Do Toddlers and Well-Ordered Days Mix?

Having toddlers and well-ordered days might seem at times like mixing oil and water -- an impossible task. Oh sometimes if you stir hard enough it appears like the oil is mixing in with the water, but when you stop, the oil naturally separates to the top. Having toddlers can be that way too.  Little children can create chaos on top of a well-intentioned, well-ordered day. But does it have to be such a struggle? Is it really an impossible feat?

I can't remember a time in my married life when I haven't had young children. I have my older set, 13yr. old daughter, 11 yr. old son, and 9 year old daughter. Then I have my younger set, 4.5 yr. old daughter, 3 year old daughter and 10mo. old daughter (yes, that’s not a current picture—I’m working on that—lol.) I’ve learned a few things over the years and have come to appreciate and love being a mom of toddlers.

Being a mom of a toddler means we must...

"Absorb the chaos, create calm, and provide hope"
 Dr. Eugene B. Habecker @ Christian Leadership Alliance

I first heard this quote from a Christian referee. He talked about how his job in the middle of  possible volatile sport interactions was not to join the chaos, but to dissipate it, make peace with both sides, and provide a resolution. I think this quote is a good job- description for mothers of young children too.

Absorb the chaos.

 
I’ve been told many times, “Oh, you must have your hands full,” or “Just wait until the terrible 2’s hit.” In our society, toddlers are expected to be chaos-makers. They are known to mess up our routine, our idea of a clean house, our quiet-time. I believe though, when God spoke the world into being, He took chaos and created order. Since  little children are created in His image, I know the “chaos” label is not an inherent character quality.

As moms, when our young child has a melt-down, creates huge messes – create chaos – we must absorb it, not join in or make it worse. How could we make the situation worse? Well, if you are like me, when my child decides to explore her surroundings, practice opening and closing lids and then dumps a whole container of flour all over herself and the floor, my natural tendency is to speak harshly and be highly annoyed. This  doesn’t make the situation calm when I react like that. It usually makes it worse. I’ve found that I cannot absorb chaos in my own strength. I’m constantly asking God for help---that He’d help me see the root cause of what’s going on with my child and how to best help him/her. I’m learning with His help to react calmly and even treasure some of these memorable challenges. I try to identify (if possible) the reason for the chaos:

1. Was the chaos caused by lack of sleep?
2. Was the chaos caused by what was eaten? (i.e. too much sugar, allergic reaction)
3. Was the chaos a cry for attention?
4. Was the chaos just their way of trying to be independent?
5. Was the chaos deliberate – an act of disobedience?
6. Was the chaos a way to cope with feelings of being overwhelmed or afraid?
7. Was the chaos because I neglected to do what needed to be done that day? (i.e. stick to the schedule, get off the computer, play with my child etc.)

When I have an idea why my child might have acted/reacted the way they did, I can work on ways to help both of us have better success at a well-ordered day. Of course, there are still those times where I say to myself, “What were you thinking!”  :)

Create calm.

I am not a very strict scheduler. You might say that I tend to go with the flow of the rhythm of our day more often than following the clock. One way to help create calm for my toddlers is to establish daily routines. Young children like to know what to expect. Least you think I’m some sort of super mom, I’ll let you in on a secret--- I struggle with keeping schedules. I’m a mom of young kids which requires me to be flexible.  I finally embraced the fact that for me, time schedules don’t work at this stage of my life. Instead, I focus on developing routines—which in return end up functioning like a general schedule.  Click to see my family’s chore chart and routine, but here’s the basic flow to the first part of my toddlers’ day:

1. Wake up.
- Get dressed.
- Make bed.

2. All eat breakfast together.
- Family Bible time.

3. Help with morning chores.

4. Do some educational activities w/ Mom

5. Free-play (Specific choices of activities and toys are available. This is not a free-for-all.)

6. Lunch

When we follow our routines, my toddlers are more likely to have a good day. When I find that I’m lax on implementing them, I’ve increased the likelihood of chaos occurring.

