stm4him Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 This is not going to happen for me for a variety of reasons, but I keep sort of fantasizing about this idea of having kids bring a backpack with a journal, a notebook, a graph paper notebook, and some index cards to a library or bookstore daily and let them learn whatever. (By the way, by journal I mean half lined and half blank for illustrations.) An alternative would be 3 moleskins- graph paper, blank, and ruled. Also, they would have their own school box of basic school supplies with them. And they would have their Bible with them. Anyway, I keep thinking that there are bound to be books on how to learn the various math subjects that need to be covered, as well as books with grammar exercises and books that even teach foreign language. There are three problems with this for me. 1) My little ones that would not behave in a library or bookstore for more than 15 minutes. I would only bring my readers. That would mean my husband would have to watch our 5, 4, and 2 year old. And now I have an infant so that won't work either. The alternative would be to let my husband go to the library or bookstore with the four oldest all day (after a huge breakfast) and let them study for several hours until they were all starving and then come home and eat. I would stay home with the little ones. He would have quiet to work and I could spend time with my little ones. Hmmmm...... 2) Our libraries here are so much smaller than the ones in Northern VA and don't have anywhere near the selection so when I go to them I think that there is no way my kids would actually like the selection there, but maybe I am underestimating. The bookstore is pretty decent, though, and might actually prompt them to want to buy a workbook on some particular subject. 3) There aren't very man Christian books in the bookstore, although there is a huge Christian bookstore in our town. But then, I don't think it has much in the way of history or science and it doesn't have a place to sit. They would have to buy the books. However, we do have quite a lot of Christian history and science books in our home library (though much of it is in storage), so if I kept those on shelves at home they would just bring those with them or read them at home in their spare time. So, this is just an idea. And it is a kind of unschoolingish I guess. And I don't think I am that radical (at least not yet), but sometimes I wish I were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 I don't think a bookstore will let you use the books without buying them. So the bookstore is out, unless I'm not understanding what kind of bookstore you're talking about. As far as there being math and grammar books at a library...I don't know about that. If they are there, I'm thinking they're story books (like the Sir Cumference books) or babyish books about nouns and verbs and not much else, and I highly doubt they cover enough topics or there are enough practice problems. For science and history and art and literature, yes this would work very well for a while. You'd still need to teach writing and spelling. There may or may not be books about that at a library. The writing books may be too high level for kids to learn from. But you can always go to your libary's website and start searching to find out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdobis Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 We plan on schooling at the library a lot this year. I am down to just one child (11yo), so it'll be easy. Our library is less than a mile from our house. We'll use the computer lab for online classes. Then we'll read together and work on copywork, dictation, illustrations, etc. I am not attempting to unschool in the process. My daughter will bring our chosen books with her. I just like getting out of the house. We'll walk on warm days. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted August 8, 2015 Author Share Posted August 8, 2015 I just looked up the library at our local university and it has a juvenile section. It also has a curriculum section and an educational lab but I don't know if visitors can use it while in the library. It even has a coffee shop with snacks. But the problem is that you have to pay for parking, and that can add up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 What my hubby did was drop us off curbside at the university's (San Jose State U) library which gives public access and comes by after work to drive us home. That library has a children's section, youth section, cafe and a curriculum section since the uni offers degrees in education. We have schooled at the library before K, after schooled when kids were in B&M and back to homeschool at the library. I have only two kids though and they were using their double jogger to nap when outside until they were 5+. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 I would much rather check the books out of the library. :) Instead of 2 hours with it, you could have 2 weeks. Imagine the learning done then! And you could take them to the park, museum, wherever! :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted August 8, 2015 Author Share Posted August 8, 2015 Well, the thing about the library is QUIET! It is hard for them to goof around or get distracted when the only thing to do there is read or study. And I don't think they would let you check things out if you are not student, staff, or a public school teacher. Also, you are probably right about the bookstore. But I think a weekly or bi-weekly stop there would encourage them to learn new things of their own motivation.......Or to look for those books in the library...... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Well, I know a homeless mom that basically did this for several months. The kids only took one book out at a time, for overnight, and kept it in their backpack. The kids read a lot of fiction and did very little math. I gave her a set of Strayer-Upton books. As a child, I did attend public schools, but...we were always moving and...kids from families like mine were just ignored or harrased. Being ignored was better. I just brought my library books to school and read them at my desk. Different types of educations produce different kinds of adults. I am entirely at peace with my education, now. I am who I am. Scarred and so rough around the edges, but eclectic and resourceful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 We did school at the library once a week. Our library has a small meeting room that you can reserve for two hours. I would reserve it each week for the next week (you can't reserve it more than a week ahead). The nice thing about the meeting room (which sits about 8 people around a conference table) is that you can do some talking though it isn't soundproof so no loud talking or screaming. We brought our own laptops and schoolbooks. But I would also assign one research project per child to be done on our library school day. We also brought library books back and checked them out on that day which gave us a schedule so that we had much fewer library fines. I only have two kids though and they are much much older than yours. But I've seen homeschool families with young elementary kids who have done similarly. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 We are going to library school a couple of days a week this school year due to necessity of timing when it comes to outside classes in which my oldest is enrolled. We are bringing our own books, backpacks, etc. Although I like the idea of having them find things that interest them while we're there as well. Our library actually has a section of textbooks that are not available to check out but are available to use. I believe they are the books either currently being used or that were recently used in the elementary and middle schools. They are there for parents or tutors to help their children with school work. You might see if your library has something similar, then you really could cover math, grammar, etc. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted August 8, 2015 Author Share Posted August 8, 2015 I am wondering how unschoolers handle math. I know about math games and living books about math and all of that, but I wonder when and how they deal with math with older kids to make sure they have what they need to graduate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 I am wondering how unschoolers handle math. I know about math games and living books about math and all of that, but I wonder when and how they deal with math with older kids to make sure they have what they need to graduate. They don't necessarily. Not in the sense of making sure that they have what they need. All the unschoolers I know say that if their kids want to go to college, they look up what they need to know and then figure out how to get that - often using regular textbooks. Dd, who is unschoolerish, uses Khan academy because she can decide how to navigate the levels on her own. (I do have some requirements so we're not totally unschooling just perhaps more hands on and child led to a certain degree.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 But don't they need a high school diploma? And aren't there requirements for that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 The requirements for issuance of a diploma will vary by state. You probably should start investigating now to determine your own state requirements. In our state, homeschoolers are actually private schools and can set their own graduation requirements, though many choose to use some form of the state's Core 40. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 You can google your state's basic diploma requirements. They will not be the same as college prep (which is more). Some GED and get that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 In middle school you can do a lot with what is in the library or even on YouTube for science. In high school it is more difficult unless you have something to follow because high school courses naturally have a progression to the learning. That progression can vary a bit in some areas but not much in other areas because one principle builds on another. There are YouTubes on different high school science principles and experiments as well. And there are sites dedicated to explaining topics like physics or geometry etc. Ds often goes to those sites when he gets stuck in his textbook. There are also applied math and science courses. Ds and I built his own robotics course using books from the library but we did spend our money on hardware for him to actually build with and to program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 But don't they need a high school diploma? And aren't there requirements for that? No, not all states have a graduation requirement for homeschooled students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 http://www.nypl.org/blog/2012/09/04/back-homeschooling-library This is kind of what I'm talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 I wouldn't expect a child who unschooled at a library to turn out like child who had been explicitly and sytematically taught from textbooks. The children would grow up to have different strengths and weaknesses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 http://www.nypl.org/blog/2012/09/04/back-homeschooling-library This is kind of what I'm talking about. Some observations. They use the "What Your _______ Grader Needs to Know" to give them some structure. Those books end at grade 6, I believe. I did remember as I read the article that