Archive by Author | Lisa McAfee

Videos for the 4th of July

Jul1

Happy Independence Day! Before we go to a parade and eat hot dogs and hamburgers, how about studying what we are celebrating? Does your child know the original 13 colonies who declared independence from Great Britain? Do you? 🙂

You can have your patriot label and color the map of the original 13 colonies.

13 Colonies Printable Nies Blank Map Ring Page Pages Original Thirteen Free Nies Review Worksheets

The following videos are about some of the events that lead up to the war.  For older students, they can take notes on the videos. Be sure to discuss what you have watched afterward.

 

You can use the documents below for copywork, memorization, or recitation. I read some documents several years ago at our family gathering and what a discussion and a sense of the magnitude of what those men did for us to become an independent country settled on us that day. It made me thankful for their courage to stand up to tyranny.

Patrick Henry’s Speech to the Second Virginia Convention, 1775

The preamble to the Declaration of Independence

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Declaration of Independence

If you have a poetry teatime, then Paul Revere’s Ride would be perfect. Listen to the cadence that this poem has as you read it aloud. It really does feel like you are riding on a horse! CLICK HERE

Looking for some activities to do with your children? Playdough to Plato has 25 things to do for your young patriots. CLICK HERE

Have a great week!  ~Lisa~

 

Audio Adventures for the Car

Jun24

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Many an hour did we spend listening to audio adventures as my boys were growing up. I loved listening to them.  We still talk about the books we listened to while we were in the car.

Perhaps you are going on a long road trip and need some audio books to pass the time.  Why not consider some of these resources? There are free and paid services as well as some specific series and titles my family has enjoyed over the years.

EPIC has thousands of books to read and has an audiobook section too. The cost is $7.99 per month and you can cancel at any time.

Librivox has free ebooks that are public domain and read by volunteers. Books are available to stream online or download. Some of the books include dramatizations that are done by a group of actors while others feature a single reader.

Loyal Books has over 7,000 free titles to listen to and enjoy. Some books to consider listening to include Treasure Island, Anne of Green Gables, and Swiss Family Robinson.

Adventures in Odyssey is a series that we first heard on the radio. You can listen to it that way or you can purchase CD’s to enjoy whenever you wish. Our library carried some of the series and the kids loved them!

Redwall by Brian Jacques is the beginning of a series of villain and heroes in the animal kingdom. Once you have listened to this book you are going to want to listen to more of these adventures.

All Creatures Great and Small is one of my all-time favorites. James Herriott was a veterinarian who lived in Great Britain and tells hilarious stories of farmers and their animals.

Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien just can’t be beat listening to it on audiobook. Everyone had a favorite part and many hours were spent listening to the stories of the Hobbit and “The Ring”.

Have a great week! ~Lisa~

 

 

Celebrating Your School Year

Jun17

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By this time of year, most of you have finished your school and are enjoying the break that summer affords us. You have my hearty congratulations on completing your school year. Let me celebrate with you on the great accomplishment you have achieved. Your children may (or may not) thank you for all you have done this past year, but your efforts have not gone unnoticed. I see the hard work you have put into your school year and the love you show to your child by teaching them every day. For you who do not know me and wonder how I can say this is because I have the honor and privilege to do written assessments each year and see first hand the dedication you as homeschool teachers have to your family’s education.

I wanted to thank you for the time you spent:

  • looking over and deciding what curriculum to use
  • planning  for school
  • teaching your child
  • loving and supporting your student
  • teaching when you didn’t feel good, times were tough, attitudes were less than ideal
  • being diligent
  • instructing and guiding
  • grading papers
  • running to extracurricular activities
  • cooking meals after a long day of teaching
  • cleaning your house before, during, and after school hours
  • loving your family
  • being a great teacher!

If you have not yet done so, take some time to pamper yourself and relax. Take some time for you. It will do you a world of good and most of all, you deserve it!

Have a great week! ~Lisa~ 

 

 

 

 

Portfolio Reviews for Seniors

Jun10

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It seems anticlimactic once your child is finishing their senior year as far as notifying the school. Guess what? You don’t notify the superintendent that your scholar has graduated. You don’t need to do a portfolio review or an exit test. You do, however, get to, need to celebrate! So, for you who are graduating a student this year from homeschooling, my heartiest congratulations on a job well done! Welcome to the world of homeschool alumni, both you and your student.

You may be wondering what to do as your student completes their high school career. My suggestion is to have a graduation ceremony, either with a group of fellow homeschoolers or by yourselves. The main thing is to recognize your student and invite family and friends to celebrate this accomplishment.

What do you do for a diploma? You can either create your own (FREE) by using a template CLICK HERE  You can also purchase one such as this Christian homeschool one  CLICK HERE  or one that does not have a scripture reference on it CLICK HERE

 

 

When to Notify

Jun3

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This spring the Ohio State Board of Education reviewed the homeschool laws and there has been a revision that affects when you must turn in your notification form. Beginning this fall, your Notification of Intent to homeschool must be turned in “no later than the first week of the start of the public school building in which your child(ren) would attend in the  district of residence or within one week of the date on which the child begins to reside in the district or within one week from the child’s withdraw from a school.” If you would like to read the new revisions in their entirety, go to the CHEO website or CLICK HERE. The revisions are in red print.

Should you be in need or a Written Narrative Assessment/ Portfolio Review please contact me. I would love to help you meet the state requirement to continue to homeschool your child.

Have a great week! ~Lisa~