Charlotte Mason Homeschooler available to inspire your group

The following was received from a homeschooling mom excited about sharing her knowledge and experience with your homeschooling group:

Do You Need a Speaker for Your Support Group or Conference Workshop?

Let “The Charlotte Mason Girl” help you!


HI! I’m Sue Pruett, and I have been teaching my children with the gentle ways of Charlotte Mason for 9 years. I continue to study and learn of her ways, and constantly improve my methods. I love this way of educating my children, and I desire to show others how gentle and natural this way is! I am available to speak at groups or conventions – large or small – on a Charlotte Mason Education.

I have 5 children, and so I can also add the perspective of a Mom of Many to my mix. How do you achieve a good education for your school aged children, while not neglecting your pre-schoolers? I can help answer that question!

Talk topics I can deliver:

  • An Introduction to a Charlotte Mason Education
  • Living books – how to pick them, how to obtain them, how to use them.
  • Nature Study – Yes you CAN do it!
  • Scheduling and a Charlotte Mason Education – can it work?
  • You CAN start with a Charlotte Mason education Monday!(Or Tomorrow!)
  • It IS Possible to Teach ALL Your Children Well!

I have been speaking for over 5 years at local homeschool support group meetings, encouraging moms in their homeschool journey. I have a burden to see families not just survive, but thrive as they teach their children at home. Let me come and encourage your families as I introduce them to the Charlotte Mason method of education!


My husband and I own Ancient Paths Christian Bookstore, and we have been involved in supplying families with great books since 2005. We love to be a part of helping families disciple their children well, and we desire to continue doing so for many years to come. In making myself available for speaking opportunities, we are furthering our mission of helping families disciple their children well.

To learn just how easy it is to have me come to your group or conference, please contact me at sapruett {at} sbcglobal {dot} net.

TOS Crew Review — Web design for Kids

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A quiet weekday afternoon in the summer — too cold to swim, too wet to play in the yard, light school work and chores already done.

Now what? The DVD cover caught my 12 year old’s eye and he popped it in. As I finished dinner prep in the kitchen I looked over and saw him absorbed. Then he was gone. Back again, gone again, back again. It would be helpful if we had a laptop I suppose. 🙂

What had he discovered? A wonderfully straight-forward, simple enough for a child to understand, intro to web design and HTML.

He didn’t need any encouragement from me to watch the video completely through, and he didn’t need any help from me to accomplish the tasks that the instructor, Brian Richardson (creator of Web Design for Kids), so thoroughly explained for his audience.

We loved:

  • Easy to follow. Clear screen shots to follow along with, basic instructions, and step-by-step teaching
  • Can be started with or without internet access
  • Opens up a door to learning and creativity. With the foundational information that this video presents you can take some solid steps toward basic web page creation, or just have a lot of fun trying out different codes, graphics, and color combinations.
  • A 12 year old could easily follow this independently.
  • Now I know how to spot faulty codes, change text color, make words move, and a few other useful html skills.

We tweaked:

  • Don’t know if it qualifies for tweaking, but we found it much easier to watch right on our computer since we don’t have a laptop. This worked well with half the screen showing the video, and the other half showing the notepad that we typed on.

Challenges:

  • For slow typers it can be difficult to keep up, but the pause button is just a click away. We found it helpful to work in pairs on this project so we could enjoy each other’s progress and help pause and type as needed.

On the website you can watch a quick one minute clip of the video and view samples of web pages other students have created using this class. The DVD runs approximately 1 1/2 hours broken into 7 sections plus bonus material.

He is currently offering this basic HTML introduction for $19.99 plus shipping with a money back guarantee. If you are interested in getting a grip on the basics of HTML, need something to keep a technologically enraptured child productively engaged, or maybe you are looking for material for a little computer unit in your homeschooling, this video can satisfy any of those needs.

For more reviews check out the TOS Crew’s blog

Individual schedules

We jumped back into school full time this week, fairly successfully, I have to say.

I admit, I am a creature of habit, but for some reason I let my routines slide in the summer. There is something terribly refreshing to me about starting a newly revised and enforced schedule. My house gets instantly cleaner, my days become more productive, emails get answered. It seems to work magic, for me, anyway.

Our first day had its typical speed bumps. Phone calls that couldn’t wait, eggs that needed turning, squabbles needing peace, and preparations I forgot. Somehow, I had remembered to type up our daily schedule, but forgotten to print out the kids’ individual schedules.

Last year I decided to make the kids their own schedules to keep in their folder or by their seat that reminded them of what they should be doing throughout the day. While I have it all on the master schedule, it is helpful to have it boiled down in one easy slip to keep handy.

