When so many are suffering and heartbroken after Friday's shootings, it seems wrong somehow to just go on with life and ramble on about whatever in this Monday post, but I don't know what else to do except keep up the prayers for all those involved; so on we go…
I'm finally done with my Christmas shopping. Nothing is wrapped, but whatever. I'm behind compared to my old self, though. I used to be done by late October, but that was when we only had one kid! Any others out there who used to be all on top of things early? Or maybe some of you can still pull that off? We'd love to hear your tips and suggestions.
- First up today – a great Christmas idea for yourself or someone you know who would like to become healthier in 2012: Sean Croxton is running a screaming deal on the Real Food Summit – just for two days you can get HALF OFF. There are loads of Real Food superstar presenters, people like Joel Salatin, Chris Masterjohn, Jeffrey Smith and more (and some NOT superstars, like myself) – whether you're just getting into this lifestyle or have been a Real Foodie for a while now, you're guaranteed to love it and learn a ton! Click here to sign up and SAVE 50% or to find out more!
- I have a homeschooling question for any of you who could help. Have you read these homeschooling books
? I'm just wondering how closely you follow their recommendations? It seems to me that we're hitting a lot of this stuff, but not all of it and I wonder If I should be worried??? (I know what the unschoolers would say, and I'm thankful for those of you who have helped me to chill out a little, but I'm curious what the rest of you think?)
? I'm just wondering how closely you follow their recommendations? It seems to me that we're hitting a lot of this stuff, but not all of it and I wonder If I should be worried??? (I know what the unschoolers would say, and I'm thankful for those of you who have helped me to chill out a little, but I'm curious what the rest of you think?)- So do you want to know why Kent is extra happy these days? First you have to understand that he's a beer snob. He enjoys a good, rich, complex beer, and you'll only catch him with a Bud Light or Miller Lite in his hands if he was offered one by someone he didn't want to offend. Also understand how much we love living in our little (sorta) town of Rockford. We have a lot of really good friends here, many who also enjoy “better” beer like he does, and it's been our home for almost 15 years. So guess what opened here last week? The Rockford Brewery! Fun, huh?
- By the way, I've received a few of your Real Food success stories so far, but I need more! I hope you'll share with me any benefits you've noticed once you switched your diet over to Real Food, even if you're not perfect. (As is the case with most of us.) Just email me: [email protected] and put SUCCESS STORY in the subject line please. THANK YOU! 🙂
- This next little gem I have for you has nothing at all to do with food or nutrition or beer or anything, but my Aunt Lois sent it to me (thanks Aunt Lois!) and I thought it was so cute that I've watched it quite a few times and hum it all day. It's actually from 2011 so you may have already seen it.
- OK, so back to health stuff – wait 'til you see this article on CNN. Pesticides in tap water, produce linked to food allergies. Most of us already know that pesticides cause these and other health issues, but it's great to see the following statements in mainstream media… “Researchers looked at 2,211 people and found those in the top 25% for urine concentrations of chemical dichlorophenols – used to chlorinate tap water and keep pests off produce – were also 80% more likely to have a food allergy.” “Researchers believe dichlorophenols may alter the composition of healthy bacteria growing in the human gut, which plays an active role in immune system functioning.” “This has been known for a long time in regards to large exposures. However, it is only in recent years that the harmful effects of low-level exposure from pesticides have begun to be revealed.” Too bad they didn't add a blurb on the end telling how to avoid pesticides: buy organic. And to avoid chlorine by drinking filtered water. (Where to buy water filters.) More about filtered water: “The Great Culling” – Your Fluoride Fears are Well-Founded.
- As if microwaves aren't scary enough, now we can “microzap” our food to make it keep longer without mold forming. Does that sound just plain scary to anyone else? Thank you to Pat for sending this article: Bread That Could Last For 60 Days Could Cut Food Waste. Read more here about Microwave Dangers.
