The Education Corner

2007-01-05T03:35:00.000-08:00

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Homeschool: 2 September 2006

2006-09-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

It has been two weeks since my last update, and this past fortnight finds us still floundering in the listlessness of summer. I have been sick and finishing my novel, both, and I cannot decide which has proven more distracting. Probably the novel. My goal this weekend is to get our school plan back in place to start on Tuesday. Keven will be back to UW, and all of the school systems in Madison will start, too. Here is the round-up from last week, and here is Juliette's crayon incident. Also, Juliette has been sleeping successfully without her binkie (or other replacements such as a thumb or blanket) for two weeks. Good job, big thing!

ART

Juliette was much more detailed with her drawings a few months ago, and generally more careful with her coloring, etc. This drawing of Adora is good in that she acknowledges the concept of white areas on white paper, enclosing those areas with a line, but the paws are sloppy. Hmmm. Wonder if this is some developmental phase when progress seems to take a step backward.
This is one of Ilsa's first attempts to draw something other than a regular person. She is not much into drawing, so this was a surprise: a Tyrannosaurus rex at the top and a king, princess, and queen at the bottom. Note the spikey heads - those are crowns.
ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Bumble Bugs and Elephants by Margaret Wise Brown
Cat & Mouse: A Delicious Tale by Jiwon Oh
Three Hungry Pigs and the Wolf Who Came to Dinner by Charles Santore
Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs
The Sugar Child by Monique De Varennes
Bunny Day: Telling Time from Breakfast to Bedtime (2X) by Rick Walton

Fiction & Folktales

China's Bravest Girl: The Legend of Hua Mu Lan by Charlie Chin

SPANISH

La Gatita en la Maleta by Sara Swan Miller and translated from the English by Jacqueline M. Cordova

Homeschool: 19 August 2006

2006-08-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness but it's been a while. Crap. Writing is eating my life, while summer playtime outdoors is doing nothing to encourage serious, sit-down school stuff. Keven returned home, we have made attempts to readjust to life here, and generally the girls have been having a great time with our assorted neighbors. Keven has taken them tricycling at the lake and to the zoo, and we have had two or three playdates with Jenn and Calvin. We also signed up Juliette for ballet again, and all four of us are registered to do a family sports thingie on Saturday mornings - all starting in September. See? I'm getting there!

ART

First up, paintings. These were done with watercolors on my heavier sketch paper - someone should make use of the stuff! Juliette's (top) painted a standard Blue's Clue's scene, but I like that she is beginning to understand that painting is another form of representation, like drawing. Before, it was all smudges and playing with color, which is useful too. Ilsa's is a scene of flowers. The one with leaves on the left was mine, to demonstrate, and then she did the rest - little yellow heads on skinny green stems.
Next we have a farm scene. Juliette asked me to draw that dorky-ass barn, and she insisted that it be drawn "with the sideways lines" - ie, perspective. The rest is of her own creation.
Lastly, we have a coloring page Juliette did while at Omar and Fatima's house across the hall from us. Cracked me up. (SWT) to you, too!
ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

Cleo on the Move by Caroline Mockford
The Six Fools adapted by Joyce Carol Thomas
Papa, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse

MUSIC

Johann Sebastian Bach by Mike Venezia

SCIENCE

Apatosaurus by Daniel Cohen

Homeschool: 29 July 2006

2006-07-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

We were quite active this week, despite the heat, and Saturday we went to the beach with Jenn and Calvin for about an hour and a half. Poor Ilsa was too tired, however, to enjoy the outing properly. Otherwise, Friday was a day for cleaning, random amusements and minor accidents. I cannot wait for Keven to get home.

Also, I have moved my weekly updates to Saturday because I am a sad, sad person who has more time on Saturday nights to do so.

ART

Salvidor Dali by Mike Venezia

As a little note, Juliette is utterly fascinated with the paintings in this book. We have a budding surrealist. She has been talking to me about them for days, pointing out a finger or a chicken or some arts, all incongruous or bizarre. I think her brain is trying to make sense of it all - but who doesn't when they see a Dali painting?

ENGLISH - JULIETTE READS

Mama's Little Bears by Mary Tafuri

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

Juliette has been into Hello Kitty since I bought their backpacks earlier this summer. I had no idea the damn cat was such a poor influence: nothing but friends, having fun, and make-up parties. I am going to try, actively, to move this particular pop culture fad out of her reach.

Shrinking Mouse by Pat Hutchins
First Snow by Bernette Ford
Sled Dogs Run Jonathan London
Hungry Hen by Richard Waring
Jamils's Clever Cat, a Bengali folk tale adapted by Fiona French
Hello Kitty: Hello Friends by Thea Feldman
Mrs. Potter's Pig Phyllis Root
Three Cool Kids adapted by Rebecca Emberley
Head, Body, Legs, a Liberian tale adapted by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert

Poetry & Rhyming Prose

Sheep Asleep by Gloria Rothstein

Religion & Mythology

Two by Two by Two by Jonathan Allen

MATHEMATIC

Rainbow Fish, 1, 2, 3 by Marcus Pfister
Count-a-Saurus by Nancy Blumenthal

SCIENCE

Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story by Lisa Westberg Peters
Pteranodon by Daniel Cohen
I Am a Sea Turtle by Darlene R. Stille

Homeschool: 23 July 2006

2006-07-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

Juliette's illness impeded her willingness to do... anything, so most of our learning was done out and about when her mood permitted. We went to the fair on Tuesday, saw butterflies on Wednesday, and bought tricycles on Friday. Saturday, we met with Jenn and Calvin to hit the market, the library, and the children's museum.

ART
Juliette drew three notable works this week. First, my parents' house:Next, a coloring page from a Hello! Kitty book. Notice the increased detail she has achieved with regard to color selection, especially compared to to just this past April.And finally, her own rendition of Hello! Kitty, with a kitty friend and the roof of their house. Such dour cats!
ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

Little Quack's New Friend by Lauren Thompson
The Hidden Feast a folktale from the American South retold by Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss

Poetry & Rhyming Prose

Yellow Elephant: A Bright Bestiary by Julie Larios
Mixed Beasts by Wallace Edwards and Kenyon Cox
What Times Is It, Mr. Crocodile? by Judy Sierra

HISTORY

Night of the Goat Children as retold by J. Patrick Lewis

SCIENCE

Dinosaurs! by Laurence Pringle
A Tiger Grows Up by Anastasia Suen

Homeschool: 16 July 2006

2006-07-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

Monday, we played with Play-Doh, spent the morning outdoors with our new neighbors, and went to a playground. There, we met a dad from Tanzania whose wife is from England. He asked if I was from England - Keven makes me talk all weird, apparently. Tuesday, Jenn and Calvin came over to play in the morning, and the girls and I did floor puzzles in the evening. Wednesday was a gentle day, playing in and out, with lots of reading - oh, and we went to the stores in the afternoon. Thursday thru Saturday was filled with people and outings.

We were generally more organized this week, with specific periods of school set aside through almost all of the days. The girls' attention spans have shrunken to pea sizes, so it will be a steady project to bring them back to some semblance of where they were in spring.

ART

Juliette: color blending review; Ilsa: color identification review; several sticker and coloring projects, particularly for Juliette

ENGLISH - PHONICS

Juliette: worked up to 14 sight words from flashcards; Ilsa: about 20 phonics cards per day, identify the letter with which each picture starts

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

Tiger Can't Sleep by S. J. Fore
My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World by Gilles Bachelet
I'm Not Cute by Jonathan Allen

Ongoing

Chapters 7-11 from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and adapted by C. Louise March; "Godfather Death" and "Thumbling's Travels" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Poetry & Rhyming Prose

Bunnies on the Go: Getting from Place to Place by Rick Walton
Tangerines and Tea, My Grandparents and Me: An Alphabet Book by Ona Gritz

Religion & Mythology

Pegasus the Flying Horse by Jane Yolen

HISTORY

When Mr. Jefferson Came to Philadelphia by Ann Turner
Young Thomas Edison by Michael Dooling

MATHEMATICS

Juliette: identify numerals 0-30, and two tangram patterns; Ilsa: identify numerals 0-20, and 14 tangram patterns - she is a wizard at the small mechanics of those little, bitty shapes

SCIENCE

A Mother's Journey by Sandra Markle
Mercury by Larry Dane Brimmer
After reading the Jupiter book, we did several demonstrations of "gravity" - which tickled them to no end. Now they can toss their toys about a little, as long as they say "gravity" when they do.

SPANISH

Both: 15 animal vocab cards
Conejito a folktale from Panama (S&E) retold by Margaret Read MacDonald

Homeschool: 09 July 2006

2006-07-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

I have had a rough time of things this week, re-adjusting to our Madison lives after returning from Virginia. The Virginia story: Part I, Part II, and Part III. And then we went to the Art Fair with Jenn and Calvin on Saturday. I briefly tried to get Juliette switched over to wearing panties at night instead of diapers, but I give up after three consecutive days of washing sheets. I am going to be more aggressive with taking her to go pee at night - like when we switch her to the bed she shares with Ilsa - and restricting after-dinner liquids, but all of this while still using the pull-ups. Sigh. Just when we got Ilsa under control with the daytime toilet use, it's back to daily laundry again!

Update: I forgot about the seven new books we read while on the plane and in the hotel, added below.

ART

The above is a momentous accomplishment for Ilsa: her first attempt to draw anything other than little heads with arms and legs. Any guesses? Yeah, I had to ask too. It's a spider in the middle of a spiderweb. Cool!

Juliette drew this one last week in honor of the England game we watched on TV. Click on the picture for a details. Notice the heart on the shirt of the sidelines daddy.

ENGLISH - PHONICS

Two alphabet floor puzzles; magnet phonics

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

When Kangaroo Goes to School by Sonia Levitin
Kitten Red, Yellow, Blue by Peter Catalanotto
Sheep Don't Count Sheep by Margaret Wise Brown
Hello Family! by Thea Feldman
Bob by Tracey Campbell Pearson
Lucy Comes to Stay by Rosemary Wells
Cinderella by Claire Black
Sleeping Beauty by Claire Black
Beauty and the Beast by Claire Black
Puss in Boots by Claire Black
Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Claire Black

Poetry & Rhyming Prose

Mama Loves by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Ste-e-e-e-eamboat A-Comin'! by Jill Esbaum
Five Little Chicks by Nancy Tafuri

Religion & Mythology

The Song of Francis and the Animals as adapted by Pat Mora

HISTORY

The Good Lion by Beryl Markham

MUSIC

Famous Children: Mozart by Ann Rachlin

SCIENCE

Swift Thief: The Adventure of Velociraptor by Michael Dahl
The Little Lamb by Judy Dunn
The Little Raccoon by Elizabeth Ring

Homeschool: 18 June 2006

2006-06-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

After a mildly rough start, we got our week in gear and become involved with a number of social and cultural opportunities throughout the end of the week.

