Share Your Favorite Lesson Plan Contest Entries

As you can see, I have my work cut out for me! 31 Entries to read and all of them brimming with wonderful lesson plan advice and adventure. I'll be busy until Monday... check back then to see who won first and second prize! Until then... back to homeschooling (we do school Saturdays since we take days off on the week when Daddy is off work)! If you haven't read the entries below... I've linked them all to make it easier. Have at it!

CONTEST ENTRIES:

1. Homeschool Mama

2. A Home for Homeschoolers Portal

3. The Heart of Harmony

4. Prncsstefy

5. 7ValleysHomeschool

6. Wired Wisdom

7. My Fenced In Family of Four

8. Heart of the Prairie

9. Electric Barbarella

10. Holy Experience

11. Babymakers

12. Ladies in Training

13. Dominion Family

14. Graced by Christ

15. Talmidim and a Campfire

16. Dayspring Academy

17. Doctor Homeschool

18. Hind's Feet

19. ABC Academy

20. Bunny Trails

21. Janet's Journal

22. Debtor2Mercy

23. At Home in Russia

24. Gooblink

25. It Coulda' Been Worse

26. Routon Family Homeschool

27. Principled Discovery

28. The Thinking Mother

29. Ann King's Blog

30. At a Hen's Pace

*******

Two entries were received by email (but only one was qualified by sending it to a forum/email list).

Here's the email entry that was qualified:

Hello everyone,

I am entering a contest that is offered by Academic Superstore via my homeschool-blogging friend Sprittibee. Here’s the scoop: The title of the contest is “Share your favorite lesson plan,” and I am hoping to win a new digital camera. I am supposed to post my favorite lesson plan on my blog, but I am not a blogging mom. :-) I was told that I can still enter if I send my story out to a group. Please read on, it's really a cool story! I had so much fun writing this up, I may turn into a blogger after all.

We, as you all know, are a fun-loving, homeschooling family. To be honest with you, I wasn’t sure how to pick our FAVORITE lesson. Should we go with (1) crawling through the ear we built in the basement, (2) turning our main floor into a Medieval Ages castle and pouring oil over the countertops onto the heads of the invading enemy army, (3) tromping thru the woods to collect moss and leaf litter, or (4) dramatizing our Bible stories on our living room stage. What to pick…I just couldn’t decide. Soooo, I sat the kids down yesterday and asked them, “What is your favorite lesson plan? What do you think is the coolest thing we ever learned?”

Keldon jumped up and blurted out, “You have to tell them all I learned to READ.” His siblings wholeheartedly agreed that Keldon learning to read was definitely the most exciting thing that had happened in school in the last year. So much for my glorious, self-promoting ideas!

The big event happened last Friday morning. My husband, David, had taken a day off of work to stay home and see what the Jones’ are learning in school. Keldon, age 6, has been working on nailing down his phonics for what seems like AGES. I had begun to wonder if it was ever going to happen, bless him. J He was happily working on coloring and cutting out a hat from Sing, Spell, Read and Write. It had a “t” printed near the right edge. He cut two parallel slits in the hat and pulled a strip of paper through that had “ba,” “ca,” “sa”, etc. (Photo below) When you lined up the letters, it would make three letter words (bat, cat, sat, etc). Anyway, I started to sound out the word for him, and THE LIGHT CAME ON. He stared at that strip of paper like he’d been struck by lightening. I get chills just writing about it. “It’s like a secret,” he said awestruck. Then, he exploded into action. He snatched up the paper and starting trying to work out every word. He was so ecstatic, I can’t even tell you. I got so excited I was cheering and trying to hug him. Big Sister Hannah and Little Brother Charles got into the action. It was utter pandemonium for a few minutes, with my husband trying to figure out what was going on. Hannah, 18 months older and a mature 2nd grader, spent the next two hour writing three letter words out on paper for him to try to read. She would illustrate them to give him a clue. (The best was a tiny bug called a “nat”.) David was so proud he took the whole family to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate at noon.

Five days later, and Hannah and Keldon are still hard at work together: She’s writing and he’s decoding! He is honestly sleeping with these papers. It warmed my “mother heart” to see her so excited about his achievement. Charles, age 4, is a bit jealous about being left behind in this momentous discovery. I don’t think he’ll be too far behind.

When I think back on it, I have to agree that last Friday was one of the best lessons we’ve ever had. The most amazing thing about it was that it was a FAMILY lesson!

MOMMY: I, Keldon’s mom, got to be there when the light went on. I was there the moment his eyes lit up with understanding. I still marvel at what a blessing that is.

DADDY: His daddy, who has never taken a day off just to see us school, got to be part of this amazing event. How cool is that. Thank you, God.

SISTER: Hannah, at age 8, has helped to teach someone to read. How many 2nd graders can say that? She is so enamored with writing and illustrating words for him that I can’t peel them apart. They are together in the bedroom “learning to read” right now.

BROTHER: Charles, age 4, has witnessed the passion of learning. He is in hot pursuit of this amazing skill called “reading.”

KELDON: Need I say more?

This is the beauty of this amazing thing we call “homeschooling.” It’s our family working together, learning together, and celebrating each other’s accomplishments. I am so grateful that God showed us this amazing path.

So this is my entry to win a camera in the "Share Your Favorite Lesson Plan" Contest sponsored by Sprittibee and Academic Superstore.

Thanks for reading our lesson, and I hope you enjoyed it. Check out Sprittibee's site; she's got lots of interesting posts. Then, wander over to Academic Superstore.

Sara

Buzz Words: contest, blogs, contests, blogging, education, teaching, homeschooling, homeschool, parenting, learning, academic, fun, school, bloggers, email, lesson plans, win, September, technology, free, give away, camera, digital, photography, students

Move over eBay!

I'm sure you have heard of the latest scare with eBay refusing to allow the sale of teacher's manuals to homeschool moms. Yes, the online auction giant is making homeschool teachers out to be just as bad as movie pirates and drug pushers. In case you HAVEN'T read up on this latest scandal, please feel free to browse the links I have provided:

eBay takes a swipe at homeschoolers.. - LittleOleLady's Blog
eBay prohibits textbooks for homeschool teachers - WorldNetDaily

Well... it looks like hope is on the way for us homeschool moms yet. Not only that, but we can stick it to eBay in the process! It seems as if the HSLDA is getting involved in setting up a curriculum auction service for all of us homeschoolers to use INSTEAD of eBay!

In case you can't wait to sell some curriculum or buy some used things for this year's school year, you can always check out Homeschool Auctions, ThisLittlePiggyStaysHome.com or Vegesource.com (Talk and Swap). There are also numerous email lists that are for resale purposes (check out Yahoo Groups). Sometimes you can get great things through freecycle lists as well (for free).

As Christians, we should want to bless those who bless us... so... When at all possible, though, support your homeschool curriculum writers by buying your curriculum direct! The more people who purchase the curriculum from the actual suppliers, the longer they will be in business and the better their products will be!


Buzz Words: teaching, homeschooling, homeschoolers, academic, HSLDA, freecycle, free, ban, textbooks, used, resources, homeschool, teacher, sales, ebay, ideas, manipulatives, workbooks, supplies, auctions, curriculum, teaching, sell

* ~ Important Stuff ~ *

My mind is racing (might be partly due to that inhaler... albuterol tends to turn me into one of those pink energizer bunnies or superwoman types that could lift cars). Don't worry... there aren't any cars that need lifting and I am acutely aware that I ain't as young as I used to be.

I just have a TON of stuff I need to blog about, but no way to put it into a coherent post. What do I do when I have a ton of stuff to get done? I make a LIST.

So.... pardon my brevity and please READ BELOW. This! is! important! stuff!

VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS AND LINKS FROM SPRITTIBEE:

1. Please pray for Canon. He had a bad day yesterday (his lung collapsed). Go read about it at his blog.

2. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER THE LESSON PLAN CONTEST (Academic Superstore)! Please go here to enter your post! You can also read all the wonderful lesson plans that have been entered to win so far at the same link.

3. Up Next... I still haven't finished my list of posts that I promised to you, so I'm still working on it. I'll get to those as soon as the dust settles after our wonderful contest.

