I just got word that CurrClick will be continuing their annual tradition of offering free products in honor of Mother’s Day! The festivities begin on Monday, May 12, 2008, and go through May 14.

You will be able to download up to 20 free products from their special Mother’s Day offerings. Some of the products include:

• 13 Colonies Themed Notebooking Pages
• Happy Scribe Backyard Birds Book of Copywork
• Made with Love: A Collection of Recipes for Homemade Babyfood
• Math Mammoth Clock Worktext
• Mom’s Chore Organizer
• Successfully Homeschooling the High School Student
• The Internet Scavenger Hunt
• Honey Bee Mini-Books
• Gettysburg Address Copywork Notebook w/ Vocabulary Extensions

And quite a few more!

Be sure to enjoy Mother’s Day with your family, and then on Monday you can start enjoying over $100 worth of free downloads!

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Looking for an engaging, colorful, life science program for your elementary school aged child?  How about a free one?  Check out Classic Science from Scott McQuerry’s The Lab of Mr. Q.

This 36 week program is written in a style that will certainly engage children.  There are lots of little jokes and zany photos with comic book style captions, and the tone is informal and down-to-earth.

The curriculum is designed to be taught 3 days a week.  The first day is spent reading an interesting passage about a topic and completing an associated worksheet, which could include a crossword puzzle or matching definitions, etc.    The remaining two days are spent on activities and experiments.  There are a number of science fair type projects scheduled for the year.  In fact, your child would complete about 10 of them, which would certainly lead to a lot of exposure to and comfort with the scientific method.

This program is labeled for ages 6-9, but given the types of exercises and worksheets, not to mention all the science fair type projects and the inclusion of some simple percents and averages, I think it would most comfortably fit grades 3-4 or so, for the average student.  Younger students would certainly enjoy many parts of the program, especially the entertaining and visually pleasing readings, but my guess is that they might not understand all of it.

I actually prefer doing science from an integrated approach such as that in BFSU, rather than only studying one type of science for an entire year, but this curriculum is particularly well done.  It would actually complement many of the BFSU lessons rather well, and could be used to generate interest and provide reinforcement of those lessons, as well as providing practice in the scientific method.

There is currently no charge for the downloads, which consist of a student text/workbook and teacher’s guides for 36 weeks.  Voluntary donations are excepted via Paypal, however, and given the obvious effort that has gone into this program (the production values are amazing!), a donation seems very appropriate if you do use and enjoy the materials!

An Earth science version is currently under development.

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I have to admit . . .

I have to admit that when I first completed the Mosaic Introduction to World History, Part 1, I wasn’t actually certain it would be worth the (literally) hundreds of hours I expended getting it together.

What if I spent more than a year of my life on something that was greeted with a <yawn>?!

As I prepared to release this project out “into the wild”, I tried to think ahead, to decide how many users it would take to really make it “worth it”. Now, don’t get me wrong - Helping out even one person is always gratifying. Realistically speaking, however, I did want to expend energy in the most productive ways I could! If the curriculum thudded, I recognized that I would logically need to find a different avenue for assisting parents who are trying to educate their children. Above all, I wanted to be doing something that was useful to others.
I finally decided that probably somewhere around 100 downloads would tell me that there was indeed sufficient interest to indicate a genuine need in the homeschool community. After all, this was a mid-school-year release of a “to be continued” series on a relatively unknown blog, and I expected somewhat of a delayed response. I wouldn’t blame people for wanting to wait to be sure other levels would be released, or for the next school year to begin, or to be sure I didn’t pull a bait and switch and start charging people for the next level or something else objectionable!

Now, as we start to close in on 1000 downloads, I’ve decided that it will be well worthwhile for me to invest the time and effort needed to go ahead with level 2!

Changes will be needed . . .

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been gearing up to begin writing the next level of the Mosaic series. I’ve also been ill, experiencing debilitating (and unexpected!) side effects from a medication. I’m finally getting back to my old self, with a new realization as a result of all these circumstances that I need to shuffle things around a bit, so that I can most effectively marshal my resources.

I’m happy to write that effective mid to late May, Lunablog.net will be transformed into much more than a blog.

There will be a new name, a new focus, (and, yes, a blog, too!) The new site will make it much easier to find all the links, articles, and free resources that are available here. The new blog will notify users about newsworthy events and all updates to the site. You will be able to subscribe to a free email newsletter, as well.

The new site should be much easier for me to maintain, freeing me up to dig into writing curriculum guides like nobody’s business!

When will Mosaic 2 be out?

The original Mosaic curriculum took about 18 months from start to finish. Now that I know what I’m doing (hah!), the next level should be much less time consuming, but it will still be heavily labor intensive, especially since I have several plans to improve the quality and usefulness of the curriculum.

