I’ve found a fantastic resource for spelling help. We’ve been using it every week to practice for spelling tests and my 11 yr old has gotten 100% every week, which was not the case before we started using Spelling City. I, for one, never knew that it could be so hard to teach spelling. It’s not even so much teaching spelling though, as teaching a child HOW TO STUDY for the weekly spelling test. Before using SpellingCity.com dd would just look at her weekly list and write the words as I called them out. Not fun… for either of us, and not very effective. Online games are a much more effective way of getting knowledge into my very e-oriented kid’s brain… and keeping it there.

They already had practice spelling tests and spelling games but they continue to add new fun features! New games, printable worksheets for handwriting practice, and more, more, more. I highly recommend it for any kid who has to take a weekly spelling test.

Have any of you tried it out? I’m still exploring the site and I keep finding new things. It’s one of those things like caller ID… once you have it, you just wonder how you got along in life without it.

Hope you all find Spelling City to be as useful as I have!

JK

Or Native Americans, whichever you prefer, is what we’ll be learning about this month. My mom was part Cherokee, so I’m going to tie it in with our roots just like I did with Irish and Italian heritage. Each month we’re picking something to focus on, I think I said this already! I post on so many things I can’t ever remember where I said what! But, I’m so excited! This Saturday we’re going to a powwow!! I’m reading a chapter book to him, a small chapter book in a series called Three Cousins Detectives  Club, called The Mystery of the Eagle Feather. It’s about a boy who makes friends with a child who lives on a reservation, and he learns all about their culture, while at the same time trying to solve a mystery with his cousins. It sparked Tim’s curiosity, and he wanted to go to a powwow. I got online, and there just happened to be one near us on Saturday, so we’re going! I’ve always wanted to go to one! I’ll take pictures and post them on here if they turn out.

Short post today, I have a lot to get done!

I’m looking for some ideas, maybe some good sites that are free, for this summer to just review what we’ve learned, so he doesn’t forget, but also have fun. He LOVES animals, so anything animal centered would be great.

I plan on doing a lot of baking with them since they both love to do that. I’m also wanting to do some simple experiments once a week, because Tim really loves science. We’re doing monthly studies on different cultures, and I think next month will be Native Americans, we’re just finishing up Italy.

If you haven’t tried it, we just adore youtube.com for videos that coincide with what we’re learning about. When we were learning about the Chinese New Year we watched their celebrations on there and were both mesmerized! I’m hoping to find some Native American dances on there, that would be great!

I am a homebody.  It is easier to be at home.  We get more done, school and otherwise, if we limit our time out of the house.

It helps that we only have one car.  

We do enjoy outside activities, but stick to ones right here in our small community, with occasional family and friend field trips. 

It works for us, but I still need a little support.  So, I have several forums I hang out on.

I have a couple homeschooling forums, a notebooking forum and T4L forums that I go to regularly.  I don’t always post on them, but I learn a lot from previous posts.

I have one homeschooling forum I have been a member of for 10 years.  This one is like family.  I post there daily.

I also have a couple of CHD heart mom support forums I am active on.  These are very important to me by keeping me informed and giving me a place to talk or vent with other heart moms.

I consider these forums, the ones I am actively posting on and the ones I am actively reading on, a big part of my overall support as a stay-at-homeschooling mom.

Do any of you have children who seem to struggle with the whole concept of Time4Learning?

My 10 year old loves what he’s learning, but he really dislikes to read.  We’ve tried Peedy, but while that was a big plus in the beginning, the novelty has worn off a bit.  The distortion of the voice is just too much for him to work around.

Lately, I’ve been sharing the reading with him.  He reads a paragraph, then I read one.

He is loving the History lessons and seems to get much more from it if I read along with him. 

I just thought I’d ask.  In some ways I feel he should be taking more responsibility, but I want him to love learning.