Costco September Offers

Here are my education picks from the Costco September magazine. Just out of curiosity I've compared the prices at Costco with the same item at Amazon.com.

• The Human Body Book and The Human Brain Book. These are hardback books which come with an interactive DVD. Price at Costco.com is below the price at Amazon.com, but then you'd have to pay shipping if you order online from Costco. If you're already making a trip to the Costco warehouse buy there. You can look inside at Amazon.com. If I were ordering online I'd probably go with Amazon.com.
  
• Alera Wire Shelving. Shelving really is an essential item for homeschooling. Sturdy, pantry type shelving is great for storing totes with craft, math, and science supplies. Again the Alera Shelving at Amazon.com is a very similar price.
• Oceanology, Dragonology, Pirateology - these fun books were very popular with my kids when they were aged about 10-12 years. They are high quality and interactive with great little flaps and things. Again prices are very similar between Costco and Amazon.com. Pick them up at the Costco warehouse, or take a look at the Ology books at Amazon.com.
• Magic Tree House books are a classic chapter book series. Costco will have them at the warehouse in September. They don't appear to be selling them at Costco.com so I don't know the price. Here is the link to see them and check the prices at Amazon.com Magic Tree House Books.
• Big Blue Book of Beginner Books and Big Green Book of Beginner Books are bind-ups each with six of the Dr Seuss early readers. I love the Dr Seuss books for early reading because they are so wacky. If you want to see the contents of these they are also available at Amazon.com.
• Sibley Guide to Birds and Sibley Guide to Trees are going to be in the Costco warehouse mid-September. Books at the warehouse are going to be hardbacks. I imagine they'll be a pretty good deal. If you want to know more and see inside the bird book here is the Sibley Guide to Birds in paperback at Amazon.com.
• ECR4Kids is child-sized activity furniture, or kid-sized tables and chairs of the sort you'd find in schools. These are not going to be available at the warehouse, only at Costco.com. Table prices range from $100-200 and chairs come in packs of 6 or 10. I looked around online and the Costco.com price on these looks really good. Be sure to check the shipping charge though because these are large items. Amazon.com don't have anything similar. Here is the link for Costco.com ECR4Kids tables and chairs. If you are in the Kansas City area though check out Constructive Playthings because they have something similar and you can pick up and avoid the shipping.

I hope your school year is off to a good start. Let me know if you need help with something.

Homeschool Math Examination

I've spent the last couple of days absorbed in an examination of homeschool math options for the middle school and high school years. This is most certainly not a new area of research for me, but each time I take a look at homeschool math options I learn something new. Rather than let this research go to waste, here are a few things I've discovered. Today I'll cover online instruction options.

Computer Based Math Instruction
There are several math instruction methods suitable for middle school, high school, and college level math which are entirely computer based. I'm going to write a few notes on things that seem to me unique about each different program.