Provide hope.

My kids are a blessing. I want my young children to know they are not a hindrance, a pain, or something to deal with until they get older. They have value now. How I relate to them is going to have an effect on how they view their Heavenly Father. I want to take this precious time in their life when they have such a love of learning to instill the reason of  hope in their lives--- Jesus. So what I’ve learned is that a well-ordered day with a toddler is possible, but it usually has little to do with my toddler and everything to do with me.

 
Check out what these other fabulous bloggers have to say about Well-Ordered Days:

Jimmie's Collage- Meal Planning for Well Ordered Days
Raising Arrows- How You Spend Your Time Matters
Somewhat Crunchy- Chores 'Round Here - The Teen Schedule
A Slob Comes Clean- Creating a Schedule for the New Normal
Finding Joy- The Flexible Schedule. It's Possible.
Spell Outloud- Do Toddlers and Well-Ordered Days Mix?
Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers- Scheduling Time with Your Husband
Many Little Blessings- Finding time for Creative Endeavors
Catholic Icing- Creating A Schedule Your Family Can Thrive On!
Get Along Home- How I Stopped Dithering and Learned to Love the Schedule

If you have a scheduling post feel free to link up!

Making Robots

Yep, it’s Letter R week already! Head on over to Totally Tots to see what other robot activities we did.

Ziggy the Zebra

Meet Ziggy. Ziggy the Zebra (What? You’ve never seen a purple and blue zebra before?)

 

This week we started All About Reading Pre-Level 1. When I purchased my set, I did not get the puppet. After reading other reviews on how their children just loved the puppet, I decided I should get a zebra too. I was skeptical that it would be very helpful though.

Boy was I wrong! My girls love Ziggy. When we are ready to start our lesson, I tell them that it’s Ziggy Time and they come quickly.  My 4yr. old and Ziggy lead us in singing the ABC song.

Of course so there will be no tears, my other daughter gets to use the pencil pointer while we are singing. The next day they switch props.

We also play games with Ziggy. Right now Ziggy is helping the girls understand rhyming words.  Ziggy also reads a letter poem each day. Ziggy is so smart!

Sometimes playful props really do aid in learning. It makes it more like pretend play with a touch of learning added in for good measure. I’m glad I decided that we needed a “Ziggy” in the house.

Here are two free Ziggy the Zebra e-books:

Disclosure: There are affiliate links included in this post. Using them helps support this site. Thank you!

Winners!

Here are the winners from the Surprise Celebration:

Apologia Anatomy Jr. Notebook:

KD said...

I have just learned about the Jr notebooks. They will be so great for my boys.
Three bones in the human body: clavicle, sternum, scapula (all in the shoulder/chest area). Ps. Is it cheating that we've all just started our health/anatomy? Lol

 

Pocketful of Rosies:

Blessed Believer said...

I Love EVERYTHING!! So very Hard to choose ONE Item!! I Love the Headband, Small earings, Bobby Pins...Oh..I Love it all =)

 

Math Blaster:

Math was not my favorite subject but it was not my least favorite subject either.
kaos2me

The Grace Card DVD:

Julie Marie said...

I would watch this movie with my entire family before passing on to others.

Playful Learning Book & E-Course:

Karyn said...

This looks like a fun book! I would love to read it.

Playful Learning Giveaway

Yesterday I shared part 1 of the interview I had with Mariah Bruehl from Playful Learning. Today we finish the last couple of questions and share the details of  the Playful Learning giveaway.

4. What two tips would you give to parents and educators who want to start implementing more play-based learning experiences in their homes or classrooms?

First and foremost I would recommend slowing down and to just spend time listening to your child. Follow his lead and do whatever he wants you to do with him. It is during these times, when your child has you as a captive audience that you can learn a lot about his interests, questions and skills. When your child feels listened to and seen, they are far more receptive to your ideas and invitations.

