Scripps Homeschool Spelling Bee

Today my Daughter had the privilege of participating in a Scripps Homeschool Spelling Bee. Even though at the Jr. level they don't go on to state competitions I felt it was a wonderful learning experience. The Jr. competitors all received a certificate of participation. I thought that was nice too.Who knows I could have a future Akeelah and The Bee on my hands.

For homeschoolers to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition a local homeschool organization must sponsor the local challenge. If you are interested in having your homeschooler participate in the Scripps Spelling Bee next year or your local homeschool organization hosting the event check out http://www.spellingbee.com/

Here is a handy list of study websites to help your child in preparation for the Bee.

http://myspellit.com/

http://www.funbrain.com/spell/index.html

http://www.wordcentral.com/

Praying For Haiti

Ways to Give

http://www.yele.org/

http://www.care.org/

http://www.redcross.org/

Ancient Egypt Unit Study

As I posted previously. In History/ Georgrapy we are doing a large 12 week Unit Study on Ancient Egypt. Right now we are just 2 weeks into the unit and I wanted to share with you some of the FREE resources I have found here online.

Here is a link for printout and suggested readings at my favorite resource Homeschool share

http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ancient_egypt.php

Suggested Library List

Who Was King Tut? by Roberta EdwardsUsborne

Who Built the Pyramids? by Jane Chisholm & Struan Reid

Pyramids! by Avery Hart & Paul Mantell

Projects About Ancient Egypt by David C. King

Adventures in Ancient Egypt by Linda Bailey

Pyramid by David Macaulay

Tutankhamen's Gift by Robert Sabuda

Tut's Mummy Lost and Found by Judy Donnelly

The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Cleopatra by Diane Stanley

Egyptian Gods and Goddesses by Henry Barker

Egyptian Treasures (CD) by Jim Weiss

The Magic Tree House Research Book – Mummies and Pyramids by Mary Pope Osborne

Also I for older children I found this resource to be of great assistance at Homeschool Helper Online: http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/lapbooks/ancient_egypt.htm

Suggest Library List

The Best Book of Mummies by Philip Steele 1st-3rd

Voices of Ancient Egypt by Kay Winters, Barry Moser 3rd-6th

Egypt: A to Z by Jeff Reynolds (non-fiction) 4th-6th

The Story of the Nile by Anne Millard 4th-6th

Daily Life in Ancient and Modern Cairo by Joan Barghusen (culture) 4th-8th

Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt by Usborne (non-fiction) 4th-9th

Glorious Past: Ancient Egypt, Ethiopia, and Nubia by Earnestine Jenkins (events) 7th-9th

Egyptian Princess by George Ebers (historical fiction) 10th-12th

Here is the breakdown in which we are going to study this Ancient Civilization.

Ancient Egypt

Units

People (Kings, Queens, Other important people) 6 lessons 3 weeks
Places (Capitol city, land forms, bodies of water, landmarks)
6 lessons 3 weeks
Culture (Religion, government, food, clothing, art, music)
6 lessons 3 weeks
Events (Wars, Death, Pivotal turning points) 6 lessons 3 weeks

Total= 24 lessons, 12 weeks

Other Completed Lapbook Photos from the web:

http://www.squidoo.com/egypt-lapbook

Are You Smarter Than a 8th Grader from 1895?

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina , Kansas , USA . It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina stole it 8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS - 1895

Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph

4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of "lie,""play," and "run."
5. Define case; illustrate each case.
6 What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time,1 hour 15 minutes)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. Deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. Wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. For tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. Coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. Long at $20 per metre?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas
6. Describe three of the most prominent b attles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton , Bell , Lincoln , Penn, and Howe?
8. Name event s connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour)[Do we even know what this is??]
1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.' (HUH?)
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis-mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane , vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)
1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas ?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia , Odessa , Denver , <>
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

Single Parents Can Homeschool: The Great Balancing Act

Typically when people think of homeschooling they usually picture a stay at home mother and a working father. Well for the two million plus hoemschoolers in the United States that is not always the scenario. Homeschoolers are as diverse as the World itself. Yes, it is true that the majority of homeschoolers come from two parent households but in the recent years single parents have began to exercise there right to home educate there children as well. How you ask can a single parent homeschool? Well through lots of prayer, sacrifice, creativity, and support they are succeeding at providing their children with a quality education at home.

