Speaking Video: Earth Day

Here's another video shot to fulfill our State's "speaking" requirement, AND to help Tween get over his stuttering and nervous habits. Enjoy!

If you get a chance, click here to view this video on youtube - leave a comment there and/or here! Thanks!

New Video for Schoolwork: Blue Moon

Here's the link to Tween's newest video, for state's homeschool speaking requirement. Please check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0MQBuZSbtA and leave a comment!

I just wish he's practiced a little more, and had more to say about the Blue Moon, and what it actually is.

Thanks for visiting!

Videos to Overcome Stuttering

Tween can be a little shy, has nervous habits like twitching and stuttering, and has OCD to a small extent (brought on, I believe, by ADHD drugs similar to Ritalin). We came up with a little school project to help these. The videos can also fulfill the state's requirement for "speaking" on the curriculum. So, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, we make a short video, on any topic he wants to talk about.

Wednesday was our first video, which he talked about his favorite breakfast: vanilla goat yogurt. We filmed it in the dining room, with an old green sheet covering some things. He did kinda ok, was really nervous and the twitching and nervous habits are obvious. Here it is below:



We shot his second video today - about his favorite drink: Blue Machine by Naked Juice. We filmed it in the living room; in the background were the stairs going up to the bedroom level. I'm surprised the dog didn't enter the screen! He didn't stutter nearly as much, and the nervous habits seem to be a little less but that could be a coincidence! He did ramble on a bit. Here's the link on youtube for this second vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8GXuvZTqa4 - be sure to watch it, leave a comment, and mark it as a favorite. Pass along the link, too. I feel sure that will help boost his self-esteem.

Thank you for your support in our project!

Updated April 28 2009: Welcome to the Carnival of Homeschooling!

Is HomeSchooling Tax Deductible?

Homeschooling must not count for much in the gool ole USA. At least, not by the IRS.

I was told, over the years, that expenses to educate my child at home can be taken off on taxes. We had help this year, and were adamantly told NO! That unless I'm a qualified teacher, then there's no way education is a legitimate expense. But the state I live in says a parent is considered a teacher and holding a school if they homeschool.

I'll look into this and will see what I can find out. Meanwhile... comments?

Planning a School Curriculum

I thought people visiting this site would benefit from seeing how I plan our kid's schoolwork for the year:

• I mentioned in a previous posting, I use "Home Learning Year by Year" as my bible for planning the kid's curriculum. Working with that book, I start out by looking to see where we are, and where we need to be by the end of the school year.
• Looking at the calendar, I mark out all of the holidays as "no school" days, and also mark out where I think we'll take a vacation, or where it would be a good "semester" break. I figure out how many days of school we have left, and how many our state requires. This calendar becomes our assignment book. In the assignment book, I write:

1. Monday: History, Reading, Language Arts Basics (LAB), and Math.
2. Tuesday: Science, Reading, LAB, and Math.
3. Wednesday: History, Reading, LAB, and Math.
4. Thursday: Science, Reading, LAB, and Math
5. Friday: either "Test", or "Art, Music, Foreign Language", or "Write a Report/Poem/Story"

• Our state requires 172 minimum days at 4 hours of contact per day. Required basic education includes communication skills (reading, writing, speaking), mathematics, history, civics/government, literature, and science.
• Then I start gathering materials. My kid loves workbooks and reading, so I find a good school supply store and start browsing. Once home, I take all of the books (including literature and reference material, workbooks, etc.) and separate according to subject.
• I start with the easiest first: literature. I write the list of fiction he needs to read. This year was: Mystery of the Cupboard, James and the Giant Peach, Red Badge of Courage... all the way to Little House on the Prairie, Prince and the Pauper, Bridge to Terabithia, The Hobbit and Harry Potter's Sorceror's Stone. I start with the easiest, figuring a few chapters a day, and write the book and chapter numbers in the assignment book. Each day I note which chapters until it's done. The next day I write "test" and make sure I have one ready. I might give him a couple of days before he starts the next book. And so on.
• When he reads a book that's been made into a movie, I assign watching that movie a few days after he finishes reading the book, and require a report comparing the book to the movie, and asking him to note any differences.
• Workbooks for various topics: I assign a couple of pages a day, noting which workbook he needs to work in. When he finished one workbook, the next day might be a free day on the subject, then he'll start the next workbook.