After you have gleaned some information from your child about what her current interests are, it is helpful to do a bit of preparation. Take a trip to the library or do some research into activities that may extend or deepen that interest. I enjoy leaving little clues around the house like a book or a craft supply to catch the attention of my daughters.  Once they ask about them and find out that there may be more involved, they are eager to participate in the activity!

5. Tell me about the most memorable learning activity for your family that you included in your book?

That is a really hard question! Each activity in the book holds such fond memories for us. If I have to choose one experience that has had the most profound impact on us, it would be the lesson on Put-Ups and Put-Downs. I feel strongly that if every parent and child were introduced to this concept the world would be a better place! The idea is simple—put-ups are things that people can do or say that make you feel good and put-downs are things that people can do or say that make you feel bad. Yet, by identifying them and giving children simple vocabulary to use to talk about situations as they arise, they become very aware of their actions and the actions of others. Having an understanding of these simple terms has helped us to better communicate as a family and to discuss and work through a variety of social situations that have come up for our daughters over the years.

6. How has this approach to learning with your kids changed you?

My children have become my greatest teachers. I learn so much about how to best work with them when I take the time to pick up on their cues and follow their leads. Before I had children, I had strong views about the "right way" to teach children. After becoming a parent I realized that the best way to teach children is by seeing them for the individuals that they are. Now I realize that there is no "one size fits all" solution to education. We have to do what works best for each child and that may be different for different kinds of learners.

Guess what…

CLOSED You can win a copy of Mariah Bruehl's book, Playful Learning: Develop Your Child's Sense of Joy and Wonder as well as a space in her 6 week fall e-course Playful Learning Spaces

The Details:
Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment! (see that was easy :) )
Optional entry:
Share on Twitter or Google+

*Giveaway runs from Aug. 25th – August 28th. 
* U.S. residents only
*Winner will be drawn by random.org and will be emailed.
*Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
*Please leave your email address in a comment or visible on your profile.

Our Sponsors:

Time 4 Learning: Online Homeschool Curriculum - Student-paced program for prek-eighth grade. Get language arts, math & more.

About Playful Learning

As I have been contemplating what our homeschool should look this year, I’ve been thinking about how to include more playful learning experiences and spaces in our day. The person who introduced me to this concept was Mariah Bruehl of Playful Learning. She recently  published Playful Learning: Developing Your Child’s Sense of Joy and Wonder and was kind enough to answer a couple of questions about Playful Learning. This is part 1 of 2 --- be sure to check back tomorrow for a giveaway tied in with Playful Learning. :)

1. What is Playful Learning?

Playful Learning is the magic that takes place when we meld a child's natural curiosity about the world with thoughtfully prepared environments and experiences. Through guided experiences that are introduced as children's interests arise, parents and teachers can help to nurture the natural sense of joy and wonder that comes from having good questions and learning how to effectively seek out and find the answers. When this takes place, we no longer need to delineate between work and play. To children the work feels like play and to parents and teachers they can witness firsthand that a child's play leads to valuable work and learning.

2. Describe "thoughtful spaces" for children to a parent or teacher who is interested in implementing them.

I think it is inspiring to look at the spaces we create for the children in our lives with a fresh perspective. When designing a space for children, it is helpful to think about the characteristics that you as an adult would like. Often grown-ups create spaces for children with pre-conceived ideas of what children like, rather than considering basic elements of a useful and practical space.

Here are some important things to keep in mind when designing spaces that inspire playful learning:

·     Can your child access the materials she needs independently? Are they organized in baskets/ bins that are clearly labeled so that your child knows how and where to put things away when she is finished?

·     Are the materials high quality and presented in an attractive manner that “invites” your child to use them?

·     Do the materials, toys, and games that you have out represent a balance between your child’s and your own preferences. Do they represent what you value and encourage your child to engage in activities that you feel good about?

·     What is your child currently interested in? If your child no longer uses his dinosaurs, but has been talking a lot about birds, make sure that his play space reflects his current passions. Rotating toys is a great way to keep your child interested in his play space activities and ultimately prolongs the life of his playthings. It never ceases to amaze me how excited the girls get about a toy that comes back into rotation. The nostalgia they feel towards a toy they have not seen in awhile is almost better than if it was a brand new toy.

