Questions and Answers

As promised a couple of weeks ago, here are some of your questions.  I will try to answer them the best I can.

Do you start with dry lentils and cook up a batch or how do you cook them? 

I cook the lentils by following the directions on the back of the bag.  Basically you cover them with water, I like to add about a teaspoon of salt, bring them to a boil, and then simmer until they are tender. This takes about 20-30 minutes.  I drain them before adding them to the other ingredients in my Lentil Loaf recipe.  (It really should be called Baked Lentils---it doesn't make a loaf that you could slice).  For lentil soup, I just put the dried lentils in the crock pot or big stock pot, cover with water or vegetable broth, add seasonings and a chopped onion, and cook until thick and tender.  Lentils are really easy to cook.  They do not require any presoaking, and the cook in about half an hour.

How do you grind your corn? Do you use your mill? 

I ground the corn using my NutriMill.  With a little bit of trial and error, I figured out the best way to do it.  I added the corn slowly, about 1 cup at a time.  With wheat berries, I just fill up the hopper and turn it on.  The corn has to be added slowly to insure a quick flow.

Can you post your bread and bagel recipe? 

Here is the link to my bread recipe: Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

I'll have to type the bagel recipe later.....Julie always makes the bagels.  She is not here, and I am not sure which recipe she uses and what modifications she makes.  I will share it soon!

What do you use to slice your bread? 

An electric knife.  It slices better if the bread is cooled.

I have read that, too, Roan, about reusing the plastic bottles. What I don't understand is why, if refilling and reusing causes cancer, don't they cause cancer in the first place?

I actually did a little bit more internet research on this topic.  This is what I found several sources saying.  So even though reusing plastic water bottles do not appear to cause cancer, I know that buying multiple water bottles and discarding them each day (even recycling them), can not be good for our environment.  So, I am happy with the Rubbermaid water bottles that I bought.

Do you still have a link for your instructions for marking your bible?

Here is the link to the blog and the articles which show how to do this.  I have not completed this marking.  In fact, I think I may put that on my summer list! 

I was wondering specifically which curriculum you purchase/use with IEW, I've looked at their stuff a few times and have been thinking about starting using some of their curriculum.

These are the IEW products I have used in the past:

• SWI A (with Olivia, Julie, and Clay)
• The Elegant Essay (with Olivia and Julie)
• Medieval History (with Olivia)
• Life Science (with Julie)
• All Things Fun and Fascinating (with Clay)
• The TWI handbook to make up my own lessons

Next year I plan to use SWI or SWCC B or C course with Clay.  Leah will do SWI A, and Julie will do the American History book.  I really like IEW.

Ok, that's all the questions from the past few weeks.  If you have any more questions (that you think I can answer!), please leave them in the comment box.

Questions, Answers, and Comments

Over the last couple of months, some of my commenters have asked me questions in my comment box.  Other people have asked me questions via email or in real life.  Since I still don't know the best way to answer questions left for me in the comments (especially if the questioner doesn't have a blog or website for me to visit), I thought it was time for a little bit of question and answer time.

Why are you using Saxon Algebra 2 instead of Teaching Textbooks?

The long part of my answer of why Teaching Textbooks is not my favorite, but the best of what I feel like I have to choose from can be found by reading this post.

However, a couple of things have changed since I wrote that post in May, 2011.

1.  Horizons (my all time favorite math curriculum) has now expanded past their 6th grade book.  Horizons now includes pre-algebra and Algebra 1.  I am really, really hoping that by the time Clay and my other children need Algebra 2 and geometry, they will have added those courses as well.  Clay is in the 8th grade and is currently working in the Horizons pre-algebra book.

2.  Olivia (my 12th grader) felt like taking geometry and chemistry in the same year (10th grade for her) was just too much at one time.  She suggested that her siblings either take chemistry and Algebra 2 or advanced biology and geometry at the same time.  I asked Julie (10th grader now) which courses she wanted to tackle this year, and she chose chemistry and Algebra 2.  I offered to get her a different curriculum for math--she has not been a big fan of TT.  I did a little bit of research and chose Saxon, 3rd edition.  Apparently, I did not do enough research, because we found out that Saxon 3rd edition algebra books (1 and 2) include geometry.  Their advanced math course finishes the geometry course.  So, I guess we will be using Saxon advanced math as Julie's 11th grade math course.  Like I said earlier, I am hoping that Horizons will come through for me and produce both Algebra 2 and geometry courses.....very soon!

Have you found a satisfactory lipstick color since Jane:  Kiss of Caramel has been discontinued?

Yes!  It is NYC color 401:  Caramel.

It is not quite the same shade as the Jane color, but it is a satisfactory substitute.  It is also cheap, and can be found at Walmart.  I usually buy 4 or 5 tubes at a time, in case they decide to stop selling it.  My friends kid me about my lipstick use.  I do love wearing lipstick!

