Homeschool Mami's World

Time 4 Learning

2008-01-17T08:04:00.000-05:00

We have had so much going on in our lives--relocating from MA to KY, a long vacation in CA, new friends, new challenges, new adventures. I have more than a lot to blog about--so much so that I have blogged about nothing because I am overwhelmed by everything.

So I plan to restart bit by bit, item by item.

So today I'll comment on Time4Learning which my kids started using at the end of last year. It's one of those resources that my kids latched onto right away--they actually begged to get online and use it. My thinking for it was primarily the math when we signed up, but the language arts units are also good. Because of the the game format and the way the kids' progress is tracked it grows more challenging as they master new skills, unlike many of the free games I find on the internet. Also, after they are done I can go back to the notebook section and see exactly what topics they covered and how they tested. It's actually pretty cool.

If your kids like computer games (do any not??) and you want to reinforce basic skills, or if you'd like to do "workbook" style repetition in a fun format, then Time4Learning is worth checking out.

Homeschool Mami

Homeschool blogging

2007-10-03T07:57:00.000-05:00

Some of the homeschoolers on my local Yahoo list here have just started blogging, and it's reminded me--oh, yes! I have a blog, too! Imagine that.

The thing about blogging for me is it's almost and all or nothing proposition. Either I'm obsessed or I'm negligent. I have another blog out in cyberspace, too, that I've had longer and is more random and personal than this one, and it, too, is sadly neglected.

The thing I enjoy about blogging is that it helps me to hear my own thoughts. I have so much swirling around my head most of the time, that to actually type in sentences and paragraphs to talk about my life, helps me to know what's going on. Blogs are, for the most part, really for the blogger, and not as much for the reader, although I confess to being a blog-reader, too.

Today is a good day for us--we have a knitting circle of other homeschoolers here in our house this afternoon. This is my new obsession, although I have yet to learn to cast on. Then my kids head off to AWANA at a local church--which they adore. The other thing to which I am looking forward is continuing reading our Paddington Treasury. I never read Paddington Bear growing up, but it is a funny and well-written series of stories that my kids adore. Yesterday I bought whole wheat English muffins and marmalade so we could have "elevenses" with hot chocolate just like Paddington. My kids are wondering if I'd like us to move to England. I could be persuaded, I think.

Homeschool Mami

Math Curriculum

2007-08-31T10:30:00.000-05:00

Working hard at homeschool with the kids. Looking for some new curriculum. I am investigating what kind of web-based things I might consider trying, especially for math. Right now I'm seriously looking at Time4Learning. My kids tried out the demos and it looks like a possibility for us...

The longer I homeschool, the more I realize how different my kids are and how I really need to individualize things for them. I think my seven year old son will especially enjoy the computerized approach to math. I will post once we make our decision.

Homeschool Mami

My recent favorite websites for school

2007-03-08T08:02:00.000-05:00

I didn't used to be much of a worksheet homeschool mami, but as the kids get older and I am teaching three at once, it's a great way to be sure that they are progressing in math and handwriting. In addition to this we read, read, read both Sonlight and the dozens of library books we take out each week.

Here are the most current websites that I use with the kids, almost daily:

Kid Zone's math section has an unlimited supply of math worksheets that I love. I print out one for my little one, two for my 1st grader, and up to three for my 2nd grader.

Learning Page requires that you sign up for a free account, but there are tons of worksheets there on a wide variety of topics that I use.

Donna Young's site is a new one that was recommended to me and it has lots of hidden treasures including some interesting handwriting sheets.

Homeschool Mami

Break a world record...

2006-11-15T08:58:00.000-05:00

We will be trying to break a world's record by participating in the largest simultaneous read aloud. One of our local libraries is going to sponsor this. Check out the link and see where you can participate or how to organize your own.

Homeschool Mami

Who are you?

2006-11-08T08:31:00.000-05:00

I just took this quiz and didn't know if Jane Eyre was one of the possible people that I could be, but I am not surprised that I got her. I read this book SO MANY TIMES as a teenager and I have always thought that Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester had the loveliest romance!

Which Classic Female Literary Character Are you?

You're Jane Eyre of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte!
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Spanish only DVDs

2006-11-04T08:18:00.000-05:00

New rule in the house:

From now on the only DVDs the kids are going to watch are in Spanish. We get them from the library and also play the Spanish tracks on our regular DVDs. We are working very hard to reinforce the language with the kids because outside of our house, they really don't hear the language or speak it with others. They don't watch much tv anyway, so when they are allowed to watch a DVD it's a big deal, and they are blissfully engaged for the duration. If they can do that and be working on their language acquisition simultaneously, it's what I call a win-win situation.

Homeschool Mami

2 days down, 28 to go...

2006-11-02T07:38:00.000-05:00

I have been rising to the NANOWRIMO challenge the last two mornings. I do not expect to meet the word challenge by the end of the month--I think it is 50,000 or some crazy number like that--but if I write each and day I will consider it a success.