It looks something like this (each child’s is of course a little different):

All morning chores done by 9:00 (Bible time)

9:30     Missionary bio

9:45     Spelling and prep for day

10:00   Piano

10:15   Handwriting

10:30   Math with Mom

10:45   Math on own

11:00   Typing

11:15   Silent reading

11:30   English with Mom

11:45   English on own

12:00   PE / Clean school room

12:30   Eat lunch

1:00     clean up lunch chores

1:15     Study hall

2:15     AO Year 5 – with Mom and Paige

3:15     Notebooking page

3:45     Independent time

4:45     Cook with Mom on Monday

And, on Friday we stay together the whole day covering extra topics that we want to spend time on (foreign language, nature study, etc.)
So, today we had these in place since I finished them up last night, and today went even more smoothly. Something about everyone knowing which direction they should be going and having clear expectations on how to get there.

These individual schedules have definitely worked for us.

I know scheduling is one of the big questions of new (and veteran) homeschool moms.

Anyone else want to share what tips they use to make sure everything gets accomplished as needed?

Do you prefer schedules, routines, or more flexibility?

How often do you change your daily plan?

Labfest Grande Finale

Science Chicago’s LabFest! Triggers Reaction in Millennium Park

Blowout celebration offers hands-on science excitement in the heart of downtown Chicago

CHICAGO [July 28, 2009] – Science Chicago’s traveling LabFest! science festival is set to go out with a bang in downtown Chicago’s Millennium Park on Friday, August 21. After more than a dozen stops at CPS schools, local parks and libraries throughout Chicagoland, this finale event promises even more science discovery for Chicagoans and visitors of all ages in one dynamic and fun-filled summer day.

LabFest! in Millennium Park will give kids and families the opportunity to explore the sciences from – astronomy to zoology – in an interactive, memorable and FREE way. The day offers numerous hands-on activities, craft projects and games such as “Pop Fly” with Nate Ball, host of the popular PBS television series, Design Squad, where participants will have the unique opportunity to brainstorm, design, build and test products that are used in everyday life. The new season of Design Squad will air locally on WTTW11 Sundays at 11:30 a.m. beginning October 11, 2009.

“It’s all about making science and engineering accessible,” said Design Squad host, Nate Ball. “The Science Chicago initiative, just like the Design Squad TV show, features the importance of science and the design process in every aspect of our day-to-day lives – from riding a bike to recycling our garbage to making a call on a cell phone. LabFest! is an awesome opportunity to demonstrate the ideas that we share with our viewers every week. I’m even bringing one of the prototypes that our teenage cast invented on-screen!”

Some of the other exciting LabFest! activities at Millennium Park include:

• Build a 15-Foot Willis Tower out of LEGOS© – Work with architect Adam Reed Tucker to create a spectacular version of this Chicago landmark.
• Building Windmills – Engineer a functioning windmill with young Malawian innovator William Kamkwamba and author of the upcoming book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
• Beakman’s World – See a show by Paul Zaloom, award-winning performance artist and host of the Sony Pictures science television show, Beakman’s World.
• Bubbleology 101 – Don’t just blow bubbles, discover the science of bubbles and how the molecular nature of water causes a phenomenon called surface tension.
• Alka-Seltzer Rockets – Create a rocket out of a film canister and an alka-seltzer tablet.
• Space Robots – Learn about space exploration as you build and program your own LEGO space robot with experts from the NASA Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy.
• Solar Cars – Kids can design, build and race model solar cars while learning about renewable energy resources; then they can participate in one-on-one drag races.
• Oobleck – Take off your shoes and learn about non-Newtonian liquids when you dash across a pool of cornstarch and water mixture which will allow you to “walk on water.”
• I want to be a Vet! – Meet and talk to a veterinarian from the American Veterinary Medical Association and learn about animal health with the help of a real dog.

The year-long Science Chicago initiative, considered to be the world’s largest science celebration, wraps up in August. Since the launch of the program in September 2008, more than 300,000 people have engaged with Science Chicago programs and online communities.

“Science Chicago has been tremendously successful in building public enthusiasm for the sciences and positioning Chicago as leading city for cutting-edge science innovation,” said Cheryl Hughes, Executive Director of Science Chicago. “If you haven’t had a chance to experience a Science Chicago event, come to LabFest! at Millennium Park. It is a perfect culmination of this exciting year, as it celebrates the unique spirit of collaboration, hands-on learning and passion for science discovery that are the foundation of the Science Chicago initiative.”

Science Chicago will continue to serve as a resource for science enthusiasts through social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube. The public may also visit the www.sciencechicago.com Web site for additional information on local science events and programs.

