It's new in our school . . .

Last week I shared our proposed curriculum for the year ahead. It was so encouraging to write out a list of our year ahead and plan.

This year there are four new things we are adding to the mix. My aim is to add more Fine Arts study to our weekly rhythm.

I learnt the hard way last year not to add it all into the mix at once or it soon gets left on the sidelines and forgotten.  My aim this year is to slowly add in one thing at a time.  We follow a five week learning cycle (four weeks school one week rest).  I will be adding music appreciation / study in cycle two and then Nature Journaling in cycle three.

SQUILT

A few months back Mary over at Homegrown Learners released her first eBook SQUILT.  I am really excited about this product because it's written for every day mom's at home who have no classical training or personal understanding of the classical genre. SQUILT stands for Super Quiet UnInterrupted Listening Time.

Volume 1 covers composers/music from the Baroque era. Over the course of working through SQUILT we will be learning about 5 types of instruments, dynamic, rhythm, and tempo.  There are plenty of links sprinkled through out the eBook to help you explore the music more fully.

It also contains note booking pages for you to print and use.

World's Greatest Composers

This unit study has been compiled by Erica over at Confessions of a Homeschooler.  We will be using the parts of this that coincide with the composers from SQUILT Vol I.

Each composer covered has approximately 10 lessons available in it.  Once we have completed SQUILT we shall finish the balance of the year using this and compiling a lapbook covering The Orchestra and Composers.

This study uses the books by Mike Venezia to complete the study.  I am looking forward to completing this study.

You can see a few pictures of the completed lap pack over at Erica's online store. There is also a full list of all the composers covered in the pack.

Classical Composers Monthly

I Have a little bit of a love affair with online resources and sometime spend too much time on YouTube trying to find just the right clip to enhance our learning.

I discovered this gem of a site via Pinterest and have purchased a couple of volumes.  Each volume covers 12 composers. There are currently three volumes available.

For each composer you are supplied with a few YouTube clips, links to FREE resources, down loadable music links, Fun activities and notebook printables.  You can see a FREE sample of a study: George Fridric Handel.

Each Volume is purchased separately for $14.95 and you have lifetime access to the resource purchased.

ARTIST Study
I really would like to settle down and complete Vol I of The World's Greatest Artists this year.  I had so many good intentions but alas they never came to pass last year.
Recently Monet's Garden came to Melbourne which inspired some in depth artist studies.  Sir N and I had such a wonderful time learning together that I am really keen to keep going.

We explored the life and work of Claude Monet and did some great art following his style.

This unit study is available for FREE from Confession of a Homeschooler.

Nature Journal

I have a total love affair with the very idea of Nature Journaling after reading Karen Andreola's chapter on Nature Journaling in the Charlotte Mason Companion.

So much so in fact that I collected a whole page of resources and a stack of books (Nature Journals, Keeping a Nature Journal  and The Decorated Journal ) to help me get started.

Well this year is going to be the year that I take the plunge. Our books are purchased and the digital camera is ready.  We will wait about a month by then spring should have arrived and we will take the plunge and attempt to journal our way through nature...I will keep you posted.

These are a few new resources to me.  I would love to hear what you are using that is new to you.

Blessings
Chareen

This week

• Bernadette   A Room of My Own
• Julie  Our Schoolroom - Highhill Education
• Savannah shares Learning Nook
• Lucinda  5 Steps to an Organised Homeschool Space 
• Nicole  Our Home: A Training Ground

 ---ooOoo---

Your chance to win a ticket to The Old Schoolhouse Expo

On Saturday I shared with you about The Old Schoolhouse EXPO which is being hosted in less than two weeks time.

You are invited to join home schoolers from around the world for a week of encouragement and professional development from 27 different speakers.

Today The Old Schoolhouse have donated ONE ticket valued at $24 for a reader of Every Bed of Roses to win using the Rafflecopter widget below.(If you are reading this by RSS feed you will need to click HERE to enter)


You can print a schedule by speaker name or Day and Time over on the Event Schedule page. Expo recordings are included with the price of your Expo ticket. You will receive a link to the recordings after the expo week is complete.

Mark you diary now and join me for a week of encouragement over at The Old Schoolhouse EXPO 19-23 August 2013. 

Enter NOW
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions

• The prize is ONE ticket to The Schoolhouse EXPO.
• This giveaway is offered to  Australia (QLD, NT, TAS, VIC ) and the rest of the world. 
• Sorry if you are living in ACT & NSW  Or Quebec Canada  you are ineligible to enter via my blog. Please read this article to see why.
• The give away will commence at 12 AM USA EST time on Monday 12 August 2013  and be open until Midnight Thursday 15 August 2013.
• ONE  winner will be announced on Saturday 17 August 2013.
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• Family members are not eligible to enter via my blog post.  
• Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Teachers  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

 

HSMJ I'm Back !

In my life this week…

I am so excited that I finally found who was hosting the Homeschool Mothers Journal.  I have missed blogging about my week.

I will be joining a fellow home school mom over at The Pebble Pond who is seeking her joy through taking a picture a day and will be sharing my en-devours over at I will enter His Courts with Thanks Giving.  This is a little project I started earlier in the year in order to count my 1000 gifts.  Somehow I became a little side tracked and far too busy.

Speaking of photography have you heard of Beryl Ayn Young ?  She's a mom who discovered a healing journey through photography and now teaches photography classes and encourages Mom's to enjoy their photography.

Beryl is doing a 12 week photographic email/online course for Free called Radiate Rediscover your inner Glow stating next week.

