinand (Munro Leaf)
5. The White Stallion (Elizabeth Shub)
6. Molly's Pilgrim (Barbara Cohen)
7. The Magician's Nephew (C.S. Lewis)
8. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis)
9. Susan's Journey: Step Through the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis Pte, Ltd)
10. Dick Whittington and His Cat (Eva Moore)
11. Meet Samantha: An America Girl, Book One (Susan S. Adler)
Summer Reading:
12. The Boxcar Children (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
Thursday, 8 October 2015
6th Grade Reading Log 2015-16
This is my daughter's reading log for 6th grade. I will add books as she reads them. Books marked * are required for school.
1. History Spies: The Great Exhibition Mission (Jo Foster)*
2. Caddie Woodlawn's Family (Carol Ryrie Brink)*
3. Rifles for Watie (Harold Keith)*
4. The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)*
5. Shades of Gray (Carolyn Reeder)* (NOTE: This is a historical fiction story for children)
6. Adam of the Road (Elizabeth Janet Gray)*
7. Round the Clock Stories (Enid Blyton)
8. Grandmother Oma (Ilse Kleberger)
9. Tom's Midnight Garden (Philippa Pearce)*
10. Waiting for Mama (Marietta D. Moskin)*
11. The Secret of the Old Clock (Carolyn Keene)*
12. American Tall Tales (Adrien Stoutenburg)*
13. The Golden Key and Other Stories (George MacDonald)*
14. Esperanza Rising (Pam Muñoz Ryan)*
15. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (Judith Kerr)*
16. The Victory Garden (Lee Kochenderfer)*
17. The Last Battle (C.S. Lewis)
1. History Spies: The Great Exhibition Mission (Jo Foster)*
2. Caddie Woodlawn's Family (Carol Ryrie Brink)*
3. Rifles for Watie (Harold Keith)*
4. The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)*
5. Shades of Gray (Carolyn Reeder)* (NOTE: This is a historical fiction story for children)
6. Adam of the Road (Elizabeth Janet Gray)*
7. Round the Clock Stories (Enid Blyton)
8. Grandmother Oma (Ilse Kleberger)
9. Tom's Midnight Garden (Philippa Pearce)*
10. Waiting for Mama (Marietta D. Moskin)*
11. The Secret of the Old Clock (Carolyn Keene)*
12. American Tall Tales (Adrien Stoutenburg)*
13. The Golden Key and Other Stories (George MacDonald)*
14. Esperanza Rising (Pam Muñoz Ryan)*
15. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (Judith Kerr)*
16. The Victory Garden (Lee Kochenderfer)*
17. The Last Battle (C.S. Lewis)
Wednesday, 7 October 2015
9th Grade Reading Log
This is my son's reading log for 9th grade. I will add books as he reads them. Books marked * are required reading for school.
1. The Ultimate Survival Guide: Surviving Any Situation (J & P LLC RSR)
2. Public Enemy Number Two (Anthony Horowitz)
3. Mission Survival: Gold of the Gods (Bear Grylls)
4. But Don't All Religions Lead to God? (Michael Green)*
5. Herodotus and the Road to History (Jeanne Bendick)*
6. Shane (Jack Schaefer)*
7. Word to Caesar (Geoffrey Trease)*
8. Mimosa: A True Story (Amy Carmichael)*
9. A Silk Road Pilgrimage: Discovering the Church of the East (Richard Showalter)*
10. Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson)*
11. Ragged Dick (Horatio Alger, Jr.)*
12. Stormbreaker (Anthony Horowitz)
13. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
14. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Suzanne Collins)
15. Mission Survival: Way of the Wolf (Bear Grylls)
16. Mission Survival: Sands of the Scorpion (Bear Grylls)
17. Mission Survival: Tracks of the Tiger (Bear Grylls)
18. Mission Survival: Claws of the Crocodile (Bear Grylls)
19. Mission Survival: Strike of the Shark (Bear Grylls)
20. Mission Survival: Rage of the Rhino (Bear Grylls)
21. Mission Survival: Lair of the Leopard (Bear Grylls)
22. The Christmas Star (Ace Collins)
23. Where Am I? The Story of Maps and Navigation (A.G. Smith)*
24. Men of Iron (Howard Pyle)*
25. Sundar Singh (Janet and Geoff Benge)*
26. The Screwtape Letters (C.S. Lewis)*
27. The King's Fifth (Scott O'Dell)*
28. In the Days of Drake (J.S. Fletcher)*
29. Skeleton Key (Anthony Horowitz)
30. Eagle Strike (Anthony Horowitz)
31. Queen of the Dark Chamber (Christiana Tsai)*
32. Wilfred Grenfell: Fisher of Men (Janet and Geoff Benge)*
33. Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
34. The Great Escape (Paul Brickhill)
35. Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins)
36. Queen Sheba's Ring (H. Rider Haggard)*
37. I Dared to Call Him Father (Bilquis Sheikh and Richard H. Schneider)*
38. Captains Courageous (Rudyard Kipling)*
39. Divergent (Veronica Roth)
Summer Reading:
40.
