|
 April
1 ,
2007
Dear
Oklahoma Homeschool Subscribers,
What
a month March has been! I signed a contract for a house
with a settlement date 30 days away. Then I packed everything
that I didn't think I would use for 30 days, including
many of my appliances (after all, who cooks when they are
moving!) and most of my reference books. We put these
boxes and some furniture in a rented storage unit so our
house would look better for selling. Big mistake! The deal
fell through; and now, every
time I turn around, I remember something I can't use because
it's packed away in that storage unit! So,
it's back to house hunting! At least I got this newsletter
done.
If
you enjoy traveling with your children, be sure to read my
article in the spring issue of the Old
Schoolhouse magazine on traveling
your way to a good education. The magazine also has an
interview with attorney, David  Gibbs, who fought long and
hard for Terri Schiavo's family,
an article about life on the
farm, a free unit study, winning short stories, exciting
ways to teach reading and writing, the music
of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and much more! The Spring
issue will be on the newstands late April. It is
now being carried in all Borders and Barnes & Nobles
bookstores.
This
month's OKHS newsletter is focused on Reading.
I've including a recommended reading list, some literature/book
report theme writing paper, and several links to
resources that will help you improve your child's reading.
I hope you enjoy!
Have
a wonderful Easter!
Cindy
Downes
Oklahoma
Homeschool Newsletter, April 2007
 Index:
What's
New on the Oklahoma Homeschool Website?
This
month I've reorganized
the Homeschool
Forms page - Hallelujah! Hopefully,
it will make it a bit simpler for you to locate what
you are looking for! I also added the following:
- Dolch
Word List
- Priorities
Inventory Worksheet
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to top
Curriculum/Book
Review:
 Drive
Thru History America with
Dave Stotts is produced by David Barton and Nita Thomason.
It describes itself as "cutting
edge, entertaining, fast-paced curriculum that teaches
the history of our nation from a Christian worldview" and
it generally lives up to its claim.
Included in the curriculum is a DVD and a student workbook
that focus on eight historical figures: Benjamin Franklin,
Dr. Benjamin Rush, George Washington, Benjamin Banneker,
Haym Salomon, Abigail Adams, Noah Webster, and John Quincy
Adams.
Each segment involves watching a color, video presentation
and then completing a section in the workbook. The video
presentation is hosted by Dave Stotts who drives around
in a Hummer as he teaches the subject. The presentation
transitions back and forth from the host (sometimes dressed
in historical costume and filmed on location) to a narration
over drawings, artwork, or animated graphics. The host
is witty and interjects a bit of humor here and there,
such as wearing hideous-looking false teeth, to make it
more interesting for kids.
The workbook includes information about each person's
life, as well as student activities which range from research
and writing assignments to mock simulations and group discussions.
Other activities include puzzles and poetry memorization
as well as questions to be answered after each chapter.
I recommend this resource for 6th grade and up, although
younger children may enjoy the video. In addition to being
a stand-alone curriculum in character education, it will
also make a great resource for an American history unit
study or to enrich a traditional American History curriculum.
It is not a stand-alone American History curriculum.
This curriculum will appeal to Visual, Auditory, and Read/Write
learner. There is not much here for the Kinesthetic learner
but it could certainly be used along with hands-on projects
that you add yourself.
The best part of the curriculum is that it is Bible-based
and encourages good character development. The focus is
on each person's achievements and how each one served because
of his/her faith in God. The activities encourage the students
to analyze and imitate these good character traits. There
are not too many resources out there that do this well,
but here is one that I recommend.
The homeschool kit, which includes the DVD and the workbook,
is $49.99. You are given permission to copy the workbook
for classroom use so there is no need to buy a separate
workbook for each of your children. Contact: www.dthamerica.com for more information or to order.
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Teaching
Without Textbooks - Reading
 Reading Instruction:
1. Reading
Assessment.
2. Teaching
Reading.
3.
How to Determine
Reading Level of books.
4. Book
Activities from Teacher Created.
5. Reading
Bingo - incentive for getting your child to read.
6. Starfall -
Reading lessons
7. Reading-n-Phonics -
Phonics instruction
8.
Interactive
Phonics - Games
9. Phonics
cards from Read-Write-Think (printables)
10. Printable
Phonics Worksheets from EdHelper
11. Words
and Pictures Phonics Games
12. Phonics
Awareness Worksheets
13. Bembo's
Zoo - fun letter recognition!
Reading
for Learning and Enjoyment:
1. My
favorite Literature Resources.
2.
Free McGuffey
Readers.
3. Aesop's
Fables Online.
4. Reading
Certificates - printables
And
don't forget! When you're done, be sure to add what your
children did for Reading and Literature to your copy
of The
Checklist!
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FREE
Forms:
1.
Thematic Writing Paper. Use
these two forms (wide lines and thin lines) for writing
about Literature or Book Reports (Source: Homeschool
Forms):
2.
Literature List: Recommended
reading list (available to NL subscribers only)- an excerpt
from The
Checklist.
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Oklahoma
Centennial Events - May 2007 (from
the Oklahoma
Centennial website):
1.
Sallisaw's Diamond Daze Centennial
Fly-In Festival, May 2, 2007 - May 5,
2007. The Festival will kick off with a Frontier Centennial
Parade with entries from the 1907 period with all participants
wearing clothes of that period. The parade will also
display old tractors, horses and buggies, etc. During
the festival week, there will be an authentic Indian
pow-wow or stomp dance, demonstrations and tasting
of Native American cuisine, public participation in
Native American games such as stick ball, blow guns
and corn stalk shooting. A Stearman By-plane from the
Wylie Post & Will Rogers era will be
on display. An educational "mock" land
run planned for the local elementary students.