- By the way, I tell you in that microwave post about one of my very favorite small kitchen appliances, my Toaster Oven
. It's the main reason we rarely use our microwave around here, and it doesn't even cost that much! (A great Christmas present for someone… I love this thing!)
. It's the main reason we rarely use our microwave around here, and it doesn't even cost that much! (A great Christmas present for someone… I love this thing!)- Did you see the post last week that had a bunch of us all riled up? Newborn Taken From Parents Who Refuse Hepatitis B Vaccine and Ask Too Many Questions.
Have a great week!
Beth says
Help for the Harried Homeschooler is a good read :).
I don’t really get caught up in what they should know when until late middle school/high school when it counts for credits. For example, when the olders took the Stanford test and one had a bunch of biology questions but we had just done chemistry with the 2 olders, I told her not to worry about it because we had already planned on flip-flopping those courses. The other dd had chemistry questions on hers so she was fine. In the end it’ll all even out and they’ll have their college requirements in case they go to college.
That said, I used to print off the state essential elements and try to check them off about 3/4 through the year and see what we needed to cover but gave up on that. We do waaay more than the essentials in our eclectic homeschooling and the bookkeeping wasn’t necessary. I also used to give them the released TAAS tests (or whatever, they keep changing the name!) for the state but they just soared through them and it was a test-taking exercise. We do the Stanford Achievement Test starting in 3rd about every other year for self-assurance, but it’s not necessary. Now my olders at the PSAT and SAT levels.
J. Bryan Villarreal says
As someone once put it, what does it matter WHEN your child learned as long as they LEARNED it? I.e. if two 25-yr olds know how to read, does it matter that one learned at 6 & the other at 10? Also, a 6 yr old PUSHED to read because of someone’s idea of “that’s the age” may actually hate it & learn less from it than a 10 yr old who just learns to read because they WANT to & are READY to.
Our most influential homeschooling book was “The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child: Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start” (Prima Home Learning Library) by Linda Dobson. It gives the gamut of Homeschooling along with the good, the bad, & the ugly reality of it.
Emily says
Kelly, RE “What Your Child Needs To Know…” in a certain grade level: I taught at a school where we tried Dr. Hirsch’s thing one year. At the time I thought it was cool, but I had not been teaching very long and now know that the VAST majority of kids through 3rd, maybe even 4th grade, were being taught age-inappropriate material. I’m sorry, but first grade brains cannot wrap themselves around ancient Egypt, and neither can second graders comprehend anything that happened 200 yrs ago, let alone in ancient Greece.
I will also agree for the most part with what the previous commenter said about state recommendations.
That’s my opinion, and I’m sticking with it. 😉
Commenter via Facebook says
Personally, I don’t follow these types of recommendations. I don’t think that state standards are what’s best for kids. I do more of an unschooling type of thing in the early years.
Amanda Dittlinger says
I’ve got the What Your Kindergartner needs to Know book. My girls are turning 5 in just four days so technically they would be in Pre-K this year. But I wanted a book for the year ahead of me. I’m so glad I got it! It really helps me feel like I’m touching all the basics and I can go off on tangents if I want but at least I know I’m on par with what their peers are learning.
Iluvchoklit says
I was homeschooled after 3rd grade through high school. My mom tried a variety of methods. She started with an “Umbrella school” for the first 2 years because she was new to the idea and my dad felt she needed the structure. It didn’t really work for me and my ADD tendencies. She then put us in private school for about a year and a half before homeschooling us for the remainder of our schooling. At that point she joined a homeschool co-op. That co-op, I believe, is the reason she ended up being successful. It provided just enough structure, especially with high school classes like advanced math , chemistry, and biology, while allowing her a lot of flexibility. It was also a good interruption in our week for a new environment and being with friends who were a lot like us — homeschoolers! I think being in the co-op also helped us transition to the college atmosphere. There was more than one professor in my college career who talked down about homeschooling who had no clue I’d been homeschooled for the majority of my life.
