Homeschooling for 3

If you're looking for some light, but entertaining reading then you've come to the right place. Mr. Philip Done does an excellent job of describing the trials and titillations of educating third graders in the public forum.  Being a school teacher definitely is not for the faint of heart (or stomach!) The author has done an excellent job of evoking word pictures to make you laugh and begin your memories of being a third grader again. I had forgotten about the "invisible" balls that we would toss back and forth at recess. And his vivid portrayal of a third grade boy stirs memories of why I despised them so much when I was in the third grade -- arm farts, bad, bad jokes about bodily functions and the need to stick things up their nose during lunchtime, just to name a few.  And to think we grow up to marry these "interesting" boys later on in life -- go figure! One thing that I really enjoyed about the book is its layout. For example, the chapters are ...

I am no neophyte to math software. Long before I became a mother I have been using math software to help my myriads of nieces and nephews. One of my favorite math software providers was Davidson and their really cool "Math Blaster" program back in the 1990s. But that was then and this is now. Quarter Mile's Appeal to My Children My children have enjoyed my older Davidson games because it had lots of cute songs and animations. So, although my son is a big fan of horses, I wasn't sure how the girls would feel about The Quarter Mile Math racing game where their only choices are race cars and horses. And at first glance the interface is a lot less flashy than what I've become accustomed to with some of the internet-based math games that they kids have played over the years. So, after installing it on my own computer, I started sharing it with the gang. Now Jade is my up-and-coming diva, so I her reaction was very interesting. When she first saw the splash screen she...

And no dog deserves it more than Hank the Cowdog. Hank and his best friend and protégé, Drover, serve up their adventures with a side order of laughter and canine wisdom. Hank is the self-appointed "Head of Ranch Security" while his friend Drover is deputy. Their job is to protect the ranch from all manner of coyotes, evil felines, monsters in bushes, flying buzzards and more. And what do they get in return? A dish full of "Econo Dog Food," that's what. But through it all Hank keeps his head held high because without him the humans would never survive … or so he believes. "Hank the Cowdog" is the brainchild of John Erickson. And what a brainchild he is! When I first picked up this collection I wasn't sure if my girls were going to like it. Along with the book "The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse" we also got a cassette tape that contained excerpts of Hank's story The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado and a travel game calle...

As some of you know, I am returning to my traditional homeschooling roots this year. I did my experimentation into cyberschooling and found it lacking. But I also live in PA, one of the high documentation homeschooling states (also known as "Big PA in in the neck states") so I've been wondering how I was going to pull a curriculum together to present to the Lords of Education so they'll go away. So, once we made our decision to get away from cyberschools I began looking at different curriculum. I have been looking at complete year curriculum as well as a more eclectic collection of resources. But now I don't have to look any further because I just discovered The Old Schoolhouse 2009-2010 Planner ! First off, let me confess that I have not been the most organized homeschooler. I've purchased programs to keep records on the girls work, I've set up schedules (that I then proceeded to ignore after about a week), and changed my mind a couple of times during the...