When I first started homeschooling, the year was 2006, which seems ages ago, but really wasn't. I was still using dial-up internet and we had only one computer in the house. I didn't have a cell phone, but my husband had one for work. We still watched movies on VHS, but we were gradually moving over to DVDs. My kids were playing video games on a Nintendo 64 handed down from their older sisters when they got a Playstation. We have always been a bit slow when it comes to accepting new technology. Don't get me wrong, we love technology. We just always seemed to have something more important to upgrade than the entertainment systems.
We are now running three computers on a network in our house, including a special hard drive that holds all our movies. We have a 62 inch sorta flat-screen TV with one of those expensive light bulbs that need to be replaced every few years. The kids are playing on a WiiU (but the 64 is still hooked up on the "old TV"). We still aren't keeping up with Jonses; we don't have Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Prime. We still use the library to get DVDs, which can be a really slow process when I want a documentary to go with a science or history lesson. I really have to know what subjects are coming up in the next three weeks to stay on top of that kind of a life style!
Just a few months ago, my old cell phone was upgraded to a smart phone when my husband got frustrated with me missing appointments or double scheduling. Seriously, when one gets to seven kids, the memory starts to slip! And then, just a few weeks ago...we got WiFi in our house.
Why?
All because BookShark has electronic instructor's guides! I can access them with my phone! I have a huge basket of binders that I have to haul to my different teaching stations, but starting next year, those binders stay on the shelf and all my Sonlight IGs are getting upgraded to BookShark IGs. I'll be running five language arts levels, three reading/history levels, and three science levels.
I'm pretty excited!
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
How We Do It All
And by "it" I mean get through what we need to get through each day. And we actually don't. But we try :)
I see a lot of posts on both the Sonlight and BookShark Facebook pages asking what a typical day looks like or how a space is organized. I never respond because everyone is working with their own types of kids or their own special space restrictions in their homes.
My home is quite spacious and for that I'm extremely thankful. We have an open floor plan with lots of large windows...and no wall space for hanging maps or timelines or white boards. I have a dining room, complete with table, desk, and computer, with a sliding door leading to a porch and a large fenced yard. We live on 15 acres and have the fenced play area to keep my babies from wandering off and drowning in our pond. On the opposite side of the sliding door is a sunken living room, also quite large with a nook that holds five full sized bookcases and three small ones. We also have two desks and a computer in the nook. The living room has two couches and is divided in half: one side for TV watching (or doing schoolwork) and the other for playing.
Each morning, my Grub Club sets up a small plastic table and four or five little school chairs in the living room. Because I'm pregnant, I sit on the couch and not on a little plastic chair ;) D and F bring their "workboxes" downstairs while I get my basket of IGs.
I keep all my IGs intact because I know that I will lose a page here or there if I try to take out only a few weeks at a time. I use Post It notes as bookmarks so I know which week I'm on for each subject/level because there is no way I can keep us all on Week X on each subject all year long.
The older three kids take turns on the two computers getting their math (Teaching Textbooks) done. S finished his math last week, so he helps out with the two babies. I start my teaching day with History and Science for the Grubs. I don't read the book at all, I just open to the scheduled page and let them ask as many questions as they want. That is one thing I love about the Usborne encyclopedias. When they are out of questions, I fill in whatever information they missed. Then I get F started on her Saxon timed test, which I don't time, while I do D's math and LA. He likes to finish first (because first is best in his mind) and go off and play while I finish math (and maybe LA) with F.
