The Phantom Tollbooth

Recently we started a parent/child book club based on the format in Deconstructing Penguins mentioned in the previous post. Towards the end of Deconstructing Penguins, the Lawrence’s give a list of a few great books to start your book club with. The first one on the list was The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster.
This lively humorous children’s book [...]

How to Deconstruct a Penguin

I recently came across this book Deconstructing  Penguins by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone. It’s basically explaining how you can establish a book club for kids and their parents. The Goldstone’s conducted their own parent/child book club for years with such great success, that they decided to put the detais in a book for the rest of us.
Up [...]

Owl Puke!

Yes, you read that right – Owl Puke. The technical name would be Owl Pellet, or something much more refined, but this title got your attention, yes?
I recently attended the 2009  Homeschool Conference in the lower mainland of our province. This was their second year however, in a new venue, and even though there was less [...]

Homeschool Perk #6

 
 
 
 
I have been writing a on a continuing theme over at Heart of the Matter Online for the last few months, with the emphasis being on the many perks of homeschooling. Come join me there and read all about this months homeschooling “Perk”: You can Develop Your Own Learning Plan. See you there!

Book Review – Window on the World

I am often asked how I am able to teach to two different age levels. For homeschool families with more than two children, most of them have found ways to overcome this. For the rest of you, I will share how we manage it. There really isn’t any big secret – just a little bit [...]

I Lichen You Very Much!

Well, this whole new enthusiasm thing seems to be contagious! Today we went for another nature walk, but this time our group of young botonists grew from two to seven! This time we ventured a little further from home, to a local city park. We were on the hunt for birds, but the kids were so enthusiastic that [...]

Fun with Electronics!

You might think that electronics is not a subject that could be enjoyed by a fourth grader, but this post might just change your mind. I too, was a sceptic. Even though I have daughters who are not afraid of getting dirty, or exploring the world of insects and reptilians, I was sure that electronics [...]

Election Time = Opportunity to Teach Government

We have a Federal Election approaching our True North Strong & Free. That’s right, October 14 is voting day for us here Canadians, and if you homeschool, it’s a prime opportunity to teach government and politics. I recall stressing a little bit last year at the idea of having to cover government for 5th grade [...]

What’s A Light Hut?

As we wind down our school year, I’m trying to stay true to my word of keeping up the learning during our summer break. In order to prevent what I call Imboreditis, I’ve informally planned a variety of learning activities throughout the summer.
One of those activities will wrap up our study of botany. Therefore, I’ve [...]

A Lesson on Taxonomy

Our Botany study has led us to this neat little word – Taxonomy. No, I’m not referring to the study of taxes folks. I’m referring to the study of the Diversity Of Living Things – more specifically, classification. Taxonomy is all about grouping and naming living things. When studying the Plant Kingdom, or more scientifically: [...]