• iPASS - designed to catch up a student who may have gaps in their learning. Covers math through pre-Algebra - math taught in grades 4-8 in most states. This is a comprehensive program which breaks down math into all it's component parts. The student is not aware of which grade level they are working - levels are simply labeled with letters from A-V and moving from one grade to the next is seamless. For each topic the student completes a timed assessment and they can test out of a lesson if they reach the pass rate. Questions are not multiple choice so a student must actually know how to calculate the answer to get it right. Once a student has mastered the topic they pass on to the next topic. If needed the student will be given more questions from a large pool of questions to provide adequate practice. Students who need additional time for tests can be accomodated. Review is incorporated throughout the program so that the student continues to practice concepts they've mastered. iPASS does not have a free trial - I was quoted a cost of $20 per month and you can sign up for one month and see if it works for you. Find out more about iPASS. You need to talk with a sales representative to sign up. The person I spoke with was Kim and she is very helpful.
• Thinkwell Math begins with their Pre-Algebra course. Their courses cover Algebra from Pre-Algebra to College Algebra, Pre-Calculus and Calculus, and Trigonometry. They don't list a Geometry course - I'm not aware of whether geometry is integrated into their other courses perhaps. Each course must be purchased separately. You can save 39-48% by purchasing through the Homeschool Buyers Co-op. The current offering ends on August 21st. I've looked at this course before and I really like the way the teacher covers the work. The software workspace is divided up with the teacher on one side explaining the concept and working the problem, a place to show the math problem being worked on and a key ideas area. It does make for quite a busy screen. You can see the demos at Thinkwell's site and take a look at what the Thinkwell Homeschool Buyers Co-op offering. There is no free trial, but watching the demos should give you and your children a pretty good feel for this program.
• PLATO Learning Math has courses covering everything from Pre-Algebra to Geometry, Calculus 2 and Trigonometry. They do not appear to cover Statistics. This year is the first time these courses have been available to homeschoolers. Homeschool Buyers Co-op is able to make them available through the Kentucky Virtual Campus. While I am not familiar with the PLATO math options I've used some of their science courses in homeschooling my teens and we've liked them a lot. The offering for these courses involves signing up to get access to a very wide range of middle school and high school level courses. At a cost of $299 for the year it would be a really good deal if you can take advantage of several of the courses. The courses cover math, science, social studies, language arts, and job and life skills. The Homeschool Buyers Co-op deal ends on the morning of August 23rd. If you're interested take a look at PLATO demos and Kentucky Virtual Campus then sign up through Homeschool Buyers Co-op. There is no trial period for this software.
• ALEKS Math cover everything from Grade 3 math to college math courses in Algebra, Trigonometry, AP Calculus and Statistics, and Business Math. I'm not very familiar with ALEKS but I've heard good things and they do have a free trial. At the ALEKS site you can see all of their offerings, take a tour and sign up for a free trial. One thing I like about what they are offering is that you have access to all their courses for the one subscription of $19.95 per student.
• Indian Math Online is an online math program I just discovered. It is based on the teaching method used in India. Given that India is now producing some of the leading math and science majors I think it's worth a look. You can sign up for a free trial and then the subscription costs $15-20 per month. Indian Math Online covers grades 1-10 math.

If you are looking for a math curriculum I hope these comments will be of help to you. I also have plenty to say about textbook math, but I'll save that for another day.

Costco Back to School

Below are my picks from the Costco back to school offers, taken from the Costco Connections magazine August 2009 edition. Interestingly Costco this time dedicated one page to homeschooling with articles highlighting two homeschooling moms and their families.

Back to School Books
Books on sale at Costco in August which my family has enjoyed:

• Ripley's Believe It or Not: Seeing is Believing - I can't think of a book more suitable for intriguing and entertaining a preteen boy. Ripley's is a firm favorite in my home. What a great conversation starter! It's not just parent-grossing - it gets kids thinking about science and human behavior and it's the kind of book grasped by many a reluctant reader.
• Dorling Kindersley Hardback Titles - every home with school age kids needs a collection of fact-filled encyclopedia style books and Dorling Kindersley make some of the best. Pictured in Costco Connections are the titles Bird, Flight, Earth, Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life, Encyclopedia of Space, and Encyclopedia of Animals. I'm not familiar with any of these specific titles. What I can say is I remember a whole host of library trips where I carted home DK titles for my son to pore over. DK make great books - they're perhaps Usborne's biggest rival in non-fiction children's books.

Worth a Look

• Inkheart, Inkspell and Inkdeath by Cornelia Funk - a great trilogy collection recommended for read-aloud dad and daughter time.
• Casio fx-300ES Scientific Calculator and Texas Instruments TI Plus 84 Silver Edition Graphing Calculator - Costco price and quality can't usually be beaten so if you have a teen who needs to move up in calculators this year check these ones out and compare to what you can get from Amazon.com and office supply stores like Staples.
• The Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook - slow cooking can be such a help when you have a busy home schedule, whether you homeschool or not. Costco describe the Fix it and Forget It Cookbook as follows "offers more than 800 tried-and-true slow cooker recipes for any occasion." There is also the Fix It and Forget It: 5-Ingredient Favorites cookbook. Sounds to me like recipes a homeschooler would want to have to hand to 1) keep the day on-track and 2) teach the kids simple, everyday cooking.
• Olympus VN-5200 PC audio recording device. Writing can be hard work for kids, especially so when they have dysgraphia. A recording device could really have a lot of uses in homeschooling - think interviews, recording personal thoughts, taking lecture notes in co-op or in community colllege classes. I don't know how the Olympus VN-5200 PC compares but it's worth a look if this a need you have.
  

