Tip Time - CC Cycle 2, Week 24

The last week!  Bittersweet. We have really enjoyed our tutors and the community.  We are hoping to continue meeting together for some fun and nature stuff over the next few weeks - we'll see how that turns out.

English

Interjections are really fun to play with.  Take time this week to be silly with your kids and add interjections as often as possible.  Oh Yeah!

Fine Arts

If you have Beethoven's Wig #2 you have songs by Brahm's and Dvorak on there.  Actually the one about Brahm's talks about Bach and Beethoven as well.  Dvorak's song tells his life story quickly and in a memorable way.  So, if you don't own it at least check it out this week.  You will be hooked.  Hilarious! If you just want the appropriate song you can also get the MP3 from Amazon.

Math 

The identification laws - once again a big word for a simple concept.  Talk with your kids about how when you add or multiply by this number you get the same number.  Sometimes using variables is a little confusing for young ones in math - but substitute in numbers and it makes perfect sense.

History Timeline

This week actually teaches the song for all the presidents.  We intend to spend all of next year on American history by focusing on the states and the Presidents.  If you are looking for some resources you might want to check out Half a Hundred Acre Woods' website.  We plan to read this little book about the Presidents next year (it ends with Teddy Roosevelt because it is an older book).  It seems like something my son can read on his own and learn some new things about them.

So, this is the end of this series.  Hard to believe Cycle 2 is over.  We'll see if I am up for doing a similar thing for Cycle 3.

Tip Time CC Cycle 2 Week 23

This week my oldest realized that we are almost to week 24 - he was surprised that the year is almost over. I am too.  I am glad that we have a talent show and pot luck to finish up our year.  The boys are excited about playing the violin - I am glad that there are a lot of violinists in our group.  It gives my kids some peers to talk about music with - which is great.

History Timeline

I think it is a little crazy how our study lines up with current world events.  My oldest keeps asking about why everyone is always talking about Ukraine.  I hearken back to the fall of Communism (which was last weeks sentence).  Although not the same situation, it helps him understand how Ukraine is tied to Russia. We also read about the Crimean War last week in Child's History of the World.

Geography 

As we discuss the Malaysian airline crisis, one theory circulating was that the plane ended up in one of the "stans".  That just happens to be our geography for this week.

Science 

Today we are talking about how heat flows.  Here is a really basic overview and it gets more complicated the further you get into the site.

That's all for today.  I have been listening to such fabulous lectures recently that I am having trouble focusing on the here and now.  I hope to comment on them more soon.

Tip Time CC Cycle 2, Week 22

The end is near!  It is hard to believe we are almost done with this year.  Our family has enjoyed it.  I do hope that we fill in our "empty Mondays" with nature walks since the weather will be right and we are already used to getting out of the house.  That may be wishful thinking, but we'll see.

History Sentence
It is a little strange when you remember the history sentence happening.  The google pictures are pretty cool and you can get the news reports (Tom Brokaw) on youtube (the first minute is pretty good) this second one is better at explaining what it all means.

English
I don't have much to add here - I just think that the mnemonic FAN BOYS for the coordinating conjunctions is great.

Math
The commutative law is s big word for something your kids have probably figured out by just playing with numbers.  I would show it clearly with objects (3 beans plus 7 beans now switch 7 beans plus 3 beans).  Then contrast it with subtraction (or division if your kids are familiar with that yet).  I think my son sometimes forgets that order matters in subtraction because he spent so much time in addition where it didn't matter.

I know there are a ton of experiments showing the 3 characteristics of light out there.  Maybe we will actually do one of them.  We are reading Through the Looking Glass right now - which is timely.

Tip Time CC Cycle 2, Week 21

We have enjoyed warmer weather this week.  It does wonder's for EVERYONE's attitude to have the sun out.

English 
Well, I will aim at low hanging fruit here - everyone remembers Schoolhouse Rock's Conjunction Junction song.  It's a fun one.  Once you start looking at Youtube you can find lots of their other videos which might be a fun way to review some of the other things we have done (like multiplication).

Science
So how cold is absolute zero?  Try - 459.67 F degrees.   They are getting very close to it.  It's absolute zero when particles stop moving and there is no heat energy remaining in them.

