Schoolhouse Expo

Have you ever seen the speaker list at some of the bigger homeschool conventions, and wished that you could go, but it is just too far away?  Or maybe you do have the opportunity to attend a big convention, but you do not have the opportunity to listen to everyone on your list.  The Old Schoolhouse Expo might be just the thing for you!

The Old Schoolhouse Expo is a special 5 day event that is scheduled from Aug 19-23rd from 1-8 pm eastern time.  For the $24 cost of a ticket, you will have an opportunity to listen to popular speakers from the comfort of your own home!  And, if you cannot listen during the scheduled time, no worries!  The recordings will be available to everyone who purchases a ticket so you will be able to listen at your leisure.

The list of speakers include:

Ray Comfort
Dean Butler
Barbara Beers
Antony Kolenc
Diana Waring
Hal and Melanie Young
Dr. Jay Wile
Kim Kautzer
Jessica Hulcy
Todd Wilson
Carol Topp
Adam Andrews
Andrew Pudewa
Ann Dunagen
Christine Field
David C Gibbs III
David Stelzl
Davis Carman
Evonne Mandella
Terri Johnson
Tyler Hogan
Andy Harris
Marie Rippel
Jennifer Courtney
Deborah Wuehler
Joachin Fernandez
Heather Laurie
Malia Russel
Eli Dahan


Click here for more information and to purchase a ticket.

Have questions on how the Expo works, click here to access the FAQ page.

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Schoolhouse Review Crew: Legacy Documentaries

 I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie on TV.   It was one of my all time favorite shows.  When I started reading chapter books, my parents bought me The Little House books.  I was fascinated to know that Laura Ingalls Wilder was a real person and to read the stories of her life. While the TV show was a good one, it didn't even come close to the greatness of the books and the real stories.  When my oldest daughter was in the 3rd grade, we spent a whole year studying The Little House Books using a unit study called the Prairie Primer.  She loved the books as much as I did as a child and we both gained a deeper insight into Laura and Almanzo's life through the study, activities, and even a field trip to their home and museum in Mansfield MO!  We have remained Little House fans and I was very excited to see that Dean Butler (who played Almanzo on the show)  with Legacy Documentaries has produced two new documentaries: Almanzo Wider: Life Before Laura and Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder.  We were thrilled to have the opportunity to review Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura.





Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura is an all new documentary that was produced in partnership with the Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder Association in Burke, NY.  It is a look at Almanzo's early life growing up as a boy on his family's farm in Burke NY in the 1800s.  The DVD contains two sections.  Life Before Laura and The Wilder Homestead Today.  Life Before Laura is 41 minutes long and is narrated by Dean Butler.  The DVD shows illustrations from sections of Farmer Boy along with original footage that has been filmed at the Wilder homestead to recreate sections of the story. William Anderson, author and historian discusses Laura and Almanzo and things that were going on during that time period.  There is also discussions of Morgan horses, and a food historian to talk about the differences between food now and then and why Laura focused so much about food in the book Farmer Boy.  It focuses mainly on Almanzo's life before Laura, but does talk about Laura and Almanzo's meeting and courtship, and how the fist books came to be written.  The Wilder Homestead Today is 12 minutes long and is also narrated by Dean Butler.  This section of the DVD discusses the restoration of the Wilder Homestead in Burke NY and shows the activities that are going on there today.  Although the targeted age range for the book is 8-13 years old, this documentary is suitable and enjoyable for children and adults of all ages.

Here is an excerpt of the video.



You can purchase Life Before Laura for $21.95 by clicking here.

I mentioned in my introductory paragraph how much we loved Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie.  I was so excited to have an opportunity to review this DVD!!  As we were waiting for it to arrive, I decided it would be a great idea to read aloud Farmer Boy to the children.  Every night the boys 11,9,8,6 and the little girls 4 and 2 (Chelsea 16 was not here for several days and she has read the books numerous times) gathered in the boys room before bed to read several chapters of the read aloud.  I wanted the boys and little girls to wait until I finished reading the book before watching the DVD.  Chelsea and I watched the DVD together once and then we all watched it together after finishing the book.

