Middle School Reading

OK, so I shared our summer reading with you for elementary age kids.  For the most part they will be read alouds for us, but I am sure slightly older elementary kids can manage them by themselves.

But this list, well it was slightly harder for me.  Honestly, we have been out of this "stage" for a while. Yes, my third child is getting ready to be a 7th grader, but he has been reading above grade level for some time now, so most of his free time reading and favorites are high school level.  That's for another post! ;)

However, in talking with my older girls I realized that some of their favorite books are really geared for the middle school age.

Like The Penderwicks.  This is by far one of their favorite book series.  I can not even imagine how many times they have read them, and I will not allow them to tell you.  It would be embarrassing for all involved.  The first story is about a family who vacations at a lovely cottage and has lots of adventures with rabbits, writing, and a boy named Jeffery.

Surviving the Applewhites.  Same story, different book. If you ask Riley what her favorite book is, she'll answer, "Surviving the Applewhites." The girl even talked my mom into reading it and SHE will tell you how good it is.  It is about a juvenile delinquent who is forced to live with an "unschooling" family, the Applewhites, to straighten out his life, this book will make you giggle and appreciate the quirkiness of family. And homeschooling, or unschooling.

The Redwall Series.  There are like a million of these.  OK, that's a slight exaggeration but not by much.  My son liked the first one that he read, but it was a challenge to understand.  We checked out the audio version and he was hooked.  After that he went back to reading the books with no problem. I  think that, being an auditory learner, he just needed to hear the names pronounced and get a feel for the storyline.

The Mysterious Benedict Society. I'm letting Ashton write this part: 

Hey, Ashton here. I've been tasked with writing about this book series because it is probably the best book series. Ever.  Basically, you need to read this book, regardless of how old you are.  It is so clever. It is one of the very few books that I feel comfortable recommending to anyone, regardless of their beliefs, level of conservativeness (a word I just made up) or age because there is nothing inappropriate and no language, and yet, I as a 20 year old can't get over how amazingly awesome and mind-blowing the series is.  Basically, four of the most gifted children are brought together by the most intriguing circumstances and the most eccentric man, and are tasked with going undercover to...well I don't want to spoil it.  But before all this, they have to pass tests.  And the best part is that you pretty much get to take them, too.  This next statement may seem excessive, but if you read only one book or series this year, read this one.  I read this series about three times a year. =) And I wasn't paid to write this review, although if Trenton Lee Stewart wants to hire me to promote this series, I accept. =) -Ashton

Like my youngest, the summer plan around here for the uprising 7th grader includes 30 minutes of reading time.  The reality is that he exceeds that because he likes to read.  I have kept a stack of books for him for the summer that I want him to cover (some Sonlight books that I do not want him to miss next year since we are changing to Lightening Literature) and then he will fill in with any he finds weekly at the library.  Usually our problem is too many books, not enough time.

Not a bad problem to have, don't you think?

Next Wednesday, 25th, this post will be linked up to another TOS Crew Carnival so you can see what other middle schoolers are reading this summer.  Mark your calendars and hop back over here to take a peek!

Enjoy your book time!

In the meantime, what is your middle schooler's favorite book or book series?

Blessings,

H is for High Places & Happy Birthdays

Can you believe that I almost had a hard time coming up with a post for this week and the letter H? 

 How could I have forgotten that this baby-

turned 7 last week!

Yes, that is a birthday cinnamon roll.  Don;t judge! ;)  It is also not homemade!  Years ago, we stopped "doing" big birthday parties around here.  We stopped spending extra money on things that really did not matter and worked on making memories- special meals, homemade cakes, fun memories. 

CJ wanted cinnamon rolls, so that is what he got.  Candle and all.  And the camera in the picture- that was my mom skyping with us so she could sing too!  Yes, we are weird like that.

What a day of memories.  

First thing up was park time with our co op friends.  I did make mini cupcakes, minus all the red dye number 40, to share.  I promise there were kids there, but since I did not ask permission to post their pictures, this is the one you get.  He was practicing for the next activity!

Rock wall climbing.  The other kiddos love rock wall climbing, but somehow CJ had not done it yet. The first time he tried he made it about half way up, said it was too high, and promptly closed his eyes while he came down. After watching a few others get cheered on, he decided to go all the way to the top and there was no stopping him.  The look on his face each time he came down was priceless!  No more fear of high places!

Of course, what made it even more fun was that we took our friends with us!  (and yes, they did give me permission to post their cute smiles!)

This picture cracks me up!  They were all watching one of the dads climb.

After all that hard work, we headed off for pizza, of course.  My older kids always ask me to make a special meal that they like the best.  The 7 year old- yep, you guessed it- pizza.

Happy Birthday CJ!

We are continuing through the alphabet with Marcy, at Ben and Me!  Join us anytime!

