Such a Time As This

Faith, Hope, & Love

How to Create a Homeschool Morning Basket {Homeschool}

How to Create a Morning Basket – Homeschool

This year, we’ve added a small routine into our curriculum line-up.  I’m calling this routine “Morning Basket for Homeschool”.  Others, call it circle time or calendar time.  I think it depends on what exactly you are including in your basket!  Ours is a mixture of things for all of the ages of our homeschool (currently grades K-6).  Our littles tag-along as well (a 4-year-old and 1-year-old).

 

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morning basket

 

Our Morning Basket – Homeschool:

We start our day off with breakfast around the big table and our basket sits on the side-board next to us.  As we eat, I grab the books we are reading from for our morning routine.  We start off with everyone gathered around as I go through our first three parts of our morning basket.

I use an IRIS Large Open-Top File Box (pictured above) to house most of our books for morning basket time.

This Fall we have included several titles to our morning basket.

1.) A Language: Getting Started with French

2.) A Devotional: Long Story Short

3.) Poetry: Poetry Memorization by IEW and read my full review of this here

4.) A Calendar: Like this one

 

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I used my laminator  and these laminator sheets to laminate all the small pieces to this calendar.  There are a lot of components to it: including all the dates, days of the week, shapes, colors, weather and seasons chart… plus other stuff like days of school and question of the day.

morning basket homeschool

This pack also came with the Alphabet and the Numbers 1-100 charts.  I ended up using this contact paper to cover these two larger charts so that they would hold up to little hands.  Those parts wouldn’t fit into my laminator so the contact paper was perfect.

morning basket homeschool

Want more info on how to set up the Morning Basket – Homeschool Calendar Center?

You will need:

1 two-count of Elmer’s Acid-Free Foam Boards, 20 x 30 Inches, 3/16-Inch Thick, Bright White, 2-Count

 

2 or 3 packs of VELCRO Brand – Sticky Back – 7/8″ Squares

 

1 roll of Con-Tact Brand Clear Covering Self-Adhesive Privacy Film and Liner, 18-Inches by 9-Feet, Clear Matte

 

Some clear tape

 

A few envelopes

 

A ziplock bag to store spare “months” 

calendar and morning

 

Do you have a morning basket-homeschool routine?

 

 

 

Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Astronomy Review

Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Astronomy

My Favorite Elementary Grade Science Curriculum

 

We love Apologia Educational Ministries homeschool curriculum for science! This Fall, my kids and I are enjoying our time together working through Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition.

 

Many years ago, when I was still very new to homeschooling, Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Astronomy was recommended to me by a close friend. She mentioned how easy it is to teach for grades 1-6 and how it introduces science in a gentle, yet thorough way. Most of all, she mentioned, the Biblical perspective it would give. I was making plans for my son’s first-grade year and wanted something more than I had been using. I was thrilled by her recommendation. Not only is it all those things that she mentioned to me, but it is also fantastic to incorporate into a Charlotte Mason style education! I was hooked. My son absolutely fell in love with not only this book but the study of the astronomy as a whole. Still, today, as he enters sixth grade, he will tell anyone who asks, that he wants to work in the field of astronomy in some capacity when he is grown.

Through the years he has asked to see the textbook again, even to just look at the pictures. You would not believe how much he retained from that one year of science. As you can imagine, I was thrilled to get to do this review today of Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition.

Apologia sent us the following items:

  • Student Text
  • Notebooking Journal
  • Jr. Notebooking Journal
  • Audio CD

Student Text

The student text is written in a way that is conversational but not childish. It is written to be read either by or directly to the student. All of my kids have enjoyed this time around reading through Exploring Creation with Astronomy. As I read to them, I have them “tell it back to me” as I do with other reading texts. I find the way the student text is written very helpful because periodically a question or two will be written on the page to help the student remember or refresh their knowledge of that particular subject. This is extremely helpful if you are new to this style of learning. It is really helpful in getting your child actively engaged in listening and reviewing the information. They don’t need to be quizzed on the subject with a myriad of questions if they are consistently narrating the passages, their minds will retain it. If you ask them to narrate and they can not remember the content, then it is helpful to refresh their minds either by re-reading or going over key passages.

 

Notebooking Journals

 

I love that we were able to try out both of the journals which are written for this course. In the beginning of the notebooking journals, it breaks down the student text and the journals into days to be used. This makes it extremely easy to know how much to read and what pages and exercises to do each day!