If You Like It
The two homeschool moms interviewed for Costco Connection talked about using the craft supplies, office supplies, workbooks, CDs, and computers available from Costco in their homeschooling. I'm not a personal fan of most of these items but your mileage may vary. If you have needs in these areas do check out Costco's offerings.

Two Costco office supply offerings which have stood the test of time in my home are: the multi-packs of white view ring binders and the Avery sheet protectors. I purchased these years ago and they circulate around my home finding new uses and lasting really well.

Where do you like to shop for your homeschool books, materials and supplies? Have you seen any great deals?

Homeschool Buyers Co-op Picks

Here are my picks from the current Homeschool Buyers Co-op offerings. Most of these deals run out at the end of July or in early August so go on over there and check them out NOW!

Thinkwell Online Video Courses
After 6 years of homeschooling I've been through evaluating a large number or products. Thinkwell products are some of the ones that have impressed me the most. If I were to choose math or high school science for myself I'd go with the Thinkwell online video courses. I love the format, the teachers are engaging, and the price through Homeschool Buyers Co-op is very reasonable. My own kids chose to go with CyberEd instead because they found it distracting to watch the teacher - for me that's half the fun! If you need a high school math, science, or social studies program check out Thinkwell at Homeschool Buyers Co-op.

PLATO Learning Online Science (formerly CyberEd)
After evaluating a variety of science courses last year my kids chose to go with learning online science through PLATO learning (CyberEd). I was pleased with how thorough the PLATO courses are. They are just plain learning with no unnecessary frills or games. I particularly recommend them for kids who get easily distracted. PLATO courses make good use of your homeschool efforts and leave plenty of time to supplement with experiments, field trips, and supplementary reading. Check out PLATO Learning online science at Homeschool Buyer's Co-op for Middle School Science and High School Science.

For Kids who need to know how stuff works
Here are a couple of cool homeschool things my son would have loved when he was younger.

• BrainPop is just full of fun learning stuff about how things work. It's a bit pricey, but just remember that kids learn when they're having fun. Maybe you'd rather they had fun on BrainPop than on video games or in front of the TV. Check out what Homeschool Buyers Co-op is offering then sign up for the trial at BrainPop. Basically you can get a CyberEd course for free when you register at Homeschool Buyers Co-op before signing up for BrainPop.
• Lego Education Kits - again these are pricey. If you just happen to have a little lego maniac on your hands this looks like a great way to do some math and science learning at home. I'm guessing these would have good resale value, if only you can keep the parts from disappearing off into the big lego black hole, otherwise known as the disorganized lego collection in the child's bedroom!
  

Even if you don't see something of interest right now it's worth signing up for the Homeschool Buyers Co-op mailing list so that you can be kept informed.

LEARN - Kansas City Homeschool Support

For those of us homeschooling in the Kansas City area there's some excitement in the air. The LEARN homeschool support group is once again offering memberships and is planning an Unprom.

When I first started homeschooling, several years back now, the group known as LEARN was the most active secular homeschool support group in the area. Now there is a much wider variety of groups meeting needs all across the Kansas City metro, but LEARN was the first. It's the group through which many of us made friends, found people of like-mind, and got involved in activities. I'll never forget the homeschool conference I attended through LEARN.

So, if you're new to homeschooling in the Kansas City metro and need information on how to get started, were involved in LEARN before and want to know about reunions, like the idea of a great big homeschooling Unprom party for the whole family, or need to belong to a group to get teacher discounts, check out the LEARN website.

17 Year Old Sails Solo

I just read about a 17 year old homeschooler from California who is returning from his solo sail around the world!

Here is his blog: http://www.zacsunderland.com/blog/

Cool Homeschool Showcase

There's a cool Homeschool Showcase up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, which you can check out here.

Happy Reading!