1. The Ultimate Survival Guide: Surviving Any Situation (J & P LLC RSR)
2. Public Enemy Number Two (Anthony Horowitz)
3. Mission Survival: Gold of the Gods (Bear Grylls)
4. But Don't All Religions Lead to God? (Michael Green)*
5. Herodotus and the Road to History (Jeanne Bendick)*
6. Shane (Jack Schaefer)*
7. Word to Caesar (Geoffrey Trease)*
8. Mimosa: A True Story (Amy Carmichael)*
9. A Silk Road Pilgrimage: Discovering the Church of the East (Richard Showalter)*
10. Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson)*
11. Ragged Dick (Horatio Alger, Jr.)*
12. Stormbreaker (Anthony Horowitz)
13. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
14. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Suzanne Collins)
15. Mission Survival: Way of the Wolf (Bear Grylls)
16. Mission Survival: Sands of the Scorpion (Bear Grylls)
17. Mission Survival: Tracks of the Tiger (Bear Grylls)
18. Mission Survival: Claws of the Crocodile (Bear Grylls)
19. Mission Survival: Strike of the Shark (Bear Grylls)
20. Mission Survival: Rage of the Rhino (Bear Grylls)
21. Mission Survival: Lair of the Leopard (Bear Grylls)
22. The Christmas Star (Ace Collins)
23. Where Am I? The Story of Maps and Navigation (A.G. Smith)*
24. Men of Iron (Howard Pyle)*
25. Sundar Singh (Janet and Geoff Benge)*
26. The Screwtape Letters (C.S. Lewis)*
27. The King's Fifth (Scott O'Dell)*
28. In the Days of Drake (J.S. Fletcher)*
29. Skeleton Key (Anthony Horowitz)
30. Eagle Strike (Anthony Horowitz)
31. Queen of the Dark Chamber (Christiana Tsai)*
32. Wilfred Grenfell: Fisher of Men (Janet and Geoff Benge)*
33. Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
34. The Great Escape (Paul Brickhill)
35. Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins)
36. Queen Sheba's Ring (H. Rider Haggard)*
37. I Dared to Call Him Father (Bilquis Sheikh and Richard H. Schneider)*
38. Captains Courageous (Rudyard Kipling)*
39. Divergent (Veronica Roth)
Summer Reading:
40.
Saturday, 4 July 2015
9th Grade Curriculum 2015-16
My son is in high school! Instead of picking and choosing my own curriculum (subject by subject) this year, I decided to order an all-in-one curriculum program. I used Heart of Dakota for kindergarten and grade 1. Although I loved their program, I began choosing my own materials after 1st grade. For 9th grade, I’m returning to Heart of Dakota, partly to make things easier on myself since we’re beginning something new (high school) and partly because I really like what the program includes.
The manual we’re using for 9th grade is called Hearts for Him Though High School: World Geography. If you follow the link, you can see exactly what it includes. There are so many books that I am not going to list them all! Here’s an overview of the program:
1. Social Studies/Bible: World Geography (1 credit), World Religions and Cultures (1/2 credit), and Bible (1 credit). This includes an optional “Living Library” of books they can read alongside the other books, but I will only use some of those (can’t afford everything). Follow the link to see the exact titles. The world geography includes 3 books to read, 1 DVD set, a mapping with art book, a student journal, and a Book of Centuries notebook page set with a CD of timeline figures. The world religions and cultures course includes 10 books to read and a set of notebook pages. The Bible course includes two books (Rooted and Grounded workbook and Practical Happiness). Of the optional living library books, I have 10 of them (I think), so we’ll read those to supplement the topics he’s studying.
2. Logic: Includes The Fallacy Detective (which we tried in an earlier grade, but it went over his head) and The Art of Argument. This will not be done every day, and the it is a 1/2-credit course.
3. Spanish: Getting Started with Spanish (1/2 credit)
4. English: A combination of literature, composition, and grammar (1 credit). Program uses BJU Fundamentals of Literature, Essentials in Writing (DVD lessons and student book), and Rod and Staff English. There is also a set of 7 books he’ll be reading. Follow the link and scroll down to see the titles.
5. Science: Physical Science (1 credit). We’re using Integrated Physics and Chemistry (Tiner) and the MicroPhySci Kit. I had decided about a year ago or longer to use Heart of Dakota for Isaac, and I’m glad to say that my science teacher dad approved of the science component after he looked it over. I’ll be on my own for science after this and can only hope to choose programs he would have approved of (because I really valued his opinion when it came to science).
5. Math: Algebra (1 credit) using No-Nonsense Algebra. This was the cheapest program offered (out of 3 choices) and also what HOD describes as working well with students who have struggled in math. It has easy-to-understand, short and concise lessons, and you also get free online access to video instruction if needed. It’s not an advanced algebra course, but it is supposed to be adequate, so I’m hoping this program will be a great fit for my son.
6. Extracurricular: I’ll probably do a few other things not included in Heart of Dakota. This will include P.E., programming (Hour of Code) and typing (both continued from 8th grade), and possibly some art or music. This Heart of Dakota program is designed for a 4-day week, so Fridays can be used for extracurricular activities and student interests.
Click on links to view my 2015-16 curriculum choices for 2nd and 6th grades.
This post is linked to iHomeschool Network's 7th Annual "Not" Back to School Blog Hop.
6th Grade Curriculum 2015-16
My middle child is in 6th grade. How did that happen so quickly? It seems like yesterday that I was posting this list for my oldest. Anyway, here’s what my daughter will be using this coming school year.