ART

I cannot scan them, but Juliette has been very active illustrating books made of paper folded in half and stapled at the binding. She has, this week, illustrated eight such books, all of which contain at least 16 pages. Astounding.

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

The Surprise Visitor by Juli Kangas
I Love Animals by Flora McDonnell
Turtle's Race with Beaver a Seneca folktale retold by Joseph & James Bruchac
Four Friends in Autumn by Tomie de Paola

Poetry & Rhyming Prose

When Daddy Took Us Camping by Julie Brillhart

SCIENCE

Dinosaur Bones by Bob Barner

Homeschool: 11 June 2006

2006-06-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

With my persistent illness, we have been limited in our activities. The end of the week picked up with several outings.

ENGLISH - GRAMMAR & PHONICS

A Was Once an Apple Pie by Suse MacDonald

ENGLISH - JULIETTE READS

I Love Cats by Brian Saltzberg

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

Cleo in the Snow by Caroline Mockford
My Family Plays Music by Judy Cox
What Bear Likes Best by Alison Ritchie
I am a Ballerina by Valerie Coulman
The Brave Little Bunny by Linda Jennings
The Problem with Chickens by Bruce McMillan

Poetry & Rhyming Prose

Naughty Little Monkeys by Jim Aylesworth
Jump into January: A Journey Around the Year by Stella Blackstone and Maria Carluccio

LOGIC

Same or Different, pages 24-28

MATHEMATICS

Cleo's Counting Book (2x) by Caroline Mockford

SPANISH

The Desert is My Mother / El Desierto Es Mi Madre (S&E) by Pat Mora

Homeschool: 4 June 2006

2006-06-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

We have accomplished a surprising amount this week, despite the fact I have been on my own. For some reason, I feel even more obligated to spend time with the girls, as if my solo parent status has forced the issue. Who else do they have? I might as well, I think, because there's no one else to come in as my relief crew.

Also, we have been spending a great deal of time outside with our various neighbors. The girls gained three new friends this week - Claudia (5) and Seth (7) from a new family that just moved here from Illinois, and Jety (6) whose family is from South Korea. In any one afternoon, they have seven other kids - ages 18 months to seven years - to play with. Talk about a boon! As soon as they hear "other babies" through our open living room window, they run for the door to go play. The childcare duties are informally shared between all six of the moms, many of whom congregate at our building's picnic table to talk shop and watch babies. We all know each other and the kids, making sure everyone is accounted for and playing nicely!

The girls and I also had a fun, intense week of new activities: our eventful trip home, a day at the beach, Friday park day, and Cows on the Concourse. I do not think I can keep up that pace, exactly, but I do not intend to. Next week will be a little more free-form to give me a mini breather.

ART

We did paintings with glitter glue on Tuesday, which we mailed to Keven. But I forgot to scan them! We also did a watercolor project today. I do not know what they are - the kids said they were "thunderstorms," but they always say that about their watercolors - but since I cannot get any more precise with this medium, who am I to judge? Juliette's on top:
ENGLISH - GRAMMAR & PHONICS

ABC T-Rex by Bernard Most

ENGLISH - JULIETTE READS

Sunshine by Alice K. Flanagan

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

First Snow by Bernette Ford
Do Cows Eat Cake? by Michael Dahl
Do Penguins Have Puppies? by Michael Dahl
10 (Ten) by Vladimir Radunsky
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp retold by Carol Carrick
Baba Yaga retold by Katya Arnold
Tom Rabbit by Martin Waddell
Sandbear by Shen Roddie
Lottie's New Beach Towel by Petra Mathers

Ongoing

Chapter 6 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and adapted by C. Louise March; "The Elves," "The Robber Bridegroom," "Mr. Korbis," "The Godfather," and "Frau Trude" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Poetry & Rhyming Prose

Over on the Farm by Christopher Gunson
Tickle Tum by Nancy Van Laan

Religion & Mythology

Little Bear, You're a Star: A Greek Myth About the Constellations retold by Jean Marzollo

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY

World puzzle, plus:
England by Michael Dahl
Across a Dark and Wild Sea by Don Brown

LOGIC

Same or Different, pages 14-24

MATHEMATICS

Look Whooo's Counting by Suse MacDonald
Count the Ways, Little Brown Bear by Jonathan London
Starry Arms: Counting by Fives by Michael Dahl
Cleo's Counting Book by Caroline Mockford
Bears at the Beach by Niki Yektai

SCIENCE

Dinosaur puzzle, plus:
T. Rex: The Adventure of Tyrannosaurus Rex by Michael Dahl
Winged and Toothless: The Adventures of Pteranodon by Michael Dahl
Fast, Faster, Fastest: Animals That Move at Great Speeds by Michael Dahl
Strange Lizard: The Adventure of Allosaurus by Michael Dahl
Monster Fish: The Adventure of Ichthyosaurs by Michael Dahl
Grasslands by Darlene R. Stille
Destination: Rainforest by Jonathan Grupper
I Am a Fish: The Life of a Clownfish by Darlene R. Stille

Homeschool: 28 May 2006

2006-05-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

We were light on formal activities and reading this week - AGAIN - because of our trip to Indiana to stay with my parents. Some nights, however, I managed to get them away from the TV for a bit of pre-bed storytime.

ART

Juliette created no less than 80 individual drawings during the course of our stay with Mom and Dad. I put each day's work in a big pile and, out of curiosity, counted them before we left. Seriously - 80 pictures. Here are my favorites: sweetheart bear (a stuffed bear of my mom's that has a bear on its sweater) and family, coloring fairies flying a kits, characters from Toy Story (left to right: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Bo-Peep, Potato Head, Woody, Rex, and Buzz), and Cleo on the Move (Keven read it to her two weeks ago and she drew this from memory - the likeness is so sweet!).
ENGLISH - PHONICS

A to Z by Sandra Boynton (alphabet)
The Letter Factory by Leapfrog Industries (phonics)

ENGLISH - JULIETTE READS

Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton
Touch and Feel Kitten by DK Publishing

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

The Very Quiet Cricket (2x) by Eric Carle
Winnie the Pooh's Easy-to-Read Stories adapted by Isabel Gaines
Eeyore, Be Happy by Don Ferguson

Poetry and Rhyming Prose

Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw
Miss Spider's Tea Party (2X) by David Kirk (counting too)

MATHEMATICS

Doggies by Sandra Boynton (counting)
Pooh's Honey Bee Counting Book by Disney
Can You Count? by Gyo Fujikawa
Shapes by Leapfrog Industries

Homeschool: 21 May 2006

2006-05-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

We were light on formal activities and reading this week because of our trip to Indiana to stay with my parents. However, Juliette fed baby goats their bottles of milk and she milked one of my mom's goats, Sally. Very cool - something I'll have to get on video. Also, Ilsa is about 98% toilet trained. She was dry for all of yesterday, and her overnight diaper was dry this morning. She has done so well! And of course, Juliette made 117 drawings and Ilsa stacked blocks 117 times... the usual.

When Casey and his family were over on Saturday - the four of us put trusses up on the new barn roof while Jess was in charge of child care - Juliette, Ilsa and their cousin Lily played and played. They flew kites, colored and ran on their playground for at least an hour. Talk about exhausted children!!

I also discovered that the author of the girls' favorite dinosaur stories, Michael Dahl, is a very prolific children's author. We liberally partook of his library books this week.

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

Do Cows Eat Cake? by Michael Dahl
Do Bears Buzz? by Michael Dahl
Do Penguins Have Puppies? by Michael Dahl
The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle
Turtle's Race with Beaver a Seneca legend retold by James and Joseph Bruchac

Science

T. Rex: The Adventure of Tyrannosaurus Rex by Michael Dahl
Lizard Tooth: The Adventures of Iguanodon by Michael Dahl
Winged and Toothless: The Adventures of Pteranodon by Michael Dahl

Homeschool: 14 May 2006

2006-05-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

Keven handled most of the read-aloud tasks this week while I was in Ohio, and he also took the girls to the UW-Madison Geological Museum on Friday to see dinosaur skeletons. The horrible rainy weather has prevented much of our now-accustomed outdoor play, and the girls are noticeably restless. But earlier this week, on Monday, we did manage to enjoy the large play structure at McKee Farms with Calvin and Jenn, followed by a Cooking Club playdate that afternoon, and Wednesday we met with our regular playgroup at yet another park. And we read:

ART

Using Color in Art by Joy Richardson
El Greco by Mike Venezia

Variations on a Theme: Juliette repeats the same scenario or pictoral theme over and over again. With these three, she has drawn a party in which Blue, Magenta and Green Puppy from Blue's Clues each have their own matched balloon. I think she repeats the themes, on occassion, when she is dissatisfied with some aspect of the completed picture - for example, her mistake in the lettering on one of the attempts - but otherwise, her enthusiasm and patience with this repetition is fascinating. I would have uploaded the other eight Blue's drawings I have, but I thought three was representative of her trend.
ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

Cleo on the Move (3x) by Stella Blackstone and Caroline Mockford
Do Monkeys Tweet? (2x) by Melanie Walsh
The Princess Who Lost Her Hair, an Akamba legend retold by Tololwa M. Mollel
The Best Picnic Ever by Clare Jarrett
Over on the Farm by Christopher Gunson
My Visit to the Aquarium by Aliki
Dragonfly's Tale by Kristina Rodanas
Smile if You're Human by Neal Layton

Religion & Mythology

Moses in the Bulrushes by Mary Auld

Science

Mars by Larry Dane Brimner
Long-Neck: The Adventure of Apatosaurus (3x) by Michael Dahl
Long Arm: The Adventure of Brachiosaurus (2x) by Michael Dahl

Homeschool: 7 May 2006

2006-05-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

We were much more involved this week than last week, which made for a nice change. Keven is almost completely done with his semester, leaving him time to take the kids out to play an unsuccessful round of miniature golf on Saturday afternoon and to the playrgound and soccer field today. We also went to the MOMS' Club monthly meeting on Friday, and Katka and Rasty came over last night for a lovely farewell-until-autumn BBQ. And we read:

ART

Telling Stories in Art by Joy Richardson

Here is just one of the dozens of pictures Juliette created this month, entitled "Paintings". Obvious, I think, attesting to her ability to create works that are nearly intelligible.
ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Juliette Reads Aloud

No New Pants by Marcia Leonard

Fiction & Folktales

How the Chipmunk Got His Stripes, an Iroquois folktale retold by Joseph & James Bruchac
Raccoon's Last Race, an Abenaki folktale retold by Joseph & James Bruchac
The Rabbit's Tail, a Korean folktale retold by Suzanne Crowder Han
Aesop's Fox, as retold by Aki Sogabe
The Crystal Mountain, a Chinese folktale retold by Ruth Sanderson
Four Friends Together by Sue Heap
Going to Sleep on the Farm by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
"Three Billy Goats Gruff" from Once upon a Bedtime Story: Classic Tales as told by Jane Yolen

Religion & Mythology

To Everything There is a Season, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon

Science

Stiff Armor: The Adventures of Ankylosaurus (2x) by Michael Dahl
Three-Horn: The Adventures of Triceratops by Michael Dahl
Jupiter by Larry Dane Brimner

Spanish

La Primera Nevada de Clifford by Norman Bridwell and translated from the English by Teresa Mlawer

Homeschool: 30 April 2006

2006-04-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

After an apathetic week, we managed to get back on track over these last few days with an increased attention to storytime.