Praise! 52 Weeks of family scripture memorization

"Praise: to express thanks to or love and respect for (God)"

According to Merriam-Webster, there are three basic definitions of the word "praise."  Two are related to humans, and one is related to God. I think that the bulk of our praise reflects that as we spend far more time praising the things of men rather than the things of God.  Think about how many times in the past week you said something like, "that restaurant has the best pasta," or "you did such a great job on that," or "what a beautiful kitchen!"  Now think about how many times you said "God is so good to me," or, "Lord, you are sufficient," or "What a gracious God I serve!" 

While it isn't wrong to sincerely praise someone or something, as believers we need to make sure that we are also sincerely praising God.  After all, He is the only One who truly deserves our praise. 

-Ashton (Filling in for Michele today!)

And What About Science?

I have shared before that science is one of the subjects I find hardest to teach.  I like science, really I do, but I have found that many programs for the younger ages are either complete fluff or way over their heads.  It has been a challenge for me to find a happy medium, despite having walked this road for 16 years now.

The elementary science I was using is one I like a lot, but it is hard work and was wearing me out.  I was doing A LOT of daily reading and quite frankly, I felt like my 1st grader was only catching snippets of it.  I knew I wanted to put it aside until he was slightly older, think 4-6th grade, but just not sure what to replace it with.

I have asked questions, I have researched and I have visited blogs until I just about drove myself crazy. Seriously.  But with the help of a few friends and some youtube videos, I have found something that seems to be the answer for us!

Nancy Larson Science

This is NOT a sponsored blog or an affiliate post.  It is just my experience with Nancy Larson Science and my opinions.  Take it for what it is worth from this homeschooling momma.

First the facts-

• Nancy Larson currently offers 5 levels of science kits- Science K, Science 1, Science 2, Science 3 and Science 4.  They are all inclusive kits, meaning EVERYTHING you need to use for the program comes in the box.  Just open it up and go.  If it says "show a picture of".... then that picture is in the kit.  

• The teacher's manual is a scripted lesson by lesson account, with answers included for any worksheets or tests.  Think Saxon Math.  It tells you what to say, and then gives you an appropriate student response.

• It contains multiple student booklets as well as worksheets.  Each student booklet has reading in it just like a textbook, as well as places for the student to write in.  The books are leveled with progression in mind- the first having bigger text and fewer sentences to read, and then progressively gets a little harder as the year goes by.

• The worksheets are concise and to the point, requiring some circling of answers and some written work.

• Nancy Larson Science is not Christian based, nor it is evolution based.

The ins and outs as we see them-
We ordered Science 1, even though my son just completed 1st grade.  I am a little anal retentive like that.  I like to follow rules and numbers so I wanted to start at the beginning, but knowing the Kindergarten would be too easy.  Since we school through the summer, I figure we will have no problem finishing Science 1 and Science 2 by next year.  Plus, Science 1 does fun things like raising ladybugs and butterflies which I just did not want him to miss. The only negative I see so far is that he can read the booklets himself instead of me reading them to him.  Not really a negative, don't you think?

A little excited about what is to come!

Level One covers-

• Developmental Biology
• Botany
• Earth and Space
• Zoology
• Anatomy
• Entomology

I LOVE that everything is included.  Maybe it is because I am old, or tired, or that I have done this for now four times, but I do not have it in me to run around collecting supplies.  Nancy won me over pretty quick by taking the extra parent leg work out of her program. She even included plastic bugs and x-rays, both of which I have had a hard time convincing CJ needed to wait until the appropriate lesson.

The Teacher's manual is so well laid out.  At the beginning of each lesson is a list of what you will need for the day, including anything you might need to gather or print out ahead of time.

And that scripted part? Yes, I am perfectly capable of asking my child questions but it never hurts to get some help from the pros.  It also allows someone else to pick up that guide and fill in for me easily should I get sick, or decide to take a trip somewhere. ;)

I love the booklets!  There are 6 books, one for each unit for level one.  They are easy for him to handle and not nearly as overwhelming to him as a big textbook.  He loves writing in them and making them his own.  I am adamantly opposed to busy work, but the worksheets only have a few questions on them and only take a few minutes, while still allowing me to make sure he comprehended what we just covered.  Reviews are built in as well.

So, about not being Creation based.  This was the hardest part of the decision for me.  I love presenting all of our school subjects from a Creationist point of view- it is one of the many reasons we homeschool.  While I do not run screaming from evolution, we do not believe in it and do not want our children exposed to unnecessary amounts of it.  That is why I asked and asked other people who are using Nancy Larson Science about it within the program.  So far, no where can I find any questionable facts that would lead me to put aside Nancy's science.  So far those kind of issues have not even been touched on.  Everyone I have talked to assures me it will not be an issue.  I finally decided to take a chance and so far I have not regretted it.  We teach creation in everything we say and do, so I make sure that am even more aware of it while I am teaching this science.  I also know that once he learns basic science with Nancy, we will using a Creationist immersed program for the older grades.

Sample pages are available and they helped us a lot in making a decision about this program!

A quick note about  the price...
Science 1 costs $269.00- I know that seems like a big chunk of money at first but again, remember, this is an all inclusive program.  You get a lot of bang for your buck.  I know from experience that even those lower costing programs out there will end up being more once you gather all of the supplies.  Plus, think about your gas expenses and your time spent!

