tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90907067883813857822024-03-05T06:51:35.563-08:00Knitted ThoughtsHomeschooling, Writing Instruction, Book Reviews, Knitting and much more...PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.comBlogger176125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-52802603751162796042014-10-25T09:39:00.000-07:002014-10-25T09:40:41.291-07:003T - Teens. Tacos. Texting... Friday Night Social Club<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's a new social group for Homeschooling Teens in SCV and we had our first get-together last night! It was a blast!<br />
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We met for pizza and video games and then walked over to the book store where we met local authors doing book signings. We'll be planning more fun Fridays, so check out our FB page or email me for more information! Our next event will be a movie night for Big Hero 6! Here's the trailer:<br />
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PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-22757664703764520862014-05-29T23:37:00.001-07:002014-05-29T23:37:48.149-07:00Summer Reading Recommendations for 8-12 year-olds!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was the handout I gave to my students and their parents at my Writing Workshop tonight. There are so many incredible books for this age range. Each one on this list is a fantastic read and there's something for everyone.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
I mention each author only once, but several of them have MULTIPLE books that are FANTASTIC!!<br />
**Indicates ALL books by this author are worth reading!!!<br />
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Al Capone Does My Shirts series, by Gennifer Choldenko<br />
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,by Lewis Carroll**<br />
Anne of Green Gables series, by L.M Montgomery<br />
Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne**<br />
At the Back of the North Wind, by George MacDonald**<br />
Ballet Shoes series, by Noah Streatfield<br />
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo**<br />
The Fairy Book series, by Andrew Lang<br />
The Borrrowers series by Mary Norton<br />
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson**<br />
Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie Brink<br />
The Call of the Wild, by Jack London**<br />
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee<br />
The Cat Who Went to Heaven, by Elizabeth Jane Coatsworth<br />
Catherine, Called Birdy, by Karen Cushman<br />
Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White **<br />
Countdown, by Deborah Wiles<br />
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh<br />
The Cricket in Times Square, by George Selden<br />
The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis<br />
Dead End in Norvelt, by Jack Gantos<br />
The Doctor Dolittle Series, by Hugh Lofting<br />
Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery, by Russell Freedman<br />
Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine<br />
Esperanza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan <br />
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly<br />
The Family Under the Bridge, by Natalie Savage<br />
Frindle, by Andrew Clements<br />
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil<br />
E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg** <br />
Ginger Pye, by Eleanor Estes **<br />
The Giver, by Lois Lowry**<br />
The Golden Compass series, by Philip Pullman**<br />
Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright<br />
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Amy Schlitz<br />
The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman<br />
Half Magic, by Edward Eager**<br />
Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh<br />
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling<br />
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen<br />
Heidi, by Johanna Spyri<br />
Holes by Louis Sachar<br />
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen<br />
The Indian in the Cupboard, by Lynne Reid Banks<br />
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick**<br />
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell**<br />
Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes<br />
Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead<br />
The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling**<br />
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, by Julie Andrews Edwards**<br />
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving**<br />
The Lions of Little Rock, by Kristin Levine<br />
The Little House series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder<br />
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott**<br />
Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli**<br />
Mary Poppins series, by P.L. Travers<br />
Matilda, by Roald Dahl**<br />
Miss Hickory, by Caroline Sherwin Bailey<br />
Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, by Rodman Philbrick<br />
Mr. Popper’s Penguins, by Richard and Florence Atwater<br />
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O’Brien<br />
My Father’s Dragon series, by Ruth S. Gannett<br />
My Side of the Mountain series, by Jean Craighead George<br />
The Mysterious Benedict Society series, by Trenton Lee Stewart<br />
Oliver, by Charles Dickens**<br />
One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate<br />
The Penderwicks, by Jeanne Birdsall<br />
The Percy Jackson series, by Rick Riordan<br />
Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie<br />
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster<br />
Pippi Longstocking series, Astrid Lindgren<br />
Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale<br />
The Railway Children, by Edith Nesbitt**<br />
Ramona series, by Beverly Cleary**<br />
Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era, by Sterling North<br />
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor<br />
Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan<br />
The Saturdays, by Elizabeth Enright**<br />
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnnett**<br />
Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket<br />
Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds<br />
The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare**<br />
Sounder, by William H. Armstrong<br />
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, by Tom Angleberger<br />
Strawberry Girl, by Lois Lenski<br />
Swallows and Amazons, by Lee Ransome<br />
Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Rudolph Wyss<br />
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume<br />
Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain**<br />
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson**<br />
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi**<br />
Trumpeter of Krakow, by Eric P. Kelly<br />
Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt<br />
The Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pene de Bois<br />
Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech<br />
The Watsons Go to Birmingham: 1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis**<br />
The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt**<br />
The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin<br />
When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead<br />
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin **<br />
