I've decided to do a little spring cleaning here at SmallWorld. I've felt lately that I'd like to keep my book reviews and book talk a bit more separate from my family life here in SmallWorld. I was nice and comfortable in my own little isolated world, but now that I'm participating in more book talk, somehow it feels better to have a different place for all that. I'll still post link to book reviews here and of course continue double posting on kids' books and curriculum reviews, but I'll be doing the majority of my own book reviews at SmallWorld Reads.
Come and say howdy to me there! I'm still in the getting organized and transferring phase, but I put out my welcome mat today. Be sure to find the subscribe button at SmallWorld Reads, too!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Spring Cleaning/Housewarming
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Waiting for To Go
May 14, 2008
* Oh, wow. I haven't thought about the play Waiting for Godot in a long, long time. My senior year in high school, we were always making some kind of Godot references, and somehow that title just popped out today. Of course, if you didn't go to high school with me and didn't read that bizarre existential play sometime in your own life, you have no idea what I'm talking about.
* So moving right along, here I am in Williamsburg, Virginia, waiting for (everyone one else to get ready) to go. During the eight-hour car trip yesterday, I read John Grisham's The Appeal. You can read my review here. (There was no damage to the van when I threw the book upon finishing it.) I'm halfway through Celia Rivenbark's Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank, and it is hilarious.
* So the big question is: which backpack would be more stylish to wear to Williamsburg today: Barbie or Anakin Skywalker? Hmmph. I forgot my grown-up backpack, so those are my choices, unless we want to do without water, granola bars, the camera, and, most importantly, chapstick.
* I love our motel, the Rodeway Inn! Admittedly when we drove up last night I thought, uh-oh. It looks like one of those places that you would pass by thinking, "Who would stay there?" But much to our delight, our "suite" actually has 2-bedrooms downstairs and a big living room with pull-out sofa and a little kitchen. If you are like us and must stick with the under-$100 range when traveling, I totally recommend the Rodeway Inn in Williamsburg. Bring water, though. The faucet water tastes truly repulsive. So repulsive, in fact, that even being made into coffee couldn't mask its disturbing taste.
* Fortunately, there's a Starbucks just down the road. If only these people would get moving...
Monday, May 12, 2008
Monday Memory: Crossing Over
May 12, 2008
When Jesse was a Cub Scout, many years ago, Randy was our pack's Cubmaster. He resumed the Cubmaster job this year when Duncan entered Cub Scouts, and last week was the end-of-the-year pack meeting and crossing-over ceremony, during which the 5th-grade Cub Scouts cross-over into Boy Scouts. It's a beautiful ceremony, and it was one of those times when I'm acutely aware that my children are growing up. It's hard to fathom, really, but it was just four years ago that my lanky, curly-haired teenager was the sweet new Boy Scout in the photo above. So much changes in four years in the life of a child. From two-to-six: toddler to reader, three word sentences to a rich and varied vocabulary. From seven-to-11: Green Eggs and Ham to Lord of the Rings. From 11 to 15: eight inches of height, eight inches of hair, and an even more extensive vocabulary. Grapes of Wrath and the ACT.
But still the same kind, funny young man, with the gentle smile and green eyes. Moving now, closer to Eagle Scout. And now he's the one welcoming this new Boy Scout into the troop, putting on the new neckerchief and epaulettes.
When Jesse was a Cub Scout, many years ago, Randy was our pack's Cubmaster. He resumed the Cubmaster job this year when Duncan entered Cub Scouts, and last week was the end-of-the-year pack meeting and crossing-over ceremony, during which the 5th-grade Cub Scouts cross-over into Boy Scouts. It's a beautiful ceremony, and it was one of those times when I'm acutely aware that my children are growing up. It's hard to fathom, really, but it was just four years ago that my lanky, curly-haired teenager was the sweet new Boy Scout in the photo above. So much changes in four years in the life of a child. From two-to-six: toddler to reader, three word sentences to a rich and varied vocabulary. From seven-to-11: Green Eggs and Ham to Lord of the Rings. From 11 to 15: eight inches of height, eight inches of hair, and an even more extensive vocabulary. Grapes of Wrath and the ACT.
