*The house is a constant battle*, *bills need to be paid*, *need to exercise*, *feeding time for kids & animals*, *need to prep. for teaching the kiddos*, *teach the kiddos*, *keeping up with organization & relationships*, *writing*, *unschooling myself*, *walk the danes, aka the [...]]]> This is the only phrase that comes to mind,  “I am a failure”.

*The house is a constant battle*, *bills need to be paid*, *need to exercise*, *feeding time for kids & animals*, *need to prep. for teaching the kiddos*, *teach the kiddos*, *keeping up with organization & relationships*, *writing*, *unschooling myself*, *walk the danes, aka the beasts*…at all these things, I fail, am failing, have failed… epically.

People have a false sense about me.  They think: I am a  good woman, I am a kind person, I am successful in my endeavors, I am wildly adventurous.  But, as I sit here in bed, 10:30am Sunday morning, with my messy, greasy hair up in a knot, I have around me: a mess of 1/2 done cleaning, a “TO DO” list that reaches infinity with pressing deadlines that are heavy against my shoulders & whispering into my conscience my inadequacies of time management, the fever riddled, fighting kiddos are teaching me that they require a supernatural patience, the fixer-upper home we have lovingly coined the Red Robber groans of how badly it needs fixing upping, The beasts jump with excitement letting me know I am waaay to late for feeding, the plants have tale-tale signs of needing to be transplanted into the unprepared garden, Then, my husband, marks this coming Tuesday on my too full calender as the day I need to yet again face my down my fear by climbing with our friends.

I know the truth.  It is in the darkened corners of my mind, it waits with baited breath for me to speak aloud that I am the epitome of failing epically.  I write the truth freely, but clamp my mouth shut, an old fear of the spoken word encircles my thoughts… the written word can change, but the spoken word can not.

I can not spiral into this plane of sadness & self pity.  I have to accept that failure is not the end, but an opportunity to learn – how not to do it.  I need to understand that nothing will get finished today, but things will get done.

My life as a wife & homeschool mother who writes, will not have nice little boxes to tick off as completed, finished forever; the way it did in school or when I had a career outside of the home.  There is no prize at the finish line because there is no finish line, just like the laundry, it never ends.  If I quit, and walked away, that would be the end of life as I know it; but, I do not want it to end.

Please Stop telling me that it is an elephant and to “eat it, bit by bit”!   I do not want to just get through it.  I want to be ever present.  I think that means accepting the “TO DO” list will not ever be a clean slate.  It will forever be added to as long as the sun rises and sets; there will be work to be done. 

I should take joy in all my failures because as long as I am failing, I am doing.

Because human eyes are made to function differently than the super night vision of an owl or cat.  We can however, boost our human night eyes to see their best.

Night vision tip #1.  Eyes need time to adjust

It takes 45 minutes of darkness to obtain “night vision”.  This is when your [...]]]> How to Sharpen Your Night Senses

Because human eyes are made to function differently than the super night vision of an owl or cat.  We can however, boost our human night eyes to see their best.

Night vision tip #1.  Eyes need time to adjust

It takes 45 minutes of darkness to obtain “night vision”.  This is when your eyes’ rods ( the receptor cells that work in dim lighting) completely absorb rhodopsin ( the special chemical that allows you to see movement and basic shapes in the dark)  While on a night walk, DON’T look directly at your flashlight, or your night vision will be lost and you will have to wait another 45minutes to adjust!

Try this:

Watching your Pupils:  just before you go out at night, study your eyes carefully in a well lit room with a mirror.  Notice the size of your pupils.  Now go outdoors with a handheld mirror and flashlight.  (wait in the dark for about 15 minutes)  Try looking at your eyes again in the mirror without any light.  ( they should appear much larger)  now, hold the flashlight under your chin, pointing up and turn it on while still looking at your eyes in the mirror. INSTANTLY your pupils should contract to a much smaller size.

What is Happening to An Animal’s eyes:  Many nocturnal creatures have extra-large, slit pupils that quickly open or close, like a sliding door.

Ever wonder about a snakes night vision?  click here to check out this news on a Pit Viper’s night sight

Night Vision tip #2:  Look slightly to the side of an object in the dark, not directly at it.

When we look directly we are using our eyes’ cone cells.  Why is this? The cone cells are mostly in the center of your retina.  Cones are helpful at seeing color,but they need light.  Of course you’re in the dark!  In dark lighting we need our rods.  Yep, you guessed it, the rods are on the outer edges of our eyes.

