September 18, 2016

Old Magazines Become Interest-Driven Math Tools

September 18, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

September 13, 2016

The Benefit of Interests: Motivating Learners

September 13, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

Last Saturday I spoke to a group of parents homeschooling high school (or soon to be homeschooling high school). During the Q&A at the end of the the workshop, a mom bravely asked,

"How do you handle learners who always want to default to computer or social media games?"

Tough question.

I quipped,

"Do you have a whole day for the answer?"

This is a tough question to answer without any knowledge of the family or of the learner, in my opinion. There are just too many factors which come into play: learner ability, amount of work expected to be accomplished, time of day, social/emotional circumstances and more. In addition, I am not a formula answer kind of gal. There are often no right answers, all the time, for every family, for every learner.

Tough question.

I could only share the ah-ha realization from our personal experience as well as the conclusions found by families with whom we've walked the journey.

When children and young adults have a goal to aspire to, something they want to build, some cause to fight, bottom line, some passion that propels them, there is reason to prioritize the day, reason to manage time.

Yes, there will be ideas to listen to, questions to ponder, problems to solve, seasons of failure. However, when there is an interest, there is motivation--positive or negative.

Interestingly, just three days after my weekend workshop, my adult son (who didn't know I was posed with the above question on Saturday), sent me an article. After dinner, my engineer daughter had an idea.

"Can I have that water jug in the fridge?"

Sure. We emptied the remaining water into a pitcher.

Off she went. Spent several hours trying and retrying.

When there is an interest, a problem to solve, a question to research, a goal to accomplish, there is motivation.

This isn't the first time we've encountered the rewards of interest. In fact, one of our adult children refined his natural strengths and reoccurring interests (meaning interests visited and revisited, refined--passions) and is now using those in his vocation. Thousands of hours practicing, experimenting, refining gifts are now impacting a company, people in his sphere of influence. Another adult child continues to refine his skills and interests in graduate school. His career goal (which uses his passion and care for people) is motivating him through 12-15 hour days of study.

What problem does your learner want to solve? What question is he or she pondering? Is there something significant to accomplish?

There, too, will be motivation.

With you on the journey!

September 12, 2016

Living Books and Independent Studies

September 12, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

"Mom, do we have any nurse books?"

That question.

An interest.

I started with what I knew. My knowledge of nursing minimal at best.

A Florence Nightingale biography; I knew we had one in our biography section. I eagerly motioned her over to the shelves.

A week. She read; late into the evenings. I could tell she was engaged. She had accepted the author's invitation to walk hospital ward halls where Florence served, cared. My daughter experienced the Crimean War, through the pages of that biography.

The final evening, sprawled across the recliner, she closed the book and pulled it close to her chest. A sigh. I inquired.

"I love that book! I know Florence. She persevered. She solved problems to help others. I know Florence."

My daughter had been invited into a life, into a life that mattered.

"Do we have any other nurse books?"

That question.

An interest evolved into an independent study, a year-long learning adventure.

I knew it would happen. I just didn't know exactly when or with which book.

Stories have a way about beckoning us to places, meeting people we would never otherwise meet. While my daughter read the The Story of Florence Nightingale by Margaret Leighton, I heard a whisper, a quiet voice which suggested I build; build resources, other books related to nursing. In answering the call, I searched book lists. Bought used and asked knowledgeable people for ideas. All for a purpose.

I found books. They were delivered to our door. My daughter read.

About three books into her reading, she started to recognize connections between these often heroic women. At dinner I heard about her ah-ha moments. My daughter commented, sharing stories of how one nurse inspired, trained, or mentored another.

I was astounded by the understanding she was gaining, truly amazed!

My daughter's independent study began with one Living Book, a book about a real person who recognized a need, saw a problem and then found solutions. That one book led to an independent study, a study I didn't plan. My role was to foster her interest by finding resources--in this case books--and to be willing to listen--to process. There were many discussions, many summaries voluntarily shared because the learning intrigued and mattered. My daughter analyzed, compared, inferred, questioned.

Surprisingly, her independent study began with one book; an invitation into the life of one nurse.

One Living Book. One real story. An independent study.

What were the books?