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls<br />
The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman<br />
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame<br />
A Wizard of Earthsea series, by Ursula K. LeGuin<br />
The Wizard of Oz series, by L. Frank Baum<br />
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, by Joan Aiken<br />
Wonder, by R.J. Palacio<br />
The Wrinkle in Time series, by Madeleine L’Engle<br />
A Year Down Yonder, by Richard Peck **<br />
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PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-72184932864258032002014-05-29T23:29:00.000-07:002014-05-29T23:29:02.318-07:00Summer Reading Recommendations (TEENS)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I said goodbye to students for the summer today, I left them with a long list of recommended books to entertain them until the fall semester. I thought I'd post it here too, just in case anyone's looking for some great reads for their teens!<br />
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1776, by David McCullough (History) <br />
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1984 by George Orwell (Science Fiction) </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART‐TIME INDIAN by Sherman Alexie (Fiction)</span> </div>
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AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES by John Green (Fiction) </div>
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THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho (Religion/Spirituality) </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY by Michael Chabon (Historical Fiction) </span></div>
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ANGELA'S ASHES by Frank McCourt (Memoir) </div>
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ANYA’S GHOST written and illustrated by Vera Brosgol (Graphic Novel) </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">ARISTOTLE & DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Saenz (Fiction) </span></div>
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BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver (Fiction) </div>
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BELOVED by Toni Morrison (Historical Fiction) </div>
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BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY by Ruta Sepetys (Historical Fiction) </div>
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BOMB by Steve Sheinkin (Non‐fiction) </div>
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THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak (Historical Fiction) </div>
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THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS by John Boyne (Historical Fiction) </div>
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BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley (Science Fiction) </div>
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CATCH‐22 by Joseph Heller (Fiction) </div>
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THE CHOSEN by Chaim Potok (Fiction) </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">CINDER: Book One in the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (Science Fiction) </span></div>
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CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein (Historical Fiction) </div>
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THE COLOR PURPLE by Alice Walker (Fiction) </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT‐TIME by Mark Haddon (Mystery) </span></div>
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DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor (Fantasy) </div>
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DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver (Fantasy) </div>
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THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL by Anne Frank (Memoir) </div>
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DUNE by Frank Herbert (Science Fiction) </div>
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EAST OF EDEN by John Steinbeck (Fiction) </div>
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ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell (Fiction)</div>
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ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card (Science Fiction) </div>
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EVERY DAY by David Levithan (Science Fiction) </div>
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FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury (Science Fiction) </div>
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FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON by Daniel Keyes (Fiction)</div>
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THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green (Fiction) </div>
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THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck (Fiction/Classic) </div>
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THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Fiction) </div>
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HARRY POTTER series by J.K. Rowling</div>
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THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by Carson McCullers (Historical Fiction) </div>
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HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad (Fiction/Classic) </div>
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THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett (Historical Fiction) </div>
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HIS DARK MATERIALS series, by Phillip Pullman (Science Fiction)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams (Science Fiction) </span> </div>
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THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Mystery) </div>
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THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET by Sandra Cisneros (Fiction) </div>
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THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins (Science Fiction/Fantasy) </div>
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I CAPTURE THE CASTLE by Dodie Smith (Romance) </div>
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IF I STAY by Gayle Forman (Fiction) </div>
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INTO THE WILD by Jon Krakauer (Biography/Adventure) </div>
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INTO THIN AIR by Jon Krakauer (Nonfiction) </div>
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JANE EYRE by Charlotte Brontë (Fiction/Classic) </div>
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THE JOY LUCK CLUB by Amy Tan (Fiction) </div>
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LEGEND by Marie Lu (Dystopian) </div>
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LETTERS TO A YOUNG POET by Rainer Maria Rilke (Nonfiction) </div>
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LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel (Fiction/Adventure) </div>
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THE LIST by Siobhan Vivian (Fiction)</div>