Geography
Creating acronyms is a way to help learn these countries.  This past week I was talking about parentheses in math with my oldest and remembered "Pretty Please My Dear Aunt Sally" as a way to remember order of operations.  It's been a long time but it's still in there. We are also learning the names of spaces and lines on the staff - so FACE and Every Good Boy Does Fine (or Deserves Fudge).  So you can make your own or search for a premade one.  There are 7 countries in Central America (we cover the other two next week).

Guatemala  - Great
Belize         - Big
El Salvador - Elephants
Honduras    - Huddle
Nicaragua   - Near
Costa Rica  - Cool
Panama       - Pools

or whatever your kids can think.

The history sentence this week cracks me up as it mimics some of the 80's style.  Have a great one.

Tip Time CC Cycle 2, Week 20

This past week my 4 yo was singing about the Korean War while my dad was here.  I think he was a little taken aback by the song.  You never know where these ideas will pop up.  Last week my older son was overjoyed that the focus was paper airplanes - one of his favorite past times.

English

The definition of an appositive is a little bit complicated.  Here are quite a few examples of appositives.  Basically it is when you add a definition next to the noun to help clarify what it means.  For example:

Mrs. Johnson, Billy's English teacher, said that he needed to write more neatly.

Science

Thermodynamics - remember to tell your kiddos that thermo means heat and dynamics means movement - so we are talking about the way heat moves here.  Big word, simple idea!

Math 

There is a fun series of math books by Cindy Neuschwander that deals with math ideas.  The one we read this week is Sir Cumference and the First Round Table, there is also Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi (we might check this one out this week),  There are many other titles.  I don't know that I would buy the books but they are great to check out and read.   

Geography

One of the things we should make more use of in our house is our world map shower curtain.  It is really great to have a huge map that all my kids can look at easily and that they see everyday.  I think we got it at Target once upon a time and as we get into these smaller countries - they still look pretty big when the map is the size of a shower curtain.  

Have a great week.  

Tip Time CC Cycle 2 Week 19

Last week they had to look way down the bench because of the number of families who had sick ones in our CC community and my name came up.  So, I actually ended up being the tutor in my son's class this past week.  It was a blast.  I hope that maybe the kids learned something too!  There is a good chance that I will be tutoring next year for the youngest abecedarians in our group.  It should be an adventure.

Thoughts for week 19!

Timeline
   I would say that it is worthwhile (especially with older kids) to talk about the unification of Germany (and Italy really) during the mid 1800s.  We don't have a history sentence about it - but obviously the formation of Germany impacts the wars of the twentieth century.

English 
  I realize that this is the technical definition of a gerund but the easy definition is an -ing word.  From wikipedia you can see how English and Latin relate again:

Gerund comes from the Latin gerundium, which itself derives from the gerundive of the Latin verb gero, namely gerundus, meaning "(which is) to be carried out".

So you use a gerund when you are carrying out an action.  

Science

Although we are moving out of Newton's laws I wanted to comment that the Olympics provide lots of opportunity to talk about force, mass and acceleration - skeleton anyone?   Don't over do it - but it is a fun way to see science in action.  

Have a great week. 

Tip Time CC Cycle 2, Week 18

Timeline

This week has two of the most influential documents on philosophy and thought - the Communist Manifest (1848) and The Origin of the Species (1859).  Both of these documents have been used in and out of context to support a number of different philosophies, social movements and wide reaching changes.  I don't know how much you really want to get into these works with your children at this stage - but just recognize that they greatly shape the thoughts of nations and men in the years to come.

English

Prior to starting studying Latin I could not have answered this question if I was asked it.  Now, I realize just how essential knowing these five types are if you are going to learn Latin.  If you've worked through Cycle 1 you know what I mean.  I am a little surprised that these are not in the order that they are normally found in Latin text books.  That order is listed below.  However, just being aware that nouns can play these five roles will go a long way to helping kids understand noun declensions in Latin.

Instead of changing position in the sentence or using apostrophes - remember in Latin you change the ending. That is what declensions are, the changing of the ending to indicate the role of the noun in the sentence. Just remember that Latin does not have a, an or the - so that is an English adaptation.  If boy is the subject this is how declensions work:

Subject - Nominative - the boy
Possessive - Genitive - of the boy or the boy's
Indirect Object - Dative - to or for the boy
Direct Object - Accusative - the boy
Object of a Preposition - Ablative - by, with, from the boy often used with prepositions (but some use the Accusative)

Have a great week.  I think it is supposed to warm up - we'll see.  Today was gorgeous here.

