Charlotte's Web- A Relationship Spanning Generations

Charlotte's Web, one of my favorite first chapter books, from childhood through adulthood.

I couldn't wait to read my favorite literature pieces to my children, both picture books and chapter books.

As the parenting years have rolled along, I have now introduced Charlotte's Web by E. B. White, to seven of my learners. This week we revisited the work again, thanks to an online resource. 

When I begin a book, I introduce my children to the author. After all, the author's mind and hand crafted the work, often from personal stories and experiences; sometimes consciously, other times not.

In our study this week, I learned several things I did not know about Charlotte's Web or E. B. White. 

After reading the article aloud and doing a bit more research about E. B. White, we enjoyed the audio recording of the book, read by E. B. White. What a treat!

Today, the question resounded, "Can we listen to Charlotte's Web?"

Though most of my learners had been introduced to the work and the author prior, a love was rekindled.

I had successfully introduced, and reintroduced, my children to one of my favorite literary pieces. And, they loved it!

Delight!

More about E. B. White

• His name was Elwyn Brooks White.
• In addition to Charlotte's Web, White also penned the Trumpet of the Swan and Stuart Little. 
• He authored seventeen books of prose and poetry. 

What About Spelling?

As we sit around the evaluation table with homeschooling families this summer, great questions surface. This week, "What about spelling?"

A common question with several appropriate 

answers dependent upon 

educational philosophy, age, ability, and learning style.

There are many ways to teach spelling

• Purchase a traditional, grade-leveled spelling curriculum. 

This is the first answer which comes to mind for most parents. Easy-peasy; buy the curriculum. Done. Works well for some folks.

• Choose high-interest or frequently used words.

This method takes a bit more work, but is pleasantly effective. Works well for active learners and learners with interests which saturate their days. Words of interest often return the greatest reward. There is a purpose to learn.

For example, live with a fisherman? Consider words of interest: bait, tackle, license, trout, shrimp, brackish, hook, sinker, shore, catch, freshwater, captain, salmon, carp, permit, marsh, or wade.

Sometimes we have used objects of interest to learn spelling. One of our most unusual items have been acorns and cereal. Stickers and foam letters make great teaching tools as well.

Starting with the most frequently used words? Check out these lists:

Learning Resources posted and ranked 300 words

• Play a game.

My children always enjoy a good game. Games add spark to learning. When there is a less-than-favorite subject to learn, we try a game. If we don't own a game to teach a particular subject, I make one. 

• Compile a "I want to learn these!" list.

Where there is intrinsic motivation, retention is not far behind. Whether learning a new skill or reading a book with intriguing vocabulary there are likely words the child wants to know. Use the words of interest to compile a "I want to learn these!" list, place it in a notebook, and whittle away at it each week.

• Tackle commonly misspelled words.

Compare lists at a given level to find the most often cited misspelled words.

Elementary School
National Curriculum Associates complied this list from children's writings, grades three through eight.

ABCTeach published multiple lists

Mrs. Martin's 100 most commonly misspelled words

Your Dictionary lists

Horicon school district language arts helps

Spelling-Words-Well multiple grade lists

Fry's Instant Word List

Middle School and Above
Info Please offers their compilation

John Burroughs Middle School offers spelling and vocabulary lists

Kenneth Odle's most commonly misspelled middle school words

High School and Beyond
Capital Community College list from Student's Book of College English by David Skwire and Harvey S. Wiener. 6th ed. MacMillan: New York. 1992

Oxford Dictionaries common misspellings

• Use a combination of several above. 

Though cliche, it is often true of learning: variety is the spice of life. Educators have used a combination of the above possibilities and been highly successful at teaching children this often dreaded and difficult skill. Use what works and spice up learning during the dry seasons.

Spelling comes in different, very effective packages. There is not a tried-and-true method. Each child receives, stores, and retrieves information differently, especially with spelling. Hence a individualized path is often necessary in order to produce the greatest retention.

Life and Learning Collide: Natural Spelling and Handwriting

Thank you notes, a great way to learn writing, practice penmanship and build relationships, naturally.