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LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding (Fiction) </div>
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MATCHED by Ally Condie (Dystopian Romance) </div>
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THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner (Post‐Apocalyptic Thriller) </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs (Mystery)</span></div>
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NIGHT by Elie Wiesel (Memoir) </div>
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THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern (Fiction) </div>
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ORPHAN TRAIN by Christina Baker Kline (Historical Fiction)</div>
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OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys (Historical Fiction) </div>
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THE OUTSIDERS by S.E. Hinton (Fiction) </div>
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PAPER TOWNS by John Green (Fiction) </div>
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PEACE LIKE A RIVER by Leif Enger (Fiction) </div>
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THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky (Fiction) </div>
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PERSEPOLIS by Marjane Satrapi (Graphic Novel) </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce (Fiction/Classic) </span> </div>
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PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen (Fiction) </div>
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THE PRINCESS BRIDE by William Goldman (Fiction) </div>
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A RAISIN IN THE SUN by Lorraine Hansberry (Plays) </div>
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READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN by Azar Nafisi (Memoir) </div>
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REBECCA by Daphne du Maurier (Horror) </div>
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THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy (Fiction) </div>
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ROSE UNDER FIRE by Elizabeth Wein (Historical Fiction)</div>
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THE RUNNING DREAM by Wendelin Van Draanen (Fiction) </div>
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THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd (Historical Fiction) </div>
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A SEPARATE PEACE by John Knowles (Fiction) </div>
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SERAPHINA by Rachel Hartman (Fantasy) </div>
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SHADOW AND BONE, by Leigh Bardugo (Fantasy)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING by Bill Bryson (Science/Non-Fiction) </span></div>
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THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS by Ann Brashares (Fiction) </div>
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SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson (Fiction) </div>
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STARGIRL by Jerry Spinelli (Romance) </div>
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THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston (Fiction) </div>
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THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher (Fiction) </div>
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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee (Historical Fiction) </div>
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A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith (Historical Fiction) </div>
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WHY WE BROKE UP by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman (Fiction) </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green and David Levithan (Fiction) </span></div>
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PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-79307236453368759992014-04-06T13:12:00.001-07:002014-04-07T08:11:18.749-07:00Amazing Homeschool Curriculum<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This post is a follow up to my series on the Advantages of Homeschooling, so if you haven't checked them out yet....</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Click here for <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-one.html">Part One: Academic Opportunities</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Click here for </span><a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-two.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Part Two: Inspiring Teachers</a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Click here for </span><a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-three.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Part Three: Socialization</a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Now that I've detailed what I consider to be the greatest advantages to homeschooling, I will outline the curriculum I found most helpful. I began this series by saying I really over-thought this
when I began and it's true. To get my kids ready to attend a community college <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-one.html">(click here for an explanation of that route)</a>, all I needed to do
(aside from the park days, music/art lessons, sports, etc. - and btw, many
homeschool park days offer organized sports) was teach her to read well, write
well, learn math and have a basic understanding of history and science.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0hpFTdn-yTFTtTkqwyq9m-29wzKFM2fMKmdMNtMiN7VTFOadeOGiGqLM_3lRsE71chc595jexp8BYT2llLlRUa3GmGts9aNl7WvlCl-q9F2zElQyRqIxjiiwVOqCANAEYBGrZDS8vSR5/s1600/Reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0hpFTdn-yTFTtTkqwyq9m-29wzKFM2fMKmdMNtMiN7VTFOadeOGiGqLM_3lRsE71chc595jexp8BYT2llLlRUa3GmGts9aNl7WvlCl-q9F2zElQyRqIxjiiwVOqCANAEYBGrZDS8vSR5/s1600/Reading.jpg" height="140" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This ended up being far simpler than I initially thought. Teaching
kids to read is fun and easy when you work one on one with your own child.
I used a book called <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0671631985">Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.</a> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I used this book for reading only; I ignored the writing
lessons. I taught my children to read very young (My oldest was 3 1/2 when she began to read) and
they just did not have the fine motor skills to write yet. Personally, I
think it's far better not to tie reading and writing together. Read first
and then write. I only taught my oldest to read at such a young age because she
begged me. You'll know when it's a good time. We went very slowly
and worked through the lessons in "100 Easy Lessons" for about 20 minutes a day. We
also used the </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0439845009">Bob Books</a></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> series and played games to see who got
to choose the book for the day. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That was it. We read a lot. I still read aloud to my kids about an hour a day. We love it. I began when they were
babies and never stopped. It is just part of our nightly routine.