But still the same kind, funny young man, with the gentle smile and green eyes. Moving now, closer to Eagle Scout. And now he's the one welcoming this new Boy Scout into the troop, putting on the new neckerchief and epaulettes.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Heart of the Matter Meme: Ways We Socialize
May 10, 2008
Today's Heart of the Matter Meme asks for ways we socialize. That is hilarious. How do we not socialize? I love those quiet evenings at home, socializing with just our family. Those rare evenings are a nice respite from all the other activities that we choose to do. You know: Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, American Heritage Girls, church, co-op classes, camps, sports, performing arts, and just hanging out with friends. That kind of stuff that people can do if they want to.
Or they can just stay at home and enjoy their flowers, or each other, or a good book. Some days are party days, some days aren't. What I seek: a well-balanced life.
"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony."
~Thomas Merton
~Thomas Merton
Comments
Saturday, May 10, 2008 - interesting question
Posted by Jennifer in OR (69.88.229.219)
Was the question formed to prove that homeschoolers do, in fact, socialize? I've stopped trying to answer this loaded question from people. :-)
Happy Mother's Day to you, and I hope your day is blessed!
Saturday, May 10, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by andijeane (75.46.39.186)
Very true and aptly put!
~Andrea
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/andijeane/529567/
Sunday, May 11, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous (66.220.103.20)
Amen to that , Sista' !
skdenfeld
Friday, May 9, 2008
Today's Gift from the Garden
May 9, 2008
If I'd known all these sweet things were waiting for me in the garden today, I'd have made shortcake.
Summer.
Summer.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Revolutionary War Lapbooks
I think that I'm getting the hang of this lapbook thing! We had such a great time creating these Revolutionary War lapbooks. We've been studying American History this year (click here to see resources for the first part of our year) and have been immersed in the Revolutionary War for what seems likes months. We've read all kinds of books and watched movies, and this lapbook really tied it all together.
About half of the books in this particular lapbook came from the activity book Hands-On History: American Revolution. I guess we made up the rest. We had lots of fun doing the Declaration of Independence on the back page of the folder. (Note to self: don't leave 10-year old with candle and paper again.)
I love this site for making mini-books. For more lapbooking resources, check out this post.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Monday Morning in Our Own Small World
May 5, 2008
Earth laughs in flowers.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom,
maybe your soul has never been in bloom.
~Audra Foveo
I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.
~Emma Goldman
Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed.
~Walt Whitman
Silently a flower blooms,
In silence it falls away;
Yet here now, at this moment, at this place,
The world of the flower, the whole of
the world is blooming.
This is the talk of the flower, the truth
of the blossom:
The glory of eternal life is fully shining here.
- Zenkei Shibayama
Earth laughs in flowers.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom,
maybe your soul has never been in bloom.
~Audra Foveo
I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.
~Emma Goldman
Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed.
~Walt Whitman
Silently a flower blooms,
In silence it falls away;
Yet here now, at this moment, at this place,
The world of the flower, the whole of
the world is blooming.
This is the talk of the flower, the truth
of the blossom:
The glory of eternal life is fully shining here.
- Zenkei Shibayama
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Book Reviews: Poetry for Children
May 1, 2008
A commenter asked me a couple of weeks ago for suggestions for poetry to read to children. Before I list my favorite books written specifically for children, let me emphasize that you don't have to stick with "kids' poetry" when reading to your children. In other words, some poets write specifically for a younger audience--much of Jack Prelutsky, for example. But poetry doesn't have to rhyme and be about cute kitties or dog poop to appeal to children (although rhyming bodily functions certainly can heighten a child's appreciation of poetry).
