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RocCityMom

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Posts posted by RocCityMom

    Teachers Cafe 1-14-2013

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    We've gotten a slow start today . . . We've neglected our core subjects and covered our "fun" stuff. Sometimes Mondays require it around here. I'm prepping some black bean burgers and sweet potatoes for lunch and we're having carrot soup, salad, crusty bread, and cheese for dinner with fruit for dessert. I am trying some new things this week -- more protein-rich lunches and more vegetable-based, lighter dinners -- having been inspired by Bringing up Bebe!

    Book a Week in 2012 - Week 46

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I am just jumping into this group now, and will be up for challenging myself to read a book a week in 2013!

     

    This past week, I finished Golden Days by Carolyn See. I was so unsure of this book when I began reading it -- the characters were shallow and the Los Angeles scene of the 80s foreign to me. The prose was sometimes frustrating. But then the world ended (in the book, literally) and the author unflinchingly describes the survival of a group of people in a new world. And somewhere along the way, I found myself being deeply moved. A haunting, and hopeful, book.

     

    I also read Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. An irreverent, creative, sometimes funny, quick read.

     

    I just started Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and I am hooked!

    My first (and last?) baby name thread

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted · Edited by RocCityMom

    As the mom of a Malachy (kee not kai ending) and a Declan, I am a big fan of Irish names. I think you should go with Ronan if it's what your heart is saying, but I agree with PPs that it doesn't match your other boys's names as well. We considered Finn for our boys as well, but decided it was becoming far too trendy and I would nix it from the list for that reason. Other Celtic/Celtic-inspired names that we considered were Beckett, Graeme, Eamon, and Seamus.

     

    Oh, and fwiw, people do often think Malachy's name is pronounced Mala-kai, but it's not a big deal to correct and we call him Mac as a nickname most of the time anyway. And so far, no one has ever called him "Malarkey". But he's only six, so we'll see . . . I hadn't even thought of that one!

    Curriculum Plans: Week of 10/22

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We're rowing Climbing Kansas Mountains by George Shannon, studying Ancient China in SOTW, vol. 1, finishing up a BFSU lesson on time and the earth's turning, finishing up our study of Columbus, listening to opera (The Magic Flute has been a huge hit here!), doing some Michelangelo-inspired art projects, and moving along in OPGTTR, FLL, WWE, and RightStart B. We just returned from a week's vacation in DC so we'll likely have to start slow . . . I've probably been too ambitious in my planning for the week. :001_smile:

    Muffins.....recipes or ideas needed

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    Some of our recent faves -- we're big muffin lovers here:

     

    Muffins that taste like donuts: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/muffins-that-taste-like-doughnuts/'>http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/muffins-that-taste-like-doughnuts/

     

    Banana-Pineapple Muffins: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/muffins-that-taste-like-doughnuts/

     

    Raspberry muffins with pecan streusel: http://www.food.com/recipe/raspberry-muffins-with-pecan-streusel-287981

     

    Triple Berry Muffins from Ina Garten: http://therecipegirl.blogspot.com/2008/04/tri-berry-muffins-by-ina-garten.html

    Memory Work: how to get started

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I use Laura M. Berquist's strategy for memorizing poetry from her book The Harp and the Laurel Wreath. The first day we read the poem and discuss it. The next day, we work on memorizing the first stanza. We continue working on the first stanza for a week, just several minutes each day. By the end of the week, the first stanza is committed to memory. We do the same the next week for the next stanza, and so on. In so doing, we are able to memorize a 4 stanza poem in a month. Sometimes, the kids memorize it more quickly than that. Once it's memorized, I record the kids reciting it and we write the poem in our notebook and the boys illustrate it.

     

    We just started methodically working on memorization and recitation, and I am so glad we did. The boys feel such a sense of accomplishment and they really love reciting their new poems for dad on the weekend.

    Help for starting with kindergarten please

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    For me, I think a good K program would include:

    phonics instruction

    lots of read-alouds

    crafts and art

    exploratory math (shapes, puzzles, games)

    hands-on, living science (nature walks, fun experiments)

    trips to the zoo, library, museum

     

    :)

     

    :iagree: For my oldest's kindergarten year, we read science books (mostly about animals) that he chose from the library, lots of great chapter books, went on weekly nature walks, listened to lots of music, painted, sculpted and created with all kinds of materials, in addition to phonics instruction (with OPGTTR), handwriting practice (Zaner-Bloser) and math lessons (RightStart A). We made weekly visits to the library, and went to our local play museum, science museum, zoo, and art gallery regularly. That, with a lot of creative play, was our year!

     

    Good luck! It's an adventure!

    picture book recs

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    These books are about the changing of seasons and the rhythm of the year and are among our favorites:

    Children of the Forest by Elsa Beskow

    The Sun Egg by Elsa Beskow

    Mother Earth and Her Children by Sibylle Olfers

     

    Fall

    Ox Cart Man by Donald Hall

    Zen Ghosts by Jon J. Muth

     

    Winter

    It's Snowing! by Olivier Dunrea

    Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

    Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

    You Can Do It, Sam! by Amy Hest

     

    Spring

    How the Robin Saved Spring by Debbie Oulett

    Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

     

    Summer

    Come on Rain! by Jon J. Muth

    Polly's Picnic by Richard Hamilton

    Nature Notebook

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I am so inspired to keep a nature notebook myself and to have my boys keep nature notebooks in earnest after a week in which we had some exciting adventures in our yard. From the "most wonderful things in our world," in the words of my almost-6 year old (catching a toad, finding a robin's egg on the ground, watching vultures circling low overhead, and observing Baltimore Orioles (!) at our feeders and in our redbud tree), to the more common-place (bees collecting nectar from the dandelions dotting our lawn, finding earthworms wriggling on our walkway), the boys have had so much material for their drawings and our readings together. I am curious as to what type of notebook you have found to be best for collecting your little ones's drawings and observations and collected objects (leaves, pressed flowers, etc.). If you could share what has worked for your family, I would appreciate it!

     

    Many thanks!

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