4. I have YET ANOTHER contest coming up for a fun new kid product in a week.

5. There are some great contests out there... one of which was described by my friend Cindy in my comments section. Go read about it here. It is sponsored by NASA and is about physics and rockets! The deadline for entry on that one is coming up soon, so if you like that sort of thing and hope to get a scholarship to college, this one may be your ticket....

6. I've been experiencing technical difficulties with computer crashes. I had to wipe my C drive clean again and re-install everything... so bear with me on slow answers to comments and emails! If your message is urgent... resend it to make sure it wasn't lost!

I've been up way too late trying to get to a point where I'm treading water with email and contest entries... so I'm off to bed now. Hopefully we'll be up to full speed again after being sick for a few days here at Sprittibee's house. We enjoyed the fall weather today and went to the library. One of our treats for the music unit study we are finishing up is to listen to Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. My heart lit up like a Christmas tree when we popped the CD in the player on our way to dinner tonight. Tchaikovsky is my favorite composer and the Nutcracker is my very favorite classical music ever. It made me think of how wonderful the Fall and Christmas holidays are, and how blessed we are in this country. I have so many things to be thankful for. Tip-Top of that list is Jesus.

Thanks be to God for His precious gift of redemption and love. If you get nothing else from this post, take that thought with you!

Have a super Friday!


Buzz Words: contest, blogs, contests, blogging, education, teaching, homeschooling, homeschool, parenting, learning, academic, fun, school, bloggers, email, lesson plans, win, September, technology, free, give away, camera, digital, photography, students, blessings, autumn, thankful, Jesus, Tchaikovsky, prayer, important, physics, science, NASA, rocket

Hitler STILL alive and WELL in Germany

I challenge you to read this article at The Old Schoolhouse Company Porch and really ask yourself what you would do if faced with the same plight. We are apathetic in America. Many times we shake our heads in sadness after reading about the trails of others across the planet... and yet we do nothing but throw the magazine or newspaper away and gossip about the story. "Can you believe what they did to those German homeschool families?" and "I'm so glad I don't live in Germany!"

Well, I'm here to challenge you to do more than feel sorry for the German homeschool families. Won't you please write to the German Embassy? Copy my letter herein. Make it your own. Change the wording. Spread it around. Let them know we aren't interested in their exchange programs if they are going to put good citizens in jail and fine them for loving and educating the children God has blessed them with. After all, it was HITLER himself who made homeschooling illegal there... and even though Hitler is dead, they hang on to his madness!

Do you really believe your kids are YOURS alone and NOT the STATE'S children? I think it is time we reminded Germany of this fact. No matter what country you live in... the children you have DO NOT belong to the STATE.

DO SOMETHING for THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING under GERMAN TERRORISM (terrorism is a synonym for totalitarianism)! Write the German Embassy!!!

Wolfgang Ischinger
Ambassador
German Embassy
4645 Reservoir Road
NW Washington, DC, 20007-1998
(202) 298-4000

Dear Honorable Ambassador Ischinger:

I was shocked and saddened to hear that over 40 families are being prosecuted in Germany merely for teaching their children at home. I am aware that they have been given huge fines and that some parents (even those with teaching credentials) have been jailed or forced to flee to other countries. Why would your country, claiming to be part of the "free world", threaten to take your countrymen's children and make them wards of the state? How can this make Germany appealing to anyone (ESPECIALLY students or teachers in other countries where freedom truly does ring)?

This is deplorable and unacceptable for any free nation to persecute Christian families who are providing an excellent education for their children. I ask you to stop prosecuting these families like the Maisches, the Pletts, the Bauers, the Rudolphs, and the many others. Homeschooling needs to be legalized in Germany. The German governments need to make homeschooling legal.

My own children are homeschooled. From the ages of 2.5 and 4.5, I have taught them both. They are now only 9 and 7 and can read at a high school or college level. They know more about geography than most college students in the US. They are socially advanced and able to hold intelligent conversations with strangers of any age. You can not imagine how many compliments I get on their behavior, vocabulary, and wit. I can't see how parents and children like my children and I would be ANY kind of threat to a nation. We are only trying to foster a love of learning and a Christian values-based education in our kids so that they value themselves and others. What harm is there in teaching children at home? I see only benefit after benefit... and the children who are graduating from homeschool (being snatched up by colleges all over the world) are PROOF of this.

Please reconsider your country's barbaric stance on homeschooling. Let HITLER and HIS LAWS be put completely in your country's PAST! Bring your country into the light of the 21st Century! After all, homeschooling is nothing new. Loving parents through the entire history of mankind have been teaching their children and it has never been a problem until our sterilized, institutionalized and secularized schools were invented.

Thank you for listening to an American mother and teacher's point of view. I hope to see many positive changes in the future regarding Germany's homeschool policies.

Sincerely,

... Your name here!

Buzz Words: Homeschooling, CRC, Homeschool, Learning, regulation, Education, freedom, prosecution, education, teaching, School, activist, Christianity, Europe, jail, children, family, parents, prayer, parental+rights, parenting, government, interferance, human rights, help, Germany

I'd Rather be Dissecting a Cow's Eye

I'm bummed out, but better. You may have noticed by now that I love using Alliteration. [You poor thing; having to put up with me.] I admit, it is rather cheesy.

So what am I bummed out about today? I have to stay home while my co-op is meeting in the park to dissect a cow's eye.

Man.

I have been really 'looking' forward to this.

So I guess I'll just have to let the kids watch the cow's eye dissection video online now. No gooey guts for us.

"WHAT???!!!" You ask, "You mean there's an online cow's eye dissection website?!??"

Yes, I sure do. Go here and check it out yourself. Be sure to do this long AFTER you have digested your lunch (and not right before you eat, either). Pretty gross stuff.

The good news is, we are all feeling much better here at Sprittibee's Homeschool. Kaden came down with the bug yesterday; and although he's feeling much better today, we opted to not spread the germs around at co-op (especially since everyone in our family got it). I gather that it is pretty catchy... and it's one learning experience I wouldn't want to share with others!

Speaking of lesson plans... HAVE YOU BEEN READING all the GREAT entries to the CONTEST??? It is going to be SUPER hard for me to pick a winner!!!! I may need to ask my co-op friends who haven't entered the contest to judge with me... and maybe a public school teacher or two. I am really enjoying reading them.

Don't forget that the contest ENDS FRIDAY at MIDNIGHT! Be sure to spread the word and get your entry in on time. Thanks so much for your participation. I look forward to getting the email from the winner saying their FREE DIGITAL CAMERA has arrived! Won't that be fun?!!

Have a great day! We are getting back to school today... and are a bit behind after all this sicky stuff here. Prayers would be appreciated as it is always hard to get back into a routine!


Buzz Words: Homeschooling, Children, Homeschool, Learning, sick, Education, Free, Parenting, Camera, missing out, School, dissect, dissection, Whining, science, eye, fun, co op, prayer, Christianity, KONOS, health, cow, lesson plans, academic, life

Bubble Wrap Young Inventors Contest!!!

It seems that people are taking notice of the homeschool community more and more these days. Not only has Academic Superstore singled a few homeschool blogs out to gain awareness for their products, but other retailers and companies are following suit! I was contacted by someone from Sealed Air (the makers of Bubble Wrap) and they want to make sure the homeschool community knows about their upcoming 'Young Inventors Competition'.

It is great to see companies embrace homeschooling as equal with public and private schools. It is good to know that corporate America is "Thinking Outside the Box". I hope that many homeschoolers will enter this contest. My children are sadly too young this year to do so. Winners will receive up to $10,000 in savings bonds as well as a trip to New York City! Read below for full details and make sure to pass the word on!

Are You America’s Next Great Inventor?

Sealed Air Launches 1st ‘Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors’

What: Sealed Air Corporation, the creator of Bubble Wrap® cushioning, is sponsoring the first-ever Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors to encourage students in grades 5-8 to demonstrate their creativity and ingenuity by creating an invention that incorporates the use of Bubble Wrap® cushioning.

When: The deadline for entries is December 8, 2006. Three finalists will win a three-day trip to New York City, where the Grand Prize Winner will be announced on Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day, January 29, 2007.