Tip Time - CC Cycle 2, Week 17

Can you believe we are on the down side?   I realize that some of you aren't as far along as we are but we will all get there in the end.  Next year we probably will take MLK day off.

Math - Remember that you can connect finding the area of a square with it's square root and squaring a number.  That's why they are called squares after all!  I would recommend playing with it and helping your kids see the link.  We have gotten out our cuisinaire rods and they are great for geometry - especially squares for obvious reasons.  My son had great fun finding the area of different shapes with them last week.

Science - Although it is not splashy this website uses a shopping cart to help explain F=m x a.  So, you can do your science at the grocery store this week.  If you go back to the main page he has simple definitions of each of the terms and more experiments.  Pulling paper out from under a glass is also about F= m x a.

Geography - I am not one to use my Ipad for games often - but you can easily find some free games that quickly quiz your kids on geography.  I think this is a good use of it - especially if you are waiting somewhere.  This is the one that I use - but you do have to be able to read to use it.  Here is a list of some others.

Artists - I should have mentioned this before, but there are a great series of board books that include many of the famous artists that we have been learning about.  They are very simple books but a great way for kids to get in touch with the pictures without you feeling like they are going to ruin them (remember I have a 4 and 2 yo).   Just know that board books won't be found in the library system where we are because they aren't catologed the same way as other books.  If you ask a librarian they can probably help you find it.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Tip Time - CC Cycle 2, Week 16

Here a few quick thoughts.

English Grammar

This week we are learning what a verb is.  I have always found using the verb finder sentence "Can I _______?" helpful to identifying verbs.  If you can, it's a verb.  You can also make a game of it.  Have kids pick out verbs they can do and the whole group does them.  You can also practice the difference by saying to your kids "can you run?", "can you marshmallow?", "can you blue?", etc.  This doesn't cover state of being or helping verbs but it gets at most verbs.

Math

This one is super obvious - but still helpful.  Pull out some graph paper and then work on drawing different size rectangles and talk about the area being the space inside the rectangle.  Have them count the squares, multiply the length and width, and just play with it.  If you have tiles or some other similar size squares somewhere in your house you could also use painter's tape to mark out an area and then have them count and play that way.  My kids always love to play with tape.

Latin

If you are interested in showing your children how Latin verbs work there are two quick slide presentations that get the idea across very simply - for free.  Here is one about making present tense verbs (the past two weeks work).  Here is one that shows the present and then moves into the past - what we are memorizing this week.  There are many other videos but some of the humor is a little morbid - so just beware.

Short and sweet this week.

Tip Time - CC Cycle 2 Week 15

Sorry this post is a little late.  We do actually have our meeting this Monday and I know that some of our members will not be in attendance.  Our city actually boasts one of the largest MLK marches in the nation.  In part because it will probably be 60 degrees tomorrow.  Anyway, here are some thoughts about week fifteen.

Timeline

This part of the timeline is where we begin to add in some events that directly impact United States history. You might not remember the Seven Year's War very well though.  It was a conflict between Britain and France and was actually fought in the New World.  Native Americans were part of this fight.  In the end, France lost it's claim over Canada and was mostly ousted from the New World (they did still have Louisiana).  This is important because when the American revolution comes around a few decades later the French are still upset with the British about their losses and this is one reason why they come to American aid during the war.   French ships were there to assist the Americans at the battle of Yorktown to end the Revolutionary War.

English

These words about the type of sentence are a perfect opportunity to help connect some Latin with the English derivatives.  We are actually covering types of sentences in our Language Arts program right now.

Declarative - from the Latin declaro - which means explanatory, to make clear
Exclamatory - from the Latin clamo means to shout and ex means out - so here it means we are shouting out or exclaim
Interrogative - from the Latin - interogo - to inquire or question, inter means between and rogo means to ask - so we are asking between people  
Imperative - from the Latin - impero - to impose, order a thing,  you can also think of words like imperious or imperial - royal, in charge,

So, this is an easy way to connect Latin and English and help the children remember what they mean.

Tip Time CC Cycle 2 Week 14

So, I missed a few weeks.  I actually had a few fun things to mention about these areas too.  Here are some worth sharing.

