Growing Crystals

When my children woke up today, their first stop was the dining room table to check on our crystal experiments. It made me smile to see their enthusiasm for it. Before I got serious about getting a little organized about school so we could do more experiments and projects, their first stop would have been the TV or computer.

Here is a close up of our salt crystal garden this morning, after about 24 hours of growing. My daughter noted that it looked like coral. I have to agree. These crystals are very fine and held together by the bonding action of water molecules. The slightest touch and they smoosh. They were grown on a charcoal briquette sitting in the growing solution. On the charcoal, we had dripped food coloring so it would color the crystals as they grew. Their natural color is a white with areas of brownish red.

Despite coating the bowl with vaseline to prevent it, crystals also grew up the sides of the bowl (we used a pasta bowl). They ended up being a pretty off white-aqua color. They are now growing faster than the intended garden and falling over the edge of the dish.

We also grew alum crystals. Here is the bottom of the dish this morning. Alum grows fewer, larger clear crystals which are much more sturdy than the salt garden. You can see them in the bottom of the dish.

Here is a close-up of one of the alum crystals. It is about 1/8th inch in size. These crystals are obviously strong enough to handle (since I got it out of the dish) but can still be easily broken.

We enjoyed this experiment. We want to grow another salt crystal garden but with red and yellow food coloring. We also want to take some of the alum crystals and see if we can use them as seed crystals...put them in new growing solution to see if we can get bigger crystals formed with them.

I'm also hoping to try making some sugar crystals (rock candy). My understanding is that without slowing the cooling process, they'll make smaller crystals than you can buy commercially. My kids have never seen rock candy. Anyone know where I can buy some?

I would also like to set up an experiment to make stalactites and stalagmites. I need to buy some Epsom salts for that one. While we're playing with Epsom salts, I may as well make some Epsom salt crystals too.

All these crystal experiments came from this website.

Garfield Book Company

For my readers who are local, have you heard of the Garfield Book Company at PLU yet? I haven't been there yet but I've been seeing all kinds of information flying around homeschool groups online. Apparently, the Washington Homeschool Organization has been working together with them to make this book store a resource for us homeschoolers. With this in mind, they have been putting together events (most of them are free) for a variety of ages and, with next week being spring break, they have a lot going on.

Every Saturday at 11am, they have a children's storytime and craft. This month's storytime reading picks are The Tin Forest (April 5th), What Planet are You from Clarice Bean (April 12th), Ella Sarah Gets Dressed (April 19th, reading & signing by the author), and The Lorax (April 26th).

Here's their Spring Break line up:

April 1st
They are having a read-in from 10am-1pm. Bring pillows, blankets, and comfy clothes (or pjs), and your favorite books. Students of all ages will read on their own, share about their reading, and listen to stories read by the staff. They will also have Farrelli's Pizza.

April 2nd
From 11am-1pm, students will be making a mess learning about strange science with hands-on experiments to learn more about our planet. This activity is recommended for ages 6-12.

April 3rd
From 11am-1pm, join GBC in making art from junk and materials provided by the bookstore. You can also bring something from home, if you wish. Projects will include crafts for youngers students and art for teens.

April 4th
Students from 12-18 can join in on a poetry workshop and learning about different poets, styles, and skills before applying them to their own poetry. Student works can be taking home or left for display at GBC.

Register your students at the door or in advance by calling 253-535-7668.

Garfield Book Company is located at 208 Garfield St., Tacoma, 98444.

Rocks are Fun

We've continued with our study of rocks this week and have another fun experiment to show you.

My last post about our rock unit talked about how we learned about minerals and rocks using gumdrops to show how the molecular structure of the two differ. By the way, the mineral at the end of that posting was ice. Another highlight this week included a food-based experiment explaining the difference between sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. First, we layered sugar, crushed graham crackers, chocolate chips, and marshmellows in a ziplock bag. This represented sediment. I explained that if this harded, it would become sedimentary rock.

Then we were to apply pressure in the form of a rolling pin and heat in the form of sunlight to the sediment. The pressure wasn't difficult. Here's a photo of the kids in action.

And since it was snowing outside, as Mika is demonstrating, the heat part was trickier. I substituted 5 second bursts in the microwave. What we ended up with respresented metamorphic rock. Then, we dumped our metamorphic rocks into a saucepan and applied high heat to turn it into magma. After that, we cooled it in the fridge. The resulting "rock" was igneous rock. It was an interesting experiment and showed how you can have different types of rock using the same materials. The kids even ate some of their igneous rocks.

I got this experiment from Experiments with Rocks and Minerals by Salvatore Tocci.

We are growing a salt crystal garden and alum crystals right now and will post photos of our results when they are done.

Tacoma Kids Weekly - Week of March 31, 2008

Next week is spring break for area public schools and you can tell. There's lots to choose from this week. I will probably be adding another Tacoma Kids Weekly post as I get more information so check back later and during the week.

Monday, March 31st
Spring Break is coming to IKEA. Each child can take a clean milk carton to "recycle" into a decorated plant container and get a 3" plant to take home. Find the activity in the exit activity area. Activity and plant is free. Limit one per child.

Tuesday, April 1st
Kids can make their own bracelet or necklace at IKEA from 2-4pm using pyssla beads and other fun items. Activity will be located in the exit activity area is for ages 4 and up. Event and supplies are free.

The South Hill Library is having a pirate party for school-age kids. Visit them from 2-3pm for pirate songs, stories, crafts, games, and snacks.

Wednesday, April 2nd
Today, kids are invited to IKEA to decorate an unfinished picture frame to take hom. Event is from 2pm-4pm and will take place in the exit activity area. Event and supplies are free.

Thursday, April 3rd
IKEA staff will be in their demonstration kitchen on Thursday from 2-4pm baking chocolate chip cookies. Kids ages 12 and under can come enjoy the fresh baked cookies with milk.

Several Pierce County libraries are hosting a magic show with Jeff Evans today. Mr. Evan's magic shows are geared towards children and are designed to excite children to read.
Lakewood Library - 11am
Parkland/Spanaway Libary - 1pm
Graham Library - 3:30pm

Friday, April 4th
Radio Disney is coming to IKEA on Friday from 2-4pm for a "Spring Break Dance Party" where kids can dance, play games, win prizes and make paper flowers.

The Tacoma Children's Museum is free all day today. Stop by any time between 10am and 7pm. Those who have a Tacoma library card can visit free anytime simply by checking out a play pass from your local branch.

