Archive by Author | Lisa McAfee

Derailment! Getting Back on Track

May16

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It happens to everyone; you are moving right along when suddenly something unexpected happens such as an illness, or an unplanned event and your schooling hits a snag;  your academic plans become derailed. How do you get back to your teaching and the children working on school lessons?

Take an assessment of what needs to be finished.

  • How many lessons do you need to finish and how many days will it take to complete them?
  • Can you consolidate lessons?
  • Can you shorten them? Instead of having your child do 50 multiplication problems, how about 25 of them?
  • Does your student already know the information and is it review? Give a quiz or ask orally key concepts to see if your student has gained mastery. If so, then go on to a lesson that is new and concentrate your studies there.

If there are quite a few lessons, consider comparing the next year’s curriculum to see what concepts will be covered and wait to teach that next year. Textbooks review to a certain extent the material that has been covered the previous year at the commencement of a new academic year so you can teach that then. If it is not going to be covered in the future and is important, then do these lessons.

Formulate a plan to finish.

  • How long will it take to finish this year’s lessons? Write it out so that you can see what that looks like. If it appears you are going to be working through the summer, do short lessons and do not do school more than a couple of hours. The hot summer days of July are usually a time when no one wants to go outside and play. This would be a perfect time to do school with math review games and reading.
  • Set dates for completion. For example, by Friday we will need to complete 3 lessons on long division. Don not make it overwhelming if you are just getting back to your school routine. This will make you feel overwhelmed and not feeling like you can move forward.
  • Call a friend for support and ideas if you are feeling overwhelmed.
  • Talk to your children if they are of an appropriate age and show them what needs to be completed and the amount of time it will take to complete school. Everyone likes to know there is an end in sight and it will help to hold everyone accountable.
  • Make it fun. Can you play math review games that accomplishes the same thing as a worksheet or watch a video that compliments your studies?
  • Don’t give up. If you have to continue next year with work that needed to be finished this year, then plan accordingly. You may need to take a short summer break instead of a long one that you are are accustomed to taking. I think you will see that you will get caught up rather quickly. Be sure to ask for help if you need it.

 

Used Curriculum Sale

May9

With school wrapping up for the year you may be be interested in selling your used curriculum or purchasing what you need for next year. CHEC is having their annual sale this weekend.

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2016 CHEC Used Curriculum and Book Sale

Saturday, May 14, 2016

9:00 am – 12:00 pm (Doors open at 8:30 am for sellers only)

Friendship Baptist Church

8580 Cheviot Rd

Cincinnati, OH 45251

Why Sell at the CHEC Sale?

Convenience of dozens of buyers in person ready to take home your curriculum that day!

Great facility, easy to find, easy to access the building

No need to take pictures, write a description, and post online

No need to email back and forth, set a time to meet, or go to the post office

At noon, you’re done with money in your pocket!

Please see the CHEC website for complete details for sellers

Why Buy at the CHEC Sale?

Talk to the mom, dad or student who actually used the curriculum

Put your hands on the book, look through it and find out if you actually like it

Make it a date with hubby

Meet up with a friend and have a mom’s morning out at the curriculum sale

Great prices and selection

Admission Prices (applies to every person entering the sale including children):

 CHEC Members (with membership card) – $3.00

Please do not forget your membership card! You will be charged regular admission price without it.

 All others – $4.00

Selling Fees (in addition to admission fee above):

 Table space – $1.25 per foot; sold in 4, 6 and 8 foot lengths as available.

 Space is assigned by the volunteers in charge of the sale and their decisions are final.

Everyone welcome! Invite your friends!

See the CHEC website for complete details. (Please do not call Friendship Baptist Church.)

chechome.org

6 Things to know about Portfolio Reviews

May2

A portfolio review, also known as a written narrative, is one option to meet the homeschool requirements in Ohio. As the end of the school year approaches, I have families contact me about what a portfolio review entails. Below you will find six questions that I am asked frequently by homeschool families.

1.Does a state certified teacher need to look at my child’s work? Yes, this is one of the requirements and the teacher must be licensed in Ohio, not another state.

2. What is the assessor looking for when they review my student’s work? They are looking to see that progress has been made for the academic work that is in accordance with their abilities. No other test is given nor is your child compared to other students.