ART

Rembrandt by Mike Venezia

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

The Cricket's Cage, a Chinese folktale retold by Stefan Czernecki
A Kitten's Year by Nancy Raines Day
"The Tortoise and the Hare," "The Lion and the Mouse" and "Stone Soup" from Once Upon a Bedtime Story retold by Jane Yolen
The Rabbit's Judgment, a Korean folktale retold by Suzanne Chowder Han
Raccoon's Last Race, an Abenaki folktale retold by Joseph and James Bruchac
Legend of the Li River, a Chinese folktale retold by Jeanne M. Lee

Religion & Mythology

A Prayer for the Earth: the Story of Naamah, Noah's Wife, a Christian myth retold by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
How the Sea Began, a Taíno myth as retold by George Crespo

Music

Tchaikovsky by Mike Venezia

Science

Ankylosaurus by Daniel Cohen
Four Seasons Make a Year by Anne Rockwell
Bony Back: The Adventure of Stegasaurus by Michael Dahl
The Stars by Martha E. H. Rustad

Spanish

Spot Va a la Granja by Eric Hill and translated from the English by Carlos Méndez
Jajá, jijí, cuac by Doreen Cronin and translated from the English by Alberto Jiménez Rioja

Homeschool: 23 April 2006

2006-04-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

We started the week with a trip to Ilsa's pediatrician to have her staples removed, and then we went to the MOMS Book Club to discuss Runaway while the kids played. We also visited the library and had a nice time at the local playground before returning for sandbox time and baths. Monday was busy, but satisfying and relatively easy. Tuesday, however, Juliette ate some toxic waste - or at least that's what her mood seemed to indicate. We stayed home and I played duck-and-cover until it blew over.

Wednesday, we went to Club MAD (Music, Arts, Drama) where this month's theme was Fairy Tales. The kids made "Goldilocks & the Three Bears" and "The Three Little Pigs" headbands before we read and acted out the stories. Everyone got involved, even some of the shy ones, although Ilsa only wanted to pretend to eat Baby Bear's porridge. Speaking of porridge, we made cream of wheat for their snack, which received mixed reviews from our tasters. Afterwards, the girls and I tried to ride the bus, which worked out great.

Thursday, we went to a storytime at the Middleton Library, a branch we had not visited. When they turned out the lights for a mini movie, Ilsa was fine. We tried this last September and she was much too scared of the dark. Like our recent experience with the bus, these few months a maturity have made her much more resilient. That afternoon, we did a Meals on Wheels run and returned home to get Keven sorted out for his trip to Minnesota.

Friday, Keven left for his conference at 6:30 in the morning, I finished The Awakening, went back to sleep, and the girls woke me up some time later. We bummed around, headed to a MOMS park date that afternoon, and got fast food for dinner. I mistakenly, it seems, put them down for a nap before the park trip, the result of which was a 10:30 bedtime. Not cool. I wanted to go to bed! Saturday morning, we went out to the farmer's market and the library. Keven returned, and then Nicole babysat the girls while Keven and I went to the Spring Ball. Finally, today, was Juliette's first soccer game.

And occasionally, we read a few books!

ART
Most of the time, I have featured Juliette's artwork because the subject matter is a little more discernable. This week, I decided to post one of Ilsa's more intelligible creations. I have labeled its various parts. Perhaps because of last week's events in the ER, she has been quite concerned with babies falling. Also, we have a toy Tigger doll that jumps. She has always been scared of it - hence my decision to put it away in the basement - but recently Tigger has been the subject of repeating nightmares in which he hides under her quilt and peeks out at her. I never used to understand the concept of Art Therapy when I was at Bowling Green, where the Art Therapy program was renowned and very popular, but Ilsa in particular has demonstrated the usefulness of art as a means of expression for barely-verbal children.

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

Seeing Stars by Sharleen Collicott
Farmer Will by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
Who Hoots? (2x) by Katie Davis
The Three Brothers by Carolyn Croll
Why Butterflies Go By on Silent Wings by Marguerite W. Davol
A Crow's Journey by David Cunningham
The Polar Bear Son: An Inuit Tale retold by Lydia Dabcovich
Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky a Nigerian tale retold by Niki Daly

Poetry

I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis

Science

Skeletons! Skeletons! by Katy Hall

Spanish

Spot Va a la Granja (SP) by Eric Hill and translated from the English by Carlos Méndez

Homeschool: 16 April 2006

2006-04-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

We did the farm thing. We did the service station / ER thing. We did the Milwaukee thing. And occassionally, we read a few books.

ART
Earlier this week, Juliette insisted that she draw Chucky, Spike (from Rugrats) and Bagpuss in a still life set-up. This is by far her most accomplished drawing to date, particularly with the amount of detail and her use of color. You cannot tell from that picture of Chucky, but his character - and the doll from which she drew her picture - wears green shorts and red shoes with untied white laces.

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

Seeing Stars by Sharleen Collicott
City Dog, Country Dog by Dorothy Donohue
Farmer Will by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
Who Hoots? by Katie Davis
A Kitten's Year by Nancy Raines Day and Anne Mortimer
Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin

Poetry

I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis

Homeschool: 9 April 2006

2006-04-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

We were busy with various outings this week, including a breakfast with the MOMS Club on Wednesday, the MOMS monthly membership meeting on Thursday, and Juliette's ballet recital on Friday. This weekend, we spent time around the house and enjoyed the really great weather. The girls spent about two hours outside today, a new record - and even then they did not want to come inside.

ART

More informal drawings this week, (click on the photo for descriptive labels), plus a labeled elephant coloring page with the science reading.
ENGLISH - PHONICS

Juliette: read Bananas by Cynthia Klingel and Robert B. Noyed; sight word flashcards

Both: I Spy (items around the house) for letters J-L

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

"Thumbling" and "Mrs. Fox's Wedding" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim; The Cow Buzzed by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha

GEOGRAPHY

World floor puzzle

LOGIC

Juliette: four pages from Same or Different logic workbook

MATH

Juliette: number cards 1-40; put cards 1-20 in ascending order

Ilsa: number cards 1-10

MUSIC

"The Checked Cotton Underwear of Johannes Brahms" and "Full of Splinters: Sergei Prokofiev" from Lives of the Mucisians: Good Times, Bad Times (And What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull

SCIENCE

African Elephants by Alison Tibbitts; ongoing investigations with Tulip, flower seedlings, and indoor blossoming branch

Homeschool: 2 April 2006

2006-04-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

We did very little this week as far as formal learning. We did have an awesome day at the zoo, and the girls have been actively taking part in training Tulip and in watching the successful progression of our seeds' growth. We also spent Wednesday morning with Club MAD (Music, Arts, Drama) working on an extensive series of color experiments. In addition, our new tangram puzzles (like these) were well received, even though the delicacy of these little shapes sometimes requires help. Juliette has been busy, as always, with her drawings, and yesterday morning we attended her last ballet class of this term. Ilsa is almost entirely potty trained now. Next week has to be better as far as structure, because it cannot possibly get more lax!

ART

Color Kittens (2x) by Margaret Wise Brown

These are illustrations Juliette made of two Beatrix Potter tales, Peter Rabbit and Tom Kitten. Too cool. She wrote the words herself as I helped her sound them out.

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Fiction & Folktales

The Cow Buzzed (2x) by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha; Wish, Change, Friend by Ian Whybrow

SCIENCE

Ankylosaurus by Daniel Cohen

Homeschool: 24 March 2006

2006-03-26T20:09:00.000-08:00

We hit the ground running with our week back from Spring Break. Over last weekend, Juliette in particular attacked our stack of blank paper with intense attention, developing her skills to no small degree. Sunday night we went out for dinner together. We attended the MOMS Book Club on Monday to discuss The Time Traveler's Wife, which elicited varied but thoughtful reviews from the other moms. On Tuesday, we attempted outdoor play, but the weather would not be tolerable until today. Wednesday found us at our bi-weekly playgroup at Lisa's house, followed by a lunch at Katka's house. I completed our monthly Meals on Wheels run while Shelley watched the girls, and Jenn R. and Calvin visited on Friday morning. She and I are planning a trip sometime in April to Milwaukee to visit their children's museum. Mommy & Baby Roadtrip! And then Friday night and Saturday were packed full of culture. Otherwise, Ilsa's potty training is back on track, and we're set to return to full-time panties tomorrow.

I think I'll start posting homeschool updates on Sundays just because it is easier for me to blog about them on the weekends.

ART

Review 2D shapes; introduction to 3D shapes; color cards; color theory; pp 1-15 from Telling Stories in Art by Joy Richardson; I Spy Shapes in Art by Lucy Micklethwait

Juliette completed a very impressive picture of "Hey Diddle Diddle," which has been her picture theme of choice this week.

