Please Advise

I'm confused about Phonics.

I learned to read before my memory started. I know I was taught with phonics, but that is all I know about it. I can not remember a time when I could not pick up a book, newspaper, magazine, whatever, and not just read what it said.

My two older kids learned to read effortlessly. They both have good memories and are visual learners. They learned letter recognition from watching Sesame Street and quickly picked up the different sounds the letters make (although Nate still gets a tad confused every now and then with w and y.) and from there, they just started reading. It wasn't until after they were reading independently that I learned that there are steps like "reading for fluency". I still don't understand how it is supposed to work.

Now, I might be borrowing trouble here, but I am concerned about teaching my younger two to read. Neither of them seem to be very visual. Daniel is kinesthetic, I think, and Abbie is just, "is it fun? No? Oh, then nevermind!" So I have been on the lookout for a phonics program for them. I have mentioned that I used Phonics Pathways with Kaytie and Nate, and that I strongly disliked it. I also don't think that it will go over well with an active learner and a fun-only learner. I just don't see that happening. But phonics programs are so expensive! I mean, really, $100+ just to teach them to read?

So I'm thinking, WHY do I need a program? Most of them (I have perused online, not in person), seem to consist of flashcards, workbooks, and little readers. Is there more to them to this? Because quite frankly, I think the games and puzzles I have already will do a better job of teaching these two littles than that.

But am I missing out on something here? Do I need a phonics program to teach phonics? I am really hoping that all of you who have taught several (or even one) children to read will have lots of tips and advice for me.

Daybook: June 22

Out my window: it's going to be another hot day. But right now, it's beautiful, with blue skies, and a wonderful breeze.

I am listening to: Daniel and Abbie playing with Oreo, which somehow involves Abbie singing operatically. The other kids are quietly reading.

I am thankful for: my kids having such a great daddy. I really love that the girls, especially, think he is just wonderful. Having a strong relationship with their dad is so important, and it is so rare these days.

From the kitchen: We are back on the menu this week. It makes things so much easier, I just get bored with it every once in awhile, and do "my own thing" for a week. It is always a relief to get back to it, though.

I am creating: these abc cards for the little kids. They are so cute! And maybe they will help the big kids with their writing skills, as well.

I am reading: The Book of Hours by T. Davis Bunn

I am praying for: a sick little girl and her mommy

Around the house: I've been doing much better about following my daily check-list. This week, the goal is to have everything checked off every day!

One of my favorite things: is hanging out with my husband. I'm excited because my wonderful niece is babysitting tomorrow night so Steve and I are having a date! :)

A few plans for the rest of the week: tomorrow, we are going to see a free movie at the theater (Veggie Tales) and, now that the van is fixed, we are going to attempt the splash park

From the learning rooms: we are taking a summer break!!! I've condensed the last few lessons of First Grade into a reading and a test and then we are done! The rest of it will be recycled into review for the summer. So now I need to plan an End of Year Party! We are always looking for another reason to celebrate something!

A picture thought I am sharing:

Hope everyone had a happy Father's Day!

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Totschool: summer school

I haven't been posting about Totschool, because, technically, we haven't been having any. But honestly, even though we haven't been working with "educational toys", haven't been learning ABCs and counting every morning from stuff off the shelf doesn't mean we haven't been learning! "Doing school" is fun and all very well, but there is much more to educating these little people than a formal education. So Daniel and Abbie's Totschool the past few weeks has been like this:

Daniel plays outside A LOT. He has discovered roly-poly bugs, June bugs, ladybugs, and ants. He has made friends with a snail named Harvey, been introduced to Harvey's mom, dad, and little brother (a snail that was just growing his shell, very very cool to see, but gross to touch). He has been digging in dirt and sand, investigating flowers, leaves, green nuts, and berries. I have been supplementing this fun with lots of library books about plants, bugs and snails. We have ALL learned a ton about snails the past few weeks. He has also been building with blocks, making train tracks, playing with a hula-hoop and jump rope, and having fun throwing balls outside.