Prizes: The Grand Prize Winner will receive a $10,000 savings bond, while the 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $5,000 and $3,000 respectively in savings bonds. The teacher/mentor of each finalist will receive a $500 gift card.

Background: Bubble Wrap® cushioning was invented in 1960 by Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes, and was originally intended to be used as textured wallpaper; however, the two inventors quickly realized it was actually a superior cushioning material and went on to found Sealed Air Corporation, now a global, Fortune 500 company that offers a wide range of packaging solutions and has annual sales in excess of $4 billion.

Sealed Air is widely recognized for its strong commitment to innovation and continues to be an industry leader in research and development.

How to Enter: Young Inventors must be students in grades 5 to 8 for the school year 2006-2007. Original inventions must incorporate the use of Bubble Wrap® cushioning. Entries must include a visual and written description that includes the name of the invention, the purpose it serves, how it works, and how the idea was formulated. The description must be no more than 1,000 words.

Web site: http://nmoe.org/bubblewrap/index.html

Contest Contact: Email info@nmoe.org

Buzz Words: contest, blogs, contests, blogging, education, teaching, homeschooling, homeschool, parenting, learning, academic, fun, school, bloggers, bubble, lesson plans, win, December, technology, free, give away, prizes, inventions, science, students

Share Your Favorite Lesson Plan Contest

HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A FREE DIGITAL CAMERA! Keep Reading...

A week ago, Spunky ran a contest on her site that ended yesterday. Academic Superstore contacted both of us to run a contest giving away prizes to spread awareness of their online warehouse of educational technology products. Spunky's contest was "Capture the Educational Moment", and mine is "Share Your Favorite Lesson Plan". It's not entirely that different; and certainly will be just as easy to win. I would suggest that you read through my rules before you start blogging away, though. There may be a few changes to the requirements and prizes that you might want to take note of.

Here's what Academic Superstore is wanting:

This contest asks participants to submit their favorite Lesson Plan. This can come from Teachers, Parents, Home Schoolers or even Students who enjoyed a particular lesson plan designed by their favorite teacher or professor (or curriculum, but please give credit to the original author of the lesson!). The submissions can be very general - A basic description would be sufficient. With this contest, Academic Superstore simply wants to start a discourse about education and raise awareness about the Academic Superstore website.

So, with rules that simple... how can you go wrong? A new digital camera is only a blog post or forum/group email away!

AGE LIMITS/PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Like Spunky's contest: "This contest is open to ALL public and private teachers, parents, home schoolers and students (18 and older). Entries outside the United States are also welcome."

...But... I'm giving the prizes to TWO different people (to increase the number of winners).

FIRST and SECOND PRIZE:
First Prize: Canon PowerShot SD600
Second Prize: Timbuk2 Messenger Bag

HOW TO ENTER:
Write about your favorite lesson plan, the memories of a special day when you learned or taught (or both) that lesson plan, and post it as a blog entry. If you aren't a blogger, send the entry to someone who IS and you can qualify to win, too! If you don't know a blogger, you can email me (and a valid homeschool forum or email group) your contest entry story (click my CONTACT link above to find out how).

PHOTOS AND WRITING IDEAS:
You don't have to have photos, but they are welcome. There is no length requirement for the post. The lesson plan does not have to be traditional text-book style. Tell us about any kind of lesson - be it horseback riding, reading, star-gazing, painting, finger-spelling, lapbooking, taking a field trip or learning how to multiply. Any kind of learning will do!

WINNER SELECTIONS:
The two First and Second Prize winners will be chosen by my family at random (we will all vote on our favorites so that it is fair). I may allow another few homeschooling moms and even public school teachers (I have a few in my family) to help if we have a hard time choosing.

LINKS AND POSTING RULES:
Just like Spunky's contest, the POSTED entry (on your blog/friend's blog) must also inlcude a LINK to both THIS POST and ACADEMIC SUPERSTORE. Here's what the links should look like:

This post is my entry to win a camera in the "Share Your Favorite Lesson Plan" Contest sponsored by Sprittibee and Academic Superstore.

Note: Please make sure that Sprittibee and Academic Superstore are hyperlinked or "clickable".

Then, all you have to do is leave a comment in this post's comment section and link to your story so we can all read it.



HURRY!
The deadline for entering is next Friday, September 29, 2006 at Midnight (Central - US). No late entries, please. The winner will be announced Monday, October 2, 2006!

I can't wait to read all your lesson plan entries!


Buzz Words: contest, blogs, contests, blogging, education, teaching, homeschooling, homeschool, parenting, learning, academic, fun, school, bloggers, email, lesson plans, win, September, technology, free, give away, camera, digital, photography, students

Homeschooling: First and Second Grade Learning Enrichment

I warn you, this is a long list and an even longer post. By the time you finish reading this, you might have gray hair and need spectacles. You might have a headache. You may need therapy. Either way, there are some great ideas here, so maybe you should just save your eyes and HIGHLIGHT and PRINT this post instead?

WHAT IS this POST? Well (assuming you know what a 'post' is), first off there's a photo here for Thursday Challenge (today's challenge was to spotlight 'Occupation' in picture-form). In my case, my job is also what I LOVE to do: Homeschooling my Kids. Secondly, I have included a list of Learning Enrichment ideas from when the kids were in First and Second Grade. These are fun things we accomplished during the school year of 2004-5 that were NOT part of our regular curriculum. Some of the ideas may be IN KONOS somewhere, but they weren't the particular unit we were studying.

Without further ado, here is my Thursday Challenge photo (and this photo happens to be a snapshot of one of my learning enrichment ideas!)...



That's my buddy Lizbeth and her lovely brood there with my kids. [BOY, this photo makes me miss Texas.] We were building a volcano out of a coke can and some clay so that we could fill the top with chemicals and LIGHT THE SUCKER UP. Real flames and real ash, baby! It was so fun! Of course, it is highly toxic, so you have to stay upwind and clean up properly... It makes the COOLEST green ash crater. It was really neat!

And FINALLY... HERE is the Learning Enrichment List for my 2004-5 school year. If you use my list and love me dearly, leave me a tip in the tip jar up top. Ok, you don't have to love me dearly to leave me a tip. You don't actually even have to use my ideas. You can leave a tip any time you want.

