Special Connection Homeschool

Since my daughter has special needs I am always eager to try out new reading programs so I was pleased to have the opportunity to review The Reading Kingdom . While most programs use phonics or focus on whole language learning this program takes a unique approach by integrating the best part of those methods into their 6 skill model of reading instruction.  Developed by Dr. Marion Blank, the director of the Light on Learning program at Columbia University, The Reading Kingdom is a common core approach that requires no memorization of rules.  Below is the chart showing the comparison between this program and the approaches most commonly used to teach reading.  When the program starts they are very clear that you do not give your child any instructions as it really needs to evaluate what your child does or does not know.  Of course, having a daughter with special needs, I soon found out that I still needed to assist her to make sure she understood the instruct...

Many people want to know what a typical homeschool day looks like for us.  Well, OK around my house no day is generally typical , but here is what we strive for.  So far it has worked out to where I am only ahead by 10 to 20 minutes, so I think this works great for us. I made this visual schedule to put up in the classroom.  This way Gess knows what to expect and when we get to do her favorite subject.  Otherwise she is constantly saying, "science now?"  While Gess generally likes school, every once in awhile she just doesn't want to stay engaged.  When that happens this visual tool also works as a gentle reminder of what she must do before she can stop.     What does your homeschooling day look like?  Find out how other families are fitting it all in by hopping over to the Schoolhouse Review Blog Cruise.

I have done a few blogs about things I do to teach skills towards fostering independence in Gess. Last year I told you about things that I have done for Gess in the kitchen when she was younger and last April I shared how Gess was learning to do the laundry and other chores . At that time Gess was washing her play dishes because I worried about her breaking glass and I wanted to make sure she learned to do a thorough job.  Well, she has mastered it!  There are still a few flimsy dishes I set aside but if I need dishes done, all I have to do is get the water ready and put her to it! I can't tell you how helpful it is to have a child old enough and skilled enough to help with the dishes!  (Yes, we still live in the stone ages and therefore don't own a dishwasher!)  Here is my girl working hard.  I am so proud of her!

Well, we are starting school today.  We are both really excited and anxious to get back to some regularly scheduled learning.  I am even more excited because this is the first year I actually have an entire school room!  Usually I have a corner or section of a room but since my son moved off to college this year we rearranged some things to permanently open up the small room into a classroom/office. Here is the office side.  I will use this for teaching of course but my husband and I will both use it for other things as well.  It's nice to finally have some quiet place to go to study and write. And here is the view from the other direction that also shows my white board.  That is my other great addition to this school year.  I had a very small white board that I used to use, but this year I get the real thing!  (It's used but it's in good shape.) I want to thank my son Timothy for inspiring me to have the office for writing/studying...

Apologia Educational Ministries has just introduced their first apologetics curriculum for high school students and I get the pleasure of telling you all about it.  In fact I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist Curriculum is a study that is not only good for teens but it is also great for adults as it will help them defend their faith against atheism by tackling issues such as truth, moral relativism, postmodernism, and many others. This curriculum is a companion to the best selling book for which it was named I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek.  (You will need both the book and the curriculum for the study.) The introduction gives an overview of where the book is headed and why it is necessary.  Basically there are three major religious worldviews which are discussed and defined in the beginning.  (Agnosticism is also addressed) All religions try to answer the most consequential questions in life. Wh...

Vocabulary Spelling City is an online tool for learning vocabulary and spelling, just as the name implies.  Many of their resources are free but I was given the entire premium membership for the purpose of my review.  The program offers several ways for your child to explore their vocabulary and spelling lessons.  You can enter your own customized list or use some of the lists already available through the website.  There is a Spelling Test, Vocabulary Test, Teach Me, Flash Cards and Play A Game button at the top and bottom of each list.  As you can see there are also links to print the list, handwriting worksheets and an option to have them teach you word by word. When I first logged in as the teacher and went to set up my lists, I found the site a little overwhelming and hard to navigate.  They do, however, have a very thorough Videos - FAQ's page that was very helpful.  After watching some of the "getting started" videos I was able to jum...

This Week in History is an online subscription from A Thomas Jefferson Education that offers a unique way to tie history into every other subject like math, science, language skills among many others.  Each week they offer a daily guide to exciting events that happened on that very day in history and then help you explore those events more thoroughly.  They offer interesting facts, photos, video links, articles, craft projects, writing topics and many other ideas so that when your day is done you have had a full day of learning covering many subjects along the way. You can access these resources two ways, via email or on their website.  Once you view This Week In History you can choose your topic for the week or do one every day.  Gess and I just chose to do just one a week.  It is summer so we are not quite on a full schedule so I thought that would be best.  So far we have had the opportunity to learn about Carlo Lorenzini (whose pen name was Collo...