Try this:

1.  Get a partner and stay outside long enough to get your “Night Vision”.  Then stand about 10 ft apart.

2.  Stare directly at each other’s chin and count to 10.  Careful! Don’t move your eyes form the focus point, and don’t BLINK!  Hey! Where’d your partner’s head go?

When you are out at night, you have two other senses that will work just great with or without light, your hearing and your sense of smell.

Try this with your Ears:

Find a nice cozy spot outdoors and sit down, staying quiet and still.  Did you hear that?  You should start to hear sounds that are familiar, but, What was that?!  Was it squeaking or hooting?  If it seems close, try using a flashlight with red cellophane covered over it.  Did you know you can make your ears bigger?  Just cup your hands behind your ears and voila!  Can you hear more now?  Was that a giant Cricket?!   (if there is too much distracting racket, just put your finger tips over your ear canal and it should help block out city noise.)

Ever wonder about an animals sense of smell and taste? 

Click here to look up these creatures:  For taste buds: rabbits & catfish, For scent markers: bears, deer.

Touch is an important sense for nocturnal animals to have.  They use it to tell them which way the wind is blowing, or an animal moving.  The whiskers on animals are very sensitive, and are just right for detecting touch.  An earthworm has tiny hairs called setae that feel the vibrations.  This works great for them when they are trying to avoid a hungry mole.

Try this for your sense of touch:

Take a partner and a  rolled-up bandanna (blindfold) to a place with several trees of different sizes and shapes and play “That’s my Tree!”

How to play: 1.  Decide who is going first and put the blindfold on them.    2.  Lead around carefully so they blinded one doesn’t trip or run into anything.   3.  Stop at a tree, any tree will do   4.  Have the blinded one get to know that tree:  does it have bumps going up, down or across?  Is the trunk straight?  Does it have knobby roots at the bottom?  Are there any branches sticking out?  How big are those branches?  Is the ground around the tree flat?  Is the sun’s warmth on your skin?  What direction is the breeze blowing?  What does it smell like?  Do you hear anything special?    6.  When they think they have enough information lead them back to the starting point(carefully!)  7.  Take the blindfold off   8.  Now, try to find your tree!

It’s hard to get a chance to sharpen your skills for night time.  Did you know you can use the sunny side of day for practice too?  Take a 10 minute blindfolded “night hike” with one or more partners.  1st walk out your root, take notice of turns, sloping ground and bumps or rocky spots.  2nd  link up like a conga line (hands on the shoulders of the one in front),  with one leader everyone who is following should be blindfolded (Don’t have more than 4 people to a line, this means 3 blinded and one leader.) 3rd take that same trail using smell, hearing and touch. (leaders help keep everyone linked and out of danger)

We humans make a lot of noise on our two feet.  Before you go out at night, practice your stalk walk.  This usually looks like a skateboarder stance.  When you bring your foot down, instead of going on the heel or toe of your foot, try going on the side and rolling it down to flat.  You will feel a little foolish at first.  When you are able  to sneak up on a creature it will be worth it.

Not all animals have super awesome eyesight at night; however, they are all great at seeing movement.  An important key to observing animals at night is to sit still. 

Try this :

Find a comfortable spot to sit with your legs crossed under you and your hands resting in your lap.  Let your muscles go limp and relax.  Breath in and out.  Keep your mind focused on your breathing for a few minutes.  Now you are ready to watch wildlife.  If you see something, DON’T turn your head, just turn your eyes.   Practice looking with just your peripheral vision, you’ll be surprised at how much you can see with just the sides of your eyes.

E-mail me about your adventures in the night!

How do you practice spelling?  How do you make spelling practice  fun?  When are mistakes good?  How does one avoid making spelling practice straight rote-memorization?  How do you incorporate learning styles into spelling, other than just writing it five times?  What are some ways to get my child to practice spelling independently?  How do [...]]]> Spelling Questions:

How do you practice spelling?  How do you make spelling practice  fun?  When are mistakes good?  How does one avoid making spelling practice straight rote-memorization?  How do you incorporate learning styles into spelling, other than just writing it five times?  What are some ways to get my child to practice spelling independently?  How do you wholeisticly learn to spell?

My Response:

Spelling does not equate with intelligence, but misspelling can sure make you look foolish.  Spelling is something we have to teach our children.  Spelling is not my strong suit.  I am awful at it, ergo “the ones who can’t, can teach!”  Well, I don’t really even like to teach it, I tend to view it as a necessary evil; however, with all the questions coming in on this topic, I decided to make a spelling practice challenge for myself.  What would I like to do?  What would not make me bored?  This month I will be implementing all of the posted strategies in our classroom for our children and myself then I’ll let you know what worked for our family.  Please let me know what you have tried and what works for you.