1. Math: Teaching Textbooks 6—This program has been very successful for my family, and I highly recommend it. In the past, I’ve read a lot of negative feedback on the program, which I completely disagreed with. If you’re afraid to use TT because of what you’ve read (about it being too easy), I would recommend reading this post from Timberdoodle: Is Teaching Textbooks Math Too Easy? The only downside is the cost, but for us, it’s been totally worth it.
2. Reading: Drawn Into the Heart of Reading—We’ve used this program from Heart of Dakota since my oldest was in 4th grade. This year, my daughter will be reading the following books for the program (not all choices are final at this point):
Biography: Jane Austen: The Girl With the Magic Pen! (Gill Hornby)
Adventure: The Hobbit (J.R.R Tolkien) OR The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (Joan Aiken)
Historical Fiction: Adam of the Road (Elizabeth Janet Gray)
Fantasy: Tom’s Midnight Garden (Phillipa Pearce)
Mystery: Secret of the Old Clock (Carolyn Keene) OR Mandie and the Fiery Rescue (Lois Gladys Leppard)
Folk Tales: American Tall Tales (Adrien Stoutenburg) AND The Golden Key and Other Stories (George MacDonald)
Nonfiction: The Great Fire (Jim Murphy)
Humor: Ginger Pye (Eleanor Estes) OR The Moffats (Eleanor Estes)
Realistic Fiction: Treasures of the Snow (Patricia M. St. John)
3. History: Story of the World, Volume 4: The Modern Age—We supplement with the accompanying activity book and plenty of good literature and videos.
4. Language: Easy Grammar: Grade 6—This will be the second time I’ve used this program, and I find it to be a very effective method for learning grammar. Along with Easy Grammar, we do Daily Grams: Grade 6 for extra practice.
5. Spelling: All About Spelling, Level 6
6. Science: Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Botany and Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics—The chemistry and physics book will be new for us because they hadn’t yet released that title when my oldest was in 6th grade. We always do two Apologia titles a year between grades 4-6 by doing science daily. Otherwise, we would never get through them all.
7. Read-Aloud Time: I’m hoping to read aloud to my daughter from some classics this year. We’ll just read as we’re able, so I won’t have a schedule. Here’s a list of possibilities: Little Women (Louisa May Alcott), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (Kate Douglas Wiggin), The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum), Heidi (Johanna Spyri), Black Beauty (Anna Sewell), and The Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens).
8. Electives:
Music—Singing Made Easy, piano, and recorder and Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool Modern Music
Art—Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool Modern Art
Thinking Skills—Critical and Creative Thinking Activities
P.E.—Family Time Fitness
Typing—Typing Instructor for Kids Platinum
Click on links to view my 2015-16 curriculum choices for 2nd and 9th grades.
This post is linked to iHomeschool Network's 7th Annual "Not" Back to School Blog Hop.
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
2nd Grade Curriculum 2015-16
My youngest is almost a 2nd grader! This will be my third time with this curriculum. I don’t think there are too many changes. Do keep in mind, in case you think I have an awfully large number of subjects here, that many of these will be rotated so that not every subject will be taught all in one day (heaven forbid!).
1. Math: Singapore Math—Primary Mathematics 2A and 2B (U.S. Edition). I’ve used Singapore Math for K-3 with all of my kids, and they have done very well with it.
2. Reading: Reading to Learn series—Happy Hearts and Helping Hands (2 readers). I’ve used this series for grades 1-3 with each child, and we really have enjoyed it. These readers are advanced, but my youngest read through the first grade reader so quickly that she’s been reading other books the last half of the school year. She’s already reading chapter books in fact! I still plan to use these readers for 2nd grade, but if she gets through them quickly, then I’ll come up with a list of chapter books for her to read.
3. Spelling: All About Spelling—Levels 2 and 3. This is our favorite spelling program. She’s already finished part of Level 2 in 1st grade, so she will probably get to Level 3 during 2nd grade.
4. Handwriting: Pictures in Cursive Primer—I used this with my daughter’s older sister, and we enjoyed it. The painting reproductions are very nice.
5. Language: Language Lessons for the Elementary Child, Volume 1—This is where I’m changing things up from what I did with the older two. With them, I didn’t use this book until they were in 3rd grade; however, I think my youngest will be able handle it easily. We’ll try it, anyway. She literally whizzed through all of her 1st grade work each day, so I think she’s ready.
6. Writing: Journal--There are writing exercises in the language book; however, since she already loves to write, I will probably have her keep a journal.
7. Poetry: Poems for Memorization—She is very good at memorizing, so we’ll try working on some of these poems. I intended to use it with my older two, but somehow we never got to it that often.
8. Science: Our Father’s World—We used the second grade book along with her Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory program (Heart of Dakota), so I’m using the first grade book this year. We’ll probably supplement it with experiments and nature study.
9. History: The Story of the World, Volume 1: Ancient Times—All of my kids have used this program, and we really like it. Because the book has only a few Bible stories, I do add a lot to the program. We use the accompanying activity book and supplement with plenty of books. To top it all off, we will take her to the British Museum in London, something I’ve done with my older two when they studied ancient history.