My baby sister is 9 years younger than me. By then my mom had her style more figured out. She loved using Sonlight curriculum (even though when they started my sister did not particularly like to read) and continued to be active in the co-op. I am now homeschooling my 5 year old and am also enjoying Sonlight curriculum immensely.
Marie says
I honestly haven’t read too many books on homeschooling, but I love the Charlotte Mason approach. I’m using it loosely with my 3 kids and I’m amazed with how much they already know at their young age.
I went to a private preschool and kindergarten and did public school education from 1st grade through college. I can honestly tell you from personal experience how much public education is lacking. I did a project with 3 college seniors and offered to edit our 60 page report. What a mistake. You know it’s pathetic when college seniors at a well-respected school don’t know how to compose complete sentences or use appropriate grammar. Furthermore, I was a salutatorian, but I was honestly lacking in personal life skills… I had to learn them the hard way when I left home for college.
I say all that to encourage you in what you do. The education you give your children will be excellent because you are trying to help them excel. You care that they learn what they need fir life; youre not trying to squeeze them into some standardized test mold. Give them a strong foundation in the Three Rs, help them learn good life skills (time manager, self-care, personal finance, cooking etc) add in a good science foundation along with music, bible and art and get them outdoors to explore the natural world. You will have happy, intelligent kids that can tackle the “real” world. I’m no expert, just a mother, homeschooler and observer.
On the GNOWFGLINS blog, she recently interviewed Jonathan Harris of the 10k to talent blog. He had some awesome insights on homeschooling kids. I highly recommend reading the interview. His ideas make a lot of sense.
Hang in there, Kelly! You’re doing great!
By the way, it was great meeting you at the Weston A Price conference this year! Enjoy your homeschooling adventure. 🙂
Marie says
Whoops! Sorry for the typos… The hazards of typing on an iPhone. 🙂
Peggy says
Read ’em all. Used bits and pieces from them, but none made a major impact on my thinking. We did a year with Biblical Holidays. That was fun. I gave Homeschool Your Child for Free to a mom who was struggling financially. I like Deb Bell’s Ultimate Guide books, especially when they start Junior High. The teen book has some great ideas for bridging the homeschool-to-college gap.
I don’t worry a lot about missing things. It’s not like the kid is going to graduate and I’m going to have a V-8 moment and say, “Oh my. I forgot to teach her how to add!” By focusing on teaching them to teach themselves, if there is something they need to learn, they can figure out how to learn it at age 10 or 80. The Hirsch books are interesting as trivia books, and we got them from the library for the kids to read through.
Kymberly says
From what I can tell about you from your blog, I think you’d really like Charlotte Mason. The Charlotte Mason Companion is a great book to get a feel for her approach to education, or visit the website Simplycharlottemason.com. Really great stuff.
Commenter via Facebook says
@ Jennifer Ostermeyer – I’m looking at those Rockford docs now – that was a great tip, thank you!! 🙂
RD Shugart says
Maybe I’m a rebel too, because I wouldn’t read any of those books! 😉 I am a cross between a classical homeschooler and an unschooler. We do both. It depends on our season of life and the material. Some of the resources I enjoy are Ambleside Online, Circe Institute, lifelearningwithlivingbooks.blogspot.com, pbs.org and netflix for documentaries, the list goes on and on … We have home schooled for 7 years and I really find that your school should reflect your family. What goals do you have for your children’s education? What are their strengths/weaknesses, etc.? I love both the classical and the unschooling approach because my experience with the kids is this: firm entrenchment in one modality or another can stifle learning, creativity, etc. I know there are many that disagree with me or their experience is different. This is just based on my family. This is the first year that I feel like I am really hitting different learning styles, tapping into various ways of learning, and making the content stick. We are definitely slower in getting through material, but isn’t one of the beauties of homeschooling is that we set our own pace? 🙂
Commenter via Facebook says
@ Crystal Moore – yes, we work on that stuff, too!
