Science Add-Ons To Curriculum

Science Add-Ons To Curriculum

October 22, 2022

One of the advantages to homeschooling is being able to pick curricula.  Most of us would agree that our children can recite movie lines – sometimes even if they’ve just seen the movie twice. 

We used BBC Nature with David Attenborough for science for as long as we had access to it.  It showed nature in its entire splendor.  Of course, as with Carl Sagan’s Cosmos Series, we had to reflect on their errors in timeline and regarding the theory of macro-evolution.  We would say things like, “look at how amazing God’s creation is!” and as they got older, invite them to ask and investigate the question, “why do these scientists believe in millions of years instead of thousands?”   

In depth studies of animal adaptations and human interference in our food (animal and plant husbandry) have led to the understanding that “kinds” of animals adapt by losing a recessive trait rather than by adding a completely new trait.  This led to my kids saying “oh yes, I believe evolution happens, do you understand the true meaning of the word evolution?” (Spoiler: it simply means change) But have you ever been able to add anything to a creature or plant?  We have bred plants, raised animals (Becky bred chickens to get specific traits or colors), watched and observed the genetic traits pass in Guinea Pigs, chickens, and parakeets.  

Imagine their surprise and excitement when we discovered a video series that discussed the same adaptation and genetic issues they had seen in life!

We discovered The Ark Encounter website along with Creation Museum and their affiliated YouTube channel called “Answers In Genesis!”  Wow!  They are not afraid to take on difficult subjects and ask and investigate so many fascinating things about our biology, animal adaptation, DNA structures, explanations of the how and why behind so many scientific theories.  It is a wealth of information. 

The first single episode we watched (it was almost an hour long) on dinosaurs in the Bible had my youngest five captivated the entire time.  Even Theadora, who interprets every video in terms of “Paw Patrol” at the moment, sat on the couch with her snuggly blanket the entire rainy Sunday afternoon as we watched the long dinosaur episode and three others!  The podcast episodes are more for those with longer attention spans.  The lectures and Ark Encounter and Ark Exploration videos are fascinating. 

Well-done science videos help my younglings to remember the subject matter better than simply reading it in a textbook.  Apologia science (our core science) textbooks are amazing because they are bright and have experiments that bring the science to life for the students.  Adding videos as supplements to our coursework aids in bringing the words off the page and into “real life;” we are a visual people.  We like to touch, taste, see, and feel the world around us.  If you can’t physically see the Grand Canyon with your own eyes, it certainly helps to be able to watch a video showing it.  The tools available to my children far exceed those I had access to 35 years ago.  I still default on books, but I am totally willing to include new tools to help them answer tough questions in any subject. 

Check out the Ark Encounter website or look up “Answers in Genesis” on YouTube.  You will be amazed at the wealth of scholastic information in their videos.  Second best to sitting in the actual lecture hall (actually, Louis thinks it’s better because we can pause it, pull out books, and do our own discussion and additional research as they talk). 

I’ll type later about our super history supplements (also free from YouTube!) we’ve discovered.

Thank you for reading and I hope this helps you explore some cool new teaching tools!

Type at you next time,

~Nancy Tart

A Peek At Textbooks: Autumn 2022

A Peek At Textbooks: Autumn 2022

October 19, 2022

Our textbooks are usually a medley of what works best. 

This year Christina and Becky have college books only.  Christina still digs into our American Government high school textbook this semester because it “makes it easy to understand” as she’s taking a law course. 

Kimberly is officially 10th grade.  She has A Beka Book (consumer finance) and Teaching Textbooks (geometry) for arithmetic, Apologia Science, Literature Coursework from A Beka Book, a typing and writing class that uses A Beka Book Grammar & Composition as a textbook requiring paragraphs or essays on daily science and history work, and A Beka Book as her main history text.  She’s already done geometry previously, but this is a new way of looking at it that helps her understand it better.  Our educational philosophy is totally for repeating subject matter that allows for better understanding.

Jaquline is officially 7th grade.  Her textbooks include: A Beka Book Arithmetic 6 (yes, this is completing a repeat; she has done both the 5th and 6th grade books twice), A Beka Book Creative Writing, A Beka Book Language C, Apologia Science, Military History of the United States (it’s an children’s encyclopedia set and they write a report after each letter study), A Beka Book History Coursework, and Money Management Skills (a middle-school version of “Personal Finance” that incorporates their personal savings account, teaches them to set goals, observation of household finances, budgeting, etc.).  Her textbooks are officially scattered grade levels from 6th to 8th and she reads books voraciously – her reading level is far higher than her scholastic level is supposed to be. 