After the Grubs are done and if we don't have to go anywhere (like Homeschool PE at the YMCA), I read History to E and S. Neither one comprehends the Landmark book if I read it straight. Honestly, I can't stand the Landmark book for this reason. I paraphrase and ask questions and make up examples to help explain what is happening the whole time I do the reading. I usually read two days worth at once because I never know if I will get to this subject the next day. I've skipped the map and timeline activities so far, but have plans to incorporate them soon. Then I go over the LA assignments for each of them (E keeps her work in a workbox and S works from a 3-ring binder) and they go off to read or write. On nice days they like to read in trees or move my little table to the porch:
I keep all the books I need for each reading/history/science level on the one bookshelf that isn't in my "book nook." In front of the bookshelf I keep an open ironing board. One might think I use it to iron things, but I actually use it to keep my IGs open while I pull down the books-of-the-day. I have to be very strict with my kids when it comes to putting their readers back on the shelf when they are done for the day. I have lost too many books and too many teaching days due to lost books. Right now the bookshelf has only the two main cores and the readers since IJ finished BKSK 7 and I packed it away. I won't need that level again for a few more years and I don't want to lose any of the books! If IJ wants to revisit a book he enjoyed, he can just check it out from the public library.
Afternoons are tricky, especially when the sun starts shining. I often find my kids outside instead of finishing up their daily work. This is why several of them will be working through the summer. By the time we get home from PE or Scouts, I need to make dinner and cannot teach. I've had to make an effort to limit evening activities so we can get our work done after dinner. I do the reading aloud for the youngest at bed time while the older three rotate through the dishwashing chores.
What I'm missing in my week is reading aloud to the older kids, science, and art. It seems that my older kids would rather go off and follow their own interests instead of hearing a story or doing an art project. Science is just plain tricky for us this year. My husband and I both have science degrees and have no problem teaching or explaining scientific principles. I had been following the four year cycle of science: biology, earth and space, chemistry, and physics, but we somehow got all screwed up over the last two years thanks to a cranky baby (H) and independent study. My older three have no interest whatsoever in chemistry, so they are just going to not do science until BKSK 7 Science is released. Sometimes I throw together a chemistry demonstration that I can do after dinner on Mondays while IJ is at youth group. When E starts BKSK 4 Reading with History, she will also do Science 4 (which my older two did a few years ago from the Sonlight package).
What I have learned, through trial and error, is that I really need to have a solid routine in place in order to get everything done. Every kid needs to know where their stuff is and what space in the house they occupy while they use their stuff. They need to put their stuff away too. And I need to make sure I know what space I need to occupy with what materials so I can help them be successful. And most importantly, I've learned that although I need to have routine and stay focused, I also need to be flexible for those days when kids are sick or the sun is shining or...*insert fun alternative to book learning here*
I see a lot of posts on both the Sonlight and BookShark Facebook pages asking what a typical day looks like or how a space is organized. I never respond because everyone is working with their own types of kids or their own special space restrictions in their homes.
My home is quite spacious and for that I'm extremely thankful. We have an open floor plan with lots of large windows...and no wall space for hanging maps or timelines or white boards. I have a dining room, complete with table, desk, and computer, with a sliding door leading to a porch and a large fenced yard. We live on 15 acres and have the fenced play area to keep my babies from wandering off and drowning in our pond. On the opposite side of the sliding door is a sunken living room, also quite large with a nook that holds five full sized bookcases and three small ones. We also have two desks and a computer in the nook. The living room has two couches and is divided in half: one side for TV watching (or doing schoolwork) and the other for playing.
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| Workboxes for E, F, D, and L |
Each morning, my Grub Club sets up a small plastic table and four or five little school chairs in the living room. Because I'm pregnant, I sit on the couch and not on a little plastic chair ;) D and F bring their "workboxes" downstairs while I get my basket of IGs.
 |
| All Sonlight, but will get upgraded to BookShark |
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| Grub Club and Usborne Children's Encyclopedia |
 |
| Dining Room "Isolation" table-for older kids and those who aren't focusing. |
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| LA 3 and S in the sun! |
I keep all the books I need for each reading/history/science level on the one bookshelf that isn't in my "book nook." In front of the bookshelf I keep an open ironing board. One might think I use it to iron things, but I actually use it to keep my IGs open while I pull down the books-of-the-day. I have to be very strict with my kids when it comes to putting their readers back on the shelf when they are done for the day. I have lost too many books and too many teaching days due to lost books. Right now the bookshelf has only the two main cores and the readers since IJ finished BKSK 7 and I packed it away. I won't need that level again for a few more years and I don't want to lose any of the books! If IJ wants to revisit a book he enjoyed, he can just check it out from the public library.