History
I took a whole semester on the French Revolution and the most interesting thing, I thought, was that the Revolutionists tried to change the calendar - to a 10 day week.  They were really trying to change everything about how people lived their lives.  It didn't work very well but I thought it was a fascinating attempt.

If you are interested in learning more about Napoleon Bonaparte you might want to try The Life and Battles of Napoleon Bonaparte in words of one syllable by Mrs. Helen Pierson.  She actually has a whole series of books covering French, English and United States history in "words of one syllable".  It is not simplistic but the vocabulary is appropriate for elementary aged students.  They are free and worth looking into.

Latin

Since we are reviewing the Latin verb endings again you might want to take it to the next level this coming semester.  There are MANY free Latin books online.  I like putting Latin into simple sentences because my boys enjoy seeing that there is something more than just memorizing endings.  I think this will also make them feel more capable when we get to John 1 next year.  So, here is a great free book for at least the first conjugation, present tense.  At first, you'll see that there are just a bunch of Latin sentences, but if you flip to page 67 there is the key with the Latin written out and the English right below it.  I plan to have my oldest circle the endings on the verbs and try to figure out if it is singular or plural and whether it is first, second or third person.  From there, they can look at the key and see if they were right.  I do understand that some of CC is just memorizing for later, but a little bit of context (especially in present tense) can help kids see how this applies down the line.

From there it gets much more complex - but there are some Bible stories in Latin with English right underneath.  I like to read (even if I am killing the language) these aloud sometimes to help the boys get used to hearing the language.  I also think it will help when it comes to pronouns and the "little words" because those are easier to learn in context.

If you want to learn more about Latin verbs but really don't get the typical approach of charts to memorize - here is a very interesting (and short - 6 pages) introduction to verbs and verb tenses in Latin.  Start on page 5 and go from there.  This gets you beyond first conjugation but it is interesting reading and makes it easier for me (at least) to understand.  I was the one who started passing physics when we were allowed to write essays. I need words to explain things - not just charts!

English Grammar

If you are looking for a game to help teach adverbs you might want to check out this one.

So those are a few tips for this coming week and the past few weeks.  I will try to stay on top of it this semester!

Tip Time - CC Cycle 2 Week 11

I realize I skipped last week.  I went to a women's retreat instead.  If I had planned ahead I would have had something - but that didn't happen.  So I will combine some thoughts.

Math
Squares and Cubes - I highly recommend getting out unifix cubes or cuisinaire rods or montessori beads to help show this concept.  Basically if you want to show the square of seven you make seven rows of seven and look - it's a square!  This is very basic but honestly until seeing it in Montessori it had never clicked with me.  You could even do this on graph paper or with beans. Obviously it is a little more complicated to see the cube but you could probably do it with graph paper and make the little cube with the number on each side.  The visual image is worth a thousand words!

Presentation
In two weeks our presentation topic is constellations to go with our science theme.  So, here is one fun resource I found about constellations The Storyland of Stars.  If you want something more in-depth you might check out Memoria Press's science curricula about this subject.  The study of astronomy is actually part of the quadrivium in the classical tradition.

History

If you are looking for some biographies to round out your studies you might look into what Jacob Abbott has written.  He has biographies for Alfred the Great, Peter the Great and William the Conqueror to name a few.  There are also some on librivox so if you are looking for something to listen to over Christmas (especially if you plan to take a long car trip) you might want to download them.

So there are a few thoughts.

Tip Time CC Cycle 2 Week 9

Science

Apparently this is the high point of solar flares - an 11 year high.  So you might want to see the video here.

This is not a very original source - wikipedia - but it is a good way to remember the planets using your hands.

The planets are also a fun time to work on creating a mnemonic device of some type to help you remember the order.   Here are some to get you started thinking.

Geography/ History

I realize I am a little behind here but Land Ho is a book I found at the library that does a great job telling a little about each of the explorers and includes our geography for this week (since this is the area Columbus explored).   It does also show the Vikings' route which is one of our timeline issues.

Tip Time - CC Cycle 2 Week 8

Well my son is in love with the tin whistle.  He has written many of his own "songs" so far.  He hasn't figured out how to sing and play at the same time which seems frustrating for him.  Dad is not such a big fan.  In keeping with the tin whistle theme if you are interested in learning to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" in Latin here are the words:

Mica, Mica, parva stella;
Miror quaenam sis tam bella.
Splendens eminus in illo,
Alba velut gemma caelo.