·     Is it a calming environment that allows one to focus on the task at hand without distracting colors, decorations, or objects?

·     Are you seeing things from your child’s perspective? Literally put yourself in your child’s shoes to determine the right height for displaying and storing materials as well as hanging art.

·      Is this a space that makes you want to make art, explore science, write stories, and so on? If so, would you have everything you need to do what you want to do? What else could you add to enrich and deepen your experience?

3. Why do you believe it is important for parents to create these thoughtful spaces in their homes/classrooms? 

A well-prepared environment can result in many hours of self-guided, independent, creative, and productive time for your children. Although it takes some thought and preparation, the results can be life changing for both you and your child.

Stay Tuned for Part 2 and an awesome giveaway !

Imagine: Women of Faith

This past weekend I went on a little mommy-vacation with my own mom. We headed to  Indy for the Women of Faith Imagine conference thanks to Book Sneeze and Thomas Nelson.

What is Women of Faith?

Women of Faith is a faith-based women's organization encouraging women of all ages and stages in life to grow in faith and spiritual maturity through a relationship with Jesus Christ and an understanding of God’s love and grace. ~ Women of Faith.com

 

When we arrived, I was expecting nose-bleed seats and was totally shocked when I found out our seats were on the front row! I could see what shoes everyone was wearing! I had the best time watching the speakers while they were in their seats. It was fun to see that Lisa Welchel and Mandisa came just to support their WoF friends! They weren’t even speaking or performing. I could tell that this group of ladies have a special friendship and love for each other. Seeing that encouraged me.

I’m still mulling over the many things I heard --figuring out what applies to me and what I need to do about it. Here are some random things I remember from this weekend:

Dr. Henry Cloud: “Everything we think is going to make us happy only accounts for 10% of happiness.”  and “Imagine a life of being a giver. Happy people are connected people (our monkey aka friend—lol—it ended up being a joke during the weekend after he gave monkey example to illustrate this point.) Happy people have goals.”

Sheila Walsh: What a testimony she has! I don’t have enough space here to express how she impacted me. I’m still thinking about many  things she said this weekend.

 

Angie Smith: I have followed Angie Smith’s blog, Bring the Rain for several years. I was pregnant with my now 3yr. old when Angie was blogging about her daughter, Audrey Caroline. I wept many times reading her blog during that time-period. This weekend she shared Audrey’s story with us. She had us crying and then laughing the next moment. What a story and what a great speaker.

Natalie Grant: I’m not a crier, but I had tears in my eyes hearing Natalie singing It is Well.  Todd Smith (Angie Smith’s dh) posted a video of  Natalie singing:  http://www.twitvid.com/CBKGI (be aware there might be an ad before the song that is not affiliated with Todd nor Natalie.)

Oh and Lisa Harper, Nicole Johnson, Luci Swindoll and the worship team were fantastic as well!

If a Women of Faith event will be in your area, I’d encourage you to pray about going.

Disclosure: I was provided two (2) tickets to the Indy Women of Faith event courtesy of Thomas Nelson Publishing in exchange for two blog posts regarding the event. All opinions are mine.

Apologia Anatomy Jr. Notebooking Journal Giveaway

I am so excited to be going through Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy & Physiology book with my kids this year. We do science in a co-op setting and I will be teaching the K-2nd grade group. Since I’ve got the younger kiddos, I will be coming up with many hands-on activities that go along with the main concepts taught in each chapter but on their level. I plan on posting what we do each week here on my blog. One resource that Apologia has for this class is the notebooking journal. There are two levels, the regular notebooking journal and the junior notebooking journal.