SPRITTIBEE'S LEARNING ENRICHMENT IDEAS (Grades 1 & 2)
Service Project - Help blind elderly lady trap feral cats and take to no-kill shelter
Trace and Color
Write a story about yourself and draw a picture
Recite and write books of NT and OT
Chores (learning more household responsibility)
Wednesday Night Bible Classes at Church
Watch movie about Jonah, study & read about him
Dance to Arabian music (Lebanese Pop)
Learn about Middle East geography and culture
Cut and glue for motor skills development
Help organize crafts and school supplies
Play with Legos
Dramatize being the teacher
Roll Change/Count Money
Study about Olympics online, see photos of opening ceremonies
Do your Bible Memory verse as a "homeboy rapper"
Sing "America the Beautiful"
Walk with parents
Relay races
Dance
Play games with other kids at Choir (musical games)
Learn the music alphabet and how to read music
Help mom grocery shop
Help mom baby-sit for free as a service project for a friend
Craft: Make Egg Heads & Decorate/Paint
Learn about Sedimentary Rocks (SLIB)
Play outside with friends
Sing Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America
Re-read lots of books you've already read because they are good
Join a local Homeschool Co-op
Go eat pizza with your co-op buddies for a back to school party
Read labels on foods in your pantry and learn what those big words really mean
Read Creation Magazine
Play Bible Bingo Card Game
Learn about Igneous Rocks (SLIB)
Build a volcano out of clay, blow it up with chemicals and fire outside
Cook a meal for church (service project)
Do a fund raiser for missionaries (sell Nicaraguan coffee for farmers there)
Role playing in Morgan's co-op class (dressing up)
Basic Sewing (Kaden's co-op class)
Creative writing
Free drawing time
Practice telling time
Singing class at church, Sunday nights
Morgan has a real rooster in her co-op class
Geography co-op class (Kaden) - 'Mother Russia'
Play kickball with youth group at church
Spanish classes twice a month at co-op
Explain and discuss upcoming elections
Pray
Play Disney's Sorry Edition for Kids
Listen to Daddy play his trumpet (discuss, learn notes)
Play outside in the back yard
Play Chess with Daddy
Work on our manners
Make play dough
Paint Russian Matryoshka doll ornaments at co-op
Volunteer to put out yard signs for political party (service project)
Help put on drama presentations at children's church
Learn to help in the kitchen cooking
Clean out closets and drawers
Sing songs in Spanish
Have cousins spend the night
Watch presidential election news footage before elections
Put a puzzle together
Play Uno
Play Checkers with Mommy
Play on Starfall.com (interactive plays & printable activities)
Show and tell Daddy's Iraq money/postcards, etc. to friends when learning about mid-East
Watch webcam of Mt. St. Helen's recent eruption/smoke
Build papier mâchè newspaper volcano, paint & add stick trees
Etiquette class at co-op
Create things out of construction paper
Co-op art class
Color a physical map of the USA (find things, name regions, etc.)
Class on Germany in co-op (2 weeks)
Eat authentic German meal (red cabbage, apple strudel, frigadellen and hot potato salad)
Discuss how elements are named in Latin
See the periodic table and discuss with Daddy
Watch robotics team and learn about their club & inventions
Bake and decorate bat cookies in co-op
Make paper airplanes with Daddy
Make a book about bats in co-op/do bat crafts
Play an "echolocation" game
Dance and crawl to music in Choir class (stop and start with music)
Sing the AEIOU Vowel Song
Learn to sing "One Tin Soldier"
Learn about different types of maps
Work on memorizing the books of the Bible
Write ten things you are thankful for
Practice tying your shoes
Do Pilates with mom in living room
Play on a moon-walk at cousin's party
Paint for fun
Learn Bike Safety at co-op (Kaden)
Learn about the country Ecuador in co-op class (2 wks)
Finger paint turkeys and a Bible story picture in co-op (Morgan)
Cooking class in co-op (Kaden)
Write letters to sponsored Compassion child in India
Allow kids to pay for things with cash
Choir rehearsals and concerts
Play Bible Trivia at church
Take a Electronic Test (Morgan) "TestLogic Grade 1, My Electronic Tutor"
Help decorate and put up fake Christmas Tree by instructions
String bead necklaces (Morgan)
Piano lessons
Learn about North American Countries
Snowman craft
Make your own books (cover art and stories)
Play in fake snow in Houston at Grandma's neighborhood
Do a Jesse Tree Poster and Bible Study
Go see Incredibles at Theater/Christmas Shop
Learn to address an envelope
Learn basic letter writing skills
Christmas Choir Carolers (craft by Family Fun Magazine)
Cook pumpkin, pull seeds out
Read at the book store for hours
Listen to Christmas music and sing along
Play Old Maid and Cranium Cadoo
Look at maps of Tsunami affected areas (current events) and learn about Tsunami (science)
Pray for Tsunami victims and survivors
Cook with Mom
Go rockhounding in hill country and mail rocks to friends
Do research on Texas Hill Country
Look at elevation maps of Texas
Learn about Central America
Do Mad Libs
Valentines parties and make cards (co-op)
Learn about Italy in co-op (make pasta)
Draw with chalk on the driveway
Learn about minerals and crystals, magnets and salts
Play outside with kittens
Grow crystals from a kit
"dissect" a chicken - check out gizzards, liver, neck, wings, legs, body cavity and bones
Make coin rubbings, learn who all the presidents on our money are
Learn about presidents day (co-op activities)
Make a collage on a notebook cover (co-op)
Learn about Igneous Rocks (SLIB)/Blow up volcano with real ash - ammonium dichromate (again)
Fill out a health chart every day for a week
Draw and label a map of Central America
Learn about Japan in co-op classes (2 wks)
Eat Miso Soup, read books about Japan
Baby-sit grandma's dog
Feed someone's cats (long term service project)
Join a science co-op
Take care of grandma after she gets out of hospital
Help mom keep the house clean for realtors
Color palm trees and mail to friends in Florida
Watch friend's daughter play grand piano
Decorate folders (co-op)
Potato stamping for St. Patty's Day (co-op)
Watch a children's play at a friend's church
sculpt with modeling clay
Learn about St. Patrick in Ireland (Morgan) in co-op
Learn to eat with chopsticks
Learn about metamorphic rocks, experiment to show chemical changes
Find an arrow head
Write scriptures for discipline issues
Go to a washateria to wash bedspreads
Make a list of rules
Collect state quarters and add them to display map
Test substances for acidic or basic
Test soils for acidic and basic
Bake Potato Volcanoes (shepherd's pie)
Help pack a suitcase for a trip
Write a story about the history of St. Patty's Day
Make a card for a friend's birthday
Object Lesson (Resurrection Eggs) for Easter at co-op
Make a home-made kite (co-op) and fly it in park (Kaden)
Dye Easter Eggs
Cut and color shamrocks
Celebrate Passover Feast & Eat Passover Foods (co-op - Morgan)
Palm leaves craft (co-op - Morgan)
Learn about chemical and mechanical erosion (do experiments with limestone)
Help mom look up library books with online system
Put together a 50 piece puzzle
Grow sponge dinosaurs from capsules
Catch a LARGE wolf spider, draw him and set him free
Make paper lady bugs with brads, colored paper, tissue paper and pipe cleaners
Learn about earthquakes, make a home made seismograph
Learn about fossils and petrification
Take a botany walk at a wildflower center where everything is labeled
Learn about South American countries
Play on a trampoline
Have friends over for dinner and cook with them to learn new recipes
Dinosaur Dioramas
Burry a dead cranefly to see how fast it decomposes (in sand)
Petrify a dead cranefly with clear nail-polish
Do a play at co-op (Morgan)
Learn about Australia in co-op (2 weeks)
Toilet paper kangaroo craft
Eat Vegemite on bread
Read an article about a roadrunner bird in a Texas magazine
Read an article about Texas bugs in a magazine
Rag art craft (co-op) for silent auction
Watch a National Geographic movie about Kangaroos
Color coral reef hand-outs
Make a map of Australia
Create a 3-D topographical map out of cork and cardboard
Ride scooters
Write a goodbye letter to Pug (our kitty that died)
Learn to ride a bicycle

Whew! I'll be surprised if someone actually makes it through that whole list.

Be sure to read these announcements before you go!
1. Tomorrow is Spunky's last day for the Academic Superstore contest (win a free camera)!
2. Tomorrow is the FIRST DAY OF FALL (be sure to visit and see my seasons change here at Sprittibee)!
3. Be sure to stop in Saturday for the beginning of my Academic Superstore contest (spread the word... free camera, again).
4. Please pray for Canon and visit his blog for updates.
5. Have a great FRIDAY!

Buzz Words: Homeschooling, Children, Homeschool, Enrichment, Lesson Plans, Education, Family, Parenting, Teaching, Friends, School, Field Trips, Learning, photos, science, geography, activities, elementary, prayer, Christianity, gradeschool, reading, fun, contests, games, fall, life, autumn

Canon and Carnival

Just wanted to give you two important links for today:

Pray for Canon Updates...

Carnival of Homeschooling week 38

Have a super Thursday! I'll be in later tonight to post my Thursday Challenge and my First and Second Grade Learning Enrichment Ideas from 2004-5. See the Field Trip list below for last night's post. Drop a tip in the jar if you feel inclined!


Buzz Words: Homeschooling, Children, Homeschool, Enrichment, Carnival, Education, Family, Parenting, Links, Friends, School, Field Trips, Learning, Illness, heart condition, medical, help, toddler, prayer, Christianity, hospital, critical, transplant, donations, Arkansas, surgery, life, fundraiser

First and Second Grade Field Trips

As promised, here's the list of field trips from our First Grade/Second Grade Year in 2004-5. You can view the previous two year's field trips (PK-1st Grade) by browsing my Homeschool Series post. As I update my "Field Trip Foto Friday" Series, I'll try and stop back in here to add links to my detailed reviews of these field trips.

If I've done a review of the field trip, I'll link it below and mark it with asterisks (***) so you can go view the review.