I see you are using both Bible Study Guide For All Ages and Our Spiritual Heritage in your home Bible study this year.  Why both?  And which would you recommend if I were to choose only one?

I am using both because while I love the Bible Study Guide, and I have used it for 8 years, this year at RYC one of the teachers used these great purple timeline-like cards as part of her lesson.  I asked her about them (did she make them, etc.), and she told me all about them.  She recommended that I visit the Our Spiritual Heritage website to learn more.  After reading about those cards (called the Chronology Box) and also their home study program, I knew that I wanted some of these materials for our Bible study.  I purchased the Chronology Box, the teacher book and 2 student books for Leah and Sam in order to teach the unit God Is Wise, and I am about to order the Who cards.

I will continue using the Bible Study Guide For All Ages. Hands down, it cannot be beat for general Bible learning.  It is a 4 year cycle through the entire Bible, and I have learned so much while reading through the Bible twice in 8 years with my children.  It stresses Bible reading....there are no paraphrases or application stories.  Drills and memory work are included, and each lesson has 7 review questions from previous lessons.  For example, now that we are halfway through year 8, we sometimes have questions from year 1.  And my children almost always know the answer without looking it up!  (I don't.)

The advantage that I feel Our Spiritual Heritage offers is application lessons and the the big picture of the story of the Bible.  I know that all of us will benefit from using the Chronology cards to learn the timeline of the entire Bible.  The Who cards will drill us on the well-known and the not-so-well-known people of the Bible.

So it depends on your goals when you are deciding which one to use.  I just suggest that you visit each website and look around a little bit.  Our Spiritual Heritage seems to take less time....that is how I can do both.

Here is my weekly Bible study plan.

Daily:  Bible memory verse drills using our Bible memory verse box.  I include the drills from BSG in our Bible memory box.

Monday:  OSH day 1, BSG Bible reading, text questions.

Tuesday:  OSH day 2, BSG review questions

Wednesday: OSH day 3, Proverbs and Psalms reading

Thursday:  OSH day 4, BSG Bible reading, text questions

Friday:  OHS day 5, BSG review questions.

Note:  We complete 2 lessons per week in the BSG.  Our church also uses the BSG in all of its Bible classes on both Sundays and Wednesdays.  So, what we study at home is reviewed and expounded on in their Bible classes at our local church.

I'll answer more questions later!  

11 Random Things

I was tagged at Nicki's Blog, and I am supposed to answer 11 random questions that she asked.  Ok, here goes!

1. What is the first thing that you do when you get up in the morning?
Drink a cup of coffee and read my Bible

2. What product could you NOT live without?
my contact lenses

3. What is your favorite book?
The Bible, and I really can't pick another one...there are several that I really like--Heidi, Johnny Tremain, Moccasain Trail, Carry On Mr. Bowditch, Across Five Aprils

4. In one sentence, what advice would you give to a new mom?
Hold them, rock them, and enjoy each day.

5. What room in your home do you spend the most time?
The kitchen

6. What is your favorite part of the day?
Bedtime!  No, really, homeschooling my children is my favorite job each day. A very close second or sometimes tied for first is running.

7. How many minutes do you spend reading to your children each day?
2-3 hours--not all at one time, but since we use Sonlight, and I am doing three cores that have read alouds, plus I read to Leah and Sam at bedtime, and I read the Bible aloud to all 5 children each morning....I am guessing that it is more like 3 hours total on most days.

8. What is the messiest room in your house?
Usually the schoolroom and my storage/crafting room.  But I try to tidy up both areas each day.

9. Do you have a guilty pleasure?
I am not sure what a guilty pleasure is??  I like to drink a Coke in the afternoon.  Real Coke in a red can.

10. What is your movie recommendation for families?
None!  Ha!  We have a huge selection of rated G movies...mostly Disney ones.  My children just watch the same ones over and over....mostly in the van on long rides.  We rarely watch movies at home, because there is just not enough time in our day.

11. If you had one more hour each day, how would you spend it?
I would like to think I would spend it in Bible reading and prayer, but truthfully, I would probably spend it cleaning!

School Questions Answered

1.  Why are you using two history programs with Olivia (Sonlight Core 100-American History and Notgrass American History)?

The short answer is that I couldn't decide between the two, so I just chose both!

She is not working either course in its entirety.  I am choosing the components that I like best from each and combining them.  From Notgrass, she is reading the daily lessons from the textbooks and all of the literature books.  She will complete any assigned Bible reading from Notgrass, but she will not answer any of the daily lesson questions, take any of the quizzes or tests, or complete any of the writing assignments.