Abbie has learned about mud. :) She is also very into the doll house these days, and spends a lot of time putting the babies to sleep, potty-training the toddlers, and helping the mommy drive around. She loves to cook with their toy dishes, and I get to taste them all! But her passion these days is dressing-up. At any given moment she could be a fireman, a princess, a "Bob the Builder" or a bewildering compilation of all three! I love the imagination that two-year-olds display, and I love to see those connections being made between what she knows and what she is learning.

Both kids have been learning about the joy and responsibility of a puppy. They both have been given new regular chores around the house: Abbie puts her pjs away, and Daniel puts away all the clean silverware. They have been watching educational shows on PBS, reading and being read to, coloring for the fun of it, and being "socialized" by the dynamics of family life.

So our Totschool has been very informal, and not so very exciting to talk about, but a lot of fun to do!

For more Totschool fun, go here!

All About Dad

I posted an All About Mom questionaire for Mother's Day, so here is one for Father's Day:

Kaytie said:
1. What is something your dad always says to you? Pick up your room

2. What makes your dad happy? When I obey him

3. What makes your dad sad? When I don’t obey him

4. How does your dad make you laugh? Because he tickles me really hard.

5. What was your dad like as a child? Probably had brown hair, like me.

6. How old is your dad? 30 (a couple of years low, but not a bad guess)

7. How tall is your dad? Probably... 19 inches

8. What is his favorite thing to do? Make flowers

9. What does your dad do when you’re not around? He is always at work

10. If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for? Selling flowers

11. What is your dad really good at? Taking care of us and tickling us.

12. What is your dad not very good at? Getting days off from work

13. What does your dad do for his job? Sells flowers

14. What is your dad’s favorite food? Probably... salad (probably NOT!)

15. What makes you proud of your dad? He has hair like me

16. If your dad were a cartoon character, who would he be? Thomas (the Tank Engine) Ah! Every man's dream lol

17. What do you and your dad do together? We went to lunch together

18. How are you and your dad the same? He has the same hair

19. How are you and your dad different? He is taller than me.

20. How do you know your dad loves you? He cares for us (awww!)

21. Where is your dad’s favorite place to go? The Discovery Center


Nate said:

1. What is something your dad always says to you? Do what you are told.

2. What makes your dad happy? Obeying him

3. What makes your dad sad? Not obeying him

4. How does your dad make you laugh? He makes me happy

5. What was your dad like as a child? He was a good child (we obviously have not heard the same stories. lol)

6. How old is your dad? I think he is 30 years old

7. How tall is your dad? 5 inches (I think we need to work on measurement in school!)

8. What is his favorite thing to do? Play on the computer

9. What does your dad do when you’re not around? Goes to work

10. If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for? Playing on the computer (that would be my guess, too!)

11. What is your dad really good at? Playing on the computer and typing things he likes to do.

12. What is your dad not very good at? nothing (awww!)

13. What does your dad do for his job? He arranges flowers

14. What is your dad’s favorite food? Fast food

15. What makes you proud of your dad? He does his work

16. If your dad were a cartoon character,who would he be? A popcorn man (okay?)

17. What do you and your dad do together? play

18. How are you and your dad the same? We like the same color (green) (I honestly was not aware that either one of them liked green. I thought their favorite color was blue. hmmm)

19. How are you and your dad different? He wears a different kind of shirt, because his shirt is bigger

20. How do you know your dad loves you? Because he really likes me.

21. Where is your dad’s favorite place to go? To work.

Daniel said:

1. What is something your dad always says to you? Pick up toys

2. What makes your dad happy? Playing with toys

3. What your makes dad sad? Not picking up toys

4. How does your dad make you laugh? Tickling my feet

5. What was your dad like as a child? He ride in the back seat

6. How old is your dad? TEN!

7. How tall is your dad? BIG!

8. What is his favorite thing to do? Tickle my feet

9. What does your dad do when you’re not around? Go to bed

10. If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for? Picking up toys

11. What is your dad really good at? Tickling my feet

12. What is your dad not very good at? Not picking up toys

13. What does your dad do for his job? Going to school (I did my best to get a rational explanation for this answer, but to no avail.)