Commenter via Facebook says
@ Jennifer Ostermeyer – yeah I haven’t read them all – I just meant books like those. 🙂
Commenter via Facebook says
I’ve read some/similar and get a lot of ideas from them, but as a for instance… most of those books don’t include cooking, sewing, crochet, cleaning, laundry… and those are basic skills IMO every kid should have so… yeah. 😉
Commenter via Facebook says
That’s a lot of books on your list, Kelly! I have read a few. I see the trend with your post and wanted to say, that I do print off Rockford’s Curriculum guides and try to make sure we are accomplishing that in the least. I figure that there is no certainty in this world. There may come a time where my kids need to go to school outside the home and I want to make sure that that jump is as easy on them as possible. https://www.rockfordschools.org/?i=curriculumk-5
Michelle Thomas says
I have read some of those books, but felt that they were too narrow for the way I need to school my family. At a homeschool convention, I was stationed next to a sweet lady selling this: https://oklahomahomeschool.com/checklist.html . (there are samples in pdf there)
Instead of being organized and separated by grade, it is divided by elementary/Jr high/high school. That is a little more flexible for more casual schooling styles. If you want a guideline, this is one to look into.
ValerieH says
Have you ever tried beer brewing? It’s pretty easy and you can perfect your favorite style. I also love my toaster oven.
KitchenKop says
He used to do that, I think someday he’ll get into it again. 🙂
Norma says
Speaking of bread, have you heard of the Cheeseburger museum? Fast food burgers that are decades old and not deteriorating. check this out: https://www.bionicburger.com/story.html
KitchenKop says
I just posted it to FB! Ewwww.
As I said there though, too bad they just picked on McDonald’s when there are all the other fast food joints serving the same stuff.
Kel
Jill says
I did read some of those books earlier in our homeschooling, and to tell you the truth, I didn’t care for them much. Maybe I’m a rebel, but I couldn’t help feeling like, “Says who? Who says that my kids, or any kids, need to know certain, particular bits of information at specific ages/grades?” In the skill areas of reading, writing, and math, it does make sense to shoot for a ballpark area of mastery at different grade levels/ages (but even with that, every child is different), but in content areas of knowledge, I found the recommendations/standards to be a bit random and to lack meaning and context. For myself, I preferred, especially when they were young, to take a more systematic approach to certain subjects, particular social studies/history. We spent 6 years covering world history chronologically. To me, it made sense, and provided a framework for understanding concepts and events that would otherwise have been random and far less meaningful. I couldn’t have done that and followed the advice in these books. And as for science, which is such an incredibly broad, diverse subject, who says kids should know any particular part at any particular age? Gracious, especially when they are young, I think the most important thing is to instill a love of learning and exploring different aspects of creation–I’d rather they get their feet wet and want more than arbitrarily follow a particular program because someone said I had to meet their standards. Only as they get much older do they need to have a more in depth mastery of certain science subjects in preparation for college. As parents, I think we know better than anyone else what our kids should know and when, and a lot of that will be a reflection of our own values. When they are younger, our biggest job as educators is to help them develop the tools for learning that they will use for the rest of their lives. Much of the other content is really secondary.
Naomi Williams says
I loved the E.D. Hirsch books; I went through the entire series. Use those and you’ll be sure you’re not leaving any major gaps.
Pat says
Thank you Kelly for the Monday post. It was a welcome distraction from last week’s horror. I agree that sending prayers is the best we can offer.
Kimberly says
I’ll take Homeschooling Books for $100, Alex. I haven’t read any of the books, but I can tell you what I try to use as a guide. I live in Illinois, but am not too impressed with my state or their learning standards. I use Virginia’s state learning standards as a very loose guide to what I should be passing along to my boys. There are better ways, but browsing the standards at the beginning, middle, and end of the year is just an easy way to keep track.