If you would like to help out our wetlands, join the Tacoma Audubon Society for a breakfast and work party at the Adriana Hess Audubon Center from 9-11am. Contact them for details at (253) 565-9278.

Saturday, April 5th
It is time for Home Depot again. This Saturday kids can visit Home Depot and make a planter box of their very home. Stop by any time between 9am and noon. Parent participation is usually necessary, especially for younger kids. The event is free and all supplies are included. While tools are provided, I recommend bringing your own needle-nosed pliers for holding finishing nails while the kids hammer. Your fingers will thank you.

Michaels' has reinvented their Saturday morning activities and renamed it "The Knack Faculty". This Saturday, kids ages 5-12 can create their very own clay pot. Thirty-minute sessions begin at 10am, 10:30am, 11am, and 11:30am. Cost is $5 per child and all supplies are included.

Head over to the Proctor district for the Junior Daffodil Parade. This parade, which is geared towards children, features costumes, pets, music, and non-motorized floats. Parade begins at 10am.

Sunday, April 6th
University of Puget Sound will be giving a complementary brassworks concert in their Kilworth Memorial Chapel at 7:30pm. These free concerts are a great way to introduce your children to classical instruments and their music.

Olympia Family Theater

Last night, we had the pleasure of attending the Olympia Family Theater's performance of James and the Giant Peach. Olympia Family Theater is Olympia's newest live theater and is currently in its second season. They specifically have the goal of presenting affordable live theater for younger audiences. It's the perfect place to introduce young ones to live theater because the shows are designed for them, making them and their noise, welcome.

James and the Giant Peach was put on at the Sound Puget Sound Community College Center for the Performing Arts because they do not yet have their own building. It is a very nice, modern theater. Costumes were cleverly done. The set and props were minimal and simple. Even without elaborate set design and props, the show was terrific.

The play followed the book's storyline pretty well (much better than Tim Burton's movie which destroyed the story). There was a huge chunk of the story missing (the part involving the cloud men) but I think that was probably due to the difficulty of portraying that in live theater and to keep the player shorter for the young audience.

Each person in my family enjoyed the play. My daughter's favorite character was Ms. Spider and the Ladybug. My son hopped around in his seat, shouting out at appropriate moments. He loved the centipede and the poor, lowly, miserable earthworm. I loved the earthworm. The actor really portrayed his character well. My husband enjoyed the play, laughing out loud at times. My baby even enjoyed parts, clapping at times. After the show, the characters were available for greeting and autographs. It was a great night. This is definitely a theater I'll be keeping my eye on next season.

If you live locally and want to see it, there is still time. The play runs through April 6th with both evening (7pm) and matinee (1pm) shows. Tickets run $15 for adults, $12 seniors, $10 students, and $8 for children under 12 years. For more information, see their website.

Molecular Structure with Young Kids

We started our rock unit yesterday. We started off by reading a short selection in Rocks, Gems, and Minerals by Trudi Strain Trueit, the main text I chose from the library. We read about how rocks, gems, and minerals are used throughout history and throughout the world for many things from construction to weapons to jewelry. We read about the Great Pyramid of King Khufu, Stonehenge, and the Great Wall of China. We learned that fireworks are, in part, made with minerals. We read a brief introduction to atoms, chemical compounds, crystals, and rocks

To demonstrate the difference between an atom and a chemical compound and the difference between a mineral and a rock, we used gumdrops. Yep, candy and toothpicks took front and center in our science lesson yesterday.

A gumdrop represented an element.

A gumdrop connected to another gumdrop of a different color by a toothpick represented a chemical compound.

Several red gumdrops together in a pile represented mineral A.

Several green gumdrops together in a pile represented mineral B.

Then we connected a red to a green with a toothpick. Once A and B are bound together by a chemical bond they cease to exist as A and B. They are now mineral C.

Then we made another pile that included some mineral A's and minerals C's and called that a rock...rocks are mixtures of different minerals.

Then we called A(red) "oxygen" and attached two of them with a toothpick. We breathe this.

Then we called B (green) "hydrogen". We attached two greens and one red with toothpicks. That's water. No matter what, when you put these three gumdrops together in this shape, it always makes water.

Then we made this:

Anyone know which mineral crystal this is? (Hint: Red is still oxygen and green is still hydrogen.)

I got this gumdrop idea from this book. It has quite a few other interesting experiments in it.

My daughter thinks studying rocks is going to be boring. After finding books in the library, looking them over, and choosing just a couple of the many activities and experiments we could do, I know better. This is going to be more fun and interesting that even I had thought it could be.

Positive News

Recent video about homeschooling on cbs.com.

I enjoyed this one because it fits everything I agree with.

Book Review: James and the Giant Peach

Yes, that quote was from James and the Giant Peach. We're are finishing it up today because we will be participating in a book discussion club in our area (sort of -- 30 minutes south of us) for homeschool kids. After the discussion, we'll be watching the movie over lunch and then joining the group at a play based off the book on Thursday evening.

My kids have been loving the book. Whenever it is time to stop reading, Mika begs for more. She's thoroughly enjoying it. Sammy is even remaining interested in it and able to sit through a few chapters at a time and stay awake. (He tends to fall asleep if you read to him to long.)

I'll have to admit that I had never read any of Roald Dahl's books until I started homeschooling the kids. I hadn't even heard of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (book or the Willy Wonka movie) before a few years ago when I was at a friend's house and the original movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, was on TV at her house. Then the Johnny Depp version came out a few years ago and I was interested in it. We've seen both movies now. That lead us to read the book and the sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. Both were lots of fun.

If you are familiar with Roald Dahl's wild and wacky tales, James and the Peach won't disappoint you. There's poor James, forced to live with his evil Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spike, who one day is rescued when he finds a door in the side of a giant peach and meets a host of giant insect creatures. Together, he and his new friends go on a crazy and unpredictable adventure. Throughout it all, we get treated to Mr. Dahl's wonderful descriptions and wacky story line. Reading his works really is a treat that all kids should have the opportunity to enjoy.

The play, for those who live locally, is being done by the Olympia Family Theater. This Thursday evening at 7pm is a pay-what-you-can performance.

**Disclosure: This review was provided of my own free will. I did not receive anything from the publisher, author, or anyone else for the review. I'm just sharing my feelings, opinions, and experiences that are part of our homeschooling experience.

Congrats!

Congrats to Melissa of From Melissa's Desk for being here at the right time and correctly guessing the book I quoted from in my surprise giveaway. She'll be getting a brand new copy of James and the Giant Peach in the mail soon.