Because I know that there are many people who need resources for learning about the middle ages this fall, I am trying to get a rough outline in place by that time. Because this isn’t a printed, bound manual, it is much easier for me to release preliminary stages as I go. This means everyone will get a “behind the scenes” look at the ongoing development of the curriculum.

I’ll begin by releasing preliminary booklists on the new site next month. Then, I’ll fine tune the booklist and begin generating a spreadsheet that coordinates the resources into a rough schedule. All the spreadsheets and so forth will be available on the website as I make them. Finally, I’ll use my desktop publishing software to format the schedules into tables and daily instructions for the final version. As I complete lessons, I’ll add those to the website, as well. My hope is to get all the preliminary scheduling done before September, allowing those who want to begin working with the lessons this fall to do so, as long as they don’t care if it looks pretty yet! This fall will then be spent releasing the more attractive final lessons as they are completed, and I’m hoping to have them all complete by the end of the calendar year.

So, that’s it! That’s the plan.

Check back here for more details as they become available! And, if you want to know the latest, right in your inbox, sign up here for email notifications of all our updates.

Photo credit: spring enchantment by magicmarie

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Trying to figure out your child’s approximate reading level? Don’t want to order a standardized test to do it? I found a free online reading test that helps you determine the current reading level of your child.

The test is offered by Reading Key, a reading curriculum geared towards grades k-5. (I’m actually going to buy the curriculum, too, but that’s a review for another day!)

Results of this simple online exercise will tell you the grade and month level that your child is currently reading. Now, I’m not a big fan of obsessing over grade level - my children are typically all over the map with regards to grade! With reading, however, knowing your child’s approximate level can often be helpful. If you want to tailor your approach to remedial work, for example, or if you just want a better idea of where your child is in order to select appropriate reading materials and programs, knowing your child’s current skill level can help you in your planning. Tracking your child’s reading level can also be a helpful tool for evaluating whether a particular approach is working well for your child.

You can begin the reading test by clicking here. You will have the opportunity to enter your child’s approximate current grade level and name. (These will print out on the test, which is helpful if you have several children, but you can make something up if you don’t want to use your child’s real name for some reason.) You will then be given instructions for taking the test.

Basically, the test presents words for the child to read, gradually increasing the difficulty until your child misses 4 words. This determines the grade level that they will then more thoroughly evaluate. For example, if your child’s fourth miss occurs in the level 2 words, the tool will then present 50 words from the grade 2 list for your child to attempt. You mark each word your child misses on the list, and the tool then generates a summary that discusses the approximate placement of your child.

The tool takes into account whether your child reads a word easily or hesitates before being able to read it correctly, so you will receive a score for the standard grade level, as well as the level at which your child can read fluently. (Fluency is attained by practicing words your child already knows.)

The test results will also explain the appropriate placement of your child, if you want to use the Reading Key program. (The program can also easily be used to tutor or supplement another reading program.) They offer free downloads of the first 9 lessons in each grade level, so you can try it before you buy it. I was looking for a reading program that would pick up where Headsprout (which we loved!) left off, so we will be giving Reading Key a try. I’ll review the program here once we’ve had a chance to thoroughly evaluate it!

Photo credit: Girl sitting reading book looking surprised by iofoto

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I was excited to see a cool link from ClickSchooling in my inbox this morning!

Today’s issue highlights a free offer from BrainPop, in honor of Earth Day. BrainPop is a subscription service that allows kids to view short animated movies about a plethora of topics, followed by quizzes, if you desire. From now until Earth Day, however, they have gathered a collection of their movies about environmental topics that is available to everyone for free!  These would be great for reinforcing lessons on stewardship of our natural resources.

The movies are geared towards middle school/high school age. One of my 7 year olds watched one movie and enjoyed it, although she probably didn’t quite understand all the terminology.

The movies will be available until April 22nd, so watch them while you can!

Enjoy!

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I just finished my preliminary list of information on 10 Spanish programs suitable for homeschoolers. This is a compilation of research I’ve done over the past year, while deciding on an approach for our own family to take towards learning this foreign language.

One resource that I was particularly excited to find was Salsa, a video program developed by the Georgia PBS. Although it costs over $1000 to order DVD’s of the episodes, they have made the episodes available online for FREE!

This program reminds me of a Spanish version of Sesame Street, with puppets who act out scenes based on classic children’s stories. There are numerous resources available on the website, as well - you can see my full posting for more details.

So, which option did I pick for our family?

Well, to be honest, I don’t believe you can really learn a foreign language by using just one resource. For that reason, I fully intend to utilize many of these options at various points. We will also, at some point, seek to find others who actually speak the language, to extend our learning into real life.