I was surprised that I didn't have as many field trips for this year as the previous year. I think a lot of that is due to the fact that we participated in a very active weekly co-op and had many indoors field-trips that were "brought to us". I may share a few of those for Field Trip Foto Friday as well if I come across some good photos.

My son was 7 when we began the school year in 2004, and was 8 when we ended it. My daughter was 5 when we began the school year and 6 when we ended it. We always have fun field-tripping. Of course, I did not list the numerous times we went to the park or library. I may be unable to find a photo for each trip, but I do think many of these were photographed. I have been forgetting to tote my camera around more often this year. I don't know what has gotten in to me. I am usually a photo-taking junkie.

Enjoy!

2003-2004 Field Trips (First/Second Grade)

• Visit a Honey Bee Farm ***


• Meet a Dog Breeder ***


• Park/Playground ***


• Local political party headquarters


• To vote with Mommy


• Wild-Connections Butterfly Center - Texas Hill Country ***


• Sweet Berry Farm's "Waltz Across Texas" - Marble Falls ***


• Police Car & Police Officer comes to Co-op


• Trip to the Local Firehouse


• Play Laser Tag


• Crow's Nest Farm ***


• Attend a church service at a prison


• Visit state capital building (Austin, TX)


• Visit Oasis Restaurant (famous cliff-side restaurant in Austin, TX)


• Austin's Famous Congress Bridge (To See Bats Come Out) ***


• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center ***


• Water playscape park and picnic


• Awards Ceremony at Co-op & Talent Show

Buzz Words: Homeschooling, Children, Homeschool, Enrichment, Day Trip, Education, Family, Parenting, Texas, Extra Curricular, School, Field Trips, Learning, Fun

Pray for Canon

Galatians 6:2 - Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.



Not long ago I wrote about Canon Perkins, who had a liver transplant. Now, I am requesting prayers for another little boy named Canon. His name is Canon Norman. He is four years old. Canon had a heart transplant this past Saturday. Instead of doing school today, I helped a friend of mine (who knows Canon's mom) gather up information and create a blog for Canon.

Canon's mom, Carla, is a school teacher and a single mom. She is on two weeks of paid leave, but Canon may have an extended stay of up to six months in the hospital ahead of him; so she is needing help from anyone who can offer donations towards her son's heart transplant, medical costs, and her living expenses until she can return to work. She has two other children to care for also (Kamryn age 7 and Chase age 10).

Canon's story is touching. I hope you will click over and read about it on his new blog that Teresa and I created today. Although it is good that he has finally gotten the heart that he has awaited since birth (after numerous heart surgeries and other surgeries from his congenital heart defect); he is not out of the woods yet. Since the surgery, he has not been doing very well and all of us are very worried about him.

I hope that you will pray for Canon... and I thank you from the bottom of my heart if you do! May the Lord bless you tenfold.

Other Quick Links:
CaringBridge Site for Canon


Buzz Words: children, illness, heart condition, medical, help, toddler, parenting, son, prayer, Christianity, hospital, critical, transplant, donations, Arkansas, surgery, life, fundraiser, family

First and Second Grade Homeschool Curriculum

Don't laugh. We don't have a lot of money to spend on curriculum, so we are a bit eclectic! I listed all the things here that we used in 2004-5. I spent a lot more time writing about each individual item of curriculum we used in last year's sister post (see link below). Many of these curriculum items are the same or similar to those on the 2003-4 list. I am only leaving you with a simple list this time. I'm sure you can imagine what we used each of these items for, and if you have any questions; please by all means, leave them in the comments section. I've bolded our favorite items below. If it isn't bolded, that just means it wasn't our FAVORITE thing... not that we didn't like it or wouldn't use it again. Like I said in my book list yesterday, favorites are subjective to individuals... so please don't just take MY word for it. Try these things and see if YOU like them!

*Note: I had a hard time linking up to Amazon, so I joined ChristianBook.com and hopefully I can get links up for some of these products over the next week. I did see that a few of them are CHEAPER at Christian Books rather than Amazon also.... so hang in there if you are wanting to buy something, and I'll get you the info soon!

MAIN CURRICULUM
KONOS Unit Studies - History, Science, Life skills, Etc. (Christian perspective)
Library Books (on and off topic per unit study)
Bible

DEVOTIONALS/ADDITIONAL BIBLE MATERIALS
One Minute Bible Stories Old Testament - adapted by Shari Lewis (A Dell Yearling Book)
Songs of Faith and Praise (Hymn Book)
A Beka Primary Bible Reader
Wee Sing Bible Songs

PHONICS/LANGUAGE/HANDWRITING/SPELLING
Phonics Through Poetry - Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz
Explode the Code Book 2
Explode the Code Book 1
Practice Makes Perfect - Writing (Grade 1)
Building Blocks Journaling by Paragraphs
Journal (blank spiral notebook - just add creativity!)
Second Grade Language - Learning Horizons
The Practice Workbook of Reading - Richard Wylie
The Chapman Puzzle Books - Lorna Madsen
Smiles Reading Textbook
Language Workbook - Seatwork Text (A Beka) leftover from last year
Worksheets by School Zone Publishing
Draw∙Write∙Now! (Book 1)
Jump Start 2nd Grade Phonics Workbook
ABC Crossword Puzzles Workbook (spelling)
Spelling (correcting misspelled words each week)

MATH
Learning Horizons Math Workbooks
A Beka Math and Language Worksheets (Grade 1 & 2)
Miquon Math Workbooks/Cuisenaire Rods
McGraw Hill Grade 1 Workbook (Math)
McGraw Hill Time and Money (Math)

EXTRA HISTORY/SCIENCE/GEOGRAPHY MATERIALS (not required by KONOS)
Heritage Studies for Christian Schools 3 - Families in Early America (BJ Textbook)
Visualize World Geography by Theresa A. Blain
Enjoying God's World Science Reader Grade 2 (A Beka)
Science Labs in a Box (Topics 1)

ELECTIVES
Choir (All Homeschool Local Choir)


Quick Links:
K/1 Homeschool Curriculum
PK/K Homeschool Curriculum
Sprittibee's Homeschool Series


Buzz Words: academics, reading, second grade, learning, history, homeschool, homeschooling, education, first grade, Christianity, children, workbooks, library, teaching, math, science, character, KONOS, elementary

My First and Second Grade Book List

Below are the books we read when my children were in First and Second Grade during the 2004-5 school year (I started this blog the summer after that school year). In case you are just "tuning in", our kiddos were 5 and 7 at the time. Both of the kids could already read. My son (the eldest) began reading chapter books without pictures during this school year (he loves the Star Wars junior novels), and he has always had a taste for encyclopedia-type books (especially about bugs, volcanoes, trains, or Star Wars). Some of the books are a little on the meaty side if you are working with brand-new readers. I read many of them TO the children as well.

Our curriculum dictates that we should have an ongoing "family reader" (usually a chapter book) for each unit study, and then I require most school days that the children read two or three library books a day on their own or to each other. I was amazed once I got this list typed up at just how many books we read (there are 412 books listed here). I did NOT include any PREVIOUSLY read books in this list (and there were MANY). That means that all of my book lists should NOT contain duplicate books (even though the children often re-check books or re-read some at home in our personal library).

Many of these books can be read at a much older age level as well, so don't let the grade level fool you. The grade in the title of this post just happens to be the grade they were in when WE read them. You can read them any time you like (I'm not a kid, and I enjoyed many of them!).

The books that we enjoyed the MOST are bolded. Many of those were so good that we went out and bought our own copy to add to our library at home. The kids love revisiting those books and if we don't have them, they don't hesitate to re-check them at the library. The rest of the books which are NOT bolded are probably great, too (I either didn't remember them very well, the children read them without my help and didn't comment about them, or they just weren't a FAVORITE). Don't think that just because the book is not bolded, it isn't a good book! Our favorites are subjective and you should read these for yourself to find out what your family's favorites are!

If you enjoy using our book lists and ideas here at Sprittibee's Homeschool Blog, please consider dropping some spare change in the tip jar - no donation too small! We could use a few dollars to buy more books with since most of these are LIBRARY books we checked out!