I have my first reader for my novel. I awoke my 7 year old daughter this morning to invite her to the computer to read my secret novel blog. The main character in the book is a nearly 10 year old girl who likes to travel, have adventures and read, so I thought my bookworm might enjoy reading about her. So far I have my first rave review, and she can hardly wait to read more. I think that will be my primary incentive for continuing to write.

Homeschool Mami

NANOWRIMO

2006-10-31T16:17:00.000-05:00

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. Ecclesiastes 12:12

Although I have been a terribly irregular blogger recently I am going to do something to light a fire in my writer's heart. I am going to take the National Novel Writers' Month challenge. This means I am supposed to write a minimum of 50,000 words starting tomorrow. I will NOT be posting this on this blog, but once I am finished I might consider posting the whole thing--that is unless my publisher insists otherwise. (Stop rolling on the floor and holding your sides. I could have a publisher at the end of this. Think big!)

Homeschool Mami

Lightbulb Jokes for Homeschoolers

2006-09-30T08:48:00.000-05:00

Cute jokes I found at this blog that I found when I googled "unschooling jokes".

How many unschoolers does it take to change a light bulb?

Dad: "We don't have any dim-bulbs around here!"

Mom: "Well, of course the parents take care of it until the children are ready to learn how to change the bulb. It's a readiness issue."

Blonde Child #1: "What's a light bulb?"

Delight Directed: "If the child has shown an aptitude or interest in the light bulb, we will let him change it by himself!"

Unit Study : "First we will go to the library and check out some books, then.......you know the rest of this one :)"

Charlotte Mason: "If the light bulbs go out, we will just play outside all day!"

Classical: "Hark, what lightbulb in yonder ceiling breaks!"

Moore Method: "We will wait until the child is tall enough to reach the lightbulb."

Textbook Method: "We haven't done that chapter yet!"

Blonde Boy Child: "First you let it grow."
Mom: "What??"
Blonde Boy Child: "The Plant."
Mom: "What plant?"
Blonde Boy Child: "Isn't there a plant called a bulb?"
Mom: "Ahhhh, isn't he the smartest thing???!!! That's my smart little sweet thing, give me high five!"

Principle Approach: Jesus said; "I am the light of the world."
So I say, Who needs light bulbs!?

Just a little something to amuse myself this morning.

Homeschool Mami

More tvs than people in the average household!

2006-09-22T14:35:00.000-05:00

A rant from Homeschool Mami:

Read this outrageous bit of Americana. The average household apparently has more television sets than people and families bombard themselves with noise from the little blue screens and flat screens and plasma screens for over eight hours each day.

Half of American homes have three or more tvs.

19% only have one. (We are in this minority group.)

Do you wonder why reading skills are plummeting as obesity rises? Forgive the ranting, but this is just plain stupid.

Homeschool Mami

Making friends in the city

2006-09-19T07:43:00.000-05:00

My husband and I have really tried to invest in our city, to get to know our neighbors, to reach out to new people, and to try to be hospitable. We find it takes hard work to make friends for our family and for our kids. I think much of this comes from being in the city--people are more cautious than in smaller towns or more close-knit suburbs. This is also New England, so people (myself included) have a natural reserve and can be slow to warm up. I have been combating this in my own nature for years because I want to have a vital connection to community.

Nearly all of my homeschooling friends I have met on the internet and through various Yahoo groups, including the one I started. This took me a while to get used to--at first it felt so much like a blind date when I would meet someone at the park or museum that I would almost get nervous. Once I started relaxing, it became an adventure.

"Okay, kids, we're going to the Ecotarium today and we're going to meet our friends!"

"Who, Mami?"

"Well, I don't know for sure if anyone you know is going to be there, but we'll meet some other homeschooling friends today."

And I put on my best Indiana Jones adventure hat and off we go. I'm glad that I have pushed myself to do this because I have met lots of really nice people I otherwise never would have. Now, when we go to some group activity, there are usually a few people that I know in the group, and I can let the kids know who will be there that is around their age or interested in the same things as they are. Sometimes, there is even a friend or two for each child. Those are the days that I really feel blessed.

The other thing that I have appreciated about this is the wide spectrum of people we have met. In case you haven't noticed, homeschoolers are far from cookie-cutter people. I am constantly surprising my non-homeschooling friends and family by sharing with them the wide variety of homeschoolers there are. In spite of the wide differences in motivation or style, all homeschoolers share a deep love for their kids and a high priority on family time and education. This common ground goes a long way in bridging other differences.

Quiet Mornings

2006-09-12T07:29:00.000-05:00

The best thing about my house is the quiet in the morning. I typically get up an hour or two earlier than my kids and have the place to myself to read my bible, to pray, to exercise, to surf the internet, to answer email, and to think. As my children come downstairs they get their own breakfasts independently--for the most part--and then they play or read or play keyboard or color or just hang out. No television. No stereo. No talk radio. Just quiet, calm and peace. (Unless they decide to quarrel which doesn't usually happen this early in the day--not that it won't happen later!)