10. Geography: With my older two kids, we did three years of geography units on different countries, plus one year on states. Now, my older two are finished with our geography units, and my youngest gets to start them for the first time! I love geography, so this is a favorite to teach. My units are on my blog (right side bar), but they may vary a little depending on what resources we have available. My youngest will begin with the following countries: Iraq, Egypt, Ghana, Israel, Greece, Italy, China, India, and Turkey.
11. Bible: Grapevine Studies—Stick-Figuring Through the Bible: New Testament Overview, Beginner Level and Seeds Family Worship (Bible verse memorization). Our family has enjoyed these!
12. Story Time: I’ll be reading aloud to her from nine books as follows:
Biography: Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims (Clyde Robert Bulla)
Adventure: (Still working on this one)
Historical Fiction: Little House on the Prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
Fantasy: Rabbit Hill (Robert Lawson)
Mystery: Ghost Town Treasure (Clyde Robert Bulla)
Nonfiction: If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon (E. Levine)
Humor: A Bear Called Paddington (Michael Bond)
Realistic Fiction: Misty of Chincoteague (Marguerite Henry)
Folktales: Dick Whittington and His Cat (retold by Eva Moore)
13. Seatwork: Spectrum Test Practice, Grade 2—Just for skill practice.
14. Thinking Skills: MindWare Brainteaser books—Analogies, Venn Perplexors, and Logic Links. Also we will use a variety of thinking skill games.
15. Music: Singing Made Easy, piano, other.
16. P.E.: Family Time Fitness
17. Art: Joseph the Canada Goose and Draw-Write-Now books
Click on links to view my 2015-16 curriculum for 6th and 9th grades.
This post is linked to iHomeschool Network's 7th Annual "Not" Back to School Blog Hop.
P.S. As I hadn’t published a blog post in several months, I experienced technical difficulties when I tried to publish this post via my Windows Live Writer. If you experience this issue, this post was most helpful: LEHSYS Side Notes
Sunday, 1 March 2015
Random Thoughts on Blogging and Life and Death
Hi, it's me again, after a really long time. I didn't blog much last year, and I haven't done much this year other than keep the kids' reading logs going. At first I wasn't sure why I lost interest in blogging, but maybe I just needed a break. Up until a few years ago, most of my posts revolved around my then-tot. I wrote a lot of posts about Tot School and sensory tubs. Those days are past, as my youngest is currently halfway through first grade. I also enjoyed writing posts about my geography units, but writing them and putting in all the links was so time-consuming. I would really like to get back to my blogging. I have some geography units to post, but maybe I don't have to make them so detailed and long. I also love children's literature, so maybe I can write more about the books we're reading. I also have chosen (and am about to purchase) my son's 9th grade curriculum, so I'll probably post about that next.
Last September, we made a trip home to the USA. Our plans were to stay nearly 4 months, through the holidays. During that time, my dad was having some stomach issues. That was nothing new, as he's had various stomach ailments most of his life. Just before Christmas, however, he worsened. We finally got him to agree to see a doctor, which happened the day we landed back in England. Within a few days, we found out that he had aggressive cancer, and it had gone into his liver. My parents (and us) are firm believers in healing, so when we understood that treatments would not help him, we decided to go back to the US and help my parents fight through prayer. We stayed in England 2 1/2 weeks before going home to the US. Three weeks later, my dad went to be with Jesus. This has been the hardest thing I've ever been through, and I miss him so much. The loss and the hurt feel like they'll never go, but I want to say this. My dad lived 71 years, mostly in good health until the very end, and he lived for the Lord. He didn't really have any pain with his illness, and we are grateful for that. We know we will see him again someday, though the wait seems hard. This life is so short in comparison to eternity, and that gives me comfort. We don't understand why my dad had to go. After all, we prayed, quoted Scripture, worshiped and thanked God for His goodness... We fought the cancer with faith, yet he was not healed on this earth. We ask why, and we may never know, but I do know this: God is still good. He's still faithful, and He loves us. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, and He knows what we're going through. We were never promised an easy life, but He promised to be with us. We still believe in healing. We know people who have been healed physically here on earth. We still have much to be thankful for. My grandpa, my dad's dad, died of cancer when he was 61. I'm thankful my dad made it to 71. In all our sadness, God has shown Himself faithful. We will bounce back, as hard as it is.
Just one more note about my dad. He was a teacher. He taught high school science and math, college-level science, and he taught my sister and me much about science and about God. He retired from high school teaching in 2009, but he continued to teach college classes a few times a week until December. He loved science (particularly geology), he loved to teach, and he truly cared about his students and seeing them succeed. Last school year, he taught my son 7th grade earth science via the internet. Last September, we began our school year here in the US, and my dad taught my son's 8th grade biology until the second week of December. That's something my son will always remember. I just wish he could have taught the girls. When he passed away, I was overwhelmed by the huge number of comments we got on facebook from former students, both high school and college. He touched so many students' lives, and most of them said he was their favorite teacher, and they shared so many memories. It was my dad who gave me my love for learning and for teaching. What I do in our homeschool has a lot to do with his influence. I'm so proud of who he was, and I'll always value what he taught me, both academically and spiritually.
We will be returning to England in another month, and then maybe I will blog again. Those of you who pray, we'd appreciate prayers for our family. The kids are doing fine. They really miss their grandpa--he was a wonderful grandpa, and they have lots of great memories of him. I think getting back to England--to their normal routine, their church, and their friends--will help.
