A New Year....right around the corner!

Every holiday, every birthday, every year....

I never do what I want to do with them.  I'm always losing track of time and not realizing that I need to get started on planning if I want to do anything "special".  So, nothing gets done.  However, this year I'd like to make a goal to be more "on top of it" and maybe start some family traditions of our own.  :-)  

Created this document quick-like, with hopes it'll get me started on planning some things for the new year for our family....but if not, I'll at least have this done for the kids AND I to fill out.  :-D  You can click the link below to get this document WITHOUT the gray color.  Really, that's suppose to be white.  Normally when I save the .pdf as a .jpeg, it shows true colors.  Ah well, keeps me humble :-D

New Year Plan 

I chose not to put the year on, in case we want to use this document again.  The larger empty area at the bottom will be "decorated" with our names and 2015. 

I will be encouraging them to choose "small-doable" things and we are going to try to hold each other accountable for what we write down.  :-D  Should be interesting!

What are some traditions you have for your family?  I would love some ideas!

Yes, I'm the Queen of Binders...

Even if some of the rows are doubled and these aren't even all of the binders...I know I'm probably not quite the "queen". Ha!  I'm sure there are many a teacher...and especially a homeschool parent who uses them just as much as I do.  These last couple of weeks I've been able to do a lot more organizing with my binders.  Yesterday I had an appointment that the kids couldn't go with me on and so when I got back home, my eldest asked what I got at the store. (We live in a rural area so if I have an appointment...yes, that turns into a shopping day also as it takes many miles/minutes to get to most anywhere.)  Then he got this little smile on his face and asked, "Binders and sheet protectors?"  Tee hee!  Yep!  

That's just a selection of yesterday's.  ☺

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I've never been a huge fan of worksheets, especially with preschoolers, but not a whole lot with elementary kiddos either.  However, after a year of having the kids home, I see and understand why many teachers fall back on worksheets.  They do have their place.  Here is my opinion as of now...

Worksheets and workbooks are suitable for some situations and children and not others. 

Phenomenal thought.  :-D  There really are some kids that love worksheets!  There are some that hate them.  Use them accordingly.

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I have used binders for worksheets and workbooks for years!  Dry erase markers work just fine on most.  If it's a sheet that dry erase markers do not work on, I can copy the page and stick it in the page protector and they can use crayon/pencil.  FYI- I try to print the copies of these sheets on different colored paper so they don't use my master on accident.  Saves paper, dry erase markers are loved by most all children, the binders can be used with multiple children.  Ideal for homeschooling especially!

This is Kumon book I trimmed to fit in. Great "World" mazes for the older kiddos!  Binders work awesome for mazes!  No waste!  Can use it for every kid in the family...I've seen classroom teacher use it this way also.

    Work great for word searches also!

And this is a perfect approach to this particular step by step drawing book!  The nice thing is that they can erase all those extra lines quite easily!  ☺

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I'm also a big Mailbox fan.  ☺  Love them!  

Been a subscriber for years for preschool and kindergarten.  I don't subscribe to the elementary ones as I can get them at the library with no problem at no cost.  ☺

Well, before 2 of the kiddos got enrolled in MVCA last year, I had to plan that they wouldn't get enrolled and we'd be coming up with our own plans.  So Mailbox was one of the first places I went to. During that time, I purchased some independent work and center books for elementary.  So last year they got used...............very little.  Ha!  They are NOT going to go to sit on the shelf and collect dust this year!  One of my concerns last year was they weren't getting enough "review".  We were learning a topic but weren't doing much with it after the fact.  So this year I have created independent work binders out of all those Mailbox books I had purchased.  I'm quite pleased!  I also had some older workbooks so even the 1st grader has some independent review work binders.  My main two subjects that I wanted to review were math and language arts.  So here is what I did.

 Upper elementary Language Arts and Math Independent Practice.


