Art Cards 2

This week I have a second set of Art Cards for you all.

{ Raphael }

{ Albrect Durer }

{ Johannes Vemeer }

 

{ Edgar Degas / Claude Monet }

Just click on any set to go and get them.

Don't forget to pick up the first set as well.

This week I am linking up with:



and



and 



I hope you will join us.

Thanks for visiting.

A Tale of Two Cities

This week we read 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens.

Like the other books in the series, there is a pen lined drawing on every right hand side.

The story kept the girls pretty interested.

Especially when we got to the guillotine part.

It also gave us, as a family, a chance to talk about the French Revolution and my husbands side of the family.  His family were aristocrats and fled for their lives from France.  I don't really know how much truth there is to all the family story, but the fact is they did end up out here in Australia.

Original work by: Charles Dickens

Author:  John Kennett

Illustrator:  John Marshall

Format: Paperback

Number of Pages: 200

Vendor: Peter Haddock

Publication Date: 1997

Ages: 7-12

Series: Illustrated Chosen Classics Retold

And then, when we were done, we watched the MOVIE.  Way old, but still very doable.  A 1980 version.

This week I am linking up with:

and



I hope you will join us.

Tools of the Trade

Coming Soon.....

I can't wait~!!

What I envision:

Each week we will do a show and tell on a particular "tool" that we use in our school room.

I am hoping to make it a linky party.

What do you think?

How I Use McGuffeys for a 4 year old

Just a little post to do a quick show and tell about HOW I use McGuffeys { primer } to teach my 4 year old.

Preparation:  I print up a few lessons to go { in pink of course } from the FREE pdf versions available from Gutenburg.  I staple them together on a corner and keep them in my current file ready to pull out whenever I want a lesson.

Lesson time:

1.  I have Hannah look at the picture { if there is a picture }.

2.  We read and go through the vocabulary usually found in the boxes.

3.  Then Hannah reads the passage.

4.  I will usually read the same sentence after so she can hear it in my voice for comparison.

5.  I choose a sentence for copywork.  I either circle the sentence I want her to copy or I will write it out in her workbook for her to copy there.

{ Lesson - on pink paper }

{ Copywork from lesson. }

{ A different copywork from a different lesson. }

This is a new thing for Hannah, but so far, so good.

I pretty much run the same course for the older girls with the other McGuffey books, except they just get their passages in white.  I suppose I could change them up a bit if I wanted to, and I might.  I only print a few lessons ahead.  The girls might like having their passages in a different color one day as a surprise.  :o)

O "Fish" ally a First Grader Giveaway

My friend Corinna from O "Fish" ally a First Grader is having a 300 follower giveaway.

Pop on over and join in the fun, you might end up winning an awesome prize.

While you're there don't forget to check out her awesome blog too.

Thanks for visiting.

Family Religion

Last week I introduced you all to Matthew Henry's book called 'Family Religion'.  I do hope that you were able to secure a copy and have read it.

If not, please avail yourself to a FREE copy.  

This week I was hoping to do a little chat about the book, but it's just not going to happen.  I've got something else to talk about.  So, maybe next weekend for the book.  

Now, if you will, couple this book with the conference that we went to 2 weeks ago.  This brings me to the present: it's time for me get down on the floor and confess some things to you.

1.  We finally started doing FAMILY devotions.  Yep, ALL of us.  

What?  You're just getting to them now?  I thought your family was all good there.  You know, because you talk scripture and God business all the time, you sold off your house to get out of debt, you have all these children, you homeschool.............

Yes, now while all those things are true and good, and it is also true that I have been quite diligent to read the bible to the children, give them devotions, give them bibles, throw in curriculum that was clearly christian etc....   We never did it as a family, and we most certainly never did it in the mornings first thing.  I think we might have attempted it, but you know, if you're an adult doing it under duress it doesn't last more than once or twice and it's all in the bin again.  Don't ask me what we did in the caravan.  It certainly wasn't God business in the sense that you all might suppose.  It was break Deborah business if you really want my thoughts.  I cried nearly EVERY day.  I had to give up my dream home { when we were financially all good to keep it for ever } and become a modern day vagabond - just like Abraham without all the promises.  This current day doesn't find me too bad though, we are in a rented home that has brought PEACE.  That means that no one bothers to give us grief here.  I can't tell you what it does to your health to have your own home but no peace in it, that coupled with sleep deprivation, but that is an additional story, and I don't have all day.  So it's not all bad, I just haven't quite recovered yet.