Quick!

We've been reading a book and will be finishing it up today. Here's a quote from the book:

The Mayor of New York called up the President of the United States down in Washington, D.C., to ask him for help, and the President, who at that moment was having breakfast in his pajamas, quickly pushed away his half-finished plate of Sugar Crisps and started pressing buttons right and left to summon his Admirals and his Generals. And all the way across the vast stretch of America, in all the fify States from Alaska to Florida, from Pennsylvania to Hawaii, the alarm was sounded and the word went out that the biggest bomb in the history of the world was hovering over New York City, and that at any moment it might go off.

The first person to leave a comment with the title of the book from which this quote came gets a brand new copy of the paperback. If you already own the paperback, you may chose another paperback by the same author (similar price). Contest open to anyone not living with me. Be sure to leave a valid email address (or have it in your profile) so I can contact you.

Tacoma Kids Weekly - Week of March 24th

My kids are so excited that it is, finally, officially spring. They just can't wait for the weather to warm up and the summer events to begin. Only a few more months left. Until then, there's plenty of fun opportunities to enjoy.

Weekly Pick: Once Upon This Island by Lakewood Playhouse

The Lakewood Playhouse has become one of my personal favorite venues because they regularly provide opportunities for families to enjoy live theater without the expense that usually comes with it. One of those opportunities is coming up this week. They will be having a free preview showing (really their final dress rehearsal) of "Once Upon This Island," a Caribbean-themed musical version of the Little Mermaid. The play begins at 8pm and Thursday but plan to arrive at 7pm to get tickets which are handed out on a first come, first serve basis. Seating is also handled first come, first serve with the first arrivals given first pick. Concessions (candy, cookies, soda) are sold so bring a few dollars if you wish to purchase a snack. With the familiarity of the Little Mermaid, this is sure to be a popular one with the kids.

Izilla Toys up in Seattle is offering another free family game night on Wednesday from 5-8pm, complete with pizza and refreshments. Games are available for everyone ages 3 to adult.

The Seattle Men's Chorus, Seattle Women's Chorus, and Jet City Improv are presenting a free children's concert at McCaw Hall in downtown Seattle next Saturday at 2pm. The hour-long concert will have costumes, humor, and audience participation to get kids fired up and interested in music. You must request tickets in advance...limit 6 per family.

Whirligig, the annual indoor carnival for kids, is coming to Seattle Center March 28th through April 13th. Available for their enjoyment will be inflatable rides, clowns, face painters, and free entertainment. A special toddler zone will also be available. Inflatable ride admission will cost $7.25 for an all-day pass, $4.25 for toddlers, or $1.50 for a single ride but kids ride free on Thursdays. Hours are Monday-Thursday 11am-4pm, Friday-Sunday 11am-6pm.

The Puget Home, Garden, and Garage Show is going on this weekend also (March 27th through March 30th) in the showplex at the Western Washington Fairgrounds. Of course, there will be plenty there for gardeners but there will also be kid's activities including gold fish racing. The show will be going on Thursday-Friday from 11am-7pm, Saturday from 10am-7pm, and Sunday from 10am-4pm. Cost: $5 Thursday and Friday, $9 Saturday and Sunday, FREE 18 and under

Are you Scottish, studying Scotland, or just love the sound of bagpipes? If yes, then the Scottish Heritage Festival is the place for you this coming weekend. The 9th annual National Tartan Day Celebration will be going on at the Western Washington Fairgrounds on March 29th from 9am-5pm. You can enjoy the sound of bag pipes, learn about Scottish clans, and see Highland dancers. The cost is $5 adults, $3 students/seniors, Free 5 and under.

If you are studying astronomy or just love the stars, there's an event for you this weekend as well. The Tacoma Astronomical Society will be hosting a free public viewing session at Pierce College (9401 Farwest Drive SW, Lakewood, WA) on Saturday, March 29th from 7:30pm-11:00pm. There will be indoor lectures, demonstrations, and workshops regardless of the weather. If the night is clear, volunteers provide telescopic observation of many celestial objects. The event is free (donations accepted) and geared to a wide age range.

Plant Experiments for Kids

We've wrapped up our plant unit. It was a lot of fun with good books and some fun experiments that are still in the works. Here are a couple of the experiments we did.

Remember these guys? I posted about them on March 10th after buying them for $2.49 each at JoAnn's fabrics. The original experiment called for growing grass in a cake pan but we thought these were much more fun.

Here's what they looked like 2 days ago. We were shocked to have grass growing in just 2 days and this wonderful long "hair" in just a week. Sammy's grass hair is yellow because the experiment was to see what would happen to a plant that didn't get any sunlight. So, once the grass was 1/2 inch tall, we placed the poor Grasshead (as we now call them) into the bread box. The yellow hair actually looks kind of cool! Sammy has since trimmed its hair to look like his own, a buzz cut. Mika's elephant is currently sporting pigtails.

This experiment involved planting bean seeds inside a glass jar full of wet paper towels. The paper towels provided moisture and also held the seeds against the glass so that we could see them. Once the bean seeds began growing roots and we could see that they were growing downward, we turned the jar upside down to see what would happen. Well, the roots pulled a fast u-turn. You can see it best near the top of the jar where the blue arrow is pointing.

Not a good photo at all but this was in impromptu experiment. After making guacamole a few days ago, we decided to see if we could sprout the avocado seed. Nothing yet. I understand they make good house plants for a few years until they grow too big to remain indoors (they ARE a tree, after all).

My kids love experiments so this was a good unit for them. Next week we begin rocks (I've got to plan it over the weekend). I'm pretty sure we'll be making edible "rocks" to see how different kinds of rocks are formed and growing a few crystals.

Quindoplets

I guess there are some things my kids have yet to learn....like the correct pronunciation for quintuplets. Which, by the way, is what my kids want me to have next.

How We Came to Homeschooling the Way We Do: Part 3

In my last post in this series, I talked about how my daughter wanted to go to kindergarten with her friend but she was too young and how I had been teaching her basic phonics and math concepts at her request. Now it was time to enroll her in kindergarten but I knew that kindergarten wasn't the right placement for her.

How did I know that kindergarten wasn't the correct placement for my daughter? One way I knew was those school newsletter articles I was reading from my son's school. The other was that I researched the GLE's (Grade Level Expectations-our state's definitions of what each child should know by the end of each grade level) and found out that she already knew literally every GLE for kindergarten and had a good start on those for first grade.