Along those lines, I highly recommend A Treasury of Poetry for Young People. This contains poems selected with a younger audience (5th grade and up) in mind by some of the best-known poets: Carl Sandburg, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. There is a two or three page introduction of each author before his/her section of poetry. The illustrations are simple and beautiful. Notes at the bottom of each page give a very brief commentary on each poem. For example, at the end of the familiar Frost poem "The Road Not Taken," the note simply states: "We all know the feel of a cool autumn day, when we can shuffle our feet through fallen leaves and kick up the smells of the season. This is a poem about such a walk, about coming to a fork in the path, and about making choices in our lives."
For a wider variety of poets, I recommend the Poetry for Young People Series. These books are also published by Sterling Publishing, like the one above, but each books features a different poet. Scholastic often has these titles in their monthly sale fliers for home or school. Featured authors include: Robert Browning, Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and all the ones mentioned above.
One more collection I really love for kids: The Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems, edited by Donald Hall. This one takes a chronological approach to American poetry, beginning with the Native American cradle song, "Chant to the Fire-Fly" and ending with the contemporary poetry of Sandra Cisneros and Janet S. Wong. I love the diversity offered in this collection: poetry isn't all written by white guys and reclusive women. And one of my personal favorites is included here: Nikki Giovanni's "Knoxville, Tennessee." Even if you don't live around these parts, you and your children can surely relate to Giovanni's ode to the pure bliss of summertime.
Of course, you can get out your old copy of The Norton Anthology of Poetry and just pick out age-appropriate poems from some of the world's best poets of all time. What? You don't have an old Norton's Anthology? Run to your nearest used bookstore or Goodwill and pick one up. Please. You never know when you might need to read T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock":
Jack Prelutsky also has a gift for luring children in with the absurd. He knows how to engage children with the silly, absurd, and irresistibly disgusting:
The poet Eve Merriam loved language--loved the sound of words alone and in combination with other words. When I read her poetry, I imagine how carefully she chose each word. From her widely anthologized "Lullaby":
One last poet who might be less familiar but who also takes great care in crafting poetry: Valerie Worth. In the wonderful All the Small Poems and Fourteen More, Worth turns every day things--animal, vegetable and mineral--into exquisite works of art. This is a fantastic collection for teaching personification, metaphor and simile, and for emphasizing the power of observation and the craft of language.
“Whatever you do, find ways to read poetry. Eat it, drink it, enjoy it, and share it.”
~Eve Merriam
~Eve Merriam
A commenter asked me a couple of weeks ago for suggestions for poetry to read to children. Before I list my favorite books written specifically for children, let me emphasize that you don't have to stick with "kids' poetry" when reading to your children. In other words, some poets write specifically for a younger audience--much of Jack Prelutsky, for example. But poetry doesn't have to rhyme and be about cute kitties or dog poop to appeal to children (although rhyming bodily functions certainly can heighten a child's appreciation of poetry).
Along those lines, I highly recommend A Treasury of Poetry for Young People. This contains poems selected with a younger audience (5th grade and up) in mind by some of the best-known poets: Carl Sandburg, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. There is a two or three page introduction of each author before his/her section of poetry. The illustrations are simple and beautiful. Notes at the bottom of each page give a very brief commentary on each poem. For example, at the end of the familiar Frost poem "The Road Not Taken," the note simply states: "We all know the feel of a cool autumn day, when we can shuffle our feet through fallen leaves and kick up the smells of the season. This is a poem about such a walk, about coming to a fork in the path, and about making choices in our lives."
For a wider variety of poets, I recommend the Poetry for Young People Series. These books are also published by Sterling Publishing, like the one above, but each books features a different poet. Scholastic often has these titles in their monthly sale fliers for home or school. Featured authors include: Robert Browning, Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and all the ones mentioned above.