3rd Grader's math review

Everything he needs for each 'center' (that is not an item we keep out regularly) is in the sheet protector for him, ready to go.


Grade 3 Language Arts Practice Galore

Prime example of using "work sheets" in a binder.  In the right picture is an example of a page that he would not be able to use the markers because it's a color code activity.  I will copy that page one a colored paper, so he knows which one to use, and slip it into the page protector.  It's not a good thing when kids use your masters!  ☺

  

Non-Mailbox review for 1st grader :-)

 

Below is the little "self-evaluating" tool I'm going to try out with her.  She can put the paper clip on the page she did that day, color depending on the difficulty level, and then 1) I know which was was done that day so I can check it over and 2) I know what she thinks about the work. 

I'm going to try this....they open the binder, pick one of the activities on that spread of pages to do.   This way they are working with a variety of activities without me having to plan it out specifically.  I already went through the activities and know they will be review for what was introduced already.


Many of these word puzzles go right along with PhonicsWorks1 (K12 curriculum).  So that is quite nice!


Yes, I noticed I did not have any pictures of the 2nd grade binders.  Ha!  Wasn't intentional.  Just snapped a few pictures and didn't think you'd want to see ALL the binders.  :-D

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Another task I got accomplished this summer was to get ALL of the Draw Write Now books into binders.  This year they'll each get one binder to work through vs. me trying to match topics.  

Book 1          and          Book 8
of the set that you can find at Amazon.  You can purchase them individually also.

Above:  a spread of pages from book 1.

Below:  a spread of pages from book 8.

 We use the concept of HWT's lined paper.  Here is the printable if you want to use it too.
Draw Write Now Writing Paper

 

I use the Draw Write Now series for all grades.  At the K/1 level, I suggest they use it as copy work.  And grade 2...that depends on the kiddo.  This year, he'll probably use it for copywork also.  However, last year I gave 2nd graders a choice on whether or not to create their own paragraph or do it as copywork.  For grades 3/4, we use it for cursive practice....so transpose the paragraph to cursive.  And for 5th grade...it does seem really simple for them...but he loves the drawing part and we are going to use it for typing practice.  ☺

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 This year I am using binders for 3rd grade science so he has something to share with the rest of us and get some practice with presentation.  I also used binders last year for history.  They LOVED going back and seeing their past work all in an organized fashion.

Anyway...I have "extras" as well as Science 3, K12 activities all in the binder.  Each unit correlates with the K12 unit. 

In the left picture is a page protector with materials and instruction to create a project I found at...

Shenigans in 2nd Grade.
We'll use his own picture for the face like she did here.  :-)

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This year, especially with 1st grade, I'm trying to keep ahead of the paper disaster and Language Arts and PhonicsWorks are in binders for the whole year already.  Activity pages, checkpoints, and any extra papers we'll be needing.  No time wasting with trying to find the paper I had ripped out at the end of the week before to PREP for the week and giving up and having to go  print another copy.  No more running around trying to find out where the lined paper got put the last time someone used it.  No more spending hours trying to organize piles of paper because I ran out of energy and let the basket overflow with 6 students' work.  Ha!

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I also use binders for all my teacher reproducibles I've collected over the years to make it very easy to select the one I want and make copies.  Many many books have been broken down (or as my husband puts it "destroyed" ☺ and put into binders over the years.  It works for me!  

Daily Fix-It

I'm trying to make some of those changes I've been wanting to make for this next school year.  I feel I really need to focus on being well prepared at the beginning of the year to help them become as independent as possible since baby #4 (yes, surprise, surprise...well, as much as it can be a surprise) will be making an appearance in December some time. 

 

One thing I finished today...that I wanted to do LAST year was the Daily Fix It.  I don't think I shared that link so I want to do that. 

Daily Fix-Its

3rd Grade

Teachers Pay Teachers

Amanda Nickerson from One Extra Degree has so graciously shared this 50 page FREEBIE! It is so "clean" and simple.  I love it! 