We LOVED it!  It was so cool, for the children (and myself! )to have an opportunity to see the book come to life through Life Before Laura.  We loved to be able to see the real Wilder Homestead.  We loved the inclusion of the illustrations and sections of the book being read aloud.  We loved being able to see the real photos of the people we feel like we know and love through Farmer Boy.  I thought the reenactments with the actors playing Almanzo and his father were really well done.  The documentary encouraged the children to dig even deeper into the life of Almanzo.  When the DVD mentioned the older sister that we had never heard of who is not mentioned at all in the book Farmer Boy,  Chelsea was inspired to do some further digging in the Wilder Family Tree.

The section on the Wilder Family Homestead gives a great glimpse into what the homestead looked like in Almanzo's days after it has been painstakingly restored.  It also shows all of the fun and educational activities and special things that are going on for visitors today.  Sigh.  It made me really, really want to go and visit! Maybe someday.

I would highly recommend this outstanding documentary!  I am so thankful that Dean Butler and Legacy Documentaries are producing documentaries giving further insight to those of us who have loved Little House for generations and also for future generations to come.

To see what my crew mates had to say, click on the banner below.

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Favorite Recipes: Zucchini Brownies

One of the things we grew in our garden this year was zucchini squash.  I can't believe how well it has grown!  Even after two of the plants being partially uprooted in a storm it has continued to grow and grow.  So as the pile of zucchini has grown and grown on my counter, I have been searching for recipes.  I came across this recipe for zucchini brownies and knew I had to try it.  Chelsea and Nick did not want me to "ruin" brownies by putting zucchini in them, but after eating them last night, they have changed their minds.  They were probably one of the best brownies I have ever made.

Brownies

1/2 cup of oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup of cocoa
2 tsp of vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups of flour
2 cups shredded zucchini

I put all the ingredients in my Kitchenaid mixer and started blending saving the zucchini for last.  Once you add in the zucchini and it is well blended, spread in a greased 13x9 pan.  The batter will be a bit thicker than regular brownie batter.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frosting

While the brownies are baking you can whip up some chocolate frosting.

6 TBSP cocoa
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter and cocoa together over medium heat in a saucepan.  Allow to cool slightly.  Add in vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar.  If you would like a thicker frosting you can add in additional powdered sugar until it is to the consistency that you want it.  You can leave the frosting in the fridge to set up while the brownies finish cooking and cool.  Spread over cooled brownies, cut and serve.

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Schoolhouse Review Crew: BrainFood Learning

When we found out that BrainFood Learning was offering their Fascinating World of Mammals, Insects, or Birds DVDs up for review, we were so excited!  But I didn't know which one to choose.  We are a science loving family and all three topics were something I knew the children would be interested in watching.  Since our science curriculum this year is about Land Animals, we decided to review The Fascinating World of Mammals. 




From the back of the DVD, " Ever wonder which mammal wears velvet?  How does a beaver build a dam? Which animal is the only flying mammal? Learn the answers to these questions and more in The Fascinating World of Mammals."

The Fascinating World of Mammals is a 52 minute DVD designed for ages 3-11, but can be enjoyed by older children and adults as well.  The DVD begins with an overview of the different characteristics that mammals have and then moves on discussing several different mammals. The DVD features beaver, kangaroo, moose, dolphin, lion, giraffe, elephant, bat, chimpanzee and bear.  Each of the mammals names are shown on the screen while the animal is shown interacting in its natural habitat while fascinating facts about them are narrated.  After each animal section, a vocabulary word  is featured by being shown on the screen and defined.

After each featured mammal is discussed, there is a 5 part review with the easier sections coming first and the 5th section being the most difficult.   The fist part is mammal flash cards which shows the picture of the mammal along with the name printed in the screen.  The second part shows a picture of the mammal with three multiple choice answers.  Answers are given after each question is asked. The third part is a features of mammals review.  Review 4 is reviewing mammal facts.  A question is asked and three multiple choice answers are given.  Answers are shown after the question is asked.  The last part is a multiple choice section that reviews vocabulary words that were taught during the DVD.

You can purchase The Fascinating World of Mammals for $14.99 by clicking here.  There is also a short excerpt of the video on the same page.