Jillian is officially 5th grade.  She is almost done with A Beka Book’s Basic Mathematics (rebranded a couple years ago as “Intermediate Mathematics” but we bought one textbook for each of the girls on our second order so we could use the same tests; Lucas and Thea will have the new book unless I can snag an unused Basic Mathematics edition) and will move into Pre-Algebra with either or both Teaching Textbooks and A Beka Book next month, she just completed A Beka Book’s Investigating God’s World last week and started Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Anatomy and Physiology and Health for the Glory of God (because her goal now is Sports Medicine or Physical Therapy), History is reading and writing reports on biographies of U.S. Presidents along with Bauer’s The Story of the World, A Beka’s Book’s Language C, A Beka Book’s Cursive Writing Skillbook (that one gets repeated until they master cursive writing), Business and Money Management Skills (in addition to our normal course, Jillian has started a business with her friends and that has been incorporated into our regular coursework on finances), and she is studying art mechanics, various mediums, and art history.  Jillian’s textbooks range from 3rd grade to 8th grade depending on subject.

Lucas is officially 2nd grade.  His textbooks are any book he wants to read at the moment, A Beka Book’s Handbook For Reading, A Beka Book’s Writing With Phonics, A Beka Book’s Arithmetic 1, Practical Money Math, A Beka Book’s Language 1, A Beka Book’s Letters and Sounds 1, Life of Fred Fractions, Life of Fred Decimals, Phonics and Language 2, and his Manuscript Writing Tablet which makes for amazing work-on-the-go.  I have him copy stuff wherever he is and try to read it.  My Daddy used to have be copy my favorite dinosaur books when I was learning to write.  Lucas is still what I consider a “pre-reader” (meaning when he does “read” it is choppy and he gets frustrated with not remembering the first part of the sentence).  I tend to not move into more complicated textbooks until my student is a fluid reader.  Lucas understands Mathematical concepts very well but gets frustrated very easily with words.  He thinks math.  Once he sees the patterns in English letters, he’ll be a fluid reader.

Theadora thinks she’s in school.  She does WGV Gymnastics Gym-N-Learn on Fridays (it happens Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, but she only listens on Fridays right now) and calls that “my real school.”  She is obsessed with writing “T”s lately.  She can write T and t in cursive and “like Coach Michelle” (that means very beautiful manuscript like calligraphy because she heard me mention once about how beautiful Coach Michelle’s handwriting is – Thea calls it “coloring letters”).  Thea has to have a “school book” because the others do.  It’s in her “school box,” because everyone else has a school box.  Hers is a writing textbook with three lines and occasional letters along it.  Grandma Tina gave her a color-by-number book and a numbers workbook which she calls “her school books” too.   I don’t do anything formal with her yet.

Just a tiny peek at what we have this semester.  We just move from one book to another as they complete the first (like from Language 1 to Phonics and Language 2) and repeat some books or portions of books occasionally.  I want them to understand it is perfectly okay to go back and reread something to better understand a subject.  (Have you ever had to go back and look up a grammar rule or algebraic formula?)  Learning is our family lifestyle.  Textbooks are tools to reach the next step. 

Thank you for reading,

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Books in Person

Where to find my printed books in person! #ImSoExcited #WGVGymnastics

October 5, 2020

Books in Person

Ebooks are a thing of today, but I love having real “in person” books. I love the smell, feel, and none-glare of reading from paper.

I also like to see what I’m buying before I buy it. For this reason, I love bookstores! (Honestly, I’m not much for online shopping period.)

For those of you like me, you can see some of my print books “in person” at the Pro Shop inside the WGV Gymnastics facility – and if you decide to buy one of my printed books, DVDBooks, or Audio CDs, please buy from the Pro Shop as that purchase helps support our gym!

I’m super excited about my partnership with WGV Gymnastics! Walk inside the fantastic facility, check it out, it is amazing! If you decide to turn left, dive into the Pro Shop, and just buy a book or CD, thank you so much for your support! If you want to inquire about youth events and gymnastics instruction; see the front desk and sign up for a free trial class!

When your gymnast decides this is awesome fun and you sign up, make sure you mention that “Nancy Tart” sent you – you get a discount off of your annual registration by mentioning my name!

Thank you for reading!

You can get ebooks from this link or browse printed books at the Pro Shop!

~Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Field Trip

What to do when your big sister’s college class has an amazing field trip? Double it as a homeschool nature exploration day!

September 12, 2018

Field Trip

Rebeccah’s first official school field trip happened recently.  She got to go to the Guana River Dam with her Marine Biology class.  She often jokes that she was inspired by Finding Nemo to be an orthodontic surgeon with a hobby in Marine Biology.  For her Biology Major degree, she will need many sciences with labs, so this semester it was Marine Biology plus Lab.  She loves animals and has a special love for aquatic creatures so Marine Biology is a double love.

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We drove her up to the state park and since we were there, just walked around and explored the estuary.  (The younger children got a field trip at the same time!) Kimberly took pictures because I had to keep both eyes and one hand on Lucas at all times.

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We saw armies of crabs.

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We found a tiny oyster.

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We took a walk around the preserve.  One of the brush-covered walkways hid dozens of golden orb spiders.  Jaquline quoted, “if you look up, they’ll drop on you.”  To which Jillian instantly laughed, “I’m looking down, Pooh!”

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A lovely bird allowed Kimberly to get pretty close.

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The view was gorgeous and we watched many fish!

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Another lovely view.

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Although we tried to stay out of the “way” of the class, we got cornered watching the armies of crabs.  Kimberly snapped this picture to “prove” Rebeccah was at the estuary too.  She hadn’t taken her shoes off yet, but when she loaded up in the van after the trip, she was covered mid-torso with water!

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The Marine Biology class left some tiny minnows floundering and the girls made it their mission to find all of them and flick them back into the water so they could live.  Most darted away.  This one kept darting back to the edge as if saying “thank you!”

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Jaquline showing off some shells.

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Kimberly’s selfie.

Kimberly also got some video of our excursion. (Above, a crab & conch; below, the crab army)

It was a lovely day for a field trip.  Thank you, Jesus, for the opportunity to be able to enjoy such natural wonders with my children!

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

 

 

School Supplies

School supplies on a budget – our methods

August 31, 2018

School Shopping

Lots of people do school shopping in late July or August, just before school starts.

Since we do school year-round, I’m constantly replacing school supplies by stopping in at my favorite thrift shops and scooping up extra pencils, notebooks, erasers, or expo markers (the most commonly used items in our school).

I do try to take advantage of the school sales that pop up at the end of school supply shopping months.

Take notebooks: one independent writer in our home goes through an average of five single-subject notebooks a year!  (That’s not a lot when you consider that each notebook usually has 70 pages.)  Our history, science, and most upper math courses require a paragraph or page of written work.  Grammar practice is to edit said paragraphs or pages and rewrite them correctly.  So we use a lot of paper.  I prefer to use notebooks because they keep all the papers together and they are easier to carry than loose leaf paper (we often do work in remote locations).  This year I have four independent writers and one still using training paper (the ones from tablets with three-line-spaces).  But my training-writer is writing times tables and measures this year.  She will need one or two notebooks.  I always add one extra for each student because I would rather have extra than to buy them at 4 to 10 times the sale price!  (Most of us homeschool on a budget, don’t we?)

Oh, yes, another trick I learned was to buy college-ruled notebooks because you get extra lines at the bottom.  (Silly, but it also makes you write smaller thus more work ends up on one page.)

We bought 22 notebooks this year!  Staples & Officemax both claimed the “normal” price for a college-ruled store-brand notebook with 70 pages was $2.49.  I know Walmart has them for $1.20 or so and the thrift shops have partially used ones for $0.50. They were on sale for $0.25, usually I can find them for $0.10, but this year if someone had them super cheap, I missed that sale.  Shopping the sales essentially saved us $20.90 just on notebooks.  (The receipts claimed we “Saved” way more, but I base my savings off the cheapest normal price, not the inflated office supply store price.)

Pencils, erasers, markers, rulers, and other assorted small things I usually buy from thrift stores because you can get a lot more used items less expensive than the sale price on new ones.  Rebeccah does Sunday School and likes to buy cute craft stuff for it, which is also less expensive (and a much larger collection for choose from) at the thrift stores.

Backpacks are another thrift store buy.  I generally choose to spend less than five dollars on a backpack.  Someone’s hand-me-down from last year often has a lot of wear left in it.  We use backpacks for school stuff, travel bags (you can only carry what you can fit in your backpack), and overnight bags for Grandma’s house trips.  Even Lucas has a backpack (a cute smaller Cars one we found for a dollar at a thrift store).  He’s funny, when we’re headed to drop off at college, I’ll say “grab your school stuff.”  (Generally, a writing tablet or book)  Lucas puts two books (usually two the bigger girls have been reading – lately a favorite has been Prince Caspian), his crayon box, and his tablet in his backpack and will say “I’m ready for my school!”  His backpack swallows him!