Three Favorite Homeschool Bloggers

Here's what my 3 favorite homeschool bloggers have to say:

1. Julie at Homeschooling-Ideas.com has written a comprehensive article about Homeschool Burnout. With all of the extra things to take care of at this time of year, burnout is a risk. Julie is offering advice and a free newsletter to help us.
2. Jugglingpaynes has been experiencing the joy and challenge of tree decorating with a little one and a cat helping out!
3. Lori over at Camp Creek Blog has an open thread this Saturday and Sunday. I find that Lori has a lot of wisdom to share. This is a good time to visit her blog, see the very cute red cardinal photo, and post your questions in her comments section.

I hope you have some calm time this weekend and time to recharge your energy for the week and holidays ahead.

Homeschooled Kids

I was just off reading the Homeschooled Kid Blog Carnival. I wanted to encourage all of the writers by leaving comments, but now I'm worried they'll come over here to visit and the first thing they will see is yesterday's post. I'm all for education, but I do think that parents prefer to control the flow of information on subjects like health. So, there will now follow a cute, furry, easy to read post that will be sweet and fluffy, or maybe not - I've not yet decided what it will be - at least it will be something that is G rated.

Homeschooling Science Online with CyberEd

This year for science my family chose CyberEd science online, available through the Homeschool Buyers Co-op. Now the news has been released that CyberEd are closing their business doors. This product is available only until December 3rd at 1pm Eastern, and only, I believe, through Homeschool Buyers Co-op. Subscriptions run for one calendar year and will be honored; sign up now and you can cover science needs until December 2009. Given that I've found a science curriculum supplier we are extremely pleased with, I am left wondering what to do.

Game Boy has been using the CyberEd Physical Science course, which is just the right level for a middle schooler. He hasn't complained at all about this course, which is a big endorsement around our house. In fact he is self-motivated; he works on it every school day without prompting from me. Of course he might rather be playing a video game, but he likes the interaction of this course. I've every reason to believe that while using CyberEd Physical Science he is tying together a lot of knowledge gained from years of TV science programs, and masses of science books he's read over and over. The only thing it is lacking is related hands-on experiments, which I can easily cover from a few of the Usborne science books I have on my bookshelves. Since Game Boy is a good way through the Physical Science course, I'm seriously contemplating signing up for the Life Science and Earth Science courses - I think he could get to the end of all 3 by December 2009.

Artist Girl, who is working at high school level, is using CyberEd Biology. What she likes about this course is that it is to the point and does not cover any excess unnecessary stuff. In fact CyberEd Biology is described as Introductory to AP Biology. I'd say that is pretty accurate. For Artist Girl it's a pretty big assignment to get through this course in one year. She knows a lot of Biology already from previous homeschool studying; it's the terminology/vocabulary that makes it challenging. With a motivated student who has a good background knowledge you can get through the course in one year. You don't have to do the whole course though. One thing you get with the course is an extremely comprehensive guide to how CyberEd Biology fits with your state standards. Let's say that guide is not for the faint hearted. What it conveyed to me however was that once Artist Girl finishes CyberEd Biology she will have covered almost all of the Kansas state requirements for Biology, a good number of the requirements for Chemistry, and even some of the Physics requirements. I had every intention of us using CyberEd Chemistry next year, but I know we can't get through the remainder of Biology and start Chemistry now and get through Chemistry by December of 2009. So much for finding a course format we like; unless Homeschool Buyers Co-op pull off some kind of alternative agreement, we'll be searching for something else.

OK, well if you like the sound of CyberEd science courses, hot-foot it over there to Homeschool Buyers Co-op and get signed up before the December 3rd deadline. I can thoroughly recommend the Physical Science, Earth Science, and Life Science courses for your independent middle schooler who likes computer based learning. The high school courses I think are wonderful, but not for everyone.

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Book Sales on Black Friday

Black Friday book sales have now ended. I will bring you details of any December book sales I hear of later.

Related post: Black Friday Books

More Carnival Stuff

More selected links from today's Carnival of Homeschooling:

• Got books? Got so many books you need to organize them? Need a plan? How about Christina's 100 Tips and Tools for Managing Your Home Library. I must admit to finding lists rather overwhelming, but I'm sure I could at least pick out a few tips to implement.
• Got a quirky kid? Worried that you he/she will be labeled a Weird, Unsocialized Homeschooler? Being a bit of a square peg myself, this article resonates with me. After attending school from age 5 to age 23, I can't say I learned a single significant thing there about how to succeed socially.
• Christine has what looks like a very entertaining cup game that could get brains in gear.