I watched this DVD with my 2,4,6,8,9, and 11 year olds.  Since we are studying Land Animals this fall, I thought this DVD would be a great introduction as well as something to refer back to throughout the year. We all really enjoyed the DVD.  Although you have the option to view each section separately if you wish, we watch the whole DVD from beginning to end.  I really like that as the narrator is talking, the video shows a real animal in its habitat often doing many of the things that the narrator is speaking about.  For instance when the narrator is talking about kangaroos boxing, you get to see real kangaroos on the video in the middle of a boxing match.  The DVD is full of fascinating information, much of which I didn't even know.  I love that the DVD is appropriate for a wide range of ages and that even though it discusses predators and prey, it doesn't show anything graphic or violent in the video.  Although the DVD discusses some of the similarities between humans and chimpanzees, there is no evolutionary content in the video.  My children's favorite parts were the sections on kangaroos and dolphins.  After finishing the video we have to go back and watch those two again.

The review at the end is a great way to review what the children have learned watching the DVD.  Most of the questions are fairly simple and easy to answer.  My 4 year old answered the mammal identification and the features of mammals questions without any problems.  The vocabulary questions were too difficult for her, but my 8 and 9 year olds answered those without any problems after viewing the DVD.

We loved watching The Fascinating World of Mammals DVD!  They want to visit the zoo again so they can see all the different animals they learned about on the DVD.  The children would like to purchase The Fascinating World of Insects next.

Members of The Crew reviewed The Fascinating World of Mammals, The Fascinating World of Insects, and The Fascinating World of Birds.  To see what my Crew Mates had to say about these DVDs, click on the banner below.

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Elementary Curriculum Choices for 2013/2014 School Year

 I already wrote a post about my High School Curriculum Choices(12th grade), and my Middle School Curriculum choices (6th grade), so this post will be about my curriculum choices for my 1,2nd, and 4th grade boys.  I will be writing a separate blog post about my preschool choices for Lily.

Bible-Bible Study Guide For All Ages

History- Notgrass America the Beautiful- Alex (4th grade) is doing the map book, timeline book, and lesson review book.  Christian and Anthony will just be listening in as I read aloud and participating in any family activities that we choose.

Science- Apologia Land Animals- Alex (4th grade) will be working in a notebooking journal while Christian and Anthony will be using the A Journey Through Learning Lapbook.

Spelling-All About Spelling -Level One for Anthony and Christian, Level 3 for Alex.  Anthony and Christian will also be reading from the Level One readers for AAR and Alex (since Level 3 readers are not available yet )will be reading aloud from books we chose off of Sonlight's reading list

Math-Math U See- Alpha, Beta, and Gamma

Writing- Alex will be using IEW SWI A with his older brother Nick
              Christian and Anthony will be using IEW PAL Writing

Art- Home Art Studio- I purchased the 3,4th, and 5th grade DVDs so that all of the children could work on these together.  I have never used these before, but decided to try them out based on a recommendation I received on my Facebook page.

Reading Kingdom- I received an opportunity to review Reading Kingdom again, so all 3 boys are using it.

Plus, whatever review items come our way!

I am excited about our plans for next year!

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Schoolhouse Review Crew: Gryphon House

My very first year of homeschooling I had a 3rd grader, 4 year old, 20 month old, and a newborn.  Since that year we have had 3 more children.  I am no stranger to homeschooling preschoolers or homeschooling with preschoolers.  But, I am always looking for new, fun, educational activities to do with my preschoolers.  That's why I was excited to have an opportunity to review The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live from Gryphon House.




