Archive by Author | Lisa McAfee

Midwest Home School Convention

Dec21

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The Midwest Homeschool Convention will be here soon! If you have never been, plan on going because you can investigate, peruse, handle, and shop for curriculum you have read about, attend workshops on a variety of homeschool topics, and hang out with several thousand homeschoolers. 🙂 There is a Teen Track as well that my sons attended and found helpful.

Date: March 31- April 2, 2016

Location: Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202

Cost: Prices range from $45.00-$60.00

Here is a description from the website: With hundreds of information-packed workshops that are presented by a truly unparalleled group of featured speakers, attendees are able to choose sessions that are most applicable to their own homeschooling efforts.

These sessions will include topics such as Math, Reading, Science, Spelling, Writing, Classical Home Education, Charlotte Mason Methods, Unit Studies, Beginning Homeschooling, Homeschooling through High School, Special Needs, Homeschool Transcripts, Homeschool Legal Questions, Gifted Homeschooling, Successful Parenting, Christian Worldview, Creation Apologetics, and much more!

In addition to an outstanding featured speaker line-up, you will have access to a huge exhibit hall filled with hundreds of booths that offer a great variety of homeschooling products and services.

For More Information: CLICK HERE

 

 

Andi Unstoppable

Dec21

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If your child is interested in mysteries, then I have a book by Amanda Flower that will be perfect. A camping trip to look for a rare bird, rumors of a mother-in-mourning ghost,  and holes that are appearing all over a Civil War cemetery combine to make a great adventure for Andi Boggs and her two classmates, Colin Carter and Ava Gomez. Do any of these events have anything in common?

Andi and Ava have not been on friendly terms before, so why are they voluntarily going on a camping trip together? Hopefully, the girls be able to work out their differences to be the first from their science class to spot the elusive bird. They, along with Colin, might even be able to solve the mystery that they have come upon. Andi Unstoppable is a great read for your 8-10 year old reader that I would recommend.If you are  interested in previewing this book, CLICK HERE

There are also two more books in the Andi Boggs series for your young readers, which I find is a terrific benefit for children who will enjoy this book and want to read more. Book one is called Andi Unexpected and book 2 is Andi Under Pressure. I received this copy of Andi Unstoppable from the book look bloggers program for my honest review.

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Your Body Battles Series

Dec14

Maybe it’s because I have been battling a cold, or maybe it’s because I teach classes of students who are coming to school sick that I found this series of books by Vicki Cobb called Your Body Battles. Ms. Cobb is one of my favorite children’s science authors because she writes clearly and finds an interesting way of doing so that engages her readers. This series has cartoon characters as well as pictures of germs at a microscopic level. If you are looking for trade books that will help you teach health, safety,  and hygiene, look for these titles.

Your Body Battles a Cold

Your Body Battles a Cavity

Your Body Battles a Broken Bone

Your Body Battles a Stomach Ache

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For an extension of activities to do with these books you could:

See how well you hands are washed or how clean surfaces of door handles and counters really are at your house. Grow some bacteria in a culture. To purchase a kit CLICK HERE. I bet that after your child(ren) has done this you won’t have to say, “Wash your hands” very often!

How about x-ray art? You can teach science AND look at the art of x-rays by a gentleman named Nick Veasey. There are x-rays of  a traveler, a granny with her pull-along cart, and a guy with a mohawk to name a few. However, one picture is objectionable, so please preview before showing your child.  CLICK HERE

No child should go through their life without experiencing the red plaque disclosing tablets! If you have never experienced this yourself, you have to try it! To purchase the tablets CLICK HERE You really see where the  plaque builds up along your teeth and gums. A word of caution: do not do this activity just before family pictures are going to be taken. 🙂

 

 

A Few Good Homeschoolers

Dec7

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I found a list of people who have been homeschooled. It appears your children are in good company. 🙂

Presidents

George Washington

John Quincy Adams

James Madison

William Henry Harrison

Abraham Lincoln

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Woodrow Wilson

Inventors

Alexander Graham Bell

Thomas Edison

Wright Brothers

George Washington Carver

Statesman

Winston Churchill

Benjamin Franklin

Patrick Henry

William Penn

Writers

Charles Dickens

Agatha Christie

C.S. Lewis

Hans Christian Anderson

Source: The More Foundation

So, do not be weary in well doing. These people are known as having made significant contributions to society. Even if your child never makes it on a list of “famous” people, s/he will make a difference in this world for the better.

~ Lisa

 

 

Online Read Aloud Books

Nov30

imagesDo you have a student that is an auditory learner? What about a child who wants you to read to them more than you have time in your schedule? Can’t get to the library or just want an audio book?  There is a free public domain auditory library whose mission is “to make all books in the public domain available, for free, in audio format on the internet. ”

LibriVox audiobooks are free for anyone to listen to, on their computers, iPods or other mobile device, or to burn onto a CD. Note, you should go to the site yourself if you want to see what content there is available. Everyone has different parameters for your family and some material is not suitable for young readers. I did listen to the beginning of a George McDonald book and I enjoyed the female reader’s voice. I also listened to a story about an East Indian tale about a turtle that couldn’t stop talking and found it to be entertaining.

So, how can you use this great resource for your school?

  • While your student is listening they could draw a picture of what is being read.
  • Write any unfamiliar words down and use them as vocabulary for your language arts program.
  • Audio books can help a child who needs more practice with listening skills.
  • Have your pupil summarize the story that they just heard, whether that be orally or written.
  • Discuss the story and have your scholar make connections, whether to another story you have read, or an experience that they have had previously.