For those of you who are single parents considering homeschool as an option for your family and are unsure how to accomplish it or for those who have been homeschooling for a while but need some fresh ideas on how to continue on we are going to examine some of the things that veteran single parent homeschoolers have done to make home education work in their families.

The make or break issue single parent homeschoolers face is employment. There are various ways to obtain income and still homeschool. For example:

· Swing Shift Employment- If you work for an employer who offers a 2- 11pm or 3- 12pm shift this could afford you the time to instruct the children in the mornings before leaving for work.
· Work From Home- With modern technology being what it is today plenty of companies have adapted more of a virtual office style where you only go into the office every once in a while. There are even some companies that are exclusively work from home.
· Self- Employment- From Avon, Mary Kay, Usborne Books, and your own small business start up can allow you the flexibility needed to homeschool.
· Inhome Child Care Provider- In my research I found quite a bit of parents chooses to open there home to other parents during the day as a childcare provider. Although this option does come with a certain level of commitment it can be an excellent source of economic stability.
· Academic Tutor- Lets not forget the most obvious choice that you can use to create a source of income for yourself is to tutor other children. Every homeschool parent has there strong point. Maybe yours is math, science, or even art. You don’t just have to stick to individual tutoring sessions either. Maybe you can create different workshops in your home for the students to participate in for a few. Be creative!

Figuring out how to sustain yourself economically while homeschooling your children can be a trying but it can be accomplished. It’s just a matter of figuring out a plan that works well for your family. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 6: 6- 7 “And these words, which I command thee on this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk to them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thy liest down, and when thy risest up.” If God wants us to instill his words and commandments into the hearts of all children in every waking moment of our day than he will surely make a way to make it possible for all parents to give there children a Christ centered education.

Toddlers Need Time Too!

With the hustle and bustle of being a wife and homeschool mother of three children you can sometimes feel like a circus performer jugging bowling pins on fire. Between going over math problems with my 1st grader and changing my babies soggy diapers my toddler playing with his toy pick up truck can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. It even happens to us Supermoms. On occasion we forget to give someone their mommy time.

Out of all the children my toddler is my early riser so one morning we were the only two up before sunrise and was sitting at the computer desk when he decided to climb into my lap and I held him tight to my chest and kissed his face and forehead. But it was in that moment that I realized just how special theses moments are and how special an age toddler hood really is. It's not something to just get through and hope you get by without losing your patience. It is something to cherish. These are the last days of needing Mommy to do everything for them. You see how everyday they are doing more and more on their own. I am sure all you veteran Moms remember the day when your little guys or girls pushed your hands back and said" No, I can can do it myself."

So while you are trying to figure out different technique to keep your toddlers occupied and out of your hair to teach grammar or build a volcano with your older child; lets not forget to take some time out with your toddler. Try reading a special story with them before nap time everyday. Eventually they will learn to look forward to their special story time. Or maybe they can help you get the food from the refrigerator for lunch or help set the table. As long as it is consistent you will begin to to see the joy of having a toddler around.

Preschool Phonic Game/ Song

Throughout my homeschool journey my children continue to amaze me. One of the many joys of having your children at home together not segregated by age group is that the older ones will naturally learn to steer the younger ones. They find pleasure in helping there siblings to discover the world of learning. My daughter quite often takes it upon herself to teach her younger brother all the things that she has learned. Today she decided to teach him his letter sounds using the tune of Old McDonald and some wooden Farm Animal Puzzles.