Strap on your art smock, it's gonna get messy!

My kids love sidewalk chalk.

I mean they LOVE sidewalk chalk.

But some days, they don't want to draw, they want to paint.  What's a frugal Mom to do?  Mix up a few cups of sidewalk paint and let them have at it!

I put two heaping spoonfuls of corn starch in each cup of  a muffin tin; one cup for each color paint you want to make.  Next, add in a squeeze of gel food coloring or a dozen or so drops of liquid.  You can always add more later, so don't worry about being exact.  Now it gets messy, so you may want to do this next step outside, especially if you've got little helpers.

I used a pop bottle, rinsed and filled with cool water, to add a bit of liquid to each cup.  Stir the mix around and add more water, if necessary.  You'll know you've got it right when the cornstarch isn't clumpy anymore, but you do want it to be a little thick, so add the water in small amounts.  Do this step one cup at a time, otherwise the other cups will be solid bricks by the time you're finished mixing the first.

A few things to note:

*This paint dries very quickly and becomes slightly paler as it dries.
*As you can see in the pictures, we used several different kinds of brushes.  The bristled brushes, natural and synthetic, were harder to use.  They pick up more of the cornstarch and don't spread the colors as nicely as the foam brushes.  However, all the brushes we used were super easy to clean by running them under cold water until the water ran clear, then switching to hot to make sure they were good and clean. 
*Because you're using food coloring, you don't want to get this all over the house or your clothes - that's what art smocks or old, holey t-shirts are for.
*If you're like me and inadvertently set a spoon covered with hot pink paint on your kitchen counter, you will have a pink stain to bleach off later.  Don't be like me - set the spoons on a plate or paper towel.
*I've read that you can use Kool-aid to color and scent the paint, but I haven't tried it yet.  It seems like the colors would be a bit more vibrant but equally,  if not more, staining.

Homeschool Q & A

I've been asked a lot of questions about homeschooling lately and I thought I'd take this opportunity to answer a few of them.

1.  Why do you homeschool?
I actually wanted to homeschool The Boy from the time he was about three years old.  I wasn't homeschooled myself and I didn't know anyone who homeschooled, I just had the idea one day and it wouldn't go away.  I had a very close relationship with The Boy and didn't want to let him go, even for a few hours a day.  But I didn't think I could do it - I wasn't super smart, I didn't have a teaching degree, what did I know about teaching a kid anything?

As I've grown up and become more comfortable in my own skin, I've come to realize that as a parent, it is my right, responsibility and pleasure to teach my children.  Yes, they can go to public (or even private) school and learn the same basic information, but they'll learn it in a completely different environment.  Here I can control what they learn and at what pace.  If they're excelling, we'll move faster, but if they're struggling, we can take a few extra weeks or however long is needed.  I can also change the method of teaching for each child, to take advantage of their unique learning styles and interests.

So I guess the short answer is that I want to be with my babies as they're growing up and I want to give them the best possible education for them, individually.

2.  Is it even legal?
Yes, and in fact, Michigan is one of the easiest states to homeschool in. Here is a link to the Homeschool Legal Defence Association's guide to homeschooling in MI for anyone interested.

3.  How did you get started?
As I said, I wanted to homeschool, but doubted my abilities.  I wasn't sure I'd have the knowledge or skill or patience to give them the educations they deserve, so I sent The Boy to public school.  He did well in kindergarten, but by first grade he was struggling.  He's very easily distracted and sitting in a room with 30 other balls of energy did not make an environment conducive to learning.  By the middle of second grade, he was coming home in tears, we were being told he had ADHD and should be medicated, the teacher was sending home daily reports of his progress (or lack, as was more often the case) and he was being sent to see the school counselor.

Part of the problem (and I don't mean to brag, this is simply statement of fact) was that his reading level was well above his classmates.  So while they were reading things like See Spot Run, he was ready for Harry Potter.  The school he was attending didn't allow him to go to the more challenging parts of the library or bring his own books, so he was bored out of his mind.  It's easier to be distracted when you're bored.

The teacher/school tried things like headphones, weight vests, time outs, moving his desk to the hallway and several other things.  In the end, seeing my baby come home struggling every single day was just too much for me.  The weekend before Valentine's Day, during his second grade year, I called the school and told them he'd be staying home from now on. 

Then the panic set in.

4.  How do you do it?  Do you have to buy a curriculum?
We started by using the Comprehensive Curriculum books published by American Education Publishing.  The books were available at Walmart (where I was working at the time) and I thought they seemed like a good jumping off point for the basic subjects.  In the years since then, we've used lots of different books, but we've continued using those Comprehensive Curriculum books for the basics.  We've added in some textbooks that Bryant bought off eBay, a few other books picked up from garage sales and thrift shops, plus we utilize the library and Internet pretty extensively. 

The Boy is in high school now and we decided to let him try a correspondence course.  So far he's doing pretty well and enjoying the variety.  I'll do another post about his courses and school in the future, for anyone interested.