I don't intend to ruffle feathers. Schooling methods are as unique as the children who are being taught, in homes or schools. I am not disputing methods or means. I want to encourage moms, mom
s who are teaching without realizing the impact they are having, wondering if they are "doing enough".

Celebrating several birthdays lately, I am reminded of the great lessons and practice woven into writing a thank you note, and it is natural, engaging, important, with real-life benefit.

I am also reminded of the workbooks I experienced as a child. Prompts to which I could not relate; some so silly I felt as if my intelligence was being challenged!

Which would I rather write?

Of course, the one that mattered to me personally.

Reflecting on our twenty-one years of home education, I find the same has been true for my children.

They want to write what matters.

So, when a new ball cap was unwrapped for a birthday, a new writing opportunity presented:

Grandma gives you a baseball bat for your birthday. Write a thank you letter to Grandma.

Writing with purpose, an intrinsic desire. Not in response to a made up prompt.  

So moms, next time you child celebrates a birthday or holiday and wants to write a thank you out of gratitude, embrace the moment. Walk alongside your child in his or her natural response to life. Answer questions about spelling and punctuation. Write hard words on paper for them to copy onto their thank you card. Find an envelope and talk about how to write an address. The intrinsic motivation to thank a grandparent (or other significant person) will drive the learning. Why? It's important to the child. Couldn't ask for a more natural, productive lesson...and grandma will be thrilled!

Use life, what is natural to learn life skills.

Thank you and letter writing is not the only way to learn writing and spelling. Every child has an interest, a pathway on which learning become enjoyable, natural, essentially easier, hopefully without tears and frustration. Often these ideas are spontaneous and child-initiated. 

Not long ago one of our children asked if she could copy the text from a favorite animal book checked out from the library. We talked about plagiarism. She simply wanted to write the text so she could remember the words after she returned the book. Her thoughts reminded me of how writing, grammar, and spelling were learned by great leaders in history. Many of those leaders became extraordinary writers. My daughter copied the entire book. It later became part of a project she initiated. Writing, spelling, naturally. 

I am not saying we have never used repetitive writing of a word to learn its spelling. We have. The point is, we use whatever is appropriate for a particular child, at a particular time. 

One day celery prints took a twist and we decided to list "C" words. It was spontaneous and FUN!

Children with a creative bent can naturally integrate writing into their art. One of our children decided to make "fancy" thanksgiving cards with a creative greeting tucked inside. 

Taking learning outside, in a different environment is helpful for mom and children!

Writing and illustrating outside!

A "new" outside patio set makes a great place to write.

Once inside, tummies rumbling, cookies and crackers with letters give spelling a boost. 

Sometimes I make games for my children. Time consuming, yes. However, the results have been astounding for the child who needed that method. And, with the intrinsic interest and love for games, often the child will ask to pull the game out again for review. 

The spelling and writing I remember was tedious, rarely applicable to life. It was laborious, especially for me, a non-phonetic reader due to processing challenges. I was the child my third grade teacher said would never read. However, my parents (mom especially) incorporated learning into life: writing recipes, grocery lists, making "books", and playing restaurant. Most of all I remember my parents partnering with me, walking alongside to help and process my ideas. 

Moms, you can help your child learn writing, grammar and spelling, naturally, in ways that are fun. These activities also pack in the highest retention, meaning your children will remember what they learned. Ponder the happenings in your home. How many of the activities are you passing off as play or something that needs to get done (like an email) that actually teach great lessons in language arts? 

*The information in this blog post is not intended as legal or educational advice. It is simply a journal of what worked for us. Parents are responsible to oversee their child's home education. 

Natural Learning, Intentionally - Part II

Intentional. It is my mantra, whether teaching my littles (and bigs) or embracing life. Intentionality has served me (and my family) well. 

How can I be intentional this minute to make a difference in the minutes yet to come?

The word intentional means (back to definitions):

From the 1957 Webster's New 20th Century dictionary, intentional was defined as

• Having to do with intention or purpose
• Intended; designed; done with design or purpose; not accidental

According to Dictionary.com, intentional is defined as

• done with intention or on purpose
• of or relating to intention or purpose

What proceeded the afternoon (minutes, hours or years before) contributing to the fruit of the day featured in Part I?