This alone might be enough to persuade me to homeschool. The space to be a family, not rushing, not being told what to buy or what to do by loud, obnoxious voices who want our money and our allegiance, not having to throw their stuff together and find their homework and throw them on the school bus which comes so early. On days when we need to be somewhere--like today--I still savor the ease. Pretty soon I will round everyone up, send them to shower, make beds, we'll pack a lunch and head off to Old Sturbridge Village for a day of experiential learning and meeting up with friends.

Simply lovely.

Homeschool Mami

Labor Day Homeschool Carnival

2006-09-05T05:22:00.000-05:00

Homeschool Carnival is up at Why Homeschool.

Be sure to check it out and look for Homeschool Mami while you are there.

Are you right brained or left brained?

2006-09-02T20:20:00.000-05:00

I guess I am fairly balanced! It's probably a coping mechanism because I wear so many different hats in my life and sometimes need to be one way, sometimes another.

You Are 55% Left Brained, 45% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.
Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.
If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.
Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.

The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.
Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.
If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.
Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Homeschool Mami

Socialization--for Homeschooling Parents

2006-08-31T08:16:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest questions everyone has about homeschooling is--What about socialization? There are a variety of standard homeschooler's answers to this questions such as those listed here. I found this website when I googled "What about socialization?". I have responded with most of these answers at one time or another.

However, socialization is an issue. I need to be intentional in order to make friends for my kids because we are busy and can easily lose regular contact with friends. Our neighborhood has lots of kids, but unfortunately it's a challenge to connect with them, especially because of the public school schedules. Socialization is work!

However, it's also important for me. I need friends with me on my journey and when I push myself out of my little world into the larger world and make some new friends, I am a better mother and homeschooler. As an introvert who energizes herself with quiet time and a good book, it's still worth it to organize an event or to meet new families at a park and make a new connection.

All that to say, yes, I do want family socialization to be my kids' primary shaping influence, but, yes, socialization is an issue for us and for me. It's one of my educational priorities for my kids that they form friendships with a diverse group of people and have fun downtime with favorite pals. And me, too.

Homeschool Mami

Chinese Proverb for home educators

2006-08-16T05:57:00.000-05:00

If you are planning for a year,
sow rice.

If you are planning for a decade,
plant trees.

If you are planning for a lifetime,
educate people.

Chinese proverb

Back to school

2006-08-08T06:51:00.000-05:00

We've had a wonderful summer with vacations to New Hampshire and Cape Cod, family visiting from across the country, and lots of napping, reading, and relaxing. Although I still have a "hangover" from vacation I am trying to get back into routine and am eager to get going. I am looking forward to more structured days with the kids and new books to read and new skills to practice.

Are you ready for back to school?

Homeschool Mami

Summer Transition

2006-06-21T16:05:00.000-05:00

My kids are doing camp the next two-three weeks around my house and it's a whole new routine for us. The day camp experience is going well for them, but it reminds me that I am so happy to homeschool. The rigor of getting the kids packed and out of the house with lunches and backpacks is quite a different feel than our more relaxed homeschool schedule. When making playdates or going to coop activities the earliest we typically need to arrive is 10 AM. To get the kiddos out and presentable for 8:30 AM is helped vastly by our 5 minute commute to camp!

Once day camp is done we have family coming to visit for most of the month of July. This means playing with their abuelita and also spending quality time with their tio, tia y primos. We will be camping and daytripping and making meals together and visiting our local haunts with twice the family!

Then it will be August and my work schedule will get hectic again and our more formal homeschooling will get going in full force. In the meantime, we are trying to enjoy watergun fights in the yard and the fans going full force as we go to sleep at night.

Happy Summertime.

Homeschool Mami

Animal School-- A parable

2006-06-12T06:54:00.000-05:00

Check out Animal School at Raising Small Souls. When you click over to the page just click the button that says Animal School and watch.

Post a comment and tell me what you think!

Homeschool Mami

California Achievement Tests

2006-05-12T09:46:00.000-05:00

It's standardized testing time around my house. This is the first year that we've been required to do this, so it's new to us. We have reviewed concepts covered on the test ahead of time and are spreading the testing out over three days as suggested.

Super Lasso Girl, my first grader, thinks this is really fun. She's been begging to take the test since it arrived in the mail. After she has breakfast I have her go get dressed in "schoolgirl" clothes that make her feel smart. Then she sits down with her #2 pencils and we go through the testing. As I expected, it's easy for her so far. However, much more important than how she does on the test, I want her to learn how to be comfortable with standardized testing and to develop good skills that she will need later on for the PSATs, SATs, etc.

It will be interesting to see how the other two respond to standardized testing once they are at this stage.

Homeschool Mami

You might be a homeschooler if...

2006-05-04T06:09:00.000-05:00

you can schedule a family vacation around a work conference and learn wherever you go!

Our recent trip to Kentucky and Tennessee was GREAT. Following are some of the highlights, many of which were educational.