We have learned to use the before-school sales to help keep our expenses low yet still get the items we like to use.  (Filler paper is cheaper than using notebooks, but I’ve learned notebooks are neater and easier.)  The older girls need computer paper for some college assignments and CAP work, so we also tend to buy computer paper during the sales times as they will have some super mail-in rebate offer or something.

The coolest part of shopping for school supplies is the practical math lessons that go along with it!  (I can find lessons in everything!)

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

 

Teaching Textbooks

Finding Teaching Textbooks, a new style for a different learner

August 2, 2018

Teaching Textbooks

I’ve used Pearson, A Beka Book, Nelson, and pretty much any textbook I can find.  Most of the textbooks seem to be aimed at a traditional learner.  One who can read and remember.  This worked well for Christina and Rebeccah.  With a little teaching and a few explanations as needed, they understood.

Kimberly has been a different type of learner.  She is more tactile; she has to hear, see, watch, and do.

Another parent who has several learners like Kimberly, suggested I try Teaching Textbooks.  I found a used copy of Geometry because I was about to help tutor another student who was using it and I like to understand the curriculum so I can help in a style they are used to.

Oh my goodness!

Kimberly was beginning to struggle with math in A Beka’s Basic Mathematics.  She’d tried “Life of Fred” but that was only more confusing to her.

When the box arrived with Geometry everyone was excited… until Christina and Rebeccah saw it was textbooks and were like “MOM!” and went back to the Game of Life.  I went through the first two lessons to see how this textbook worked.  Kimberly got really excited, “Mom!  I get what he’s saying!” and asked if she could do that as math instead of Basic Mathematics.

Kimberly loved it and seriously started to understand the concepts presented.  I was so excited that I researched Teaching Textbooks further, hounded EBay until I found used complete sets of Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, and Algebra II.  Kimberly was super excited when Pre-Algebra arrived and is now doing both Geometry and Pre-Algebra.  Jaquline watched (her learning style is somewhat tactile, and her abstract thoughts lead her to overthink lessons she reads) and is now doing Pre-Algebra with Teaching Textbooks too.   The material is presented so thoroughly and with clear explanations that anyone with a good understanding of basic math operations can understand and retain the subject matter well.

I will certainly be checking out any used Teaching Textbooks course I find.  Check out their site at www.teachingtextbook.com for more information!  (I buy everything used, mostly from homeschool book sales or from friends, 2nd place is EBay when hunting something specific, and lastly, I order from A Beka Book, or Apologia when needing a specific title quickly and can’t find it used.)

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

 

Our Curriculum 2018

A Peek at our curriculum circa 2018.

July 31, 2018

Our Curriculum

One of the most popular questions I get asked (in regard to my children and homeschooling) is “what curriculum do you use?”

So, here’s what our jumbled “organized chaotic” curriculum looks like for 2018:

Honestly, most of what I use depends on the style of the learner and what books I have.   My core for the first few years has been A Beka Book Arithmetic (K5, 1, and 3) with A Beka Book Phonics (K5, 1, Phonics and Language 2, the first third or so of A Handbook for Reading) and A Beka Book writing (K4 manuscript, K5 cursive, 1, Cursive Writing Skillbook 3, and Penmanship I or II if needed for extra practice).

Beyond that, “traditional” style learners who get the most from reading a textbook and repetition of problems (my two oldest) like A Beka Book’s math program so mine goes (5th, 7th, Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, either personal or business mathematics).

A Beka Book’s language program actually starts in their “Phonics and Language 2” book (this is new last year and I LOVE IT since it combines phonics and language cohesively – instead of me doing the same thing by switching papers around from their previous first grade letters & sounds and language).   So I usually go: Phonics & Language 2, Language B or C (I like B/5th best, but C has more practice writing formal documents), and then we move to any vocabulary book they choose (I’ve used A Beka, Hanson, Pearson, and even the vocabulary list in our 1960s dictionary!) while writing an essay, poem, or report daily (this is usually a paragraph or essay for a history, science, or literature assignment).  You learn grammar, spelling, and vocabulary by reading and writing.