“It’s truly impressive that within the short span of one year, Science Chicago has inspired hundreds of thousands of Chicago residents of all ages to awaken their inner scientist and explore the many scientific resources of the region,” said David Mosena, President and CEO of the Museum of Science and Industry and Vice Chair of the Science Chicago Board of Advisors. “The Museum of Science and Industry is proud to have led this unparalleled collaborative effort, and it is our hope that cities and organizations across the nation will look to Science Chicago as a model for the development of similar initiatives aimed at inspiring the next generation of American scientists.”

Event Details:
Date: Friday, August 21, 2009
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Millennium Park
55 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611

For more information on LabFest! visit: http://www.sciencechicago.com/content/labfest-details?id=15
LABFEST! IMAGES AVAILABLE: http://www.sciencechicago.com/content/press-room

Argonne open house!

Argonne Public Open House 2009

Directions to Argonne
Download Program of Events (PDF)

Argonne is opening its gates to the community Saturday, Aug. 29, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — rain or shine. Nearly 100 engaging exhibits, demonstrations, tours and presentations are being planned for a day of fun and education for the entire family.

A program of attractions and events, including a map of the Argonne campus, will be available free at the Argonne gates and is downloadable here.

Photos and videotaping are welcome.

Come and enjoy our beautiful campus and learn more about exciting new research in:

  • Energy
  • Environment
  • Safety
  • Chemistry
  • Computing
  • Engineering
  • Biology
  • National security
  • Physics
  • Materials science and nanomaterials
  • X-ray science
  • Transportation
  • Nuclear energy

Tours

Tours include the Advanced Photon Source, the Western Hemisphere’s most brilliant source of X-rays for research; the Center for Nanoscale Materials; ATLAS, the Argonne Tandem-Linac Accelerator System; and the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator.

Featured presentations:

  • To be announced.

Directions

Argonne is located just south of I-55 near Darien. Visitors to Argonne’s open house may enter through any of three gates:

  • Northgate Rd.  located off Cass Ave. immediately south of I-55. Take the Cass Ave. exit south from I-55.
  • Westgate Rd.  located off Lemont Rd. immediately south of I-55. Take the Lemont Rd. exit south from I-55.
  • Eastgate  located off Cass Ave. near Bluff Rd., about a mile and a half south of Northgate Rd. Take the Cass Ave. exit south from I-55.

Shuttle service

Free on-site shuttle service is available all day.

Free all-day shuttle service to the open house is available for visitors who park in the Argonne Park, located on Cass Avenue, directly across from the Argonne campus and about a half-mile north of Bluff Road.

Food service

Food and beverages are available for purchase at Buildings 213 and 401. Snacks and refreshments may be purchased near Buildings 200 and 362.

Information booths

Information booths will be open all day near Buildings 203 and 362 to answer your questions about activities and services Information is also available from Argonne hosts wearing white baseball hats imprinted with “Argonne National Laboratory.”

Fall happenings — Chicago Ridge Homeschool opportunities

Many co-ops and support groups have exciting opportunities dotting their fall calendar. Check out individual websites (see tabs above for contact information for many groups across the Chicago area) for more details information about meetings and events open to homeschoolers in your neck of the woods.

The following came from a group in Chicago Ridge:

Here is a brief summary: (all are at 1 p.m.)

Sept. 11–participate in a Readers’ Theatre presentation of The Buffalo Storm

Oct. 9–Bicycle safety program

Nov. 13—Fine Arts Fest

Dec. 11—Stampin’ Up Christmas edition

All Homeschoolers are welcome to join us!  Please call to reserve your spot! 708.423.7753

The more, the merrier!

Constance VanSwol

youthdesk@chicagoridge.lib.il.us

Head of Youth Services

Chicago Ridge Public Library

10400 S. Oxford Avenue

Chicago Ridge IL 60415

TOS Crew Review — Grapevine Studies

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“Look, Mom. I just finished my third copy of the Old Testament stick figures.”

I guess we can say this one’s a keeper. Paige voluntarily drew three sets of the Old Testament stick figures from Adam to the 400 years of silence. All of my kids enjoyed Grapevine Studies‘ hands on approach to Bible study in which they actually get to draw the story.

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The first two weeks we sped through the entire Old Testament, highlighting all the major stories in a stick figure time line. Since then we have gone back to the beginning for a more detailed look at the events that started the world on its downward spiral of sin while those individuals kept their eyes seeking desperately forward to the promised Messiah.