So, one day, I grabbed our binder with all of the workbook pages she had completed in the past year and headed off to the local elementary school. My intention was to show the principal the work she had completed to prove to him that she was academically ready for first grade and request that she skip kindergarten altogether. Well, THAT didn't go exactly as planned.

When I walked into the school office I was greeted by one of the not-entirely-friendly women working there. She asked me what I needed and I explained why I was there. I was never allowed the opportunity to talk to the principal. Instead I was sent home with a phone number for someone at the district. When I arrived home, I called the number and reached another not-entirely-friendly person who seemed much too disinterested to really speak to me. When I explained the reason for my call, I was told concisely and curtly that it wasn't going to happen. When I asked if they could test her, the response was that they don't test kids that age. At best, I was told, they would enroll her in kindergarten and monitor her for a month to decide her future. I was given a number to someone who works within the gifted and talented program as a possible avenue to explore. That person never returned any of my calls. It seemed that the school was unwilling to work with me to find the best placement for my daughter.

Now some might say that they were willing to find the best placement because the woman from the district said that they might consider monitoring her first month in kindergarten. I wouldn't consider that a good option at all. First, I was never told that they would monitor and make that decision. I was told AT BEST that would happen. Second, I had problems with that scenario. The way I saw it one of two things would happen.

One possible scenario I saw with that option was that my daughter would be so happy in the presences of other kids (remember she was extremely social), that they'd determine she was fine where she was. This meant she would learn nothing new for the whole year since she had already mastered all of the GLE's being taught. I personally experienced the boredom of being ahead of the class and didn't want that experience for my daughter.

The other possible scenario I saw was that my daughter would indeed get moved to first grade but, since a month had passed, she would be at a disadvantage academically and socially. She would have missed a month of instruction and she would be the new kid in class. Everyone who's ever been to public school knows how hard it can be on the new kid in class. Combine that with the fact that the kids would most likely know that she was moved up from kindergarten and my daughter would be at a severe social disadvantage. She would be the new kid, the smart kid, and the youngest kid in the class. What a nightmare! I cringe thinking about the bullying and teasing she would be subjected to.

I couldn't accept either scenario so, having run into a dead end, I felt I had no other choice but to homeschool. (There are other reasons we homeschool but they, at the time, weren't preventing us from considering public school.) I would have considered private school but there was no hope of affording the tuition costs. Now, I would have to figure out how to homeschool before the next school year began.

Part 1: Before Homeschool
Part 2: Preschool at Home
Part 4: Kindergarten Done the Hard Way

Surprising Revelation

My daughter's public-schooled friend mentioned today that she sometimes helps in the 1st grade classroom; she's in third grade. I don't have a problem with this at all. When I was in fourth grade, I spent my lunches, tutoring first graders or reading them a story. What surprised me was what she does when she is helping in the 1st grade class...she grades their spelling tests and math papers!

What do you think? Is it right for 3rd graders to grade tests and homework for the 1st grade teacher? Are they mature enough to handle this reponsibility? Are they mature enough not to come to negative judgements about the kids they are grading? Or the graded kids' race? Are they mature enough not to let their feelings about a particular kid influence how they mark the papers? Are there any other potential problems you can see with using young kids to grade tests and other papers?

I Thought They Didn't....

I thought that the public schools weren't suppose to teach to the test. If that is true, why are public school students coming home with pages and pages of "WASL practice" for homework? These WASL practice sheets look identical to the standardized test and, from what I've read, may very well be copies of previous WASL tests. (WASL is our state's standardized assessment test.) And, if they are spending all this money, time, and effort preparing the kids for the test, when are they teaching non-test subjects?

Here's a couple of links about the WASL.

Richland School Board President discussing the cost and inefficiency of the WASL

Teacher talks about how 2 full months of the school year is spent on WASL practice and teaching to the test.

List of misleading "facts" given in 2004/2005 WASL test to make it look like students scored well

It's things like this that have led to our decision to homeschool for educational reasons. We have other reasons as well.

Public School Vicariously

Every so often, my daughter gets to see what public school students do vicariously through her friend who is one year older but at the same grade level as my daughter. For the past three weeks, we have picked her friend up from school at 3:00pm each day. The experience is helping my daughter appreciate homeschooling more.

For example, three weeks ago we learned that her friend gets one recess a day, not including lunch. Recess is typically 15 minutes. On days when we are home, she gets two recesses a day. Outside recesses are 30-45 minutes long and sometimes we take advantage of a great opportunity and just stay out for an hour or two. On days that we are home but not on schedule, we may start late or finish early...think of those long recesses at the very beginning or end of the school day. She's realizing that she has a lot more play time during school hours than her public-schooled counterparts.

We also learned that her friend has PE twice a week. My daughter also has PE twice a week but she gets to do it for longer (1 hour 45 minutes on Tuesdays and 1 hour on Thursdays). She also likes that she gets to do activities she enjoys rather than having to do those "boy sports."

Then there's the field trips. My daughter thinks it's "impossible" that public school students only get a couple a year. She's used to a couple per month.

My daughter is also realizing what homework does to your playtime. She looked forward to seeing her friend all day today only to find out that she had a lot of homework today. Homework was 4 pages of math, spelling (writing a story using the spelling words), and 20 minutes of reading. So, rather than playing with her friend, she had to wait for her to finish at least some of the homework. Over an hour later, they were finally able to play for 15 minutes before mom showed up to take her friend home. The girls asked if the friend could stay and play longer but it was explained that she had to get home to finish homework, eat dinner, and do some other things they had to do. They seemed disappointed.

So on those days when my school-reluctant daughter moans about "doing school", I can reminder her how good she has it with late starts, long recesses, early finishes, no homework, and lots of field trips.

How We Came to Homeschooling the Way We Do: Part 2

I first began "teaching" my own children at home when my daughter was four years old. My daughter's best friend at the time was nine months older than her and was beginning kindergarten without her. My daughter wanted to go to school, but with a birthday in January, it just wasn't going to happen. She was ready for it in every way...academically, emotionally, socially.

After explaining to my daughter that she wasn't old enough to go to school, she asked me to teach her to read. I didn't know how to teach someone to read so I put it off. It hadn't occurred to me that there might be curriculum for reading instruction that I could buy. Then one day in Costco, I happened upon a phonics workbook bundled with a handwriting workbook. Nearby was an alphabet workbook bundled with a math workbook. I wanted the alphabet and phonics workbooks but the only way to get them was to buy all four. The price as right so I walked out with all four workbooks. These became my first curricula.