To teach spelling wholeisticlly, children must learn the meaning of the word. It is difficult for a child to work with words that have no semantic meaning. By the end of learning their lists they should know the definition and be able to use it in a sentence or story.

http://dictionary.reference.com/

This is my favorite dictionary site because it is in an easy to read format.  This site has a dictionary, word for the day, thesaurus, encyclopedia, crosswords, various jargon box to broaden your scope of knowledge (this week has the fashion industry), word games  (what a great way to strengthen your meaning of a word and practice spelling it , I have enjoyed meaning fall it is sort of like a hangman but word meaning hints are given and miss. spell’s class… {these games I would play first myself and then determine if they are at your child’s frustration level…)}.

When to respect “good mistakes” :  those which use letter patterns.  They need to make the right sound, even though they are not right for that particular word.  So, for “purpose”:

• “purpus” would be a good guess – like “focus”
• “prupose” would be a less good guess

Obviously when your child is learning a spelling list, this is not going to work, they need to spell that list correctly.  This technique is something I would use when grading a paper or paragraph.

Here are a list of 30+ ways to practice spelling without using rote memorization, using all learning styles while making it fun!  Most are independent, a few are better suited as a group game or guided practice…but modify away, make it fit to your family’s style, schedule & budget.

1.  http://www.resourceroom.net/readspell/6waysspelling.pdf the trace, copy, recall method this site offers directions for a folding chart to use with individual practice

2.  write your words in peanut butter or whip cream with your finger, yum!

3.  write your words in sand or dirt with your finger, fun!

4.  translate your words into Morse code

5.  if you are right- handed use your left hand to write words or vice versa

6.  secret agent words: write words in lemon juice then have mom check by heating up the paper (candel{flamable}  hair-dryer{less flamable}) you used.

7.  write a TV commercial for your words, act it out for the family, or video tape it.

8.  make a power point on your words with definitions or synonyms / antonyms

9.  use string to spell out your word in cursive tape it down and trace it with your finger.

10.  http://sd5.k12.mt.us/elrod/multiage/downloads/SpellingComics.pdf this site has ready to print blank blocks to make a comic strip for your spelling words

11.  http://sd5.k12.mt.us/elrod/multiage/downloads/SignLangLetterChart.pdf here is an easy to use sign language chart.  Use it to practice.

12.  draw a keyboard on the ground with side walk chalk and jump to the letter key to spell your words

13.  take water and paintbrush and “paint” on the side of the house or on the concrete to practice worts

14.  use old newspapers or catalogues to cut out letters to practice spelling

15.  look up your word in the dictionary and write a sentence based on its meaning, or create a riddle

16.  write your words in alphabetical order then reverse the order

17.  type the words in a large easy to read font on the computer then print out your list, next use your favorite color of glitter glue and go over each letter with a thin line, when it dries trace with your finger.

18.  use glow in the dark magnet letters, find a great cozy dark place to practice spelling your words on a cookie sheet

19.  http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/ this site allows you to create a word search or another kind of puzzle with your spelling words

20.  use different colors to write your spelling words in chunks… this works really well if you have the sequintial spelling curriculum  ex:  all tall stall install installment.  if not, then choose one color for the consonants and one for the vowels, when you are finished, close your eyes and try to visualize your word in its colors.

21.  tape record your voice spelling your words (try using a singing voice)  then play it back to yourself listening to the words being spelled.

22.  use scrabble or banana gram tiles or letter beads to spell out your words.  You can also print out pictures that represent the word and have the child place the letter tile/beads on the correct picture.

23.  find your words in books, magazines, newspapers.  then highlight or circle them.

24.  Swat spelling:  (two ways to play)

1.  write words on paper and hang up on a line, read definitions to child and have them swat the correct word with a fly swatter.

2.  write the alphabet (each letter gets a separate piece of paper) and child swats the letters to spell the word

25.  bake some sugar cookies, and use a food marker to write words on different cookies, (yum!)  need a healthier version… food markers can write on any smooth food surface… cover an orange or a banana with your spelling words before devouring it.  try writing them on your plate before your meal is served, each bite might uncover your word.

