While you will find lots of used curriculum sales in the area this time of year, you might also enjoy adding some new books to your shelves. The Scholastic Warehouse Sale is in full swing, but will be wrapping up soon. Depending on where you are your nearest one is closing the 17th or the 24th, so time is running out.

These sales offer you some great deals on those books that traditionally schooled kids get through those little book flyers that go home on a regular basis from the classroom teacher. In these warehouse sales you get to walk the aisles of their store room and find some great deals. If you are going, be sure to register online and print a coupon before heading out. They have lots of great deals to tuck away for birthday or Christmas gifts, or to simply breathe some new life into your homeschool bookshelf.

Check out all the details at the Scholastic website.

I can’t tell you how many foreign language products I have used temporarily over the years. A workbook here, an old cassette tape there, a full program, an online resource. I’ve tried a lot! Some highly recommended, some just cheap alternatives.

The reason I have tried so many is because I really want to learn Spanish and teach my kids to speak Spanish, but I can’t do it on my own. Foreign language is not a skill you can pick up casually. I need to have a curriculum to help me in this area. So, when Debbie Annett approached me about her brand new curriculum, still in the works at the time, I could not resist.

She comes with years of experience in Spanish and teaching in the homeschool community in particular. She has created her curriculum with homeschoolers specifically in mind. I find this a huge benefit as you are not trying to tailor a program geared toward a traditional classroom or the business traveler (the two main targets of language programs, it seems). She made this for you to use at home with your children, or possibly in a co-op setting.

Product: Spanish for You!

Details: (excerpts from their site) Spanish for You! is a flexible, unique self-study curriculum for grades 3 through 8 that establishes the foundations for learning Spanish with just a short lesson each day. The set includes the Spanish for You! Estaciones Book (teaching the seasons — another set teaching fiestas should be out summer of 2012), 24-27 Week Lesson Guides for grades 3-8 (PDF), Self-Checking Worksheets for grades 3-8 (PDF), and Audio Download of entire book (MP3 format)

Cost: $65 for the whole set

Some of what we liked:
- The diversity of target ages. This is an all in one curriculum that someone with minimal Spanish knowledge could pick up and use with all of their school age kids. Even though the target range starts with 3rd grade, my 1st and 2nd graders were right in there picking up basic vocabulary as well. (I think 3rd grade is a good starting place, I just generally include all of my kids when teaching if possible).
- Abundance of materials. Worksheets, audio files, teacher’s guide, lesson plans, activity ideas, visuals, pronunciation guides, etc. This program is well fleshed out with lots of built in resources. The lessons include pictures in the book, audio files to hear the vocabulary properly pronounced, worksheets for individuals to do on their own, activities to do together, and ideas for review and further teaching.
- Lots of built in review. Without becoming redundant, the lessons review, reteach, and repeat the words the kids need to learn. They do not get bored since it is always presented in a new way and language study is such an interactive discipline that everyone stays involved and learning. The lessons are also on the shorter side so they won’t take up a lot of your day, but they will get the job done efficiently.
- The audio is at a great pace for learning. It is not rushed through. The words are clear and  easy to understand. I do like my kids to hear a more conversational (fast!) pace as they get more comfortable, but for beginners this is a non-intimidating step into the language. Anyone can learn these words with Mrs. Annett’s gentle teaching.
- Adaptable and reasonable time commitment. This program is a gentle introduction to Spanish for younger kids, and a more focused beginners’ course for older kids. While foreign language is better done frequently throughout each day (the lesson plans are mapped out for use 4 days each week), you could easily condense the lessons to 2 times each week, and then try to pepper it in throughout the day as well. You will find you are both quickly learning a new language.

Some considerations for potential buyers
- While the curriculum is for multiple grades, it teaches the grades differently. So, beyond the first few days, you would likely go through the material more quickly and to greater depth and mastery with older kids, so you wouldn’t actually teach the class the same way to a 3rd grader and an 8th grader. Just take that into consideration when determining how much time is needed to teach each lesson. Review could still be done together, and kids of different ages could study together, but the teaching times would most likely be separate, or at least branch off after starting together.
- Some of the audio, especially early on, seems to be a little light on the Spanish accent. I think especially of “calendario” and “martes” among others in the first lesson. Later lessons do not have this issue, but as students get used to pronouncing these foreign words, they might notice that some sounded a little American at first. This actually seems like another way to gently transition kids into the Spanish language.  You might want to be aware of it, and even point it out, but also be sure to encourage a stronger accent along with the audios as you and your students gain confidence in your new found language.
This curriculum is very user friendly and can be used by someone comfortable with Spanish or someone who really needs a solid Spanish teacher to rely on. You can do this! As a poster in my high school classroom said, “Stamp out foreign languages — learn one!” This program will start you on the road to doing just that.

Disclaimer: This product was given to me in exchange for my personal,  honest review.

CHARIS (formerly Kane County Christian Homeschoolers) is having their annual used curriculum sale this week.

I have been to their sale in the past and it is usually pretty well attended and has a decent variety of materials available for purchase. If you’re a used curriculum sale addict like me, you won’t miss it.