we did get the Life with Fred books from the library and did use those (as well as other things) for math. And our library has a lot of the Great Courses videos that I've used with my high schooler. Financially, travel and field trips can add up. We are fortunate to have an excellent library system. I got their brochures for free programs. They had a whole series of Maker (like Make Magazine) workshops that we signed up for. We went to a program on knights with demonstrations of armor and sword fighting. Dd went to a workshop of special effects make-up. But we had to travel within the library system to do that as not all workshops were at our little library or were not on dates where we could make it. I had to be careful to sign up ahead of time as many of these workshops were free but still filled up and it was first come/ first served. I had to be careful to put them on the calendar or I would be sitting at home watching t.v. and would suddenly remember that we were supposed to be at the library. All of these workshops were in the evening or on weekends because of course they were geared for public school kids as well. This is all worth it. I am still committed to schooling like this with my 13 year old but it is a lot of work for me. There is a lot of drivel mixed in with the gems and in our case, anyway, it hasn't been something that I've been able or willing to just leave up to my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 I am planning to do some library schooling with my younger kids. They are destructive and irresponsible with library books, so we will do our reading at the library and leave the bios there. They will be attending various clubs and classes at the different libraries. Before and after and during for whichever ones are not involved, we will do content reading. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 I just want to say that I am so excited! I went to our tiny library five minutes from our house that I didn't know existed and it was wonderful! Lots of tables to work at and lots of great books for kids. Almost no one else there during the day. The kids have to be quiet, so they get done much faster and the thrill of getting out of the house is a huge motivator for them. I can see us being able to get rid of a bunch of our books. I plan to go there four days a week to study. I did leave the two year old home both days (with my husband, of course) and today I left the four year old, too, but she was so sad. I only left her so the two year old would have a playmate. I will switch off leaving the four year old and the five year old from now on. I can't tell you the change I already see in my oldest... 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 The baby did fine both days. We packed our lunch today and ate it on the way. We stayed four hours. And we brought our math, grammar, and phonics curriculum with us instead of relying on the library resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdobis Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 This is our first day of library schooling. We'll use the computer lab for Veritas press self paced history and typing. Then we'll do our read aloud together in a quiet spot. Then science, spelling, and life of Fred. The rest will be finished at home later. Thankfully I only have one child to work with since my eldest started community college this year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 It is going really well still. But it has kind of sparked a lot of thinking for me in that when I was little, going to the library was my favorite thing to do. I checked out tons of books and they were my friends (not that I didn't have live friends, but books were a constant companion). Books were a huge part of my childhood, and though I was a people pleaser and studied to get good grades, at some point I lost the love of reading and learning for the sake of learning and decided I didn't like math or science or history. I pretty much only enjoyed English and fine arts. Being in the library has made me realize on a different level how much I enjoy children's literature and reading aloud and how much I dislike forcing my kids to do their schoolwork. It has somehow reminded me that simplifying means getting back to basics and that even though I do feel we have simplified, I STILL feel like there are basics we are missing. By that I mean LIFE basics, not school subject basics. Also, I have many things I want to learn and do for my own education and fulfillment and I put those aside to homeschool my kids and tell myself that I will get to them in x number of years when my kids are older. But maybe it doesn't have to be like this. So there are six areas I have identified that we are missing out on. There may be more I haven't thought of yet. These are things that I keep waiting to work on or fit in some day, but my oldest is less than 5 years away from 18. If I don't make those things happen now, they won't be part of her growing up. To some degree, all of these things have been part of our lives, but they have never been given the full attention they deserve because I have always been busy researching or teaching curriculum or reorganizing the house for the umpteenth time (less necessary now that we have so much less stuff in our house, though we do have a storage unit to empty at some point). Anyway, there are one or two elephants in the room for me that I am still mulling over. Those are math and maybe grammar. I have whittled our school subjects down to math, grammar (or phonics for my young ones), reading, and narrating (either written or orally) what they read. I think that is pretty good and we are getting everything done most days. But I still don't feel like there is enough time for read aloud and in fact, I had basically convinced