Tag Archives: library

Homeschool Humor – Love The Library Edition

Happy Monday and Happy Homeschooling!

betty jo

Homeschooling Humor – Library Trip Edition

Diggin’ the Library

Our library’s summer reading program started this week. The reading challenge this year is read twelve books and when completed the kids get a book bag/back pack! This is a big deal for us. We have been getting new library bags this way for many summers. Z is confident that he’ll be first to complete the challenge in our house. The kids names will be entered in a drawings for e-readers and such, too.

I took Z and J to the library the library to get their challenge forms, check out some books and to see the first of five wonderful weekly children’s programs, Animal Tales! This is an “edZOOcational” live animal show. Today, we got a close up look at some very unusual creatures, Paraguayan Screaming Hairy Armadillo, Harris Hawk, Woma Python, and Egyptian Fruit Bat.

Z was called on to assist with the African Spurred Tortoise from by enticing it with a tomato to come out of his shell and crawl.

Z got to pet the Woma Python!J’s favorite place away from home is the library, and one of his least favorite places to be is anywhere where he has to sit still, be in a group, pay attention to someone, or listen to spontaneous sounds like laughing, clapping, or animals. I tried to be hopeful but prepared for a meltdown. I have learned that I can expect the unexpected with J. I had help come with us. A23 (the girl who adopted our family and who I love like a daughter) had a day off and agreed to come with us. She would have stayed with Z had it been necessary for me to leave with J. I explained to J that whether or not he got to bring home DVD’s and Wii games depended on how he acted during the animal show.

J did not sit with the children, but laid in the floor in front of A and me in the adult section. I thought he was “zoning out”, but then I caught him looking at the animals each time the handler introduced a new one. I was proud of him. I know it’s not normal behavior to go to a program and lay in the floor, but he was calm and quiet which is a BIG improvement. I didn’t notice any looks of disgust or sympathy from the other moms or librarians and I heard no comments about him either. Very unusual, but very nice. J was happy when the animal show was over and he was able to pick out some DVDs to bring home.

If your local library doesn’t have a summer reading program, you can do it yourself with help from PBS and Education.com http://www.education.com/summer-reading/?cid=20.311 or here for some cute printables http://creativemamma.com/free-printable-summer-reading-kit-for-kids/

For more about Animal Tales (they travel all over performing for schools, churches, and libraries) http://www.animaledzoocation.com/programs/

For another post about J https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2013/04/02/autism-i-am-aware/

betty jo

Almost Finished

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According to the Kentucky statutes governing homeschooling, we are finished with what is required of us!

“Required Days of Instruction:

185 days, which must include the equivalent of 175 six (6) hour instructional days and 10 non-instructional (teacher) days. Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 158.070 and 158.080.

Required Subjects: Include reading, writing, spelling, grammar, history, mathematics, and civics. Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 158.080.”

However, we have not finished with our Middle Ages/ Renaissance unit studies, nor have we reached a stopping place with our math and spelling courses. So our current homeschooling will be continuing for a few more weeks, but without any pressure or stress. We are transitioning to the “AT LEAST ONE THING” schedule.

For now and throughout the summer I will only require my kids to do only one educational lesson a day. They may choose math, spelling/grammar, unit study, or an arts related project to work on Monday through Thursday. The rest of their day can be spent reading, watching movies, playing outside, and a little bit of video gaming. In the next few weeks we will be including youth camp, two Vacation Bible Schools, our library’s summer program, and community service projects with their daily learning choices. When we are done with our Middle Ages/Renaissance unit study, we will start working on a new one, Music.

Last year, we were able to add twelve complete school days to our records by sticking with our “AT LEAST ONE THING” a day schedule. I hope we can do that again this summer. It was wonderful having twelve days recorded at the start of our school year. It was also nice to be able to take a few extra days off during the school year without feeling that we would be falling behind schedule.

This freed up schedule is even better for me than it is my kids. I need some extra time to complete our homeschool records and scholarship reports. I also have not completely organized our summer school music unit study, not to mention the American History unit studies for the 2013-2014 school year. And, I would love to just sit back and read a book or two.

Since Monday was our first day of being finished with our regular homeschooling schedule, I thought we should do something special to celebrate. I asked the kids what they wanted to do. They wanted to go to the library. (I’m thinking my kids might be nerds.) They also asked for pizza. So pizza at the library’s garden it was.

(My two teenagers were there, too, they just did not want to be photographed this time.)

Click here to link to view homeschooling laws for any US state http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

I had the opportunity for a free download last year for homeschool records, planners, and report forms. This offer is no longer available but a few free sample pages are available here http://momstoolbelt.com/homeschool-planner-student-assignment-book-pages

For more about our summer school Music unit study click here https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2013/05/06/homeschool-of-rock/

betty jo

Visiting Solitary

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Do you read what your kids are reading? I do. Not just the books that I assign them for homeschooling, but also I read the books they select for themselves.

When I was a teen I read a lot of books I had no business reading. I got immoral ideas from some of them. I developed an unhealthy fascination with the occult from others. No matter what I read, I absorbed it and somehow fit it into my life. My parents did not have a clue what was between those paper back covers. I think they were just pleased that I was such an avid reader.

E17 is an avid reader, too. I trust her, (she sticks to Christian authors most of the time), but still I always try to know what she is reading. And sometimes, I find myself “caught up” in her library selections as much as she is. That is the case with The Solitary Tales by Travis Thrasher. We just finished Hurt, the fourth and final book in the series.

If I were having to categorize the Solitary Tales, I would have to say “Christian/Suspense/Horror/Supernatural Fiction”. Does that even make any sense? If not now, it will after you read them.

These stories are about a 16 year old boy , Chris Buckley, who moves with his mom to Solitary, North Carolina. Solitary, North Carolina is no place to raise a kid. It’s an evil place, with a heritage of evil, with evil people in charge. And most of the characters that are not evil , to say the least, are quite strange, like Aunt Alice. Chris is special, though, maybe even a hero.

Thrasher must be a fan of obscure rock music from the 80’s, for he includes lyrics and suggested playlists from bands I listened to back then. I won’t say anything more as I wouldn’t want to ruin it for you. But, you should know there are awesome Bible themes and Scripture references mixed with the horror throughout the series. I’m a little sorry that it’s over.

E17 and I have had many long talks about Solitary and Chris. And having long talks with my daughter is always good. I wonder what she’s going to bring home from the library next?

betty jo