The next day, I sat down with my daughter at the dining room table and began going through the alphabet book. We ended up going through a letter a day (2 pages, front and back) and added a few math pages as well. It didn't take long to finish that alphabet workbook. Once it was completed, we moved on to the phonics workbook. It only took us about 30 minutes a day. I still wasn't considering homeschooling at this point however.

During this time, we learned that our son was severely delayed in many areas including language, speech, cognitive, and social development. When he turned three in December, we enrolled our son in the public school district's special education preschool program so he could receive much needed age-appropriate speech therapy. Each day I put him on the bus to school (our neighborhood school didn't have a preschool so he was bussed to the closest one that did) and then walked inside to continue working through those Costco workbooks with my daughter.

My son's school sent out a newsletter each month. I found it interesting to look through these as each grade level had a little article discussing the things that were being learned along with suggestions for the parents to assist in the learning. With my daughter beginning kindergarten the next year, I paid close attention to that article. I realized that my daughter already knew or was learning everything the kindergartners were learning and doing it at a much faster rate. It was at this point, I began to consider homeschooling as an option.

What I was reading about homeschooling looked ideal for my daughter's academic progress. However, she was extremely social and I felt that she would enjoy being with and playing with the other kids in her class. We went back and forth on the idea not able to decide which way to go until one day I decided to visit the school with a request.

Part 1: Before Homeschool
Part 3: The School Makes My Decision for Me

How We Came to Homeschooling the Way We Do: Part 1

One recurring theme I've seen in those considering homeschooling is the question or concern over choosing the right curriculum to use. Unfortunately, not I nor anyone else, can answer that question. Oh, we can make suggestions based on our experiences but we cannot answer that question for you because the answer is different for each and every homeschool student out there. My short answer to that question is to read a bunch of homeschooling reviews to get a feel for what you might be interested in, check out curricula at a homeschooling convention, and then lay out the finalists before you and say, "Eeny, meeny, miney mo, you're it." Then try that one. If you like it, keep it. If you mostly like it, tweak it. If you hate it, toss it and make a new selection and start the process over again. It might sound ridiculous being written out like that but that is not much different than the way I've come to my decisions for our homeschool.

The beginning of our homeschool adventure began before my eldest was of school age. With her, we did much of what experts suggested parents do with their children; we read to her, pointed things out to her while naming or describing them, counted literally everything, and played learning games we made up. Just before she was two, I was on bedrest with my second. I couldn't leave the bed so we filled our days with learning to use the computer mouse and learning preschool stuff. I had a large pad of paper on which I'd draw shapes, letters, numbers, faces and other basic illustrations. If you were a fly on the wall, you would have heard, "Where's the circle?" or "Do you see the letter B?" or "Is this person happy or sad?" When she was three and four, our idea of entertaining her on a 5 hour car drive was to bring along a magna doodle so we could draw three dots here and two dots there and have her count the dots to find out how many there were altogether or we'd write the word "cat" or "dog" or "ham" so she could sound them out. At this point, we weren't even thinking about homeschooling; it wasn't even in the back of our minds. It was just something to do that she enjoyed doing. In homeschool terms, you might say we were teaching preschool using an unschooling, child-directed, or delight-directed method and no curricula.

Part 2 tomorrow: Our First Curricula

Tacoma Kids Weekly-Week of March 17, 2008

Sorry I'm late getting this posted this week. We've had a very busy day. First, Scott had to go to the hardware store and buy a new thermostat so he could get the heat back on (the thermostat broke Friday leaving us without heat). While he was fixing the heat, I was cleaning up the poo my dog tracked throughout the house. Then Sammy and I had two hours of taekwondo after which I backed into a pole in the parking lot. My dad showed up soon after for a weekend visit. Then I took Mika to a birthday party after which we went to the grocery store. Then I cooked dinner, ate dinner, and made dessert. I'm finally having time to sit and post now that it is 10:30pm. And I totally forgot about the events going on today that I may have wanted to take the kids to. Here's what's coming up this week.

Sunday March 16 there will be a St. Patrick's Day parade in Sumner. Don some green and enjoy the parade which starts at 1pm on Main Street.

Izilla Toys up in Seattle is hosting another crafty afternoon on Monday from 3pm to 5pm. They will be having fun with Shrinky Dinks. Rememer those? I'm sure our kids will love them as much as we did.

Thursday, March 20th is the Third Thursday Artwalk in downtown Tacoma. There are many venues to choose one; all free from 5-8pm. Visit your favorite place or check out something new. Venues include the Tacoma Art Museum (which is actually free all day), the Washington State History Museum, and the Museum of Glass. Visit this website for a complete list of venues.

Also on Thursday, the Garfield Book Company will be hosting an Easter craft making event from 6pm to 7pm. This bookstore is kid and homeschool friendly so check them out. They are located at 208 S. Garfield Ste. 101, Parkland, WA near PLU.

There are a few events on Saturday for rock and mineral enthusiasts or those studying rocks.

Up north in Lake City, there is a rock and mineral show by the North Seattle Lapidary and Mineral Club. The show includes displays, demonstrations, junior activities, and more. It will be taking place at the Lake City Community Center Saturday from 10am-6pm and Sunday from 10am-5pm. There will be a pancake breakfast Sunday from 9am to noon. The event is free. (Yes, I know Lake City is far away but it looks interesting and I want to remember it because we are studying rocks the week followings.)

Locally, there will be a Gem Faire at the Tacoma Dome this coming weekend. You can learn about gem and mineral collecting, take classes (I believe they have an extra fee), view demonstrations, and have jewelry repaired while you wait. The event takes place Friday, March 21st from noon to 7pm, Saturday from 10am-7pm and Sunday from 10am-5pm. Cost is $5 and children 11 and under are free.

The UPS Flea Market takes place Saturday from 10am to 5pm in the UPS Field House on N. 11th and Union. The event is billed at popular with most furniture tagged as sold by 11am. So, if you're going, go early. My kids LOVE garage sales and flea markets.

The Lakewood Pierce County Library (6300 Wildaire Road SW) is showing "The Cat in the Hat" on Saturday, March 22 at 1pm as part of their Big Screen Fun events.

Also on Saturday, the Knutzen Family Theatre is putting on "The Three Pigs" at 11am and 1pm. This version of the show is billed as a "zany rendition complete with audience participation" suitable for ages 3-9 and families. Tickets are $8.