myself (based on Charlotte Mason and Art Robinson) that reading aloud wasn't really that necessary once they could read except maybe at bedtime. And that when they are younger, they just need short readings to narrate from (like one chapter or section). And that may still be true, but inside I just want to take our Little House book and just read and read until we can't stand anymore. Also, we are missing out on the shared experiences of books, so I want to bring that back in with read aloud and reading the same books as my older kids at least (if not out loud) so we can talk about them. I also am missing that with Bible since dropping our family devotional. So now I am thinking that each morning or evening I may want to put on my Bible cds (pure Scripture but with sound effects and the voices of actors) in the morning while everyone listens on the couch so we can enjoy it together and talk about it. Big kids can follow along in their own book perhaps. Anyway, back to math and grammar. I don't believe grammar is necessary for someone to be an excellent writer. But I do think it is very helpful for learning a language. I really like diagramming, but maybe it isn't the only way to learn grammar. Maybe a program like Analytical Grammar or Winston Grammar would be good enough to do once before starting another language. For math, people say that sometimes algebra is not attainable for most people before about 15. That makes sense to me (even though I admit hoping that is not really true for my kids) because I didn't understand Algebra 1 in 8th grade (despite whatever grade I received) and HATED it, but in 10th grade I loved Algebra 2 and it made sense to me and that was probably just because my brain was finally ready. I did have a horrible 7th grade math experience, so maybe my problem in Algebra 1 was that I didn't have a strong enough foundation, but I would say my math up until 7th grade was pretty solid. Pre-Algebra was just a mess. So my question is, why can't someone pick up the natural math they need as a child and then at 15 study remedial math and pre-algebra for a year and then take higher level math for the rest of their high school years through a community college or by flying through textbooks on their own (if they prefer or money is an issue)? Or at 14 they could learn enough arithmetic to learn about personal finance and then do pre-Algebra at 15? Part of why I ask is that even though my kids would agree that Saxon math has made the most sense to them of any that we have tried (with maybe CLE being an exception), and despite the fact that it makes the most sense to me as a teacher, my oldest two dislike math and are convinced they are no good at it and my third one (who is a natural with numbers and taught himself all kinds of number concepts) dreads doing math every day now that he has a textbook. I feel like I'm ruining what could be a really fun and interesting subject. I do know that if I were to decide to continue a curriculum through their school years that Saxon would be what I would stick with. If an adult wants to learn math (and I mean one who isn't already familiar with the homeschool curriculum world), he or she goes into a bookstore and finds the necessary materials or signs up for a class or gets a tutor. Why can't a teenager do the same? So the 6 areas I am thinking about (and you will have to pardon my alliteration again) are: Hearts Health Home Holidays Hobbies Hands-on By hearts I mean that sometimes I am so busy making sure we get school done that I forget to shepherd their hearts the way I have always intended. I really want to be more purposeful in one-on-one discipling and family meetings to talk about family vision and big ideas for them to chew on. Health is obvious. More time for exercise and cooking healthy meals. By home I mean that I am always lamenting that my house isn't clean enough or decorated the way I'd like (cheap antiques). Discovering that I have an interest in antiques (or things that look antique) is pretty new. I want to have time to go browse, whether for fun and to get ideas or to actually buy something sometimes. I also might want to experiment with making my own cleaners. By holidays I mean that we are frequently too busy to focus on holidays and traditions and seasonal rhythms. I don't fully know what I want to do with this, but I know that I want to have the time and space to figure that out. And it is especially important to my oldest who seems to have a deep need to celebrate holidays and form and continue traditions and I am always brushing her off. By hobbies I mean that we never have time to dabble in our own interests or things we might potentially be interested in doing for our own self-education and enjoyment. I have this obscure idea that I might like to try to make something cool out of pallets, but I am too scared to try. I used to like to work with clay and I had a fabulous time learning batik in a class as a kid, but I have never taken any of this up. The closest I got was a couple years of doing scrapbooking years ago. My oldest and I were trying to think of what we could do to occupy ourselves during football season and neither of us could come up with something. That's pathetic. And by hands-on I mean that we don't go on field trips or take advantage of local opportunities for learning. That seems silly to not have ever explored your own surroundings (besides the beach, which we regularly explore). I think we are going to join a super cheap, laid back co op this year. Maybe even two. One of them explores local history and science and the other includes play dates at parks. I am thinking that daylight should be for work, outings, enjoying nature, exercising, and creating things and that studying, discussing or having meetings, and reading aloud should be for evenings