Memorization Work Ideas

Posted on January 23, 2009 by heidi

We really like First Languages Lessons for the Well Trained Mind but I’m not so impressed with the memorization work. Some of it is great but some of it is just poems or nursery rhymes that aren’t impressive. I would rather the kids memorize things that they will really need or at least that’s beautiful!

For Christopher (now in book 3) we’re having him memorize scripture mastery cards – you can get them online for $.25 a set (four sets total.) We pulled out the scripture verses that were smallest to start with, but ones that I felt had meaning we could explain to him. Example – last week he memorized John 14:15 – “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” This week it is Doctrine & Covenants 82:10 – “I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say ye have no promise.” So we’re starting small! But I like that instead of just poems (and we are still memorizing some of those) he’s learning scripture that will come in handy.

For Moira I was pondering what would be best for her. And inspiration struck! I pulled down our Children’s Songbook and started at the beginning. She knows the first song, of course – “I am a child of God.” The second song is the one they are learning in primary (that is making her cry because it’s minor key) – “I lived in Heaven.” So we went with #3:

I know my Father lives,
And loves me, too.
The Spirit whispers this to me,
And tells me it is true.

Perfect! It’s easier for her to remember because it’s lyrics vs. a scripture (the rhyme helps.) Plus we have the primary songs in my iTunes so I can play the song for her and she memorizes to music so quickly. (And Christopher is learning them, too.) I love that it’s something they’ll be glad to know since they’ll be singing these in primary. I like that they are memorizing teachings of the Gospel. It’s perfect!

Oh, source – the scripture mastery cards, children’s songbook and primary cd you can buy at LDS catalog and it’s free shipping. You can also access the church’s music player through the church website if you want the primary songs for free! I don’t know if you can download them

So whenever there is a new poem for the kids to memorize in either book we’ll use the scripture mastery or primary song instead, unless it’s a poem we like.

Spring 2009 – What We’re Using (w/pictures)

Posted on January 9, 2009 by heidi

What we’re using for school this next semester:

First, Christopher – this should be his first grade year. He’s in Saxon 2 (which is second grade level) and First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind book 3 (which is 3rd grade level.) He’s reading whatever books strike his fancy and we’re reading aloud to him still. He’s also using his composition book for his handwriting practice and dictation but typing his book reports (and using a new typing program.) He writes letters and is writing in his journal for more writing practice.

Moira is in her kindergarden year. She’s in Saxon 1 (first grade) and First Language Lessons grade 1. She’s also using a workbook for some extra reading practice, Bob books for reading aloud, and her composition book for handwriting practice. For therapy we’re using a phonics book (for speech), Ready Bodies, Learning Minds for motor and sensory work and The Out of Sync Child has fun for sensory issues, speech & motor. Plus the Webber Phonology cards.

For math manipulatives we have geoboards/peg boards, math cubes, tangram pieces and some plastic shapes. And a ton more, but these are the ones they use most. We have toy clocks, calendars, counting bears, flashcards, etc.

For art we’re mostly using the Complete Book of Arts & Crafts right now, but we also have the science arts book, Annotated Mona Lisa, Discovering Great Artists, and some art history books (serious ones) from my family (they all did AP art history & one minored in it in college.) And we have sketch pads for the kids for their nature journals, among other things. And an obscene amount of art supplies. We try to do art on Mondays.

Music – we have a basic beginner piano book C is almost done with and Mo will start with, along with the Primary children’s song book and a simplified hymn book. We have lots of toy instruments like triangles and shakers, the guitar, piano, and drums. We let the kids play on Garage Band, Kit and I play for them (guitar and piano) and we use Pandora to expose them to various composers. We’ll be doing artist & composer studies later this year, picking one of each to focus on per semester. (It will be a good education for me. We do music study on Tuesdays.

Wednesdays we do an Out of Sync activity and focus on some extra motor work/sensory stuff for Moira, though all the kids participate. We do speech on Monday & Friday with Mo.

For history we’re in book two of Story of the World. We also have some geography encyclopedias, Circling the Globe, various atlases, blackline maps to go along with our history curriculum, and the biography books for the kids to read about some famous figures. We’ll be supplementing a LOT more with “living books” and biographies as we get more in depth later on – the Story of the World is a four book series we’re doing twice through so next go round we’ll have a lot more enrichment activities and additional readings. (Ask me if that made no sense at all and I’ll explain later.) Thursdays we do history and every other week we meet with a co-op for an enrichment activity.