These were all lessons in and of themselves.

• Art supplies were purchased, then organized and stored in a manner accessible to the children with the developmental ability to determine appropriate use for said items (don't want acrylics on my walls, unless it is first on a canvas).

• Prior expectations and boundaries were set as to where the acrylics could be used (easel, kitchen table).
• Prior instruction was given as to how the brushes and tools were to be cared for, cleaned, and stored (otherwise brush hairs would be haywire and my house would become a paint palette). 
• Painting was an intrinsic interest I observed and fostered, something that mattered to them with the ultimate goal of spending time with my Dad (who loves to paint with them) and entering arts and handcrafts into the local county fair. 
• A library visit was scheduled and carried out where children checked out books of interest.

• Prior to that visit, children were given a tour as to where their books of interest would be shelved. For one child instruction was "this is where you will find animal books". For another, "this is the biography section". 
• Years ago, we discussed choosing appropriate materials, library etiquette, and check-out procedures.

The end result of many intentional decisions: I scheduled appointments, two learners finished fair projects, and two learners created three entrees in their writing notebooks. 

So, though natural learning occurred last week, there was intentional thought and instruction that proceeded the fruitful afternoon.

Natural Learning, Intentionally Part III coming soon!

Teaching Prepositions

"Mom, what is a preposition?"

That question started the day's language arts lesson...because curious minds are ripe for learning!

A preposition is a word that connects or shows the relationship between two nouns or a noun and pronoun. Prepositions are always with an object or person.

We reviewed nouns and pronouns. I gave examples of each and used them in a sentence.

We chose two nouns for our preposition play, mice and cars.

Paper mice were made from 3x5 cards, each child coloring a mouse family. I found some Duplo cars from our collection of blocks.

Once all the mice were colored and decorated, tails in place, our preposition discovery began.

I explained that for our play we would act out sentences, stating the relationship between the mice and the cars. I demonstrated by placing the mice on the cars while stating,"the mice are on the cars".  I wrote "on" on a 3x5 card and placed it near the cars.

One by one I asked each of the child to place their mice in some relation to the cars and then state the position in relation to one another.

The mice are under the cars.

The mice are on the cars.

The mice are aside of the cars.

The mice are behind the cars.

As the children placed the mice and verbally expressed their position, I wrote the preposition on a card. Before long we had a handful of preposition cards. By the end of a few hours, we used our creative thinking, working on spatial relationships, applied artistic uniqueness, and KNEW what prepositions are and how to use them in sentences.

We also had a handful of spelling cards to use for other lessons.

aboard	about	above	across	after
against	along	amid	at	before
behind	below	beneath	between	by
concerning	down	except	following	for
from	in	inside	into	like
near	of	off	on	onto
over	past	round	since	through
toward	under	underneath	until	up
upon	with	within	without

Learning started with a question. 

"Mom, what is a preposition?"

Cursive with Purpose

Eight weeks of summer home education evaluations leave me pondering. Methods and means. Current trends. Proven practices. Preparing our children for the future. What skills will they need? Thoughts today revolve around penmanship and cursive.

All those practice books. Oh yes, there is good reason to teach penmanship and cursive, teaching correct strokes and rotations. Strokes form letters correctly. Proper letter formation makes composition easier. However, once initial instruction is complete and letters are formed properly, practice begins. Purposeful cursive allows for greater retention, practically.

How can handwriting practice be practical to life? All those practice pages? Maybe. Progress can be seen from the first practice page to the last. However, after seeing pages and books full of practice, quite honestly the children who completed the work were less than excited about their accomplishments or about their ability to write with purpose, compose. Really, they were not all that interested in showing us that work.

I wondered how handwriting could be valued, a necessary tool. Something of purpose, useful.