Mica, Mica, parva stella;
Miror quaenam sis tam bella.

From: http://iridiumproductions.com/twinkle-twinkle-little-star-lyrics-in-latin/

We actually started learning it because we are learning this song for violin.  This week the 4yo sang it for our violin teacher and I think she thought he was precious.

History Timeline

     Much of the history timeline for this period focuses on different parts of the early church.  If you are interested in some stories about this time here are some google books that you might want to view:

Saints and Heroes to the End of the Middle Ages by George Hodges -  We have read the first half of this book.  It is good but might be too long for younger students.  If you aren't familiar with the details this might be good for you to read and summarize for the younger folks.  Hodges has also written about saints since the middle ages and a more detailed history of the early church.

If you are not part of a liturgical church you may not be as familiar with the Nicene Creed which came out of a council that Emperor Constantine called in 325.  Here it is for you:

Traditional Wording

I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible;

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost
of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried;
and the third day he rose again
according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again, with glory,
to judge both the quick and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Life,
who proceedeth from the Father [and the Son];
who with the Father and the Son together
is worshipped and glorified;
who spake by the Prophets.

And I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church;
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
and I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. AMEN.

The history of a creed like this is always interesting. It has served as a statement of the basics of the Christian faith since its composition  This is one that we will eventually memorize at our house.  

 

Tip Time - CC Cycle 2 Week 7

I skipped last week because I was busy and we had the week off due to Columbus day.  We also finished our 12th week of school - we work on trimesters - so we are finishing that up too.  Today as we read the last chapter of Understood Betsy I was in tears - I tried to keep reading.  We also enjoyed the end of the Little Duke.  We will read this one again once the boys are older because it holds some great lessons.   We are also reading Blue Fairy Tales which at times confuses my boys because they have heard other versions. Once this week, I did resort to using a librivox recording.  I also finally learned where "Open Sesame" comes from!

Okay, now on to tips.

This week our CC group has assigned us the topic of manners for presentations.  Well, they aren't too keen on manners in general.  However, I did read them the Goops (and another one) which they enjoyed. We are still working on the presentation.  The Goops are creatures with no manners and there are little poems to show how horrible they act.  It is very cute and my kids like it.  When they were younger I read a couple to them.  My oldest son - who never chooses to write - created about 5 pages of Goop activities - he got the idea.

History

If you are looking for a picture book about Martin Luther you might want to try this one by Paul L. Meier.  I think we inherited this one from somewhere so we will read it this week.

Geography 

This week we are learning about peninsulas in Europe.  If you are interested in teaching your kids about landforms you might want to look into the Montessori landform cards.  These are very basic - honestly you can just draw this yourself to show the different types of landforms. You can also use clay and water to create the landforms yourself (more ideas here) so that your kids get a sense of how the water and land interact.  Here is a free landforms coloring book or dictionary.  There are a few more options and ideas here. Next week we talk about other landforms so it might be worth spending time putting these together.

That's about all for this week.

Tip Time - CC Cycle 2 Week 6

I love the CC Cd.  Today I will share with you how we use it in the car.  This might seem pretty obvious, but sometimes it is good to hear some basics from other people.

Typically, we listen to the current weeks information for a day or two after our group meeting. As we listen, I stop the CD after each topic and we repeat what we have just heard.  Often, I will stop the CD and expand on a subject while we are driving around town.  I might also talk with the son whose class I wasn't in to see what they discussed about the topic. When I think they have the information down I will stop the CD after the topic is announced or the key question asked and quiz them that way. Then we'll see if they are actually learning it or just tuning it out.  It is simple and makes our drives a little more interesting and constructive.  I will tell you that it can be dangerous to listen to the timeline CD in the car if you have a difficult time resisting the urge to do the hand motions.  

After doing this I think I might make another CD that has the poetry, Bible memory verses and similar items on it.  I find that when I am reading the information that I am not memorizing it very well.  It's right there in front of me so I don't really focus on memorizing it.  But, if I hear it in the car and repeat it I do much better.

We also listen to the Prima Latina CD in the car much the same way.

Tip Time - CC Cycle 2, Week 5

Latin and Grammar

     I mentioned before that memorizing the grammar is very helpful for learning your Latin.  Here is a nice chart that shows how all of these pronouns relate to one another.   