2. Guymon's
Pioneer Days Celebration, May 4, 2007
- May 6, 2007. Pioneer Days celebrates the Organic
Act of 1890 opening of No Man's Land to settlers. Events
include parade, carnival, arts and crafts mercantile,
talent show, and rodeo. 2007 is Pioneer Days 75th anniversary.
Contact: info@guymonrodeo.com
3. Pawnee's
Oklahoma Steam Threshers & Gas
Engine Association, May 4, 2007 - May 6,
2007. Farming from the late 1800's and early 1900's is
celebrated with demonstrations of steam traction engines,
including plowing, sawmill, shingle mill, threshing,
and corn grinding. Also included will be demonstrations
of tractors and gas engines and quilting show demonstrations.
4. Okmulgee's 50's Bash, 9 am - 5 pm,
May 5, 2007. Features an old fashioned box lunch auction,
50's music with a live band; including a 50's dress contest
and a twist contest. Activities for the kids include a
bubble blowing contest and a hula-hoop contest. Contact:
918-758-1015.
5. Broken Arrow's Rooster Day Festival,
May 10, 2007 - May 13, 2007. Entertainment includes a carnival,
food vendors, bands and school entertainment. Also
includes a arts and crafts show, parade, local entertainment,
Miss Chick contest, a kit car show, rock climbing
wall, and pony rides. More info: http://www.brokenarrow.org/chamberweb/
(click on rooster logo).
6.
Spiro's Archaeology Day,
9 am - 5 pm, May 12, 2007. A day to celebrate the history
and prehistory of Oklahoma. Activities include archaeologists,
re-enactors, and storytellers to help visitors identify
artifacts and learn about our regional heritage and our
Native American past. Tour at 1 pm. Contact: (918) 962-2062.
7. Stilwell
Centennial Strawberry Festival, 8 am -
6 pm, May 13, 2007. The theme for the 60th annual festival
is "Celebrating
100 Years of Statehood and Stilwell History." The
event attracts over 40,000 visitors each year. Includes
a large parade, carnival, arts and crafts, food vendors,
entertainment, champion Strawberry Grower Contest,
and free strawberries and ice cream.
8. Tulsa's
International Mayfest, downtown Tulsa.
See website for directions and times. May 17, 2007
- May 20, 2007. Mayfest is an outdoor tribute to the
arts and music and is a family oriented event. Created
to promote a broader knowledge of and appreciation
for arts and humanities among serious, as well as casual,
art lovers. FREE! Contact: comments@tulsamayfest.org
9. Chuck
Wagon Gathering & Children's Cowboy
Festival,
May 26, 2007 - May 27, 2007. This outdoor festival
offers two days of family fun and features authentic
campfire-cooked foods, Western entertainment, stagecoach
and pony rides, and hands-on children's educational
activities.
10. 61st
Annual Will Rogers Stampede Rodeo,
7:30 pm. May 24, 2007 - May 26, 2007, Claremore. The annual
Will Rogers Stampede Rodeo features bull riding, barrel
racing, team roping, bronc busting, calf roping and
lots of rodeo clown exposition. A parade, Miss Rodeo
contest and nightly rodeo dance will also be included.
Children can join in the fun by entering the "Muttin-Bustin" contest
and calf roping. Contact: Phone: 918-342-3032.
11. Nardin's Heritage Celebration, downtown
Nardin, 10:30am-3pm, May 26, 2007. An antique vehicle parade,
gunfighters, clowns, magicians, country music, a BBQ beef
and polish sausage feed, old fashioned cake walk, pony
rides for the kids, a petting zoo with farm animals, inflated
slides, etc. A Heritage House filled with hundreds of photos
of Nardin's history is always open during the weekend,
as well as the Ox-Yoks Saloon, dispensing ice cold
sarsaparilla and cream soda. FREE! Contact: 580-363-4760.
12.
For discount coupons and more travel info about
Oklahoma, check TravelOK.com.
13.
Be sure to check out the Oklahoma
Centennial website for more information. You'll also
find Oklahoma Centennial worksheets in the education
section.
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Internet
Resources:
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Quote:
"A
teacher affects eternity; he can never tell, where his
influence stops." — Henry B. Adams
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Please
feel free to forward this to anyone who may be interested.
Please forward in it's entirety.
If
you'd like to be added to the Oklahoma Homeschool Newsletter
mailing list, please email back with "Subscribe"
in the subject line, along with your city and state or country
and how long you have homechooled.
COPYRIGHT
NOTICE: This newsletter is ©Copyright 2006
by Cindy Downes. All rights reserved.
PRIVACY
POLICY. Your name and email address will always remain
completely confidential. I do not sell, loan, or share any
subscriber or customer information for any reason. Your information
will never be used for any purpose other than delivery of
my e-newsletter and to occasionally inform you of updates
to http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com.
If
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Have
a great day!
Cindy
Cindy
Downes
OKLAHOMA HOMESCHOOL
Website: http:www.oklahomahomeschool.com
Email: cindy@oklahomahomeschool.com
Blog: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/EmptyNestMom
Have
you seen The Checklist? It's
an assessment tool, lesson planner and K-12 Recordkeeper created
for Christian Home Educators: http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/checklist.html
Oklahoma
History Online is
now available! Check it out at: http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/okhist.html
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