26-30.  techie ways to practice:

http://www.funbrain.com/spell/index.html  a simple spelling game, you can choose the levels of easy to hard

http://www.kidsspell.com/  love that its free, love that you can create or choose a game list.  Depending on what you choose  the site will then enter it into all the games it has to offer, way cool.

http://www.spellingcity.com/  create a list & choose activities to practice

http://superherosquad.marvel.com/create_your_own_comic  this is  a marvel kids site that allows kids to design comic strips using characters, good way to put spelling words into usable sentences.

http://tuxpaint.org/  a free program to create drawings for words

I have a child who seems to learn quickly.  He is in Kindergarten and is of course learning to count.  We have been working so hard on counting his numbers up to 100.  Proudly I say that he can do that now.  He recognizes them as well.  So bravo right?  But he and his [...]]]> Email question:

I have a child who seems to learn quickly.  He is in Kindergarten and is of course learning to count.  We have been working so hard on counting his numbers up to 100.  Proudly I say that he can do that now.  He recognizes them as well.  So bravo right?  But he and his father were talking the other day about the number 12, I am unclear as to the reason, but our son counts to 20 and then says 12…. he counted perfectly to 20, but did not seem to know when 12 came into play, even though he put 12 in the right place?  Whats that about?!  Should I be worried that he is not getting it?  was all our work for nothing?

My Response:

Oh, I  get this worry from so many parents and in various scenarios.  This is the age old argument of memorization vs. learning.

First lets define what each one is:

Memorization refers to the process of storing particular data in to the memory of a device.

Learning is a change in behaviorbased on previous experience.  It involves processing different types of information.  And over time occurs in a curve.

Yeah, that doesn’t really explain much, does it?

Your son (with just looking strictly at your email statement… not having any experience with him.) seems to have memorized his ordinal facts.  He can put out what has been put in.  This is good news, not all is lost here.  Please don’t seem so worried.

But you are right to take a second look.  It sounds like he is lacking a veritable understanding of numbers.  He lacks what I like to call wholeistic learning.  With learning there has to be more than memorization of facts.  Sure that makes our job easier, we put information in and we want it to come back out.  The thing is that is not learning.  We have to look at the whole picture.  And as your son’s teacher you have to see where numbers fit into his world and guide him to a place of understanding that what you  are teaching him is authentic.  I know that you already are 100% committed to his learning.   I truly am not asking you to work harder.  I would not do that knowing that you are already a homeschooling mom.  I am asking you to work smarter.  Find authentic experiences for your son to see where numbers fit into his life and show him the value of that 12.  Where does it go, how does it look in many, many different tangible formats.

Do not go and buy manipulatives!  Do not rush out and get the newest curriculum on this topic of kindergarten math!

Just spend some real life time with him.  What does that look like?  Well, maybe you are going to soak some beans for dinner, pull up a chair and ask him to count out some for you.  Say you are in the kitchen preparing breakfast, have your son count for you all the things that go on the table.  Do you have  a garden?  Count what is ready, what is coming in then compare those numbers.  Hypothesize about what might come in based on the flower buds.  These are all the things he is dealing with everyday…this is the authentic ordinal math in his life, use it.

This veritable learning that we all desire for our children will not come as quickly as memorization.  They will not have a lovely little sentence to recite back to the busy bodies.  You will not be able to depend on it to validate your teaching capabilities.  The time it takes for them to aquire it will quite often cause you to doubt yourself during these molding years.  Take a deep breath and focus on their future, not your pride.  Children are sponges…and at some point they will become so full that they ultimately can’t hold it all in, and it comes out.  At that moment you will know that it was all worth it.  Memorization fades and they never truly understood it that way anyway however,  true wholeistic learning remains for a lifetime.

Let me know what worked for you.  How did you get creative with real life math?

I am having difficulty getting my children to respect their school space.   All day I feel like not only am I getting things ready to teach but am also having to pick up and set up… have 3 children at completely different levels it begins to not feel fun.  Don’t get me wrong… they are great [...]]]> Email question:

I am having difficulty getting my children to respect their school space.   All day I feel like not only am I getting things ready to teach but am also having to pick up and set up… have 3 children at completely different levels it begins to not feel fun.  Don’t get me wrong… they are great around the house, but when it comes to school… they wait for me.  I guess I should be grateful they are waiting nicely, huh.

My Response:

It sounds like you are dealing with a lack of autonomy.

Getting Children to have autonomy of a school space is vital for better cognition and more to the point of your question, having your children participate as well as take ownership(responsibility) of the school space.

Children need to have autonomy of a space, especially if you want them to work in it.   Sometimes we as mothers get so used to doing everything, (who else is going to do it right) that we often forget they are growing up, and can be capable on their own. 