We tried:

• Paper checks are becoming more and more obsolete, however children are still fascinated with them. What are they? How do they work? Where is the money? Capitalize on the curiosity, find those old blank checks and get to work practicing handwriting. After explaining the function of checks, check cashing basics, and ethics of banking, my littles wanted to play store and write checks. I asked which stores they wanted to shop and write checks to, then made a list, in manuscript, on a white board. I added the words dollars, hundred, thousand to the board as well as some additional number words. My littles had the words needed to write their checks (spelling!), to play, practice, and enjoy! They used their best handwriting because it mattered to them. Their checks were something of value. The written checks became part of a portfolio of work samples. 
• Grocery lists. Children love to dream about what they would like to buy at the grocery store. Let them dream in lists! Using a sale ad from a local store, I let my children make a grocery list, either in manuscript or cursive, their choice. The next day I made the project more applicable to life? Children worked together to make a list for a nutritionally sound family meal on a specific budget. Not only did we practice handwriting but we discussed lessons in health and math. The ideas were purposeful and practical. The list was added to the portfolio of work samples. 

Ideas to try later:

• Find a map of your state. Have your child plan a vacation to 6 cities, 1 lake, and 1 river found in your state. Write the names of those places on a paper (remember proper nouns are capitalized)  in the order to be visited. Handwriting (and capitalization) is practiced while considering state geography. 
• Plan a European (or other location) vacation. As above, have the child plan a vacation including 1 mountain, 2 rivers, 2 lakes, 5 cities, and 2 countries. 
• Create a menu, complete with prices (writing decimal numbers), and play restaurant. Make sure the handwriting is the best it can be so customers can read and order. 
  
• Create a recipe and write in best handwriting.
• Write a poem. 
• Create a list specific to the interest of the child, maybe car parts, tools, craft supplies, or color words. Write the list on a white board or write each word on a 3 x 5 card. Have the child write the words in manuscript or cursive.
• Some families use poetry or verse for handwriting and copywork. This is profitable as well, though may not be as high on the personal interest scale. 
• Use fancy charcoal pencils, felt pens, or quill pens to practice manuscript and cursive. 
  

There are many ways to make cursive purposeful and personal. Share one way you've made handwriting valuable in the comment box. We're in this together!

Spelling and Hair Cuts

"Mom, can I go with you to your haircut?"

Sure. Impromptu date with one of my littles. Who could pass up such an opportunity?

On the car ride to the salon, the little discovered she had a small tablet and pencil in her "purse". She pulled it out and exclaimed, "Mom, I can do my spelling! I will just look for words."

Fabulous!

The drive went unusually fast, probably because we were busy looking for words, spelling.

We arrived and parked.

My daughter eagerly carried her tablet into the salon, dreaming aloud of the words she would find.

As I took the salon chair and greeted my stylist, my heart warmed as I noticed my daughter walking, pausing at each station to write.

"H-A-I-R!"

"C-U-R-L!"

My stylist watched my daughter intently, thoughtfully, perhaps a bit too intently as I watched ALOT of hair fall to the ground.


He finished cutting my hair. I noticed the cut was a bit shorter than usual.

Short hair. Four pages of words.Natural spelling. A testimony to the unique opportunities home education provides. Nothing beats a child excited about learning, smiling at her accomplishments. Those moments are valuable. The hair, it will grow back.

Can Living Books Teach History?

I read this common question, or variations, in my inbox this time of year, every year. I usually answer something like:

Question: As I start the look into what we will do next year. I have been thinking about history. Next year I will have a 4th,2nd, and 1st grader. Someone mentioned Childhood of Famous Americans to me. I am looking for something to do maybe twice a week as the other days we have other activities. Could you comment on my thoughts.

Reading aloud returns great rewards. Auditory processing, the ability to process what is heard, develops as children listen to audio materials. Comprehension improves as participants ask questions and retell parts of the story. Vocabulary builds as the reader explains unknown words. Attention span increases as listeners sit eager to hear a story unfold. Relationships deepen as reader and listeners share emotions, thoughts and ideas. Reading aloud returns great rewards at any age. 

In response to the question raised by this mom (and many others like her now considering their curriculum choices for the coming year), she was specifically interested in Childhood of Famous Americans (the hardcovers if you can find them), for the ages posted. Older children may be interested in the Landmark books, biographies in the Signature series or We Were There books.