In our home school this week…

• This was our second week using Sonlight Core B. I had forgotten just how much fun it is to homeschool with Sonlight.  Sir N and I are having heaps of fun.
• We are focusing on completing Explode the Code Book 2.
• Sir N completed I Can Read It! Book 1 this week.  YAY.  Reading is becoming so much easier.
• I've also started reading the bible and  Leading Little Ones to God to Sir N.  We plan on starting memory work next week.
• We are both enjoying reading Missionary Stories with the Millers
• We are currently reading Charlotte's Web out loud.  I had forgotten just how enjoyable the writings of EB White are.  I think I shall add in The Trumpet of the Swan once we are finished with Charlotte.  Paul and Sir N finished Brer Rabbit this week and are now reading The Three Muskateers.
• In history/geography we are reading  Houses and Homes and  Peoples of the World.  
• For science we have enjoyed  Discover & Do Level 1 DVD in which we are watching the sections on magnets and magnetism.  Together we have been reading Science Activities, Vol. 1 and The Usborne World Of Animals. We also completed two weeks of Science Activity/Notebooking Page. 
• In Math we completed up to lesson 10 of Exploring Arithmetic 3 and started using Math Rider again to work on math facts and speed.
• We went to a ballet recital to support a friend of ours.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

• The Homeschool Mothers Journal is now being hosted at So You Call Yourself a Homeschooler.
• If you are studying World War II have you seen Facebook News Feed History of the World WWII
• The Old Schoolhouse is hosting an online EXPO and you are all invited.
• If you are studying Ancient History pop on over and read Cyrus' story "A rare glimpse at an artifact that gave religious freedom to ancient conquered peoples, including the Israelites"
• The Notebooking Nook is sharing a great Language Arts Freebie
•  In Grandma's Attic Kindle Edition is FREE
• Marcy has tickets to The Schoolhouse Expo for you to win.  
• Ultimate Free Homeschool Planning List: Free Homeschool Planners, Forms, and more over at Free Homeschool deals.
• FREE eBooks for Homeschoolers Facebook group.

I am inspired by…

• 12 Ways to Love your Unbelieving Child over at Becoming a Strong Woman of God.
• The Healthy Homeschool Marriage a 5 day series by Crystal over at Crystal Starr Blog.

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

• I am so excited I attended The Beautiful Women conference by Planet Shakers with my Mom for the weekend. I went last year and was wonderfully blessed.
• We are back at tennis and Kelly Sports this term.
• Went for a drive to explore the You Yangs.  Lots of fun.

My favorite thing this week was…

• Reading about the birth of Sarah's twins over at Amongst lovely things.
•  In April I read about a family whose baby was removed from their care because they sought a second opinion.  I found out that in June they won their case against CPS!
• Looking at all the gorgeous photographs of Sarah's twins.  They are so gorgeous and I can see why she is so besotted with them. These pic's have made me so clucky for another baby or should I say two . . . I shall keep praying.

What’s working/not working for us…

• Using Sonlight as our spine.  We are smiling all around here.

Questions/thoughts I have…

• What do you use to study the fine arts ?  I'm looking for some input for my Fine Arts Curriculum page.

Things I’m working on…

• I have been flat out blogging all week on my 5 days of Curriculum choices posts.  I had every
  
  intention of having them complete and scheduled before the week began but alas that was not to be.  Tell me what you think
  History
  Geography
  Math
  Science
  Fine Arts  
• This week was also the start of the Homeschool Help series after a break for the summer.  We shared our Curriculum choices for the year ahead.
• Creating a Bloglovin Account. You can now follow this blog by clicking on the Bloglovin button.

On My Bedside Table ...

• Nothing got read.  This week I plan on reading Three Decades of Fertility.  I will be sharing a review with you later this week.

In Bloggy world I’m reading…

• #Hashtag Haters Beware - they're here! over at Social Savvy Mom
• Modesty: I Don't Think it Means What You think it Means over at Ideas for the common good.
• When You've lost Your joy in the Midst of Marriage & Motherhood over at Women Living Well
• How much does a baby really cost ?  How I raised my baby for the cost of a cup of coffee a day by Naomi Charles.  Great article to help bring some balance.
• When you think your Love story is boring.  Such a good write up about the reality of love, life and marriage.
• I'm trying to understand my DSLR some more and the idea of the histogram appeals but understanding it is another thing altogether.  Are you using your histogram to get better photographs ?
• Printing Up Books over at The Paper Maid.  Deborah shares about Books should be FREE.
• I discovered that my brother in law has started blogging.  Here is the first artical of his that I read: Getting Started with a Capability Model.
• Haute Off the Press: A Shocking Example of the Power of Makeup this is so worth a look.  Amazing amazing photo I was truly surprised at the radical transformation.
• I ♥ the look of this book Seed Sowers.
• A Silicon Valley School That Doesn't Compute.  Interesting read.

I’m cooking…

• the easiest meals I can find.  No time I needed to focus on sharing with you :)  My family have been so very gracious.
• Next week I shall be experimenting with Simplified Dinners and let you know what we thought.

On Pinterest I found...

• The Schoolhouse Review Crew have been sharing some excellent articles from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
• 5 Days 90 Bloggers = 450 Articles
This board is chock full of new content to encourage and support your homeschool journey.

I’m grateful for…

• Homeschool families who encourage and support one another and you my readers who share your thoughts in comments.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…I found this YouTube clip inspiration Phil Hansen: Embrace the shake.  Take 10 min to watch you will be inspired and encouraged.


Blessings

Chareen

Photo collages made with: Photoscape a FREE photo editor