14. What is your dad’s favorite food? Colossal crunch (Daniel's favorite breakfast cereal)

15. What makes you proud of your dad? Picking up toys

16. If your dad were a cartoon character, who would he be? Thomas! (huh! 2 out of 3, I guess it's settled then!)

17. What do you and your dad do together? Tickling my feet

18. How are you and your dad the same? We both like Thomas

19. How are you and your dad different? eggs (Daniel's logic is not always easy to follow)

20. How do you know your dad loves you? He plants flower seeds

21. Where is your dad’s favorite place to go? church

Vacation Bible School 2009

The kids spent last week going to VBS. Kaytie and Nate are veteran VBSers. This was Daniel's first year to be old enough to go. But all three of them had a wonderful time. They love the crafts, games, and yummy snacks. They enjoy the singing and the stories. But best of all, for them, was the crazy stuff. Every year, the director assigns something silly to wear for each day of the week. Silly socks day was exciting, pj day was fun, but the highlight of the week (of the year, really) is Crazy Hair Day. They and their cousin dream up ideas and talk of nothing else for days. (and I mean that literally)
(Even though Abbie didn't get to go to VBS, she did get in on the craziness of colored hair.)

At the cost of a few dollars for gel and hair color... we got these priceless results...

For the last day of VBS, they have a Parent Night, and a carnival. For kids our age, the carnival is about Bounce Houses and lots of yummy, special treat kinds of food. Yes, all in one evening, our children inhaled: a corndog; cotton candy; sprite; popcorn; frozen, chocolate-covered bananas; and fruit-kabobs. All the way home, Abbie stuck out her tummy like a cranky expectant mother and complained of belly-aches. I think she would do it all over again in a heartbeat, though, if given the chance.

There were two bounces. This "little" one, and an obstacle course.

The kids had a good time riding the dinosaurs, even though Daniel did get bounced right off the back of this one, thanks to Kaytie's enthusiasm.

Abbie also enjoyed chit-chatting with the dinosaurs.

Daniel conquered himself a palm tree.

And Abbie discovered creative ways to get in and out. She would jump for awhile, then get out and come to me to get a drink or a bite. She would say, "mmmm!" lick her lips, and run back to jump some more. No wonder her tummy was complaining!

But the Big Bounce/Obstacle Course was the most fun! After the first time through, Nate came running up, screaming with delight: "That was SOOOOO MANIC!" I don't know where the expression came from, but it was obviously meant to express the ultimate satisfaction.

Abbie gave up trying to climb the wall, and just started jumping. The wet front is due to her first experience drinking sprite from a can. What you don't see is the cotton candy globbed in her hair. Guess who was first in line to get a shower when we got home? But really, does being a kid get any better than this?

Being the slide fanatic that she is, once I got her over the wall, she LOVED this part!

Forget sliding, Nate just jumped from the top to the bottom. This boy is going to be the cause of most of my gray hairs.

It was a fun evening. Once they got home and showered and were tucked snugly into bed, it took them .03 seconds to fall asleep. Too bad VBS only comes once a year!

My favorite part of the week, though, was listening to Kaytie sing "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus" on the way home. :) I remember my mom singing that when she washed the supper dishes. It made all the crazy hair, the rushed suppers, the endless VBS chatter very worthwhile. :)

This was so much fun, I just had to share

The kids are VBS-ing all week, and I have been enjoying myself after I drop them off by browsing through stores I rarely get to visit unencumbered. That is how I found this game...

I have read about this game on several blogs, most notably here. A blog that is full of good ideas for games and fun supplements for school. So when I saw it, for cheaper than I could get it at Amazon, I just couldn't help but buy it.

