The Book Basket - How to encourage Reading in your Home

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I'm participating in a Summer Camp this week in which each day has a different theme. We have what I would like to call an extensive homeschool library. We collected at used book stores, garage sales, the goodwill, friends, and even Amazon quite often when I needed something specific.

Whenever we studied a particular topic, I put the books we had surrounding the topic in the "Book Basket" so they were readily available for the kids to explore. The picture shows a time we were studying scientists.

I had books in my stash for just about every day this week. It brought back so many memories of teaching the same topics to my kids.

Some favorites:

How to tell a Turtle from a Tortoise

We laughed and learned so much from this book. Even as the adults! It was a great edition to our Nature Studies.

Sound Make it Work


This one was when Lauren studied Sound for hr Science fair project. I had a very hard time finding books! I'm so glad I will get more use out of it!

Ed Emberly's Complete Funprint Drawing Book


This book got USED! over and over. Colored stamp pads, finger paint - you name it. We did so many fun projects with fingerprint art! I highly Recommend this and the other books in the series. We have SEVERAL!

Magic School Bus Get's Baked in a Cake


I never passed up a Magic School Bus book! They are just as funny as the show. I'm sure today's kids would like the show "better", however - my kids were not allowed TV, so the book basket with MSB books was always a hit!

Each evening we spend time where the only purpose was to read - everyone was doing it...Mom, Dad and kids. We picked something from the book basked and read individually. This enhanced our topics and gave us plenty to talk about!

How do you encourage reading in your home/school? Leave a comment or send me an email to share!

More Free Lapbook Templates!

Lapbooking is very popular in Homeschooling. Actually, I even used it in my classroom as a way to organize information! Lapbooks give kids something to show off. It is a way to create a project that is a work of art when finished.

One thing I have discovered over the years is there really is no right or wrong way of lapbooking. Make them your own. You can find many, many resources out there to help you. I hope you enjoy the patterns I create as much as I enjoy making them for you!

Grammar Land

Last night I overheard a conversation between Megan and Douglas. They were talking about past lessons. Remember when Mom had us do that weird Grammar stuff, about going to jail...

They were discussing the classic book GRAMMAR LAND (this is the Free PDF version, but it is also available in print) by M.L. Nesbitt.

Another homeschooler took the time to create worksheets to go along with the book and you can find those here: GRAMMAR LAND WORKSHEETS

Here is the summary from Amazon about the book:

Before the days of Schoolhouse Rock’s jingles like “Conjunction Junction,” and silly English class acronyms like the “Fan Boys,” there was the playful primer Grammar-Land, which has been teaching children (and adults in need of a refresher) the basic rules of English grammar since its first publication in the 1870s.

            In the allegorical world of Grammar-Land, the nine parts of speech—rich Mr. Noun, his useful friend Pronoun, little ragged Article, talkative Adjective, busy Dr. Verb and Adverb, perky Preposition, convenient Conjunction, and irksome Interjection—are brought to trial by Judge Grammar to settle disputes over the rules of language. Each part of speech is called in turn to take the stand, where they are questioned by Doctor Syntax and Sergeant Parsing. In the course of the amusing trial, the reader, perhaps without even realizing it, is exposed to the most important rules of grammar.

            This charming facsimile edition once again brings the characters of Grammar-Land to life for the entertainment and edification of a new generation of adults and children alike.

It was really neat to hear the kids reminisce about old homeschool lessons. You never know what is going to stick with them. 

Recreating Pictures

Since the initial Disney Schooling year we had in 2011, Disney passes have been important to our family. Every family vacations differently. This is what we do. 

Anyway, it's fun to experience the same thing as the bugs age. As a matter of fact, our first Family trip I was pregnant with Douglas, so he can say he has been going to Disneyland since before he was born! 

I have a few cherished pictures that I want to recreate, so today since we were having an easy day due to my surgery, we did one of them. 

We didn't go so far as trying to match outfits and all, and due to building the new Star Wars land, we couldn't get the same spot. 

It works for me. Feeding the ducks was a FAVORITE activity. More than rides. Heaven forbid I forgot the bread. Seriously that was a crime. 

Those memories stay with me now that my teenagers barely have time to talk to me before noon.

Teaching Trades in homeschools

It's been a long time coming, but Lightning Bug is finally getting his room remodel. We live in a home that is 41 years old and everything but the carpet and appliances are original. I guess people generally don't redo drywall, but whatever!  The great thing is it happens to be MY childhood home, and Lightning Bug is in MY room. 

So, the carpet is gone and the first half of the tile is started. This is a great opportunity for school outside the box! Home improvement projects are some of my favorites! Not only do they get Daddy involved as the instructor, but seriously, what elementary/ or high school teaches tiling 101? (If your local school does, please feel free to comment, because that is awesome! A trade school just might!) 

When we have a project like this, regular school gets pushed aside so the project can take priority. 

What specialty classes do you incorporate into your homeschool that may not be found in a traditional school?

Elf on the Shelf Ideas

14, 16 and 17...yet they still have an elf (bear) on the shelf. 

I tried to *end* the elf but they love it....that actually warms my heart! 

Our elf brings little gifts. I suppose its similar to an advent calendar. I get up before they do and hide Tinsel. The trouble is figuring out places to hide this elf after all these years! 