You can also check out my little Amazon book store up at the top of this blog by clicking the bookstore link, or clicking the text in this sentence! Many of our favorites are there and sorted by category. If you purchase them through our referral, my kids might eventually get a free book for their library. It's a win-win situation! You get great books, we get a few pennies for telling you about them.

Third Year Homeschool Book List - Grades 1-2
A Hero of a Horse (Step into Reading 2, Disney's "Home on the Range")
Pony Party ("My Little Pony") by Kate Egan
Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express - Eleanor Coerr (An I Can Read Book, Level 3)
My Very First Winnie the Pooh "Tigger's Moving Day" - Kathleen W. Zoehfeld
Garfield's Picnic Adventure - Jim Davis (A Golden Look-Look Book) story by Jack C. Harris
The Flag We Love - Pam Muñoz Ryan
Flip and the Morning - Wesley Dennis
Horses - Harold Roth
Horses - Monica Kulling
Fritz and the Beautiful Horses - Jan Brett
The Secret of the Lost Kingdom - Michael Bolton
Black Beauty - retold by Rochelle Larkin
Seabiscuit (All Aboard Reading Level 3) - Kathy and Mark Dubowski
Leonardo's Horse - Jean Fritz/Hudson Talbott
Water - Edith Newlin Chase & Ron Broda
A Boy for Flops - Eve Rose
Movie: Crazy Horse (about wild horses in Nevada)
The Riddle Book - Roy McKie (Random House)
God Gives Me Helpers - Scripture Press Publications
Peter Rabbit - Beatrix Potter
M is for Monster - Disney/Pixar
God Helps Me Grow - Scripture Press Publications
Jonah's Fish Story (The Beginners Bible)
Black Beauty - unabridged by Anna Sewell
What Shall I Make? - Usborn/Chick-fil-A
You Read to Me! I'll Read to You! - SeeSaw Book Club (Scholastic)
Feathers for Lunch - Lois Ehlert
The Three Little Pigs (A Tell-A-Tale Book by Whitman/Western Publishing Co. Inc.)
Movie: Nature: Horses (segment 1) Wild Horses of Mongolia
Movie: Nature: Horses (segment 2) Horse and Rider
Circle of Seasons - Gerda Muller
Star Wars Boba Fett: Crossfire (Clone Wars Novel by Terry Bisson)
The Tickle Stories - Jean Van Leeuwen
Bounce Around Tigger! (Pooh, Golden Books)
Chang's Paper Pony! (An I Can Read Book) - Eleanor Coerr
Going West - Jean Van Leeuwen
Horse Show - Kate Hayden (DK Readers/Stage 2)
Sam's Wild West Show - Nancy Antle (Dial Easy-To-Read)
Love is God - Marie Frost (A First Happy Day Book)
Daniel and the Lions (Tell A Bible Story Books)
Guess How Much I Love You - Sam McBratney
The Sign of the Seahorse - Graeme Base
The Trail of the Jedi - Jude Watson (Jedi Quest Series - Book 2)
Eugene the Brave - Ellen Conford
How Lazy Can You Get? - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Movie: Volcano: Nature's Inferno - National Geographic
Movie: Seabiscuit (not sure if this was a recent movie or older historical one)
I'm Terrific - Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Sacajawea - Her True Story - Joyce Milton (All Aboard Reading Level 2)
I'm Glad for God's House - Bernice T. Cory (Little Glad Books)
Dr. Seuss's ABC - An Amazing Alphabet Book! By Dr. Seuss
Who is God? - Wanda Hayes
Polar Bears - Susan Canizares (Scholastic)
I Can Count to 100… Can You? - Katherine Howard (The Best Book Club Ever/Random House)
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses - Paul Goble (Caldecott Medal)
Friends are for Loving - Mary Alice Jones (A Junior Elf Book)
Between the Lions - Tortoise and the Hare - retold by Mary Weber
Time for Tom - Phil Vischer (Veggie Tales)
Movie: The Eruption of Mt. St. Helens (Finley-Holiday Video Film Corp.)
Critter the Class Cat - Colleen Stanley Bare
Clara and the Bookwagon - Nancy Smiler Levinson (An I Can Read Book Level 3)
A Tiny Family - Norman Bridwell (Scholastic Hello Reader! Level 1)
Pizza Party! - Grace Maccarone (Hello Reader! Level 1)
Seesaw - A Beka Book Reading Program (reader)
The Surprise Party - Annabelle Prager
Panda Cake - Rosalie Seidler
Rabbit's Search for a Little House - Mary DeBall Kwitz
A Book About Your Skeleton - Ruth Belov Gross
Thank You, Logan! - Valarie Tripp
Autumn Days - Ann Schweninger
Horse Breeds Poster Book - Story Kids
Morgan Morning - Stephen Cosgrove (Serendipity Book)
Franklin is Messy - Paulette Bourgeois
A New Dress for Maya - Malorie Blackman
My First Little Mother Goose - Lucinda McQueen
Alvin and the Chipmonks: Alvin's Daydreams - Michael Teitelbaum
Bambi: Friends of the Forest - Disney
Beautiful Zoo Animals to Come and See - Share a Book
Pooh's First Day of Winter - Disney
Winnie the Pooh's Sleepytime Hum - Disney
Winnie the Pooh and His Friends: Night Time Mystery - Disney
Ready for Bed, Pooh? - Disney
Winnie the Pooh and His Friends: A Reel Fishy Story - Disney
Pooh's Perfect Spring Day - Disney
Winnie the Pooh and His Friends: Roo's Big Adventure - Disney
One, Two, Pooh's Looking for You - Disney
Pooh's Early-to-Bed and Early-to-Rise Hum - Disney
Are you Ready for School? - Disney
When Summer is Over - Disney
Tawny Scrawny Lion - Katheryn Jackson (Golden Books)
Little Squirt the Fire Engine - Catherine Kenworthy (A First Little Golden Book)
Sam and the Firefly - P.D. Eastman
DK Insects - George C. McGavin
Flutterby Fly - Stephen Cosgrove (A Serendipity Book)
Noddy's Loose Shoelace - Gill Davies
My First Book of Sounds - Melanie Bellah (A First Little Golden Book)
Jay Jay the Jet Plane - You are Special - Tommy Nelson, Inc.
The Little Golden ABC - Cornelius De Witt
Baby Animals on a Farm - James C. Shooter (A First Little Golden Book)
God Made Kittens - Marian Bennett (A Happy Day Book)
Colors are Nice! - Adelaide Holl (A Little Golden Book)
Precious Moments: Put on a Happy Face! - Debbie Wiersma (A Little Golden Book)
Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
Jack and the Beanstalk - retold by Stella Williams Nathan (A Little Golden Book)
The Fox and the Hound - Disney
The Monster at the End of This Book - Jon Stone (A Little Golden Sesame Street Book)
Movie: The Statue of Liberty (Modern Marvels - A & E)
Movie: Animated Biography "President Lincoln" - Living History Productions, Inc.
Movie: (part, not all) "The Constitution of the United States of America" - LDA Video
Videocassette by Schoolastic Public Performance: "George Washington's Mother" - Jean Fritz
How the U.S. Government Works - Syl Sobel
America Votes - How Our President is Elected - Linda Granfield
Bible Adventures - Jodi McCallum
Giggle, Giggle, Quack - Doreen Cronin
The Missing Wedding Dress featuring Barbie - Karen Krugman (A Little Golden Book)
Little Red Riding Hood - retold by Mabel Watts
Arthur Goes to Camp - Marc Brown (An Arthur Adventure)
Rock*A*Bye Farm - Diane Johnston Hamm
Vote! - Eileen Christelow
Daffy Duck for President - Chuck Jones
Egypt and the Middle East - Tintin's Travel Diaries (Barron's)
The Buried City of Pompeii - Shelley Tanaka (An I Was There Book)
Movie: The American Experience - George Washington, the Man Who Wouldn't Be King
Movie: Video Visits, United States Collection "Washington DC - A Capital Adventure"
Uncle Sam and Old Glory - Symbols of America - Delno C. West and James M. West
Red, White, Blue and Uncle Who? - Teresa Bateman
George Washington and the General's Dog - Frank Murphy