We tried it out today, and it was a big hit. There is an incredible variety of ways to play, for different ages, interest levels, and abilities. We started off on the easiest way and everyone had a good time. I love that the pieces are sturdy enough and color coded that Abbie was able to pick and place her own cards. The kids loved the silly sentences. Daniel was able to "read" the picture cards, and he definitely felt like one of the big kids with this game. There are several ways to "earn" your cards, so the game flowed well and played fast. This is important so that no one gets bored and cranky.

I also liked that even though it is an "educational" game, and the kids are learning, winning does not depend on skill level, so Abbie had just as much of an opportunity to win as the big kids. It says it is for kids age 4-7. I would not buy this if I only had a 2 year old, but for playing in a group, this is an easy game for 2 and 3 year olds to "play up" with their siblings. They aren't learning grammar like the big kids, because they didn't really get it, but they were able to join in and play and have fun. I did use the opportunity to talk about colors with Abbie and beginning sounds with Daniel, so they DID learn, too!

My one gripe with the game is that on the die, the adjective and the article are both yellow. This was irritatingly confusing. It would have been so easy, and made so much more sense for the adjective to be blue, like the cards.

After the game, the two readers among us amused themselves for a while shifting their words around and pulling new cards to make new sentences. I was able to point out that word order was important for the sentence to make sense.

And that was just our first time to play! I am looking forward to many hours of fun learning with this game.

You can check it out at Amazon, of course, and also at the DK website, here.

I'm looking at other DK games now. Because I really fell in love with this game!

Toothless grins

She has such tiny teeth, it's very hard to tell, but Kaytie lost her tooth Thursday night. She finally got tired of people asking her about it (she said) and she asked her Daddy to pull it for her. It was very loose, so one little tug was all it took, and she was right, there was practically no blood. She put it under her pillow, and the Tooth Fairy gave her a silver dollar (to keep) and four quarters (to spend). She needs to take a trip to the Dollar Tree now. :) Although, you notice, the Tooth Fairy neglected to include the eight cents sales tax!
The boys are a little jealous. Daniel informed me on Friday that he need to get some teeth pulled. Sorry, Bud! You have about three years to wait...

Daybook June 15 '09

Out my window... the kids are running and yelling and generally having a great time.

I am listening to... the washer running, the kids playing, the birds cheeping... the blessed sounds of peace. :)

I am thankful for... healthy kids, washing machines, and dishwashers.

From the kitchen... we are eating early and quickly this week because the three big kids are going to VBS. It's Daniel's first time and I'm not sure he will last the week, but the two bigger ones are counting the seconds until time to go.

I am creating... order out of chaos. :) Not really. I've been very laid back lately... doing a lot of reading and goofing off in my "free time" and not much thinking or doing.

I am reading... Epic, Half-Moon, and trying to pre-read the kids library "read alones" before they do.

I am praying for... the salvation of various people

Around the house... still trying to get into the swing of things. The kids charts are not working out well, and it is my fault. sigh.

One of my favorite things... toddlers who make me laugh. And most of them do.

A few plans for the rest of the week... I need to take the three little kids to the library to get their books. Summer reading is over already. VBS every evening seems to take over the entire week. I WILL finish my entire schedule of cleaning this week!

I am going... nowhere today. Except maybe for a walk around the block with the kids (and Harvey the snail)

From the learning rooms... Daniel is deep into snails, Nate is all about ladybugs, Abbie is figuring out how to get along with a rambunctious puppy, Kaytie is studying plants and flowers. Summer is so much fun!

A picture thought I am sharing with you...

Daniel's new friend

It rained today, and that means Daniel had a new friend to play with this morning. Daniel is our scientist kid. He loves to explore and examine and discover.

And he isn't very squeamish. This poor snail was picked up and carted all over the yard at dizzying speeds.