We flew into Nashville and drove to Bowling Green, KY, a really nice college town. We walked from downtown to the campus of Western Kentucky University. WKU was a beautiful, beautiful campus. I am not used to public universities that are so well endowed. There was a strip of beautiful victorian homes right that I loved right off the campus. The next day we went on an underwater boat ride at Lost River Cave. Really very fun.

We drove into Louisville and went to the Louisville Science Center (across the street from the Louisville Slugger Museum and walked around the beautiful clean downtown area including the impressive Fourth Street Live. We were surprised at how clean and sophisticated Louisville was. We also took a peek at Churchill Downs, but didn't take the tour because the kids were worn out. Driving in that part of Louisville we started to see some of the poorer neighborhoods and the contrast was quite stark, particularly compared to the luxury of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs.

We also stayed in Cave City (a depressed small town in the touristy "Cave Country") and walked through Franklin, Kentucky, supposedly one of the South's 50 Best Small Towns.

Finally we spent time in Nashville which had so much more energy and sophistication than I expected from my own preconceived notions. I have a dear friend who lives there and we were able to spend time with her--which was great. The kids and my hubby went to the Nashville Zoo, and we enjoyed the indoor gardens and fountains at the Opryland Hotel and also the unbelievably huge Opry Mills.
I am not a big mall person, but Opry Mills was so cool. They had an Aquarium Restaurant that was world class with sharks swimming around and rays and every other kind of fish you can imagine in a 200,000 gallon aquarium. Across from the restaurant was a tank with rays that could be pet and hand-fed!

That's my quick recap, but we so enjoyed our time!

Homeschool Mami

8 th Grade Math--Can you do it?

2006-04-23T21:58:00.000-05:00

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

I did have to guess on one answer--that must be the one I got wrong!

Homeschool Mami

Travelling tips on TN or KY?

2006-04-22T10:27:00.000-05:00

Our family is travelling this coming week to Nashville, Tennessee and Louisville, Kentucky. We've never been to either place. Does anyone have any good ideas of fun stuff to do? I'll be working most of the time in Nashville, so hubby and kids will be touring without me there, but Kentucky is all vacation for me. We are looking forward to using our Ecotarium membership for some free admission to museums in the area. What a deal!

Homeschool Mami

Carnival of Homeschooling #16

2006-04-18T06:13:00.000-05:00

Carnival of Homeschooling, Week 16 Practical Solutions for Homeschool Struggles is up at Beverly Hernandez' site.

I love the practical post on divvying up chores in Household Mediocrity Revisited at Kitchen Table Learners. My post, From the Mixed Up Files of Homeschool Mami is among the entries.

Carnivals are a great way to get ideas and to chuckle at someone else's experience which just might remind you of your own homeschooling adventures.

Homeschool Mami

From The Mixed-Up Files of Homeschool Mami

2006-04-13T07:07:00.000-05:00

My eldest daughter and I have just finished reading the From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg. It was one of my favorite books as a child, and I haven't read it since elementary school, I think. Claudia runs away to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art with her younger brother, and along the way she tries to solve a mystery about a statue that might have been sculpted by Michelangelo. In order to find the answer to the mystery she meets a wealthy recluse, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

One of the biggest perks of re-reading great kids' literature is that you see things you didn't see the first time. In fact, I have found another reason to homeschool from the philosophy of Mrs. Frankweiler!

Claudia said, "But, Mrs. Frankweiler, you should want to learn one new thing every day. We did even at the museum."

"No," I answered, "I don't agree with that. I think you should learn, of course, and some days you must learn a great deal. But you should also have days when you allow what is already in you to swell up inside of you until it touches everything. And you can feel it inside you. If you never take time out to let that happen, then you just accumulate facts and they begin to rattle around iside of you. You can make noise with them, but never really feel anything with them. It's hollow."

And it is indeed hollow just to fill yourself up with knowledge and not give it a chance to become a part of you. In our homeschool, it is my goal that we will have the time and leisure some days just to ponder and play and think about what we are learning, and not always to be doing, doing, doing. I want my children to be filled with wisdom, not rattling around with disconnected facts and trivia. I want them to be thinkers not just consumers of information.

Homeschool Mami

The Warlord Series

2006-03-31T13:19:00.000-05:00

I just discovered a wonderful series of picture books at the library while browsing the shelves: The Warlord Books by Virginia Walton Pilegard, illustrated by Nicolas Debon. So far we have read the Warlord's Puzzle, the Warlord's Kites and the Warlord's Beads. We will soon be borrowing the other titles. They are set in feudal China and highlight Chinese culture and provide a suggestion for an activity based on the story. All three of my children, aged 4-7, love these books! Why have I never heard of them before?

Homeschool Mami

13th Carnival of Homeschooling

2006-03-28T07:58:00.000-05:00

The Carnival of Homeschooling--Lucky Week 13 is up at Why Homeschool. Be sure to check it out. My post about Learning to read is there among the 13 categories. I look forward to reading all the posts later today.

