HSMJ - An Elctrifying Week

In my life this week…

It's been a productive week and today (Thursday) I started seeing a twinkling of what excites Sir N in learning.  I am really keen to get some Delight Directed learning happening around here. I have also managed to go to be a little earlier than I was last week.  Last week I spent far too much time on here and not in my bed sleeping.

In our home school this week…

• We had a delightful day playing with static electricity
• Been working through Astronomy and Space Lapbook.
• Creating Lego space stations.
• Working our way through Explode the Code Book 2 and Book 3 together.
• TouchMath Grade 2
• Children's Music Journey we are up to lesson 23 in Volume 1 only 2 more lessons and Sir N starts on Volume 2.
• We watched a great YouTube clip on Aurora Borealis

1. Picnic at the park
2. Science experiment with the sun.
3. Playing with a Van De Graaff Generator
4. Space Lego creation
5. Rocket picture (ABeka Art)
6. TouchMath
7. Morning tea with Daddy in our new vegetable patch
8. Practicing math facts with Math Rider.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

• Homeschool Help Series started this week. 
• Homeschool Basics: Know the Laws of your State over at Homeschool Creations
• Carnival of Homeschooling over at Mom School.  Great list of inspiring blog posts to read.
• Oil Pastels & Water Color Art Project for Kids over at Confessions of a Homeschooler.

I am inspired by…

• Frazzled Mom who is a 10 year veteran homeschooler and has studied the genus "homeschoolus motherus" and shares some Scientific Classifications of Homeschool Moms.  Pop on over and let me know which category you fall under.  I am most definately Bookus Collectus
• The practical advice over at Raising Godly Children. Don't Lose Your Cool As a Mom - 10 ideas to help you diffuse your anger when a child misbehaves

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

• We went across Melbourne and joined in with the Science for Home Educators "A Shocking Experience"
• Kelly Sports

My favorite thing this week was…

• Watching Sir N play with Static Electricity at "A Shocking Experience" science workshop.

What’s working/not working for us…

• Getting up super early before the family :)

Questions/thoughts I have…

• What topics would you like to talk about on this blog ?

Things I’m working on…

• The new Homeschool Help Series and a Photo Journal.
• A new banner for this blog.  What do you think ? 
• A Photo Journal of a day in our Homeschool

On My Bedside Table ...

• Nothings changed

In Bloggy world I’m reading…

• O Fabjous Day!! over at Seven Little Australians and Counting.
• More Hands on for Easter over at Confessions of a Homeschooler
• Greek to Us: The Death of Classical Education and It's Consequences over at The Imaginative Conservative
• 20 Common Ways Parents Provoke Children to Anger over at Home Life Ministries
• When it Feels like No One Understands over at Women Living Well.
• Christian Homeschoolers Don't Cut. Do They? over at Prodigal Planet
• The Finished Portrait over at Creating with Wisdom
• Watched Extraordinary People 'Identical Quads' Full and  Quads land first job aged five..

I’m cooking…

• Rice bubble slice
• Corn Chowder

On Pinterest I found...

• Are you looking for a review of a new product? Have you seen Schoolhouse Review Crew.
• 20 Must Follow Moms

I’m grateful for…

•  The cool weather that has come across our way.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

Don’t just teach kids how to count.
Teach ‘em what counts most.

You are invited

Yes you are.  I have started a new link up on Tuesdays.  We all have the most amazing books that we discover at the library, bookshop, curriculum fairs and op shops.  If you blog about them please come and link up on Tuesdays with Tuesday's Treasures so we can have a place to discover some new treasures for our families.

Blessings

Photo collages made with: Photoscape a FREE photo editor

Join us for a day homeschooling {A Photo Diary}

Sometimes our days are slow (not very often may I add) and sometimes busy (more often than not!) but never is it twice the same. Today I would like to invite you to join us for a photo journey of a home school day at Every Bed of Roses. I do confess I am a shutter bug and love taking photo's and experimenting with the D-SLR I was given last year. In order to lower the number of images in this post I've created a few collages of our day.