OK, I give up, there are so many great links. There's no point in me creating a duplicate of the carnival over here. Want more? Go and check out the 151st Carnival of Homeschooling.

Brought to you by EberJeeber.com (currently offering 20% off and free shipping) - check out their very cute, organic selection.

Artist Girl on Homeschooling

I thought it would be fun to ask Artist Girl for her take on homeschooling. I made up some questions for her, which she has answered for us below. If you are curious, and have another question to ask of a homeschool teen, feel free to post it in the comments.

Q. What is the best thing about homeschooling?
A: I would have to say the ability to plan your own schedule, whatever works for you. Of course, sleeping in is nice too!

Q. How do you imagine your life would be different if you didn’t homeschool?
A: Definitely a lot more stressful. I also wouldn’t have as much time or energy for my hobbies, like art and pets.

Q. What would you say to a parent who is thinking of homeschooling, but is worried they can’t do it?
A: I think they should try it before they give up, even if it’s just for a few days during summer break. Believe it or not, I hated the idea of homeschooling when it was first suggested to me.

Q. What is the worst thing about homeschooling?
A: It’s harder to see your friends that are still in school.

Q. What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned this year?
A: I’m not sure I could answer that question, as I learn plenty interesting things every day. However, I really enjoy learning how chemistry affects our everyday lives on the atomic level.

Q. Do you think everyone should homeschool?
A: Some people aren’t home enough to homeschool, through no fault of theirs. I’m certain there are also kids that enjoy school. Homeschooling isn’t for everybody, although there are probably a great many people who would do better if they were homeschooled.

Q. Which subject do you enjoy the most?
A: I enjoy all my subjects in different ways; but if I have to pick favorites, currently I like Math, Japanese, and Biology. Not necessarily in that order.

Q. Do you think there is a limit to what can be done with homeschooling, or with what you can teach yourself? Is there anything you are missing out on by homeschooling?
A: Sometimes it’s hard to tell if I’m behind where I should be (to prepare for college). That’s why I rely on my parents to keep me on track.

Q. What is your favorite learning resource (software, book, textbook, video series, website etc)?
A: I am pleased with the methods I chose for learning my different subjects. I have to say though, the cake goes to Teaching Textbooks. I think I’ve come further in math with them this in-complete school year than all the rest of my life put together.

There you have it, a teen take on homeschooling. It's nice to have confirmation that the benefits of homeschooling are not just a fantasy of mine! Now, what is your kid's take on homeschooling?

Here's another homeschooled kid interview - a interview with a homeschooled 11 year old.

Favorite Blogs

I've decided to celebrate my first three months of blogging (my first post was August 13th, 2008) by saying thank you to the special bloggers who's words I enjoy reading every day. Many of my bloggy friends are regular visitors to my little blog, but others are likely much too busy with their large readership to come over here. Nonetheless, I enjoy you and I want you to know that. This list of blogs is by no means a complete list of blogs I read regularly; I already have over 80 rss feeds in my Google Reader. Just because you don't see your name here doesn't mean I don't read you and appreciate you!