The Knight, the Princess and the Dragon - Helen Craig
Piglet Meets a Heffalump - A. A. Milne
I Think That It is Wonderful and Other Poems from Sesame Street - David Korr
My Little Book of Poems - Rebecca Heller (A First Little Golden Book)
The Statue of Liberty - Lucille Recht Penner (Step Into Reading, Step 2)
Christina Katerina & THE BOX - Patricia Lee Gauch
The Christmas Spirit Strikes (A Rotten Ralph Book) - Jack Gantos and Nicole Rubel
Sammy the Seal - Syd Hoff
Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin - Disney
The Bill of Rights - Warren Coleman (A New True Book)
Adventures with Peter Panda - Marie H. Frost
My Big Book of Bedtime Stories - Zigzag Publishing
Voting and Elections - Patricia J. Murphy
Don't Eat Too Much Turkey! - Miriam Cohen
The Relatives Came - Cynthia Rylant
Movie: Ocean Wilds "Sperm Whale Oasis" (Warner Home Video)
Book on Video: Brer Rabbit and the Wonderful Tar Baby - narrated by Danny Glover (Rabbit Ears Story Books)
Bert and the Broken Teapot - Tish Sommers
Video: Nature "Sharks" (PBS Series with two parts - "Secret World of Sharks and Rays"/"White Shark-Red Triangle")
George Washington's Breakfast - Jean Fritz
The Butterfly Counting Book - Jerry Pallotta
The Life of a Butterfly (Scholastic - I Can Read About Science Library)
Video "John the Baptist" by Animated Stories of the NT/Family Entertainment Network
An Outlaw Thanksgiving - Emily Arnold McCully
Miss Nelson is Back - Harry Allard
The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room - Stan and Jan Berenstain
The Perfect Thanksgiving - Eileen Spinelli
The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin - Stan and Jan Berenstain
Molly's Lies - Kay Chorao
Movie: "Hop on Pop", "Marvin K. Moony Will You Please Go Now!" and "Oh, Say Can You Say?" (Dr. Seuss narrated classics)
Movie: Narrated books by Beatrix Potter (The Tale of Samuel Whiskers/The Roly-Poly Pudding)
Thanksgiving Mice - Bethany Roberts
Movie: Pocahontas (Animated Hero Classics/Living History Productions, Inc.)
Movie: Thanksgiving (Schlessinger Video Production, Inc.)
The Picnic - Ruth Brown
Doctor DeSoto Goes to Africa - William Steig
Pocahontas - Ingri & Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
Bluebonnet at the Marshall Train Depot - Mary Brooke Casad
Bluebonnet at Dinosaur Valley State Park - Mary Brooke Casad
Bluebonnet at the Texas State Capital - Mary Brooke Casad
Clifford's Manners - Norman Bridwell
One Crow - A Counting Rhyme - Jim Aylesworth
The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving - Ann McGovern
It's Thanksgiving - Jack Prelutsky
The Pine Tree Parable - Liz Curtis Higgs
The Chicken Salad Club - Marsha Diane Arnold
Tale of a Tail - Judit Z. Bodnar
The Thanksgiving Door - Debby Atwell
This for That - Verna Aardema
The Pumpkin Patch Parable - Liz Curtis Higgs
Movie: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving/The Mayflower Voyagers (1973)
George Washington - Soldier, Hero, President - Justine & Ron Fontes (DK Readers Level 3)
Audio: Adventures in Odyssey Classics by Focus on the Family: Bible Eyewitness NT "Back to Bethlehem I, II, & III" (cassette tapes)
Movie: The Toy that Saved Christmas - Veggie Tales
Movie: Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree
Movie: Schoolhouse Rock, Special 30th Anniversary Edition
Iglook's Seal - Bernard Wiseman
The Thornbush - Michael Laughlin
The Nutcracker - adapted by Bethany Snyder (originally told by E.T.A. Hoffmann)
Cat in the Manger - Michael Foreman
Hansel and Gretel - retold by Rochelle Larkin
The Night Before Christmas - Clement C. Moore
Little Fur Family - Margaret Wise Brown
Cars and Trucks - Richard Scarry (A Little Golden Book)
Bright, Shiny Skylar - Valerie Tripp
Hansel and Gretel - The Brother's Grimm (A Little Golden Book)
MGM's Tom and Jerry Meet Little Quack (A Little Golden Book)
Movie: A Charlie Brown Christmas
Star Wars Jedi Quest Series #3 - The Dangerous Games (Jr. Novel) - Jude Watson
Knights in Shining Armor - Gail Gibbons
The Twelve Days of Christmas; A Christmas Carol - Illustrated by Mike Eagle
Movie: Winter Stallion (Questar 1992)
Movie: How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr. Seuss
The Story of Baby Moses (An Alice in Bibleland Storybook) - Alice Joyce Davidson
Bambi Grows Up - Disney
The Fire Cat - Esther Averill
The Wump World - Bill Peet
The Christmas Mouse - Carolyn Quattrocki
The Secret of the Sand - Jon Valeska & Jean Fripp
The Lost Wreck of Isis - Robert D. Ballard
Finding Nemo - Disney/Pixar (A Little Golden Book)
Morgan and Me - Stephen Cosgrove (A Serendipity Book)
George and Martha, One Fine Day - James Marshall
Tootle - Gertrude Crampton (A Little Golden Book)
A Children's Book About Disobeying - Joy Berry
Cats - Laura French (A Little Golden Book)
Peit Potter's First Case - Robert Quackenbush
A Pussycat's First Christmas - Margaret Wise Brown
Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever (A Golden Book)
The Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth - JoannaCole and Bruce Degen
The Magic School Bus: Inside Ralphie (A Book About Germs)
There Really Was a DoDo - Esther S. and Bernard L. Gordon
Now You can Read Bible Stories… Daniel and His Friends - retold by Leonard Matthews
Meow - A Day in the Life of Cats - Judy Reinen
Gregory, the Terrible Eater - Mitchell Sharmat
Minnie and Moo Save the Earth - Denys Cazet
Movie: The Lorax - Dr. Seuss
Oil Spill - Melvin Berger
Animals in Jeopardy (Young Discovery Library Series) - Diane Costa de Beauregard
Let's Talk About Being Lazy - Joy Wilt Berry
Letting Swift River Go - Jane Yolen
The Magic School Bus: At The Waterworks - Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
Lentil - Roberty McCloskey
Let's Talk About Being Destructive - Joy Wilt Berry
The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Habit - Stan and Jan Berenstain
The Little House - Virginia Lee Burton
Just a Dream - Chris Van Allsburg
The Smokey Bear Story - Ellen Earnhardt Morrison
Movie: Whirling Winds (Awesome Forces of God's Creation Series) - Moody Institute
Finding the Titanic (Hello Reader! Level 4) - Robert D. Ballard
Titanic: The Disaster That Shocked the World! (DK Readers Level 3)
My First Little House Books: Winter Days in the Big Woods - Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Man Who Took Seven Baths - Joann Scheck (Arch Books)
What We Can Do About Wasting Water - Donna Bailey
Toxic Waste (Earth Alert) - Susan Dudley Gold
Music CD: Gather Round: Songs for Kids and Other Folks
Movie: The Little Princess (Shirley Temple)
Our Endangered Planet: Oceans - Mary Hoff & Mary M. Rodgers
Rumplestiltskin - Grimm's Fairy Tales (A Little Golden Book)
The Boy of the Three-Year Nap - Dianne Snyder
Leo the Lop: Tail Two - Stephen Cosgrove (Serendipity Book)
Clocks and More Clocks - Pat Hutchins
A House for Hermit Crab - Eric Carie
An I Can Read Book: Silly Tilly's Valentine - Lillian Hoban
A Book of Seasons - Alice and Martin Provensen
Common Ground: The Water, Earth, and Air We Share - Molly Bang
Nellie: A Cat on Her Own - Natalie Babbitt
All Aboard Reading: The Flying Horse/The Story of Pegasus - Jane B. Mason
The Owl and the Pussycat - Edward Lear (A Little Golden Book)