The junior notebooking journal is much like the original Anatomy Notebooking Journal, but is designed for younger students or those with limited writing skills. All the lines are primary writing lines (a dashed line between two solid lines), and there are far fewer than in the original journal.
This junior journal is perfect for:

• Younger students that have not yet mastered handwriting
• Older students that are delayed in handwriting mastery
• Older students with learning disabilities
• Students that are new to written narration

~Apologia Website

I really like the inclusion of coloring pages and the personal person project. If I could have ordered those two components separately, I would have purchased them for my whole K-2 group! This notebook is very well-made and includes notebooking pages and some lapbooking elements.  You can view a couple pages from the Jr. Notebook here (the samples don’t do the journal justice—there are well-done copywork pages, coloring pages too!) Don’t let the word “jr” throw you---I would actually consider this appropriate for grades 2 on up. My group won’t be using this wonderful resource (too much writing for little ones in a co-op setting) but the older groups will be using the original notebooking journal in their classes.

The Giveaway: CLOSED

The Details:
1. Mandatory Entry: Name three bones in your body.
2. Optional entry:
Share on Twitter: “Giveaway from @SpellOutloud Apologia Jr. Notebook http://bit.ly/pqWkdt  "

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Winner will receive 1 Apologia Jr. Notebooking Journal.

*Giveaway runs from Aug. 18th – August 27th. 
* U.S. residents only – 18yrs. or older.
*Winner will be drawn by random.org and will be emailed.
*Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
*Please leave your email address in a comment or visible on your profile.

Disclosure: Apologia is not affiliated with this review or giveaway. Product will be donated by Spell Outloud. Opinions are my own.

Click here to see the rest of the giveaways for this week!

The Grace Card - Giveaway

It’s been awhile since I’ve sat down to watch a movie.  It has to be something that really sounds interesting to me before I take the time to watch it. My husband on the other hand, loves to watch movies. He often references movies in our conversations and then remembers that I probably have no clue what he’s talking about.  This week we decided to watch a movie together and have a Family Movie Night.  The featured movie was The Grace Card from Graceworks and Calvary pictures.

 

About the Movie:

Mac McDonald is a hurting man who is bitter and angry at the world. His home-life is falling apart and his career is stalled at the police department because of his bad attitude.

Sam Wright never planned on being a police officer. His heart was to be a full-time pastor. But his small start-up church salary doesn’t pay the bills. When Sam is promoted to Sergeant, he second-guesses what his real calling may be.

When Mac and Sam are forced to become partners, will they be able to join forces to help one another when it’s impossible for either of them to look past their differences---especially the most obvious one?

Every day, we have the opportunity to rebuild relationships and heal deep wounds by extending and receiving God's grace. Offer THE GRACE CARD ... and never underestimate the power of God's love.

What We Thought:

I’m not a crier. This movie had me wiping away a few tears from the corners of my eyes at various times. I loved the message. I was very surprised when my husband, the movie guru, said that it was excellent too.  I am thrilled to see good quality Christian movies being created. Because of this movie, I’ve been able to have a couple of good conversations with my kids about grace. Though this movie is rated PG13, I was comfortable with my older children watching the movie with us. There was nothing too violent or gory.

There are lots of ministry resources available on The Grace Card website. This movie lends itself well to a small group discussion or Bible study. You can also keep up with the ins and outs of the movie by following their Facebook page.

Who would like to watch this at their next family movie night?

The Giveaway: CLOSED

I have a DVD of  The Grace Card to give away to one of you!

The Details:
1. Mandatory Entry: Who would you watch this movie with?

2. Optional entry:
Share on Twitter: “Giveaway from @SpellOutloud The Grace Card- perfect for #familymovienight  http://bit.ly/pqWkdt  "

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

*Giveaway runs from Aug. 18h – August 27th. 
* U.S. residents only – 18yrs. or older.
*Winner will be drawn by random.org and will be emailed.
*Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
*Please leave your email address in a comment or visible on your profile.

Disclosure: I received a copy of The Grace Card for review purposes only. Opinions are my own.

Click here to see the rest of the giveaways for this week!