Homeschool Mami

Learning to read

2006-03-25T08:03:00.000-05:00

My oldest daughter taught herself to read when she was four. The only claim I have to success as her teacher is that I read to her day after day after day. When she was a toddler she used to pick up Reader's Digests and carefully flip through them page by page. When she was 17 months old my son was born, and while I was nursing him I would read her story after story after story. He liked to eat, so story time was frequent. Now at seven years old, to call her a voracious reader would be an understatement.

My son has always enjoyed listening to stories, which of course began during those nursing sessions. Since he turned five without teaching himself to read, I was thrilled at the idea that I could "teach" him to read. However, he wasn't the least bit interested in workbooks or phonics readers, so instead we would casually talk about the sounds letters made and we would read and read. Some of the first sight words he recognized came from the onomotapoeia in Dr. Seuss books

There is nothing like a good MOO or CRASH to get the attention of a budding reader. We read alphabet books and I pointed out the sounds that letter make in combination as an interesting word would appear in a book. My son turns 6 in May and he has started to read independently, seemingly overnight. Again, much as I would like to take credit, it really feels like all I did was model reading and he did the rest. I think that most of what we learn in life is "caught" rather than "taught" anyway.

And so, I look at my 4 year old girl who is eager to catch up to her older siblings I think that before long she, like her sister and brother, will be reading without my having taught them this skill. It is my love of reading and ideas, I think, that has taught these children, so much more than any worksheets, or formal lessons ever could.

Homeschool Mami

Inspirational teaching

2006-03-23T13:04:00.000-05:00

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." William A. Ward

Thanks for the quote to Latina Liz. She is one of my favorite non-homeschooling bloggers.

Homeschool Mami

Trilingual Homeschoolers!

2006-03-21T08:30:00.000-05:00

I am very excited to have discovered the homeschooling blog of trilingual homeschoolers in the 12th Carnival of Homeschooling. That is, as they say in my hometown, wicked cool!

There are more great entries that I will read later.

Homeschool Mami

12 Carnival of Homeschooling

2006-03-21T08:14:00.000-05:00

The 12th Carnival of Homeschooling is up at Phat Mommy. My post, Art of homeschool is among the entries. I'm off to read the many other entries.

Homeschool Mami

Too funny!

2006-03-17T17:52:00.000-05:00

Check out this funny link to a comic!

Homeschool Mami

Art of homeschool

2006-03-14T19:10:00.000-05:00

We have now become aware of the possibility of arranging the entire human environment as a work of art, as a teaching machine designed to maximize perception and to make everyday learning a process of discovery.
--Marshall McLuhan

Creating an environment in which learning can flourish is a work of art. Whatever tools you choose--whether a curriculum notebook, a highly structured schedule of activities and field trips, or a freeform let's see what happens today attitude, there needs to be attention paid to the big picture. What are my children perceiving in their environment? How can I teach them to be more attentive to the lessons all around them? How can I be find ways to enrich the world around them?

Modeling behavior is the quickest way to teach someone. Am I learning all the time? What does the textbook of my life teach them? Do they observe me paying attention to my spirituality? Do they see me reading my bible and praying? Do they see me paying attention to my health and working out? Do they see me ready to forgive them and ask for forgiveness? Do they see me reading a novel from the library just for fun or do they see me spending more time in front of the television? How do my husband and I relate to one another and to them? Is our family a bigger priority than our things?

Each day is a fresh start. What promise and possibility does this day hold? Is it merely a day of filling in the blanks, finishing chores, running errands and checking off to do lists? Or is this a chance to shape the future and create memories? What are my children thinking about? What do their questions teach me about them? How can I help them make connections between new information and old?

Routine, discipline, time management, curriculum, reading lists and how to guides all have their place, but teaching your children, has more to do with the community you are building within your family than it does with exactly what information you are teaching them. That is both the privilege and the responsibility of keeping your children at home.

Homeschool Mami

Words for the journey...

2006-03-12T19:28:00.000-05:00

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.

--Benjamin Franklin

A Vision for St. Patrick's Day

2006-03-06T15:51:00.000-05:00

Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day, especially in Worcester. I actually am Irish (even if I do have a Hispanic last name now.) But the wearin' of the green is a local must whether your ancestors left Eire during the Potato Famine or not.

Every year we always catch the traditional St. Patrick's Day Parade down Park Avenue. This year it's Sunday, March 12, beginning at noon. There are lots of floats, Irish dancing girls, bands, local politicians and the random karate studio represented. It's very small town, very Worcester, and we wouldn't miss it for anything!

Of course all of this green-tinted revelry, as fun as it is, is quite a bit removed from that actual history behind St. Patrick. For a good link that explains the true story behind the man that the holiday celebrates check out Meet Saint Patrick and these links to more sites about him.

One of my favorite songs of all time is attributed to Saint Patrick. Click here for all the lyrics and a midi file to hear the tune. The first stanza is possibly my favorite:

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Homeschool Mami

Happy I Want You to Be Happy Day

2006-03-03T12:01:00.000-05:00

March is a month full of celebration and Spring is around the corner---we hope. Check out these memorable days in March according to Mom Sense.