 

Today I made sure that I had all pages printed and I bound a book for my 3rd grade kiddo. 

 

 

Have I mentioned how much I love my Fellowes Comb Binding Machine?  :-)

 

 

It is well known that with kiddos like him...language arts is a struggle.  Oh boy, that was our main struggle last year.  And it took all year to get him to separate "ART" and "LANGUAGE ARTS".  He had a bad attitude about art all because it was also in the topic Language Arts.  Ha!  Absolute craziness that I just could NOT understand.  Well, I have a little bit better understanding this year and forsee a much more successful school year in that regard.  Since Language Arts tends to be a "struggle" (Reading comprehension...not included at this point.  He reads and comprehends 2-3 grades above level but heaven help us if he has to "respond" to it in anyway.) I'm trying to provide quick ways for him to get extra practice without overwhelming him.  This Daily Fix It will help in the grammar area.  :-P

 

He'll probably get the Grammar Posters on a ring to keep with his things...I made them last year and found them most useful for 3rd grade.  :-) You can see the post, a closer up image of each of the posters and get the pdf. free here.

 

We're being told that we should receive our 2013-2014 materials in 7-10 days.  YIPPEE!  I'll be glad to get a good look over my 5th grader's materials but also want to start getting in my mind how to set up for this year.  I think C., the 3rd grader needs his own space...BY HIMSELF!  Maybe I'll switch my two oldest.  A. missed being with the group and with a little self-discipline he can learn to be successful out in the main area with the younger kiddos I think.  Ah!  I don't want to rush August at all because I have lots to do...but I'm looking forward to school starting up! 

Biome-Ecosystem Wheels

I have a year "under my belt" for grades 1-4 with MVCA, which uses the K12 curriculum.  Overall, the curriculum is lovely.  I have no concerns about the children covering everything they need to.  However, there seemed to be so much “paper”.  Not all that fun for learning coach or teacher.  Unfortunately, with the first year and 6 kiddos here, on top of not knowing what each curriculum entailed, we had time (and energy) for only the required assignments.  I don’t really want that to be the case this next year.

I’ve been working on creating Science Unit binders for C., who is going into 3rd grade.  I expect he will become very independent this next year…as long as I’m organized and we follow a very specific daily schedule with him. (A little lesson I learned last year is do a little in every subject every day.  That makes units be completed more quickly and they have a better retention rate when it comes to unit checkpoints.)  My goal for C. is to allow him to go forward with Science on his own easily and also create a binder for his work so that we could all enjoy it.  He loves to share any new found information/facts.  I started History binders last year and it fell by the wayside because most of the printables in the history curriculum were coloring sheets and that did NOT keep their interest.  However, the little we did do…they loved to go back and look at it.  

Biome/Ecosystem Wheels  

One of the activities for Science3- Unit 3:  Ecosystems- is to read through several nonfiction books about various biomes.  They have a book about the Tundra, Boreal Forest, Temperate Deciduous Forest, Tropical Rain Forest, Desert, and Grassland/Prairie.  I actually have most of them recorded on the laptop because they weren’t “easy reading” for last year’s 3rd grade student.  However, I think C. will be able to handle them fine.  We’ll fall back on the recordings if we need too.  I found the “research and note taking” okay…it's a good skill to learn...just wasn't very intriguing.  So we are taking a different approach to it for this year…something visually appealing for the binder. 

I got the idea from a teacher from the 

Bethel School District

This is an example of what that class did.

This was an upper elementary or even middle school class.  

However, Mr. C. does NOT care for anything ‘artsy’.  He’s getting better little by little, but it’s not something he willingly does.  If I was doing this with his brother I’d give him the 2 blank circles to create his own wheel, organize it on his own, etc.  Goes to prove that each one is so different and that is a-okay! 