In addition to The Story of Florence Nightingale by Margaret Leighton (a Signature series biography) the book which started the study, my daughter also enjoyed:

Great Women of Medicine by Ruth Fox Hume, a collective biography

Nurse Around the World: Alice Fitzgerald by Iris Noble, a Messner biography

The Story of Edith Cavell by Iris Vinton. a Signature series biography

First Woman Ambulance Surgeon: Emily Barringer by Iris Noble, borrowed from a friend who knew of my daughter's interest, also a Messner biography

Frontier Nurse: Mary Breckinridge by Katherine E. Wilkie

America's First Trained Nurse: Linda Richards by Rachel Baker, a Messner biography

Remember, some of these books are intended for older learners. My daughter was entering high school when she read these books. What one family deems appropriate may not be considered acceptable for another family. Parents should consider their family's guidelines for reading material, as well as the maturity of their reader, when offering titles for learning.

This blog post is intended to offer an example of personal experience. It is in no way intended to be legal advice and should not be taken as such. Parents own the sole responsibility for the training and education of their children.

September 08, 2016

Using Living Books in High School for Credit

September 08, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

I am often asked how I design classes for our high school young adults.

Actually, I don't design all their classes, only ones where there is a special interest, an intrinsically motivated independent study, a travel experience which sparks learning, or in a case where we can't find a traditional curriculum fitting our learning goals.

We have used several approaches to formulating classes based on strengths, interests and the future plans of the young adult.

Our oldest son had a great interest and gift for learning history. This was, by my understanding, his favorite subject in school. He read constantly, checking out books at the library and spending saved monies at museum and historical landmark book shops. He outsourced his dad, a public school history teacher, very early. By the time he reached high school, there really wasn't a curriculum available to challenge him. I had to research accelerated reading lists, college course syllabi, and talk with historians to find resources for him. It was a challenge, but a privilege to help him grow yet further in his learning.

With his interest in history, we divided American History into Early American (to 1850) and Modern (from 1850 to present), and World History into Ancient (to the Reformation) and Modern (from the Reformation to present) so we could allow time for him to dig deeper into his interest. I developed literature selection lists for each course, providing him reading suggestions to get him started. His desire to learn history prompted him to seek out additional titles. My motto became,

"You read it, I will give you credit."

For readers interested in the detail of what we constituted Ancient World History/Survey of Ancient Literature, our reading list (remember it was a springboard from which he could jump in for more) is below.

Please keep in mind as you read through the list, he was a self-motivated reader with an interest in the subject. Not all young adults will share this interest or learning preference. In addition to his independent reading, we used a textbook as a spine of topics. Though he started the year reading some of the text, by the end of the year he was reading more primary source documents, living history selections, and biographical pieces than text. He also had the amazing opportunity to travel to Rome, including tours of several sites inside the ancient city wall.

This method works for us. I tweak the process with each young adult. Please, don't use what is written here as a comparison for what your student should or shouldn't be doing.

Comparing ourselves or our children to others leads to discouragement and discontent, neither of which are valuable.

Our examples are only intended as encouragement, to give an idea of what worked for us, and what you might be able to create (or adjust) for your high schooler. Our young adult was (and still is) a reader, but your young adult may have an opportunity to intern with a local businessman or a museum curator. Use what God provides for you and pray about how he is preparing your young adult for the future plans He has, not for the ones we best intention.

Our ancient world history/ancient literature list:

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Oedipus Rex, Sophocles

Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles

Antigone, Sophocles

Mysteries of Ancient China, Rawson

Mythology, Hamilton

The Roman Way, Hamilton

The Greek Way, Hamilton

The Death of Socrates, Plato

Ben Hur, Lew Wallace

For the Temple, Henty

The Young Cathaginan, Henty

The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone, Giblin

In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great, Wood

The Republic, Plato

The Histories by Herodotus

The Eagle of the Ninth, Sutcliff

Anna of Byzantium, Barrett

The City of God, Augustine

I, Claudius, Graves

Claudius the God, Graves

Don Quixote, Cervantes

Julius Caesar, Shakespeare

I am so excited about a NEW workshop I've added to my conference speaking topics--Keeping High School ALIVE with Living Books. Can't wait to share how Living Books can continue to impact learning all the way through high school.