• Janet at Adventures in the 32-Aker Wood is very supportive of other bloggers. She is a regular visitor not only to my blog, but to a long list of blogs. I enjoy her mix of humorous stories and thoughtful commentary at her blog and I'm always thankful to receive a comment from her.
• LindaB over at Occasional Scotland reminds me of the beauty and humor of my first home country with her not-so-occasional photographs. Thanks LindaB for making my day a little brighter with some not-so-gloomy views of Scotland!
• I have to say that Peak Oil Hausfrau is not a laugh a minute. Her job is to remind me that we need to care for the Earth for the sake of ourselves and future generations. Life could change; we all need to think some about being prepared. I am more prepared from reading her posts and from keeping up with her adventures in solar cooking and her regular thoughtful postings.
• I've long admired, well OK for 3 months, both Michelle at Scribbit and Julie at Homeschooling Ideas. Each of them was very gracious and supportive toward me with my early blogging questions and I enjoy keeping up with what they have to say.
• Tonia at Study in Brown conveys her graciousness and love through her blog. She has recently committed to following her heart to meet the homeschooling needs of her family. Tonia, you have my admiration.
• Holly at Unschool Days seems to have a wonderful pace of life, following her daughter as she explores the world. I enjoy sharing your adventures and your journey Holly.
• Little Window Shoppe does a wonderful job of showcasing small businesses. I love the graphic they made up to present my book business. Emily the Editor is gracious to work with and asks nothing in return while offering much. I'm not much of a shopper, but I must say that two of today's posts have really caught my attention. Fingers crossed that I win the free limited edition blog template!
• Last, but by no means least, Crunchy Chicken puts the mental in environmental. Crunchy has a good sense of humor, sets interesting challenges, and gets great discussions going. I may not be up to freezing my buns off, but I am inspired!
• Oops, I can't believe I forgot to mention my friend at Home Spun Juggling. JugglingPaynes, I voted for you in the Best Homeschool Blog Awards, though I'm not going to tell you in which category. Actually I've not finished voting yet, so I'd better get my skates on! I enjoy your art and your humor :-)
  

If I've chosen you as a favorite please feel free to take a copy of the above graphic and display it on your blog with a link back to this post or to my blog. However, this is totally optional.

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Learning Links

Formerly called Bits and Bobs, Learning Links is my new title for the chaos brought to my computer by manic web surfing. It's happened again, those Firefox tabs have multiplied and I now have 23 windows open, each with at least 5 tabs - that is an estimated 200 or so websites up. It's time to pass along some great learning links, in no particular order, below:

• Fish school - lesson plans for goldfish. Watch Comet the goldfish make goals, swim the slalom, and do the limbo. What a cute, little, well trained guy!
• Do a college search at CollegeBoard.com - I've looked for college information before and this is the nicest site I've seen for finding information. It's very comprehensive, readable and nicely organized, with information that includes majors available, fees, and scholarships.
• British citizens may want to know about the petition to stop Sharia law (Islamic/Koranic law that dictates women cover their faces and that a hand is removed for certain crimes) from being legal under arbitration. I know, it sounds very highly surprising that there could be a loophole to allow this to happen in England (I'm not clear on whether this is just England, but Scotland has it's own law system so I'm guessing that it does not apply to Scotland), but I have checked it out and it's no joke. Read more about it at The Times Online.
• A topic worth a whole post, which I don't have time to write about today, but luckily another homeschooling mom did (she did a muuuuch better job than I would)! Resistance: a communication tool. Every parent and homeschooler has encountered resistance in their kid/spouse etc. This is an extremely thorough and thoughtful article that I think every parent needs to read. Really, make sure you check it out, your stress level will thank you!
  
• How your categories and tags help or hurt your blog. I searched around and this is the best of the articles I found on effectively using tags/labels. "A great blogger will take the time up front to plan out the blog's categories..." Ummm... I'm not a great blogger yet I guess. I'll work on it!
• Blogcarnival.com - the place to find and submit to carnivals. Think outside the box - you might find a whole new set of readers.
• EyewitnesstoHistory.com Wow, this site is beautifully laid out and jam-packed with links to help bring history alive! Check out George Washington's Rules of Good Behaviour, Writing the Declaration of Independence, and, for my British friends, The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots. I must add this site to my right-hand homeschooling links menu!
  
• Take a look at the wonderful, homemade, books, and more from a homeschooling family working with autism, visual-spatial learners, unschooling and foster/adoption. I love how they made books where the child is the star and somehow pasted amongst bison, bears and wolves.

There are many more learning links for me to post. Later... Do let me know your favorite!

It's Not Fair!

It's not fair, just when I thought I couldn't take up any more of my time reading blogs, leaving comments etc, I discovered the Homeschool Blog Awards today over at Home Spun Juggling. Now I really can't vote based solely on whether I've ever heard of any of the blogs in a specific category, I really have to be thorough, and fair, and read all the blogs to find my favorite before I vote. Argh!