and rainy or cold days. Isn't that how they used to do it? Of course, that doesn't mean one can't read or study during the day, but isn't there enough time to study and read and talk together at night when it gets dark early? (Well, at least in my house since the kids go to bed late). If screen time isn't allowed 99% of the time, wouldn't they naturally fill their time with productive activity? (And productive doesn't always mean getting schoolwork done. Daydreaming can also be productive in the life of a child.) In regards to study, I definitely think that most subjects can be studied with real books, but that it is important to teach research skills and other learning skills like copywork, drawing, dictation, narration, and memorization. I also think it is fine to use some basic guide to help make sure bases are covered (like the Core Knowledge series or a children's reference or anthology set), but I think most things I feel lead to ingrain in them should be done by repeated readings (or listening on a cd) or by song. I have found those to be more effective than chanting, though I think chanting is good to teach as a learning tool. I do also still believe that reading should be taught explicitly but without stressing about when the child will be ready and without pushing before they are ready. I think most children are ready by 5 or 6 to begin learning but I am not stressed if they are not fluent for a few years. The lightbulb comes on when it comes on, but as long as they can make steady progress I think it is worth plugging away at. I still like the workbook approach because it includes learning to write and their frustration with learning is directed at the workbook and not at real books. There is no pressure to read a real book so that when they do pick one up and discover they can read it, it is exciting. This actually happened to both of my girls yesterday. Anyway, I am not convinced 100% that I am ready to drop our math and grammar books (or that my husband would be ok with that), but I am definitely leaning towards trying it for a month and seeing what happens :-) A visit to the bookstore and library to look at math materials and a visit to the local community colleges (I think we have 5 within reasonable driving distance) would be good to help me discern. I also want to make a point to go to a few homeschool conferences as a family in the spring and let my kids browse the vendor hall and pick out what they WANT to study. Ok. Thanks for letting me ramble. This has probably morphed into another thread, but it needed to happen..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 Also, I want to say that I wouldn't just leave them to do whatever. I still think that reading and studying would be required daily, but that doing their textbooks each day may not be. And that I would be purposeful to study math, fine arts, and grammar or another language in front of them. Because I actually want to and I know that would inspire them. I also think they will tend to copy what they see me doing. So I don't think I am really talking about unschooling, but more of a TJEd type lay out.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Let me tell you what I do with my 13 year old - which I believe is the age of your oldest, correct? Math - Khan academy. It is systematic. I don't have time to find, copy and paste one of the many times I outline how I use this - it is not hands off for me. I'm right there with the kids doing it. My math hating dd likes this more than anything. Some of that might be because she gets to go out for frozen yogurt every time she gains mastery of 10% on the program. It is also helpful to her to see each day that she has actually gained progress in her grade in math. (If you are interested, later I can find, copy and paste how I use it in more detail but only if you request it because I am up to my eyeballs in preparation for the camp I'm teaching next week.) Grammar - We read and we write. We play games like "Noun, Verb, Adjective" ("Animal, Vegetable, Mineral" but with different categories. You could put in any parts of speech.) We do Mad-Libs. She's had a blog (set to private) where she writes about history and science mostly. (Not personal stuff.) Hobbies and Hands-On stuff - DIY.org Yes, I set aside time for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arliemaria Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 I grew up in WV with a very nice small public library. I would walk to the end of my block, cross a small street, and walk up a small hill and be at the library. I spent many many full days there. I used to help the librarians with shelving when I wasn't reading a book. When they first got the computers I helped teach them how to set them up and made all the log in papers and signage. It was a second home to me. We had good family friends that were VERY rural. To visit them we would have to drive our dune buggy through the woods. They were very hippy, off the grid. The girls were homeschooled and were very intelligent. I would see them nearly every time they would come to the library because I was there a lot. They would spend a day getting new books, getting materials from ILL, talking with people from town, etc. I really loved their lifestyle. They were free. Yesterday was our "Not Back To School" Day and I told all my neighbor homeschoolers that we really needed to celebrate the day because it really meant that we were free. I have been off of facebook for a few years, but I would love to talk to those girls now post college and see how they view their homeschooling. Anyways, back to the library/bookstore idea. I think it is very good to have a home public library. One where you feel at home. One where you know the librarians and they know you. One where you are familiar with all the