So, until my next post, this is where we're at. Thank you for reading.
Last September, we made a trip home to the USA. Our plans were to stay nearly 4 months, through the holidays. During that time, my dad was having some stomach issues. That was nothing new, as he's had various stomach ailments most of his life. Just before Christmas, however, he worsened. We finally got him to agree to see a doctor, which happened the day we landed back in England. Within a few days, we found out that he had aggressive cancer, and it had gone into his liver. My parents (and us) are firm believers in healing, so when we understood that treatments would not help him, we decided to go back to the US and help my parents fight through prayer. We stayed in England 2 1/2 weeks before going home to the US. Three weeks later, my dad went to be with Jesus. This has been the hardest thing I've ever been through, and I miss him so much. The loss and the hurt feel like they'll never go, but I want to say this. My dad lived 71 years, mostly in good health until the very end, and he lived for the Lord. He didn't really have any pain with his illness, and we are grateful for that. We know we will see him again someday, though the wait seems hard. This life is so short in comparison to eternity, and that gives me comfort. We don't understand why my dad had to go. After all, we prayed, quoted Scripture, worshiped and thanked God for His goodness... We fought the cancer with faith, yet he was not healed on this earth. We ask why, and we may never know, but I do know this: God is still good. He's still faithful, and He loves us. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, and He knows what we're going through. We were never promised an easy life, but He promised to be with us. We still believe in healing. We know people who have been healed physically here on earth. We still have much to be thankful for. My grandpa, my dad's dad, died of cancer when he was 61. I'm thankful my dad made it to 71. In all our sadness, God has shown Himself faithful. We will bounce back, as hard as it is.
Just one more note about my dad. He was a teacher. He taught high school science and math, college-level science, and he taught my sister and me much about science and about God. He retired from high school teaching in 2009, but he continued to teach college classes a few times a week until December. He loved science (particularly geology), he loved to teach, and he truly cared about his students and seeing them succeed. Last school year, he taught my son 7th grade earth science via the internet. Last September, we began our school year here in the US, and my dad taught my son's 8th grade biology until the second week of December. That's something my son will always remember. I just wish he could have taught the girls. When he passed away, I was overwhelmed by the huge number of comments we got on facebook from former students, both high school and college. He touched so many students' lives, and most of them said he was their favorite teacher, and they shared so many memories. It was my dad who gave me my love for learning and for teaching. What I do in our homeschool has a lot to do with his influence. I'm so proud of who he was, and I'll always value what he taught me, both academically and spiritually.
We will be returning to England in another month, and then maybe I will blog again. Those of you who pray, we'd appreciate prayers for our family. The kids are doing fine. They really miss their grandpa--he was a wonderful grandpa, and they have lots of great memories of him. I think getting back to England--to their normal routine, their church, and their friends--will help.
So, until my next post, this is where we're at. Thank you for reading.
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
First Grade Reading Log
Here is my youngest daughter's reading log for 1st grade. These are books she read aloud by herself.
1. Floss (Kim Lewis)
2. Daniel's Duck (Clyde Robert Bulla)
3. Katy and the Big Snow (Virginia Lee Burton)
4. Snowshoe Thompson (Nancy Smiler Levinson)
5. Dolphins! (Sharon Bokoske and Margaret Davidson)
6. Corduroy (Don Freeman)
7. The Big Balloon Race (Eleanor Coerr)
8. Frog and Toad Together (Arnold Lobel)
9. Frog and Toad Are Friends (Arnold Lobel)
10. Frog and Toad All Year (Arnold Lobel)
11. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (Virginia Lee Burton)
12. The Little House (Virginia Lee Burton)
13. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain (Alice Dalgliesh)
14. Whales: The Gentle Giants (Joyce Milton)
15. Wagon Wheels (Barbara Brenner)
16. Amelia Bedelia (Peggy Parish)
17. Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express (Eleanor Coerr)
18. The Josefina Story Quilt (Eleanor Coerr)
19. The Story of Ferdinand (Munro Leaf)
20. Christian Liberty Nature Reader: Book One (Kramer, Bass, Wright)
21. The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge (Hildegarde H. Swift)
22. The Mitten (Jan Brett)
23. Bread and Jam for Frances (Russell Hoban)
Summer Reading
24. Rapunzel (Ian Beck)
25. Horse Pie (Dick King-Smith)
26. Rumplestiltskin (Vera Southgate)
27. Mr. Monkey and the Fairy Tea Party (Linda Chapman)
28. The Most Wonderful Thing in the World (Vivian French)
29. The Frog Prince (Susanna Davidson)
1. Floss (Kim Lewis)
2. Daniel's Duck (Clyde Robert Bulla)
3. Katy and the Big Snow (Virginia Lee Burton)
4. Snowshoe Thompson (Nancy Smiler Levinson)
5. Dolphins! (Sharon Bokoske and Margaret Davidson)
6. Corduroy (Don Freeman)
7. The Big Balloon Race (Eleanor Coerr)
8. Frog and Toad Together (Arnold Lobel)
9. Frog and Toad Are Friends (Arnold Lobel)
10. Frog and Toad All Year (Arnold Lobel)
11. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (Virginia Lee Burton)
12. The Little House (Virginia Lee Burton)
13. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain (Alice Dalgliesh)
14. Whales: The Gentle Giants (Joyce Milton)
15. Wagon Wheels (Barbara Brenner)
16. Amelia Bedelia (Peggy Parish)
17. Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express (Eleanor Coerr)
18. The Josefina Story Quilt (Eleanor Coerr)
19. The Story of Ferdinand (Munro Leaf)
20. Christian Liberty Nature Reader: Book One (Kramer, Bass, Wright)
21. The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge (Hildegarde H. Swift)
22. The Mitten (Jan Brett)
23. Bread and Jam for Frances (Russell Hoban)
Summer Reading
24. Rapunzel (Ian Beck)
25. Horse Pie (Dick King-Smith)
26. Rumplestiltskin (Vera Southgate)
27. Mr. Monkey and the Fairy Tea Party (Linda Chapman)
28. The Most Wonderful Thing in the World (Vivian French)
29. The Frog Prince (Susanna Davidson)
Monday, 13 October 2014
8th Grade Reading Log
Here is my son's reading log for this school year. Books required for school are marked with an *. You can see his 7th grade reading log HERE.