Check out my speaking topics page.

*The information in this blog post is not intended as legal or educational advice. It is simply a journal of what worked for us. Parents are responsible to oversee their child's home education.

September 07, 2016

Time Management for Middle and High School Young Adults

September 07, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

As Mike and I consult with parents one of the most frequently asked questions is

"How can I get my young adult to

manage his or her time?"

The answer is in the question.

Our goal as parents has always been for our young adults to manage THEIR time by the time they entered high school (though the means by which we've achieved that goal has changed and the progress varied from young adult to young adult).

(Read...I am not saying they did so perfectly or that it was achieved by every young adult (but the goal remains).

We figured out (by making mistakes) we would not be able to manage our young adult's time as long as we had thought. And, the young adult would not be magically able to flawlessly direct the minutes of his or her day after high school without practice. So, we purposed to start with what each learner was able to manage, allowing them to gain responsibility and confidence.

We've made mistakes.

Of course, Mike and I manage (read scheduled play dates, library visits, and the like) schedules and routines when our children are young. In doing so, we are able to model time management techniques. In fact, I--and auditory external processor--became known for working schedules aloud. I found out (by mistake) that my need to process externally actually helped my children. They saw and heard how I processed our days.

Mike and I also schedule family connections (usually on Sunday afternoons) where our family members come together to discuss the weekly schedule. During this time, family members bring activity requests and ideas to be added to the schedule. As our discussions about weekly schedules have evolved over the years, our children have come to learn that their desires and requests will effect other members. Hence, our family has to work together to plan the weekly schedule, to give and take if need be, to allow another person to participate in something necessary or something that has been prayed for over time (for example, music lessons). Though not always easy, we've learned how to problem solve and talk through challenging seasons.

Modeling scheduling and planning prepared our young adults (little chunks at a time) for the season when they begin to manage their activities and daily schedules--experiential, real-life learning opportunities in time management. Again, we haven't done so perfectly, but we've definitely learned from our mistakes. Plenty of opportunities for apologies. Great learning for us a family.

However, we've learned there is much more to consider as our middle and high schoolers grapple with managing time on their personal daily or weekly calendar.

We've learned...

The biggest lesson we've learned...our children don't manage their time or decisions like we do. Different doesn't mean wrong. If they learn how they best manage their time--not just adopting how we manage time--they've learned an essential life skill. Often learning styles and management tools weigh in on how our young adults manage their time.

We've also learned that several life facets motivate middle and high schoolers to manage their time:

knowing they have skills to solve a problem bigger than themselves,
having a project to complete or a problem to solve, and
understanding they can use their skills to contribute to a cause.

When these aspects are discovered and fostered, managing time matters. It matters to them! And, if there is more to accomplish than there is time, time management becomes a necessity. For example, when our children hit the middle school years, they often begin to have aspirations--owning businesses, creating inventions, writing books. Interestingly, many parents we've talked with tell us their middle and high have the same desires!

Two children wanted to start businesses
One son wanted to become an Eagle Scout
One middle schooler wanted to learn to play the violin; a high schooler, the piano
One young adult wanted to self-learn art, an independent study I didn't see coming

We had to process, plan, talk. How would he or she proceed with their goal? How did he or she plan to complete other school work or fulfill previous commitments and add this new endeavor? Did we need to pray for a mentor?

As our children began to forge their paths to personal planning--time management--Mike encouraged our children to use a spreadsheet as a visual tool to analyze their use of time. Usually, Mike and I and the young adult discussed priorities—appointments, classes, deadlines, practices, and special events—as well as why these items should be placed on the schedule first. Eating, exercise, and personal care were considered priorities and also added. After priorities, they logged less significant tasks and events--meeting a friend for lunch, perhaps. Their completed spreadsheets (whether paper or digital--depending on the learner's preference) provided a visual representation of how and where time was being spent.

This tool helped our students plan and manage their days.

Did they mismanage time? Yes, especially when they first started planning. However, we encouraged them to keep trying, reminding them that adults make poor choices, too.

This Chart is included on the Time management Log Sheet offered below.

A spreadsheet is only one time management tool. Your student may prefer a single-page weekly schedule, a digital application, or a spiral bound planner. If one method is not effective, try another.