This year we are continuing with using our environment to encourage learning. A home school family on the other side of Melbourne invited home school families to come over and join them for a day of  Science for Home Educators: "A Shocking Experience"


Our day of Science Adventure

First things first.  I needed to find some clean clothes in Mount Ironmore to iron for the day (How do you super Mom's do it ? I always seem to have a Mount Washmore or Ironmore!). Followed by breakfast and picnic preparations. We are loving having a cooler on wheels it goes everywhere with us these days.

Next it was time for my shower while Sir N practiced math facts on Math Rider and did lesson 19 with Children's Music Journey.  Before we left we had some quality time with Pugsley.

My friend collected us and we drove 70 km to the other side of greater Melbourne. We saw the Southern Star which is nearing completion.  We hope to go for a ride on this one day. Admired the architecture and listened to The Song of the Unicorn. Once we arrived in the suburb of our desired destination we looked for a park to enjoy a picnic lunch together.

Soon enough it was time to tackle the lab and learn about molecules, positive and negative charges.

We used rods of perspex, glass, polythene and something else I can't remember the name of. We rubbed them with a piece of woolen cloth to charge them up and checked to see if we could move water and pick up small pieces of paper.

We also used this little box (Gold Leaf Electroscope) with a gold leaf to see how static electricity moves through air and our own bodies.

Let the static electricity fun begin. We got to play with a Van De Graaff generator.  It was so much fun watching all the children's hair stick up! Sir N was so highly charged after his time on the generator he could pick up the little bits of paper on the bench!

All too soon it was time to leave the lab. We stopped at our park for another cup of tea and then it was time to pack up and drive home. We played with the DSLR in the tunnel, looked at the beautiful skyline of Melbourne and listened to Hallelujah Handle. Once home it was time to play a game or two on Mom's Galaxy Tab and touch base with cousins. Dinner was soon ready and then it was time for bed. Sir N slept very well after 140 km round trip !

My favorite moment 

This is my favourite moment of the day. We stopped for a cup of tea before traveling home and this is what we saw.

I agree with my bloggy friend Susan who encouraged me this week with Don't miss the Little Moments. I encourage you to take out your camera and capture those moments with your children. I have two teens as well and one has moved out. I wish now I had taken more pictures and had more memories. That time passes in a twinkling of an eye. If you need inspiration I invite you next week to take a journey with other home school Mom's ? Have a look at what the Crew have been up to this week: Our Homeschool Day in Pictures. (Coming Next Tuesday 26 March)

Blessings
Chareen  

Photo collages made with: Photoscape a FREE photo editor

Children's Music Journey {Review}

Have you heard of Adventus? Neither had I until recently. I am so excited to share about their products with you today.  One of the things I've been wanting to do since I was in high school is learn to play the piano! MusIQ Homeschool^TM has two excellent products for learning to play the piano: Piano Suite and  Children's Music Journey.  Sir N has been using Children's Music Journey and recently completed lesson 19 after beginning with the program three weeks ago. He begs me everyday to do his piano lesson.  I have not had one negative comment about practicing and his enthusiasm has not diminished.

Using Children's Music Journey Volume 1.

