Outside School.

Yesterday was just too nice to stay inside all day doing school work. So we took it out to the picnic table! The kids actually seem to focus better out in the fresh air, and the picnic table is larger than our dining room table so there is more room to spread out.

Last week we learned a little bit about the characteristics geologists look at to describe rocks (color, texture, luster, hardness, shape). On one of our recent walks we collected a few rocks for our own geologist exercise.

What do you look forward to doing outside when the weather gets warm?

Learning to Read.

My little ones are all learning to read with the same books that my mom used to teach me. The books are old, falling apart, and have some vocabulary words in them that even I have to look up because we just don't use them anymore. They also have some amazing vintage drawings in them that I want to copy and put up on the wall!

Meet My Pencil Sharpener.

I apologize for how quiet the blog has been the last few weeks. We started our homeschool year on August 16th, and much of each day is now consumed with learning about science, grammar, history, math, reading good books, and journaling. By the time all that fun is over, and the not-as-fun housework list has been nicked, I'm pretty pooped. Once we find our groove things will normalize.

This year, mixed in with boxes full of school books, I received another really exciting package in the mail. I had never really thought about buying a decent pencil sharpener until I heard about the Classroom Friendly Sharpener. Electric sharpeners don't appeal to me: they're too loud, tend to be ugly, and have bothersome cords. As much as I like manual sharpeners, I've just stuck with the cheap wee plastic ones. Not any more.

Shipping was quick, and when my sharpener arrived I immediately opened the box and got to work sharpening every pencil I could find. This thing is addictive! There is something very satisfying about cranking the handle and feeling the blades shave the pencil. The graphite of the pencil comes out very, very sharp, sharpened to a long point. At first I was suspicious of it, and thought it was likely to snap with a little pressure. On the contrary, I've discovered that the point is strong, and that the graphite is very secure at the base.

To operate the sharpener, pull out the metal plate and pinch the black tabs together; this will open the clamp to hold the pencil in place. Feed the pencil through the round opening on the font of the metal plate and into the sharpener unit. When the black tabs are released it will hold the pencil firmly in place. Apply pressure on the top of the sharpener, and turn the crank with your other hand. There will be a release of the graphite when the pencil is fully sharpened. It's easy to use, and even my kids think it's great fun! To empty the shavings, simply pop out the clear tray. The pencil shavings are lovely, aren't they?

Standard pencils work best with the sharpener; if you opt to use it with colored pencils be advised that just a few turns of the handle are recommended as opposed to a full sharpening. The unit comes with an optional mount, but I don't find it necessary. Also good to note: since the sharpener stops when a fully sharpened tip is achieved, it will not eat your pencil. If the graphite does happen to get stuck in the blades, the unit is easy to dismantle. The sharpener is available from Classroom Friendly Supplies here.

I'm pleased to say that the design of the pencil sharpener is such that I don't think it needs be tucked away; placed on a shelf it adds a little modern yet old-school charm to the space. I'm in love!

// Classroom Friendly Supplies provided me with the product for this review; I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.

Perfect Weather.

Truth be told, I'm a little fussy about sunshine-y weather. I do love a good overcast day. Sunshine makes me feel obligated to run around like a crazy person; and sometimes it gets way too hot. But today was a beautiful exception! The temperature was perfect, and there was a sweet breeze. Perfect. So we took our school work outside (one of the awesome perks of homeschooling!), and spread a blanket under one of the lilac trees. One of the cats even joined us for a bit. He's so good, I don't have to worry about him running off.

After we did a bit of school I started the kids with weeding the garden, but it quickly turned into a hunt for bugs in the soil. Lots of dirt under the fingernails for sure! I was able to sit on the blanket and enjoy my lunch while browsing a magazine. It would have been so easy to fall asleep!

If you want to know what most of my day consists of, take a peek at the girls in the above photo: each one holding on to opposite end of something and pulling. Yep.
 

The lilacs are in full bloom. They smell SO amazing. I'm always sad when they fade. We're certainly getting to enjoy them much more this year than usual due to this crazy warm weather!

I had to cut a few blooms to bring into the kitchen. The kids and I rounded out the afternoon with a trip to the library, and a stop in at Rita's. Now if only someone would grill me a hamburger.

Let's Practice Adding Money Toss Game.

We're playing games over here again for math class! There is only so much workbooking a restless first grade boy can handle, so we really try to mix things up a bit and find creative ways to encourage learning. We still play our math hunt game on occasion, and last week we added another math game to the mix. The main objective of this toss game is to help R add random quantities of change together quickly.

To make your own game you'll need four or five paper plates, about six sections cut from an egg carton, and an equal number of coins. My husband helped me out by printing the name of the coin and its corresponding amount on the paper plates; he also added the name of the president pictured on the coin to the back of the plate for extra points, and added a one dollar plate for good measure.

We then cut sections from an egg carton, and weighted them on the bottom with pennies. We cut out six sections because we wanted R to get at least three weights on plates for good addition practice. To play, toss the weights at the paper plates, see where they land, and add up how much "money" you have. (We let the kids keep tossing until they had landed at least three of the weights on plates.)

Even the cat was into it.

Fun with Math :: Adding to Ten Scaverger Hunt

Math. It can be confusing when you're first learning it, and terribly complicated when you get older. We home school at our house, so finding fun ways to reinforce what the kids are learning is super important! Truth be told, my husband is actually better at this than I am, but I'm learning a thing or two as well.

Yesterday I hastily cut out two of each number from one to nine, and scattered them around our living room and dining room for my six-year-old to find. 

His instructions were to find two numbers that added up to ten. So if he found the number seven, he would have to determine which other number he needed to make ten, and then go and find it. If he came across any other numbers he was to leave them where they were. That way he was also (hopefully) building observation and memory skills so that he would remember where he had seen a particular number when he needed it.

I cut out two of each number for two reasons: one, to make the game last longer, and two, so that he would have to find the numbers for each equation twice (more reinforcing).

To finish, we did some addition on the chalkboard!(Isn't it snazzy? My mom bought that chalkboard when she was home schooling us.)