With the ages stated, these books can be read, comprehended and enjoyed together, as a family. Each child will gather details they find most intriguing. In our home we read in the afternoon before Dad comes home while toddler is still napping or later in the evening right before bed after jammies are on and teeth are brushed. Little eyes and bodies relaxed, transition to bed is easy. Family read-aloud time offers priceless memories of siblings and parents snuggled in the living room, reading.

Reading COFAs is a way to learn history and science. Children quickly become interested in COFA stories because the main characters are introduced as children. As to which title to choose, it is beneficial if the child chooses which title he would like to read first. Children are more likely to engage immediately and intently if their interest is piqued. Remember the content of COFAs lend themselves to history and science. Often as parents read, children begin to think how they can "study" the subject in more detail, maybe designing a lapbook, maybe helping to create a unit study, maybe acting out a historical event or dressing up as the main character, maybe simply checking out library books on the subject for deeper learning. 

If the listener is a reader, he or she may become so interested that independent reading may become a personal motivation. The result may be heading to the home library shelf to choose another independent read. COFAs make great independent reads, encouraging reading growth and fluency while learning history.

Younger readers, not quite ready to read a COFA independently, may enjoy choosing a similar title in the Step-Up book series. The reading level is lower than COFAs and make great reads for emerging readers. They are well-written and kids LOVE the content. 

Can history be studied reading "living books", books which allow the listener/reader to journey alongside characters? Absolutely! In fact, it is the stories our children have "lived" that are best remembered. 

Live History with Landmark Books Part II

A few days ago I posted the 122 titles of the American titles in the Landmark series. Today I am adding the 63 titles in the World series so families can round out their collection. The above picture includes one of each.