Anatole - Eve Titus
Time of Wonder - Robert McCloskey
Movie: Veggie Tales - Sumo of the Opera (A Tale of Perseverance)
Movie: Rescue Heroes - The Fire Field 13 (about Anger)
The Dancing Man - Ruth Bornstein
My First Little House Books: Farmer Boy Birthday - Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Story of Noah's Ark - Jane Latourette (Arch Books)
The Christmas Book - Donna Kelly
Franklin has a Sleepover - Paulette Bourgeois
Chicka Chicka ABC - Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Beady Bear - Don Freeman
Days with Frog and Toad (An I Can Read Book) - Arnold Lobel
Spill! The Story of the Exxon Valdez - Terry Carr
Movie: Ben Hur - A Tale of Christ (Animated)
Armadillos Sleep in Dugouts - Pam Munoz Ryan
What is a Cat? - Ron Hirschi
My Town - William Wegman
The Kid's Cat Book - Tomie De Paola
Now You can Read Bible Stories… Wise Solomon - retold by Leonard Matthews
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too - Disney
Dolphin - Robert A. Morris
Mouse, Look Out! - Judy Waite
A Little Bit of Winter - Paul Stewart
The World Jack Built - Ruth Brown
Five Little Ducks - Raffi
Subway Sparrow - Leyla Torres
Little Whistle's Dinner Party - Cynthia Rylant
Trill the Fox Cub - Jane Burton (Baby Animals Growing Up Series)
How the Cat Swallowed Thunder - Lloyd Alexander
Scaredy Cat - Joan Rankin
like, likes, like - Chris Raschka
All About Time (A First Discovery Book) - Scholastic
A New True Book: Seasons - Illa Podendorf
Movie: The Waltons (Season 1) - lots of shows!
Movie: Around the World in 80 Days (Animated 1999) - Digital Versatile
The Little Park - Dale Fife
Stories Jesus Told (Now You Can Read Bible Stories) - retold by Elaine Ife
Huckleberry Finn (Favorite Fairy Tales) - retold by Rochelle Larkin
Mr. Maxwell's Mouse - Frank Asch & Devin Asch
The Tale of Tom Kitten - Beatrix Potter
Raccoons - Allan Fowler (Rookie Read About Science)
Franklin D. Roosevelt - Laura Hamilton Waxman (History Maker Bios)
The Lost Temple - Anna Knight (Lego/DK)
Texas Birds from A to Z - Glenna Grimmer
The Seal and the Slick - Don Freeman
Cut Down at High Noon (A Math Adventure) - Scott Sundby
Watch the Stars Come Out - Diane Goode
Telling Time - Jules Older
Volcanoes - Franklyn M. Branley
My Tour of Europe, By Teddy Roosevelt, Age 10 - Ellen Jackson
It's Justin Time, Amber Brown - Paula Danziger (A is for Amber Series)
Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail - Laurence Anhold
Cats and Kittens - Checkerboard Press NY
Eyewitness Classics (DK): 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
When the Whippoorwill Calls - Candice F. Ransom
Simple Experiments in Time with Every Day Materials - Muriel Mandell
On Time: From Seasons to Split Seconds - Gloria Skurzynski (National Geographic Society)
The Parable of the Lily - Liz Curtis Higgs
Why the Cat Chose Us - John Zeaman
A True Book: Constellations - Paul P. Sipiera
Could You Ever? Build a Time Machine - by Dr. David Darling
Movie: Back the Drawing Board (McGee and Me) - Focus on the Family
Movie: Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (older version)
Hello Kitty Hello World! - Sanrio (Geography Book)
The Making of a Knight - Patrick O'Brien
A Medieval Feast - Aliki Brandenberg (Reading Rainbow Book)
Movie: The Miracle Maker, The Story of Jesus (Everland Entertainment)
Moe the Dog in Tropical Paradise - Diane Stanley
Whoosh Went the Wish - Toby Speed
Goldie and the Three Bears - Diane Stanley
Hedgehog for Breakfast - Ann W. Turner
Good Knight - Linda R. Rymill
Wind Says Good Night - Katy Rydell
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble - William Stieg
The Money Tree - Sarah Stewart
Tops & Bottoms - Janet Stevens
All Aboard! - James Stevenson
The Story of Smokey Bear - Robin Bromley
About Time: Measuring Time - Brian Williams
Siegfried - Diane Stanley
How Spider Saved Valentines Day - Robert Kraus
We Hate Rain - James Stevenson
Arctic Spring - Sue Vyner
Train Song - Diane Siebert (poem)
Bless This House - Leslie Staub
World War Won - Dav Pilkey
Mugambi's Journey - John Becker
Patrick's Dinosaurs on the Internet - Carol Carrick
Peter Spier's Rain - Peter Spier
Father May I Come? - Peter Spier
The Stranger - Chris Van Allsburg
Saving Sweetness - Diane Stanley
Blaze and the Lost Quarry - C. W. Anderson
Big Brother, Little Sister - Papa Oyibo
How Much is that Doggie in the Window? - Bob Merrill
A Secret for Grandmother's Birthday - Franz Brandenberg
A Children's Book About Teasing - Joy Berry
A Children's Book About Lying - Joy Berry
A Children's Book About Being Selfish - Joy Berry
The Buffalo Nickel - Taylor Morrison
The Lunch Line - Karen Bergman Nagel (Hello Math Reader Level 3)
How Far Can a Butterfly Fly? - Time Life for Children
It was a Dark Stormy Night - Janet & Allan Ahlberg
Time at the Top - Edward Ormondroyd
Young Wolf and Spirit Horse - Janice Shefelman (Step Into Reading Step 3)
I'll Do It Later - Louise Vitellaro Tidd (Level 2)
Rain Forest Secrets - Arthur Dorros
Jackalope - Janet Stevens & Susan Stevens Crummel
Tightwad Tod - Daphne Skinner (Math Matters - Using Money Grades 1-3)
Deena's Lucky Penny - Barbara deRubertis (Math Matters - Using Money Grades PK-1)
The Lonely Lioness - Verna Aardema
Black Cat - Christopher Myers
Jaguar - Helen Cowcher
The Snow Leopard - Theresa Radcliffe
Mama Don't Allow - Thatcher Hurd
Slop! - Margaret Read MacDonald
Leah's Pony - Michael Garland
Ride'em, Cowboy - Stefan Czernecki
Raccoon at Clear Creek Road - Carolyn B. Otto
Kitten's First Full Moon - Kevin Henkes
What Color is Camouflage? - Carolyn Otto (Let's Find Out Science, Stage 2)
Habitats: Coral Reef - Gary W. David
Movie: The Living Edens: The Lost World: Venezuela's Ancient Tepuis - Nature/PBS
Movie: IMAX Seasons
Little Scraggly Hair: A Dog on Noah's Ark - Lynn Cullen
Jodi's Star - Alma Flor Ada
Little Farm by the Sea - Kay Choras
Zen Shorts - Jon Muth
The Cat's Pajamas - Ida Chittum
Flossie and the Fox - Patricia C. McKissack
A Visit to Kenya - Mary Packard
Leo the Late Bloomer - Robert T. Kraus
The Cats Kids - Kay Chorao
A Kid's Guide to Managing Money - Joy Wilt
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain - Veronica Aardema
The Surprise Family - Lynn Reiser
Movie: Australia the Beautiful
Movie: Creatures that Defy Evolution (Volume 1)
Movie: Australia: The Edge (IMAX)
Movie: Tron
Little Rabbit Foo Foo - Michael Rosen & Arthur Robins
Swan Lake - Anthea Bell/Chihiro Iwasaki
Kitten Red Yellow Blue - Peter Catalonotto
First Graders from Mars: Episode 1: Horus's Horrible Day - Shana Corey
City Chicken - Arthur Dorros
Mozart Finds a Melody - Stephen Costanza
Clever Cat - Peter Collington
McElligot's Pool - Dr. Seuss
The Sea, the Storm, and the Mangrove Tangle - Lynne Cherry
About Fish - Cathryn Sill
The Wimp - Kathy Caple
Raccoon on His Own - Jim Arnosky
Into the Forest - Anthony Browne
Something Might Happen - Helen Lester
Terrible Teresa and Other Very Short Stories - Mittie Cuetara
Movie: Shark Watch (Blue Planet: Discovery Channel)

Quick Links
2003-4 K-1 Book List
2001-2 PK-K Book List
My Homeschooling Series


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