Science this year is earth & space, we have a variety of books and posters & the NASA cards. Right now we’re just doing some readings but we hope to add in science experiments again soon. The science readings go along with the history timeline. Life science, earth & space, chemistry, physics on a four year rotation.

We also have some science experiment books and encyclopedias. There are more books for life, chemistry, and physics that I’ll photograph when we get around to those. And the Magic School Bus books. Plus we have the magnifying glasses and other hands on things for the kids. We do science on Fridays.

We do language & math daily, we do the “specials” each once a week. Art, music, sensory (therapy, history, science.

The language & math with Christopher takes about 30 to 45 minutes total. The language & math with Moira takes about 30 minutes total. If they dawdle it takes about an hour. 🙂 They both need one-on-one attention to cover the new math concept of the day and do the language, Mo needing more help than C, of course. The extra subject takes 30 minutes to an hour, depending on what we’re doing. We also doing reading aloud with the kids for at least an hour a day but often two or more hours with them reading to us, each other and us reading to them.

Oh, and cost – we bought the Magic School Bus books from Scholastic for cheap. The Well Trained Mind book 3 and workbook I got off Amazon (it was cheaper that way) and the workbook for Saxon 2 we bought new. Those are the only books we bought new and we didn’t pay full price for any of them. Everything else we got as a gift or free from another homeschool family, bought used from a library sale, or found on Half.com or Amazon.com for used. We’ve not spent a ton on these, though if we find a book we fell would be good we find a way to get it. We did buy the manipulatives new, of course, but we purchased most of them during Mardel’s 20% off educators sale. Homeschooling does not have to be expensive.

Okay, I hope that answers most of the questions re: what we use!

And here are links in the post I wrote up, if you want to find out more about the books we use.

I lied – the Ready Bodies, Learning Mind program we purchased new as well. The therapy things are often harder to find used, but we checked that out so we knew it was something we felt good about.

Composer Study

Posted on January 8, 2009 by heidi

If we actually getting around to starting it, we’ll be picking a composer to study every semester or so (not that we follow semesters) and Pandora is a great resource. You can create a station by composer and it will also pull up similar pieces by others but it always lists the name and piece so you can discuss them with your children. And I’m learning a bit more about music in the process! We’re doing Mozart and Beethoven right now just for listening – not yet studying them. 🙂

We’ll also be picking an artist along with a composer to get more in depth with. That’s coming way down the road, perhaps next fall or in a year from now. If I get my act together. 🙂

LDS Resources for Homeschool

Posted on December 20, 2008 by heidi

These are from the church but many are great even if you are not LDS. 🙂

Gospel Art Kit – display pictures around home, use for FHE and scripture study/devotional time with kids. Stories & scriptures are included on back for older children to read to younger ones?
New Nursery Manual – Behold your little ones with lesson ideas for young children.
Children’s Song Book includes some background history and scriptures for each song to study as a family.

Hymns Made Easy for early piano players.

Scripture Mastery Cards – we ordered all four sets and pulled out the ones with just one or two verses, hole punched them and hung on metal ring. Perfect for kids to use as memorization work!
Old Testament
New Testament
Book of Mormon
Doctrine & Covenants

Provident Living for extensive information on budgeting & other financial matters, home storage, gardening, recipes, and other homemaking skills.

The church also has a ton of materials in other languages for kids studying spanish, french, or most any language! They have a wide selection of materials available for hearing impaired people, so anyone working to learn ASL should explore those. For example, you can view the Articles of Faith in sign language with voice over for $1!!

The Friend Magazine, of course, for young children has tons of learning activities and games. The Primary manuals have wonderful ideas for lessons on all sorts of topics but all related to gospel principles. And for older children, the Institute manuals are all available.

Check it all out at LDS Catalog and there is free shipping to all US addresses (and maybe abroad? I don’t know.) These prices are so inexpensive, I don’t know how they are even covering their costs but seize the chance to get these great resources in your home!

