Archive by Author | Lisa McAfee

Fun Reads: Middle School and Junior High

Dec26

Here are some books that are sure to hold your middle school/ junior high student’s attention. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have a book recommendation.

Meet Addy, Connie Porter MS The American Girl Dolls series has been a great series of books for middle school aged girls. They are historical fiction books that feature various girls and the period of time in which they were created. The characters are girls, not dolls, but you can purchase the dolls if you like.

The Class Trip from the Black Lagoon, Mike Thaler  MS  These books are funny and have great lessons about making good decisions in them as well. This is a series of chapter books that originated from the picture book The Teacher from the Black Lagoon.EL

In Grandma’s Attic, Arleta Richardson MS  This is a great series for middle school students of adventure and faith.

My Life as a Torpedo Test Target, Bill Myers MS, JH  Wally has all kinds of adventures in a great series from Myers. If your student likes this book, the good news is there are quite a few in this series to read.

Soup’s On: Paying Forward Kindness

Dec21

It’s amazing what one act of kindness can do. I tutor two primary aged students and go to their house twice a week. This family amazes me because of the way they treat me each and every time I am there. If the children are at home and are available, all 6 of them meet me at the door and say hello and they seem genuinely glad that I am there. I even have one or two of them escort me to my car each week. I can’t say enough nice things about this home school family as I see love for other people demonstrated to me through them.

Two weeks ago was no exception as I was offered a bowl of delicious homemade vegetable soup since I arrived early to tutor. (This could become a habit. 🙂 ) I had to decline since I has eaten earlier, but I asked Mrs. L. if I could have a doggie bowl to take home. I was even bold enough to ask for an extra serving for my hubby because he likes soup too. The next thing I know, I have enough for dinner for more than just the two of us! I told Mrs. L. that it looked like I wouldn’t have to cook tonight and she said that was her intention. That just grabbed me as I thought of her generosity and kindness toward me and my family. She certainly could have kept the soup for her family, but instead she gave a large portion of it to me.

This made me think of how I can serve and bless others who I see during the week. Isn’t it fabulous to think that one small act of kindness can touch another person who is then motivated to go and do likewise? What an amazing ripple effect that one bowl of soup can have. I am making an extra batch of soup to pay forward the act of kindness that was shown toward me this week. Just a thought: if anyone comes to mind that you can help, why not bless them?

Matthew 25:40

New King James Version (NKJV)

40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Picture Studies in Art

Dec19

I believe art is a valuable course of study for our children as it brings beauty and appreciation of the world to our children. (It is also a required subject for students if you are homeschooling here in Ohio.) If you think you have to be an artist in order to teach it, or that your children have to create a finished product, let me assure you that needn’t be the case. Studying paintings and artists can be done without creating anything, but I think it would be fun and children make better connections to the subject if this is incorporated into your studies.

A great series to introduce students to the concept of focusing on paintings is a series called Come Look with Me.There are 12 books in the series at present and each book has a painting that your student observes carefully, information about each artist and painting, and questions to discuss concerning each picture. There are no right or wrong answers since the purpose of the questions is to get children to go beyond glancing at a painting. The great thing is that young and old will enjoy these books!

Come Look with Me: World of Play, Gladys Blizzard

Come Look With Me: Enjoying Art with Children, Gladys Blizzard

 

 

 

 

 

I have found some amazing resources to help you if you are interested in pursuing picture and artist studies further. I have included some do-it-yourself studies as well as commercial packages that have everything ready to go for you.

The first one is a blog called Artist Study– Charlotte Mason Style with a tremendous amount of resources that will help you to learn more in detail about artist studies. There are many downloadable forms, book recommendations, and activities. Grades K-12.

Picture Study Portfolios is a portfolio of laminated cards of various artists with information and questions that accompany each work of art. It is designed for students K-12. This includes more than just paintings, which I like.

After you have studied some of these great paintings and learned about the artists, why not go to local art museums? Found below are a few that are within driving distance of the Cincinnati area. Don’t live in the area? Please leave a comment if you have a museum recommendation since some of us may get the opportunity to visit or another reader lives near you who would benefit from your recommendation.

