A New Homeschool Blog

We have started another homeschool blog. This new directions is exciting to me for many reasons. The most important reason is because the kids are contributors on the blog. This is our first ever family writing collaboration project. We are excited and hope that we can inspire you like you guys have inspired us! There will not be any more postings at this blog. Please join us at Montessori Makers! Thank you for all of your support here at this blog and we hope to see you over there too!!

June Activities That Were Caught on Camera

I am getting back into taking pictures. Here are some snippets of some of  June's learning fun.

                                                                       

                                Learning about bridges.

                                       Hacking a RC.

                             Painting like Jackson Pollock.

                                      Reverse Engineering.

Designing a helmet after learning about the importance of wearing a bike helmet.

                                                                           

                                     Plenty of duct tape wallets being made.

                                     Experimenting with lip balm making.
                                                                           

                                    Sculpting with clay.   

Enjoying Farm School led by another homeschool mom and friend.

I really do like taking pictures. I am so glad to be able to start documenting out learning again, but please know that our learning never stopped. 

Little Free Library

                                                                       

Well I have managed to pump out one blog post since I last shared here. Pop over to Brain Builders Inc. to read  how this Little Free Library has helped our neighborhood grow readers.

A Letter

Dear Readers,

I have to be honest here my attention to this blog has shift gears. I am going to still blog here whenever I can. I really like the part of blogging where you receive feedback from your readers, I'll stay positive in thinking that everyone is just as busy as I am to leave comments.

I would like to invite you to like our non profit's Facebook Page. Although you may not live in our community the likes and the shares helps to get the word out and who knows you may be inspired to start a non profit offering educational experiences for children preschool-highschool. Also we have a blog that I have tons of postings in drafts that I am close to pushing that magic publish button. Go to  Brain Builders Inc. and check it out!!  We appreciate your support and hope that you will support Brain Builders Inc. as much as you have supported us here.

I am so excited to be able to share my dream that has been in the making for years. We love you guys and this will not be the last posting but an opportunity to become more personal.

From your friend,
             
 Tearri

A Full Circle

We are back home! We started a non profit in March! We still love homeschooling!!


                                                                         

We are still in remodeling mode and getting organized, but I won't let that get in the way of blogging. See you guys back here tomorrow! I have so much I want to share.

Memory Work

I decided to add memory work to the kid's school days. We have been learning about Shakespeare and reading the play A Midsummer's Dream. We just started on Monday and so far the kids and I have been enjoying it.                                             

                                                                               

I really like the techniques that Ken Ludwig shares in his book How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, we have been learning lots of new meanings to words, imagery, and rhythm to words. Finally I have been able to appropriately challenge their reading skills too. This past Sunday we saw a group of homeschoolers perform the play A Midsummer's Night Dream and it helped them to get to know the characters. Well, really they don't like how they adapted it now that they are reading the play themselves. The play was fantastic!

                                                                                  

                                                                                  

Learning one line at a time! 

                                                                                   

We are Back!

I have missed this space tremendously! For those of you who are friends with me on Facebook you already know what has been keeping me busy from this space. During our remodel we were robbed by the remodeling guy. I'll make a long story short he took everything that was salvageable, new things, building materials and ran off with the money I paid him. It has been about a month since this has all happened and the Police did a wonderful job at getting this case to the Prosecutor's Office, and no we haven't moved back home yet.  Now we pray and Keep it moving.

I am just going to jump right in and show you what I am really excited about today!

                                                                         

                                                         Algebra you can touch!  

I'll see you guys back here tomorrow and if your reading this Thank you for hanging in there with me!

On the Radio

I thought I share one of my best moments of 2013. I know it's a bit late for such a theme, but I needed to remind myself of all of the positive things that has happened to us over the past year. Here's the link! Now you can attach a voice to my writing. Ha!

An Update and Sewing Class

I am easing back into this space, bare with me!

We are getting a remodel done on our house, it starts on Thursday! I am soooo excited!! We won't be doing the remodeling so I am sure it will turn out fine :) I am hoping that we will be back home for the Big Girl's 16th Birthday Celebration, February 7th. Michelle wants to invite two of her friends for a sleep over and having a new room makeover is just timely. We Miss Home!!!! My parents are just amazingly supportive, in fact I may not remember how to cook. LOL.

Also we have been busy relocating to a new space for the Studio. I am still decorating, rearranging and I will be sure to share pictures as soon as I get it done. We are still doing business as usual while we pull it all together. I thought I share some pics of Sewing Class today.

We had a Vet Clinic brought in by DJ to fix his stuff animals. He loves purposeful work!!

                                                                             

The Kindergartner started sewing his Valentines today.

                                                                     

                                                                               

And the girls made some hats and scarves.

                                                                                 

Thank you for reading!

Make Your Own Small Bead Frame or Abacus

During our Creative Math class today we made an Abacus, but not until I told the Story of Numbers. It was amazing! The kids just started building numbers. One way that they were able to remember what each number represented  was by choosing the color of their choice. It worked! I love it when I am able to understand a Montessori Material  so well that I can offer a twist to it for children who may be new to Montessori Education. I highly recommend this Math Project as a work choice at home or at school.

                                                                         

To make the Abacus you will need

• An assortment of colored beads. Each Abacus will need 4 different colors(40 beads)
• Coffee Stirrers
• Pipe cleaners
• Sharpies to label the numbers 1,10,100, 1000
• Plastic Corrugated Sheet. I brought our as a Blank Yard Sale Sign at Home Depot.

I found the inspiration for this project at Classroom DIY, you can also find instructions there that will be able to guide you to make the same model as the Montessori Small Bead Frame, or you can follow the instructions for a traditional Abacus.

                                                                        

                                                                         

                                                                            

For those of you that may not know what the Montessori Small Bead Frame looks like I included the photo above.

The Story of Numbers was awesome and for a minute I thought maybe I had something on my face, because the children's attention was so focused and they were watching every word coming out of my mouth.

Here's to a many of great math lessons! I think they caught the Math Bug!!

                                                                         

I am linking this post to Montessori Monday.