From Sonlight, she is not reading any of the Bible assignments, but she is reading almost all of the assigned books for history/geography and American Literature.  She is answering the study guide questions (just pondering them, not writing the answers down--plus I am reading all of the books so that we can discuss what she is reading), and she is completing the Sonlight writing assignments.  I have omitted a couple of the Sonlight books because of content, and I will occasionally substitute essay writing for some of the Sonlight writing assignments (like she will write a couple of essays instead of creating a newspaper).  She is also completing the timeline and map assignments.

This may sound like a lot, but Olivia is a voracious reader.  Also, she has read many of the assigned books already this summer or in years past.

2.  What about Sam's Kindergarten?  Can you share more details?

First of all, I have done something a little bit different for each of my children for Kindergarten.  Both Olivia and Julie attended a private half day kindergarten when they were five.  I use My Father's World and Horizons math for Clay, and I used Horizons phonics and math for Leah along with Sonlight Core Pre4/5.

For Sam, I am using the following:

• Sonlight Core Pre4/5
• Horizons K math
• Get Ready for the Code Books A, B, & C (phonics)
• Building Thinking Skills (the first book)
• various "Letter of the Week" activities

When my other four children were 4, I used the Get Ready for the Code Books along with Letter of the Week activities.  In these Code books, the child learns the sound of and how to write a letter each week.  Since I did not do this with Sam when he was 4, we are doing this as part of our Kindergarten.  The letter activities are just various art activities, snacks, songs, and poems that begin with each week's letter.

I am making an ABC scrapbook for Sam's Kindergarten, with each 2 page spread including the Bible verse he is learning for the week, pictures that he glues that begin with the letter, a sample or two of that week's art activity, and sometimes a photo of him doing school that week plus periodic handwriting samples.  I hope to make each letter's pages as soon as we finish the letter (every 4 days), so that all I have to do at the end of the year is to put the pages in the scrapbook in alphabetical order.

This is not a finished page (it's an opened file folder), but the colored D at the top right and the Bible verse printed on red paper will be included.  Also the blue page with the Dd pictures on it.  Those other Dd items are cards that I use to teach the letter.

I made a file for each letter of the alphabet.  Inside each file I put all of the items in the above photo, any songs or poems for the letter, plus any other items that the Sonlight IG requires.  I place books that are associated with each letter behind the letter's file.  I also included stickers that begin with each letter for Sam to use to decorate the scrapbook pages.

The Alphabet Files

In the "notes" section of my Sonlight IG, I jotted down four art/craft activities for each week.  I also listed the books that I wanted to be sure to read (they are in the alphabet file box) and any snacks that begin with that letter.  

I will be happy to answer any other school questions you may have--it may take me a few days to answer them (we are doing school ALL DAY now), but I will be glad to do it!

A Math Question Answered

One of my readers asked me about Horizons math, so in answer to her question, I am going to just going to share my homeschool  math history.

My 16 year old used Horizons math from grades 1-6, then she started Teaching Textbooks (TT). Horizons used to stop at 6th grade.  She has used TT for grades 7-10, and I plan for her use TT one more year.  She has Algebra 2 left.  For her (and my other children's) senior year, I plan to have them take Intermediate Algebra 1st semester and College Algebra 2nd semester at a local community college and earn dual credit (high school math and college credit as well).

My 13 year old used Horizons math from grades 1-5, and then I switched her to TT in grade 6 (I originally considered 6th grade Horizons to be very difficult).  She is on track to continue with TT through 11th grade just like child #1.

My 12 year old used Horizons math from grades K-4, and I switched him to TT in grade 5 (I had a kindergartner and freshman in high school that year, and I chose TT because he could do it completely alone.).  He is now in the 6th grade, and after doing 5th grade in TT and half of 6th grade in TT, I decided that the TT in the lower grades was just too easy, and I put him back in 6th grade Horizons.  Horizons 6th grade lessons are 3 pages per day.  He began in January doing 2 pages per day, and I plan for him to take about half or more of 7th grade to complete this course. Horizons now has a 7th grade course, called Pre-algebra.  I will put him in that course in the latter part of 7th grade and have him complete it in 8th grade.  For 9-11th grades he will do TT Algebra 1, Geometry, and then Algebra 2, and then the college classes.

My 7 year old has completed Horizons K and is currently doing the 1st grade book.  My plan for her and for child number 5, who will begin K next fall, is to do Horizons for grades K-8, taking three school years to complete Horizons 6 and Pre-Algebra.

My opinion overall of TT from Pre-Algebra on down:  TOO EASY!  When my older children switched from Horizons, they did not learn one new thing for an entire school year!  Not one thing!  I could have easily skipped a grade when moving them over, but decided to just let them have a "review year".