Cincinnati Art Museum  Admission: FREE 🙂 Hours: Monday CLOSED Tues- Sun. 11:00 AM – 5:00PM Map and Directions

Taft Museum of Art FREE  SUNDAY Admission Hours: Monday CLOSED Tues- Sun. 11:00 AM – 5:00PM Map and Directions

Dayton Art Institute  Admission: FREE for students, $8.00 adults, $5.00 for groups and senior citizens Map and Directions

REGULAR MUSEUM HOURS
Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m
Sunday Noon – 5:00 p.m.

Columbus Museum of Art Admission: FREE  on SUNDAY, $10.00 adults, $5.00 for students 6-17  $8.00 for senior citizens 60+ and students 18+ with ID Map and Directions Click on Visiting

Indianapolis Museum of Art  Admission: FREE Map and Directions

Tuesday – 11 am to 5 pm
Wednesday – 11 am to 5 pm
Thursday – 11 am to 9 pm
Friday – 11 am to 9 pm
Saturday – 11 am to 5 pm
Sunday – noon to 5 pm
Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Speed Museum of Art, Louisville, Kentucky  Admission: $10.00 Adult, $8.00Senior (65+),  $5.00 Child 3-17,Free for Child under 3

Wednesday 10a to 5p
Thursday 10a to 5p
Friday 10a to 9p
Saturday 10a to 5p
Sunday 12p to 5p
Monday closed
Tuesday closed

Be sure to take a journal, a pencil and some colored pencils with you to draw a favorite painting. Have a great time!

ACT and SAT test preparation

Dec12

The ACT and SAT college entrance exams are a vital component of a home school student’s criteria for admission into a higher learning institution. Many colleges place a greater emphasis on these tests scores for home school students than public or private school students. The rationale is that these are non-biased, objective, standardized tests that are an indicator of future academic performance. You may have questions about these tests as to which one should your student take and when to take them. I have collected some data for you to read concerning each exam that I think is helpful. Even though the writing portion is optional on the ACT, I would highly recommend you have your scholar take this too. The majority of colleges want to see these scores as well.

Facts regarding the ACT:

Frequency: 6 times/year
Duration: 3 hours, 3½ hours including essay
Sections: English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing
Cost: $49.50
Maximum Score: 36
Average Score: 21

Facts regarding the SAT:

Frequency: 7 times/year
Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Sections: math, critical reading, writing
Cost: $49
Maximum score per section:  800
Average score Math – 516
Critical reading – 501
Writing – 492
How do I know which test is best for my student? The Princeton Review has an excellent compare/contract article from where I have taken the information.

  1. ACT questions tend to be more straightforward. Questions are often easier to understand on a first read. On the SAT, a student may need to spend time figuring out what is being asked before they can start solving the problem.
  2.  The SAT has a stronger emphasis on vocabulary. Your scholar will excel here if they are a wordsmith.  If words aren’t their strength, (s)he may do better on the ACT.
  3. The ACT has a Science section, while the SAT does not. Your student doesn’t need to know anything about amoebas or chemical reactions for the ACT Science section. It is meant to test reading and reasoning skills, based upon a given set of facts. But if you have a scholar who is truly science oriented, the SAT might be a better fit.
  4. The ACT tests more advanced math concepts.The ACT requires you to know a little trigonometry, in addition to the algebra and geometry you’ll find on the SAT. That said, the ACT Math section is not necessarily harder, since many students find the questions to be more straightforward than those on the SAT.
  5. The ACT Writing Test is not required. The 25-minute SAT essay is required, and is factored into your Writing score. The 30-minute ACT Writing Test is optional. If you choose to take it, it is not included in your composite score—schools will see it listed separately. I would NOT have your student skip this section since most colleges ask for this score.
  6. The SAT is broken up into more sections. On the ACT, your  scholar tackles each content area (English, Math, Reading, and Science Reasoning) in one big chunk, with the optional Writing Test at the end. On the SAT, the content areas (Critical Reading, Math, and Writing) are broken up into ten sections, with the required essay at the beginning. You do a little math, a little writing, a little critical reading, a little more math, etc. Will it distract or refresh you to move back and forth between different content areas?
  7. The ACT is more of a “big picture” exam. College admissions officers care about how your scholar did on each section of the SAT. On the ACT, they’re most concerned with the composite score. So if a student is weak in one content area but strong in others, they could still end up with a very good ACT score.
To find out more about the ACT click  here. To find out more about the SAT click here.