2008-2009 What we’re doing

Posted on October 21, 2008 by heidi

Here are the books/programs/curriculums we are using. We rarely buy new, we love www.half.com or used from Amazon. We like books we can pass down through multiple kids and curriculums that can be adapted for several ages at once. We do language and math daily (alternating spelling & grammar for language, but reading aloud daily) and we do the other “specials” usually once a week (science, history.) Some subjects we get at the co-op and at home (music, art.) We do therapy of some sort daily (motor lab/PE, speech, sensory, etc.)

Language:

First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind, we have Mo starting 1st grade and C finishing 2nd and starting 3rd. There’s one book for 1/2 and another plus workbook for 3.

We also have the Bob books, set 1 and 2 (Mo’s in 2, Ben’s starting 1) and the LeapFrog DVD set, which is what taught the oldest three to read. 🙂 Yes, movies. Sigh…

We’re not doing a spelling curriculum, I just have C practice stuff like days of the week, months of the year, prepositions, etc. He’s reading and spelling so well that I’m not worried about spelling this year. Mo I have practice some spelling lists from on-line and do the Starfall website (link to left) for help. We’re having C start the Tux Typing program.

Math:

Saxon 1 for Mo, Saxon 2 for C. We’re using older editions and all the rumors are true, Saxon is a ton of work. We don’t do it all. I check the teacher’s manual to see what new concept is being introduced, teach it (and often not following their script) and then have the kids do their worksheet (it’s front and back.) I don’t make them do the addition/subtraction drills except once or twice a month and we time them. Maybe once a week we do review things like time, calendar, etc. But it’s nice that I know what they know and where they are struggling so I don’t have to waste their time or my time doing all the work included. If C can answer everything orally, I don’t make him write out the worksheets every day. Same for Mo, of course.

But we really like Saxon as a foundation and how it includes hands on things (peg boards, tangrams, etc) and incorporates algebra and geometry throughout. We also let them do Tux Math after they finish their Saxon work.

History/geography/social studies:

Story of the World Volume II this year. We meet every other week with a co-op to do activities related to our readings. We’ll be reading volume 3 over the summer and next fall starting the history class at the co-op, volume 4. (They’re doing volume 3 this year.)

Art:

Complete Book of Arts & Crafts and we’ll also have art at the co-op.

Therapy:

The Out of Sync Child has Fun and Ready Bodies Learning Minds.

And for Mo’s speech, the Webber Phonology cards but just fronting and stopping for now.

Science:

We’re doing chemistry with the co-op this year and we’ve not explored the curriculum at all.

Spanish:

Ditto above, with the co-op and they’re using Rosetta Stone Spanish-Latin America but that price is a bit much for us right now. 🙂 We shall see what we do about spanish…

Music:

They will get music at the co-op, we’re starting Mo on piano and having C start the second book, using the Alfred series. We’re also playing around with Garage Band (on the Mac) and Kit’s drums, guitar, and making our own instruments (from the arts & crafts book.)

Classical Music for Kids

Posted on May 8, 2008 by heidi

The kids adored watching Peter & the Wolf on PBS last month and since then Mo’s been trying to identify musical instruments based on their character. (She’s way better at it than me.) We listen to 101.1 FM in the sunroom while they do lessons. Annoying commercials aside, it’s a good station.

Today, wanting to find more for them to interact with (and realizing the limits of my musical education) I went exploring and found the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s website for kids. A lot of it’s way over their heads still but I’m learning a lot! We’re adding it to our musical links on this site for future reference.

Smoothing the Way – Organization

Posted on March 20, 2008 by heidi

Just my notes to self. 🙂

Create Home Command Center –
Will include:
– tool kit & wind up flashlight
– stamps, envelopes, etc for bills
– pens, pencils, tape, scissors, etc in small container (silverware tray)
– key hook
– emergency info (doctors, utility company, etc) laminated on inside of cabinet
– FILE
– file for receipts & warranties
– file for medical stuff (taken to our room for filing cabinet)
– file for school stuff to be sorted (taken to sunroom shelves)
– file for memorabilia to be sorted (taken to our room for scrapbooks)
– folder that holds all bills
– my planner *
– Ben’s spare glasses
– first aid kit
– recipe binder & food storage inventory (all other cookbooks over stove, not pulled down often)

On fridge:
– calendar
– menu
– shopping list
– chore list *

School Center –
On shelves in sunroom:
– each kids’ IKEA box w/own school supplies, books & binders *
– “busy box” for toddlers
– “specials” subject box
– math & language box
– Mommy’s box-o-junk (hole punch, stapler, index cards, scissors, etc)
– craft cart
– coloring paper (on cart)

In living room shelf:
– reading books (non-textbooks)
– kids’ magazines
– Ensigns & other magazines, FHE binders
– toy bins
– photobooks
– portfolios
– scriptures & journals
– game bin
– music & art books
– letter writing box (stationary, stamps, etc.)