Within self-determination theory in psychology, autonomy refers to ‘autonomy support vs control’, “hypothesizing that autonomy-supportive social contexts tend to facilitate self-determined motivation, healthy development, and optimal functioning.”   break it down to this:  if you control all of the school enviroment (i.e set up/ breakdown…or whatever else you are doing, that they could be doing) then they feel the need to not do anything.  They have no need to be motivated, which leads to “mom does it”, and fast forward to thoughts of “why bother”, “why am I even here.”  “Clearly I am not needed in this space.”  If it seems extreme, understand that even though autonomy is easy to create, doesn’t make it any less vital to your child’s  development.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-determination_theory

By this omission of responsibility in the school space, we are in turn teaching them a sort of learned helplessness. 

According to Wortman, C. B., and Brehm, J. W. (1975) as well as,  a journal showing a revised model of LH in humans by Roth, These helpless experiences can associate with passivity, uncontrollability and poor cognition in people, ultimately threatening their physical and mental well-being.  So, what they are trying to say here is that Learned helplessness is helplessness.  Children who learn to be this way, often do not think… not for themselves and they are passive about changing this behavior. 

Doubt that your children are in danger of this?  Think I am way off my rocker?  Just take a minute to think, have you ever heard, “Mom, how do you spell…..  or I don’t know, its hard!  Can you help me?”  Its a slippery- slope people… If you heard this and told the answer or took the pen to just help a little, you aren’t far from the edge!

Say some of you reading this have teenagers. still waiting on you to wait on them.  Recently you feel you have become resentful… (“do I have to do everything around here!”  They tend to at this point look at us like we have grown two heads, and why not, we changed the game, not them.)  After this many years of being a mom, you realize its time for you to rest and them to not.  My advice, start earlier… start now.   Just start teaching autonomy before they move out and become the rest of society’s problem.

We have to drop our levels of perfection… notice I did not say level of expectation… just perfection.  I think that we should raise our expectation level allowing them to provide for themselves, at least on a small level.  The worst thing to do here is that, do.  I told you earlier that autonomy was easily created, and  it is.  Just don’t do everything.  Sure its not always going to be cut/colored/glued right.  Of course they will nag and whine about having to find it themselves, but autonomy is worth it in the end.  My favorite response to my little ones despairing tone of “I don’t know how to spellllllll ittttttt!”  or “Mom, what is 6X9 again? has always been “Darling, its not about what I know, its about what you can do!”  I have said it so often that they know the last part of the sentence means, “make it work!’(for the fashionista’s) or “Get’r done!” ( for the redneck persuasion).

Take a few minutes tonight (set a timer, 10 minutes… only!  The point being to not over think it.)  Ponder about the things you do to set up or break down a school space.  Then think “what can they do?”  Little ones for example,  can take out trash, pick up trash and turn on lights.  Big ones can straighten or set up spaces, clean boards and sharpen pencils.  Now take time to include the kids… you would be surprised at what they will want to do to help out.  Finally, make a chart… If you have young ones, please take time to make all the spaces friendly for them to understand, each child color coded, and pictures to represent chore titles.  It will take some training, one good consistent week should set the pace.  When all is running smoothly children will do what children do and it will not seem to work anymore.  That’s because they have become bored and you will now lack growth of autonomy.  Just switch up chores to prevent boredom.

Let me know what works and what doesn’t.  The only failure is not trying.

check out:

http://familyfun.go.com/valentines-day/

Make Valentine’s Day fun and special with these homemade projects — traditional Valentine cards, crafts, pictures, and all things heart-shaped. You and your family can create them together

http://fun.familyeducation.com/valentines-day/gifts/47507.html

homemade [...]]]> Here are some great links to crafts, homemade valentine’s and recipes….

check out:

Warm hearts by making Valentine’s Day gifts, crafts, cards, treats, or hosting a party worthy of Cupid.

http://familyfun.go.com/valentines-day/

Make Valentine’s Day fun and special with these homemade projects — traditional Valentine cards, crafts, pictures, and all things heart-shaped. You and your family can create them together

http://fun.familyeducation.com/valentines-day/gifts/47507.html

homemade valentine’s cards… what better why to say “I love you”…

http://crafts.kaboose.com/valentines-day-crafts.html

http://www.the-north-pole.com/around/

http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/worldxmas/

http://www.worldofchristmas.net/christmas-world/

http://www.mapsofworld.com/kenya/holidays/christmas-in-kenya.html

http://www.education-world.com/holidays/archives/december.shtml