What: The Used Curriculum Sale

When: Friday, May 18 from 9-11:00 am

Where: Sugar Grove Community Center. 141 S. Main St. Sugar Grove.

Found out about a great opportunity coming up this week from Kristi Boss of the Homeschool Resource Center (www.fofchomeschool.org)

Click on the Get Coupon button on their site and you can get a coupon for free admission to a number of public gardens. You do need to give your name, email, zip code, pick your garden, and indicate the number in your party. The coupon is good for 2 admissions, but the site says to print as many as you need for your group.

In Illinois, included in the list are:

• Cantigny
• Chicago Botanic Garden
• Elmhurst College Arboretum
• Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden
• Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens
• Rockford Park District
• The Morton Arboretum
• University of Illinois Arboretum

More all across the country, so share with your in and out of state friends as well.

The weather here in Chicago is supposed to be gorgeous on Friday so grab the sunscreen and a picnic lunch, and enjoy a field trip!

A hidden jewel and an affordable outing.

Graue (Pronounced Gr-ow-ee) Mill will take you back to the days of kitchen bathtubs, homespun cloth, and mill ground grain.

Located along Salt Creek in Oak Brook, the mill first began turning in 1852 and for 70 years farmers were able to bring their grain to this custom mill to have their grain turned into flour or meal. Fred Graue would keep a portion as payment for his services, and you can still see how it all took place today.

On the main floor you will find a small gift shop and the main grinding area. They ground some corn into a coarse cornmeal for us to touch, and it is available for purchase as well.

My daughter got to participate in the process and enjoyed the hands-on experience of removing kernels from the cob the way they did it before combine harvesters came along.  She also tried her hand at hand grinding to help demonstrate how much easier the mill made the farmer’s job. The mill is run by electricity today, but it doesn’t detract from the authentic feel of the place and the understanding you take away with you of how a real water mill worked.

Other tasks that kids can observe and/or participate in include carding wool, playing checkers with corn cob pieces, making pretend pies with pieces of felt and puffy balls that look like cherries and blueberries as well as pretend apple wedges.  My toddler especially enjoyed those. Kids can dress up, try their hand at ironing (with a cold iron), watch the loom in action, and learn about life over a hundred years ago.

The museum portion is small, but well packed with artifacts and information that kept my kids’ interest. We have been to many similar demonstrations and they have all carded and spun wool before, but the one-on-one attention at Graue was a special experience anyway. If your kids haven’t done these activities before, this is a great personalized introduction to it.

In the basement  you will find the underworkings of the mill and a small area dedicated to the other function of the mill — as a stop on the underground railroad. Pictures and artifacts found there would be a great supplement to a study on this era as well.

Getting there: 3800 York Road Oak Brook, Illinois 60523. Just 18 miles from the heart of Chicago, the Mill is on York Road, 1/4 mile north of Ogden Avenue, at the junction of York and Spring Roads.

Cost: The mill is one of the sites available through the Museum Adventure Pass, so be sure to stop by your library for 2 adult and 2 kid passes before heading to the mill.

Children 4-12         $1.50
Children 3-under     Free

Adults                  $3.50
Seniors                 $3.00

When to go: It is good to call and make sure you are not arriving at the same time as a prescheduled field trip. While it can be fun to tag along, a larger group can pretty well fill the place and make it difficult for you to see much of anything. They will be happy to share their other field trip times with you. We arrived when they opened and had the place pretty much to ourselves until 11:30 when 150 kids arrived. However, they said they do sometimes have field trips scheduled for at or before their regular opening time, so it would be best to call first. Also, they said mornings tend to be better as the demonstrators aren’t always there all day, so be sure to ask about that when you call as well. Because we arrived just before a group we were able to enjoy the three docents on hand that day. They really added to our enjoyment of the visit.

Hours
Daily Tuesday – Sunday 10 AM to 4:30 PM
Closed Monday, Except for Holidays

Telephone: 630-655-2090 or 630-920-9720

Other tips: Parking is on the other side of York Road from the mill. You will turn South off of York, but then take the foot bridge under the road to get to the mill. It is a small, but tall building with four floors. The museum is not spacious and so is not stroller friendly. We just left ours outside during the hour and a half we were enjoying the displays and demonstrations. If you have extra time, enjoy the trails and head up to the nature center in Fullersburg Woods. Beautiful area and lots of wildlife to enjoy as well. Pack a picnic lunch if you would like and make a longer day of it.

We really enjoyed our outing to the mill, and it was a great meetup with my parents as well. I always enjoy mixed ages on a field trip as we all bring such a different perspective to historical observations. Definitely find a day on your calendar soon to enjoy the rich history of this quaint mill.

Special events coming in May:

Sunday, May 6, program begins at 1pm
Underground Railroad in DuPage County – Lesa Hipes
Learn how slaves made their way from Missouri to Graue Mill, then Chicago, and eventually Canada and freedom

Sunday, May20

Sheep Shearing and Spin-In Shearings begin at 1pm
Watch Harold Davis give a sheep a haircut. Talk with our volunteers about the old-time crafts of spinning and weaving. Try your hand at the drop spindle and find out the benefits of joining our team of dedicated volunteers.