I have been concerned about the difficulty of TT in high school, but did not know of another program to use.  I train my children to be independent learners, and I need a course that can explain the concepts to the student.  TT does this, but I was unsure of its thoroughness.  In my local homeschool circle, I have two friends who are math majors and teach at community colleges part time (they also homeschool).  One of them uses Math U See in the lower grades, the other uses Horizons.  For high school level courses they are making up their own math curriculum.  That is not an option for me!

A couple of months ago, one of my math friends, Kathy, came over to my house and actually looked at my Algebra 1 and Geometry TT books.  She studied them for quite some time and came to the conclusion that they are the best of the choices that are out there for non-math teaching parents.  She recommended that I do just like I said, use Horizons (which she felt is best) until 9th grade, and then use TT for 9-11, and then the college plan I talked about.  In order to adequately prepare for the ACT, she suggested that I purchase an ACT math review book from somewhere like Barnes and Noble, and have my 10th graders and up work in it for 10-15 minutes a day.  That will help them be familiar with how the questions will be asked on the test.  She felt like they would do fine in college, since they are self taught....if they can master a high school math course independently, then they will do fine on the college level when they have a teacher to explain things.

If my children were/are interested in a math career, I would use the TT Calculus book instead of taking the college classes their senior year, or begin Algebra 1 in 8th grade and then do Calculus in 11th grade, and college classes in 12th grade.

So there you have it!  My opinion on Horizons math and Teaching Textbooks.  As in all academic subjects, my goal is for my children to be independent learners.  If I can teach them how to learn, then they can succeed in any area.  I have written about this before--teaching my children to become independent learners begins in Kindergarten.  It is a gradual process, and by the 7th or 8th grade, they can complete almost all of their schoolwork independently.  I am not trying to be lazy or anything, I am just trying to equip them for a lifetime of problem solving and self-educating.

Have a good math day!

 

Your Questions Answered

I am going to answer two running questions tonight.

1.  How did your children get involved in the Spartans Running Club?


About three years ago, when my children had already been running almost 2 years, I heard that there was a lady who was coaching a homeschool cross country team.  Coach Heather had organized this team about a year or more before I ever heard of it.  Heather is a former cross country high school runner and she coached cross country at a public school for a while.  She homeschools her own four children, and she is super fit and a natural at coaching and motivating young runners.  She is now the cross country coach at Blue Mountain College, and she still helps coach (along with Coach Sheri) the Spartans too.

We began attending Spartan practices three years ago, and it has become one of the highlights of my children's lives!  They have made great friendships, learned the importance of teamwork, and improved their physical fitness along the way.  The Spartans have grown to around 65 runners, whose ages range from 5-18.  We have a competitive team for grades 6-12, and a fitness team for grades K-12.  The xc team runs in cross country meets in the fall, and all of the runners participate in local 5K and 10K races throughout the year.

2.  What advice do you have for a beginning runner who wants to train for a marathon?


Well, I was not a beginning runner when I began training for my first marathon, so I am not sure that I can offer advice!  I would Google "beginner runner marathon training plans" or something like that.  I know that this website, Marathon Training, has an 18 week mileage build-up plan that readies you for an 18 week marathon training plan.

When I decided to train for my first marathon (back in early January of this year), I had been running for almost 4 years.  I began running in March of 2007.  Also, I had run 10 half-marathons, and I had a weekly mileage base of 30 miles for around 3 months.  When I first began running, my weekly mileage was 10 per week.  After several months of 10 miles per week, I increased to 15 per week, then 20 per week, and then 25 per week.  When I got to 20-25 per week, I began running half marathons.  After a year or more of half-marathons, I increased my weekly mileage to 30 miles per week.  For all of these years I ran these miles in 4 days.  I only started running 5 days a week about a month into my marathon training (when we got into 35+ miles a week).  Also, for the last year and a half or so, I have kept a long run once a week at 8-10 miles.

So, I guess that I would advise a beginning runner to first of all build up their weekly mileage base, and then read about marathon training from several different sources.  I do recommend the website I mentioned earlier, as well as books by Jeff Galloway.

Happy Running!

Questions

Do You Have a Question?

Thank you for all of your comments about how to handle comments. If I knew how to set up my comments so that when you left a comment, it would show me, but not the general public your email address, I could just answer your questions that way. But I am not sure if Blogger has that option.

I like visiting your blogs and answering your questions there, but then someone else may want the answer too.

I have tried answering a few questions by commenting on my own post, but if you are like me, you probably forget which post you asked your question on. And if you are like me, your blog reading time is limited, so you don't want to spend most of your time scrolling through old posts to see if your question is answered.

All that to say, that I think what I am going to do is take your questions periodically and answer them in a new blog post.

I have to cook supper right now, but I plan to post my first "Questions Answered" post hopefully tonight or early tomorrow morning. We will see how this all works! I surely don't pretend to be an expert in any area, but I can offer you my opinion and what has worked for my family and me.