Next year since they are older, whoever finds Tinsel gets to hid him for the next day! I will simply wrap the little presents to accompany each day so there is still an element of surprise.

Homeschooling when kids attend traditional school requires thinking outside the box.

Since the girls are not homeschooled any longer I cherish the time we get together. 

My friends and I get together once a month for some sort of craft.  This month we headed over to Pila's pantry for a gingerbread house class. One of my friends, lady macgyver couldn't make it and generously offered to pay for one of my girls, so I paid for the other! 

Remember, things like this = school! Ha ha I tricked those girls and in moments like these I still get to homeschool them! As you can imagine the boy wanted nothing to do with it! 

Collecting Ornaments kids can take with them

I call it the Ugly Tree. 

I'm the only one who thinks it's ugly...I dream of the perfect tree, with color coordinated ornaments like you see in magazines...but this is what I get. . . A tree filled with mismatched ornaments and so much LOVE! 

MANY of the ornaments are handmade by the kids over the years. Others are characters they were into at that particular time... Hannah Montana, Camp Rock, Ben 10 to name one time period. 

Because I was home for Christmas break each year, making ornaments is a little touch I was able to keep up with. When the kids outgrew that, they still got a new ornament each year. 

Aunt TB has given them personalized ornaments with their name and the year too! I even happen to have 3 exact ornaments from my MIL somehow. 

The plan is to give each bug their ornaments when they move out. . . So, eventually I will get that "perfect" color coordinated tree, and who wants to bet I hate it.... 

What Christmas activities do you incorporate into your homeschool? 

Using Disneyland as school

Still not strong enough, but had to try... It seems Lightning Bug was happy to oblige my picture taking self and then promptly launched into a narrative of the movie the Sword in the Stone...as well as a comparison of the Legend of Sir Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. That's impressive in my opinion.

Anyone care to discuss how Disneyland isn't school?

Here is Douglas in 2011 trying his best to remove the sword

 and in 2018 still not strong enough....

Another School Year!

Another School Year has arrived. Each year we go on a field trip to celebrate the Bugs changing grades - advancing to the next grade level. We kept the tradition even though the Girls moved onto "real" school.

This year we received a large financial blessing and chose to use it for Disney passes. We have had them several times over the years, including a year we focused on only Disney things for school. Disney-schooling was one of the FAVORITES!

It was a unanimous decision to use the passes to celebrate our Change of Grade day. We went to Disney's California Adventure.

When the kids were little I had them hold up their fingers to display the grade they were entering for the year. BIG MISTAKE. You run out of fingers when you are a sophomore in High School.... The cute signs people make are a much better idea...because now I have to caption the pictures.

Megan is a Junior, Douglas is a Sophomore, and Lauren is a Senior. 

They are so proud of the fact that no only do they understand the physics of how this ball float on the water, but that they are strong enough to change its direction now, unlike when they were little! 

A Bug's Land was always a favorite destination for my "bugs" Flicks Fun Fliers - the apple juice container was the flyer we always tried to get. At this size can I just say - CROWDED! 

We let them go on the Jumpin' Jellyfish by themselves - and through the joys of technology received this snap chat! 

 I enjoyed people watching while they got FRONT ROW on the newly re-designed Tower of Terror...it is now Guardians of the Galaxy Breakout. Still falling, still not riding. 

Traditions are so comforting. I look forward to these family trips each year, even if they are only day trips. After all- only homeschoolers get to start the year with a field trip! 

What about Socialization?

Socialization is not same age relationships. The dreaded question about homeschooling is always, "aren't you worried about socialization?)

Goodness no. I have never met anyone who sends their kids to school for recess, lunch and holiday parties, because as a teacher, that's pretty much when I let my class socialize. 

According to the dictionary socialization is:

1. 1. the activity of mixing socially with others.

   2.the process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable to society.
2. 
   

The true definition of socialization is the ability to relate to multiple ages. We don't grow up and go to work in an environment where everyone is within one calendar year of the same age of one another. If you work with the public you really have multiple ages, and multiple personalities, to deal with. So why do people think that we send kids to school for socialization? 

I suggest when you are asked this question you answer it politely and use it as an opportunity to clear the misinformation people have about socialization. What they really want to know is can your kids get along with others? Of course they can because of.  . . You fill in the activities for your family. 

Here Lightning Bug is patiently playing with one of my grand-students ( who is obviously much younger than he is and *gasp* even a different gender). My bugs are comfortable with same age, adults, and younger playmates. 

Assessments in Homeschool

Assessment doesn't mean test. It means demonstrate understanding. Just talking to Lightning Bug about mythology at any point it is obvious he has a command of Mythology. Not just Greek and Roman either, but those are his favorite. 

It was natural for us to have him select a favorite myth and bring it to life in some way as a final project for his year long study of Mythology. 

He chose to display the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. Daddy and Lightning Bug made the maze together. The Minotaur is a model figure. Lightning Bug wrote the story in his own words to accompany the display. Done. 

What different assessment idea do you use in your home school?

Field Trips and Homeschooling

Field Trips don't have to align with what you're actually teaching when you homeschool. They do in a traditional school, LOL. Trust me. I have to justify field trips with grade level state standards. 

This week we took Lightning Bug whale watching. It was amazing. We all learned things and didn't need any curriculum alignment at all! When opportunity  knocks, open the door to learning.