Pocketful of Rosies - Special Giveaway

This is one giveaway that I am honored to be doing. My friend Ami---you might know her as the brains behind Homeschool Share, opened up a shop called Pocketful of Rosies.  Here’s what Ami has to say,

“Every penny you spend at Pocketful of Rosies will be given to my dear friend's family to help bring Abbi (their Ethiopian daughter) home. ♥ If you'd like to follow Abbi's adventure, please check out my friend's blog.”

So what is Pocketful of Rosies? I’m so glad you asked!

Can you see the adorable pink flower bobby pin in my daughter’s hair? My daughters were so excited when our package of girly hair clips, earrings, and alligator clips arrived. Each immediately picked an item to show off to you:

I love these bobby pins. They are so beautiful! Ami has so many pretty collections of bobby pins in her shop that it was hard to choose a favorite.

My two older daughters loved the earrings. There are dangle earrings and stud earring available in the shop. These would make nice stocking stuffers!

I took the flower alligator clips and used them to hang mini-messages on our morning board. They make me smile every time I look at them. (See, you can use them for hair or for decorating!)

Ami is only keeping the shop open until the end of August—so if you see something you like, get it while you can. :) These items aren't just for little girls! Anyone can wear them. I’d love to hear from Ami that she ran out of everything! :) Wouldn’t that be a cool way to close the shop?

The Giveaway CLOSED

Pocketful of Rosies has offered one of you all your choice of a little something in the shop!

The Details:
Mandatory Entry: What item at Pocketful of Rosies would you like to win? 

Optional entry:
Share on Twitter: “Giveaway from @SpellOutloud & Pocketful of Rosies. All shop proceeds help fund #adoption from Ethiopia: http://bit.ly/pqWkdt  "

*Giveaway runs from Aug. 17th – August 27th. 
* U.S. residents only
*Winner will be drawn by random.org and will be emailed.
*Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
*Please leave your email address in a comment or visible on your profile.

Keep up with our Surprise Week of giveaways!

Our Sponsors:

Time 4 Learning: Online Homeschool Curriculum - Student-paced program for prek-eighth grade. Get language arts, math & more.

Surprise! Celebrating on SpellOutloud

Sometimes it’s fun to celebrate just because I can! After hosting the Octopus Craft Giveaway (which cherisek23 won—will mail out today), I decided to go with a whole surprise week of giveaways. Some of these giveaways are from sponsors and some are from Spell Outloud. In order to keep it easy for me, most giveaways will end on 8/27.

1. Math Blaster 3 mo. membership
2. Pocketful of Rosies
3. The Grace Card DVD
4. Apologia Jr. Notebooking Journal
5. Playful Learning Book and e-class giveaway (ends 8/28)

Math Blaster Review & Giveaway

I just might have mentioned a time or two on my blog that math is not my strongest subject. It was the one subject in school that I feared. I’m trying my hardest not to pass down my math phobia to my kids, so I am always open to finding ways to sneak math into our day. Knowledge Adventure asked me to check out Math Blaster. Since I have at least one kid who is highly motivated by doing work on the computer, I agreed.

What Is It?

Math Blaster is an futuristic space-themed online game which incorporates various math topics and levels. It is geared toward 6yr.- 12yr. olds. In addition, membership also allows you to access Jump Start, a virtual world for kids ages 3-10.

What We Thought:

I had my 9yr. old daughter test this game out with me. The first day she played, she spent most of the time changing her avatar’s clothes and hairstyles—lol. The next day she explored the various games available.

Here is a list of some of the games and the concepts presented:

• Math Facts (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division)
  • Zapper Turret Training
  • HyperBlast Training
  • Alien Wrangler
• Fractions, Decimals and Percents
  • Bolt Cruncher
• Money
  • Oozami
• Place Values
  • Ooozami
• 3D Figures
  • Bolt Cruncher

My daughter really enjoyed this game---especially the HyperBlast Training. I on the other hand, am uncoordinated. Most of the games required the use of the arrow keys to move. It took all my daughter’s self-control not to grab the keyboard from me while playing. Yes, I was that pitiful. I’m starting to get the hang of it now. :)

There are many areas of the game that I would consider time-wasters (ie changing your avatars clothes) but they appeal to kids. Obviously this is a supplemental math tool, so I can overlook those sections. I did however, need to redirect my daughter on a couple of occasions to go to the games that were math-oriented. If you are looking for a way to combine gaming entertainment with some learning, then Math Blaster and Jump Start are perfect options to consider.