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The notebooking journal is meant to be used starting in either 3rd or 4th grade (most likely this depends on your child’s handwriting ability) up through the 6th grade. The Junior Notebooking Journal is geared towards grades K-2nd or 3rd. The lined paper which is for writing or copywork is larger and dotted for early elementary aged students in the junior journal. My 4th-grade daughter is using the regular journal this year and my Kindergartner is using the junior journal. The journals are packed with fun activities, copywork, and helpful resources to keep track of their written narrations or other info they want to remember.

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I love that there are multiple activities are included in the notebooking journal.  In addition the copywork (in both cursive and print), crosswords, coloring pages, pages to write about your science experiments, diagrams (fill in the blank spaces) for watching the moon and meteor showers, multiple matchbooks and mini books that are performed for you.  Just cut, glue and fill in the info!  Both journals are very similar except for the handwriting pages being geared toward particular age ranges.

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Audio CD

The Audio CD is a new addition for us.  We hadn’t previously used this and it is a huge help.  It is simply the student text being read by the author directly to the student.  It is on an MP3 Audio CD and so I loaded it on the computer to listen to.  I think it would be easy to upload to multiple devices such as your tablet or Kindle so that your students can listen on their own or in the car.

 

Conclusion

We absolutely adore this curriculum.  I don’t think you can go wrong with adding this to your curriculum line up for any of your elementary aged students.  From the way the student text is written right to the children, to the Biblical perspective and their awesome notebooking journals and audio CDs.  This is a full program that is also intriguing and FUN!

 

To connect with Apologia online, please see below:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/apologiaworld
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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/apologia/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apologiaworld/

 

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Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition Review

Dear Daughter, Bible Verses about Friendship

A Biblical Reference –

Bible Verses about Friendship

Dear Daughter,

This year you are turning 10 years old.  I know as you grow, so do your friendships.  You’ve learned so much already but so much more awaits.  As you head toward the tween and teen years, friendships don’t usually get easier – sometimes they get so much harder.  I want to share with you what the Word of God has to say about how to be a good friend.  I’ve listed out ten things to remember as you embark into deeper friendships with Bible Verses about Friendship listed for each one.  ~Love, Mom

Bible Verses about Friendship

Bible Verses about Friendship

1. Love in the hard times not just the good.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.  Proverbs 17:17

 

2. Keep opinions to a minimum unless asked (the same goes for advice).
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Proverbs 18:2

 

3. Offer Support & Encouragement even if their choices are different from yours.

Therefore, encourage each other and strengthen one another as you are doing. 1 Thess. 5:11

Don’t say anything that would hurt [another person]. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you. Ephesians 4:29

Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. Romans 15:2

 

4. Think before you speak.
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Col. 4:6

Bible Verses about Friendship

5. Learn to say you are sorry.
Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.
Prov. 14:9

 

6. Practice the art of forgiveness.
If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them. Luke 17:3-4

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Col 3:13

 

Bible Verses About Friendship

7. Empathize with others
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15

 

8. Don’t just say you care – show it!
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.  1 John 3:18

 

9. Choose your friendships wisely.

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20

 

10. Love one another and put aside your differences.

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20

 

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

Bible Verses About Friendship
Can you add any other Bible Verses about friendship to this list?  Leave a comment below!

Homeschool Health with Way Comes Home {Review}

WAY Comes Home Kit

Home School Health Program

Review

 

We’ve been working hard to get ready for this school year, which we just started yesterday.  I want to let you guys know about a new program we’ve added to our lineup, this year.  We’ve added a homeschool health program, WAY Comes Home Kit, from HomeSchool Scholastics, an i4 Learning Company to our weekly schedule.

We received the WAY Comes Home parent guide and three different lesson guides: one for grades K-1, one for grades 2-3, and one for grades 4-5.  I decided to use all three of the guides.  My youngest homeschooler is a Kindergartener this year, my next is in 4th and my oldest is in 6th.  We decided to use the one intended for grades 2 and 3 9-year-oldar old and the one for grades 4 and 5 on my 6th grader.

They each received their very own health journal which they had a blast decorating!  Each journal that comes with WAY Comes Home presents the information in a way that is geared toward a particular age range.  The one for my youngest is called “Health Safari”.