In regards to FAMILY devotions:  I pretty much just waddled along for the last 20 years without any assistance.  Not even a local church for support, and that was because we left anything that even looked like an institution. So for a long while there I was really, really alone.  Truthfully, I still feel it, but hey, too bad princess, suck it up.

Until now.  The lost loneliness is still my avid and daily companion, and I certainly have no active leadership save God himself and I am on the slightly deaf side.  However, the past 2 weeks we've been diligent to do FAMILY worship.  That is a miracle for us.  Although, to be fair as well, it has NOT been fun.  

The two teenagers don't want to join in the singing.  They don't want to pray.  They don't want to participate at all.  The're body language speaks complete rebellion and contempt.  The fact that we can get them in the same room I suppose is hopeful, but overall I am VERY discouraged.

I still do all the reading.  I like reading so that is good.

I had been waiting 20 years for ALL of us to do a family devotion seriously, and now that we have got here, it's not exactly what I was hoping for.

{ You reap what you sow }

You really do reap what you sow.  Oh, yes you do.  If you don't lay the work early on, it's crap trying to do it like Johnny come lately.  No amount of calling, "fire, fire," has helped anyone in my home.  Apparently they like the heat just fine.  I guess they are just, "trained in the way they should go and now they won't depart from it".  That's how discouraged I am.

There is a little bit of hope, but wow, it is minuscule.  It's only 2 weeks in and it's not like they are completely devoid of any knowledge, it's just their hearts need new tinkering, and they need some dynamite put in there.

Over the years as a woman I have really just taken a backseat { apart from all that reading mostly } while my family continued to fall into the pit of hell - in the sense that I totally rejected becoming the preacher / teacher with authority.  I suppose I could have done it, but I really wanted to try out this Titus woman business.  What line could I cross, what line could I not cross.  I really feel that my boys are too old for me to teach them doctrine.  I am desperate to quit them homeschooling too.   It is NOT for me to lead them into MANHOOD { I don't believe women should be teaching doctrine to grown males or growing MEN }  I have offered guidance, correction, and encouragement as all mothers would, but I also wanted to be careful about not crossing the spiritual line where I was usurping God given roles.  I didn't want to be a man dressed in a skirt.  So I allowed my shift to move over to the little girls and the boys just sat strangling themselves on the world of video games in their quiet time.

Now on top of dealing with getting the children on board - I do have to tell you that the girls are all good with it.  They LOVE the singing.  About myself: I still have to re-wire MYSELF.  From all the years where we didn't do the singing and first thing in the morning business.   I have to re-train myself with a new HABIT.  I have to meet the others half way with what they want to sing.  I have to TRY and sit back a bit more and encourage the males to take their place.  You know, and not run the show like I've done for the last 20 years - hubby is finally in attendance and that changes the dynamic quite a bit.  It is very hard when they are completely abdicated though.  They think that ignorance excuses them.  Well, ok, hubby is taking the praying serious, so that is a very good start.  Here's a hint for any man game enough to read my post today:  if you don't know what you are doing, just copy a successful man that IS doing it.  Just ring up a man who you think has it, and ask him what he's doing, and copy him.  Maybe that's too much like a man asking for directions when he's lost.  Ok, never mind, just copy him from afar then.

Lacking vision.  My children are not entirely ignorant of God and his word, but they aren't on fire for him either.  For the most part they do NOT have a vision for their life in any shape or form.  We are still trying to piece out a map for the boys.  Don't you love coming in late and having to clean up messes?  All we have on their maps at the moment is to get a full time job, and get a car.  Great CHRISTIAN parents we are, not.  There is NO map for the spiritual life though, so all that worldly stuff is going to wreck them.  Ok, I suppose the immediate map / trail on the map is to get them to come with willing hearts to the family devotion table.  If they can't do that, how will they ever do it for their own families?  That's a good first destination.  There probably is a bigger map, but it's mostly invisible and we don't have the eyesight to bring it to light just yet.  

