Totally Cheating

Well that is the name of our blog and our school. LOL. www.homeschoolingheathens.blogspot.com
This is what I wrote to answer questions within a few of my homeschooling groups on how I homeschool without OHVA or some other prepackaged curriculum. Forgive the format, I just cut and paste it here. I will have another blog up soon about out VERY BUSY weekend!!

I am Dani and, I homeschool my 4 ungrateful heathens. I blog about it almost weekly LOL (I forget A LOT LOL) I am not sure what to classify myself as. I use a traditional classroom setting, a truck load of worksheets, a chalk board, a kitchen, and independent study for my older two.

Fifi is my preschooler/kindergartener. She will be 5 in November and is doing Kindergarten work but is considered a Preschooler here in OH. The week she is working with Eric Carle books.(yes again for those that read my other blog). We are using the words for spelling and Spanish. We are using the pictures for art (recreation) We are working using his bugs for math with basic addition (none of the sums are more than 20) I must admit, we went to Applebee's and they were giving children these little pamphlets for Eric Carle's work so I asked for extra (I now have 10 or so) and the have mazes, puzzles, and other games. We also picked up a spider puzzle and made Mr. Carle's bugs our of playdough (noting size relationships and shapes). Last but not least, we read as many of the books as we could find in our collection and at the library.

Coco is my 3rd grader. She is 8 years old. She was diagnosed with PPD and high functioning autism but I cant see it and neither can my friends. She is shy and a bit immature for her age. She is also the most loving and considerate child I have ever known. Each week she particpates in a creative writing class, roller skating lessons, theater programs, art classes, and, girl scouts.

Lola is my 6th ot 7th grader. She is 11 years old. She particpates in cheerleading, girl scouts, theater programs, art classes, and Japanese Anime Club. She loves school and loves being in charge. I have found that letting her lead some of the younger childrens classes allows me to have some free time to cook lunch, start dinner, do laundry... You know, " mom things"This is our first week without the added child (We were homeschooling an extra child but is didn't work out)
I try to keep Coco and Lola doing similar things just at a different level as much as possible. The only differences are Science where Coco is studying Earth Science and Lola is studying Human Anatomy and Math. however, this month their Math is the same.

We are starting fractions in math. I have this great kit my mother sent us from CT called Ready to Learn Fractions and Decimals. We also use my "Bible" the Comprehensive Curriculum's Best of Grade 3 (Grade 6 for Lola). We use www.aaaspell.com and www.aaamath.com for alot of our work and practice. All of the older children use these at some point each week. Spelling every week is pretty much the same. We get our word list for www.aaaspell.com and make flashcards on Monday, Write sentences using the words in a way that makes sense on Tuesdays. I make crossword puzzles on www.theteacherscorner.net for Wednesdays and a word scramble on Thursdays. We also put our words in ABC order on Thursdays. On Fridays we talk about their parts of speech and what ways the words can be used (i.e. note is a noun and a verb but if we make it notable it is a __? What about music notes?...) We don't test for grades, we test because they want to.
Language Arts this week is Homonyms. I get alot of my worksheets from my CC book but I also use www.enchantedlearning.com. It is $20 a year but totally worth it! Lola is using her CC book as well. She is also still working with compound words, prefixes and suffixes.
Science this week is a review of landforms for Coco. We finishing up the Earth and moving on to Oceans next week. We use mostly books from the library and http://www.enchantedlearning.com/ for our worksheets and lesson ideas.Lola is working with the Human Brain. She started the Nervous System last week. Next week we will be moving on the the senses and how they work and why. I also get alot of her Science worksheets from enchantedlearning. I get some of her work from www.bogglesworldesl.com too. Some weeks we just read about the systems and I have to make my own worksheets too. This week, we got lucky and the worksheets were on www.enchantedlearning.com
Geography this week is Florida. Last week was Delaware. We are going in alphabetical order. Each week we start with reading the Celebrate the States book during lunch of the state we are starting. Lola also loves to make the state flag out of construction paper every week. Then on Tuesday we do an art project pertaining to the state. Wednesday we work with the states history. I usually make a quiz sheet on important historic facts but sometimes they find something they want to run with. (when studying CA they were hooked on Levi Strauss and the gold rush...) Thursdays is all about the wackiest facts we can find in books and online about the states. It is also the day we make our Thank You Cards for our friends in that state who sent us the information, map, magnet and list of fun facts. If you want to be one of those friends let me know LOL... Friday is the day we do our worksheet from www.abcteach.comThey color in the flag and write out in complete sentences the three most memorable facts about the state. We also use enchantedlearning.com for geography and www.nationalatlas.gov for maps and facts.
The girls are also taking sign language. They use Micky Flodin's Books and Signing Time videos. We have all of the videos and 4 of the books now. They teach themselves a few (up to 10) new words a day and on Fridays they show me what they have learned. Once a month they put on a show for the folks at the library. The third Thursday of the month is Seniors Night. They write and produce their own "shows" including costumes, music and script. We were going to take a class with other homeschoolers but it wouldn't work into our schedule. We do try ot attemd some of the field trips if not classes with the other homeschoolers in the area. Mostly for my sanity. I have made some wonderful friends within the two groups we belong to.
Coco also takes a creative writing class on Wednesday nights at the same library. We do weekly creative writing projects as well. Each month we focus on a type of writing (i.e. Legends, poetry, fables, fairy tales...) This month we are doing poetry. I have gotten the girls to write a poem a day whether it be