One more collection I really love for kids: The Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems, edited by Donald Hall. This one takes a chronological approach to American poetry, beginning with the Native American cradle song, "Chant to the Fire-Fly" and ending with the contemporary poetry of Sandra Cisneros and Janet S. Wong. I love the diversity offered in this collection: poetry isn't all written by white guys and reclusive women. And one of my personal favorites is included here: Nikki Giovanni's "Knoxville, Tennessee." Even if you don't live around these parts, you and your children can surely relate to Giovanni's ode to the pure bliss of summertime.
Of course, you can get out your old copy of The Norton Anthology of Poetry and just pick out age-appropriate poems from some of the world's best poets of all time. What? You don't have an old Norton's Anthology? Run to your nearest used bookstore or Goodwill and pick one up. Please. You never know when you might need to read T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock":
But I digress. Moving on to poetry written specifically for children, I must present my four favorites: Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, Eve Merriam, and Valerie Worth. Does anyone not know Shel Silverstein's works? Silverstein, who died in 1999, is the king of children's poetry. His website is great fun, and you can read all about his works there. You local library will have every book; better yet, buy at least a couple. No family library can possibly be complete with A Light in the Attic or Where the Sidewalk Ends. If your kids hear the word "poetry" and cover their ears, try reading "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out' to them. They will want to hear more.I grow old. . . . I grow old . . .
I shall wear the bottoms of my trouser rolled.
Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
I do not think they will sing to me.
Jack Prelutsky also has a gift for luring children in with the absurd. He knows how to engage children with the silly, absurd, and irresistibly disgusting:
Prelutsky also has a great website, where you can read all about him and his books and get teaching ideas, too.Slime, slime,
Savory slime,
you're luscious and succulent
any old time,
there's hardly a thing
that is nearly as grand
as a dollop of slime
in the palm of my hand.
The poet Eve Merriam loved language--loved the sound of words alone and in combination with other words. When I read her poetry, I imagine how carefully she chose each word. From her widely anthologized "Lullaby":
I have a cassette tape of Merriam reading some of her poetry; when my oldest was little, this was one of his favorites. Check out your local library or amazon.com for poetry by Eve Merriam, including You Be Good and I'll Be Night and A Sky Full of Poems.Purple as a king's cape
Purple as a grape.
Purple for the evening
When daylight is leaving.
Soft and purry,
Gentle and furry,
Velvet evening-time.
One last poet who might be less familiar but who also takes great care in crafting poetry: Valerie Worth. In the wonderful All the Small Poems and Fourteen More, Worth turns every day things--animal, vegetable and mineral--into exquisite works of art. This is a fantastic collection for teaching personification, metaphor and simile, and for emphasizing the power of observation and the craft of language.
The sunThis is just a tiny taste of the wonderful feast that is the world of poetry. Surf the internet and shuffle through the library bookshelves. If you had a bad experience with poetry in your own schooling, try again--with your child. I promise, you'll both find something you love.
is a leaping fire
too hot
to go near,
But it will still
lie down
in warm yellow squares
on the floor
lie a flat
quilt, where
the cat can curl
and purr.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Our Allowance System
To give or not to give: allowances are one of those perplexing parenting decisions. The simple system I'll describe below is what works for our family. Various parenting and financial programs do not necessarily endorse this type of system of payment; indeed, many do not recommend giving allowances at all. In our marriage, Randy came from an allowance-giving family. He liked it. I came from a non-allowance-family. I did not like that. It wasn't about the money for me; it was about having to ask for money and having to justify every purchase. Also, the Brady Bunch kids all got allowances. Sensibly, we decided early on that we'd give our children an allowance. That is the extent of our philosophy.
We start giving an allowance of a quarter at age 5. With this allowance comes the responsibility of making one's bed each morning. At this age, we are guiding the child with bed-making, and by 5 and a half, the child can make a decent bed. We raise the allowance at the half-year mark by a quarter. On every birthday, we raise the allowance again. I'm not really sure that we have a scientific pattern for this, but right now at age 7, Duncan gets $1/week, and at age 15, Jesse gets $5/week. Laurel is right in the middle with $2.75/week.