Note:

• I write his assignments in pencil. You never know what might happen! However, he has, at one point, erased what I wrote because he didn't like the number of pages I assigned. Keep a close eye on your assignment book!
• When he's sick, he makes up all missed work on the next school day/days. We need that attendance in case we're ever audited.
• Math is usually several workbook pages. Every once in a while I'll print out a sheet (or 4!) of math equations from one of the many websites. My favorite is: http://www.homeschoolmath.net/worksheets/ - grades up thru fifth, from addition to division, fractions, telling time, Roman numerals, and much more.
• Language Arts Basics (LAB) is often several different kinds of workbooks: from spelling to writing, handwriting, grammar and more.
• When it comes to the reading requirement, he reads aloud his history and science assignments, as well as any biographical and reference information. But more importantly, I make a list of classic fiction books he needs to get through by the end of the school year. This takes care of both the "reading" requirement, and the "literature".
• When it comes to fulfilling the speaking requirement, once a month or so I have him give a report to write and present orally to me or Hubby.
• History often includes world and U.S. history, geography and civics/government. We especially use local (and national) elections to help discuss civics.
• There are days when I assign him to listen to his math cd's, or the cd for spanish or french. I might also assign him to paint a picture or draw an anniversary or birthday card for his art assignment.
• Music might be listening to a classical music station and hum some of a piece, or make up a song to sing to us before dinner.
• I keep a separate red binder for assignments like reports or poems he writes. I keep them in order by section (writing, math, history, etc.) and then chronological.
• There's still another binder with reference material broken down by subject: roman numerals, math calculations, etc.
• I take advantage of school supply sales in August, stocking up on lots of pencils, erasers, lined paper, rulers, glue sticks and more.
• His days of attendance are tracked in the assignment book/calendar. I note on each day how much time it took for him to complete his work (including his fidgeting time) and at the end of the week, I bring down his total from last week and add this week's. I also track the days. We are usually quite a bit more than required, because we don't do school for just 9 months.... we do it year round because his brain goes to sleep when he has more than a couple of weeks off at a time!

I hope this makes schooling-at-home more clear.

L.A. Quick Quiz #2 - Answers

The following definitions are from www.thefreedictionary.com ... answers will vary for limerick and haiku poem.

1. Define "limerick". 1. A light humorous, nonsensical, or bawdy verse of five anapestic lines usually with the rhyme scheme aabba. 2. a form of comic verse consisting of five lines [allegedly from will you come up to Limerick? a refrain sung between nonsense verses at a party]

2. Write a limerick about a spider, apple tree, or blanket. Answers will vary.




3. Define "haiku". 1. A Japanese lyric verse form having three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables, traditionally invoking an aspect of nature or the seasons.
2. A poem written in this form.

4. Write a haiku poem about anything. You choose. Answers will vary.






Good work!

L.A. Quick Quiz #2

Name:__________________

Date:___________________

Answer the following. Definitions will be noted in the next post.

1. Define "limerick".



2. Write a limerick about a spider, apple tree, or blanket.











3. Define "haiku".


4. Write a haiku about anything. You choose.








Good work!

Posting Are Behind

We're a little behind in posting Double EE's assignments, quizes and worksheets to this blog so please be patient while we go through a little transition in this family. (Hubby's out of town 5 days a week - hard since we're still somewhat newlyweds).

What school-type assignments would you like to see on this blog?

L.A. Quick Quiz #1 - Answers

Grade 4. Here are the answers to the Quick Quiz #1 for Language Arts. Any of the following definitions (from www.thefreedictionary.com) or something similar should be fine:

1. Define "simile". Definition: a form of expression using `like' or `as', in which one thing is compared to another which it only resembles in one or a small number of ways... 'Her hair was like silk' is a simile.

2. Write a sentence showing a "simile". Answers will vary.

3. Define "metaphor". Definition: a form of expression (not using `like' or `as') in which a quality or characteristic is given to a person or thing by using a name, image, adjective etc normally used of something else which has similar qualities etc 'He's a tiger when he's angry' is an example of (a) metaphor.

4. Write a sentence showing a "metaphor". Answers will vary.

5. Define "onomatopoeia". Definition: The formation or use of words such as buzz or murmur that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.

6. Write a sentence showing an "onomatopoeia". Answers will vary.

7. Define "hyperbole". Definitions:
1. an obvious and intentional exaggeration.
2. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “She’s as big as a house.”

8. Write a sentence showing a "hyperbole". Answers will vary.

9. Define "personification". Definitions:
1. The act of personifying.
2. A person or thing typifying a certain quality or idea; an embodiment or exemplification: "He's invisible, a walking personification of the Negative" Ralph Ellison.
3. A figure of speech in which inanimate objects or abstractions are endowed with human qualities or are represented as possessing human form, as in Hunger sat shivering on the road or Flowers danced about the lawn. Also called prosopopeia.
4. Artistic representation of an abstract quality or idea as a person.

10. Write a sentence showing "personification". Answers will vary.

L.A. Quick Quiz #1

Name:____________________

Date:_____________________

This is a Quick Quiz for Language Arts, Grade 4. The answers will be in a separate post.

1. Define "simile".



2. Write a sentence showing a "simile".



3. Define "metaphor".



4. Write a sentence showing a "metaphor".



5. Define "onomatopoeia".



6. Write a sentence showing an "onomatopoeia".



7. Define "hyperbole".



8. Write a sentence showing a "hyperbole".



9. Define "personification".



10. Write a sentence showing "personification".