So here is the version I’m going to provide for him, printed on cardstock…one wheel for each book.  He’ll probably balk at decorating the top of the wheel in a way that represents the biome, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.  No reason why we can’t google and print some images and make more a collage.  I think that overall it will be visually appealing for him. After he gets the first one done and he’ll be more willing to do the other ones.  I also think it will appeal to his sense of organization and it’ll help him know what the point of reading the book is about…what information should be gleaned from the book.  It’ll also make him feel important and work on some of those presentation skills when we take the time to have him share the wheels with the rest of the group.

It's not "perfect" as I just eyeballed the lines to create the wheel but it will suit our purposes just fine.  If you want a copy, feel free do download for your own personal use.

Biome Wheel Printable

Owls!

We had a required "no Internet" day last week because for whatever reason we used a lot of it and was on the verge of going over our limit, even after boosting it once that month.  So on a whim I turned a 1st grade project into a whole group project and I'm so glad I did!  They turned out lovely...they all enjoyed this very simple project!
 

 3rd grade

preschool and 1st grade 
 
 

2nd graders

 

 4th grade

 

We took two sessions to complete.  The first day we splatter painted.  Oh boy.  Since I was only going to do this with one kiddo I hadn't prepared a splatter paint box.  Needless to day I'm still cleaning paint off my kitchen walls and appliances.  Oops!  Note to self, no matter how deep your kitchen sink is, don't do it there.  :-D  We also did the owls on the first session.  Great way to get those kids to "fill the paper".  Watered down some brown paint so it would resist their crayon details.  Then second session they created branches or fences, a moon, and any other details they wished.  I love how each are different.

This is not my original idea.  I came across this picture somewhere when I was browsing google images and do you think I can find it again?  Nope, sure can't.  This was just my take on their picture.

 

So, how we got started on this project.  In the LanguageArts1, they read a fictional store and then do a bit on a related nonfiction reading.  To make it a bit more interesting I've been incorporating a little paper craft or painting to go along with it.  Here is an example of the goat one he did.  He's also done a dinosaur and a bear...but the goat one was handy.  On the right he does the project on the left I staple the nonfiction reading and his nonfiction reading response page.  Simple...that's necessary around here with 6 kiddos!  But it allows for the child to take a little more pride in his work.

 

What happened this time was that I hadn't explored with the sizes of the owls and found out after the fact that they really needed the 12x18 background so we can't arrange it like we did on the other nonfiction projects.  We'll just attach his pages to the back of this project vs. having the story and response sheet side by side.

You can download the nonfiction response sheet here if you would like.

 

Next year I hope to incorporate more "hands-on" extras in all subjects.  K12 is a good curriculum but there is a lot of a paper-pencil activities.  I'd like to tweak that a bit for next year.  :-)

 

Side Note:  During the project, L., he first grader, was telling us what he had learned about owls and one of the little facts about owls he learned was that their eyes look straight ahead.  So an adaptation was the ability to turn their head almost all the way around.  So later they are all looking at each other's owls and one of the 2nd graders piped up and said, "Mine is the only one that is realistic."  After asking him to tell us more, he pointed out the eyes.  His were the only ones looking straight ahead.  :-D 

Printable Multiplication Book

Math3 started multiplication last week.  Well, the curriculum assumes the 3rd grader had already learned the basics of multiplication.  But our school district's curriculum doesn't coincide very well to K12's, it seems moreso in some areas than others.  So we did a bit of back tracking and had a group lesson for 2-4th graders.  Intro for 2 and 3rd graders and review for 4th grader.  Our goal now for the next few weeks are to memorize our basic multiplication facts up to 12.  If you ask our 4th grader, not knowing the facts make Math4 much more time consuming.  :-) 

 

I created a very simple multiplication set that I bound together for our week long group lessons.  The children are not completed with theirs yet but the booklet went over well and I thought someone else might find the printable pages useful.