Miss Melody
{Practice Room Supervisor}

• Each lesson opens with a 30 second piece of music composed by a famous composer who also happens to be their teacher. 
• The 'Teacher' is a famous Composer who builds a great relationship with the students.  Sir N so enjoyed his first lesson he did a second one straight away! And he talked about it all evening with Paul.
• The Composer shares insight into his music at the start and during his lesson too.  I like this feature as it compliments our Composer Study.
• Consistent instant feedback.  This feedback is always positive and moves your student forward even when they make a mistake. At first I felt I needed to sit next to Sir N and coach but I soon realized that if he makes a mistake the 'Teacher' will correct him immediately.
• Lesson one is learning high and low notes using graphics.  It feels very slow after doing traditional music lessons with my first two. After a few lessons I realized that the sequence and speed is perfect because the nature of learning to read music is in itself challenging.  This method ensured success and because of this Sir N was happy to practice and do lessons. It was slow enough that everything learned was reinforced and he did not have to undo wrong learning.  As soon as he successfully completed a lesson and practice he was able to do the next lesson and build his knowledge base.
• The lesson ends with three minutes of the opening piece of music.
• From here Sir N proceeds to meet with Miss Melody for practice.  Miss Melody teaches: theory, aural training, hand position, practice of lesson and music composition.
• After this Sir N is allowed to play in the games area.  Each game is geared towards reinforcing what has been learned in the current lesson. He loves the rhythm games and has enjoyed playing the aural training games. He loves finding the buried treasure and recently added in catching falling leaves via the keyboard key names. 
• Sir N's next favorite 'room' is the library where he regularly explores pieces of music by famous composers. 
• Some days he meanders to the composition room and records his music.

Features

• Choose your keyboard
• Set an individual pin to use for each student
• Three mode settings for the program ( Free, Normal, Strict )
• Choose your students Avatar (16 options)
• See at a glance which lessons / practices have been completed.
• Be taught by a famous composer.
• Miss Melody supervises practice sessions.
• Lesson and practice lessons are linked {Miss Melody reinforces what was learned in the lesson.}
• Introductions to famous classical pieces of music.
• Over 200 pieces of classical music introduced to your children as they learn to play the piano
• An improvisation room where the students play and record music.
• A Games room with ten games
• A library where you can listen to your own compositions, learn more about a composer, redo a lesson, research, learn to play area, Listening area getting to know the introduced pieces of music. learning library where they practice music reading / playing 

Games

• Games unlock as the students skill base grows via their lessons
• Some games are to practice music notation and reading (reading and discriminating)
• Some games are for aural training (listening and discriminating)
• Rhythm practice game
• Note letter game
• Aural game hear the note play the note

**Cost
This program is quality and excellent value for money and time.

A complete overview of each volume is available at MusIQ HomeSchool 

• Volume 1 $69.95 (25 lessons) {CD or Download}
• Volume 2 $69.95 (35 lessons) {CD or Download}
• Volume 3 $69.95 (35 lessons) {CD or Download}
• Purchase a 3 volume set $179.85 (save $30) {CD or Download}
• Monthly Subscription $10.95($131.40 per year)
• FREE 7 day Trial available

Homeschool Early Curriculum

• Year 1 Quick Start Bundle {CMJ 1 + Lesson Plans + 49 MIDI keyboard} $199.95
• Year 1 {CMJ 1 + Lesson Plans} $89.95
• Year 2 {CMJ 1 + Lesson Plans} $89.95
• Year 3 {CMJ 1 + Lesson Plans} $89.95
• Monthly Subscription $10.95
• FREE 7 day Trial available 
• Year 1-3 Bundle {CMJ 1, 2, 3 + Keyboard + Level 1 lesson plans} $309.95 (Save $60)
• Year 1 Lesson Plan $29.95
• Year 2 Lesson Plan $29.95
• Year 3 Lesson Plan $29.95

** All prices quoted are correct at time of posting.  It is the responsibility of the purchaser to check the cost before purchasing. Prices are subject to change without notice. All prices are in US $.

Extra's

• Articles on the benefits of Music
• MusIQ HomeSchool Blog
• Video's inside Children's Music Journey
• Facebook
• YouTube
• MusIQ Club
• Twitter @BeBeethoven

We are having an amazing time learning to play the piano. I wish I had known about this program 10 years ago when my first two were homeschooling. If you are wanting your children to learn to play the piano I highly recommend investing in Children's Music Journey.

Blessings
Chareen