offerings. That is something that is valuable to everyone, not just homeschoolers. There have been seasons where I didn't visit my library as frequently, but it is one of the first things I locate and visit when we have moved to a new area. One of the first visits with Robby I had him introduce himself to all the librarians. This was many years ago now and they still talk about what a polite little boy he is. A good relationship with your librarians is very valuable. I wish you all the best with your venture. I drew a lot of inspiration from SWB's library list and how she had her children build their curriculum from weekly visits. That and a video I recently watched by Carole Joy Sied have inspired me to make library visits a major part of our homeschool. You can watch it here: http://www.compassclassroom.com/homeschool-made-simple.html I do not see half or full days in our future, but we do spend an hour or two once or twice a month. I count every minute we are at the library towards our state homeschooling hour requirement. A IRL friend shared a program with me that made me think of you stm4him, it is called Sketchbook Skool. Check it out: http://sketchbookskool.com/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 I will check that out! Where does SWB talk about building her curriculum from their library? I would love to read or listen. Did you buy Homeschool Made Simple? I really, really, really want to watch it but can't spend money right now :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arliemaria Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 I am pretty sure SWB talks about the library list in TWTM. I do not know if there was also a talk about this, but if we truly believe books are the curriculum then this is what we should be doing. She talked about how she had a list of books she wanted the kids to get each week. One science book, one history book, one art or music appreciation book, one practical book (a craft, hobby, or "how-to"), a biography or autobiography, a classic novel (or an adaptation suited to age), an imaginative storybook, a book of poetry. This is the list from the third edition. In one edition I think I remember her saying one early math book for the younger set. I'd like to go weekly to the library, but some weeks we just don't get all our books read and I don't see the point in going back when we haven't finished the ones we have at home. There are other reasons to go to the library though. Did you listen to the first video? I have not bought them either, but may ask DH again if I could buy them since we have a bit extra to spend at the moment. I really want to listen to her talk on Children and Media. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soapy Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 I liked that SWB list too. We don't get all her categories each week, but we do get them on a more rotation basis. It's good to just have in your head. We recently just moved to a much more rural area. I haven't been to the "local" library here, but I still have the card for our old library, which we loved. We have to go back to town for things now and again and we work trips to the old library in. It's just such a great place to relax and enjoy. This week we went there and did our spelling and math and then read books for ours. :swoon It was a wonderful day! We don't do this on a regular basis, but we always enjoy the change of pace when we do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 This has been a good thread for me. I have been looking around my libraries and trying too see what is tucked into the corners that I might have missed. One of my libraries is still in the middle of a major construction project, but more and more is becoming accessible. Yes, I could teach all subjects at the bigger library. At the smaller library, I'd have to sometimes do math on the computer, as there are not quite enough math books. I borrowed Writing in Math Class by Marilyn Burns. I think a mom that had read this book would be better able to teach math with just library books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 I am going to look tomorrow and see if I could pull it off in our county. There are three other counties and a university library within 45 minutes of us. The one that is 45 minutes away will give me a free library card. The one that is 30 minutes away I would have to pay $30 per year to get a card. I used to live in that County so I have a card already, but I am not sure if they will check it. The university is also 30 minutes away but I am not sure if I can get a card or not. I heard it is $10 per year but I need to check on that. The county that is 15 minutes away won't give residents who live in other counties a card so we could go there on Saturdays since our library is closed, but we wouldn't be able to check anything out. So I might be able to teach everything from the library, but I would probably have to use surrounding counties and the university. $40 a year would be much cheaper than any curriculum we could buy, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arliemaria Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 We are going to the library after lunch today, but we don't spend a super long time there. What do your learning to read kids do while they are there? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 What do your learning to read kids do while they are there? The libraries we went to have variations of the linked play cube which is great for motor skills and visual spatial skills for the under 3 years old. http://www.heirloomwoodentoys.com/Play-Cube-Wooden-Bead-Toy-pr-18074.html Also we went for baby/toddler storytime and the audiobooks. Oldest read early so he could read picture books to youngest. One library has a puppet theatre, another has a big dollhouse, another has a big aquarium :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Well I'm definitely going to be using the library more. And sometimes teaching/self-education there instead of bringing the books home. I guess some of the apartments in my high rise have roaches. Now that the extermination process has started, the roaches have moved to me. I'm getting fogged either on Wednesday or Thursday. The notice says Wed the 20th????? I am giving and throwing away most of the last of my books. I'm going to put a few out on the balcony while the fogging is taking place, and that is all I will have left. All our silly scenario threads are coming real for me. Another major purge is going on here. Should I start a thread about what would you keep if you were going to get fogged for roaches? :lol: I never would have thought that one up. Life is stranger than fiction. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Should I start a thread about what would you keep if you were going to get fogged for roaches? :lol: I never would have thought that one up. Life is stranger than fiction. I grew up killing cockroaches. Make sure your bookshelf and your shoe rack gets some sun everyday. If the pest control people are fogging at the greenery/landscaping on the ground floor, it can reach up to the 7th or 8th floor of a high rise. My childhood home was on the 24th floor :) What we did was close all windows, clear kitchen countertop of food and utensils before fogging and leave the house. A few hours after fogging, an adult goes back home first and open all windows to air out the house. Kids come home awhile later. For roaches, get an orange and some cloves to repel them. Stick the cloves into the orange. The end result would look something like link below. Put one at the shoe rack, one at bookshelf and one at clothes wardrobe. Much safer than using moth balls (naphthalene) and gives a nice aroma. http://cdn.instructables.com/F7R/K1EL/4AKEV2ZDGVS/F7RK1EL4AKEV2ZDGVS.LARGE.jpg ​ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Thanks. I was not born in the USA, and the country I lived in was infested with cockroaches. We didn't try to kill them; we just lived alongside them. But here in a drier, more temperate climate, roaches can be killed and the owners of my building are launching an aggressive assault. This approach is new to me, and quite different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 Hunter, Can you tell me more about how you used the WY_GNTK books? I own most of them and could use them as a spine potentially. Money is such an issue right now that I can't buy a bookshelf for my existing books and I can't buy new sets of books that would allow me to get rid of a lot of my existing books. I do have a Childcraft set that I could also use as a spine by doing a little from the holidays book, a little from the craft and activity book, a little from one of the literature books (or one selection of each since the three books are for varying levels), and then do one of the other nonfiction books as the unit study of the month. I could use my audio Bible cds for Bible mostly. I would read the section and then go check out supplemental books that they either suggested or the real copy of their adaptation (in the literature books). Using these I could keep us together (all except my 8th grader probably). Or I could just let them read whatever they want. Or I could use the WY_GNTK as a read aloud and activity guide for each child and use the World Treasury of Children's Literature (which the library carries and which I own volume 3 out of 3) as a family read aloud spine (also checking out the full book from the library instead of the excerpts). I think I would be more likely to include geography this way, but I might feel a little all over the place. I also wonder if my 6th grade will not be happy with either scenario since he likes to pick his own books out. I guess for now I am keeping what we are using for curriculum for math and grammar. I am fantasizing a bit about TT because I've decided that for now I think I could live with easier math and fill in any gaps later if needed, but TT costs lots of money so it is irrelevant right now. I found a book about grammar that includes exercises in our library, but it doesn't have any repetition, so I don't know if I like that well enough to use it. I am doubting that something spiral with exercises exists in the free world. We have enough lessons in Hake 4 to keep us going for a few months maybe, but then I'll have to decide whether to spend the money to order the next one or drop the formal study of grammar and writing and pick it up again later. Having to do things for free or next to free is scary. Either you dig up what you can with no idea if it will fit with anything else you will have after that, or you completely drop the subject and hope that they can get by without formal instruction as some people claim. I am wondering how studying a language would go using library resources that have to be returned in 2 weeks....