SAT Question of the Day

Although Alex won't be taking the SAT or the ACT for at least two more years, we have begun to practice. It is important for him to become accustomed to the test format. Most of the Math questions cover topics which he hasn't seen yet. We usually just skip these. But, We use language questions as vocabulary builders and to review grammar. You can sign-up to have these questions sent to you via email at the following website:

http://www.collegeboard.com/

They provide many other valuable services for the college bound and their parents as well.

A New Discovery!

Facebook has been around for a long time. However, it is a new discovery for me. What a discovery!


I have been able to reconnect with old friends as well as keep in touch with my older children. Plus, it has a lot of fun educational games that both Alex and I enjoy playing.


It has memory games . . .

. . . geography games . . .

. . . and several vocabulary building games.

It even has several groups for homeschoolers. For anyone who hasn't signed up yet, I would highly recommend it.

What's on the Nightstand?

Alex was beginning to read less so we put Free Reading back into our daily schedule. Right now he has chosen to read books from the American Library Association's list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books.


He just finished A Day No Pigs Would Die and he has begun Fallen Angels.


He likes reading these books and I enjoy discussing them with him.

You can find the list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books at the following link: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.cfm

A Little Help From My Friends

Yesterday, Alex was doing an experiment on erosion for his general science class.

Julie decided that he needed her help.

She is an expert at digging holes in the yard, but I don't think that she was really helpful this time.

Hot or Cold?

Alex did an experiment on how temperature affects the speed at which molecules move. First, he filled one glass with cold water and one glass with boiling water. Then, he added food coloring to see in which glass the food coloring blended most quickly.

I think that he had a little too much fun.

Building Big

Alex is studying construction this year. We are using the PBS curriculum, Building Big. His first project was to make the tallest tower that he could out of 2 sheets of newspaper.

It wasn't as easy as it seemed.

Nevertheless, a little problem solving with some perserverence got the job done.

Little Grass Skirt

Tiffany is taking another Home Economics class. This year, the focus is on sewing. Her first project is a rafia hula skirt that she is making for her little cousin. She is currently crocheting the waistband. Next she will add the tasles and the "grass" for the skirt.

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Alex and I went on a hike today for his Zoology class. We had a great time and ran across several items from the Nature Scavenger Hunt list. Below are a few highlights.

We found a honey bee,

a grasshopper,

an ant colony,

and bird tracks on the ground.

Back to School

Alex has wanted to learn to play the guitar since last year. Unfortunately, it was very difficult to find a teacher in our little town. Finally, we found one and he is on his way.

Bowling

Alex finished his first reading log and chose to go bowling with family . . .


and friends as his treat.

There were many different bowling styles. Some were relaxed.

Some were not.

Some were stylish.

Some were not.

Some strategies were effective.

Some were not.

But everyone had a great time.

Reading is Fun!

Alex has always been a reluctant reader. He loved being read to, but did not like reading independently. I found the key! He just needed a little motivation. I developed reading logs where he gets a sticker for every half an hour that he reads on his own. (Who knew that stickers were so powerful?) He also gets a small treat, e.g. an icecream cone, whenever he completes 3 hours of reading. When he completes an entire reading log, 15 hours, he gets a big treat, e.g. Mom and Dad take him bowling. I am amazed at how well this is working.


Alex has read 5 books in the last 2 weeks:

Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

The View From the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater

Good job, Alex!

Banned Books

Tiffany, who loves to read, has hated her literature class this year. Go figure?!? I have been looking for a new way to approach things and I think that I have found it. I read today about the ALA, American Library Association, banned book list. I was very shocked to see some of the titles that were listed. Not to mention, I either own or have read over half of the them. So, we are going to be reading the ALA's "The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000". I think that this will motivate Tiffany, she loves little rebellions, and give us plenty of opportunities for discussion. If anyone else is interested, the link to this list can be found below: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/top100.pdf . Happy reading!

My brain might explode!

Alex: Mom?

Mom: Yes, my love?

Alex: I think my brain is on fire. It might explode!

Mom: Why?!

Alex: They are teaching me algebra.

Mom: Algebra?

Alex: Yeah . . . algebra!

When will that smell go away?!

Tiffany's Biology course requires her to do many experiments. One of them involved river water and hard-boiled eggs left in the sun for 2 weeks. We may never recover.

Creativity

Another advantage of homeschooling is the freedom to explore one's creative side. Here, Alex is experimenting with the flying paintbrush method.

Flexibility

Of course, we have to be flexible when the directions say, "Read with a partner."

Dress Code

The dress code or lack thereof means that shoes are optional.

Alternative Seating

One of the first things that we learned this year is that homeschooling has many advantages. For example, alternative seating increases the blood flow to your brain and helps you think better.