How do I  prepare a student for these tests?

Begin early and practice, practice, practice! I used to think that the students who received a perfect score just walked in and took the test once. Not so! I have since read articles and spoken to parents whose children were National Merit Finalists who said they had their student do this as part of school, incorporating it into their schedule, much like you would do if you had basketball or dance practice. I think a good time to begin studying and practicing for these tests is in the spring of their Sophomore year if you’d like them to take the PSAT (an exam for the National Merit Scholarship) at the beginning of their junior year. If you are not going to have them take the PSAT, then have them begin in the fall of their junior year, Your student can review tests questions, work on some math problems, study vocabulary words, read literature, and write responses to the selections every day. The key to taking these tests is being familiar with the types of questions that are given, gauging the time spent on each question or problem, and of course, knowing the answers! I would have your scholar take the test in the spring of junior year and again in the fall of senior year. The tests can ve taken as often as you wish, just be sure to register early as not every school is a test site.

Find resources for your student to practice. Your student can practice online at the following sites: ACT: The ACT SAT: SAT Collegeboard

If you are interested in having your student practice specifically for the SAT essay portion, here is a free ebook by James Stobaugh.

There are a great number of books that have tips and practice tests available for purchase. Each book is a bit different and I actually took both of me sons to the bookstore and had them look at each one to determine the book they liked best. They chose a different book than I thought they would like and Malcolm even chose the  ACT in a box. He enjoyed the portability of the flashcards to review when he away from home.

Here are some books to consider:

McGraw Hill’s ACT Prep Book 2012

Cracking the ACT 2012 Edition

Kaplan ACT Premier 2012 Edition

Cracking the SAT, 2012 Edition

Kaplan 12 Practice Tests, 2012 Edition

Holiday Hustle and Bustle: Less-stress school ideas

Dec7

I was just thinking of how the busyness of the holiday season and all of that hustling about can be stressful, especially when it comes to school. Why not put some fun into your school schedule and use the holiday season as a springboard for your academic studies?  Here are some of the things we have done over the years in place of our regular schedule leading up to Christmas. After the idea I have italicized the area of educational study that would pertain to it.

Write a Christmas newsletter and send it electronically This saves on postage, you can add cool graphics and be easily edited. language arts, technology

Play educational games to review facts (online math games, make- your- own math games, phonics rules, science, social studies,etc.) various subjects

Read the story of Christmas (Luke 1,2 and Matthew 1, 2) language arts- reading, listening, narration

Write and  illustrate a narrative of the Christmas story. It can be close to the original story or taken from a totally different perspective or time period.  For example: an innkeeper’s point-of-view, set in modern-day, etc. language arts-narration, summarization, grammar,punctuation

Look at the map of Jerusalem to see where Mary and Joseph traveled, calculate the distance social studies, math

Study the  vocabulary of  Christmas– manger, host of angels, Immanuel, swaddling clothes, crèche, lowly, etc. language arts

Delve into the history of  Christmas carols and share what you have learned, either through narration or a written summary. language arts, social studies

Read about other countries that celebrate Christmas social studies, language arts

Read about Hanukkah and make some Hanukkah crafts. social studies, language arts, art

Read about Saint Nicholas Look on a map to see where he lived. Discuss his life and kindness to others. social studies, language arts

Read  the history of the  Twelve days of Christmas. Who would give someone 12 lords anyway? Calculate how many items would be in our house if your true love gave you each of the items listed in the song. social studies, language arts, math

Make cookies and take to neighbors, shut-ins, and the nursing home. home arts, math, social skills 

Shop for those less fortunate. Make Christmas cards to go with the present. home arts, financial literacy, art, language arts

Write and decorate a Christmas card and send to a serviceman or woman art, language arts

Invite someone over to help bake, make crafts, or gingerbread houses.  home arts, art

Have a great month!