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I'm just swallowing the last of my lunch and have an appointment in 3 minutes. I'm thinking and will post later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezrabean2005 Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Hunter, Can you tell me more about how you used the WY_GNTK books? I own most of them and could use them as a spine potentially. Money is such an issue right now that I can't buy a bookshelf for my existing books and I can't buy new sets of books that would allow me to get rid of a lot of my existing books. I do have a Childcraft set that I could also use as a spine by doing a little from the holidays book, a little from the craft and activity book, a little from one of the literature books (or one selection of each since the three books are for varying levels), and then do one of the other nonfiction books as the unit study of the month. I could use my audio Bible cds for Bible mostly. I would read the section and then go check out supplemental books that they either suggested or the real copy of their adaptation (in the literature books). Using these I could keep us together (all except my 8th grader probably). Or I could just let them read whatever they want. Or I could use the WY_GNTK as a read aloud and activity guide for each child and use the World Treasury of Children's Literature (which the library carries and which I own volume 3 out of 3) as a family read aloud spine (also checking out the full book from the library instead of the excerpts). I think I would be more likely to include geography this way, but I might feel a little all over the place. I also wonder if my 6th grade will not be happy with either scenario since he likes to pick his own books out. I guess for now I am keeping what we are using for curriculum for math and grammar. I am fantasizing a bit about TT because I've decided that for now I think I could live with easier math and fill in any gaps later if needed, but TT costs lots of money so it is irrelevant right now. I found a book about grammar that includes exercises in our library, but it doesn't have any repetition, so I don't know if I like that well enough to use it. I am doubting that something spiral with exercises exists in the free world. We have enough lessons in Hake 4 to keep us going for a few months maybe, but then I'll have to decide whether to spend the money to order the next one or drop the formal study of grammar and writing and pick it up again later. Having to do things for free or next to free is scary. Either you dig up what you can with no idea if it will fit with anything else you will have after that, or you completely drop the subject and hope that they can get by without formal instruction as some people claim. I am wondering how studying a language would go using library resources that have to be returned in 2 weeks....... Sorry if I missed it, but what do you have for curriculum right now? Do you have an ereader? If you are able to list subjects that you are lacking in, we could help with low cost resources or a scope & sequence that any library books could help with. Do you school year round or are you off until the fall? What worked last year? Why does that same thing not work this year? It does sound simple and romantic to have everything in one notebooks / place / resources, but what is difficult is being able to be consistent. What if the book that everyone finally got used to is checked out or moved to a different branch? What is the problem you are trying to solve? Is it your children being focused? If so, the outside pressure (from a library) might help for a little while but it is very difficult to parent and homeschool in public. I have to do this everyday (we homeschool at my job / café) and if I had the option not to, I would take it in a hot second. It is a lot of additional pressure to be interrupted and distracted by being in common space 100% of the time. It doesn't sound like the extra pressure would be helpful to you or your students. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Stm4him, in the minimalist roach thread ezrabean backed up my idea, that following TWTM rotations might be the easiest way to manage content, if every year is starting over from scratch. Really you don't even need to own TWTM. You can check out any edition, and take notes for the next couple months, or just wing it. Year 3 is chem and 1600 to 1850. If nothing else, after any disaster, there is no way you won't be able to find SOMETHING in your current environment that covers some part of the rotation you are in. To use what your graders needs to know, you need the books. It jumps around. The scope and sequence is unique to the series. I never thought I would do it. I threw my set away yesterday. I'm the blind leading the blind if you are listening to me, but if you are curious, I'll be posting more about what I'm going to try in the minimalist roach thread. I have the feeling that the minimalist roach thread is the one least likely to ever be forgotten. :lol: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I took my 2 oldest to the library this morning to get their own library cards. I've been thinking about starting to spend one morning a week with them at the library. I could schedule it on a day that they have storytime and their other event for my youngest two. My main goal is to help them become familiar with finding the books they are looking for. We could also do phonics there because they have the phonics book we use. Math would be easy since we use living books for it and each kid had their own math journal. They just have such a love for the library that it is mainly a way to make sure I nourish that 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arliemaria Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Forever I have wanted to order totes for each child with their names on them. I want to get a ring or something and attach their cards to their bags. Maybe this thread will encourage me to finally make that happen. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arliemaria Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Goodness, I just added them to the cart at LLBean and it is $75 for two! Yikes! I still want them, but that is pricey. I didn't buy backpacks though so maybe I can justify it. We painted initial pottery pieces a year ago. I want to hang those above a big hook for everyone's tote bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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