So on that account I was very happy to have attended the conference 2 weeks ago.  { I was also very happy to have read the book 'Family Religion'. }   It has been good for me to link in with the visionary stuff that Kevin Swanson, Scott Brown, Doug Philips, and their friends have been sharing with other christians.  They think rather like minded to myself, just more articulated and fleshed out better.  But, hey, it's the fruit that matters.  They have it, I'm still trying to find it.

Places To Visit

This week I needed to find some new songs for us to sing.  So I added these two.

* * * * * * *

I need to come back to this, so I'm popping it here.  :o)

Memory Verse Box

and another:

Memory Work Box

* * * * * * *

For those that have an interest in paintings or art, I discovered this blog:

I Am A Child

Tot School

Charlotte is almost 2.  Almost.  She has taken to mimicking the girls doing school work - to some degree.  So I think that I might have to be a little more thoughtful about giving her some "educational" experiences to help encourage her along and satisfy her want of school.

With that in mind I decided that today was the day.  Yep, I was going to read a book just for her.  Our goal was that she had to remain on my lap for the entire duration of the story.

{ The Tale of Peter Rabbit }

It's not a very long book, so all good there.

 It also has very nice pictures to look at as we read.

At the end of the story I tried to get her to say, "rabbit," and "Mr McGregor".  Both were declined.

The good news about Tot School is that I might actually get some show and tell for the remainder of the alphabet in my category list in the next year or so.  :o)

{ I envision Tot School being for the age of 2.  Preschool for age 3.  Kindy for age 4-5.  Grade 1 for age 5-6. }

What books are you reading your 2 year old?  What do you recommend for a 2 year old?  Do share.

Thanks for visiting.

Counting Beyond 100 { freebie }

As you all know, Miss Hannah Banana has taken a keen interest in the maths department and is now jumping beyond 100.  So I made these little counting worksheets for her to get a visual and short practice on.

Basically there are 5 printable pages { in each separate pack }.  Designed to be done over a course of 5 days per pack. The first worksheet in each set has all the numbers and 4 animals hidden underneath.  I'll use this first page to count each day with her before she tackles the worksheet component.  Then at the end of the week she can color in the animals from the first page.  Well, that's the plan at the moment, so far, so good.  As the pack progresses through I have taken out numbers for the child to insert the numbers that should be there.

{ A completed worksheet by Hannah }

Day 2

{ Sample from 101 -125 }

{ Sample from 126 -150 }

 Just click on the sample pictures to go and download them for FREE.

They're separate files, so you'll need to click on both of them.

As a treat - I'll be adding some MORE ART CARDS soon too, so look for those in the next week or so as well.

Today I am linking up with:



and



I hope you will join us.

Thanks for visiting.

Mandie and the Ghost Bandits

     This week we read 'Mandie and the Ghost Bandits'.  I dunno, not really my style, but I'm trying to meet the girls half way with their twaddle.  

     This book had one little hiccup:  bad tithing theology, { yeah, sure, we all tithe so that God will bless us - who knew?  Let's buy Gods blessings!  Don't send me emails, I'm being sarcastic in response to the book } but that aside, it is a book directed for children to make them think that they can do anything, including find their missing stolen gold and capture bad MEN.  Yep, children involved in tracking down and capturing bad men - girls included.  The funny part is that the main heroine takes a pet kitten with her wherever she goes.  Oh, I shouldn't fail to mention their other adult adventures too.  It just wouldn't be that much fun unless they could have died in it, there's usually a few dramas along the way, or the fact they slid in some very junior romance.  It's clean, but it has the beginning of junior romance there.  I guess real childhoods just too boring, hey?

• Author/s:  Lois Gladys Leppard
• Format: Paperback
• Number of Pages: 128
• Vendor: Bethany House Publishers
• Publication Date: 1984
• Ages: 8-12
• Series: Mandie Series

You know, there are a WAD of books in this series if you like them.  

This week I am linking up with:

I hope you will join us.

Phonograms - Review Them or Lose Them

Sometimes I like to change things up just slightly to make the old and dull into new fun.  As it turns out it would appear that a new face totally reignites interest.  Who knew?

So, this is exactly what I did a few weeks ago with our multiple phonograms.