ENGLISH - PHONICS

Juliette: magnet spelling; 26 sight words from from flash cards; Hamsters by Cynthia Klingel and Robert B. Noyed

Ilsa: lower case alphabet review; alphabetizing letter magnets; introduction to letter sounds

Both: I Spy (items around the house) for letters B-G

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Ongoing

Chapters 3-5 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and adapted by C. Louise March; "The Magic Table, the Golden Donkey, and the Cudgel in the Sack" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim; "The Tale of Benjamin Bunny" from The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter

Fiction & Folktales

Katje, the Windmill Cat by Gretchen Woelfle; The Cow Buzzed by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha; Blue Rabbit and Friends (2x) by Christopher Wormell; How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague; The Shell Woman and the King, a Chinese folktale retold by Lawrence Yep; Good Night, Mr. Night by Dan Yaccarino

Religion and Mythology

The Story of Jonah, adapted from The Bible by Mary Auld; To Every Thing There is a Season (2x), adapted from The Bible by Leo & Diane Dillon

GEOGRAPHY

Australia by Michael Dahl with coloring pages (kangaroos & koalas) and map find

HANDWRITING

Letter "G" worksheet

Below, you can see both girls' handwriting from these worksheets. But which is which? (Ilsa's is on the top!)

LOGIC

Juliette: Same or Different logic workbook pp 1-9

MATH:

Juliette: manipulatives to solve addition flash cards; identify numbers 0-40; put number cards in order from 1-15, ascending and descending

Ilsa: counting & number identification 0-12

Both: A Dozen Ducklings Lost and Found by Harriet Ziefert

MUSIC

Rhythm mimic; water xylophone; "The Red Priest: Antonio Vivaldi" and "Pulsing and Quivering: Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" from Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (And What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull

SCIENCE

Welcome to the Sea of Sand by Jane Yolen with prairie dog coloring pages and map find; introduction to principles of fire; space puzzle

SPANISH

Juliette: animal vocabulary cards; review alphabet and numbers; introduction to colors

Ilsa: animal vocabulary cards; introduction to alphabet

Both: Eight Animals on the Town (S&E) by Susan Middleton Elya; Corduroy (SP) by Don Freeman and translated from the English by Viking Press; Madeline (SP) by Ludwig Bemelmans and translated from the English by Arshes Anasal

Homeschool: 10 March 2006

2006-03-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

Over the span of fourteen days we accomplished what should have taken one good week, but travel time and spring break played havoc with my resolve and our routine. My primary goal has been potty training Ilsa, with other accomplishments as follows:

ART

Diplodocus coloring pages in conjunction with Science reading; color cards; sidewalk chalk drawings; Leonardo Da Vinci by Mike Venezia

ENGLISH - PHONICS

Juliette: matched rhyme cards; read words from picture cards (pictures concealed); identified sounds from alphabet cards; magnet phonics

Ilsa: identified items from picture cards; letter recognition (lower and upper cases); alphabetized letter magnets

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Ongoing

Chapter 2 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and adapted by C. Louise March; "The Three Languages," "Clever Else," and "The Tailor in Heaven," from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Fiction & Folktales

Where, Where is Swamp Bear? by Kathi Appelt; All Night Near the Water (2x) by Jim Arnosky; A Manatee Morning by Jim Arnosky; The Golden Goose, a tale collected by the Brother Grimm and adapted by Dennis McDermott; The Hatseller and the Monkeys, a West African folktale retold by Baba Wagué Diakité; The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Tim Arnold

Poetry

Mockingbird by Allan Ahlberg; Sailing to Sleep (2x) by Linda Ashman; Babies on the Go (2x) by Linda Ashman

Religion and Mythology

All Things Bright and Beautiful, an illustrated hymn written by Cecil Frances Alexander

GEOGRAPHY

Identify continents on world map; world map puzzle

HANDWRITING

Juliette: letter practice on the easel

Both: letter "F" worksheet

HISTORY

Castle by Nicholas Harris; built castles out of blocks & played with My Little Pony castle

MATH:

Juliette: manipulatives, addition and subtraction up to five items; counting by 10s to 100; counting by 2s; number puzzle pieces to identify two-digit numbers

Ilsa: shape cards; numbers 0-10; manipulatives for counting

MUSIC

Strings picture identification; review woodwinds and brass; classical music throughout all class time; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Mike Venezia

SCIENCE

Diplodocus by Daniel Cohen; The Emperor Lays an Egg by Brenda Z. Guiberson; Look at Teeth by Henry Pluckrose; In the Rainforest by Maurice Pledger; dinosaur, ocean, and space floor puzzles

SPANISH

Juliette: numbers 0-10; animal picture cards

Both: Corduroy (SP) by Don Freeman and translated from the English by Viking Press

Homeschool: 3 March 2006

2006-03-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

This marks the first official day of homeschooling for our family. While the main emphasis is still learning-based play and reading aloud, I have added more structure and activities to introduce concepts - slowly and with very little pressure. Most of these activities total only 60-90 minutes daily, with plenty of time allowed for leisurely art projects and social engagements.

We went to a meeting of the MOMS Cooking Club on Monday afternoon, to Keva for an open gym on Thursday, and to the library and swimming with Keven on Friday. I practiced ballet with Juliette once per evening for about 15 minutes on Monday and Thursday, and she attended regular class on Saturday morning. Ilsa makes good sport of playing along with our in-home ballet review.

ART

Space collage in conjunction with Science reading about space; color cards; color theory; watercolor painting (this picture is Juliette's watercolor of "a thunderstorm," although I think I see an outline of Europe)
ENGLISH - PHONICS

Juliette: matched rhyme cards; read words from picture cards (pictures concealed); identified sounds from alphabet cards; magnet phonics; read Jen the Hen by Colin and Jacqui Hawkins and Dogs by Cynthia Klingel and Robert B. Noyed on her own

Ilsa: identified items from picture cards; letter recognition (lower and upper cases); magnet phonics

ENGLISH - READ ALOUD

Ongoing

Chapters six and seven (to finish) Call of the Wild by Jack London and adapted by D. J. Arneson; "The Girl Without Hands" and "Clever Hans" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim; "The Tale of Benjamin Bunny" and "The Tale of Jeremy Fisher" from from The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter

Fiction & Folktales

Four Friends Together by Sue Heap; The Gift of the Crocodile, an Indonesian folktale adapted by Judy Sierra; The Badger and the Magic Fan, a Japanese folktale adapted by Tony Johnston; Yoshi's Feast, adapted by Kimiko Kajikawa from the story "Smells and Jingles" in William Elliot Griffis's Japanese Fair World: Stories from the Wonder-lore of Japan (1880); Three Pandas by Jan Wahl; The Three Billy Goats Gruff adapted by Tim Arnold

Poetry

Homespun Sarah by Verla Kay; Green Cat by Dayal Kaur Khalsa; Sailing to Sleep by Linda Ashman; Babies on the Go by Linda Ashman

Religion and Mythology

King Midas, adapted by John Warren Stewig; To Every Thing There is a Season, adapted from The Bible by Leo & Diane Dillon

GEOGRAPHY

Colored maps of Africa and North America (without country borders) in conjunction with Science readings about gorillas (Africa) and bobcats (North America); identified continents on world map; world map puzzle
HANDWRITING

Letter "E" worksheet

HISTORY

Abe Lincoln and the Muddy Pig by Stephen Kennedy; Voices of Ancient Egypt by Kay Winters

MATH:

Juliette: introduction to manipulatives, addition and subtraction up to five items, including minus, plus, and equal signs; introduction to counting by 10s to 100; mastered counting backward from 10; introduction to skip counting by 2s; abacus for counting; number puzzle pieces to identify two-digit numbers

Ilsa: shape cards; numbers 0-10; introduction to manipulatives and abacus for counting

MUSIC

Woodwinds and brass picture identification; full audio version of Peter and the Wolf; classical music throughout all class time

SCIENCE

Bobcats by Caroline Arnold; Gorillas: Gentle Giants of the Forest by Joyce Milton; The Planets by Gail Gibbons; dinosaur, ocean, and space floor puzzles

SPANISH

Juliette: numbers 0-10; animal picture cards; colors; review alphabet; read Días con Sapo y Sepo (SP) by Arnold Lobel and translated from the English by Pablo Lizcano

Homeschool: 24 Feb 2006

2006-02-24T10:56:00.000-08:00

We did lots.

I've also started tutoring Juliette in ballet during the week with the following routine: first position plié with arms in first, second position plié with arms in second, drill feet & arm positions, rélevé with arms in first and second, tendu on each foot, arms in fifth with rélevé turn, jump feet to first - second - first, "ballet walk," runs with "fairy wings," "horsey," "kangaroo," marching, and chassé to the side. While I had aimed to do this daily, we managed only a Tuesday practice. The girls were both really excited about the change of pace, so I plan to continue this more faithfully next week.

And we read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapter five from Call of the Wild by Jack London and adapted by D. J. Arneson

"The Devil and the Three Hairs" and "The Louse and the Flea" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Fiction and Folktales

The Silver Charm, a Japanese folktale adapted by Robert S. San Souci

Spot va a la escuela (2x) (SP) by Eric Hill and translated from the English by Alexandra Brant Drake

Opera Cat by Tess Weaver

Poetry

Frog Went A-Courting: A Musical Play in Six Acts by Dominic Catalano

Green Cat (2x) by Dayal Kaur Khalsa

Bunnies on the Go (2x) by Rick Walton

Religion and Mythology

Buddha by Susan L. Roth

The Seven Days of Creation, adapted from The Bible by Leonard Everett Fisher

Non-Fiction

The Earth's Moon by Isaac Asimov

Iguanodon by Daniel Cohen

Velociraptor by Daniel Cohen

The Great Alexander the Great by Joe Lasker

Juliette Reads

Jen the Hen by Colin and Jacqui Hawkins

Artwork

Juliette's imagination has ventured into the realm of full-on artistic visions, including fictional names and action sequences. These visions include scenes on a beach, in a forest, and in a desert, but this is my favorite of the week. Mind you, I have no idea where she came up with the names. We have not read books or seen television programs where a little girl was named Charlie, but I think "Louly" rhymes with "Juli," the name she picked for her baby doll. Click to enlarge.

Homeschool: 17 Feb 2006

2006-02-17T19:42:00.000-08:00

We started the school week with Juliette's successful ballet lesson on Saturday, puzzles, and a playdate. I fought a minor cold early in the week but still managed to get us to cooking club on Monday. Tuesday found us at the library for an extended visit and then off to the MOMS Club Valentine's Day Party, and we focused on bugs for Club MAD (Music, Arts, Drama) on Wednesday. We spent Thursday quietly at home, doing puzzles and reading, while the storm raged outside.