For everyone but The Boy, I write daily lesson plans and, to some extent, my own curriculum.  I use the Comprehensive Curriculum books as a sort of introduction to each topic whether it's synonyms and antonyms or fractions and decimals.  After we've covered whatever those books can teach, we move on to other sources.

Subjects that aren't included in those books, like history, science and health, are completely custom written.  I scour books and websites and put together a course of study that will help them meet their goals.  Which brings me to the next question...

5.  How do you know what to teach?
For the most part, I let them guide me.  When they are ready to move on to something more complex, we do.  It's as simple as that. 

But, to be sure we are meeting the state requirements and keeping up with other kids the same age or grade, I do consult several sources.  My favorite is here - World Book has compiled a general course of study, averaging requirements from across the country.  I like this one because it is fairly broad, not state specific and is drawn from a lot of various sources.

Another one I consult is here.  This one is the Michigan Department of Education and is obviously specific to our state.  Of course, following the law is important, so I do try to make sure they are following the state requirements.  This hasn't ever really been a problem though, so I don't stress about it. 

6.  What about socialization?
This question is one that always stuns me.  Parents of public school children ask me often how we socialize our children and I want to snap back at them, "How do YOU socialize YOUR children?"  Sitting in a room full of people at exactly the same place in life and being told what to do with every second of their time is not really socialization, in my opinion.  I'm sure some of you will disagree, but it is my opinion that after high school, that sort of socialization is useless.  We need to be able to interact with people of all ages and stages of life.  I want my children to be as comfortable talking to an elderly man in a nursing home as to a peer or younger child. 

So, in answer, we let them live their lives.  As an example, when we go to the library, they talk to other kids, parents, librarians and sometimes just random people (with supervision, though.  I don't let the little ones out of my sight in a public place).  They are learning how to have conversations and meaningful interactions with people of all walks of life, all ages, races and belief systems.  I'm certain this will benefit them later in life.

7.  What about college?
This was a huge concern for us in the beginning.  But after much research, I came to the conclusion that most colleges don't care, as long as the SAT and any other required tests are good enough.  Some schools even consider homeschooled kids to be better qualified as they are generally  more self-motivated and able to handle the college educational system better than their public schooled peers.

So there you have it - my little Q & A about homeschooling.  Feel free to leave comments or questions and I'll respond as soon as possible. 

Intelligence vs. Rote Memorization

An acquaintance of mine was recently complaining about his intelligence.  He said that every day was a learning experience for him because he knows so little.  He equated memorization of facts with intelligence.

The conversation really annoyed me because I know he has the potential for true intelligence.  And the more I think about it, the more it becomes clear to me that the difference is in attitude.

Yeah, I could memorize a library's worth of facts, but if I don't know how to use or apply that knowledge, I'm still dumb.  And if I don't know how to find more information when I desire it, I'm still lost.

My friend's attitude is that if there is information he doesn't have, he must be stupid.  My attitude is that there will always be information I don't have, but if I continue to try to learn and increase my knowledge, I'm intelligent. 

What is your opinion?

Sight Words

In his 1948 book, "Problems in Reading", Edward William Dolch published a list of 220 frequently used 'service words' and a separate list of 95 common nouns. These lists are estimated to contain 50-75% of the words in children's books.

These are often referred to as Dolch words and are broken up into levels.  The levels are pre-primer, primer, 1st, 2nd and 3rd level.  Obviously easier words, such as A and I are in the earlier levels and words such as yellow and because are in the upper levels.

Midge has struggled with reading and so we've been practicing sight words.  Today I thought I'd share our sight word activity schedule. We do this every weekday, every week.

Sunday:
*I choose the next 10 words and write them on the chalkboard in the dining room so they're ready for Monday morning.

Monday:
*Review words from previous weeks (yes, all the words from previous weeks).
*Introduce 10 new words and he writes them on 3 X 5 cards (one word per card) using his best handwriting.
*Roll a 10 sided die to assign each word a number, writing the number on the appropriate card, then putting the cards in the correct order.
*Use stamps to "write" each word in his Word Book (a steno pad).

Tuesday:
*Read this week's words together.
*Copy each word two times on the back of the card, using whatever medium he wants (crayons, markers, colored pencils, paint, stamps, etc....)
*Roll a 10 sided die and say the corresponding word - continue until all words have been said.  We usually do this as a game - he writes 1-10 twice on a paper, labeling his column and mine, then we see who can roll all 10 numbers first. 

Wednesday:
*Review this week's words together.
*In the Word Book, write a short sentence for each word, then he illustrates if he wants to.  Typically The Boy writes the sentences on a piece of scrap paper, then Midge copies them.

Thursday:
*Review this week's words together.
*Using pasta we've dyed in rainbow colors (that was seriously fun!), "write" each word.  I put a towel on the table, so the pasta doesn't roll away.
*If he's struggling with any words, we practice those a few extra times and I'll randomly ask him to tell me what the words on the chalkboard are.