March 3
I Want You to Be Happy Day

March 5
Babysitter Safety Day

March 11
Johnny Appleseed Day

March 17
St. Patrick's Day

March 20-26
National Bubble Week:

And since it's March 3, Happy I Want You to Be Happy Day to you.

Homeschool Mami

Great food in Worcester

2006-03-03T00:36:00.000-05:00

For you local readers: Nancy Chang is a great place to eat--healthy, yummy, moderately priced Chinese food and a great atmosphere. We just took Little Star there to celebrate her 4th birthday and we had a great time.

Homeschool Mami

Why Homeschool: The Carnival of Homeschooling: Week 9

2006-02-28T12:52:00.000-05:00

Why Homeschool: The Carnival of Homeschooling: Week 9 is up! It's beautifully arranged around the classical muses--very clever and lovely as well. If you like folk songs be sure to check out Mrs. Happy Housewife's entry and for a great idea on how to recycle junk mail and magazines check out Carrot Queen. My own entry on bilingual conversation is included.

Happy reading.

Homeschool Mami

Hablamos y hablamos mas OR We talk and we talk some more

2006-02-25T12:28:00.000-05:00

My kids can talk. They have a limitless supply of questions. Infinite curiosity. Interesting observations. Surprising insights. And sometimes just plain old silliness.

When people first get to know our family usually they are most interested in the fact that my children only speak Spanish with my husband. Then the questions begin: Don't they ever get confused? Don't they mix the languages? How do they do that? Do they really understand both languages?

These are normal questions, of course. When I was pregnant with my first child I researched bilingualism and found out that in our situation the best way to teach the languages was OPOL or one parent/one language. So from the time they were born, my husband has spoken to the children in Spanish and they respond to him in Spanish. When they babbled as toddlers sometimes I could tell that they were babbling in Spanish because I could hear the pure vowel sounds of Spanish in the midst of their ga-ga goo-goos. As they learned languages they associated Mami with English and Papi with Spanish. No confusion there.

Everyone agrees that being bilingual is an advantage, but unfortunately it is an anomaly in most of American culture. Among most first generation immigrant kids, the minority language is usually lost because of the pressure to learn English. Sometimes educators mistakenly believe that maintaining the minority language means not learning the majority language. This is not true.

When I am home alone with the kids, our talk is primarily in English. I do occasionally speak Spanish, but that's for my benefit, not theirs. When we are together the talk is pretty much constant. I do enjoy the most fascinating educational conversations, and I love to make connections with my kids from one idea to another (like a spiderweb) and talking about ideas if my idea of a day well spent. However, all this talk, talk, talk (in English or in Spanish)can wear me out by the end of a long day. Sometimes when my husband comes home after a long shift, I decide that I am done with talking and tell the kids to address all conversation to their father--I am off-duty for the day.

Homeschool Mami

You might be a homeschooler if...

2006-02-18T18:01:00.000-05:00

you plan to spend your tax refund on museum passes.

We got the Worcester Art Museum family membership for Christmas, so that one's covered. Just today, my husband took the kids to Higgins Armory and bought that pass. We plan on buying or renewing the following:

The Ecotarium
Old Sturbridge Village
Audubon Society
Tower Hill Botanic Gardens

We also will continue to take the kids to the homeschool classes at the Auburn Sportsplex which we LOVE and will enroll the older ones in another class at the Worcester Art Museum.

I don't think running out of things to do in the area will be one of our homeschooling challenges.

Homeschool Mami

Carnival of Homeschooling #7 - Valentine's Theme

2006-02-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

The Carnival of Homeschooling is up at Beverly Hernandez' homeschooling.about.com. Check it out including Love of Learning by a homeschooler who is "forever mom" of the three siblings that she adopted out of foster care, removed from public school and began to homeschool. She sounds like one great mom. Also good reading is Following Rabbit Trails and how that enriches learning. My post on Black History Month is included.

Homeschool Mami

What to do during a blizzard...

2006-02-12T12:07:00.000-05:00

Well, since church was obviously cancelled, we are all home cozily holed up together.

We have been reading, playing on the computer, watching Winnie the Pooh on DVD with the Spanish dubbing, practicing the piano, playing board games and staying warm.

I'm about to make Amazing Whole Wheat Pizza Crust, which is a recipe I've had bookmarked for a while, and will try today for the first time. I'm also making 12 bean soup with turkey sausage which is very yummy and healthy.

Eventually we have to consider shovelling out--but not just yet.

Homeschool Mami

Carnival of Unschooling #3

2006-02-09T09:08:00.000-05:00

Check out Carnival of Unschooling #3 over at cool blog Atypical Homeschool where my post February is Black History Month is included. Carnivals are a great way to hear new voices and to find new readers!

Homeschool Mami

February is Black History Month

2006-02-08T14:50:00.000-05:00

Superlassogirl is on an African-American history kick. We visited the African-American Festival last weekend at Mechanics Hall and enjoyed some traditional Liberian drumming, dancing and masks, listened to gospel music and jazz, and enjoyed making homemade dolls. We had such a great time that it reignited her interest in the topic.