I have added a new section to the categories below, one called "Juliette Reads." It does what it says. On Tuesday, Juliette read her first book to me, with only a little prompting so she would sound out the letters (instead of relying on the pictures) or to remind her of a certain reading rule or vowel sound ("that's a double-o - what sound does it make?"). A wonderful achievement. Since then, I have been stopping periodically, while reading aloud, to ask her to read a word for me. Generally, these are words that conform to the rules she already knows. I will have her read "fish," for example, but not "love" (breaks all the rules). We're starting with the conformists now, and we'll tackle the "outlaw words" later.

Ilsa knows all of her colors now (primaries, secondaries, brown, black, pink, white, silver, and gold), plus the alphabet in both upper- and lower-cases (thanks to her obsessive love for alphabet puzzles). And her stutter is markedly reduced. She has had four successful poops in the toilet over the last seven days. I think I'll set a date for March 1 to start official, intensive potty training. Time to break out the Elmo panties that Juliette grew out of...

And we've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapter four from Call of the Wild by Jack London and adapted by D. J. Arneson

Fiction

Circus Train by Jos. A. Smith

Komodo! by Peter Sis

Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport by Marjorie Weinnman Sharmat

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (3x) by Eric Carle

The Grouchy Ladybug (2x) by Eric Carle

The Little Squeegy Bug (2x) by Bill Martin, Jr.

Spot va a la escuela (2x) (SP) by Eric Hill and translated from the English by Alexandra Brant Drake

Can't You Sleep, Little Bear? by Martin Waddell

Little Buggy (2x) by Kevin O'Malley

I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed by Lauren Child

Botas Nuevas (2x) (SP) by Guido van Genechten and translated from the English by Christine Reyes

What Would You Do if You Lived at the Zoo? by Nancy White Carlstrom

Poetry

Witch Watch by Paul Coltman

Religion, Mythology & Folktales

To Every Thing There is a Season adapted from The Bible by Leo & Diane Dillon

Non-Fiction

Stargazers by Gail Gibbons

A Day at Greenhill Farm by Sue Nicholson

Lion Cubs: Growing Up in the Wild by the National Geographic Society

Tigers by Lesley A. DuTemple

Juliette Reads

That's My Dog by Rick Walton

Artwork

Above is a detail of a larger drawing Juliette did on her easel. I am posting it here because I think this is very exciting work. She propped up her baby doll, Juli (named it herself), and drew from life. This is not your average little kid's stick figure! The figure has a body, the face has a rounded mouth, and that thingie circling its neck is a bib with a front pocket. The bib has PERSPECTIVE, going around the neck. The body has MASS. Sure, it looks a little funky and Keven could not identify it as a baby without being told, but she is practicing rather impressive concepts without instruction.

Homeschool: 10 Feb 2006

2006-02-10T19:53:00.000-08:00

Our weekend was quiet, with a successful ballet class for Juliette. After a quiet playdate on Monday for the MOMS Movie Club, where only Patti and I participated, I survived my latest UTI with a day of rest at home. Wednesday, we went to the music store for a tour, and Thursday found us at Katka's house for a lovely visit and a delicious lunch. Friday, we spent more time reading and playing - catching up on a lax week - and Ilsa has developed an interesting new stutter, just in the last few days. We've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapter three from Call of the Wild by Jack London and adapted by D. J. Arneson

Fiction

Sisters by David McPhail

Dahlia by Barbara McClintock

Whale is Stuck by Karen Hayles and Charles Fuge

Find-a-Saurus by Mark Sperring

Night Goes By by Kate Spohn

The Someday House by Anne Shelby

Friends Go Adventuring by Helme Heine

Lizard's Guest (2x) by George Shannon

Apollo by Caroline Grégoire

Poetry

Rise the Moon by Eileen Spinelli

Artwork

Juliette created her most detailed drawing to date, complete with several colors (a first - until now it has been monochrome). Try to guess what she says she drew, and click on the picture to reveal the answers.

Homeschool: 3 Feb 2006

2006-02-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

It's been a quiet week. Puzzles have been our staple activity, with lesser amounts of time spent on dolls, writing, work at the easel, and Juliette's forays into typing. We did another painting project, which greatly resembles those from last week, but Juliette has started to draw bodies on her stick figures now. That means the arms and legs emerge from a rotund body shape, rather than from the head. We went to the Children's Museum on Wednesday, a MOMS Club monthly meeting on Thursday, and spent a few lovely nights in - just the four of us. Plus we've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapter two from Call of the Wild by Jack London and adapted by D. J. Arneson

"The Musicians of Bremen" and "The Singing Bone" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Fiction

Betsy Who Cried Wolf! by Gail Carson Levine

Good Night, Princess Pruney Toes by Lisa McCourt

The Night the Moon Blew Kisses by Lynn Manuel

Good Thing You're Not an Octopus! by Julie Markes

Are You There, Bear? (2x) by Ron Maris

Oh! (2x) by Kevin Henkes

Poetry

Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! by David McPhail

This is the Dog by Sheryl McFarlane

Religion, Mythology & Folklore

Joseph and His Coat of Many Colors from The Bible and adapted by Sue Kassirer

Non-Fiction

Dinosaurs Big and Small by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld

Baby Whale's Journey by Jonathon London

Homeschool: 27 Jan 2005

2006-01-27T18:01:00.000-08:00

After our busy weekend and Juliette's first ballet class, we went to Jenn's house for a Monday morning babysitting / playdate session that was followed in the afternoon by the MOMS Cooking Club at our house, and Tuesday found up shopping and at the mall's indoor play structure. All of the details can be found here. Wednesday meant our regularly-scheduled playgroup at Lisa's house, and Keven watched the girls in the evening while I went to ballet. Thursday proved a slow day to recover from our hectic, early-week madness, when we caught up on reading, did a few art projects with our new supplies, and played. I also managed to get them outside for an hour on the nicest day of the week. You can tell we live in the northlands when 33F and sunny is considered good enough weather for visiting a playground! And Friday, we went swimming with Keven in the morning. Plus we've read:

Ongoing Reads

"The Seven Ravens" and "Little Red Cap" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Fiction

Bitter Bananas by Isaac Olaleye

Un Beso de Buenos Noches (SP) by Amy Hest and translated from the English by Esther Rubio

Religion, Mythology & Folklore

The Tortoise and the Jackrabbit / La Tortuga y la Liebre (S&E) by Susan Lowell

Baba Yaga and the Wise Doll retold by Hiawyn Oram

Non-Fiction

Catch the Wind: All About Kites by Gail Gibbons

Tell Me About: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by John Malam

Coach John and His Soccer Team by Alice K. Flanagan

Tale of a Tadpole by Barbara Ann Porte

The Cherokee Indians by Bill Lund

Artwork

This is Ilsa's experiment with rubber stamps, with my assistance on her name. Below is Juliette's attempt.

Above, Ilsa experimented with paints for the first time. I felt brave letting them go ahead with such a potentially misrable mess. Ilsa, in particular, had a great deal of patience and control over her brushes. She actually painted shapes with intention, rather than Juliette's more exploratory use of color alone. Juliette determined that her painting, below, is a bunch of bushes with blueberries, raspberries, and grapes on them. Then she decided that Ilsa's picture actually represents a large apple tree and an orange tree.

Homeschool: 20 Jan 2006

2006-01-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

This was a busy week back for us. Wednesday, we attending Club MAD (Music, Arts, Drama) and made the snowmen (below). We also made bird feeders by spreading peanut butter on pinecones and dipping them in birdseed. So far, only squirrels have visited our feeders - but they seem to be big fans! Thursday, we went to KEVA for the first time, and we made a Meals on Wheels run in the evening. Today, Jenn and Calvin visited for most of the morning, where there was much sharing and silliness to be had.

Reading has been going great, with more consistency this week. Also, since Monday, the girls have been puzzle crazy. They played with puzzles, nearly unprompted, for an hour and a half. Juliette can do the board puzzles Casey and Jess got her for Christmas, and Ilsa knows all of her alphabet by sight. A great week - back to normal. And we've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapters 26-31 (to finish) from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and adapted by Leigh Hope Wood

Chapter one from Call of the Wild by Jack London and adapted by D. J. Arneson

"The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage" and "Mother Holle" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

"The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies" and "The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher" from The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter

Fiction

The Silly Gooses by Dav Pilkey

Who's in My Bed? by Helen Piers

Moose Music by Sue Porter

Little Buggy by Kevin O'Malley

Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud by Lynn Plourde

Religion, Mythology & Folklore

Coyote Walks on Two Legs: A Book of Navajo Myths and Legends retold by Gerald Hausman

Poetry

Eight Animals on the Town (S&E) by Susan Middleton Elya

Non-Fiction

Mary Cassatt by Mike Venezia

A Picture Book of Robert E. Lee by David A. Adler

Hippos by Patricia Kendell

The Sun's Family of Planets by Allan Fowler

Ducks Don't Get Wet by Augusta Goldin

Artwork
This is Ilsa's snowman from MOMS Club last week. She was very happy with buttons! I helped her with the cotton ball snow, but buttons were more interesting.

Here is Juliette's snowman. She was very happy with magenta! She wasn't as keen on cotton ball snow either. I drew arrows on the top to indicate the direction of her name.