Written for parents or caregivers of preschoolers, The Homegrown Preschooler by Kathy Lee and Lesli Richards is a 204 page paperback book that you can purchase for $29.95.  The authors use their combined early childhood and homeschooling experience of over 20 years to inspire you to turn your home into a learning environment better than you will find in any preschool classroom and to take advantage of learning experiences that take place in everyday life.  Inside the book you will find over 200 pull together activities, recipes, organizational tips, scheduling ideas, support and encouragement, and more.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Our Journeys to Growing Our Children at Home
Chapter 1: Homeschooling-Harvesting a Bountiful Life
Chapter 2: Learning Through Play
Chapter 3: Sowing the Seeds-Preschool Learning
Chapter 4: Setting the Stage
Chapter 5: Home Life=Learning-Slow Down and Teach
Chapter 6: Who Has Time For This?
Chapter 7: Organizing It All
Chapter 8: Days and Seasons that Don't Fit In the Box
Chapter 9: Special Circumstances

Activities
Home Life
Science
Gross Motor
Fine Motor
Math
Language and Emergent Literacy
Art
Social-Emotional

Appendix Including:
Activity Checklist
Getting Started Checklist
Resources
Instructions for DIY Plexiglas Easel
Instructions for DIY Light Table or Sensory Sand/Water Table

I read through the Home Grown Preschooler over the course of week.  I wanted to get some new ideas for activities I could do with my 4 year old and 2 1/2 year old daughters.  The book is very well laid out so you can easily find and read through sections you are interested in, or just read it cover to cover.  It is full of beautiful color photographs of preschool children engaging in the activities that are being discussed.  I love the inclusion of the recipes.  Not just food recipes either, although those sound yummy, there are plenty of other recipes in the book such as homemade sidewalk chalk, paint, watercolors, modeling clay, fly guts, and more.  The activities section was my favorite part of the book.  There were many different ideas that I had never done before with my preschoolers.  We had hours of fun clipping clothes pins to plastic cups, finger using shaving cream for sensory play, and making our own paint.  I also purchased some fun items for sensory play and lacing cards that Lily (4) absolutely loves.  I thought the literature suggestions and activities were wonderful, and loved the ideas for baggies!

One of the best things I think is that the book focuses on things that are not very expensive.  Some of the suggested items might be more expensive than others, like if you chose to buy a sensory table, but for the most part the focus is on easy to find inexpensive items that you may already have laying around the house or can pick up at the Dollar Store or Walmart.  The authors even include DIY instructions for making a sensory table instead of purchasing one.  You do not need to spend a fortune to successfully teach your preschoolers at home.  You do not need to have a special classroom or expensive equipment.  You can teach your children using real life activities; folding socks, grocery shopping, cleaning house and fun activities that are like play to them.

It probably goes without saying, but I did want to mention you do not have to do every suggestion in this book to be a successful at homeschooling your preschooler.  Some things that they suggest may not work for you and that is ok.  One of the suggestions they give in the book is to get up before your preschoolers in the morning.  That does not work for me.  As you go along you will figure out a schedule and routine that will work for you.

The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live has given me a ton of wonderful ideas to use with my preschoolers!

Members of The Crew reviewed The Homegrown Preschooler and Global Art.  To see what my Crew Mates had to say, click on the banner below.

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4 H Science Day

Last week, the senior 4 Hers were off to the State O' Rama which takes place at the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville AR.  One of the days they were gone, we had a Science Day.  The children had a lot of fun.  Chelsea had my camera at the State o' Rama, but I did snap a few pictures with my phone.

Alex gave his floating eggs demonstration.

Nicholas demonstrated an electrical circuit.

Then we got to go outside and make ooze from corn starch and water.

Next they did an activity with bowls of ice water.  They put their hands in the water to see how long they could leave it there.  Then they did the activity again with three different "gloves" (sandwich bags) filled with salt, flour, and shortening to see which one insulated from the cold the most.  I didn't take any pictures of that activity.  But my girls did a good job keeping busy.

Emelia would not take a paci as a baby at all, but she found this the other day and has been carrying it around with her.  Silly girl!

Next we made a snack using two kinds of pudding, vanilla wafers, crushed oreos, and crushed vanilla wafers to represent the different layers of soil.

Next the children built catapults out of popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and a water bottle lid.

Then of course we had to see how they worked, so we practiced shooting marshmallows into a bowl.

The last activity was putting mentos into diet coke and sprite which of course was everyone's favorite activity.  I didn't get any pictures of that either because I was gathering things up so we could get going.  It was Anthony's birthday and we were meeting daddy for lunch.  The children had a great time at Science Day.

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