A young adult who is comfortable with a method will be more likely to use it efficiently.

We help our young adults look for wasted or dead time--when they ask. Oh, yes, it is hard to remain quiet at times. However, nagging never produced the fruit we intended. Personal motivation--an aspiration, an internal motivator--did.

For example, our daughter had an extensive vegetable, flower, and herb garden. It was her idea. Every morning she would head outside to water her plants, standing while allowing water to flow from the hose. One day, I noticed she was wearing a cooking apron while watering. Watching from the window I realized she was using the apron to tuck her Kindle safely inside. While she watered, she listened to Anne of Green Gables. Amazed at her ingenuity, I affirmed her creativity, praising her when she returned inside. I learned from her in the process.

Part of being a good time manager is being organized so time is not wasted on extra steps or errands. For middle and high schoolers to be successful at managing their time, they must learn to manage and organize their resources, to put all the essentials for the tasks at hand in one place. That will be the topic of another blog post.

Until then, I am with you on the journey!

September 02, 2016

Tried-and-True Homemade Play Dough

September 02, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

Tried-and-true for over thirty years!

Play dough. Hands-on creative fun with the ability to build motor skills. It is a staple in many homes and schools.

As a high school student employed as a teacher’s assistant, I was introduced to an amazing homemade version of a timeless childhood treasure.

Play dough.

Part of my role as the assistant was to make sure the play dough was fresh, every day. Sometimes that meant making a new batch of pliable goodness. Over thirty years later (and counting) I am still using the same recipe with my littles.

Gather

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar (cream of tartar acts as a preservative)

2 cups cold water

Food coloring

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon OR a few drops of essential oil

Wooden cutting board or clear counter space

Air tight plastic bag or container

Make

1. In a medium saucepan, mix together the flour, salt, vegetable oil, cream of tartar, and water. Stir well. Add 5 to 6 drops of food coloring and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon or essential oil.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the dough is the consistency of mashed potatoes; about 5 minutes.

3. Spoon onto wooden cutting board or wax paper covered counter top.

4. Knead until smooth.

5. Store play dough in an airtight plastic zipper bag or container up to 6 months.

Knead, roll and pat to build fine motor skills.

Play dough is not just for molding and making.

Consider

Make a long rope and form into letters. Begin with the first letter of the child's first name (this is important to them).
Make a long rope and form into numbers.
Make a long rope. Ask the child to cut the rope into specified number of equal parts. This can be used to introduce and reinforce the concept of fractional parts.
Make a long rope. Ask the child to divide the rope so that each person in the room receives an equal number of pieces. This reinforces the concept of division.
Cut circles from the play dough. Cut the circles into equal parts, fractional pieces.

Perhaps this recipe will be a new favorite in your home.

August 25, 2016

SIMPLE Paragraph Writing for Little Learners

August 25, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

Paragraph writing can be intimidating, especially for little learners just beginning the writing journey.

Over twenty-eight years I have tried numerous ways to teach paragraph writing. Depending on the learning style and motivation, some methods have been more successful than others.

What have we used?

Our recent success involved colors and glue. Yes, the creative, crafty, visual learner.

First, said learner narrated her paragraph to me. She spoke, I wrote. The paragraph was of interest, her topic choice. In fact, it was her idea.

The most important initial step toward writing success: the content must be intriguing, something that matters to the learner.

After she narrated her paragraph and I wrote the words neatly on lined paper, we discussed what a sentence was and why each sentence was important to the paragraph. The first sentence pulls the reader in, the last sentence wraps up or concludes. We also discussed punctuation.

I drew a black line after each sentence, a stop sign.

She selected construction paper; the number of colors dependent on the number of sentences.

The next step of her writing was to write one sentence on each color. After writing each sentence, she placed the sentences in paragraph order. This step was important as one of the sentences was better placed toward the end of the paragraph. With one sentence per color we could easily change the order of the sentences.

Once sentence order was finalized, she glued the edges. Done! She reread her paragraph and then proudly displayed on Dad's side of the table, waiting for him to arrive home from work.

Success! She walked away confident about the process and eager to share learning with others.

August 23, 2016

Intentional Cursive Handwriting

August 23, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

Eight weeks of summer home education evaluations leave me pondering.