Homeschool: 13 Jan 2006

2006-01-13T19:18:00.000-08:00

This week has been a quiet one, with only two big trips out into the world. We went to the zoo on Saturday, and we went to Shelley's house for a playgroup on Wednesday morning. Otherwise, the girls have been spending a lot more time with Keven this week, forcing him to play tea party and other games. Also, both girls have been very keen on the easel. We put it in the living room in the morning and they doodle and write on it throughout the day. They are getting substantially more practice with drawing and handwriting than they would if I relied solely on paper and pens. And, finally getting back on track with reading, we've been through:

Ongoing

Chapters 23-25 from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and adapted by Leigh Hope Wood

"The Tinderbox" from Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen and translated from the Danish by Tiina Nunnally

Fiction

Spring Thaw by Steven Schnur

Bunny's Night Out by Margot Apple

Hay una Vaca entre las Coles (SP) by Clare Beaton and translated from the English by Yanitzia Canetti

What Did They See? by John Schindel

Gatitos (SP) by Larry Dane Brimner and translated from the Spanish by Jacqueline M. Córdova

The Whales by Cynthia Rylant

In the Still of the Night by Jennifer Selby

Little Raccoon's Big Question by Miriam Schlein

How to Catch an Elephant by Amy Schwartz

Poetry

The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen and retold by Marcus Sedgwick

Homeschool: 6 Jan 2006

2006-01-06T20:15:00.000-08:00

The holidays have messed with our routine something fierce, but we've managed to read:

Ongoing

Chapters 20-22 from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and adapted by Leigh Hope Wood

"The Tale of Peter Rabbit," & "The Tale of Benjamin Bunny," and "The Tale of Two Bad Mice" from The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter

Fiction

Dream Weaver by Jonathon London

Sky Tree by Thomas Locker

The Little Blue Rabbit by Angela McAllister

My Mama Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray

Non-Fiction

"A Successful Farmer and Opera-Composer: Guiseppe Verdi" from Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (And What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull

Artwork

Keven set the girls to work with just crayons and paper to see what their imaginations would produce. Here are the completed pictures, with Ilsa's on top. "It took me a whole lifetime to learn to draw like children." - Pablo Picasso

Handwriting

Can you read Juliette's handwriting? If not, click on the photo to see more closely what she wrote on her new easel:

Homeschool: 23 Dec 2005

2005-12-21T15:36:00.000-08:00

We haven't read a thing this week, as we prepare for the Christmas holiday. On Tuesday, we went to the Holiday Express exhibit, and on Wednesday we went to a Club MAD (Music, Art, Drama) to make these art projects (gingerbread men and tissue paper suncatchers):

Homeschool: 16 Dec 2005

2005-12-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

On Monday, we went to a meeting of our Cooking Club, and I spent most of the day making pies, rolls, and muffins. The girls helped me by "rolling dough." We spent Tuesday morning with Jenn and her son, Calvin, and then the afternoon with Katka - a very social day. Wednesday and Thursday was spent around the house, leading to our snowman adventures. And Friday saw us making graham cracker (gingerbread) houses with the MOMS Club and then attending the Joint Venture Club Holiday Party in the evening, for which I made pizzas.

Earlier this week, Ilsa did the complex alphabet jigsaw almost entirely by herself, and she knows the capital letters of the English alphabet by sight except for "N" (for which she said "nest"), "V" and "W". I'm impressed! Juliette can spell both her first and last name without hesitations. And we read:

Ongoing Reads

"Ashputtle (Cinderella)" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Fiction

I'll Always Love You by Paeony Lewis

Two Cool Coyotes by Jillian Lund

When Elephant Goes to a Party by Sonia Levitin

Religion, Mythology & Folklore

Fat Cat: A Danish Folktale retold by Margaret Read MacDonald

Poetry

Cowboy Bunnies by Christine Loomis

Non-Fiction

Georgia O'Keeffe by Mike Venezia

As a note, WOW is the original "Cinderella" a nasty little tale. There was not enough toe-cutting and heel-cutting and sing-songs about blood in the Disney version!

Homeschool: 9 Dec 2005

2005-12-09T14:32:00.000-08:00

This has been a quiet, close week. After our Monday Moms' Club general meeting, during which we had lots of snacks and playtime, we succombed to yet another cold. We would have read more, with all this free time on our hands, had my nose not been so stuffy. That makes reading aloud very unpleasant. However, we managed to read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapters 17-19Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and adapted by Leigh Hope Wood

"The Tale of Ginger and Pickles" from The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter

Fiction

Gideon by Grancesca Greco

¿Eres mi Mamá? (SP) by P. D. Eastman and translated from the English by Carlos Rivera

Teddy Bears Stay Indoors by Susanna Gretz

Religion, Mythology & Folklore

The Shadow of a Flying Bird, a legend from the Old Testament as retold by Mordicai Gerstein

Poetry

Little White Dog (2x) by Laura Goodwin

Growltiger's Last Stand and Other Poems by T. S. Eliot

Non-Fiction

Young Mozart by Rachel Isadora

The First Teddy Bear by Helen Kay

Homeschool: 2 Dec 2005

2005-12-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

This week we resumed some of our pre-holiday routine. We attending a playdate with the MOMS' Cooking Club, where Ilsa discovered that she is quite fond of train sets. Wednesday, Lisa came over with Nicholas as the sole representatives of our regular playgroup, the rest of whom were attending to various appointments and obligations. That was fine - more cookies and cocoa for us! And Thursday marked the girls' 2005 introduction to a significant snowfall. The girls also watched their first full viewing of The Nutcracker, thus passing a holiday tradition to a third generation. And we've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapters 14-16 Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and adapted by Leigh Hope Wood

"The Riddle" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

"The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse" and "The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse" from The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter

Fiction

Me Gusta Mi Libro de Cuentos (SP) by Anita Jeram and translated from the English by Teresa Mlawer

Can I Have a Stegasaurus, Mom? Can I!? Please!? by Lois G. Grambling

¿De qué color es el mar? (SP) by Silvia Dubovoy

Snow Ravens by Bruno Hächler and translated from the German by Marianne Martens

¿Eres mi Mamá? (SP) by P. D. Eastman and translated from the English by Carlos Rivera

Teddy Bears Stay Indoors by Susanna Gretz

The Ice Bear's Cave by Mark Haddon

Religion, Mythology & Folklore

The Little Red Hen as retold by Norman Messenger

Buddha Stories by Demi

Noah, a legend from the Old Testament as retold by Patricia Lee Gauch

Poetry

Look at the Moon by May Garelick

Little White Dog (3x) by Laura Goodwin

Non-Fiction

"The Red Priest: Antonio Vivaldi" and "Pulsing and Quivering: Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" from The Lives of Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (And What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull

The Seasons of the Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons

Artwork

While the girls did a number of coloring pages this week, none were particularly note- worthy. However, Juliette did complete a handwriting page that was particularly impressive - especially con- sidering that she did it entirely without my prompt- ing or instruction. I glanced over from making dinner and - poof - she had completed the whole thing!

Homeschool: 25 Nov 2005

2005-11-25T14:25:00.000-08:00

This week was packed with Thanksgiving goodness, with a little bit of reading on the side:

Fiction

The Flute Player / La Flautista (S&E) by Robyn Eversole

Religion & Mythology

The Two Mountains: An Aztec Legend retold by Eric A. Kimmel

Non-Fiction

Monet by Mike Venezia

I also discovered that the subject matter of Clockwork by Philip Pullman is too spooky for my girls. But it's a great read!

Homeschool: 18 Nov 2005

2005-11-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

This week included a playgroup during my Monday cooking club, an in-home play date on Tuesday with Jen R. (whose husband is also an MBA student) and her son Calvin, and a meeting of Club MAD (Music, Art Drama) on Wednesday, where the girls made a special art project for Grandma's Christmas gift. We also went to Katka's on Wednesday evening, trudging through the cold and snow for an exhausting, enjoyable evening together. Thursday included lots of grocery shopping and errands, and Friday saw us at Animart for a mini animal safari with what was, I think, the largest turn-out we've seen for a MOMS Club event.

And Juliette has taken her fascination with Mozart to a new level, teaching herself how to spell his name...

Plus, we've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapters 10-13 from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and adapted by Leigh Hope Wood

Pages 12-22 from Clockwork by Philip Pullman

Fiction

The Fiddler of the Northern Lights by Natalie Kinsey- Warnock

The Seasons and Someone by Virginia Kroll

A Cloak for the Moon by Eric A. Kimmel

Un Día Feliz (SP) by Ruth Krauss and translated from the English by María A. Fiol

Non-Fiction

"Twenty Children and 1,200 Compositions: Johann Sebastian Bach" and "No Ordinary Baby: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart" from The Lives of Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (And What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull

Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery by William Miller

Monet by Mike Venezia

Homeschool: 11 Nov 2005

2005-11-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Have we really read so little this week? Yikes! I have to get it together... someday. This week, we've been swimming (twice), out playing several times to enjoy this unseasonably warm weather, over to Katie's house on Tuesday, to our playgroup on Wednesday, and to the library on Friday. They also got to spend time with Katke on Friday night when Keven and I went to the opera. And we've read:

Ongoing Reads

Pages ix-11 from Clockwork by Philip Pullman (it's more like I'm reading it aloud and they happen to be in the room - they'll love it in seven years!)

Fiction

Rain Romp by Jane Kurtz

Beautiful Bananas Elizabeth Laird

Oh Crumps! / ¡Ay, Caramba! (S&E) by Lee Bock and translated from the English by Eida de la Vega

Religion, Mythology & Folklore

The Leopard's Drum (twice) by Jessica Souhami

Artwork

Keven did an art project with this girls this week, using the coloring pages from National Geographic. Juliette is still crazy about opaque colors, and Ilsa is experimenting with texture!

Homeschool: 4 Nov 2005

2005-11-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

This week we returned from the wedding weekend, farm visit, and Halloween, and we finally kicked our colds. We made a library run, took a trip to the park with other MOMS Club folks, had a big morning of play at the MOMS Club meeting on Thursday, and managed a doctor's visit today where they both did so great with their flu shots. I expect that we'll be back on track with regard to reading and art come next week. We've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapters 7-9 from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and adapted by Leigh Hope Wood

Fiction

Bailey the Bear Cub by Nannie Kuiper

Rain Romp by Jane Kurtz

Beautiful Bananas (twice) Elizabeth Laird

Fire and Stone by Ursula K. Le Guin

Oh Crumps! / ¡Ay, Caramba! (S&E) (twice) by Lee Bock and translated from the English by Eida de la Vega

Religion & Mythology

Godiva retold by Lynn Cullen

Poetry

The Owl and the Pussycat (twice) by Edward Lear, as illustrated by James Marshall

Non-Fiction

Cheetah by Edana Eckart

Monet by Mike Venezia

Homeschool: 28 Oct 2005

2005-10-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

We've been sick, did Juliette's birthday, and now we're trying to get to the wedding. And we've read:

Non-Fiction

Johannes Vermeer by Mike Venezia

¡Viva México! A Story of Benito Juárez and Cinco de Mayo by Argentina Palacios

Homeschool: 21 Oct 2005

2005-10-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

We survived our nasty, nasty colds, Ilsa is no longer afraid of the toilet, and Juliette has begun to alternate legs when walking up stairs - right on track for turning three years old next week. And we've read:

Fiction

El Arbol Generoso (SP) by Shel Silverstein and translated from the English by Carla Pardo Valle

Ruth Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl by Virginia Hamilton

When Chickens Grow Teeth by Guy de Maupassant and adapted from the French by Wendy Anderson Halperin

When Stories Fell From the Sky by Valiska Gregory

The Dinosaurs Are Back - And It's All Your Fault Edward! by Wendy Hartmann and Niki Daly

Non-Fiction

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Mike Venezia

If You Were a Farmer by Virginia Schomp

Art Work

We did two sets of art projects this week, mostly because we've been laid up in the house for six days. These two were given the most attention and thought. Each are marker on paper, 7.25 x 9.5 inches.

