Our chilly weather school room

When it gets chilly around here, our regular school room is nearly abandoned...

for this cozy area.

Can't blame them.

With the fireplace having three sides, all of the kids have staked out their individual spots to keep toasty...and reading. (Jimmer alternates sitting at the end of the fireplace and snuggling on the sofa to do his reading.)

All of them doing their work in the same vicinity--quietly--makes for a smooth and efficient day of school.

Let's hope we have a long, chilly winter!

Our School Room :: Filling Up

This is what our school room looks like today.

Just a few years ago, it looked a little less cluttered. Even slightly empty.

From this

to this.

BOOKS boOkS BookS bOoKs BooKS BOOkS!

And I'm not even showing the four (filled) upstairs bookcases.

And these

These are the kids' individual cubbies where they keep their current school books. (Along with a nature shelf in the middle.)

Books that have sparked so many of the kids' interests,
held captive their attention,
helped shape their character.

Jimmer's cubby
Since he's our youngest, it's bitter sweet to see these books for the last time on the kids' shelves.

Kind of like when you think you're going to be SO happy when your youngest child is potty trained, and instead you just look at all their little baby clothes and wish you could capture all those sweet baby moments again.

(Not the physically demanding, sleep deprived years -- just the smiley, sweet, innocent, and everything-is-new-and-wonderful-and-interesting times.)

I'll probably be okay when the book clutter is gone.

But I know I'll miss scenes like this when the kids are all grown up.

*sniff*

There may be something to it

A homeschooling graphic



Click here to view the full, clear graphic.


When homeschooling parents are hunkered down deep in the trenches of a school year, it's encouraging to see something like this.

Next week, we'll finish our 18th week of school out of a 36 week full year, and that =

halfway there!

Day 1

Homeschooling Year 6

Loving our new books!

Unorthodox

How I might find Jimmer studying his math facts:


Hmmm...somewhat similar to the way Kathleen used to prefer doing her spelling tests--hanging upside down in her school chair (head on the floor under the table, feet over the back of the chair) while spelling orally.

There's a picture of that pose around here somewhere. Must find.

Playing & Planning

They play.






I plan.


If I mention that they ran out of gas on the lake, don't let that fool you into thinking they had any less fun!!

Mind Benders

Our kids really like this Mind Benders series of critical thinking books.

Figuring out the puzzles is one way to make working on reading comprehension, logic, and problem solving skills fun!

We have the 7-Book Set A series that has one book for preK-K level, one book for K-1, one book for K-2, and 4 books for grades 3-6 that spiral in difficulty. There's also a series of books for the 7-12+ range.

Jimmer is working through the preK-K book right now.
An example:




A finished one.


Here's an example from the first of four books for grades 3-6. Try it out!



Or how 'bout this one from the 4th book?


Have fun!


Our kids can't seem to get enough of them.

Be warned:
Once you hand over one of these books to your kids, please know that they won't: respond to your voice, eat, sleep, pay attention to their bodily functions, or (quite possibly) heed smoke alarm warnings.

They'll be on a Mind Benders bender!