But first, let me back track.  As the year had progressed I'd let off a few things that we'd spent time on like flash carding the multiple phonograms.  It seemed as if the girls had a pretty good grasp of them and that I could relax.  Well, so I thought.

The girls still read, so all good there.  However, I did start to notice that when new vocabulary was being introduced that they weren't picking it up as quickly as I had thought that they should.  If they had actually known and were able to recall all their phonograms they would of been flying through the new vocabularly like super stars, but they weren't, they were limping.

Then randomly one evening I decided to do a spontaneous on the spot quiz to see what they remembered.   Wow, was I ever shocked.

{ If you don't review it, you lose it. }

I had discovered that the girls had lost some of their phonograms since I had stopped drilling them.  I only covered the 44 multiple phonograms and here were their scores:

Chloe - 28

Phebe - 23

Hannah - 36

Oh my poor Phebe!  How I lament at your loss and limitation - poetic license allowed { and Chloe who wasn't that much out in front }  I have seriously got to get real and spend those extra minutes with you.  My dear middle school girl, perhaps you have fallen through the cracks of too many students and not enough one to one time.  Note to self:  I guess that's what happens when you have a lot on your plate and life is so exciting that you don't always do your job as thoroughly as one should.  I am the first person that should know:  do the job properly the first time so you don't have to come back and do it again.  And how is it that a 4 year old remembers more than an 8 year old?  Shhhhh, I'm not saying this one out loud.  I don't want the girls to hear my thoughts, but yeah, in my mind I'm asking this.

Three initial points came to mind.

     First, I either hadn't done a very good job to being with.  { I didn't really stop to dwell on this point because I do know how to teach phonograms. }

     Secondly, they hadn't committed them to memory the way I had hoped that they did. { Are their brains defective? }  No, that couldn't be it, they learn all sorts of things, and function well for their ages.

     Third, perhaps I had left off before they had really got them stuck in their brains.  { This would be the most logical conclusion in my mind. }  I should have taken the time to REALLY make sure that they knew them all - and that they knew them so well that they wouldn't forget them.  But no, I had to rush on to other things.  Always trying to get to the next thing in a hurry, and now look, I look poorly, they look poorly, we all have lost face.  { I might have lost less face if I didn't tell you about it.}

Any and all ways - I now recognized that I needed to go back and do some more work.

Cowboy theme walk in.  Colorful cowboys and cowgirls no less.

Yep, so I thought that it would be a neat idea to go back to the phonograms with a cowboy twist to it.  So I whipped up the 44 multiple phonograms like this:

Then my printer, laminator, and guillotine all came out and went to work.  :o)  I tell you what, they are very handy friends to have indeed.  Especially for when you get those must have paper ideas.  Would you like to meet my friends one day?  I think they'd be up for a photo interview for the blog.  Their friendly that way.

The remaining problem is that I shall have to continue with review - for some time I should imagine.  You know, just to be sure, and you never quite know, it may also give birth to a new theme somewhere along the line.  I dunno, maybe with a froggy theme, or other suggestable themes that I might be able to swing.  *wink*  { If they don't get them all mastered sooner than later that is. }

In reality I know that I'm not the only one who has walked this road.  So that is some comfort.  It's just one of those familiar learning journeys, and while I'm not really a stranger to this type of thing, I don't really mind the extra review when it all gets down to it.  I sort of like it.  In addition, to be totally truthful, it would indeed be a rare thing if I did not need to cover the phonograms again with at LEAST the 4 year old.

How to Make Accordion Books

Just a quick little walk through for those who have the Egyptian Accordion book pack.

Note:  There are instructions in the big accordion book downloads - but I didn't include them for this little Egyptian set { one of my earliest TpT contributions }. 

Print out the accordion storybook that you want your class to work on.

Select a piece of A4 paper / cardstock for the book base.

Have the children color in the printable and cut out along the dashed lines.

Then have them cut the A4 piece of paper / cardstock in half long ways.  It might work out better if the teacher had this part prepared earlier.

Have the children join the two pieces up long ways with some tape.

Fold in from the left, fold in from the right.  The middle can be pushed to fold out the opposite way making an accordion booklet base.

It should fold down like this:

When looking at it from topside down { it will stand up } it should look like this:

Tape or glue the cover on the front of the book.

Open the book up and lay it flat and add the inside pages.

