ThadenPierce School

Interesting article link my sister sent from an art program she’s attending this week.

- Don’t tell someone to be creative (too much pressure/expectation.)
- Get moving (increase activity level.)
- Take a break, switch between projects if you hit a wall.
- Reduce screen time, decreases creativity.
- Explore other cultures (adaption, flexibility, awareness of another way of thinking.)
- Follow a passion (finding the zone.)
- Ditch the suggestion box (encourage individual action, not waiting for someone else to implement change.)

Another fun resource, this one from Kit – Science Toy Maker.

- indoor hopscotch on rainy days, use numbers on construction paper and tape down.

- decorate your own party hat, use cardstock to make crowns or cones.

- pillow art with pocket to exchange notes with your child. (Could have child handsew one for you as handicraft.)

- I lied, here’s a link with ideas for coloring autumn leaves, making a storage picture frame, and painting a playhouse made of boxes.

- wax paper autumn leaves or spring flowers w/melted crayons.

Oh, this is gonna be bad. In a good way. My sister just passed on this link from a friend of ours, and I’m already imagining how expensive this is gonna get.

Bare Books has blank books for kids to create their own stories, journal, sketch, etc. They come in a variety of sizes and styles – board books for little ones, spiral bound, square or rectangle, various sizes. They have blank calendars, journals, etc.

Minimum $25 order, flat rate $3 shipping, it’s free to schools or businesses but not homeschools (residential addresses are more expensive for UPS apparently?)

I am thinking of all sorts of fun ideas for once a year books written by the kids, nature journals, gifts for family & friends, customized baby books…

And actually the prices are fantastic, most of the books are less than $2/each so it’s only going to cost me a lot because I’m going to buy a ton.

These look at decoding skills and independent reading level – it does NOT assess comprehension at all.

Reading Assessment

I do it every once in awhile to see how the kids are progressing and an approximately grade level for their skills. We do narration after they read to me so I can assess that way how they are comprehending works and when we do spelling we discuss definitions of words.

C scored the same on both of those quick assessments, end of 7th grade level.

B scored at end of 4th grade level for decoding (then he got clearly bored, he didn’t miss five in a row yet but I let him stop) and 2nd grade level for independent reading, 3rd grade level for instructional reading (where I could focus with him. But I’m not crazy, we’re not going to focus on third grade level stuff yet. Bennett’s reading over my shoulder while I type this and saying, “But I’m not crazy.”

Mo not tested yet. I’ll probably test her later when the boys aren’t around because she’s much more hesitant still in her decoding skills and we’re trying to let her have privacy when she practices so she’s not made uncomfortable by her little brother’s bizarrely advanced reading skills. But I’m not worried, she’s barely 7 years old and she’ll become a fantastic reader when she’s ready.

Class Schedule

Great link from Joanna on little nature with kids.

Some links from there – easy nature ideas with kids and a pdf, Parents’ Guide to Nature Play.

Here. They are not accredited, it’s a free course but you aren’t receiving official credit for them – just the education. But since in Texas we write our own transcripts for the kids anyway that’s not a problem for me. Good prep for them to attend local university courses.

I’ve not looked at them but typical course of study by grade level listed here at Worldbook.

I really liked having a general guideline when we first got started but I found that long before the end of the year we were way ahead in some areas but not bothering to touch on other areas yet. It’s nice for a rough idea but once we choose curriculums then I just let the kids go at their own pace through the books and assumed we would get most topics covered eventually.

To explore – here.