For more tactile learners, we’ve discovered that Teaching Textbooks works very well.  Those who have mastered the basics (5th grade math or up to basic operations) can pick up with Teaching Textbooks’ Pre-Algebra and perfectly understand it.  We’ve only used version 1.0, since I buy everything used, but am told 2.0 has the same content without trading out discs.  I won’t use 3.0 because it’s all online and our internet access is spotty at best (according to Teaching Textbooks, it has the same educational content as 2.0 so for those with good internet and toddlers who like to play with the big kids’ CDs, 3.0 is probably the best option).

Basically, I make sure each core subject (Grammar/Language/Reading & Math) builds easily for the particular student who is using it.  The girls choose their own textbooks for Science (the 3 “required” by me are by Apologia: high school Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), History (I have two “required” textbooks, one is by Eggleston originally published in 1884, and a high school level two-semester course on US History), Social Studies, and Electives based on their interests starting with 3rd grade (paragraph-writing level).  I use those to reinforce grammar and writing skills.  Three students can be (and often are) using the same history or science textbook but end up with varying levels of reports.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

 

Any Book is Curriculum

April 14, 2018

Any Book is Curriculum

In our homeschool curriculum, we have base books that everyone has to go through.  These are standards like Arithmetic and Language Arts.

I add vocabulary workbooks to teach etymology.  Once etymology is learned, the student usually finds spelling and vocabulary far easier so only some use vocabulary or spelling workbooks.  The main way students continue learning spelling and vocabulary is along with writing assignments.

We have a base of standard History.  After the first book, we move to whatever textbook teaches a section in which they have an interest.  Any history book is accompanied by writing assignments at the end of each unit, chapter, or small book to recount what has been learned and how it compares with other texts.

Literature study usually coincides with history of an era or region.  I find  it fun to teach history as a story of  the people; which includes their writings, lifestyle, scientific achievements or lack thereof, and culture.

Basic science is usually learned hands-on in our house through the chemistry that can be found in the kitchen, biology learned from our animals, and physics discussed when someone trips on something or while building a new project.  Our final science books require a command of Algebra; these Biology, Chemistry, and Physics books set the foundation for and help with the transition into college learning.

But any book can be a part of a curriculum!

We’ve used novels and storybooks to write about and study culture.  We’ve used classic literature to teach etymology and practice translation.   We’ve used history books to build Lego cities.  We’ve used Lego sets to cross into history books and study culture.  We’ve used cookbooks to teach fractions, chemistry, and time management.   Any book a student reads can be turned into a book report, which requires practicing the skills of writing, grammar, and comprehension.

Therefore, we’ve discovered that any book can be incorporated into our home school curriculum with positive encouraging results!

Thanks for reading!

Type at you later…

~Nancy Tart

Birthday Day Off

October 26, 2017

Birthday Day Off

We are a homeschool family.   Sometimes this means we goof off and play games on birthdays instead of do bookwork.  But consider how much learning is crammed into everyday life!

Money skills: Today’s practicum included working and saving (racing around to do enough chores to raise the difference from their savings to whatever toy they wanted to buy for birthday sister), budgeting (oops, that pony figure is outside of my budget!),figuring tax, and checking change received.

Math and Science Lab: This included addition (1 cup milk + 1 cup milk = 2 cups milk), subtraction (Lucas dropped an egg!), fractions (1/2 cup sugar, please?), chemistry (solution versus compound, various states of matter, and a lengthy comical discussion of how the ingredients became a cake!), and even biology (answering our first-grader’s question of “does the sun help grow sugar?”).  Finally, our “home economics laboratory” produced a gluten-free chocolate cake with buttercream icing as requested.

They brought home the “best addition” to the cake – a miniature model of the Millennium Falcon, birthday girl’s favorite Star Wars ship.   (It’s her dream to have the Millennium Falcon Lego set – oddly enough, same one Mom wanted as a teen!)  We perched this on a good spot.

Language and Creative Writing: (each student wrote and colored a birthday card for Rebeccah).

Pyrotechnics and Fire Safety followed.  (This is otherwise known as lighting candles and hearing Mom’s 275th lecture on keeping hair away from flame!)

Music: (where everyone tries to get “…and many more” in the lowest baritone possible and the kazoos attempt to play some tune!)

Now for the guinea pigs to taste the experimental laboratory creation!  (A+ everyone lived!)  Creativity flowed during Art – the party hats turned into eye patches, unicorn horns, and noses.

Sometimes life takes over our classwork.  That’s okay.  We get a lot of practical work done on “days off!”

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

 

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