When she was only five, she read picture book after picture book about slavery, the Underground Railroad, segregation, and African American families. Even though slavery is something that she is familiar with, each time she reads about it she is horrified anew. "How could people do that? Didn't they know it was wrong? What were they thinking?" And honestly I don't know that my attempt at answering her questions satisfies her: "People are selfish and when they convince themselves that other people are less than they are they can treat them like animals. They cared more about money and having people to work for them, than they cared about the fact that everyone is created in the image of God and is worthy of respect. I think they must have known it was wrong on some level. I don't know how they could do it. Isn't it awful?"

One of the things that upsets her most is the idea that people would choose their friends or playmates based on their color. Our own circle of family, friends, neighbors and church is full of many beautiful skin tones, and it doesn't affect our love for one another.

In our last two library visits we we have borrowed books and books on Rosa Parks, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, slave diaries, and integrating schools. One of my favorites is a simply beautiful book illustrating the classic Gershwin song, Summertime, from Porgy & Bess. I'm a sucker for musical theater, and it's a tune I want the kids to know.

Tomorrow I'm going to show her this link on Black History Month and our learning journey will continue.

Homeschool Mami

You might be a homeschooler if...

2006-02-06T14:09:00.000-05:00

you juggle a wallet full of library cards and max them out like a shopaholic maxes out credit cards on a spending spree.

Homeschool Mami

More "You might be a homeschooler if..." here and here.

Kid-friendly radio: 88.9 WERS

2006-02-04T17:43:00.000-05:00

We love the public radio station out of Emerson College in Boston: 88.9, WERS. On weekends our favorite listening is the Playground which has fun children's music from 5 PM - 8 PM Saturdays and Sundays. It includes "old stuff" that I remember from my childhood like Schoolhouse Rock and the Brady Kids singing "It's A Sunshine Day" as well as Silly Songs from Veggie Tales, Disney tunes, tv theme songs and really funny artists like Trout Fishing in America and their contemporary nursery rhyme polka classic, "The Window." (If you've never heard this song, it's worth listening to the Playground just to request it.)

Also a big favorite around here is the Broadway show, Standing Room Only Saturdays 10 AM to 2 PM and Sundays 12 Noon to 2 PM. It's one of my educational biases that my kids should know the great American songbook as part of their cultural literacy.

Happy listening, and don't forget to sing along.

Homeschool Mami

Welcome to Moe's

2006-02-03T14:08:00.000-05:00

Breaking news: Moe's, the best "fresh-mex" around, has opened in Worcester, practically down the street from my house. They are one of the hottest new franchises according to Entrepreneur Magazine. And it's yummy.

The family unit had lunch there yesterday, on opening day, and it tastes even better than the Moe's in Shrewsbury. Check out the menu here. The restaurant itself is where the old Bickford's used to be on Stafford near the intersection of Main Street in the Webster Square area. It's beautifully furnished and the cheerful "Welcome to Moe's" that you hear from the counter guys and gals sets a great tone as you walk in.

See you at Moe's. (No, I don't own this restaurant or know the owners.)

Homeschool Mami

5th Carnival of Homeschooling

2006-01-31T08:24:00.000-05:00

The Carnival of Homeschooling is up at Palm Tree Pundit. (Palm Tree Pundit is living out one of my fantasies--homeschooling in Hawaii!)

This carnival is a weekly round up of blog posts from different homeschool blogs and is a great way to virtually meet new people and to see what other people's homeschooling experiences are. My post Spider Web of Ideas is among the entries.

I'm off to read through the rest.

Homeschool Mami

Hundred Acre Wood Homeschooler Quiz

2006-01-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

If you are new to blogs, you might be new to these silly quizzes, but they are fun occasionally. Click on the link below and find out what kind of homeschooler you are and then click where it says "comments" on my blog and tell me what you scored.

I apparently am Tigger:

You are a Tigger Homeschooler. Tiggers jump into homeschooling with both feet, as a grand adventure. Everything is about learning, and their days (and houses) show it.

What kind of Hundred Acre Wood Homeschooler Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

How do they know what my house looks like?

Homeschool Mami

20th Anniversary of Challenger Disaster

2006-01-28T07:20:00.000-05:00

Today is the 20th Anniversary of the Challenger Disaster. Every time a shuttle goes up now (especially since the more recent Columbia disaster) I pray and worry and wonder all at once.

Although an entire crew of astronauts died, everyone best remembers the New Hampshire school teacher, Christa McAuliffe. In December we visited the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium in Concord, NH and enjoyed the hands-on exhibits and watched a planetarium show. CNN has brief article about her. I didn't realize that she was originally from Framingham and graduated from Framingham State. I also just learned about Challenger Learning Centers which are all over the country, but there is one right at FSC, the Christa McAuliffe Center. They have programs there for grades 5-8. If my kids were older, we would definitely check it out.