 

Way Comes Home Kit

 

Even though my daughter is just slightly outside the age range for Me Mysteries (grades 2 & 3), she has thoroughly enjoyed the pages and the way the material is presented in her book.  She especially loved filling out the page all about herself.

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Me Mysteries covers wellness, heart rate, exercise, nutrition, and staying healthy – or catching germs.  This is perfect for her age!

 

Each lesson starts off with watching a DVD which corresponds to the lesson the child is going to be working through.  Once the material is presented through the DVD, the parent is guided through what to do next in the parent/teacher guide.  Way Comes Home really leaves the guess work out as far as what to teach.  The parent guide is very clearly laid out and because the lesson is introduced through the DVD, there isn’t much to teach.

Way Comes Home

I think my 11-year old has benefitted the most from this curriculum.  He has been working his way through Innerspace Adventures (meant for grades 4 and 5).  One of the first few lessons contained a whole health questionnaire which he filled out regarding his emotional, nutritional, and physical fitness levels.  It was eye opening to both of us how in some ways he could be doing better, and in other ways he is doing well.  This journal focuses a lot on nutrition, portion sizes, the food pyramid/myplate and ways to stay active/exercise.

 

Way Comes Home

I think this program has really kickstarted some better eating habits in our family in areas I had gotten lax or lazy with.  I realized we don’t eat nearly enough vegetables each day!  We usually eat veggies at dinner but don’t graze on them throughout the day.   I loved that all my older kids put their heads together and we figured out a way to make eating more veggies a part of our daily routine.  One thing we all realized is that the kids love celery for a snack!

 

My son was also asked to keep a record of all the physical fitness activities he does (and the lack of physical fitness in some areas) for an entire week and then see how he can improve.  I think this is a great way to get kids to be conscientious about their own health, what they are eating, and how they are moving.

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I love that this curriculum comes with an entire kit that provides everything you need.  No need to be running to the stores buying extras or searching your house for ideas on objects to use.  It comes with a stethoscope, a balance scale, consumable worksheets, journals, and bunch of extras.  It was like Christmas morning when we opened the box!  I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how complete this program is.  It is fantastic and so easy to use!

Way Comes Home

 

 

 

 

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/WAYComesHome @WAYComesHome
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WAY Comes Home Kit Review
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First Day of School + Printables {I’m so not ready!!!}

First Day of School Printables

 

Ok, guys.  Time for a reality check.  Tomorrow is the first day of school in our house.  We are entering year number 7 (what???) of homeschooling and I’m a complete mess today.  I don’t think there will ever be a time when I really think I’ve got it all figured out.  But, who does?

 

This Summer has flown by and now I’m left wondering how this week we will enter into September.  The first day of school is coming up soon and I’m still not feeling totally done with Summer.

 

We had some awesome trips – one of which I wrote about here.  I had some fun times with my niece who stayed for a month with us.  I was sick three separate times.  I’m not even sure how that happened, but I’m finally feeling better and ready to move forward with the school year.  I’ve gotten bigger and bigger and realizing December is right around the corner.

 

We have revamped the school room which I will show you guys soon … but let’s just say that as of today it is completely unready!  I’ve got a stack of supplies ready to go but literally nothing in it’s place.

 

We are trying to make space for the new coming little bundle of joy – but that is left undone, too.

 

I’ve got one big guy starting in his new school tomorrow in a special ed classroom.  I’ve got one little guy joining us in our homeschooling.

 

So much is NEW…even though I’ve been doing this for a while.  I have decided that this week we will slowly dip our toes in the homeschooling waters.  We will pray, we will play, we will learn and I KNOW this will be a great school year.  I’m feeling just slightly anxious because I like things to be complete and nothing feels done right now.

 

I did make out a list of what we are using this coming year for school.  We are a following a Charlotte Mason like schedule, again this year. I also planned our kid’s schedules and created a free printable for that, as well.  Check it out here.

 

However, I have done one thing today.  I have made us all some new back to school / first day of school printables!!!  They are here and ready for download.  I made them from Pre-K and K all the way up to 12th grade!  No password necessary to print!

 

Enjoy your school year and your first week.  I would LOVE to hear about your first day.  Please leave a comment below.

 

I would love to see you using your First Day of School Printables!  Feel free to post in the comments or on Facebook!

Click here to find the First Day of School Printables Download.