To illustrate this point, let’s use the example of Rosetta Stone. I’ve seen for several years now that they advertise they are used by the US Foreign Service to train diplomats. Now, my best friend from college happens to be a diplomat in the Foreign Service, so I asked her to clarify how Rosetta Stone is used. She told me that they do have Rosetta Stone available for use, but that it is one out of many tools that they use in order to learn a new language. They are also taking intensive curriculum-based classes, and working with many different methods to drill facts - including placing post-it notes all over everything in their house, which is what I found when I went to visit her during her most recent language training assignment!

In other words, they use whatever they can find that works, and I think homeschoolers do the best when they take the same approach. Buy a curriculum (or two!), pick up some bilingual books or Spanish language books from your local library, buy some Spanish language computer software, watch Spanish language movies (you can often get those from the library, too), and Spanish language television. (One of the benefits of studying Spanish in America is that so many of these resources are readily available for little or no charge, depending on where you live.) And go ahead and label everything in your house with post-it notes, if that helps! Of course, if you can, you will want to find people with whom you can speak Spanish, as well.

So far, we’ve been using Elementary Spanish, as well as beginning working our way through the episodes of Salsa. I’ll be getting some bilingual books, and I’m planning to purchase Puertas abiertas, too. When my children get a bit older, we’ll probably use several of the other resources as well.

To me, learning to speak another language provides the unique perspective of looking at the world through a slightly different set of eyes. The exercise for your brain is fabulous, too! In college I spent 3 years learning German, and I loved being able to actually speak another language. Now I’m ready to start learning Spanish with my children, so that I’ll know a foreign language I can actually use in this country!

Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Palenque mayan Ruins by Daniel Andres Forero

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Well, after more than a week of unpleasant heart palpitations, dizziness, and an ER visit, I’m feeling like I should be ready to get back to blogging. I still have some more tests to do, but I’m to the point that I don’t think I’ll be keeling over any time soon, thank goodness!

To ease my way back into the swing of things, I thought I’d point out a few nifty gadgets I found recently:

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Due to technical difficulties (such as me having health issues all week) I’ve been unable to post as regularly as I wanted the past few days.  I’ll return ASAP when I’m feeling a bit better!

Never fear - whilst languishing on the couch this afternoon, I’ve been making notes on upcoming ideas.  Once my brain fog clears up enough for me to be sure it isn’t all medication and illness induced nonsense, I’ll be able to hit publish!

See you soon!

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What stories do you tell your children (and yourself!) about learning?

It is an almost universal phenomenon that people are profoundly moved and impressed by the stories we tell each other (and ourselves) about what we are doing and why.

Almost everything we say or do is deeply intertwined with the stories we are currently hearing and telling.

From that standpoint, parents are largely responsible for marketing learning to their children. We determine the stories our children learn about learning.

The “marketing” term sounds icky, but it’s not as bad as it sounds.

Really anytime we interact with other people we are making an impression on them by our enthusiasm or indifference; our ideas and opinions; our words and actions. These cues work collectively to tell others a story about ourselves and what we think is important in life, whether we want them to or not.

What stories do you tell about the value of learning?

• “We learn because it is ‘the law’.”
• “We learn because we can’t help it!”
• “. . .Because I said so!”
• “. . .Because it will help us live happy and prosperous lives.”
• “. . .Because learning helps us make the world a better place.”

I’m certain I’ve told all these stories (and more) at some point. No question, some of these are more motivational, long-term, than others. Those are the stories I hope to emphasize to myself and my children.

The important thing, I think, is not to say that some stories should be used and others shouldn’t, but that we should try to be aware of the story we are telling. Then we can decide if that story is accurate, and if it will get us where we need to go.

What stories do you tell?

Photo credit: Biltmore Estate 4 by Emilia Miná Bicking

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Last week marked a couple of memorable firsts for Lunablog.net that lead me to wonder, “Am I officially a real, true, bona fide blogger, now?”

Milestone #1 - For the first time, I accidentally wrote a duplicate post. For some reason I’d thought it would take much longer than 8 months to get to the point where I pretty much said exactly the same things I’ve already said (on the topic of homeschool stereotypes in case you are curious).

I thought I’d been meaning to get around to writing about the subject, but forgot that I’d already done it back in December. Sigh. I realized my mistake shortly after spending about an hour on the post and then clicking publish. I quickly “un-published” it, but for some reason it went out on my email subscription list and rss feeds anyway. So, if you got a post that you already remember reading about . . . well, that’s why. And if you didn’t get the post . . . well that just goes to show you the kind of excitement that you miss out on around here by not subscribing!

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