Carnival of Homeschooling #29

Here it is! Delayed but intact!

As I approached this carnival I realize that I am formed by my traditional education;). So I have decided to structure this according to classical school organization.

First up is the three R's; reading, writing and arithmetic. Beverly Hernandez at About Homeschool has a guest article on the The Joys of Not Doing Spelling. TexasEd says just because you teach something doesn’t mean that kids are going to learn it in Multiplication Tables. Laurie Bluedorn presents More on Delayed Formal Math posted at Trivium Pursuit. Trinity Prep has an interesting article on reading philosphy books with, Philosophically Speaking.... Dewey's Treehouse has a great article on Sir Walter Scott with Scott? Who reads Scott?

Then we are off to the creative arts and outings. My Domestic Church takes advantage of some of the wonderful free programs the library offers during the summer with The library and homeschoolers. Last week it was a free puppet show by a genuine puppet master presenting, "Rumplestiltskin!" Sprittibee share a story about a resurrected homeschool project that will leave you laughing with Finally Finished the Llamas (sortof)!!! Creative Homeschooling has a great project with Make a Family Cartoon Clock. Turn an ordinary clock into a family heirloom with this fun activity. All you need is a cheap clock, children's books, some photos and a bit of creativity... Voila, you've got a clock that will be treasured for years to come! Fieldlearning has social studies, homeschooling style, when their family gets together with an old friend visiting from China and has several lessons in Chinese culture in Old Friends Make The Best Friends.

We now take a look at testing and evaluation, both of the students and the system. Why Homeschool responds to some negative comments left for them in Rants, Raves and Comments - part 1. Spunky offers a bit of encouragement for those anxious moments when you wonder if your children are really learning anything with Are They Learning Yet? Principled Discovery takes a look at the roots of the standardized testing which has taken such a hold on our society with The Darwinian Roots of Standardized Testing. Dad's Corner asks Where Did We Get Grades? He never really considered where we got the idea of grades until a few years ago. Then he discovered it was based on two faulty theories: evolution and embryonic recaptiulation. He's not all that thrilled. Sometimes, after evaluation, we find we have been doing the right thing all along. That was the case for Real Learning in Special Blessings, Special Needs. An older child is diagnosed with specific learning disabilities for the first time and we learn that home education has been right for him all along. What good is all this evaluation without graduation? Kim at Mother-Lode rejoins us after an extended season of busy-ness to reflect on how Creating Homeschool Traditions refeshes the soul and bonds the community. Read her description of a homeschool graduation here.

We can't forget teacher development and resource management. The Imperfect Homeschooler asks if we have ever heard of a Homeschool Resource Center? It's a library full of homeschool books and curriculum you check out with your library card. It's a great way to "Try before you buy" in a A Homeschool Mom's Paradise. The Thinking Mother shares a story of overspending on homeschooling supplies that happened before her older son started Kindergarten in 2002 and tells of some lessons that she learned from that experience in Flashback July 2002: Homeschool Supply Over-Spending Spree and What I’ve Learned from That Experience. Stepping Heavenward takes a look at Classical Christian Homeschooling: Preparing for Your First Day of K4 . Over at My God Given Mission field is a great article on notebooking, Wonderful world of notebooking!, with some great resources and ideas. Preschoolers and Peace has a great article, and great idea, with Planning Weekend. In closing, Sweetness and Light has a great post looking at The Quiet in Your Day.

That draws our carnival to a close. Please enjoy and if you have never contributed, please go and consider it. Next week the carnival will be over at The Lilting House. Please come again!