M-makes me breakfast
O-outstanding reader
M-makes me lunch
M-Makes me dinner
Y-Yells when I don't do my work (written by Nahco age 14)
to
Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
Lola stinks
Exactly like Poo (by Coco age 8)

Nacho is my 8th or 9th grader. He is 14 years old. He has PTSD and is moody and sullen most of the time. He pretty much hates all schooling except his World Studies. He takes Japanese Anime, Cooking Classes, Boy Scouts, Fusion Classes and Guitar Lessons. Nacho is a huge help to me when it comes to almost everything not school related. He babysits, does laundry, dishes, takes care of the pets... He just hates school. He hates writing anything out.

We use alot of text books bought online for Nacho. Once a week I write out assignments on his sheet and once a week, I read what he finished. Some weeks, we redo what was done the week before.In math we are beginning Algebra. We are talking about Quadratic Equations. I use the book(s) and the white board to try to explain them. We also use www.aaamath.com and www.aaaknow.com Im science we are talking about matter. We also have a few science text books and a workbook. I love www.amazon.comThat is where I get most of my books. We also have this great book Middle School Science Experiments. Nacho loves randomly picking out an experiment and doing it.
Instead of regular old geography, Nahco is doing a World Study. Each month he focuses on a new place in the world and studies their Mythology, Religion, Foods, Languages, Herb Lore, Politics (which he hates) and History (again he hates) We cook their foods, research recipes, listen to and view their languages (www.youtube.com is excellent for this!), and attempt to discuss their politics. We also have our own version of lap-booking. Nacho Has specific binders for Herb Lore and Mythology. Each week or so he adds more pages from what he is learning. For Herb Lore he puts them in a usage category. For Mythology they are ordered by regions. This month is Japan.
Nacho also studies Wicca and takes classes monthly at a local pagan store. These are the highlight of his month! www.spiritapothecary.com The owner Matt teaches classes on incense making (this month was Samhaim incense including all of the herb lore) He also helps Nacho from home. I love this store!! Check them out. Saturday the owners held a pot luck dinner that was geared to helping me homeschool. Regional foods, regional music, regional herb lore and mythology books... even regional jewelery! I cant help but advertise for them. LOL
Nacho and Lola also take Spanish both online and with books. We use www.livemocha.com, Rosetta Stone and Ariba! This is one of their chosen independent studies.As well as Nacho's World Studies cooking, Nahco, Lola and Coco all take "home ec" This means they cook for the family two or three times a week. This is everything from muffins (from a box) to full dinners for their grandparents. I belong to a group on www.Cafemom.com called the Cooking Cafe. You can check it out for a list of what they will be making this week and recipes.
If you have found the gaps, yes, I don't make Nacho take a Language Arts. He is required to read and dissect short stories, poems, plays and what not. Its like pulling teeth from an angry croc. We do all his Language Arts work out loud, over dinner most nights.
One top of all of this, all three of the older children are required to read 30 minutes each day and log what they have read (with a summary) in their reading logs. They choose their own books for the most part. www.bookadventures.comhelped alot!