As they get older, the have more and more household responsibilities which are directly tied to their allowances. The older kids must have their rooms cleaned on a certain day of the week. (This day changes depending on what our schedule is like that particular year.) If they don't clean their room one week, they don't get their allowance. If they don't clean their room the second week, they must pay ME the amount of their allowance to clean the room for them. I believe this has only happened once per child. Other responsibilities include, upon request: setting the table, taking out the trash, feeding the dog, helping me clean house, clearing the dinner table, basic home maintenance, etc.
Our kids are motivated by receiving their allowances because they often have "big ticket" items for which they must save. For Duncan, a big ticket item might cost $5; but Laurel has saved enough to buy an American Girl doll, and Jesse has purchased clothes, an iPod, guitar amp, etc. Big ticket items usually include adding some of their birthday money from grandparents into the pot, but the kids are required to put a portion of their birthday money into their savings accounts.
We also have jobs for which we pay extra money. When Duncan was a preschooler, I would pay a sibling a quarter to play with him for 15 minutes so that I could do one-on-one schooling with the other child. Other jobs include: deep cleaning of a specific room, pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, painting, sweeping off the driveway, cleaning the car, etc. Prices vary on these jobs, from $5 for mowing the lawn to 50 cents for pulling a bucket of weeds.
I've heard some people say that their kids aren't motivated by money. If this is true, you may have kids that are totally not materialistic, or you may be buying them too much stuff yourself. Why should they be motivated to save money if they know that we will buy them whatever they want? My youngest always wanted to buy ridiculous things out of the gumball machines at grocery stores. I would occasionally give him a quarter to do so until I realized he was expecting that quarter. The past couple of years, I just remind him before we go to a store: "If you want to buy a gumball (or a tacky gold necklace), make sure you bring your own quarter." Amazing how this has cut down on the number of cheap plastic objects around our house.
Like I said, this is the system that works for our family. We're hoping that we raise children we will know how to manage money because they've had their own to manage since early childhood, and we also hope that they will value the responsibilities that come with being part of a family. Ask me again in 15 years how this all turns out...
Comments from former blog; scroll down to add a new one.
Sunday, April 27, 2008 - too funny
Posted by onfire (206.132.61.176)must be something about youngest boys. while we were at your place, E wanted to buy a tacky necklace in the stuffmart gumball dispenser. He had his own stash of loose change, so he bought the desired thing ... only to realize that the chain it goes on was another $5 from the second machine. nice lesson learned.
I personally believe the tn flipflops were a better purchase. Too bad they ripped while he was being a gentleman and holding the door for someone.
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Monday, April 28, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by sadie423 (69.247.28.184)We need a well devised system....we randomly do allowance now, and I reward for a job well done, like when Rylan vacuums the entire house....I have one saver and one spender....Cale would spend all his money on trinkets and such if I let him....Rylan is much more conservative....but that travels over to almost everything they do....not just money
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Monday, April 28, 2008 - Good Plan!
Posted by lcourtneymom (208.104.165.129)We also do allowance with a very similar system to what you described. Our dc have to divide allowance between spending, saving and giving, and they each have a savings account at the bank.
I think an allowance is very necessary in teaching money management.
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Sunday, May 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by JHS (67.181.62.180)Thanks for participating in this week's Carnival of Family Life hosted by Riley at All Rileyed Up! Be sure to drop by and check out the other wonderful submissions included in this week's Carnival!
JHS
Colloquium
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Sunday, May 4, 2008 - allowances
Posted by Riley (70.181.102.150)Great tips! I've been thinkin of implementing an allowance with my son when he turns six because he's starting doing small tasks around the house with success. I had an allowance when I was growing up and it was a great way to teach me to save up to buy the things I wanted. Thanks for contributing to the carnival of family life!