3. What subjects will I need to show samples of to the assessor?  The following are requirements that the state says we must cover each year according to the Home Education Notification Form.

  • Language Arts
  • Mathematics
  • Social studies
  • Science
  • Heath
  • Fine Arts (music, art)
  • Health
  • First Aid, Safety, Fire Prevention

4. What kinds of work samples do I include for a written narrative? Here are some ways that you can document work that has been completed:

  • Workbooks or workbook pages
  • Projects- Whether that is for science, social studies, art,etc.,  these would all be acceptable for samples. If projects are too large to take with you to your appointment, you can always take photos of what your student has done to show your assessor.
  • Writing samples of your pupil help the teacher see the progress that has been made throughout the year in the area of language arts. Cards, journal entries, poems, reports, outlines and essays are all considered examples of writing for language arts. If your little one is just beginning to write, then show samples of letter formation and printing.
  • Reading lists of book titles help a teacher to see the progress that has been made if you have an early reader (grades K-3).  If you don’t have a complete list, that is fine, just write ten titles of books that have been read from the beginning of the year to the end. For instance, they began with Bob Books and are now reading easy readers. What level are they currently reading and can you list several titles?
  • Field trips are great ways to show fine arts, science and social studies because many of the places visited are related in some aspect to these academic areas. You can include the program from the play you saw, a map of the zoo, or pictures of the activity your child was participating in when you went to the museum or attended a community program.

5. We did quite a bit of our schoolwork orally, how do I show that? You can write a list of what topics you studied and how you determined  understanding/ mastery of what you taught. If you use a whiteboard for school, take some pictures of the work so you have documentation to show.

6. We use a curriculum that is on the computer, how do I show my student’s progress? Can you print off grades or did your student receive a certificate of accomplishment for the course or activity? This will show that your child has completed the work.

Do you have a question that I didn’t address about portfolio reviews? Please write a comment and I will be glad to answer it.

If you are in need of an assessor, I will be happy to review your student’s work. Please email me, schoolmarmohio@me.com  so we can set up an appointment. If you do not live in Greater Cincinnati, I can still meet with you via Skype. Just let me know you are in need of this option. 

 

 

Gardening Do’s & Don’ts

Apr25

Growing flowers can be so much fun as you watch the seeds begin peeking out of the soil and begin growing. I have learned a few things as I have gardened with my boys and hopefully can pass on some experiences so that you can have a successful garden.

Do’s

  • Read the growing instructions before purchasing your seeds. See if the plants require sun or shade or a mix.
  • Observe the plot of land where you are going to plant your flowers to see how much sun it receives in a day. If you are planning on growing something like sunflowers, be sure it has at least 6 hours of sun per day.
  • Select seeds that can be directly sown into the ground if you are not feeling adventurous in growing flowers from seed. Cosmos, zinnias, and poppies are great to try; I have had great success with all of these. Sunflowers come up readily in my garden from my bird feeders so I think they would work nicely too.
  •  If you would like to try and grow flowers from seed choose flowers that are easy to grow. It is disappointing to purchase seeds and then  find out that they require extra care than you had intended to give them.
  • Some plants are easy to start indoors and grow rather quickly such as marigolds and sunflowers. These are great for beginner gardeners as they are hardy and give you a thrill of seeing the plants flourish.
  • If beginning your plants indoors, begin 6-8 weeks before danger of frost has passed (May 15 here in SW Ohio). It is also okay to begin later, but this is the earliest you want to begin. Use seed starter soil and containers or peat pots so that you can transfer them outside after danger of frost is past.  I decided to grow my seeds in empty egg shells this year. I just thought it was a cheap way to use what I have on hand and perhaps the calcium from the egg would help?? The seed packet in the picture below is the Black Krim tomato, but the same principle applies for flowers. Follow the directions to plant and moisten the soil with a spray bottle.
Gardening Supplies
  • Continue to keep your seeds’ soil moist and keep them in a warm, sunny place so that they can germinate.
  • Plant your flowers once they have two (or more) sets of true leaves.
  • Plant on a cloudy day if possible. Water seedlings in well, but don’t overdo it. Add a small amount of fertilizer  to give them a boost. After all, you want to give your flowers all the help needed to grow strong and healthy.