Afternoons are tricky, especially when the sun starts shining. I often find my kids outside instead of finishing up their daily work. This is why several of them will be working through the summer. By the time we get home from PE or Scouts, I need to make dinner and cannot teach. I've had to make an effort to limit evening activities so we can get our work done after dinner. I do the reading aloud for the youngest at bed time while the older three rotate through the dishwashing chores.
What I'm missing in my week is reading aloud to the older kids, science, and art. It seems that my older kids would rather go off and follow their own interests instead of hearing a story or doing an art project. Science is just plain tricky for us this year. My husband and I both have science degrees and have no problem teaching or explaining scientific principles. I had been following the four year cycle of science: biology, earth and space, chemistry, and physics, but we somehow got all screwed up over the last two years thanks to a cranky baby (H) and independent study. My older three have no interest whatsoever in chemistry, so they are just going to not do science until BKSK 7 Science is released. Sometimes I throw together a chemistry demonstration that I can do after dinner on Mondays while IJ is at youth group. When E starts BKSK 4 Reading with History, she will also do Science 4 (which my older two did a few years ago from the Sonlight package).
What I have learned, through trial and error, is that I really need to have a solid routine in place in order to get everything done. Every kid needs to know where their stuff is and what space in the house they occupy while they use their stuff. They need to put their stuff away too. And I need to make sure I know what space I need to occupy with what materials so I can help them be successful. And most importantly, I've learned that although I need to have routine and stay focused, I also need to be flexible for those days when kids are sick or the sun is shining or...*insert fun alternative to book learning here*
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Meet the BookSharking Bunch
I have been so blessed to have so many different kinds of kids. I do, however, think it would be helpful if they all had the same daily pattern, the same interests, the same learning styles, and the same attitudes just so my life could be a little bit easier. But they don't. And I'm pretty sure I'm glad that I don't have a bunch of robot clones for children. Variety is the spice of life, right?
Here is my bunch:
From left to right, you have D (5yo and Kindergarten), F (7yo and 1st grade), L (almost 3yo), E (9yo and 3rd grade), H (1 1/2yo), IJ (13yo and 7th grade), and S (11yo and 5/6th). The oldest three need to work independently as much as possible because of our out-of-the-house activities and younger students/siblings.
This last school year, IJ and S used BKSK 7 Reading with History. IJ is a voracious reader, is a night owl and a late sleeper, hates being told what to do, and understands and retains just about everything he hears or reads. Despite the frown on his face, he is quite funny and keeps me in stitches with his history/science/homeschool related jokes. He read everything in the core, including the read alouds, and was tested on nothing. He did no timeline activities or mapwork or vocabulary. I purchased the Language Arts to go with this level, but he read the readers so quickly that I couldn't keep up and made him use Writing With Skill Level 2 instead. He still hasn't forgiven me. S, on the other hand, is not a fiction reader. He doesn't comprehend fiction when he does read it, so I pulled him out of BKSK 7 just after the WWII unit and he joined...
...E in BKSK 3. For years I bought Sonlight versions of the IGs and up until a few weeks ago I was using an old version Sonlight's Core D. It's old enough that it might even be called Core 3. Core 3 scheduled the old Landmark history book and the old Story of the USA workbooks. E wasn't thriving or even comprehending what she was being assigned, so I went ahead and upgraded to the BKSK version of Reading with History and the updated Landmark book. I pulled S down to this level and formed a study group and we are now in Week 16...in May. Since S never read any of the readers, I am having him follow with the Language Arts and advanced reading list. He is being a good sport and starting at Week 1 in BKSK LA3 and reading A Lion to Guard Us. Even though the LA is called "Third Grade" he knows he has some catching up to do. E is working in the Sonlight Language Arts 3, which used to be the Intermediate LA2. At the rate she is going, she will be moving on to the next level mid November. She is the most diligent, steady, meticulous student and makes sure each letter is formed correctly, but she is soooooo sloooooow. S is impatient, fast, and sloppy. These two are not taking the summer off and will go straight to BKSK 4 as soon as they are done with 3.