Voila~!!  An accordion book made and completed.

OR

If time or resources do not allow, you could just have the children color, cut, and staple the pages together in the correct order.

Hope that helps somewhat.

Thanks so much for visiting and purchasing this item.

Deborah

Family Religion by Matthew Henry

Over the last couple of weeks I have had the very good pleasure of being encouraged with an AWESOME book.  It's so good that I think you ALL should read it too.  Yes, I do.

{ Matthew Henry }

A man, that it is said of, "if one should come to his house unconverted that he would leave converted".  Imagine that.  Wow~!!  This is a man who genuinely lived and breathed God in a way that converted people.  His words and actions were truly efficacious.

How did he do it?  What was his method?  Would you ever dare to  emulate him?

So, the book?

Oh yes, the book.

A Church in the House

{ also known as Family Religion }

Just click on the picture below to go get a FREE copy.

It's only 88 pages long.  Quick and easy.

It's the first book on the list for download there.

Do grab a copy and let me know what you think!

Take the week to read it, and then we'll have a chat about it next Saturday.  :o)

Week 18

For the last few weeks I've been doing a "Places to Visit" on a Friday, but today I'd like to jump back to my usual updates on the school week.

Today is a very special day.  Yes it is.

Hannah my 4y2m blonde blue eyed princess has finished the first book of Grade 1 Maths { Rod and Staff }.  Yep, she finished up with clocks to the half hour, and some fractions too.  Not to mention when she did money she was counting by 5's and 10's, and she even remembered to write the little cents sign as well.

I'm pretty excited.  She's pretty excited. 

Only another 85 lessons and she'll have gotten to Grade 2 - her goal in life at the moment.  She set that goal herself.  I'm just helping her to achieve it. 

You're probably thinking - no way can a 4 year old set a goal like that, but I assure you she has.  She is "desperate" to do Grade 2 maths just like her big sister Phebe.  So I'm just obliging her by providing the work and guiding her along the way.

Hannah skip counting by 5's and 10's.  Thought I'd have a go at videoing her.



Once I get the hang of making little videos I could probably do a few more show and tells this way.

{ Maybe - just a thought there. }

* * * * * * *

Chloe started formal division this week.

Hopefully she'll get the hang of it quickly.

* * * * * * *

We started Life of Fred Cats this week as well.

What else to tell?  Ummmmm...

Chat later.  :o)

Book Purchases at the Conference

I can't believe how patient you all are in regards to waiting to find out what I bought at the conference!  For sure I was thinking someone would want to know what I bought before now.

{ The Return of the Daughters }

As you know I still have 4 little girls in the house to raise.  So I thought that I might like to hear a little about the vision of keeping daughters at home until they marry.  I did like this documentary even though the Botkin Girls look and act more like porcelain dolls.  Overall it is a lovey introduction to the old time biblical concept of keeping daughters at home until they marry. I intend on my girls watching it numerous times over the next 10 years.  Sometimes for encouragement, sometimes to help keep the vision alive and focused.

{ So Much More }

Not read YET.  I am thinking that this shall be a nice little addition in our teenager years. In between time I hope to get a bit out of it myself.

{ Keeping Our Children's Hearts }

Something for me.  Not sure how quickly I can get to it, but it shall be on my shelf waiting for a read this year.  The sooner the better.

{ How To Be A Lady }

I have perused this book and can't wait to get into it more seriously.  I am thinking it will also make for a nice read aloud.

{ Joyfully At Home }

Another one for the teenager years - although I am thinking perhaps I can glean a lot before then to share with the girls.  It's all in the preparation and planning isn't it?  The earlier we get to these ideas, the smoother it will be to implement and carry on through.

{ The Bronze Bow }

Something for our school bookshelf.

{ Carry On, Mr. Bowditch }

Another for the school bookshelf.

Ah...... and that brings us to the end of the book pile - almost.  There were a couple of other bits and pieces that missed the photo  session, but never mind we can mosey past them another day.

Additionally, I did have to ORDER some items because not everything I wanted was available at a desk.

So that will mean more show and tell at some later point I imagine.  :o)  It's always good to know that I'll have up and coming blogging topics / items to blog about.

I do hope you like my little book additions.

Do you have copies?

Have you read them?

Do tell~!!