Funny thing, though. I have always heard the snails move slowly, but once he escaped from Daniel the Science Guy, he sure disappeared very very quickly!

Nate was taking pictures with the kids' camera. It's an old one of mine, that doesn't work. All the kids enjoyed looking at his pictures afterwards.

Kaytie and Nate's baptism

Kaytie and Nate have both asked Jesus to forgive their sins and to come live in their hearts and be the Lord in their lives. It was amazing to me to see them change after they came to this decision. You expect a change in attitude and "fruit" in an adult, who has plenty of sin in their life, but there was a definite cleansing and renewing, even in these two little "innocent" children.
We believe that baptism is a public confession of faith in Christ. Kaytie and Nate both understood that this ceremony was their opportunity to declare their belief that Jesus is THE WAY not only to Heaven, but to eternal life that starts right now.


It was so special that their Daddy got to baptise them.


This is all seven who were baptised with the three pastors who officiated.

I made sure that they knew what to expect, and they both did wonderfully. The only hitch was that Nate was a little impatient to get dunked. He kept throwing himself backward while Dad was still talking.

Go 'Way, Birds!

I need some advice. Oreo is an outside dog. Therefore, his food bowl is outside. Apparently, he is a "snacker" so there is food in his dish all day. The problem is, the local bird population has decided this is their new buffet. How do I keep them out of his food?
I have no desire to move his bowl indoors.
A scarecrow won't work, because we were standing a foot away from his bowl when a robin and some cheeky sparrows came to dine. They acknowledged us with a polite nod as they helped themselves.
I covered the bowl with a frisbee, but I don't know if he can or will get it off when he wants to eat. And I am positive he won't be putting it back when he's done.
What to do? What to do?

Daybook: June 8

Out my window: A beautiful summer morning. Everything is fresh and green.

I am listening to: the children arguing over their beds. Why? I don't think they know.

I am thankful for: the baptism of my two oldest children yesterday. It is incredible to hear the testimonies of people who are saved from dark, painful, sin-filled lives by God's love and grace. But it is also a blessing to see small children trust their lives to Him from the very start. These two are fourth and fifth and possibly even sixth generation followers of Christ.

From the kitchen: I'm not sure. Probably burritos. We had such a busy weekend, I didn't make it to the grocery store for the week.

I am creating: summer plans.

I am reading: Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado; and an Elsie Dinsmore book

I am praying for: a sweet little girl in a heart-breaking situation and her family.

Around the house: Trying to recover from the weekend. I still have some sorting and arranging in nooks and crannies from the move.

One of my favorite things: snuggly babies

A few plans for the rest of the week: We are going to the zoo with the cousins. I want to hit up a splash park, since it has been so hot. A visit to the library to collect prizes. And, of course, a trip to the grocery store.

I am thinking: about how much Americans expect and demand Utopia. How dare anything go wrong with me! Let's sue. Start a Foundation. Do whatever we can to make sure nothing bad ever happens again to anybody, ever. It sounds like a good reaction, but I believe the underlying principle behind it is deeply flawed.

I am going: If I go anywhere, it will be grocery shopping. But I'm betting that doesn't happen today.

From the learning room: still struggling to finish. sigh.

A picture thought I am sharing with you:

Go and read more!

Summer fun idea #-2

Want to know the best way to spend a day?

Get a mild tummy ache, have a tooth pulled, get "high" on the pain meds, and have a tornado warning all on the same day that your husband has to work late.

How fun.

But, just so you know my sense of humor is still intact...

Detailed planning

I am a detailed person. I love lists and plans and organizers. I prefer to have a plan in place long before I need it. Last year, for first grade, I tried to plan chunks and themes and just plug in the daily details as I went along. Well, that didn't turn out very well. We wound up not doing as much fun stuff as we should have, and we are STILL doing the basics here in June, with about ten days of work left to go.