F and D are my "Grub Club" class. They have completely different personalities too. F is sweet and bubbly, but forgetful. She, like her oldest brother, likes to sleep late and is a slow starter. Teaching her is like catching a feather in the wind. D is an early riser and desires to be the master of his own destiny. He is incredibly competitive and hates being told what to do. He destroyed my homeschool style when he hit a year old and has been trying to break me down ever since. He wants to tell me what to teach him and his goal right now is to pass F in both reading and math. He just turned five and he blows my mind. They are on Week 7 of Sonlight's Core C, which is now called Core A, that I bought for IJ when he started Kindergarten eight years ago. They are also using the science for that level. F is using Sonlight's LA 1 and D is using Sonlight's LA K (and Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons-or 100EZ). Although they have crazy-opposite personalities, they manage to work together on their joint subjects really well!
L and H are my babies and spend their school time crawling on my table and taking turns causing trouble and coloring on other people's books. Their naughty older brothers call them the "Poop Group" because it seems they either need a bottom wiping or a diaper changed right when I'm going to start reading.
And then there is me. My job is to manage the daily routine, keep kids on task, and read out loud to people who need it. But that is a post for another day :)
Here is my bunch:
From left to right, you have D (5yo and Kindergarten), F (7yo and 1st grade), L (almost 3yo), E (9yo and 3rd grade), H (1 1/2yo), IJ (13yo and 7th grade), and S (11yo and 5/6th). The oldest three need to work independently as much as possible because of our out-of-the-house activities and younger students/siblings.
This last school year, IJ and S used BKSK 7 Reading with History. IJ is a voracious reader, is a night owl and a late sleeper, hates being told what to do, and understands and retains just about everything he hears or reads. Despite the frown on his face, he is quite funny and keeps me in stitches with his history/science/homeschool related jokes. He read everything in the core, including the read alouds, and was tested on nothing. He did no timeline activities or mapwork or vocabulary. I purchased the Language Arts to go with this level, but he read the readers so quickly that I couldn't keep up and made him use Writing With Skill Level 2 instead. He still hasn't forgiven me. S, on the other hand, is not a fiction reader. He doesn't comprehend fiction when he does read it, so I pulled him out of BKSK 7 just after the WWII unit and he joined...
...E in BKSK 3. For years I bought Sonlight versions of the IGs and up until a few weeks ago I was using an old version Sonlight's Core D. It's old enough that it might even be called Core 3. Core 3 scheduled the old Landmark history book and the old Story of the USA workbooks. E wasn't thriving or even comprehending what she was being assigned, so I went ahead and upgraded to the BKSK version of Reading with History and the updated Landmark book. I pulled S down to this level and formed a study group and we are now in Week 16...in May. Since S never read any of the readers, I am having him follow with the Language Arts and advanced reading list. He is being a good sport and starting at Week 1 in BKSK LA3 and reading A Lion to Guard Us. Even though the LA is called "Third Grade" he knows he has some catching up to do. E is working in the Sonlight Language Arts 3, which used to be the Intermediate LA2. At the rate she is going, she will be moving on to the next level mid November. She is the most diligent, steady, meticulous student and makes sure each letter is formed correctly, but she is soooooo sloooooow. S is impatient, fast, and sloppy. These two are not taking the summer off and will go straight to BKSK 4 as soon as they are done with 3.