Methods and means.

Current trends.

Proven practices.

Preparing our children for the future. What skills will they need? Thoughts today revolve around penmanship and cursive.

All those practice books.

Oh yes, there is good reason to teach penmanship and cursive, teaching correct strokes and rotations. Proper letter formation does make composition easier. However, once initial instruction is complete and letters are formed properly, practice begins. Practice.

Purposeful cursive allow for greater retention, practically and naturally.

All those practice pages? Maybe, since progress can be seen if a person thumbs through pages, first practice page to the last. But could there be another way? Another means?

Seeing books full of practice pages was helpful to us and to the learners. There was completion and progress. However, there was a missing element to learning.

Quite honestly most of the children who completed the work were less than excited about their accomplishments. Sadly, some learners didn't even care about their work. It was pushed aside or tossed back in the crate with other books. Further, most learners hadn't even considered their ability to write with purpose, compose. Handwriting was just another thing to do, complete.

Handwriting can be valued;

something of purpose, useful.

Then there were other learners. These learners pulled out papers that were important to them: a creative writing piece, a business plan, a data report from a science project (which included very delicate drawings), a list of important goals.

These papers mattered, and they were completed in cursive!

The purpose of this post is not to argue whether or not cursive (the mechanics of it) is important or if it has proper place in a school day. Of course learners need proper instruction in strokes and formation. They will be more efficient writers if they choose to keep working in cursive.

However, once strokes and formation are known, practice and purpose may look different. In fact, productivity--not to mention attitude--will be effected.

Looking for fun, productive means to practice cursive?

Paper checks. Have any old ones resting in a box collecting dust? Pull them out. Hand them to a learner and watch fascination drive learning. First, there will be a discussion of what they are, what they are used for, where the money comes from, and how they are becoming obsolete. Then, there will be instant need to use them! Play store, restaurant, shop and more, while practicing handwriting. To encourage their play, I write related vocabulary on the white board: check, date, total, receipt, cashier, pay, cash. I add number words as well as dollars, hundred, thousand. Then, my children have the words needed to play and to write their checks (spelling!). They play, practice, and enjoy using their best handwriting because it mattered to them. Checks were something of value. The written checks from play time became part of a portfolio of work samples.

Grocery lists. Children love to dream about what they would like to buy at the grocery store. Let them dream in lists! Using a sale ad from a local store, I allow my children make a grocery list, either in manuscript or cursive, their choice. The next day I make the project more applicable to life. Children worked together to combine their lists and create a nutritionally sound family meal plan on a budget. Not only do we practice handwriting, but we discuss lessons in health and math. There is intentional purpose. The list and meal plan are added to the portfolio of work samples.
Plan an in-state vacation. Use a state map. With the help of the map, I ask my child to plan a vacation to visit 6 cities, 1 lake, and 1 river in our state. The names of the places (capitalized proper nouns) are written in the spelling notebook or on a white board. Handwriting (and capitalization) is practiced while considering state geography. To add math, the learner can use the scale of mile to add and find an estimate of the total mileage to be traveled.
Plan a European (or other location) vacation. As above, the learner plans a vacation to include visits to 1 mountain, 2 rivers, 2 lakes, 5 cities, and 2 countries.
Create a menu. The menu should be complete with prices (writing decimal numbers). Using play coins, an adding machine or pretend cash register, learners can play restaurant. I remind the learners that handwriting should be the best it can be so customers can read and order.
Copy a recipe. This is a great practical handwriting for a budding chef. The best handwriting will help the recipe be read by others, if necessary.
Write a poem. Poetry writers will appreciate this intentional, practical suggestion. Some families we know use poetry or verse for handwriting and copy work.
Create purposeful lists. Learners have interests. One of my elementary learners is creating handcrafted jewelry. Making a wish list of supplies, chains, and beads allows her to check off items as she makes purchases. Learners may choose to make a lists of colors, car parts, robotic supplies, hair accessories, and more.
Foster creativity. Creatives will welcome using fancy charcoal pencils, felt pens, or quill pens to practice manuscript and cursive.

In the comments, share ways you have made cursive personal, natural.

We are in this together, helping one another to be intentional, real, and relational.