On Sunday, March 23rd, hop on over to IKEA for the Bunny Hop from 10am-1pm. Kids can grab an easter bag and hunt for prizes.

Have a fun week!

Studying Plants Can be Interesting

It's been a long week. We've been using the plan I came up with last week and, despite our busy schedule, getting it all done. I'm hoping it gets easier to get it all done...the homeschool and the housework...because I'm beat. It's not helping that Sammy, Josh, Mika, and now I have been sick.

So what have we been doing?

We've been studying plants. Our unit study has included poetry, books, labeling diagrams, field trips, and art projects. It's been interesting and even a little fun.

We've been reading, studying, and memorizing the poem "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer. We've talked about vocabulary words, the meaning of the poem, and the use of personification. We'll talk about using couplets in poetry tomorrow.

We've been using the book What is a Plant by Bobbie Kalman as our base text. It's been just right for my kids, giving enough information but not being over their head or too long. So far, we've read about what a plant is, about organisms that look like but are not plants, about the basic parts of a plant, and how they make food or get food (carnivorous plants). Mika is especially enthralled with Venus flytraps and wants me to buy her one. We'll continue next week with seeds, flowers, and more trees.

We've been reading other books that loosely tie in with the theme as well. We've enjoyed The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Trees by Jim Arnosky, Poisonous Plants by Suzanne M. Coil, and Fly Traps! Plans that Bite Back by Marin Jenkins.

For a science tie in, we've begun a couple of experiments. We've seen what happens to plants that don't get water by leaving celery out of water and then what happens when celery is left in sugar water. We are patiently waiting for two jars of seeds to sprout so we can learn about how roots and stems grow (we'll be turning them upside down after the roots/stems have begun growing). We are also waiting for our grass to grow in our animal pots so we can see what happens when plants don't get sunlight.

For field trips, we picked up a friend and headed over to a local nursery. We looked around at the different plants available and chose a few to plant at our house. The rain has come back with a vengeance so we are hoping it lets up before the plants die on us. I have a serious brown thumb so the plants will be lucky to survive anyway. It's all in the experience, right? After the nursery, we headed to a nearby park. We walked around the lake looking for leaves to bring home for an art project. After the walk (about 1 1/2 miles, I think), we played at the playground for a while before coming home.

Earlier in the week, we made Carle-like scenes depicting flowers or trees. The kids enjoyed that. Today we made plant tiles that will be magnets tomorrow after they are completely dry. I want to thank Home For Heaven's Sake for the idea and directions for this great craft. Be sure to drop by and visit her. First, we rolled out Sculpey clay. Then we gently pressed our leaves into the clay. After removing the leaves, we cut out the outline of the leaf or around the leaf outline if it was too complicated and then baked them.

Here's Mika painting one of the leaf tiles with acrylic paint. She's making sure to apply the paint somewhat heavy to make sure the paint gets into all the cracks before it dries.

After painting, we then used paper towels to wipe off the paint leaving just what has stained the clay. The color is darker where the veins of the leaves have printed into the clay.

Here are the finished leaves after glossy sealant has been applied. Aren't they pretty? I think I want to repeat this craft in the summer or fall when we have more leaves to choose from. The pickings are pretty slim in the winter. What you see above is bracken fern, part of a cedar branch, and two magnolia leaves.

It's been fun but I'm tired. Next week, we'll continue with our plant unit before moving on to rocks. I'll have to plan that one next week during the many free hours I have each day. LOL

You Know Your Kid is Smart When...

...she corrects your errors and typos on your blog and she's only eight years old.

This is the second time Mika has publicly corrected an error on my blog. See the comments section for the last post if you want to read her admonishment to me. What's a homeschool mom to do? I could ban her from reading my blogs. I could explain, again, the concept of typos and tell her to lay off. Or I could spell check my posts and do a better job proofreading.

The last one is the best choice given that I'm trying to teach her to write well and proofread her own work. There is just one problem with that; I am often typing quickly while nursing a baby who is kicking my keyboard and fretting about getting dinner done or getting out the door on time. That doesn't leave a lot of time for proofreading.

So, if you notice my typos, grammatical errors, awkward sentences, or whatever other error there may be in my writing, please extend me some grace while my daughter teaches me English. : )

Excited to Learn

A first happened in our home today! Mika asked to do more school! She's even looking forward to tomorrow. I'm in shock! Somebody come revive me.

Normally, Mika grumbles about having to do school. It doesn't matter that she only has a few hours of school to do a day. It doesn't matter that we do a lot of field trips, although she does like going places. It doesn't matter that I try to do hands on projects when I can. And it certain doesn't matter that I'm trying to make it interesing and keep the boring stuff, the book work, to a minimum. She still has hated school the last couple of years.

We started my new plan today, or at least the two-week trial of my new plan that I've been working every spare minute I have to plan. Apparently, it worked for her. Here's what we did today.

First, I woke up about an hour later than I had hoped because I'm exhausted from several late nights (trying to figure out how to marry two different curriculums), from being sick (I caught Josh's bug, as did Sammy and Mika), and from the dreaded time change (which always throws me off for about a week). So I didn't get much done in the way of chores. I did manage to shower, clean the bathroom, and eat some cereal. Then we started at 9am as planned.

We are working in our Konos unit for Orderliness and doing the topic of plants. I'm trying to marry Konos-style unit study activities with Heart of Dakota's organization. There are 10 sections to each day.

1. First, we read 1st Corinthians 14:40 and discussed the meaning of the word "orderly" and what the verse meant.

2. We read Lamentations 3: 22-23 and the lyrics to the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness." We sang the song and discussed the meaning of the first verse.

3. We read part of What is a Plant? by Bobbie Kalman. I chose this book as our basic text for the next two weeks. It is simple enough for their age level but provides a decent overview of what I want to cover. Today we read the sections called "Living Things Need Plants", "What are Plants?", and "Not a Plant." My daughter loves read alouds and didn't want my to stop.

This was the first hour of school. Because I woke up late and needed to get some chores done and because of the weather (cold and gray), I let the kids have 1/2 hour of computer time in lieu of going outside for recess.

4 & 5. Next I had the kids do their math and then their language arts book work while I tried to get Josh down for a nap. To my disappointment, he didn't fall asleep.

6. We read and discussed the poem "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer. The kids really liked this poem and wanted to read it several times. We each took a turn to read it in its entirety. We also took turns each reading a couplet. We also looked up any words they didn't know in their children's dictionary.