Friday:
*Review this week's words together.
*Randomly choose words and ask him to find the correct card.
*He alphabetizes the words for the week.
*He reads all 10 words to Bryant, The Boy or Scooter.

So that's what we're doing.  It seems to be working pretty well - I can see the difference in his confidence level when he reads and that's really what I'm going for.  I know that he CAN read, he simply thinks he can't, so anything that builds his confidence and helps him feel like he's doing well is good with me.

Unrelated Ramblings

I know, I know, I was supposed to post vacation pictures over the weekend... I got distracted.

And right now, I just don't feel like digging through those gazillion photos, so instead, I'm going to write about completely unrelated things.

The Project: Those of you who know me well are aware that The Project has taken up the vast majority of the last six months of my life. On a daily basis I spent up to five hours on it (and that's in addition to school, chores, cooking and the rest of my regular life) and finally, after what felt like a million years, it is complete. I'm not going to reveal it quite yet, though, and I'll tell you why - because I'm just too stinking busy! Between the usual stuff and Bryant's job change and my baby sister's wedding and everything else, I simply don't have the time to write a post that would do justice to such a large and deeply personal project. I expect to be posting about it early next week, so please be patient just a tiny bit longer.

Knitting: I started a scarf for myself - it's a farrow rib pattern, so very simple and squishable! The yarn is gorgeous, a deep purple that shows flecks of reds and blues when the sunlight catches it. But, then I put that on the back burner for two reasons. 1. I'm not a scarf person. I just don't feel comfortable in them. I think they're quite beautiful and some people (Mandie and Reva, I'm looking at you) make them look effortlessly stylish. I'm just not one of those people. 2. I have what might be considered a mountain of gift knitting to get done, some for Christmas, some for other occasions.

And, behind all of those other projects, I still have Zoe's socks going. They sit in my Mario lunchbox, waiting to be grabbed on the way out the door. They're perfect grab and go knitting, so they travel with us quite a bit. They've been to the beach, to Mayfield, several parks and Bryant's office this summer. One of them is ready to have the heel turned, the other is still in the leg portion, but they are both coming along nicely. I suppose one of these days I should just sit down and focus on them - I could probably have them done in a weekend if I focus.

Cross Stitch: When I finished The Project, I headed straight back to my first crafty love - cross stitch. I'm currently working my way through the "Amid Amish Life" trio from Cross Stitch and Country Crafts, 1987. No, I'm not a procrastinator...

I have finished the first one, "Hanging the Quilts" and am currently working on the second smaller panel, "Tending the Garden." The two outer panels are the same size, about 9 X 14. The center panel, "Visiting the Neighbors," is 14 X 14 - I haven't started that one yet, although I did buy enough fabric to do all three. I'm probably about a third of the way through the second one, so I feel like I'm making good progress.

Cooking/Baking: I've tried a few new recipes lately, but nothing really worth posting. I made crusty baguettes, but they weren't as good as I would have liked, so the quest continues for a perfect recipe.

I got up a few days ago and realized I was completely out of taco seasoning, fajita seasoning and nearly out of garlic bread seasoning (I have no idea why that was on my mind first thing in the morning) so I mixed up some more of each. By the way, do any of you use a homemade blend of seasonings for those things? Or other things? I love blending ingredients myself - I can control the sodium level, which is super important to me and I can tweak the spices to create a blend that's perfect for my family. If anyone's interested in the recipes I use, leave a comment and I'll post them.

School: I'm feeling kind of ambivalent about it lately, like our current system just isn't doing it anymore. And that's something I love about homeschooling - I can change it up whenever I need to. So I'm looking at a few options, little things that I think might make it a little smoother and easier for all of us.

The Boy, by the way, is doing extremely well with his new school. He's completed his first subject with an overall grade of "A" and is halfway through his second subject with a cumulative grade of 100%! Go ahead and take a moment to imagine my proud Mom face...

Reading: I'm currently reading "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. Actually, the copy we have includes the first 5 books from the increasingly incorrectly named trilogy - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe and Everything; So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish; Young Zaphod Plays it Safe. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend at least giving it a shot. Douglas Adams' sense of humor is highly developed and his writing style is unique.

This book is one of Bryant's favorites and in reading it, I've found that I "get" so many of his jokes that I didn't understand before. Things he's been saying for years make so much more sense and are hilarious now!

All the rest: I've been feeling kind of funky lately. Not really bad, just off a bit. At first I thought I was getting sick, now I think I might just be mental. So if I come off as slightly nuts, just nod and smile.

Question answered

We spent some time today talking about Newton's Laws of Motion. I typed up a page with each of the laws and space for the kids to rewrite them in their own words. After printing several copies, we sat down and had a nice long discussion about them, followed by an experiment.

As we talked, I watched their faces and knew the moment they each understood what I was trying to teach them.

And that, my friends, answers the question I'm asked most often - Why do we homeschool?

Because there is nothing like that moment.