August 16, 2016

SIMPLE Prepositions for Little Learners

August 16, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

"Mom, what is a preposition?"

A great question to start the day. Impromptu language arts lesson.

Curious minds are ripe for learning!

A preposition is a word that connects or shows the relationship between two nouns or a noun and pronoun. Prepositions are always with an object or person.

We reviewed nouns and pronouns. Then, I gave examples of each and used them in a sentence.

Together, my little learners and I looked around the room and chose two nouns for our preposition play, mice and cars.

Paper mice were made from 3x5 cards, each child coloring a mouse family. I found some Duplo cars from our collection of blocks.

Once all the mice were colored and decorated, tails in place, our preposition discovery began.

For our play we would act out sentences, stating the relationship between the mice and the cars. I demonstrated by placing the mice on the cars while stating,"The mice are on the cars." I wrote "on" on a 3x5 card and placed it near the cars.

Then, I asked each of the child to place their mice in some relation to the cars, stating the position in relation to one another.

The mice are under the cars.

The mice are on the cars.

The mice are aside of the cars.

The mice are behind the cars.

As the children placed the mice and verbally expressed their position, I wrote the preposition on a card. Before long we had a handful of preposition cards. By the end of a few hours, we used our creative thinking, worked on spatial relationships, applied artistic uniqueness, and UNDERSTOOD prepositions and how to use them in sentences.

Int he end, we also had a handful of spelling cards to use for other lessons.

Learning started with a question.

"Mom, what is a preposition?"

SIMPLE.

Click to download your FREE PDF printable!

Preposition Fun Printable

August 12, 2016

Torn Paper Rainbows

August 12, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

"Cheryl, take the kids outside to see the double rainbow!"

Mom called, encouraged.

Out we went. Raindrops continued to fall.

Sun brilliantly overcoming wet shadows.

Children and I look up, mesmerized, awed!

Like a fresh watercolor. Radiant.

Learning moment launched.

"I want to make a rainbow!"

Pulling from my mind activity file, construction paper colors gathered. Glue found.

Together, thirty minutes, tearing paper-- fine motor strengthened--a colorful paper rainbow appeared.

Mesmerized, awed.

"Mom, look what we created!"

A together moment. A learning moment.

And a rainbow gleaming through water droplets started the process.

It was simple and it was glorious.

August 05, 2016

Ironing Out First Day Wrinkles

August 05, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

Wow!

I didn't anticipate today!

How about you?

As I sit down to post the happenings of our day, one of our first days since Mike headed back to the classroom to start the 2016-2017 school year, the toddler needs me, our adult children were coming over to spend time (in just under an hour), and dishes still need attention.

There is no time to update you on our day, which was full, very full.

And really, the reason why I wanted to add a blog post today was to tell you...I thought about YOU in the quiet moments of my day.

YOU!

I thought about many of you today, knowing you were likely experiencing some of the same challenges I faced, indeed, the challenges of teachers (public, private and homeschool) all over the country.

First day--first week--wrinkles are a part of these first days. We all need time to adjust to the new, the new routine, the new year, the new subjects, the new stages in life!

As I thought of you, I wondered if you felt a sense of community, a sense of knowing you are not alone. Because, you're not.

We are all in this together.

So, because time is short and family is my priority tonight, I give you last year's first day post in an effort to encourage YOU!

What you did today, mattered.

2015.

We read year round; even practice a few math problems throughout the summer. So, when today was a little wrinkled, well let's just say I ironed faster to work on the creases.

Dad headed back to school this week and we pressed forward, beginning where we left off at the end of May.

Today was hard. I moved from learner to learner feeling like I my body needed roller skates and my mind was a million places at the same time!

First there was math lesson #1. The learner didn't remember the solution process of multiplying two 2-digit numbers. Review! In ten minutes, she was on her way. On to math lesson #2, dividing a decimal by a decimal. Ten more minutes of review and assigning ten problems. She was on her way. Little learner needed a snack.

Learners #3 and #4, high schoolers, needed assistance editing Spanish essays. Only ten sentences, but IN SPANISH! An hour later, though it felt like all afternoon, they were ready to move onto the concussion video (honestly it's called a course!) mandatory for their participation on the district high school sports team. I must admit, I was wondering how many students actually watch this "video". My athletes wondered the same thing. We watched. Why? Because we have to sign a form saying we complied. A life lesson of integrity.