Don’ts

  • Don’t forget to plan where you are going to plants your flowers. Be sure you have the room for everything you want to grow.
  •  Resist being skimpy when sowing the seeds. Use the whole package if possible. Not every one of them will germinate and it is easier to thin out the plants than not have enough. If you are growing plants indoors, place two or three seeds in your peat pots or containers.
  • Avoid overwatering your seeds/seedlings or they will rot.
  • Steer clear of crowding your seedlings once they have begun to grow. Thin plants according to the directions once they have a set of true leaves or if you see them competing with the other plants. Choose the healthiest looking plant to keep.
  • Stay away from the mistake  I made in forgetting to mark where you have planted your seeds! I pulled up the seedlings thinking they were weeds. 😦
  • Plants begin to get “leggy” if they do not have enough sun because they are stretching to get every bit of those rays they can. Keep your seedlings in a sunny place that receives 6 or more hours of sunlight. If you do not have a spot that receives sunlight like that, place the seedlings on a tray so you can move them.
  • Hold off from directly planting your seedlings into the ground when they are ready. You want to first give them 5-7 days to “harden” outdoors. Pick a couple of warm days and place the seedlings in the shade. The plants need to become acclimated to the outdoors before you plant them in the ground.

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Dale built a cold frame (picture above)  for me to harden off plants a couple of years after I began growing plants from seeds. He saw that this hobby was becoming an annual event and thought this would be helpful. It is just plywood on the sides, heavy plastic and a garden stake to be used to close the cover. It has been a big help, but you can just keep them in shade as I did for the first couple of years. Dale just notched the pieces of plywood so that it can be easily taken apart and stored. Here are directions for a different type of cold frame if you would like to build one. Cold Frame 

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Hardening seedlings in cold frame

  • Lastly, don’t forget to pick your flowers and take them indoors to be enjoyed in your home and with others.

Happy gardening! Please feel free to post pictures of your gardening experiences;  I’d love to see them!

 

Gardening with Children

Apr18

FullSizeRenderSpring is my favorite time of year for many reasons, but one is that I love planting a garden. Growing fresh produce is a wonderful way to teach your children about plants and the responsibility of taking care of them. You also know that you are growing food that is safe and free of harmful chemicals.

Maybe you have been thinking about growing some veggies, but you are not sure which ones to grow. May I make some suggestions?  Vegetables that like cool climates and can be sown directly into the soil now are loose leaf varieties of lettuce such as mesclun, salad bowl, and gourmet blend.  Spinach is another crop to plant now and can be harvested while the leaves are small or let them grow a little bit longer to enjoy in a spinach salad.

Beans are a nearly always a success and you can plant several crops throughout the growing season. Your children will be so excited to watch the beans form and once the small bean pods begin to form, it is a short time until  they are ready to be harvested.

If you don’t want to fool with vegetables that need to be harvested throughout the summer, why not plant some pumpkin seeds? I will warn you, though, they need a lot of room! My neighbor’s entire garden was taken over by pumpkin plants last year, but she had some amazing pumpkins for her grandchildren and the neighborhood.

If you have poor drainage you can create a “raised bed” by creating a hill of dirt that is 3 to 4 inches high and planting your seeds in the middle of the hill. Bush cucumbers are recommended to be planted that way and I think I will try my hand at growing zucchini this way too.

Here are some resources for planting your own garden this year.

My First Garden This has great information that you will find useful in beginning your garden.

Another great website is called Serenata Flowers, which has lots of information and websites for you to enjoy.

High Mowing Seeds is an organic seed company that has more seeds than you have room for in your garden!

The Garden Hoard is a small seed company that I have used in the past and love their selection of heirloom tomatoes and other veggies. They also have flower seeds and I am looking forward to sowing some Hollyhock seeds along my garden fence. Katie, the owner, sent me some complimentary seeds that I am excited to try. I reordered a black tomato called Black Krim that I grew two years ago. I gave these tomatoes to friends and relatives and they have begged me to grow them again this year. I am looking forward to eating them too as they are less acidic and delicious to eat right off the vine. yum! I have included a picture so you can see what the Black Krim tomato looks like.

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