So I decided that second grade would be different. I had already been looking at our curriculum choices since I finished deciding about first grade, so I have been pouring my energies into a daily planning out of ALL of second grade. I posted already here what exactly we will be using. (Oh, and I did end up buying the Latin.)

I started by creating a table in Microsoft Office Word, because that is a program that I know how to use. Actually, I made 39 tables, one for each week of the school year. We are working for 39 weeks because three months actually wound up being 13 weeks instead of 12 (who knew?) and 3 terms of 13 weeks is... 39 weeks. Yes, I am very scientific in my methods!

Ok, so, 39 tables with a row for each day and a column for each subject. Then I just went through the subjects one by one and sorted out the material into daily chunks. Most of the subjects did not have 39 weeks of work, so I staggered out our free time throughout the year.

Here is a copy of our first week. The only subject I am not totally sure of is Latin, because I haven't yet received the CD, so I'm not certain how many times we will be listening to it. Probably more than the once I have listed here.

It did take a lot of work, (and I still have more to do), but I am hoping it will really pay off as we go through the school year. I am planning on having EVERYTHING printed, copied, and sorted into a huge binder; having all my booklists made out for each and every week; and all of my craft, art project, and science experiment supplies ready to go before school starts in September. So the only thing I have to worry about is going to the library and picking up the books I want. I already have everything ready, except for some copying and some booklists for the entire first term. It's a heady feeling.

Oh, and I also created a Word document for each subject that I did any research on, and put all directions, instructions, ideas, and Internet links in that document by week. So when I need to know how to play a game, or find a game online, or remember what an art form looks like, I can easily find it.

Summer Fun Idea #1

Does your library have a summer reading program?

Ours does. The kids keep track of how many minutes they read and every so often they can trade those "minutes" in for prizes. The ultimate prize being, of course, a new book.

It is incredibly cool, but it makes me feel very guilty...

Prizes for doing something that we love and would do anyway?

How crazy is that?

One of my favorite things

is to have a real conversation with my two year old.

Something like this...

"Abbie, are you done?"

"No, Mom, I am still eating."

It's just so awesome to hear real, meaningful sentences from someone, who, two short years ago, was in my belly, growing toes.

Daybook: June 1, '09

Out my window: a beautiful early summer morning... there is a mocking bird out there somewhere, and I can see from here the spot in the ivy on the garage that a couple of sparrows use as the front door to their nest. Is that sentence convoluted enough for you?

I am listening to: the kids outside "picking up" the backyard. Nate is calling Oreo. I guess to come and help?

I am thankful for: a wonderful husband who took care of the kids and the house and the dog yesterday and let me languish with the toothache.

From the kitchen: spaghetti for supper. It's one of the many meals that make my kids say, "MMMM! My favorite meal!!!"

I am creating: hopefully, the last of my lesson plans for second grade. I have most of my curriculum in and am doing detailed planning this year. I might get around to posting about that soon.

I am reading: What Katie Did Next an odd little book, very dated, but interesting if you like old-fashioned books. :)

Around the house: we have started our goal chart for the kids... oops, haven't mentioned that to you, have I? :) There will be a post about that later today or tomorrow.

One of my favorite things: a Panhandle morning... nowhere else is quite so fresh, crisp and clean!

I am praying for: a little boy I don't know, named William. He fell and crushed his windpipe. He is currently at home, but still has a trach.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Get back to finishing up first grade! My new goal for this is: the end of June. But really, I don't care, as long as we are done by the first of August.

I am thinking: oh dear... I guess that I am thinking that I really DON'T want to go to the dentist. Nor do I want to drag four kids to the library... but my teenager is busy this week and we really need new books, so. sigh.

I am going: to the dentist, to Michael's, looking for good but inexpensive pencils and art stuff for the kids, and to the library. Pray for us. ;)

Here's a picture thought I am sharing:

For more Daybooks click here.

PS, When I first typed the title of the book I am reading, I mis-spelled Katie. lol I only barely caught it when running spell check. :)