Even for the non-artisan this is an excellent curriculum. It allows for creativity of expression, but also can simply provide a framework for reinforcing the story. They can just draw what they are shown, or they can run with it. You can draw the pictures yourself as you teach, or you can hold up the book for them to duplicate or gather inspiration.

Here is one of Faith’s (7yo)pages.
She wrote the letters in a color pattern,
which was time consuming, but it was uniquely her as a result.
What I loved:

– Getting the overall picture of God’s working through the Old Testament (we are still really at the beginning, but I can see my kids really putting together the red thread that ties all these well loved stories together)

– The simplicity of stick figuring. I am not a great artist and many of my kids take after me in that regard. This is something anyone can do. My five year old sometimes comes up with a better rendition than I have put together. Everyone gets to do their own thing as long as they accurately represent Scripture

– I love that we do this all together. From my four year old (who doodles along on his white board), to my 12 year old (who zips through the basic drawings and moves on to pondering the deeper messages of the Scripture passages), they all learn at their level, yet we go through it together. The Level 1 book was easily adaptable for all of them to benefit from. Getting a higher level book and expecting less of the younger students would most likely work as well. And, they do also have mutli-level studies available.

– The application is not book driven. The writer intentionally does this so as not to limit the products to any specific doctrinal background. We loved it. Our conversation each day took a personal path. We dug through Scripture, discussed what these events had to do with our daily lives, and benefited from the thinking patterns of each individual in the family. God speaks so clearly through His Word, that this provides us the order to follow and the framework for learning, and we take it from there.

What I tweaked:

– The memory verses. I like that they have a weekly memory verse, and that ones from earlier weeks are reviewed periodically to keep them from getting unmemorized. I wrote the verses out on note cards and we reviewed multiple verses each day. This way even when we have multiple verses to review we should get through most of them every week (or two), always keeping them fresh.

– The cards that are drawn up to summarize the lesson are helpful to bring it all together. I allowed my younger ones to draw the summary points (with stick figures) rather than write the many words out. We also did not use the actual page from the book, but rather used a simple 3×5 card for these review cards.

Challenges I faced:

– Dealing with the different speeds at which the kids worked and their level of interest in creating detailed drawings. To allow for this we went through the drawings together and discussed the verses and applications. Then if they needed extra time, they could use our read aloud time (which immediately follows Bible time) to finish up their drawings for the day.

Would I buy it?

Probably. When we first started, I thought probably not. As much as we were enjoying it, I personally have a strong Biblical knowledge base and I didn’t think a program like this would add much to what I could do on my own. However, it gives us a great framework and direction for our Bible times this school year. The kids are personally involved in recording the story so they really connect with it.I enjoy how easy it is to use, and yet how adaptable it is as well.

Would I recommend others to buy it?

Definitely. Memory work, multiple learning styles, easy to use format, reasonable price, all in one package. They have a New Testament survey as well which I might consider purchasing for next year.

If you do decide this is something that you would like for your homeschool, right now you can get it for an even better price.Grapevine has allowed you to enjoy 30% off their products for the next 30 days. Use this code: crews to receive your discount.You can choose between ebooks and regular books, whole Testament studies or special topics. The whole Testament overviews can take a full year to work through, but there are shorter studies available as well (Esther, Birth of Jesus, etc.)

The products that I actually used included the Old Testament Overview Level 1 student ebook ($25.95 for use in family), and the Level 1/2 Teacher book ($45.95 for the book or $22.95 for the ebook).

If you would like to read other reviews on Grapevine Studies, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Scholastic Warehouse sale

More sales . . .

I have personally enjoyed shopping this sale to stock up on free reading books, craft sets, and even stocking stuffers. Much of the warehouse is available at 50% off or more, they often have items for $1, and you can print out a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase when you register in advance. I don’t usually have a hard time finding $50 worth of items to fill my cart with.

Scholastic Please add BookFairs@emailer.scholastic.com to your address book.

Scholastic Book Fairs 'Back to School' Warehouse Sale!
Stock Up for the New School Year at Our Clearance Sale!
Deep discounts on selected titles
100’s of items below $5
Build home, school, and classroom libraries at a fraction of the price
50 to 80% OFF!

Sign Up Now to Receive a Valuable Coupon!
Go online to pre-register (enter source code: EMAIL) for a sale and get your Fast-Cart Pass. You’ll skip the sign-in lines and receive a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $60-$100 or $15 off a purchase greater than $100!
Exclusively for educators and Book Fair chairpeople / volunteers. Sale applies ONLY to preselected items marked down for clearance.

Visit Scholastic.com Book Fairs | Find a Warehouse Sale | Contact Us

Office Max Teacher Appreciation event

We rely on Office Max for lots of little, and occasionally big, items throughout our homeschool year.

