Makin' Money

I don't know if I'll be able to keep it long term, but my goal is to keep the drudgery out of school work as much as possible this year.  Of course Math is Math and is not very fun, and there are other subjects that we just have to buckle down and do.  History and science, however, offer a little more freedom, and I am taking advantage of this as much as possible.

This is where our nifty new lapbooks come in!  It takes a lot more planning on my part than just following a textbook would, but it really is worth it in learning payoff.  My boys are eagerly listening to all the information I give them, recording new facts in their books without complaint, and they know that something fun is coming at the end of the lesson.

Our History study for the first nine weeks of school is Ancient China.  I found my lapbook inspiration here.  There was a great list of books to accompany it, most of which I ordered from Amazon, because I wasn't on the best of terms with the local library.  After the library came groveling for my forgiveness I paid my fine, I found some more great supplementary books there.  Also, much to my delight for those uninspired days which I know are looming in my future, Netflix has a whole host of documentaries about the Great Wall, Terra Cotta Warriors, etc. on their instant streaming list right now!

The best thing about lapbooks for my crafty little family is the opportunity they provide to make and do.  Our first craft with this book, besides assembling our actual book, was making replica coins.  We started with sculpey clay and a couple of pictures from our books by which to work.

After they baked and cooled, we hit them with a coat of metallic spray paint I had on hand from some other long abandoned and forgotten craft project, and voila! Authentic looking ancient moolah!

I love seeing how excited the boys are about school each day, wondering what we will learn and do.  Even more, I love how excited they are to share their new knowledge and their handiwork with anyone who will listen! Here's to hoping this awesomeness can last!

New School Year, New Blog Resolution?

Homeschooling...  It's the most wonderful blessing to a mother's life; it's the most challenging task a mother can take on.  Every year I vow to do better.  I'll be as patient as Job; I'll be as creative as Picasso; I'll be selfless as Mother Theresa!  Every year I fall short, so every year I revamp a bit and try again.

Last year, we joined Classical Conversations, and I have to say, it changed our homeschool life for the better.  We stayed on track, we accomplished more, we learned things I never thought we could!  Yet at home, things became drudgery as we tried and failed to school the same way we had in the past while adding CC in on top of everything else.

Enter the new school year and my educational breakthrough:  LAPBOOKS!  I have heard of these things and thought, Psht. Lapbooks.  Sounds lame to me.  Boy, sometimes I am stoooopid.  Lapbooks are the perfect educational tool for my family!  No boring textbook, no mindless worksheets, just lots and lots of guided learning and exploration and FUN!  We can take the things we will be learning in CC this year and add to them without trying to force a textbook into the mix.

Our first day of school was filled with laughter and excitement and learning!  Oh, the learning! It was such a beautiful, encouraging thing to see.  And the best part was both my first grader and my typically-too-cool-for-school-fifth grader said at the end of the day that school was FUN!  Oh be still my teaching, mothering, loving heart.