My son, Jedi Knight, is fascinated by space (not just Star Wars) and we are constantly getting books on space shuttles and astronauts at the library. I even woke him up early last summer ago when the shuttle Discovery landed safely, piloted by the able Eileen Collins. We pulled out the globe (of course--we're addicted to geography) and I showed him where they landed it in California at Edwards Airforce Base, where NASA Mission Control is in Houston, and where the Kennedy Space Center is in Florida. We also talked about the fact that a plane was going to fly the shuttle piggy-back style back to Florida. He was talking about that for weeks.

Here's to the final frontier...

Homeschool Mami

Spider web of ideas

2006-01-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite parts of homeschooling is the ability to talk to my children throughout the day. Our conversations cover wide-ranging topics: music, art, theology, science, family dynamics, world poverty, ecology, pop culture, materialism, or whatever they are currently reading. If we were to suddenly stop homeschooling I think what I would miss most is knowing what is going on in the hearts and minds of my children on a real time basis.

Piaget is one of the most influential educational psychologists of the 20th century. Time's 100 Most Influential 20th Century People describes him like this:

"He has been revered by generations of teachers inspired by the belief that children are not empty vessels to be filled with knowledge (as traditional pedagogical theory had it) but active builders of knowledge — little scientists who are constantly creating and testing their own theories of the world."

He called the structures these "active builders" made schemata. They are often compared to ladders of knowledge on which you hang new information. I prefer to think of schemata as a spider web. As you spin your new ideas into your existing body of knowlege you need to find connecting points on the web. The more knowledge you have, the more complex the web structure becomes. Each web is beautiful and practical and yet utterly unique.

One of the joys of being my kids' primary teacher is that I can help them make connections and that I can also point them to new and interesting things to learn that connect to what they already know. As we read books we always have a globe nearby to look up the place that we are reading about and to remember other interesting facts about that region of the world. When reading Heidi, we look up Switzerland, and find the Alps, and feel the raised topographical surface of the globe and discuss that one of our favorite movies, the Sound of Music also takes place near the Alps, although in Austria, and then we find Austria on the globe...and so it goes.

This is not only instructive for the kids, but keeps my mind sharp and the conversations we share are as much fun for me as for them. And by sharing ideas we are buiilding webs of shared experiences and family memories which will sustain us long after story time is over.

Homeschool Mami

You might be a homeschooler if...

2006-01-25T11:09:00.000-05:00

you tell your game-playing 7 year old that it's time to do school, and she says, but Mommy, Monopoly is school. I'm learning about money!!!!

And then you laugh, and see her point, and let her play a little longer.

Homeschool Mami

What are your family's favorite spots in Worcester?

2006-01-22T21:45:00.000-05:00

I really love living in Worcester and schooling my kids here. We love the Higgins Armory, the Worcester Art Museum, the Ecotarium, and (further out) Old Sturbridge Village. We love Moore State Park (in Paxton) for walks and Elm Park. We spend an inordinate time in the libraries: Worcester (downtown), Auburn and Leicester. And we also love our home, our yard and our "woods."

What are your favorite spots?

Homeschool Mami

Welcome spring?

2006-01-21T08:35:00.000-05:00

This crazy weather has me upside down. It was so warm yesterday I took the kids into the woods behind our house in the afternoon. Well, I suppose "woods" is a relative term, but we are city dwellers and so we've got a good few trees behind us that we can wander in, so that's what we call it. We were decked out in snow boots because I thought surely it would be one giant mud puddle, but it was pretty dry. We turned over rocks and found a few hibernating bugs and scurrying spiders. We examined rotting tree limbs and climbed logs. We breathed in the fresh clean air. I started planning my vegetable garden, and then I reminded myself, it's January. Vegetable gardens will have to wait.

Homeschool Mami

You might be a homeschooler if...

2006-01-20T14:02:00.000-05:00

you have to move the globe to sit down on your couch.

Homeschool Mami

Worcester Art Museum

2006-01-20T13:03:00.000-05:00

As I start posting regularly on this blog, I am hoping to use it to build some local community, as well as the virtual community that naturally grows up around a blog. Those of you who know me and my kids know the names of my little learners, but for the purposes of this blog, they will have the following nicknames:

Super Lasso Girl(age 7) (Who has her own blog)
Jedi Knight (age 5)
Little Star (age 3, soon to be 4)

One of our favorite places to go is the Worcester Art Museum. Super Lasso Girl & Jedi Knight have just started a class there called Wild About Art. The catalog is on line here.

While her older siblings are viewing art in the museum, hearing a story and working on a new project for an hour and a half, Little Star and I wander the museum hand in hand and have long conversations about what we are looking at. When her little legs get tired we sit in a gallery on a bench and look around the room and tell each other what pictures we like and why. Having conversations with my little one about art is so much fun. When she decides that we are finished, we go back to the waiting room and pull out our library books and read until other young kids come back to wait for their artistic siblings and then she goes off to socialize. It's a lovely hour and a half.

Homeschool Mami

Welcome to my world

2006-01-15T13:22:00.000-05:00

This is a blog about homeschooling, urban living, finding educational opportunities for my kids, bilingual parenting, and exploring Worcester, MA.

Homeschool Mami