If you want a clear explanation of how verb conjugations work in English you can check out Harvey's Grammar starting on page 112 and page 115 has a synopsis worth printing out.  To download a google book into PDF format you click on the symbol that looks like a gear on the tool bar and download it.  If you are on an IPad sometimes it will give you the option to load it into your ibooks account to read it from there.  It is a document in the public domain so you can use it as you please.

     I did not make the conjugation tray this week - I forgot to get a cookie sheet at the dollar store.  I guess I could use one of the ones we used to make vinegar volancoes this week.  I'll try to do that soon!

History 

    Last week we started reading Saladin by Diane Stanley.  It is a look into the life and leadership of the Turk that Richard the Lionhearted fought against during the Crusades.  I did not know who he was until I read our chapter for Child's History of the World by Hillyer (we actually have a very old copy I picked up at a church garage sale).  I have enjoyed reading Hillyer as our overview and then adding in books as they fit into our schedule.  We will also read Joan of Arc also by Stanley - but probably not this week.  Her books are technically picture books but they are text heavy and will take a few days to read through well (Ambleside actually takes quite a while to go through Joan of Arc).

    My boys are enjoying the crusades and so we will probably stay there a while longer.   I don't think everything needs to be in tidy units - in fact it probably helps our kids to remember and think for themselves if we don't bundle everything neatly for them.    

Science 
    Our "science text" this year is the Burgess Animal Book.  We  have enjoyed the stories and the boys remember more about the animals than I expected.  Since the topic this week is adapt, migrate and hibernate, I might review the animals that we have learned so far and talk about how they respond to the coming of winter.  It is about time to review and this is probably the simplest way to do it.  

Tip Time - CC Cycle 2, Week 4

Latin 

    I typically try to keep things simple but this little project might be worth the time.  I am thinking of converting a cookie tray into a magnetic board where we can put our Latin conjugations.  I think this would be a pretty simple project.  My thought is to use the conjugation pages from Classical Academic Press (pages 7 to 14).   If you laminate them, cut them up and then stick some magnets you are ready to go.  Make sure you keep the title for review purposes.

   The next step is to tape the cookie tray to look like the chart you just cut apart.  For now I won't add in the English equivalent.  Each week they can work on properly placing the ending that we are learning.  It also works well for review - you can mix them all up and then have them sort them out.  I still have to locate a tray.  I'll show you next week how it works out.

Science 

    Here are a few water cycles (1, 2, and 3, 4).
    Here are a few nitrogen cycles (1, 2, 3 and 4).
    Here are a few carbon and oxygen cycles (1, 2 (scroll to pg. 3-5), 3 and 4).

    I tried to arrange them from simplest to the most complex versions of the cycle.  I was not as familiar with the nitrogen cycle.   Some of the links above are cut and paste.  Below are thoughts about presenting these cycles using the Montessori three part lesson.    

    Although the three part lesson may seem very simple that is it's beauty.  Often, we quiz kids before they have learned information and this is frustrating to them.  All of these steps should be done in one sitting with one of the cycles above.  Only teach one cycle at a time.  

    In the three part lesson you break it up so that they can successfully master the material.  This works with kids of all ages and it might surprise you that even older elementary school children might still need information broken down in this way.  Here are the steps to use with an unlabeled chart so make sure you know your terms and parts well before you do it:

Step 1 - Present the material and properly name each part of the cycle.  For example, if you are doing the water cycle you would point to the part showing evaporation and say "evaporation".   You don't give an explanation - you just name that part of the diagram.  They should repeat after you.  Present each part of the cycle in this way - showing the picture and naming it appropriately.  

Step 2 -  In the next step you say one of the parts of the cycle and they point to the appropriate picture. For example, you might say "Please point to collection (if that is the term on your water cycle)."   They would do so.   You go through all of them in random order until you are pretty sure they have it.

Step 3 - For the final step, you do the opposite.  You point to a part on the chart and ask them to provide the name.  Point to the picture of evaporation and ask them to name it.  This is the "quizzing" part.  However, you have prepared them for it so that they can be successful.  The goal here is to teach them the cycle not trick them.

So simple it seems almost ridiculous - but that middle step makes a big difference in their understanding and confidence in the subject.