So far I think I've managed to cripple my computer loading up just half of the blogs in the very first category. It's total agony. I've read two blogs that are new to me so far and I love them both! My gosh, there are so many talented writers out there. I feel exceedingly surprised, and grateful, that anyone at all comes here to my humble little blog to read and comment when they could be off elsewhere reading stuff that is much more amusing, much more nicely arranged on the page, and probably more informative.

So, a big thank you to my loyal readers who keep me writing, and make this blogging lark enjoyable. Hopefully you won't all be lured away after you visit the Homeschool Blog Awards!

Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers

I did my first submission to the carnival of cool homeschoolers and the carnival is up at: http://homeschooledtwins.blogspot.com/2008/11/carnival-of-cool-homeschoolers-12.html

My regular readers will have already read the post I submitted, but do go and check out the other cool links to homeschoolers blog posts. There are also details of two other carnivals - one for homeschooled kids' blogs and the other for homeschool kids creations.

Pay for Homeschool Writing

If you're interested in getting paid for homeschool writing check out this post at Freelance Writing Jobs. Also, you might want to take a look at Choosy Homeschooler, a place where homeschoolers blog about their product experiences. I like the idea of being a writer at other blogs, but experience has shown that I'm perfectly capable of getting involved in too many things and spreading myself too thin. Maybe someday...

Bits and Bobs

Those firefox windows and tabs are multiplying on me again! Here are some bits and bobs - some homeschool, some just life.

• Living with Bugs - a nice looking site that outlines common bugs and the least toxic methods of controlling. It even talks about the different methods of flea control. Sarah, I'm not sure that it will tell you anything you don't already know, but I thought it did a nice job of explaining the options and their effectiveness.
• Got a bug enthusiast or budding entomologist? Learn about insect orders and families.
• Usborne have brought out some great new reading sets - these are nice collections of hardback books (the size of your usual paperback) and perfect for every level from very early reading to age 10-12yrs. I'm not sure why they put the ugly red savings stars over the pictures of the books, but these are definately nice book sets.
• Even our very own US government is blogging these days. The government blog looks pretty nice and it might be a much more friendly way to find your way around the tons of information out there which I'm sure we're funding through our taxes!
• Just in case you're not done with the election: Time for Kids; America.gov on the candidates and potential first ladies; and Melissa over at Sweet Serendipity has a few more links, including one on Duck for President and old campaign ads. I want to take a look at the old ads - Artist Girl and Game Boy love ads!
• Various lesson plans related to Japan.

Good, I'm down to just 46 windows now, so I only have about 300 tabs open. I'm working on it...

Bits and Bobs

Another attempt to share the hundreds of Firefox tabs I have open for your perusal and enjoyment! Hopefully you'll find something of interest and I might one day get few enough tabs open that Handyman Hubby can persuade me to shut down my computer for the installation of a bigger disk drive.

Here goes:

• Sierra Permaculture Guild Listserv - when I was seeking a place to ask permaculture questions this seemed to be one group that was actually active.
• Complete solar cooking campers kit - includes the solar reflector panels and dark colored cookpot you'll need, plus a cookbook and a solar water heating pack.
• Usborne Quicklinks for Reading - lots of information related to using Usborne books for reading. A site I refer to frequently when writing about how to teach reading with Usborne books.
• Appleseeds Magazine - recommended to me by a reader of this blog.
• LiveMocha.com - a very intriguing concept. A way to study a foreign language and find native speakers who'd like to mentor you while you mentor others. It seems like this would be great for adult and teen learners.
• Some homeschool ideas from Successful Homeschooling - I like that these ideas are based on inexpensive family activities that are not at all school like. Did I say life-long learning?
• The Simple Dollar blog - it looks like they have lots of sensible, down to earth advice for family financial management, something that is on my list for my kids to understand for sure!
• First 100 Items to Disappear During a National Emergency - from The Bacon Report blog. I'm pretty sure this list could raise some interesting discussion with your pre-teens and teens.
• Michael Palin for President which I discovered at ZenMommasGarden - rated teen/14? Monty Python humor is not for the faint-hearted!