Three weeks into Nancy Larson and I have no regrets.  It is easy to follow, gets done with no problems, and thrills my son.  He ASKS to do it every morning.  What speaks better of a program than the happiness of the one using it?!

Thanks Nancy, for creating a program that stands among the best and provided a much needed answer for this homeschooling family.  We are thrilled to have found you!

Blessings,.

We Choose Virtues- TOS Crew Review

Gentleness, patience and self control.  OH, I how long to teach my children those and so much more. Thankfully, with We Choose Virtues you can!

We Choose Virtues is a company dedicated to helping parents instill positive character traits in their children.   We received their Parenting cards ($38.49) for ages 3-11 and have been working our way through them, one a week.  The parenting cards are 13 double-sided, heavy cardstock cards with one character trait per card.  They are available in NIV or King James as well as Spanish.

We also received the Downloadable Bundle ($7.99) which includes

• Kids of VirtueVille Coloring Book
• Family Character Assessment
• Teacher's handbook
• Butterfly Awards for Kids

Here's what you will see on the cards

Front of a card-

On the front of each card a specific character trait is listed along with a cute little guy or gal that goes with that trait, in this example Cake Jake.   The card starts with a positive statement of that characteristic and then is followed with the negative side of it, the thing we DON'T do.  Each card also has a Bible verse to go with it.

Back of a card

On the back of the card you will find a family challenge or activity to do that helps you practice that trait, plus an example of how to apologize to someone when you have broken that rule.  In addition, there is a teachable moments section that gives you starter ideas to help teach that virtue and a little backstory to the character that will help your child remember the virtue.  Virtues include:

Why we love We Choose Virtues In my humble opinion, virtues are something our whole culture could stand to learn.  Imagine how much nicer our world would be if we treated everyone with kindness, respect and patience!  But, honestly, those are not things that come naturally to kids.  They need to be taught and they are worth taking the time to do so.

Our goal as a family was to go through the cards one a week, having fun and letting CJ pick which cards he wanted to do.  Yeah, best laid plans, right?!  The reality is that there were a few cards that needed a few more dedicated minutes hours. 

Meet my favorite cards

Self control and obedience.  Yes, we needed to review them all, but these are the two that needed the most work in our house right now.  And so we concentrated on these for a few weeks.  While I think the cards are fun and can be used in that way, for these two specific virtues we used them in a slightly different manner.  For most cards we sang the songs, reviewed the child's name and their story, and had fun playing games and doing the challenges. 

But for these two - well, another story  After a slightly frustrating day and time in prayer, God led me back to these cards and a way to do them differently.  And so each time a behavior issue came up, my son was required to get the card off the fridge, read the front and then ask for forgiveness as directed on the back.  Afterwards we would pray together and ask not only for forgiveness from God, but for guidance to do better.  This. Was. Hard.  

A child asking a sibling for forgiveness is often easy with a quick "I am sorry."  To ask forgiveness  from God is much harder.  But, boy is it fruit producing.  It was not a quick fix.  It was not easy.  But it did work.  It allowed me as a mom to remove myself from the equation and make him responsible for his own behavior AND for fixing it.  

Once we felt like we got a grip on those (notice I did not say mastered) we moved on, adding another card to the fridge.  I love that location as it is central in our house and allowed the other family members to participate in the fun parts.  

The virtues on the front of the cards are catchy and simple to remember, as are the songs.  Beware, they will get stuck in your brain and you may or may not find yourself singing in the car alone.  The teacher's handbook is a good guide for parents.  It is not a day by day curriculum, but rather a resource to inspire you with ideas.  It encourages you to:

• Expect Excellence
• Explain with Enthusiasm
• Emphasize Everyday
• Examine Everything

I chose to do the self assessment for my son as I felt like he was too young to fully comprehend it.  We did use it as a jumpstart to a few conversations of "what do you think you are good at" and "what do you think you think you need to work on most?"  Hard questions for a 6 year old, but a good self assessment for slightly older kids as well as adults!

The coloring book was not a huge hit with us either, but I suspect this is because it was being used by a boy who is not very interested in coloring.  He did color a few while I was reading, but we found it to be a distraction rather than a help.  We had better luck when his older sister offered to help him! I have no doubt that a child more interested in art would love them as they are so cute!

And the butterfly awards?  Not really a motivator for my son, but he did like the concept of being a caterpillar and learning and growing and then changing into a butterfly.  He did ask several times if he was a butterfly yet, so I know he understood it, but I was careful to tell him that just because you were a butterfly in one area did not mean that you could not go backwards and be a caterpillar again.

Let's face it, character training is HARD.  I am thrilled that We Choose Virtues has made a product to help parents in that training process.  It may seem like a slow process at times, but I do believe it is getting through.  I would highly recommend it to parents of kids of all ages.  We are never too old to learn, right?!

You can find We Choose Virtues:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wechoosevirtues
Pinterest –  http://www.pinterest.com/WeChooseVirtues/
Blog -- http://www.wechoosevirtuesblog.com/