Math Blaster Membership Information
Math Blaster Blog

Giveaway: CLOSED

Math Blaster is giving away a 3-month free membership! This is for the online program—no physical product will be sent.

The Details:
Mandatory Entry: Was math your favorite subject? Why, or why not?
Optional entry: Share on Twitter

*Giveaway runs from Aug. 16th – August 27th. 
*Winner will be drawn by random.org and will be emailed.
*Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
*Please leave your email address in a comment or visible on your profile.

Disclosure: I was provided with a membership good for Math Blaster and Knowledge Adventure at no cost by Knowledge Adventure in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

The Students at Spell Academy

This week for the Not-Back-t0-School Blog hop the topic is back to school photos. I thought I’d combine photos with my students’ possible course of study this year since I missed that week of the hop (yes, I’m still working on the details—lol!) And if you are new here---WELCOME! I share homeschool curriculum reviews, early-childhood activities, free printables and more. I even have some giveaways planned for this week,  so you might consider subscribing to this blog to keep up with all the happenings on Spell Outloud.

2011-2012 School Year

13yr. old DD

Bible/Devotional: Grapevine Studies (we do together as a family); Read through the New Testament; Read Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris
Math: Teaching Textbooks
Science: Apologia General Science
Writing: Finish IEW Level B
Literature: Maybe Lightning Literature?  Sonlight? Still looking at options.
Grammar: Easy Grammar Plus
Spanish: Rosetta Stone
History: She would like to do World History (Sonlight Core W?)—looking at options.
Logic: The Fallacy Detective
Art:  Artistic Pursuits

DS 11.5

Bible/Devotional: Grapevine Studies (we do together as a family); Read through the New Testament; Read Do Hard Things by Alex & Brett Harris
Math: Teaching Textbooks
Science: Apologia General Science
Writing: Finish IEW Level B
Literature: Sonlight
Grammar: Easy Grammar 6 ?
Spelling: ?
Spanish: Rosetta Stone
History:  American History based on Sonlight Core 3/4
Logic: The Fallacy Detective
Art:  Artistic Pursuits

9yr. old DD

Bible/Devotional: Grapevine Studies (we do together as a family); Read through the New Testament with mom; virtue studies (hopefully this one)
Math: Teaching Textbooks
Science: Apologia Exploring Creation: Anatomy
Writing: Jump In
Literature: Sonlight
Grammar: Easy Grammar?
Spelling:  All About Spelling
Spanish: Speekee
History:  American History based on Sonlight Core 3/4 (probably a new letter name now-lol)
Art:  Artistic Pursuits

4.5 yr. old DD

Bible/Devotional: Grapevine Studies (we do together as a family); SEEDS Family Worship songs and printables ; virtues study
Math: no formal program yet. Will be doing hands-on games.
Reading:  All About Reading; Lots of Read-alouds with mom, some BFIAR/FIAR.
Phonics: Get Set for the Code/ Go for the Code (we finished book 1 last year)
Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears
Spanish: Speekee

3 yr. old DD

Bible/Devotional: Grapevine Studies (we do together as a family); SEEDS Family Worship songs and printables ; virtues study
Math: no formal program yet. Will be doing hands-on games.
Reading:  All About Reading; Lots of Read-alouds with mom, some BFIAR/FIAR.
Spanish: Speekee

almost 10mo. DD 

Keeping up with her siblings! Will be trying to do activities from Active Baby, Healthy Brain.

We won’t be in full-school mode until September. Right now we are working on getting back into a routine. We are adding a new subject each week to our schedule which allows us to ease into our school-year and still be able to enjoy the nice weather.

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