Tip Time - CC Cycle 2, Week 3

Latin and Grammar 

This week I want to encourage you to learn all the pronouns and their correct names with your children. It may seem like overkill in the next few weeks but it is REALLY helpful when they get to Latin.  In fact, in using Visual Latin I got lost in the pronouns.  I didn't know their proper names and it got confusing very quickly.  If your kids know them in English it will make it easier when they get to Latin. You see, in Latin they have to know all of the pronoun categories and then within each category the case, number and gender.  The tables are HUGE (here is a taste of some of them).  I also think that reading Latin aloud regularly will help kids "get it" because the pronouns are in context (and occur often).

I was greatly relieved this week when I heard Andrew Kern say that pronouns were one of the hardest things in Latin, after the subjunctive tense.  I guess I am not alone.  Making sure your kids understand the types of pronouns in English will go a long way - I hope anyway!

This week we also move on to a new set of verb conjugations - imperfect tense.   Here is a quick overview of the different tenses and what they mean and how we use them in English.  I know that the memory work is just the endings.  With older students I would also emphasize the way it is used.  Since we spend two weeks on each ending; maybe the first week you can memorize the endings and the second week connect them to their English equivalent.  Also notice that here you are just adding "ba + the present tense ending" to make the imperfect tense (except for the first person singular).

Math

Here is a great way to help your children get the why behind skip counting.  If you don't have a lot of time just listen to the first half of the recording.  The second half moves into multiplication and division if you are interested.   It is a good introduction to thinking mathematical with your children.  Honestly, a lot of what he says is accomplished through Montessori math.

So that's it for this week.

Tip Time - CC Cycle 2, Week 2

Some quick thoughts about resources for learning this week's material.

History Sentence 

A recently republished book called Kings and Queens by Eleanor Farjeon has fun one page rhymes (with an illustration on the facing page) for each of the monarchs of England; beginning with William the Conqueror.  If you are local, our library has a bunch of copies.  There is another book called Heroes and Heroines which includes more United States history (maybe next year!).

We actually found this book as we were listening through librivox to Our Island Story by H.E. Marshall (as recommended by Ambleside Online).  The story of William the Conqueror is track 26.  We liked hearing the full story from Marshall and then hearing the poem that summed it up nicely.

There is a piece of art called the Bayeux Tapestry which records the story of William the Conqueror. There are two ways you might want to view it.  The first is through this animated video of the Tapestry which starts in the middle of the story.  You can also use this site where it is explained scene by scene (it hints at some sexual indiscretion at one point - this one has covered up the 'offending' parts, it draws on a replica from the Victorian era).   This site answers more "technical questions" like who made it and why. It also has a table that outlines the scenes on the tapestry (which is actually embroidery according to this website).

Grammar 

Montessori grammar symbols might be a way to cement those 8 parts of speech.  If you want some thoughts on how to actually present the symbols here is a great guide - she discusses why nouns are triangles and verbs are circles, etc.  Yet another way to help kids get form and function of an abstract concept.  If you want to make a set of symbols you might want to cut them out of appropriate colored felt or foam - of course you can always print and laminate as well.

Often once they learn the forms they use them to mark sentences (much like you might circle the nouns blue and the verbs read on your copywork).   Sentences that might work for this can come from grammar books, KISS grammar or your own copywork.

You can also use the symbols to teach sentence patterns.  Which, I understand is a big part of IEW writing.  You might want to just create your own sentence strips with the grammar symbols that replicate the primary sentence structures or here.  Students can analyze a sentence and then attempt to create sentences that correspond to a pattern. With symbols it cuts down on the words.  I am also thinking about how this might be able to translate into Latin studies at some point.

Math

If you want examples of what a math recitation might have looked like in yesteryear try out Ray's Primary Arithmetic (multiplication starts on pg. 41).  Plenty of simple, read aloud word problems for kids to work with.  In fact, most older elementary math books methodically went through teaching how to you add, subtract, multiply and divide each number up to 20.  Everyday Number Stories is another example. Emma Serl, of Primary Language Lessons fame, helped to write this book.  Another plus of older books is their focus on measurements like pints and quarts early on.

Science 

I wanted to link to a mom who has outlined how Montessori cards correspond with the science lessons for this year's cycle.   This is one way to quickly help kids "see" what they are learning.  They aren't free but very reasonably priced and bought as PDF's to download and use as you desire.

Have fun working through this week's material.