1. Snakehead (Anthony Horowitz)--2x
2. Crocodile Tears (Anthony Horowitz)
3. Ark Angel (Anthony Horowitz)--2x
4. Scorpia (Anthony Horowitz)
5. Eagle Strike (Anthony Horowitz)--2x
6. Skeleton Key (Anthony Horowitz)
7. Point Blanc (Anthony Horowitz)--2x
8. Stormbreaker (Anthony Horowitz)--2x
9. Lincoln: A Photobiography (Russell Freedman)*
10. Surviving Sharks and Other Dangerous Creatures (Allan Zullo)
11. A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt (C. Coco De Young)*
12. The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)
13. True Survival Stories (Paul Dowswell)
14. Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Avi)
15. Foundlings (Matthew Christian Harding)
16. The Mystery of the Midnight Ghost (Helen Moss)
17. Brighty of the Grand Canyon (Marguerite Henry)*
18. The Tale of Despereaux (Kate DiCamillo)
19. Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins)
20. Basher Five-Two (Scott O'Grady and Miehael French)*
21. Strange Creatures of the Snow and Other Great Mysteries (Edward F. Dolan, Jr.)
22. Sunken Treasure (Katy Lee)
23. The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone (Bill Muir and Alex Kendrick)
24. Truth Seekers: The Machine (Bill Myers)
25. Misty of Chincoteague (Marguerite Henry)*
26. Russian Roulette (Anthony Horowitz)
27. The Long Winter (Laura Ingalls Wilder)*
28. The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane (Russell Freedman)*
29. King Solomon's Mines (H. Rider Haggard)
30. The Coral Island (R.M. Ballantyne)
31. The Diamond Brothers in Two of Diamonds (Anthony Horowitz)
32. Lost on a Mountain in Maine (Don Fendler)*
33. South by South East (Anthony Horowitz)
34. The Mysterious Island (Jules Verne)*
35. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne)*
Summer Reading:
36. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Suzanne Collins)
37. Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Suzanne Collins)
38. Gregor and the Code of Claw (Suzanne Collins)
39. Scorpia (Anthony Horowitz) (2nd reading within a year)
40. The Falcon's Malteser (Anthony Horowitz)
41. The Diamond Brothers in the French Confection and the Greek Who Stole Christmas (Anthony Horowitz)
42. Russian Roulette (Anthony Horowitz) (2nd reading within a year)
1. Snakehead (Anthony Horowitz)--2x
2. Crocodile Tears (Anthony Horowitz)
3. Ark Angel (Anthony Horowitz)--2x
4. Scorpia (Anthony Horowitz)
5. Eagle Strike (Anthony Horowitz)--2x
6. Skeleton Key (Anthony Horowitz)
7. Point Blanc (Anthony Horowitz)--2x
8. Stormbreaker (Anthony Horowitz)--2x
9. Lincoln: A Photobiography (Russell Freedman)*
10. Surviving Sharks and Other Dangerous Creatures (Allan Zullo)
11. A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt (C. Coco De Young)*
12. The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)
13. True Survival Stories (Paul Dowswell)
14. Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Avi)
15. Foundlings (Matthew Christian Harding)
16. The Mystery of the Midnight Ghost (Helen Moss)
17. Brighty of the Grand Canyon (Marguerite Henry)*
18. The Tale of Despereaux (Kate DiCamillo)
19. Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins)
20. Basher Five-Two (Scott O'Grady and Miehael French)*
21. Strange Creatures of the Snow and Other Great Mysteries (Edward F. Dolan, Jr.)
22. Sunken Treasure (Katy Lee)
23. The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone (Bill Muir and Alex Kendrick)
24. Truth Seekers: The Machine (Bill Myers)
25. Misty of Chincoteague (Marguerite Henry)*
26. Russian Roulette (Anthony Horowitz)
27. The Long Winter (Laura Ingalls Wilder)*
28. The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane (Russell Freedman)*
29. King Solomon's Mines (H. Rider Haggard)
30. The Coral Island (R.M. Ballantyne)
31. The Diamond Brothers in Two of Diamonds (Anthony Horowitz)
32. Lost on a Mountain in Maine (Don Fendler)*
33. South by South East (Anthony Horowitz)
34. The Mysterious Island (Jules Verne)*
35. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne)*
Summer Reading:
36. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Suzanne Collins)
37. Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Suzanne Collins)
38. Gregor and the Code of Claw (Suzanne Collins)
39. Scorpia (Anthony Horowitz) (2nd reading within a year)
40. The Falcon's Malteser (Anthony Horowitz)
41. The Diamond Brothers in the French Confection and the Greek Who Stole Christmas (Anthony Horowitz)
42. Russian Roulette (Anthony Horowitz) (2nd reading within a year)
Wednesday, 24 September 2014
5th Grade Reading Log 2014-15
This is my daughter's 5th grade reading log. I'll be adding to it as she reads!