Here is an event I have enjoyed in recent years (important note: check your local store for dates. Some have held these already, and others may not be on this same day, call ahead to make check your local details) :

OfficeMax
Office Supplies Paper Technology Ink and Toner Furniture
IN-STORE EVENT - AUGUST 9 TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY
Receive a FREE Reusable Shopping Bag and get 15% off everything you can fit inside*
Find a Store
PLUS, Receive a Coupon to EARN 15% in MaxPerks® Bonus Rewards on any printer purchase. Present your MaxPerks ID card and the coupon in-store to earn 15% in Bonus Rewards. Coupon Valid August 9 thru August 15.

*Valid August 9, 2009. Offer available to MaxPerks® Rewards for Teachers members or new teacher member sign-ups only.
All merchandise must fit inside this bag to qualify for the 15% discount. 15% discount applies to all regular, sale and clearance priced items, before taxes. 15% discount offer not valid on purchases of computers, monitors, printers, gift certificates, OfficeMax brand gift cards, general-use prepaid cards, phone cards, MaxAssurance® or assembly. Merchandise must be in original packaging. Discount applies to in-stock items only. Discount may only be used once. Special orders are not eligible for the 15% discount. Not valid with any other coupon offer, Associate discount card(s) and/or Retail ConnectSM Card pricing. No price adjustments from previous ads will be made. One bag per customer. Valid in-store only. No rainchecks will be given for this 15% discount. Void if copied, sold, transferred, taxed or where prohibited. Not valid on prior purchases or for credit card payments. No cash or credit back. Cash value .001¢. © 2009 OMX, Inc.
In the event the store runs out of the reusable bags, a substitute bag will be provided for use with the 15% discount. See store associate for complete details and exclusions.

♦Offer valid for MaxPerks® Rewards for Teachers members or new teacher member sign-ups only. 15% Bonus Reward valid on any printer purchase. Bonus Reward offer is available from August 9, 2009 to August 15, 2009. Items, and related Bonus Rewards, are available while supplies last. Member’s MaxPerks ID card and coupon must be presented at time of purchase; no Bonus Reward adjustments will be made after purchase. Bonus Reward offer valid in-store only. For percentage based Bonus Reward, percentage of Bonus Rewards issued is based upon price actually paid by Member, as advertised price can be reduced by any applicable coupon or discount. Bonus Rewards will be issued in the next statement cycle. Bonus Rewards for these offers, along with any other Bonus Rewards a Member may have earned during the same period, will be issued in the form of a reward card redeemable toward future purchases. Reward card expires 90 days from date of issuance except for reward cards for FL Members, which expire 1 year from date of issuance.

Private in-store event is for personal use only. Excludes gift cards. We reserve the right to limit quantities. Commercial credit cannot be used for payment. No other coupons will be honored at this event. Delivery items included. Not responsible for printing or typographical errors. All amounts represented in this email are subject to change. OfficeMax®, officemax.com, OfficeMax Express®, OfficeMax ImPress® and FurnitureMax® are registered trademarks of OMX, Inc.

Notebooking pages sale

Walmart is not the only place for back to school specials. The homeschool community is also bursting at the seams with special deals for people looking to stock up on items needed for the year ahead. For just another couple days you can enjoy an incredible discount at NotebookingPages.com.

Here is the deal through Friday, August 7th, 2009:

Gearing up for next year? Have a big wish list? With so many homeschooling curriculums, resources, and books available, it’s tough to pick and choose the best for your family and it’s even more difficult to make it all fit your budget. We cut the busywork out of our days years ago with notebooking and put an end to the major spending as well.

Finish your year without regrets!
At the end of the school year, instead of looking at unfinished workbooks and curriculums with regret and guilt, we pull out our notebooks and look back with joy and satisfaction on all we learned. It’s amazing to watch the kids read back over their notebooks – such pride and enthusiasm for what they captured from their studies.

Now is a great time to get started!
Perhaps you are a seasoned notebooking family or maybe you’ve been waiting to finish your current course of study before giving notebooking a try.  Whatever the study, whatever the topic . . .now is a super time to start (or stock up) with one (or ALL!) of our sets because . . .

EVERYTHING in the store is 50% off!

**Use the discount code below during checkout to receive your savings**

Use 50% discount code = b2school09 during checkout!

Click Here to Visit Store

Right now she has an unreal sale — for just $50 you can get all the pages she has created (the list is huge! States, Latin, history, character, etc.)

Even if you don’t decide to take advantage of the deals she has to offer right now, you can check out her many free resources that she has made available. I have used a number of these over the years with my kids. Well done, and ready to use.