Scrapbooking/Craft Center – in my closet…
– file folder for each child, things to put in their scrapbooks
– file folder for my scrapbook stuff by month
– supplies (paper, stickers, scissors, etc.) all in crate or box
– boxes with sewing & crochet stuff, craft projects
– gift wrapping stuff

(NOT related, 72 hour kits in master closet, too, and fire safe with documents and filing cabinet with all house files, banking/financial info, medical files, family records, etc.)

Writing up chore list and what’s going in my planner/binder and the kids’ school boxes.

Songs

Posted on February 6, 2008 by heidi

We do circle time with a little welcome song and stories with all four kids. After the first song, we usually do the days of the week song & the months of the year. I looked over to see Bennett holding up seven fingers and asked if he wanted the week song and he sang it with the other kids! Sunday, Monday, Tuesday… okay, so he mispronounced most of the days of the week but he was clearly trying to say the right ones! I felt like cheering, I was so excited.

Mo can do the months of the year, as soon as we introduced the song (thanks, Abby!!) She’s been able to do all the planets now for almost a year. Same thing for Christopher. Mo’s learning the Articles of Faith (we haven’t got past 2, I admit, #3 is suddenly longer) but she can do them if she sings them.

So I think (yes, I know, parents & early childhood educators have known this for years) that we just need more songs. We have our clean up song, we sing a song while brushing teeth, Bennett sings me the ABC song while I change his diaper… Mo’s speech therapist said often singing is easier (less pressure) than trying to speak properly.

I sing a good-night and good-morning song to the kids when they’re cuddly and I rub their back. There’s something magical about music, how it cements things in their brain. In elementary school I had to learn a song for the 50 states in alphabetical order and you can bet I’m teaching that to the kids! Anything we need them to memorize (Christopher’s working on the list of linking verbs) we are setting to a tune.

If we’re suddenly sounding like the Von Trapp family around here, that’s why.

Progress Report – First January

Posted on January 2, 2008 by heidi

Christopher, I can’t think of a better way to update your progress than this – since I can’t say what reading level this is, I’m just going to copy some of the text down from the book you read today:

“As time goes by, the plant or animal becomes covered by many layers of mud and sand. After thousands of years, the bottom layers harden into rock.”

That’s a page from the dinosaur book you’re reading me, you just needed help sounding out “thousands.” I’m really impressed with how well you are reading! You sound out most everything without any help and of course your comprehension and retention are phenomenal! 🙂

For spelling you did the days of the week, and you missed a couple letters but got most of them correct.

For language we did the first lesson in “First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind” grade 2 – reviewing common & proper nouns and the concepts of an “idea” as a noun.

For math you are doing Saxon grade one and today we introduced you to double digit addition – I would tell you two numbers to add up and you had to write them in the ones or ten columns and add it up. 12+37 was the last one we did. You understand all the coins and we used some math examples for double digit addition, but we’ve not covered carry over yet. 🙂 You tell time now to the 5 minute increment and you can name the date, day of the week, month and year. Kit’s covering temperature with you, you know 32 is freezing and you tell us the current temperature and if it’s freezing, cold, warm, hot, etc.

Moira, you’re doing addition – single digits and a little bit of subtraction. You are learning coins and we’ll start you on time to the hour. Today you did Starfall reading, you are a champ at the 3 letter words but some of the sight words and four letter ones were tricky for you. And we did all your motor lab work – lovely “cinnamon rolls” and stretches.

We’re still doing “Story of the World” and various science experiments. Music has mostly fallen by the way side so we’re trying to work on piano practice and just listening to some classics and letting you know who they are.

And pretty much all of this is being done while you hang out in bed with queasy Mommy. 🙂 We’re getting in lots of cuddles.

ThadenPierce School

Category Archives: Music

Memorization Work Ideas

Composer Study

LDS Resources for Homeschool

Classical Music for Kids

Songs