Riley
http://allrileyedup.wordpress.com/
Permanent Link Edit
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Book Review: Three by Barefoot Books
April 26, 2008
Barefoot Books is a relatively new publisher, started in 1993 by moms Nancy Traversy and Tessa Strickland. They describe their story and vision:
I love books that feature different cultures, and Barefoot Books does this well. My first-grader loves three "travel" books: We're Sailing to Galapagos, We All Went on Safari, and We're Sailing Down the Nile. First of all, the books are gorgeous. The illustrations are bright and colorful without being too chaotic and cluttered. Each book gives geographical and cultural details in fun, sing-song verses.
We're Sailing to Galapagos: A Week in the Pacific, is our favorite. The rhyming text introduced the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, from albatrosses to lava crabs. Duncan loves the repeated chorus:
This book made me want to do a unit study on the Galapagos! The last several pages of the book give more detail about the Islands and its animal inhabitants.
We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey Through Tanzania, is beautiful counting/language/ culture/wildlife book. A group of Maasai people journey over Tanzanian grasslands and past acacia trees, counting various African animals--in both English and Swahili. Like the Galapagos book, this one devotes several pages at the end to information about the Maasai people, the Swahili language, and facts about Tanzania. This would be a great supplement to any study of African countries.
We're Sailing Down the Nile: A Journey Through Egypt is the least engaging of the three for us. Somehow the rhythm doesn't flow as well as the other two, and the illustrations weren't as engaging. I guess also, there is so much great material out there already about Egypt but not much about Tanzania and the Galapagos, so the first two books really stood out for me.
I think Barefoot Books will be a solid contender in the children's book market. The books are reminiscent of Usborne Books but with more of a cultural rather than historical focus--and the illustrations are more vibrant. I see on their site that, like Usborne, one can run a home-based business by selling Barefoot Books. I used to sell Usborne in this way and accumulated a wonderful library; if my children were younger, I'd consider selling Barefoot! They also have an affiliate program like Amazon. Don't be surprised if you see an affiliate button on my blog in a few days!
When you start out, no one has heard of you, and you wonder if anyone is going to listen to what you have to say. No one was publishing books quite like ours—would anyone buy them? We believed they would; we just had to find our way to parents and educators who shared our values. This is what we care about: first, we're convinced that it's never too early to introduce children to other cultures. We believe too that children can appreciate high-quality art, and enjoy the music as well as the meaning of language from a very early age.
I love books that feature different cultures, and Barefoot Books does this well. My first-grader loves three "travel" books: We're Sailing to Galapagos, We All Went on Safari, and We're Sailing Down the Nile. First of all, the books are gorgeous. The illustrations are bright and colorful without being too chaotic and cluttered. Each book gives geographical and cultural details in fun, sing-song verses.
We're Sailing to Galapagos: A Week in the Pacific, is our favorite. The rhyming text introduced the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, from albatrosses to lava crabs. Duncan loves the repeated chorus:
"We're sailing to Galapagos, Galapagos, Galapagos,
We're sailing to Galapagos. I wonder who we'll see."
We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey Through Tanzania, is beautiful counting/language/ culture/wildlife book. A group of Maasai people journey over Tanzanian grasslands and past acacia trees, counting various African animals--in both English and Swahili. Like the Galapagos book, this one devotes several pages at the end to information about the Maasai people, the Swahili language, and facts about Tanzania. This would be a great supplement to any study of African countries.
We're Sailing Down the Nile: A Journey Through Egypt is the least engaging of the three for us. Somehow the rhythm doesn't flow as well as the other two, and the illustrations weren't as engaging. I guess also, there is so much great material out there already about Egypt but not much about Tanzania and the Galapagos, so the first two books really stood out for me.
I think Barefoot Books will be a solid contender in the children's book market. The books are reminiscent of Usborne Books but with more of a cultural rather than historical focus--and the illustrations are more vibrant. I see on their site that, like Usborne, one can run a home-based business by selling Barefoot Books. I used to sell Usborne in this way and accumulated a wonderful library; if my children were younger, I'd consider selling Barefoot! They also have an affiliate program like Amazon. Don't be surprised if you see an affiliate button on my blog in a few days!
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