The 63 titles in the World Landmark series

1      The First Men In the World by Anne Terry White

2      Alexander the Great by John Gunther

3      Adventures and Discoveries of Marco Polo by Richard Walsh

4      Joan of Arc by Nancy Wilson Ross

5      King Arthur and His Knights by Mabel Louise Robinson

6      Mary, Queen of Scots by Emily Hahn

7      Napoleon and the Battle of Waterloo by Frances Winwar

8      Royal Canadian Mounted Police by Richard L Neuberger

9      The Man Who Changed China: The Story of Sun Yat-sen by Pearl S. Buck

10    The Battle of Britain by Quentin Reynolds

11    The Crusades by Anthony West

12    Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde by Harold Lamb

13    Queen Elizabeth and the Spanish Armada by Francis Winwar

14    Simon Bolivar, the Great Liberator by Arnold Whitridge

15    The Slave Who Freed Haiti: The Story of Toussaint Louverture by Katerine Scherman

16    The Story of Scotland Yard by Laurence Thompson

17    The Life of Saint Patrick by Quentin Reynolds

18    The Exploits of Xenophon by Geoffrey Household

19    Captain Cook Explores the South Seas by Armstrong Sperry

20    Marie Antoinette by Bernadine Kielty

21    Will Shakespeare and the Globe Theater by Anne Terry White

22    The French Foreign Legion by Wyatt Blassingame

23    Martin Luther by Harry Emerson Fosdick

24    The Hudson’s Bay Company by Richard Morenus

25    Balboa: Swordsman Conquistador by Felix Riesenberg

26    The Magna Charta by James Daugherty

27    Leonardo da Vinci by Emily Hahn

28    General Brock and Niagara Falls by Samuel Hopkins Adams

29    Catherine the Great by Katherine Scherman

30    The Fall of Constantinople by Bernadine Kielty

31    Ferdinand Magellan: Master Mariner by Seymour Gates Pond

32    Garibaldi: Father of Modern Italy by Marcia Davenport

33    The Story of Albert Schweitzer by Anita Daniel

34    The Marquis de Lafayette: Bright Sword of Freedom by Hodding Carter

35    Famous Pirates of the New World by A. B. C. Whipple

36    Exploring the Himalaya by William O. Douglas

37    Queen Victoria by Noel Streatfeild

38    The Flight and Adventures of Charles II by Charles Norman

39    Chief of the Cossacks by Harold Lamb

40    Adventures of Ulysses by Gerald Gottlieb

41    William the Conqueror by Thomas B. Costain

42    Jesus of Nazareth by Harry Emerson Fosdick

43    Julius Caesar by John Gunther

44    The Story of Australia by A. Grove Day

45    Captain Cortes Conquers Mexico by William Johnson

46    Florence Nightingale by Ruth Fox Hume

47    The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler by William L. Shirer

48    The Story of Atomic Energy by Laura Fermi

49    Great Men of Medicine by Ruth Fox Hume

50    Cleopatra of Egypt by Leonora Hornblow

51    The Sinking of the Bismarck by William L. Shirer

52    Lawrence of Arabia by Alistair MacLean

53    The Life of Saint Paul by Harry Emerson Fosdick

54    The Voyages of Henry Hudson by Eugene Rachlis

55    Hero of Trafalgar by A. B. C. Whipple

56    Winston Churchill by Quentin Reynolds

57    The War of Korea: 1950 - 1953 by Robert Leckie

58    Walter Raleigh by Henrietta Buckmaster

59    Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Elizabeth Payne

60    Flying Aces of World War I by Gene Gurney

61    Commandos of World War II by Hodding Carter

62    Ben Gurion and the Birth of Israel by Joan Comay

63    The United Nations in War and Peace by T. R. Fehrenback

New Mama-Made Game

Mama-made games are becoming very popular at our house. And, we are learning!

Here is the latest mama-made game at our house (a small sampling of about 30 abbreviations in a variety of colors). We were struggling with abbreviations and multiple worksheets...well, that wasn't the answer. So, I took learning off the page and put it into their hands. What happened? They loved it! We matched the abbreviations and learned how to spell measurement words.

Side note: the visual-spatial child ordered the color shades (not shown here). Very cool!

Maybe there is a concept you can pull off the page for your child. Doesn't have to be fancy to be fun.

Building Vocabulary with Vocabulary Workshop

For years our children have benefited from using Vocabulary Workshop published by Sadlier-Oxford. The paperback workbooks teach new words through definitions, antonyms, synonyms, word associations, and reading comprehension exercises. Repetition allows students to achieve success and higher retention.

Students, elementary through high school, needing additional practice can access additional online review activities for every level workbook. Auditory recordings of the word pronunciations and definitions are available. These online exercises are especially helpful for students who need auditory input for optimal retention. 

Online link http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/vocabulary/iwords.cfm?sp=student&level=A#unit2 

Our Newest Game: Tricky Ys

"Words ending in "Y" all make different sounds."
Little Learner, quite confused by all the "Y" words in a recent workbook page (yes, we do them occasionally) voiced her opinion about why "Y" shouldn't have so many sounds. Tricky "Y".

I decided to take learning off the page and put it into her hands.

I made a list of all the words I could ending in "Y" taking on the sound of either long e or long i. I designed 2x3 inch cards, one word to each card, and printed the cards on 100 pound cardstock (colored makes it more fun). Little Learners helped me cut through the straight lines with their blunt tipped scissors.

Once cards were cut, I created a "Y" from one business- and one letter-sized envelope. After sealing the envelopes, I trimmed 1/4 inch off the top edge to make two pockets. I formed the "Y", securing with tape on the back, and traced around the outside edges with a black Sharpie to make the "Y" more pronounced. I wrote "long e" on one envelope pocket and "long i" on the other.

We have played this game many ways, in fact the littles like making up new rules. One round (played with a 5 and 8 year old) we read through the cards. I helped the 5 year old and it was great review for the eight year old. Then we placed the cards face down in the center of the play area and took turns drawing a card, saying the word, and letting it slide down the correct pocket.

This morning, we look the game with us on the morning dog walking adventure. The girls each had a handful of random cards, took turns reading their word and placing it in the correct pocket. I helped read words which had been forgotten.

We've had great fun and success with our new game, Tricky Ys. We also learned the meanings of some new words: wity, sly, and rely. So, chalk one up for vocabulary. Today, learning with our hands (and outside) was delightful.