Ilsa's [left] uses a great variety of colors with bold strokes, focusing primarily on Elmo. Juliette's scene of Oscar with Slimey shows a maturing attention to detail. Oscar is green, the sky is blue, bits of blue sky shine through holes in the umbrella, and Slimey was orange to begin with (although it wound up looking like Oscar was hitting him with some kind of eye stun ray).

Homeschool: 14 Oct 2005

2005-10-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

This week we've been places and done things. We started Ilsa potty training; she can sit on the toilet now without crying in fear of the watery void beneath her, which means we've jumped over the first hurdle. And we've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapters 4-6 from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and adapted by Leigh Hope Wood

Fiction

Welcome Back Sun by Michael Emberley

The White Cat by Robert D. San Souci

The Ticky-Tacky Doll (twice) by Cynthia Rylant

Mouse Tales by Arnold Lobel

Wild Child by Lynn Plourde

Possum's Harvest Moon by Anne Hunter

Clic, Clac, Muu - Vacas Escritoras (SP) by Doreen Cronin and translated from the English by Alberto Jiménez Rioja

Photographer Mole (twice) by Dennis Haseley

Drama

"As You Like It" from Bravo, Mr. William Shakespeare by William Shakespease and retold by Marcia Williams

Non-Fiction

Yippee-Yay! A Book about Cowboys and Cowgirls by Gail Gibbons

A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson by David A. Adler

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Mike Venezia

Tiger, Tiger, Growing Up... by Joan & Richard Hewett

Homeschool: 7 Oct 2005

2005-10-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a slow week for reading, but we've been all around town and busy otherwise. Nicole watched the girls for my date with Keven (Sun), I watched Charlotte's kids, adding an extra informal playgroup at our place (Mon), libary (Mon), park (Tue), MOMS Club meeting (Thur), an afternoon with Katie E. and the kids (Thur), and Children's Museum (Fri). I need a nap...

Ongoing Reads

Chapters 1-3 Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and adapted by Leigh Hope Wood

"The Brave Little Tailor" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Fiction

The Squirrel and the Moon by Eleonore Schmid

The Animals' Song (countless times) by David L. Harrison

Maisy se Baña (SP) (twice) by Lucy Cousins and translated from the English by Xavier Borrás Calvo

Religion & Mythology

Daniel in the Lion's Den from The Bible and retold by Mary Auld

Non-Fiction

Stars by Jennifer Dussling

Homeschool: 30 Sept 2005

2005-09-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

This week we journeyed to my parents' farm and successfully returned, made two trips to local parks, and went hiking. Juliette learned to climb down a ladder, climb up a slide, and began to memorize how to count to ten in Italian. Ilsa has moved fully into two-word phrases and knows the colors black, brown and blue. And I watched goats mate. Informative, all!

And we've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapters 25-31 to finish Beauty and the Beast by Madame le Prince de Beaumont and adapted by Kathleen Rizzi

Fiction

Half Moon and One Whole Star by Crescent Dragonwagon

Young Mouse and Elephant, an East African Folktale by Pamela J. Farrie

Little Grunt and the Big Egg by Tomie de Paola

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Just a New Neighbor by Gina and Mercer Mayer

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw

Here They Come! by David Costello

What Does My Teddy Bear Do All Day? by Bruno Hächler

One Smart Goose by Caroline Jayne Church

The Ravenous Beast by Niamh Sharkey

Non-Fiction

Frida Kahlo: The Artist in the Blue House by Prestel

Little Bear's ABC and 123 by Jane Hissey

Original Art Work

On Thursday, we tried collage for the first time, with Juliette doing letter A and Ilsa doing letter B. I cut out the pictures from old National Geographic magazines, then the girls practiced their gluing skills and decorated the pages with markers. In case you're wondering, the A pictures are ape, asteroid, astronauts, army, armadillo, ankle, artifact, and arms; the B pictures are baby, balls, box, blueberries, birds, bicycle, boat, bison, boys, and bottles.

By the way, Juliette was not trying to be minimalist with her marker decorations. While Ilsa was busily coloring, Juliette was having a post-nap fit of crying and got in on the whole project a little late.

Homeschool: 23 Sept 2005

2005-09-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

This week was filled with swimming, a party, a long lunch with Katka, several minor art projects, and a trip downtown. And we've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapters 21-25 of Beauty and the Beast by Madame le Prince de Beaumont and adapted by Kathleen Rizzi

"The White Snake," "The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean" & "The Fisherman and His Wife" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Fiction

The Gift of the Tree by Alvin Tresselt

The Hungry Otter by Mark Ezra

Bambi adapted by Liza Baker from the Walt Disney movie

The Old Ladies Who Liked Cats by Carol Greene

Muldoon by Pamela Duncan Edwards

Storm Cats by Malachy Doyle

Poetry

Snow Dance by Lezlie Evans

Religion & Mythology

Androcles and the Lion by Janet Stevens

Non-Fiction

Giraffes by Bobbie Kalman

Wild, Wild Wolves by Joyce Milton

Farm Animals by Karen Jacobsen

Count Your Way Through Italy by Jim Haskins

Dinosaurs Are Different by Aliki

Homeschool: 16 Sept 2005

2005-09-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

This week, we went to the playground our community's daycare uses, so the girls got to play in the sand and on the equipment with other kids their age. We went to the lake together for a picnic, went to Katka's house for lunch and playtime, met the women and children of our playgroup when they came over for a visit, read stories and did art projects with the MOMS group called "MAD" (Music, Art and Drama), and rounded out the week with a trip to preschool storytime at the library.

Ongoing Reads

Chapters 17-20 of Beauty and the Beast by Madame le Prince de Beaumont and adapted by Kathleen Rizzi

Fiction

Madeline (SP) by Ludwig Bemelmans and translated from the English by Arshes Anasal

The Shaman's Apprentice, a Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry and Mark J. Plotkin

Do You See a Mouse? by Bernard Waber

Blue Horse by Helen Stephens

Rabbit and the Moon by Douglas Wood

Porcupining, a Love Story by Lisa Wheeler

Poetry

Red is a Dragon by Roseanne Thong

Religion & Mythology

Noah's Ark by Gertrud Fussenegger

Non-Fiction

A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus by David A. Adler

Starry Messenger (Galileo) by Peter Sis

Homeschool: 9 Sept 2005

2005-09-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

This week we've been to the library, had an international dinner, and went to a special lunch with the MOMS Club. For behavioral education, we've gotten Ilsa to sleep in the double bed with Juliette (big girls!). And we've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapters 14-16 of Beauty and the Beast by Madame le Prince de Beaumont and adapted by Kathleen Rizzi

"The Three Snake Leaves" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Fiction

Perro Grande, Perro Pequeño (S&E) (2x) by P. D. Eastman and translated from the English by Pilar de Cuenca and Inés Alvarez

¿Eres mi Mamá? (SP) (2x) by P. D. Eastman, abridged and translated from the English by an unnamed person

Si le Das una Galletita a un Ratón (SP) by Laura Joffe Numeroff and translated from the English by Teresa Mlawer

Once a Mouse... by Marcia Brown

A Crow's Journey by David Cunningham

Okino and the Whales by Arnica Esteri

The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland

Religion & Mythology

Finding the Fruits of Peace: Cain & Abel by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso

Poetry

Cool Melons - Turn to Frogs: The Life and Poems of Issa by Issa, with a biographical story and translations from the Japanese by Matthew Gollub

Somewhere by Jane Baskwill

Cat Poems selected by Myra Cohn Livingston

Non-Fiction

Black Dog, Red House by Lizi Boyd

My Visit to the Dinosaurs by Aliki

A Picture Book of Eleanor Roosevelt by David A. Adler

How do I do it, you ask! Don't know.

Homeschool: 2 Sept 2005

2005-09-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

This week we've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapters 10-13 of Beauty and the Beast by Madame le Prince de Beaumont and adapted by Kathleen Rizzi

"The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck" & "The Tale of Tom Kitten" from The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter

"The Three Spinners" and "Hansel and Gretel" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Fiction

Pájaro Verde (S&E) by Joe Hayes

El Gran Negocio de Francisca (SP) by Russell Hoban and translated from the English by Tomás González

Perro Grande, Perro Pequeño (S&E) (3x) by P. D. Eastman and translated from the English by Pilar de Cuenca and Inés Alvarez

¿Eres mi Mamá? (SP) (2x) by P. D. Eastman, abridged and translated from the English by an unnamed person

Si le Das una Galletita a un Ratón (SP) (2x) by Laura Joffe Numeroff and translated from the English by Teresa Mlawer

Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle

Will You Still Love Me? by Jean-Baptiste Baronian

Non-Fiction

Medieval Town by Daisy Kerr

Vincent Van Gogh by Eileen Lucas

Abraham Lincoln, President of a Divided Country by Carol Greene

Artwork on Monday

2005-08-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

New additions to the world of toddler art. I had to make a quick scan before the girls took back the stickers to wear on their arms. Click on the photos for a more detailed view.