HOME SCHOOLING PROGRAM

We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a Home Schooling time block.  This will be on Wednesdays from 1:30pm – 3:00pm, beginning Wednesday, May 2nd.  The cost will be $8.00 per jumper.  Families larger than 4 kids, there will be a $2 discount for additional siblings (not cousins, or nieces or nephews or grandkids or friends…).  Each jumper must have a signed waiver by their parent or legal guardian.  No exceptions, just like in any other case.

847.608.0600 office

http://www.epicairpark.com

http://www.facebook.com/epicair

“You Ready To Jump!?”

Dodgeball, Trampoline Arena, Foam Pit, Long Tracks, Basketball, Parties, Events

MOSAIC Enrichment registration opens for new families.

Their registration fee is only $35 per family, and classes are only $5 per hour!!

Visit the website, view the course offerings, print out a registration form, and mail it in to Laura. Be sure to call ahead to check on class availability as classes are filling to capacity already.

They would still love to hear from you if you are interested in Biology, ACT Prep, or the possibility of other high school classes in the future.

They have a new art teacher offering 2 drawings classes and also offer private violin, guitar, and possibly piano.

*An exciting addition to the Fall semester will be Expert Night. Students will have the chance to be the expert on any topic of their choice, and like a science fair, will have the opportunity to show off their projects and displays in late fall. This event will be for all their students, Pre-K through high school!

Website: www.mosaicenrichment.com

Where: MOSAIC meets at St. John Lutheran Church in Joliet off of Rte. 30 & Hennepin by the Louis Joliet Mall

Contact: Laura at 815-603-5434 or laura@mosaicenrichment.com

HSVE Co-op registration is currently open. For more information, you can request to be added to www.meetup.com/hsvenrichment to download registration forms.  If you have any questions, please email Tara at tromsaithong@gmail.com.

Home School Village Enrichment (HSVE) Co-op is committed to providing families with a high quality, low cost enrichment program that compliments the home schooling experience and provides a safe and nurturing environment for children and their families to grow in learning and fellowship with other Christian home schoolers.

We offer classes for children in preschool through JR. High.

Times and Location:
We will be meeting on Fridays, from 9:20-2:10, at the Village Church of Bartlett for 28 weeks during the 2012-2013 school year.

Tuition & Registration Fee:
Our tuition is $270 per child for the year. Tuition is to be paid the first week of each month from September through May ($30/student/ month, which is just under $10/week).
There is also a $10 registration fee due with your completed registration forms which will cover the cost of your child’s t-shirt. All students will be required to wear this shirt with their name on it each week to classes.

Extra Class Fees:
Some of our classes also have an extra fee in addition to the tuition. Extra fees will be paid in two installments. Half of your child’s fees will be due with your registration and the other half will be due in January.

You can see a full list of our classes by going to the MORE section and clicking on FILES. Then choose “2012-2013 Class descriptions”.

Class Sizes:
We are committed to keeping our class sizes small to ensure optimal learning opportunities for all the students. Class sizes will range from 6 to 12 students, depending on the class.

Classes are filled on a first come first serve basis.
Once a class is filled, subsequent enrollments will be placed on a waiting list.

Volunteer Time:
The volunteer time commitment will be one week on, two weeks off, or about 9 weeks out of 28 unless you are teaching a class. If you would like to help more or less than this, arrangements can be made on an individual basis (i.e. clean up help from 2-2:20 each week, fundraising coordination and processing from home, paying another mom to cover your volunteer time at $10/day, etc.). You will be contacted after your registration has been processed so we can find a volunteer position that best fits your time and talents. Childcare is provided free of charge for teachers and volunteers.

The Fox Valley Music Camp at Judson University in Elgin, IL is for grades K-12 and will be held June 25 – June 29, 2012. This is a week long day camp with optional overnight camp for high school students. Ensembles, music composition, lessons, mini-concerts, end-of-week camper showcase. Classical and Contemporary Tracks available for older students.

Location: Thompson Center

Address: 1151 N. State Street
Elgin, IL 60123

Email Address: www.FVMC@judsonu.edu

Website: www.judsonu.edu/jcms

Primary Contact: Cheryl Richardson 847-628-5039

Primary Contact Email: cheryl.richardson@judsonu.edu

Secondary Contact : Robert Kania 847-628-1115

Secondary Contact Email: rkania@judsonu.edu

Received this from Amanda Davey, the Dean of Students at Science & Arts Academy:

Summer Program for Homeschoolers

We are a private, independent day school for gifted learners Preschool – 8th grade located in Des Plaines, IL just two blocks off of I294.

Over the 20 years we have been in existence, we have had many homeschooling families attend our gifted Summer Program.  The class sizes are small, the teachers are trained to work with advanced learners and passionate about the unique classroom subject matter, and the kids all have a love for learning.

This affordable, interesting option for in-depth learning has always resonated with parents of our homeschool constituents.

The best way to take a look at our summer program is to visit our website.

Science & Arts Academy – 847-827-7880
For the brochure: http://www.scienceandartsacademy.org/summer