While editing Spanish essays there was another request for a snack, another question about a math problem, a "How do you spell?" request, the dryer buzzed, the baby needed a diaper change, dinner needed to be started. Should've used the Crockpot, but it's our anniversary and I wanted to do something special. Phone chimes. Two text messages regarding the wedding our family will celebrate in a few short months. Oh, and the question about grad school (we have a learner filing application), and two high school transcripts to update for above mentioned athletes!

Those are just glimpses into a few hours of the day. There were several more with similar wrinkles.

How was your day?

Many of us have days like this.

To make it through the day, for it to be as successful as it could be, I had to keep perspective. I reminded myself to be intentional, moment by moment.

I had to work with the day instead of against it, even when there were more wrinkles than anticipated.

I was tempted to quit, to defer to the easier choice, but I knew the days ahead would be more difficult. Pay now or pay later. I pressed on.

The beginning of the year is like this (well, even days mid-year are like this sometimes) for home educators and for classroom educators. When I was a classroom teacher I remember wise words from a veteran teacher, "Hang in there and hang tough! If you give up early, ease up, the rest of the year will be even harder."

Yes, we read through the summer; even practiced a few math problems. But today was still a bit wrinkled.

It's okay. I am not alone. You are not alone.

Many teachers, whether in the home or in the classroom are ironing out first week wrinkles, too!

Hang in there!

What you are doing matters...a whole lot!

August 03, 2016

Celebrate Simple- Learning from Discovery

August 03, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

Imagine the discovery of a lifetime (at least from a little learner's perspective).

That moment when you think you've discovered something no one else has...or ever will!

A dead baby black racer!

Thankfully, our friends had a Brock Magiscope. With it, they took a closer look!

I asked my friend if we could share her family's discovery.

Mom Janet says,

“The kids found the snake in our front yard. We couldn't find any reason for its death, no puncture wounds, etc. We had no idea what type of snake it was and quickly went to our Florida Fabulous Reptiles book. One learner immediately identified it non-venomous. It didn't have any fangs. We identified the snake and were all amazed! This colorful baby looked nothing like its parents. It was a baby Black Racer! It was so cool to hear my four children marvel at God's creation. That's when we got out the Brock microscope to take a look at the scales and check out its face and eyes. The microscope and Florida Fabulous books are a must have to explore science, nature, and foster the love of learning!”

Taking a closer look!

Intentional Mom.

Real-life, relational learning.

July 26, 2016

General Credit and Graduation Guidelines for Colleges and Universities

July 26, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

Graduation requirements vary from state to state, university to university, hence the variable credit guidelines detailed below. Research your state’s graduation requirements as well as college admission requirements for colleges of interest. Aim above the minimum. This chart guides parents who desire to build a competitive student profile, for entrance to the workforce or the university. These guidelines should not be taken as educational or legal counsel.

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July 23, 2016

Sticker Spelling

July 23, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

Our youngest, a budding emergent reader, beginning speller happened upon large sheets of 2-inch peel-off, brightly-colored sticky letters.

A gold mine!

Within 40 minutes she had completed the equivalent of a month's worth of spelling lessons, without tears, without coercion. Best of all, she remembered the words she spelled, days later. A win-win-win situation.

Learning, fun, retention.

That is what I call a productive day!

July 23, 2016

Spelling Cereal

July 23, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

Two weeks after an incredible "buy one get one free" cereal sale and an impromptu breakfast spelling lesson, Dad was home, watching the young ones while I met a friend for coffee.

Dad asked the little learners,

"What would you like for breakfast?"

The four year old promptly answered,

"Dad, could I have some of that spelling cereal?"

Dad wasn't quite sure whether spelling cereal was a breakfast choice or one of our educational games.

Upon further questioning, the four year old commanded,

"Dad, just open the pantry."

He did and quickly found out that spelling cereal was indeed a breakfast choice. It was letter-shaped cereal we had used for spelling a few days prior.

When I arrived home, my husband quipped,

"Will you quit having so much fun with the kids!"

I snickered.

It was real and it was relational. It was remembered.