By Juliette Lofty, Age 34 Months

Washable marker, stickers and rubber stamp & ink on paper
8" x 10 1/2"
August 2005
By Ilsa Lofty, Age 20 Months

Washable marker, stickers and rubber stamp & ink on paper
8" x 10 1/2"
August 2005

Homeschool: 26 August 2005

2005-08-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

This week we've been to a coffee house outing with other moms & babies, visited Lake Mendota using the bus system, went to two parks, a library, and an MBA social event at the Memorial Union. Busy! And we've read:

Ongoing Reads

Chapters Prologue-9 of Beauty and the Beast by Madame le Prince de Beaumont and adapted by Kathleen Rizzi

"The Tale of Two Bad Mice" from The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter

"Rapunzel" & "The Three Little Men in the Woods" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Fiction

Days of the Blackbird by Tomie de Paola

One Bright Penny by Geraldine McCaughrean

The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse by Janet Stevens, adapted from Aesop

I Saw a Bullfrog by Ellen Stern

Bravo, Mildred & Ed! by Karen Wagner

Possum's Harvest Moon by Anne Hunter

The Three Bears by Paul Galdone

The Cat in the Hat (S&E) (twice) by Dr. Seuss and translated from the English by Carlos Rivera

The Old Woman & the Wave by Shelley Jackson

Mythology and Religion

Queen Esther, the Morning Star by Mordicai Gerstein

Non-Fiction

The World of Polar Bears by Virginia Harrison, adapted from Martin Banks' The Polar Bear on the Ice

The History of Soccer by Diana Star Helmer & Thomas S. Owens

What Makes Day and Night by Franklyn M. Branley

Homeschool: 19 August 2005

2005-08-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

Yay! We have Madison library cards. We visited our local branch. We'll be up to speed in no time. This week we've been through:

Fiction

Sun Song by Jean Marzollo

Let's Count the Raindrops (twice), a collection of poems by various authors and illustrated by Fumi Kosaka

Full Worm Moon by Margo Lemieux

Sheep Dreams by Arthur A. Levine

Stella, Queen of the Snow by Marie-Louise Gay

Lullaby Raft by Naomi Shihab Nye

Mythology and Religion

Unicorns! Unicorns by Geraldine McCaughrean

Non-Fiction

Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert

Homeschool: 5 August 2005

2005-08-05T06:58:00.000-07:00

We're still packing, still moving:

Fiction

Wake Up, Baby Bear! (many times) by Tiphanie Beeke

Magenta & Me (many times) by Deborah Reber

Hooray for Polka Dots (many times) by Alison Inches

A Little Pig Goes a Long Way (3x) adapted by Mallory Loehr from the book Babe: A Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith

The Pig Who Ran a Red Light by Paul Brett Johnson

Blue's Sniffly Day (many times) by Brigid Eyan

Little Bear and the Missing Pie (3x) by Else Holmelund Minarik

Iktomi and the Boulder by Paul Goble

Mythology and Religion

Young Jesus of Nazareth by Marianna Mayer

Non-Fiction

Edgar Degas: Paintings that Dance by Kristin N. Cole

Animal Stackers by Jennifer Belle

K is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo by Giles Andreae

Paddington's Colors (2x) by Michael Bond

Why Does My Tummy Rumble When I'm Hungry? by Sharon Cromwell

Homeschool: 29 July 2005

2005-07-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

Moving has slowed us considerably this week, but we did finish Green Gables. We've been through:

Fiction

Chapters 22-24 (to finish) from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery and adapted by Adam Grant

Storytime for Little Porcupine by Joseph Slate

Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood

The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss

Mozart Finds a Melody by Stephen Costanza

The Turtle and the Hippopotamus by Kate Banks

Mythology and Religion

Iblis by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim

Non-Fiction

Zoo in the Sky by Jacqueline Mitton

Desert Babies by Kathy Darling

Homeschool: 22 July 2005

2005-07-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

This week, roughly grouped by type and not including board/picture books, we've been through:

Fiction

"A Pack of No-Goods" & "Little Brother and Little Sister" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Tales by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Chapters 15-21 from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery and adapted by Adam Grant

"The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies," "The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit," and "The Story of Miss Moppet" from Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss

Three Samurai Cats by Eric A. Kimmel

One Little Mouse by Dori Chaconas

Little Inchkin by Fiona French

The Flying Witch by Jane Yolen

No Nos Podemos Dormir (SP) by James Stevenson and translated from the English by Ana Maria Beaven

¿Dónde Está el Pato? (SP) by Mary Blocksma and translated from the English by Lada Josefa Kratky

The Ant and the Grasshopper by Aesop and adapted by Amy Lowry Poole

The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote (S&E) by Tony Johnston

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (countless times) by Bill Martin Jr.

Bright and Early Thursday Evening by Audrey Wood

Blue's Clues: My Pet Turtle (multiple times) by Deborah Reber

Blue's Clues: Blue is My Name (too many times) by Angela C. Santomero

Crazy Alphabet by Lynn Cox

Mythology and Religion

Seven Days of Creation from The Bible and adapted by Leonard Everett Fisher

Moon Mother by Ed Young

Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Norse by Leonard Everett Fisher

Non-Fiction

We Both Read About Space by Jana Carson

Listening and Hearing by Henry Pluckrose

Freedom River by Doreen Rappaport

If You Grew Up with George Washington by Ruth Belov Gross

K is for Kick: A Soccer Alphabet (2x) by Brad Herzog

The Little Ballerina by Sally Grindley

Sea Turtles by Don Patton

Kangaroos by Steve Parish

I Spy Two Eyes: Numbers in Art by Lucy Micklethwait

Homeschool: 15 July 2005

2005-07-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

This week, roughly grouped by type and not including board/picture books, we've been through:

Fiction

"A Good Stroke of Business", "A Miraculous Fiddler", and "The Twelve Brothers" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Tales by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Chapters 9-16 from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery and adapted by Adam Grant

"The Tale of Tiggy-Winkle," "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," (2x) "The Tale of Tom Kitten," & "The Tale of Two Bad Mice" (2x) from Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales

Saltarín by Marcus Pfister, translated by José Moreno (SP)

Three Cat & Mouse Tales ("Puss-n-Boots", "Town Mouse and Country Mouse" & "Dick Whittington and His Cat") by Marilyn Helmer

Mouse Tales by Arnold Lobel

Right Outside My Window by Mary Ann Hoberman

Are You My Mother? (2x) by P.D. Eastman

Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson

Little Bear (2x) by Else Holmelund Minarik

The Great Pig Escape by Eileen Cristelow

I Heard Said the Bird (2x) by Polly Berrin Berends

Bill and Pete by Tomie de Paola

Non-Fiction

Pierre Auguste Renoir by Mike Venezia

Ancient Greeks by Jim Pipe

Welcome to England by Maree Lister, et al

Elmo's ABC Book by Carol Nicklaus

Dr. Suess's ABC by Dr. Seuss

Alphabeasts (3x) by Durga Bernhard

One Some Many by Marthe Jocelyn

Elmo with Farm Animals

2005-07-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

By Juliette Lofty, Age 33 Months

Washable marker, rubber stamp & ink on paper
8" x 11 1/2"
July 2005

Aside from some of the mechanics of the rubber stamps and the example "J" in the upper left corner, this was entirely Juliette's creation. I used Photoshop to circle her attempt at the letter "J" in the lower left corner. Er, almost!

Homeschool: 08 July 2005

2005-07-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

This week, roughly grouped by type and not including board/picture books, we've been through:

Fiction

"The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids" & "Faithful Johannes" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Tales by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Chapters 3-8 from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery and adapted by Adam Grant

"The Tale of Benjamin Bunny" & "The Tale of Two Bad Mice" from Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales

The Golden Goose by Dennis McDermott

Buenas Noches, Luna (2x) by Margaret Wise Brown and translated by Teresa Mlawer (S&E)

Three Tuneful Tales ("The Pied Piper of Hamelin" & "The Nightengale") by Marilyn Helmer

Are You My Mother? (2x) by P. D. Eastman

The Sleep Book by Dr. Suess

Elmo's ABC Book (3x) by Carol Nicklaus

Mythology & Religion

Pandora by Robert Burleigh

Egyptian Gods and Goddesses by Henry Baker

Non-Fiction

Johannes Sebastian Bach by Mike Venezia

Little Big Ears: The Story of Ely by Cynthia Moss

Senses: Sniffing and Smelling by Henry Pluckrose

Winnie-the-Pooh's Opposites by Ernest H. Shepherd

Lemons Are Not Red (3x) by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Can You Moo? (3x) by David Wojtowycz

Homeschool: 01 July 2005

2005-07-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

We visited my parents' farm in northern Indiana from Tuesday to Saturday of this past week, so our reading list is relatively skimpy. It's just proof that I shouldn't expect too much "book learnin'" on these farm visits. But they did get plenty of quality time feeding the goats, swimming, playing on their new swingset, getting to know their great-grandma, etc.

So this past week, roughly grouped by type and not including board/picture books, we've been through:

Fiction

"Mary's Child" & "The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Tales by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Chapters 1-2 from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery and adapted by Adam Grant

"The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher", "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", "The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin" & "The Tailor of Gloucester" from Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales

Why Alligator Hates Dog by J. J. Reneaux

Coyote and the Laughing Butterflies by Harriet Peck Taylor

Three Tuneful Tales ("The Breman Town Musicians") by Marilyn Helmer

"Belleza Negra" by A. M. Lefévre, pp. 62-68 from Cuentos y Leyendas (SP)

Non-Fiction

Ten Little Bears: A Counting Rhyme by Kathleen Hague

White Rabbit's Color Book by Alan Baker

When a Line Bends...A Shape Begins by Gowler Greene

Harriet Tubman & the Freedom Train by Sharon Gayle

Homeschool: 24 June 2005

2005-06-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

Wondering what I do with my day, I've decided to start keeping track of what I read out loud to the girls from Monday thru Friday (weekends are unstructured). This is primarily an experiment in record-keeping on my part because I'd like to visibly see the sheer volume of language I throw their way on a daily basis. Titles in Spanish are (SP) and partial Spanish (S&E).

This week, roughly grouped by type and not including board/picture books, we've been through:

Fiction

"Frog King or Iron Heinrich" & "The Cat and the Mouse Set Up Housekeeping" from Grimms' Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Tales by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm and translated from the German by Ralph Manheim

Chapters 11-19 (to finish) Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and adapted by Susan Linney

Señor Cat's Romance by Lucia M. Gonzales (S&E)

Mi Mundo by Margaret Wise Brown and translated from the English by Teresa Mlawer (SP)

Calor, a Story of Warmth for All Ages by Juanita Alba (S&E)

Eight Animals on the Town (3x) by Susan Middleton Elya (S&E)

Mouse Tales by Arnold Lobel

The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer and adapted by Marcia Williams

Alexander's Midnight Snack by Catherine Stock

La Oruga Muy Hambrienta (2x) by Eric Carle and translated from the English by Aida E. Marrow (SP)

Strega Nona Meets Her Match by Tomie de Paola

"Belleza Negra" by A. M. Lefévre, pp. 44-61 from Cuentos y Leyendas (SP)

My Favorite Letters by Deborah Reber

I Want to Be in the Show by Michael T. Smith

Mythology & Religion

Hercules by Robert Burleigh

A First Bible Story Book by Mary Hoffman (includes Creation, Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, baby Moses, Daniel & the Lion's Den, Jonah, The Nativity, Flight into Egypt, Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, The Last Supper, The Crucifixion, The Resurrection)

Non-Fiction

Marco's Colors by Tomie de Paola (S&E)

The Snowflake: A Water Cycle Story by Neil Waldman

Ludwig van Beethoven by Mike Venezia

Joan of Arc: Heroine of France by Ann Tompert

Ancient Egyptians by David Jay

My Body and Me by Angela Wilkes

White Rabbit's Color Book by Alan Baker

Ten Little Bears by Kathleen Hague