*Required for school
1. Pedro's Journal (Pam Conrad)*
2. Jed Smith: Trailblazer of the West (Frank Latham)*
3. Pocahontas and the Strangers (Clyde Robert Bulla)*
4. Escape to Liechtenstein (Ed Dunlop)*
5. Wagon Wheels (Barbara Brenner)*
6. The Courage of Sarah Noble (Alice Dalgliesh)*
7. The Matchlock Gun (Walter D. Edmonds)*
8. Trouble at Otter Creek (Wilma Pitchford Hays)*
9. Amos Fortune, Free Man (Elizabeth Yates)*
10. Brighty of the Grand Canyon (Marguerite Henry)*
11. Almost Home (Wendy Lawton)*
12. Ben and Me (Robert Lawson)*
13. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Robert C. O'Brien)*
14. Toliver's Secret (Esther Wood Brady)*
15. The Invisible Friend (Lois Walfrid Johnson)*
16. The Buffalo Knife (William O. Steele)*
17. Knights, Kings and Conquerors: 20 Stories from British History (Geraldine McCaughrean)*
18. Once on This Island (Gloria Whelan)*
19. Carolina's Courage (Elizabeth Yates)*
20. Christian Liberty Nature Reader, Book 4 (Lindstrom and McHugh)*
21. Captive Treasure (Milly Howard)*
22. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Roald Dahl)*
23. Freedom Crossing (Margaret Goff Clark)*
24. We'll Race You, Henry: A Story About Henry Ford (Barbara Mitchell)*
25. Meet Samantha: An American Girl (Susan S. Adler)*
26. Meet Molly: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)*
27. Happy Birthday, Kit! A Springtime Story (Valerie Tripp)*
Summer Reading
28. Meet Felicity: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)
29. Meet Kit: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)
30. Meet Josefina: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp
31. Meet Kirsten: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)
32. Grimm's Fairy Tales (The Brothers Grimm)
33. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Eleanor Coerr)
34. Ballet Shoes for Anna (Noel Streatfeild)
35. Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars (Ellen MacGregor)
36. Abraham Lincoln (Anne Colver)
37. Five O'Clock Tales (Enid Blyton)
38. The Night Crossing (Karen Ackerman)
*Required for school
1. Pedro's Journal (Pam Conrad)*
2. Jed Smith: Trailblazer of the West (Frank Latham)*
3. Pocahontas and the Strangers (Clyde Robert Bulla)*
4. Escape to Liechtenstein (Ed Dunlop)*
5. Wagon Wheels (Barbara Brenner)*
6. The Courage of Sarah Noble (Alice Dalgliesh)*
7. The Matchlock Gun (Walter D. Edmonds)*
8. Trouble at Otter Creek (Wilma Pitchford Hays)*
9. Amos Fortune, Free Man (Elizabeth Yates)*
10. Brighty of the Grand Canyon (Marguerite Henry)*
11. Almost Home (Wendy Lawton)*
12. Ben and Me (Robert Lawson)*
13. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Robert C. O'Brien)*
14. Toliver's Secret (Esther Wood Brady)*
15. The Invisible Friend (Lois Walfrid Johnson)*
16. The Buffalo Knife (William O. Steele)*
17. Knights, Kings and Conquerors: 20 Stories from British History (Geraldine McCaughrean)*
18. Once on This Island (Gloria Whelan)*
19. Carolina's Courage (Elizabeth Yates)*
20. Christian Liberty Nature Reader, Book 4 (Lindstrom and McHugh)*
21. Captive Treasure (Milly Howard)*
22. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Roald Dahl)*
23. Freedom Crossing (Margaret Goff Clark)*
24. We'll Race You, Henry: A Story About Henry Ford (Barbara Mitchell)*
25. Meet Samantha: An American Girl (Susan S. Adler)*
26. Meet Molly: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)*
27. Happy Birthday, Kit! A Springtime Story (Valerie Tripp)*
Summer Reading
28. Meet Felicity: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)
29. Meet Kit: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)
30. Meet Josefina: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp
31. Meet Kirsten: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)
32. Grimm's Fairy Tales (The Brothers Grimm)
33. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Eleanor Coerr)
34. Ballet Shoes for Anna (Noel Streatfeild)
35. Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars (Ellen MacGregor)
36. Abraham Lincoln (Anne Colver)
37. Five O'Clock Tales (Enid Blyton)
38. The Night Crossing (Karen Ackerman)
Tuesday, 26 August 2014
5th Grade Curriculum 2014-15
We’re due to start school on September 15, which is half a week after we return to the US. We haven’t been home in over 2 years, so we’re pretty excited. Our late start to school is due to our travels and the fact that all my son’s curriculum has been shipped to my parents. Anyway, I’ve posted curriculum choices for my son and youngest daughter (8th and 1st). This post is the curriculum choices for my middle child. She’s going into 5th! Many of these are the same programs I used with my son when he was in 5th, but we’ve changed some things. Here’s our list:
1. Math—Teaching Textbooks 5
2. Reading—Drawn Into the Heart of Reading (using the following literature selections):
Biography: Jed Smith: Trailblazer of the West (Frank Latham)
Adventure: Escape to Leichtenstein (Ed Dunlop)
Historical Fiction: Amos Fortune, Free Man (Elizabeth Yates)
Fantasy: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Robert C. O’Brien)
Mystery: The Invisible Friend (Lois Walfrid Johnson)
Folk Tales: Knights, Kings and Conquerors (Geraldine McCaughrean)
Nonfiction: Christian Liberty Nature Reader, 4 (Lindstrom and McHugh, eds)
Humor: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Roald Dahl)