F and D are my "Grub Club" class. They have completely different personalities too. F is sweet and bubbly, but forgetful. She, like her oldest brother, likes to sleep late and is a slow starter. Teaching her is like catching a feather in the wind. D is an early riser and desires to be the master of his own destiny. He is incredibly competitive and hates being told what to do. He destroyed my homeschool style when he hit a year old and has been trying to break me down ever since. He wants to tell me what to teach him and his goal right now is to pass F in both reading and math. He just turned five and he blows my mind. They are on Week 7 of Sonlight's Core C, which is now called Core A, that I bought for IJ when he started Kindergarten eight years ago. They are also using the science for that level. F is using Sonlight's LA 1 and D is using Sonlight's LA K (and Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons-or 100EZ). Although they have crazy-opposite personalities, they manage to work together on their joint subjects really well!
L and H are my babies and spend their school time crawling on my table and taking turns causing trouble and coloring on other people's books. Their naughty older brothers call them the "Poop Group" because it seems they either need a bottom wiping or a diaper changed right when I'm going to start reading.
And then there is me. My job is to manage the daily routine, keep kids on task, and read out loud to people who need it. But that is a post for another day :)
Welcome!
Hi There!
Let me introduce myself: My name is Anna and I have been homeschooling for 8 or 9 years (depending on how many years of preschool you count). I have seven children ranging in age from 13 years old on down and I'm expecting Baby #8 in July. I consider myself an eclectic homeschooler and have used many different types of curricula. We reside in Washington State, so our homeschooling rules are not too rigorous. I have participated in Parent Partnership Programs through the public school districts and have also homeschooled independently.
As you can imagine, homeschooling with seven (or eight) kids at home is challenging enough on the easy days. I have always loved reading and really wanted to love using Sonlight's curriculum, but although we follow Christ's teachings, we are not legalistic and prefer to have a more tolerant view of other religions than many of our friends. We also subscribe to an "Old Earth" viewpoint. Our views plus our busy lives means Bookshark is an almost perfect fit for our family.
The goal of this blog is to document the ups and downs of our homeschooling journey with Bookshark (plus whatever I happen to toss in with it), plus any tips or tricks I come up with to keep our days running as smoothly as we can. This next school year, I will have a newborn, a 1 1/2 year old (turning two in November), a three year old, a Kindergartener, and a 2nd, 4th, and 6/7th grader (he has a late August birthday, so he straddles a grade level). We still haven't decided whether or not the 8th grader will be staying home or attending the local public school.
I came up with the name BookSharking Bunch because my kids love The Brady Bunch and like to point out that we have a bigger family than they do and we don't even have an Alice. Oh, don't I know that!
Let me introduce myself: My name is Anna and I have been homeschooling for 8 or 9 years (depending on how many years of preschool you count). I have seven children ranging in age from 13 years old on down and I'm expecting Baby #8 in July. I consider myself an eclectic homeschooler and have used many different types of curricula. We reside in Washington State, so our homeschooling rules are not too rigorous. I have participated in Parent Partnership Programs through the public school districts and have also homeschooled independently.
As you can imagine, homeschooling with seven (or eight) kids at home is challenging enough on the easy days. I have always loved reading and really wanted to love using Sonlight's curriculum, but although we follow Christ's teachings, we are not legalistic and prefer to have a more tolerant view of other religions than many of our friends. We also subscribe to an "Old Earth" viewpoint. Our views plus our busy lives means Bookshark is an almost perfect fit for our family.
The goal of this blog is to document the ups and downs of our homeschooling journey with Bookshark (plus whatever I happen to toss in with it), plus any tips or tricks I come up with to keep our days running as smoothly as we can. This next school year, I will have a newborn, a 1 1/2 year old (turning two in November), a three year old, a Kindergartener, and a 2nd, 4th, and 6/7th grader (he has a late August birthday, so he straddles a grade level). We still haven't decided whether or not the 8th grader will be staying home or attending the local public school.
I came up with the name BookSharking Bunch because my kids love The Brady Bunch and like to point out that we have a bigger family than they do and we don't even have an Alice. Oh, don't I know that!
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