This was the second hour of school. We left the house to run errands for two hours. We picked up some craft supplies for an upcoming art project and science project, bought cat and dog food at Costco, ate lunch at Costco, and tried to pick up a couple of books that I ordered but weren't in yet.

7. Arriving home, we started an experiment that involves growing grass. At JoAnn's Fabrics, I found these cute little animal pots that you grow grass hair in to use for the science experiment. We planted the grass seed today.

8. We read Eric Carle's The Tiny Seed and discussed his artwork.

9. We made our own Carle-like art work using scrapbooking paper. I joined the kids and made one too. They like it when I work on art, crafts, or other projects with them.

10. We read the first chapter of our read aloud, The Wind in the Willows .

I'm totally exhausted now and still have to clean up our art project, cook dinner, and leave for my weekly meeting. I'm glad she had fun though. Sammy rarely complains but I think he had fun. He spent more time on the art project than Mika did and talked with me the whole time.

Recess

Mika was thrilled to be inducted into the Two Wheeler Hall of Fame this passed week.

School was out Friday so we went to the local elementary school to ride around the track and playground. Later, we rode around the block 6 times. They rode and I walked (pushing Josh in his buggy) approximately 2 miles.

He's working up a sweat steering his new buggy.

Our New Schedule

Since having our bad day Monday, I've been trying to follow a new schedule as much as we've been able. Since I know many people struggle with scheduling issues, I thought I would share what we are doing since this week has gone much better. Even though we were unable to completely follow the whole plan, we've gotten more done than usual and have been happier.

What I did was very simple; it would have to be for this mom to have any hope of following it. I created a schedule as if I expected to be home from 9am to 3pm every day. We aren't this year so we've been following it as much as we are able. I broke the day up into very simple blocks of time. I have never before been able to follow any kind of schedule I've attempted. All of them have been much more detailed than this current one.

The first block of time is the before-school time. I made a strong effort to be out of bed by 6:30am. While I didn't make it out that early each morning, I got very close. I used the morning time to shower, get dressed, wipe down the bathroom (Flylady's swish & swipe), make my bed, and try to get a few other chores down. If I had laundry to fold from the day before, I folded some of it. If I had dishes left over from the day before (I haven't mastered getting dishes washed at night yet...we have no dishwasher), I try to wash some of them. If I have clean dishes in the drainer, I put them away. I also start a load of wash. The new rule for the kids is that they must be up by 7:30am. They are usually up by then on their own. They are to have their chores done before 8:30. Their chores consist of making their bed, getting dressed/personal hygiene, and feeding the animals. It can easily be accomplished in about 15-20 minutes. Any leftover time can be used as playtime (no computer/game cube). At 8:30am, we eat breakfast; this is either cereal or toast they get themselves or breakfast I have cooked if I have the time, energy, and desire to do so.

School starts at 9am. We work for an hour.

At 10am, we go outside for half and hour of "recess." We go outside and play. We've been pulling out their scooters, bikes, and balls. I bought the baby a "buggy" that he can sit in while I push it so we can walk/ride in the neighborhood rather than just up and down the street. He loves it and rode 2 miles over 2 recesses yesterday. The kids have loved this part because I'm normally not organized enough to take them outside to play and they can't go in the front yard alone.

At 10:30am, we come back in for another hour of school.

At 11:30, we break for an hour for lunch. We eat together at the table and then the kids are free to play (no computer/game cube) for the rest while I work on dishes and other chores.

At 12:30pm, we work on another hour of school.

At 1:30pm, we have another outside recess.

At 2pm, we finish up school and are done for the day at 3pm. Now they can finally have their computer/game cube time if they want.

This is the schedule we are shooting for. I wasn't prepared for this since I decided on it Monday and started it on Tuesday so we just winged it this week. We also get interrupted on Tuesdays and Thursdays for swimming and gymnastics.

How I fill each block of school time will change as I develop my new plan for curriculum. I'm working on it diligently and hope it will work out well. I've been working hard to be able to put the new plan into action next week as a trial week. I'll let you know how it goes and, if it goes well, I'll share the new plan.

Tacoma Kids Weekly - Week of March 10, 2008

Here's a few ideas for the coming week:

1. I missed an idea on last weeks list for tomorrow. It's not too late so I'll mention it now. The WW Seymour Botanical Conservatory is holding its monthly concert tomorrow from 1:00 to 2:30pm. The featured musian is Dan Good who plays Irish Jazz. The event is free; just stop by. While taking the kids to a greenhouse is probably not the mostly likely placed you'd think of to take kids, I can see great opportunities here. I envision it like this. Stop by the Conservatory and enjoy the beautiful variety of plants while listening to the informal concert. Point out particularly interesting plants to the kids, talk about plant varieties, or have them hunt for specific things you might be learning in a unit on plants (they have purple and green shamrocks on display right now in addition to other plants). Or you can focus on the music if you are studying a music unit. Or yet another focus could be the artwork you find; they have an exhibit within the greenhouse. Afterwards, walk down the hill and let the kids play in the playground for a little bit. After they've gotten some playtime in, take a stroll around the park looking at other plants and trees, take some rubbings, and collect some specimens to take home to study further or make crafts with.

2. Monday is the Tahoma Audubon Bird Walk from 12-1pm at the Adriana Hess Wetland Park (2917 Morrison Road W., University Place). It is billed as for all ages. The walk is free. for more information, call them at 253-565-9278.

3. Storyteller, Tom Galt, will be telling Leprechaun tales at the Puyallup Public Library (324 S. Meridian) at 6:30pm on Monday. This library is located in a very nice park; it the weather is nice it would be great to play for a while before and then rest while listening to his stories. The event is free; no registration is required.

4. If you miss the Adriana Hess bird walk, you can also catch another on Wednesday from 9:30am to 12:00pm at Titlow Park. If you join them, you'll be walking the shoreline and wooded portions of the park looking for cormorants, grebes, ducks, and pileated woodpeckers. To register, call the Tahoma Audubon office at (253) 565-9278. No fee was mentioned.

5. Stop by Garfield Book Co. (208 S. Garfield St, Ste 101, Parkland) on Friday evening from 6-7pm and make a St. Patrick's Day kids craft. This bookstore near PLU is both kid-friendly and homeschool-friendly.

6. Friday is the Pt. Defiance Zoo's free day for City of Tacoma residence. If you live in the city limits, all you need to do is bring proof of address for each adult in your group. The cooler weather is a great time to visit the zoo because the animals are usually more active. We went last month and had a great time.

7. Saturday from 10am to 3pm is the Knack Free Family Event at Michaels'. According to the website, you can create three projects for free. (Another place on the website lists the usual $2 fee for the Saturday projects; I'd just print the page you'll find at the link and take it with you in case there's an issue.) It looks like the three projects will be a cute pencil topper, a doorknob hanger, and a homemade card.

8. Saturday is the monthly JoAnn's Fabrics kids craft. This little event is free and great for younger kids who like to make crafts. They set up a table in the kids craft section and an employee helps the kids complete a simple craft.

9. Saturday is also the date for the Tahoma Audubon Discovery Walk through the lower White River in Pacific. According to their website, discovery walks are for families and friends of all ages (but recommended for ages 4 and up). You'll explore the site with an experienced nature guide. This event is free for members or $5 per person. Call (253) 591-6439 to register and get directions.

Fun Time With a Book

We've had a pretty good day today. While I haven't gotten everything done that I wanted to get done, I still feel satisfied with how our day has gone. We got a few chores done, got our basic school work completed early, and enjoyed some time riding bikes and playing with another homeschool family nearby. After returning home, the kids and I snuggled up on the couch to read some picture books I picked up for Sammy before I return them to the library tomorrow.

One of the books we read was Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog by Dr. Seuss writing as Theo LeSeig. This turned out to be an expected blessing. We just didn't read the book; we each answered the questions presented as we read. Questions like "Would you rather be a dog or be a cat?" and "Would you rather be a cactus or a toadstool or a rose?" and "Would you rather be a table or a chair?" I enjoyed hearing my children's answers and they mine. It also gave me an unusual way to know my children just a little bit more.

For example, my daughter would rather be a dog because she might be able to work with police or protect her owners. My son would rather be a cactus because he could prick people if they are bugging him. We quickly found out that we needed to take turns who went first because Sammy had a tendency of saying, "...because of the same reason Mika said." He got into the game soon enough and was quickly chiming in with his own answers and wanting to go first.

It was a great time. For this reason alone, I would recommend reading the book with your kids even if they are a bit too old for it. ~smile

What about you? Have you ever had unexpected special moments like this?

**Disclosure: This review was provided of my own free will. I did not receive anything from the publisher, author, or anyone else for the review. I'm just sharing my feelings, opinions, and experiences that are part of our homeschooling experience.

A New Schedule

Monday was a bad day for us. I had wanted to get all of our school work done, not just the basics. I had wanted to get some decluttering and laundry done, not just the bare minimum of cleaning. Neither of those things happened. Not only did they not happen but my kids were griping about having to start school at 10:30am after spending several hours playing and not doing their morning chores. I lost it and we had a bad day. On a good note, we did get some decluttering and general picking up done after I lost it.

I decided it was time to try getting on a real schedule. I hate schedules; I really do. I feel confined by schedules. I feel trapped at home because my schedule says it's time to do this so I can't go do that. In my mind, schedules leave no room for field trips, errands, or enjoying the unexpected sunshine. I could schedule a certain day for field trips but what if a homeschool group plans an awesome field trip that fits perfectly with what we are learning but it is on the wrong day? What if you run out of milk before it is grocery day? What if the sun shines and you know the rain is coming but it isn't time for recess? I have trouble dealing with these things when I'm trying to follow a schedule. If I try to allow for flexibility, I tend to lose the entire day the moment I get off track. It's just something I haven't figured out yet.

So, with all that said, I'm trying again. I came up with a very simple schedule as if we were home for the whole school day which we aren't...by a long shot. I'm trying to allow for things, like our class schedule, to mess it up. I don't know what to do for those days that we can't follow the schedule because we are gone. Do we just skip what we miss or do we try to cram it into the evenings or weekend? We are not the type to be happy being home 5 days a week; we need to get out!

The good news it that it seems to be working...for two days at least. We are getting our school work done. We are getting our basic chores done. We are getting outside and enjoying the sun shine. I'm even getting some extra done; my laundry is more caught up than it's been for a long time and I've got a good chunk of my flower bed weeded. I'm exhausted though.

The bad news is that I don't have enough work to fill up all the time that I'm called "school time." My kids just zoom through their language arts (spelling, phonics, grammar, reading comprehension) and math in record time. It takes Mika under an hour and Sammy a little longer. Then we start reading our unit study stuff and read aloud. We don't really have any hands on for our current study. Poor Sammy fell asleep on my while we read about animal classification and fish today.

The other good news is that I think our new schedule will work for next year when I'll have our unit studies planned out better. We'll have time to do hands on stuff and I'll (hopefully) be organized and prepared to do them. Plus, we are dropping the YMCA next year which will make it easier to keep a schedule in the first place.

Kids Devotionals & Radio Program

Today I found the coolest Christian website for kids. It is just so cool that I couldn't wait until after I explored everything there is to discover there before writing a post about it.

CBH Ministries's website is a place for kids to learn more about God. There's plenty to explore and do on this website. Like I said before, I haven't explored the whole thing so I can't tell you everything there is there to see; you'll have to go there yourself. What I can tell you about is just a couple of features that I love already. Click the banner above to get to CBH Ministries's home page.

CBH has a section called "Keys for Kids" which is a daily devotional (called a "key") written for kids ages 6-12. There are so many ways to explore these keys it is amazing. You can get up to 5 copies of the keys by mail bi-monthly for free. You can get the daily devotionals by email and have them sent your child's email address directly. The keys are available in a pdf file for you to print; they come with several "journal it" pages, application questions, and prayer requests. The keys are also searchable; you can read today's key, any previous key, or search by Bible passage or topic. You can also listen to an audio version of it which is more than just a reading of the text. Click the banner to visit Keys for Kids.

CBH has another section called Gilead Land which is a radio drama program for the whole family. I know some families, especially homeschooling families, love listening to radio dramas. What's great about this one is that it teaches Christian character as you listen to the story unfold. Each episode (there's over 100 of them in 9 seasons) is available to listen to for free online, downloadable as an MP3 file for $2 each, or available on CD for $20 per season. Each episode online includes a summary of the episode, some personal application questions, and Bible references. Gilead Lane also includes a place where you can learn more about each of the characters and places in the drama, behind the scenes video clips, and a newsletter about the show. Click the banner above to get to Gilead Lane.

There's also a place to learn more about Christ and grow in your faith, a place with games and a forum, and Camp Be-Yon-Key. The latter is a place to learn more about God, explore Bible lessons, and test your knowledge.

What a great resource!