Realistic Fiction: Swallows and Amazons (Arthur Ransome)
3. Language—Language Lessons for the Elementary Child 2 (finishing from last year) and Simply Grammar: An Illustrated Primer
4. Writing—WriteShop Primer C (continuing from last year) and World of People StoryBuilders
5. Vocabulary—Vocabulary Cartoons
6. Spelling—All About Spelling, levels 5-6
7. Bible—Discover 4 Yourself Series: Lord, Teach Me to Pray for Kids, Wrong Way, Jonah!, Bible Prophecy for Kids (Rev. 1-7), and A Sneak Peek into the Future (Rev. 8-22)
8. Science—Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day and Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology (Apologia)
9. History and Geography—A Child’s Story of America, History Pockets (various), literature supplements, my own unit studies of 18 different states
10. Extracurricular—Rotation
P.E.—Family Time Fitness and/or Swimming
Music—Piano, recorder, singing (Singing Made Easy), Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool Music (Early American)
Art—Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool Art (Early American)
Thursday, 31 July 2014
K5 Learning Review
In May, I was offered the opportunity of trying out K5 Learning for a 6-week trial period. Now that our trial has concluded, I get to tell you my opinion.
K5 Learning is an online program designed to help kids with math, spelling, and reading. While it can be used after school or during the summer for kids who need extra practice, homeschoolers can benefit from this fun program as well.
I tried K5 Learning with my daughters, who are 6 and 9 (just finishing Kindergarten and 4th grade). To begin the process, we asked for and received placement tests. My older daughter took the one for math, and my youngest did the tests for both reading and math. While my oldest tested out at her grade level, she was a bit low on geometry; therefore, that’s where they started her math lessons.
Her opinion on the geometry lessons? She loved them so much that she begged to do extra lessons. In addition to the brilliant graphics, animation, and sound effects, the lessons are actually fun. To my daughter, each lesson was like playing a game. I observed that the instruction was very thorough and easy to understand. The site is very kid-friendly, by the way. Both my daughters were easily able to navigate it independently.
My youngest tested out within the early 1st grade level for both reading and math. She also begged constantly to do lessons on this program. They began her on the levels she tested for, but she quickly picked up the lessons and seemed to understand what she was doing. I heard her laughing a lot, so I’m pretty sure she had fun while learning.
Both girls also used the math facts section. They enjoyed making a character that shows up each time they do the math practice. They were able to choose hair, eyes, nose, mouth, clothing, and accessories. That was probably their favorite part! The math facts include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You can choose what facts your child needs practice in, and a chart at the end shows his or her progress. After completing a set of math facts and seeing their progress chart, children are allowed to choose a game from the game arcade.
Although the lessons were a lot like playing games for my children, I will emphasize that they DID learn. The program is an award-winning curricula.
We didn’t use the spelling program, but I played around with it a little. The spelling includes spelling by hearing the word and also spelling by learning vocabulary. With the vocabulary, you are given a clue and a sentence with a blank. In many cases, two clues are given if the word has more than one definition. While both were great, I do have one issue with the spelling by hearing section. The voices for each word are different, which is fine, but a few of the voices are very difficult to understand.
You can open up accounts for more than one student, each with his or her own user name and password. The parent has a separate user name and password to access the parent section. One key benefit of this program is that it tracks your child’s progress and provides reports for parents to view. Parents can also make their own assignments by choosing from any lesson, although the program itself can give your child assignments based on the assessment.
If you’d like to read more about K5 Learning, go to this link for an overview of the program: K5Learning. Here’s a link to a video tour of the program: K5 Intro Video. Better yet, you can sign up for a free 14-day trial! The website also has links to free sample lessons and thousands of free worksheets. Even if you can’t pay to use the program, the free worksheets are worth a visit to the K5 Learning site.
The only downside of this program for me is the price. You pay a subscription of $25/month or $199/year with discounts for extra children. While the program may be worth the cost, not everyone will be able to afford it. I certainly can’t. If money is not an issue for you, and your child needs a math and reading program for homeschool or just extra practice in those subjects, then I highly recommend K5Learning.
Disclaimer: I was allowed to try out this program for 6 weeks, free of charge, in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
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