I love synergy. The American Heritage dictionary defines synergy as, “the interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.” Charlotte Mason had another term for synergy. She called it The Science of Relations. She wrote, “Education is the ‘Science of Relations’; […]
Sugar Cube Pyramids
June 30, 2008 by ·
We made our Sugar Cube Pyramids last week while we were waiting for our doll mummies to dry. It was interesting to see each boy’s personality come through! I gave each boy a handout that showed, step by step, how to measure the size of the pyramid, select the appropriate amount of sugar cubes and […]
G. I. Joe Mummies
June 25, 2008 by ·
We had to throw our chicken mummy away last week, since our stay at the hospital meant he didn’t get the care he needed in a timely fashion! So today we learned about mummification using a method that didn’t require the use of gloves, masks or even air freshener! I got four male dolls at […]
Ideas for Schoolrooms
June 21, 2008 by ·
When we started homeschooling, we did all our work at the kitchen table. This became impractical rather quickly, especially as younger children grew and I had more kids doing school. At that time, we didn’t have much space for a dedicated school room, but we got around the problem by putting two children in one […]
The best laid plans…
June 20, 2008 by ·
I had this school year all planned out. I knew exactly how it would all unfold. Or so I thought. I did not anticipate that one of my children would spend four days in the hospital our 3rd week of school! Nor did I imagine that all my other children and I would be diagnosed […]
Struggling or Emerging Readers
June 13, 2008 by ·
It is helpful for both struggling and emerging readers to participate in 4 different kinds of reading opportunities, if it is possible, on a daily or weekly basis. Reading to increase ability First, the child should be reading something that is at their own reading ability daily. My preference is to use “real books”, on […]
Egyptian Feast
June 8, 2008 by ·
We held our Egyptian Feast tonight to celebrate the end of our first week back to school. It was so fun! And easy! I was able to get everything I needed this afternoon, and I spent less than 3 hours total preparing the food, costumes and games. The memories will last a lifetime. My first […]
King Cluck II: The Chicken Mummy
June 6, 2008 by ·
We started our chicken mummy today. This disgusting hands-on project will take about two months to bring to completion. We mummified a chicken 4 years ago. I was pregnant with our fourth son at the time, and having lots of morning sickness. Trying to preserve King Cluck didn’t help. We used cinnamon and nutmeg to […]
Cookie Dough Maps
June 4, 2008 by ·
Today we made Cookie Dough Maps of Ancient Egypt. It was, simultaneously, both a fiasco and a success. The fiasco: Apparently, we used a no-bake dough recipe. I didn’t read carefully enough, and here is what happened as a result: Just as the Nile River overflowed its banks every year, this molten mixture would not […]
Scheduling Our Days: Part Two
May 31, 2008 by ·
I am frequently asked for specifics as to how I schedule my children’s school days. I wish you could read my color-coded schedule! I’ll try to explain what I am doing with my children as best as I can. Be forewarned: this is a loooooong post, full of potentially nauseating detail. It is written lovingly, […]