a                                           b

 

a) Simple cover that I printed on card stock for the front.  For the back I printed a times table to 12 that they can add stickers on as they memorize their facts.  :-)

I added a colored times table also to help them realize they only really have to learn about half due to commutative property.  :-)

 

 Link for 12x12 tables: Study Skills for All Ages

 
 b) Page 1:  Initially, the children were each given a set of 18 objects and they were to divide them into equal groups.  So with 4 children...I was betting that they'd divide them differently.  They did.  :-)  Then they worked on the first page here.  This allowed them to be introduced to the concepts of groups/sets, repeated addition, skip counting, what a multiplication problem looked like.  I also slipped in that a the "total" of a multiplication problem was the "product".

 

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c                                       d

 

c)  They chose a multiplication problem to write  in the box.  I encouraged numbers greater than 2 and less than 10.  Then they showed me they understood what I meant by using repeated addition, skip counting, and an array to come up with their product.  Oh, yes, we had introduced an array on day one with our equal groups. 

 

d)  They enjoyed our commutative property grids.  After doing some up on the dry erase I gave the children dice to roll to figure out their multiplication problem (we rolled again if we got doubles).  Then they created a grid for their problem and then in the same square they drew that they understood commutative property.  So they did this 4 times....a set of problem in each square.

(We added + between blue and yellow stars and = before green star. 

Doesn't matter which order we mix...we still get green.  :-)

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e                                         f

e) This page was just a review and a "make sure" that they understood the basics.  They did this sheet on their own with their own chosen multiplication problem (using larger numbers again)

 

(hard to see the pencil, sorry)

f) introduced associative property, refreshed memories on friendly numbers (like 10---easy to multiply by) I used post-its and wrote a 3 factor multiplication problem on each post-it note and then they rewrote the multiplication problems adding parenthesis and/or changing the order of the factors. 

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through

 

And then we have pages from 0-12...each with a "story problem" to solve on the right side and space on the left to draw a sketch of the story problem.  On the bottom is a little tips for multiplying by that number.

(We are working our way through all the pages through 12...we'll go back and add color and designs to the cover and pages.  I playing with the idea of having them write all the multiplication problems using the factor inside of the number . For example, inside 2 we'd right 2x0=0, 2x1=2, 2x3=6, etc)
 

  Interesting observation...my 4th grader who did have all his multiplication facts memorized last year and doesn't now and was reviewing with us was very excited about some of the activities we did.  He told me "they never did this when I learned multiplication."  Sad.  It was basic activities that I thought most people did to help children understand multiplication.  But you know what...I wouldn't have been surprised if his teacher didn't teach the basis of multiplication so much...or if they did it was just to touch on it saying it was repeated addition.  Most likely they spent their time working on memorizing facts.  I'm a firm believer that before they start "memorizing facts" they should understand the why of a concept first.  (Each teacher is different.  We weren't impressed with last year's teacher for A.  His attitude toward learning went downhill this year amongst other things.)

 

I had hoped to do math notebooking this year but that good intention fell by the wayside when my two oldest got accepted to MVCA and I was trying to do math using K12's approach.  3rd/4th grade math instruction is mostly online.  I like the sequence but I don't care for the online instruction.  The teacher's guide really doesn't do all that well with explaining what they are explaining to the kids so if they don't get it...I'm lost.  They teach math a little differently than I learned.  So now I've been going ahead in their lessons to get a good idea of what they are doing and we do the math mostly offline with 1:1 or group instruction.  Much more timely this way!  So, in came the idea to make a multiplication book.  This is something they'll be able to go to for a reference.  I have begun to make something similar for A.'s fraction unit.  We started a group lesson on fractions today also with 2-4th graders.  Review for 3rd-4th grader and intro to 2nd graders (both love math and like these "extra" lessons).  I'll go as in depth as Aaron's lessons go.  I'll share the fraction booklet when it's completed. 
 

 

Feel free to download a copy of this multiplication set for your own personal use here.