July 23, 2016

Fall Spelling Fun

July 23, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

This week my daughter had a wonderful impromptu idea.

"Remember those acorns I collected--all 224 of them? I used them to spell words!"

Brilliant idea.

A subject often relegated to long lists of unrelated words.

I walked to the kitchen to see her masterpieces.

Indeed creative. Indeed reinforcing learning.

After discussion, it was determined that gluing the words to cardboard would make festive Thanksgiving decorations.

And so goes the day when acorns become spelling practice.

(Just one day after the burstingbaggie of acorns were the place value and counting lesson. Simple, available, and intriguing equal many days and ways of learning.)

July 23, 2016

Tricky Y Game

July 23, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

"Those tricky Ys! They make all different sounds. They are so confusing!"

A little learner, quite confused by all the "Y" words on a recent workbook page, voiced her opinion about why "Y" shouldn't have so many sounds. Those tricky "Y" words!

I decided to take learning off the page and put it into her hands.

And we learned TOGETHER!

I made a list of words ending in "Y" which took on the ending sound of either long e or long i. Then, I created a document which would provide 2 x 3 inch cards when printed on 100 pound card stock (colored card stock made our game more fun). Once printed, little learners used a blunt-ended scissors to cut the words apart.

Once cards were cut, I designed a pocket Y using two envelopes--one business and one letter. To make the Y, I sealed the envelopes. Then, I trimmed 1/4 inch off the top edge of each envelop to make two pockets. Next, I formed the "Y", gluing the envelopes together and traced around the outside edges with a black permanent marker to make the "Y" more pronounced. Finally, I wrote "long e" on one envelope pocket and "long i" on the other.

Before we sorted the words according to ending sound, each learner read the words on the cards. We reviewed rhyming words as words that sound the same and sorted the cards in rhyming words piles.

After reading the words, learners took turns choosing a word card from the draw pile, read the word, and placed the word in the correct pocket. Turn taking continued until all words were placed correctly.

This game was a hit!

In fact, this game was requested for several days straight until one of the learners discovered the words could also be used as spelling words. Great idea!

Every learner had either learned or reviewed the Tricky Y concept, sorted rhyming words, and practiced spelling, all from printable cards and two envelopes.

Intentional. Real. Relational.

Want to play Tricky Y?

A printable set of Tricky Y words can be downloaded on the FREE Resources page.

July 18, 2016

State Study with Discover America Series

July 18, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

While sitting around a table this morning with a sweet mom and her precious daughter--discussing their state studies--I remembered one of our favorite resources.

Discover America State by State

Colorful, inviting and plentiful in intriguing content, this fifty-one book series takes young readers on journeys through each state's geographical landscape while also allowing children to become familiar with landmarks, wildlife and culture. Truly each book provides a window from which children can peek into places they may not otherwise visit.

One day as we were combing the shelves for the state books, our children discovered Sleeping Bear had also published state-themed number books. These, too, quickly became favorites. In fact, when used in conjunction with the State by State books, our studies deepened.

Visit the Sleeping Bear Press website for more information including a plethora of teacher guides and learner activities. The State by State activities were helpful to us in our studies as were the guides for the state number books.

As I post this blog, I am with you on this summer journey of fondly remembering the highlights of our year yet looking forward to the learning ahead, just like the mom and sweet daughter we met this morning.

Perhaps these books will enhance your future learning adventures.

July 06, 2016

What about the PERT?

July 06, 2016/ Cheryl Bastian

A common question heard around the evaluation table this summer...

"What about the PERT?"

The PERT—Post-secondary Education Readiness Test—is a customized assessment used to measure student's abilities and skills for the sake of course placement for post-secondary studies in the areas of math, reading and writing.

The assessment is computer-adaptive—questions are computer generated based on the previous question—with the results intended to help place students in classes where they will be most successful. There are three subtests, each test consisting of thirty questions with a total score range of 50-150. The PERT is not timed--an advantage for some students--though it is recommended students plan for a three-hour testing scenario. Check with the test center or site as to scheduling and payment requirements.

For information regarding scoring and course placement, visit http://www.fldoe.org/schools/higher-ed/fl-college-system/common-placement-testing.stml.

Study guide resources can be found at the following links: