A Shift In Life

We use Horizons for Phonics, Spelling and Writing for Candice. We havent been using the writing because I feel like she is strong in writing. Spelling is ok. Phonics is the big one. The book is FULL of rules. Rules after Rules of Rules and More RULES! AGH! How is she suppose to learn to read when she has to remember all the rules!! SO I stepped away. FAR away. Phonics rules are important, but she has to learn beyond the rules. I have started having Candice read everything. No more " I cant read". I have began to add writing again. I stopped Spelling. I want her to focus on reading and learning to read through writing, then we can focus BACK on rules and spelling.
It is going A LOT better!

As for Lana, There is a serious Focus issue. She gets very easily distracted and its frustrating. I dont have a solution for it yet.

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As for our school day (which will be a later post this week (A Day In Our HS Life))..... I changed things up there too. Candice and Lana will do their lessons and whoever is done first will get on Zoodles in my room while the other finishes and then the 2nd one can get on Zoodles. MUCH easier to get work done this way!

Not Back To School Blog Hop: Pictures!

Its Homeschool picture time!! YAY!! (sorry for the dates showing up in the pics :()

Here is Candice (going into 2nd grade)

Here is Lana (going into 2nd year of K)

as for other things, we are changing up the way we do Horizons Phonics and we decided not to do the Co-Op. We have been having car issues and i cant guarantee my car will make it to the Co-Op every week.

Not Back To School Blog Hop: School Room Week!

We school in the dining room. I would LOVE a school room, but living in an apartment makes that hard.

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Here is where the everyday books/supplies are held. It is a piano bench I turned into a table bench. 

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Behind the table is the kitchen and I have our Homemade Chalkboard on the side of the fridge.

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We have a white wardrobe that my parents gave us in the living room that holds the supplies and books. 

top: K curriculum books/1st grade curric/2nd grade curric
Middle: rod im going to eventually put bags of manipulatives
bottom: 3 drawer=paper/brown basket=Lana's Busy Basket/green pail=extra supplies IE: rubber bands, etc/2 red pails=journals, notebooks, etc/Grey tool box=extra school supplies IE: crayons, pencils, etc/Green cooler= Manipulatives
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and finally I have research books in our Buffet table that has our TV sitting on it in the living room. No picture of it though sorry.

Stamping It Out

Today Candice stamped her spelling words. She had to read it, stamp it and then tomorrow I will have her write them. We didnt get the chance, but tomorrow we will work more on double digits (writing and saying them 20-50).
Lana practiced her 3s and did GREAT! I told her you can make a B, take away the line and make it a 3! She caught right on!

Tonight they have VBS. Yesterday was the first day and Lana got overwhelmed and ending up with me the 2nd 1/2 of the night. Not fun.

Not Back To School Blog Hop: Curriculum

This week on the Not Back To School Blog Hop is Curriculum!! YAHOO!

After buying used online and going to the Midwest Homeschool Convention, we are set for the upcoming year! We went with something easy, that has worked and is slightly christian based.

Candice (2nd grade): - must notify this year, so we have more ground to cover.
AOPs Horizons 2nd Grade Phonics, Spelling and Penmanship.
AOPs Horizons 1st grade Health
Saxon Math 1
Story Of The World Vol 1: The Ancients
Apologia Science: Astronomy
First Book Of The Recorder
Gym is Ballet in a Co-Op
Positive Action Bible 1st grade

Lana (Kindergarten):
Rod & Staff ABC Series
AOPs Horizons K Math
AOPs Horizons K Phonics
Positive Action Bible K
She will also have Phonics covered in a Co-Op.

Double Digit Subtraction- How to

This is how we do Double Digit Subtraction here.

First we break the numbers apart 76 becomes 7 and 6 for example. Instead of 76-13 it becomes 6-3 and 7-1.

then she counts each out with her bears

YAY for the answer!!

Not Back To School Blog Hop!

I cant wait to take part this year!!! Its the 4th annual Not Back to School Blog Hop. Im excited!!