Sometimes they pick the book; sometimes I do. It opens up worlds of
conversations and is one of the best parenting techniques I've used. I
highly recommend it. It doesn't seem "School-ish," but a ton of
learning happens. Once a child can read on her own, regular trips to the
library are all you need. At different ages, I can list our favorites,
but the possibilities are endless. To encourage my kids to read on their
own, I'd let them stay up "late" to read with a flashlight under their covers. When my kids were young, I was a firm believer in the 7 o'clock bed-time (Mama needs a break!) and held to that
until they were about 10. But, if the kids wanted to read until they
fell asleep, that was fine... they always crashed by 8:30 or so, depending on
their age. They loved it.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzy9un56kPJY9JhijOBid6uh0j4qJrRGJ1K44GzuheMf59oiCOTtIsZrsv2uWoO89LSx4Grr8rNW6DHF34nSKOsPtQake8sXE3M_XTmOqis0agd2loPhNbK2q2ZK_m_HM7leFecri-iHc/s1600/writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzy9un56kPJY9JhijOBid6uh0j4qJrRGJ1K44GzuheMf59oiCOTtIsZrsv2uWoO89LSx4Grr8rNW6DHF34nSKOsPtQake8sXE3M_XTmOqis0agd2loPhNbK2q2ZK_m_HM7leFecri-iHc/s1600/writing.jpg" height="200" width="184" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When it was time for them to learn to write (5-6), I began with
a great series called <i><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0963930710">Draw Write Now</a> </i>that teaches writing
through drawing (which is what it really is). The
girls loved this series. Worked like a charm. As they got older, I
moved them into the <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0439845009">Getty/Dubay workbooks: Italics Handwriting.</a> We went through this entire series. It takes just a few minutes a day.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For spelling, we used this series: <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0765224801">Spelling Workout.</a> We went through this entire series as well - we did one lesson a week and my kids enjoyed the variety of games used to reinforce spelling rules.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">For Grammar/Writing, I used Susan Wise Bauer's books (She wrote </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0393067084">The Well Trained Mind</a></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"> --a book that was and is invaluable for me as a homeschooler. Much of this curriculum was recommended by her. She is an amazing resource!). I used her grammar series: </span><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/1933339446" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">First Language Lessons</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"> and my kids now have an impressive command of language as a result. I give her the credit for creating such a clear and easy to follow instruction book. Her writing series is equally impressive: </span><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/193333925X" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">The Complete Writer (Writing with Ease)</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"> It is wonderful and very thorough. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For math -- I began by counting and naming everything.
We'd go to the market and count apples to put in our bags. We
talked about the colors of the veggies... all that pre-school stuff:
shapes, colors, months, seasons, etc. we covered in daily life.
When the girls got to be 5 or so, we used <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/1608260038">Math-U-See </a>(but I know
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0768239915">Singapore Math</a> and <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/1565770188">Saxon Math</a> are also popular). Check out the <a href="http://www.mathusee.com/">Math-U-See website for a full description</a>. It starts
with a <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/1608260038">kindergarten level curriculum</a>. We moved on to private math tutors
by 7th grade. I didn't love the Algebra in this program. My 7th grade daughter now sees a math tutor for 30 minute sessions twice a week. My Dad and step-dad help too.
In fact, when my oldest was in 7th grade, my step-dad was her tutor.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImMp81jJnb_KVsOF7zXJXLFjEe8-iiuH_-2YSnexWGDTlcxwZXpFao75HgHbhomPT0VduyVUXrvh_PJfGJkreaB_YPdvhq2W1jAMtI6IlCV0idmNxu5sx3mr25AhtqO6wSGThYZloUopU/s1600/history.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImMp81jJnb_KVsOF7zXJXLFjEe8-iiuH_-2YSnexWGDTlcxwZXpFao75HgHbhomPT0VduyVUXrvh_PJfGJkreaB_YPdvhq2W1jAMtI6IlCV0idmNxu5sx3mr25AhtqO6wSGThYZloUopU/s1600/history.jpg" height="158" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I also used Susan Wise Bauer's books for history. She divides history
into four periods (classically) ancients, medieval, early modern and modern.
Her series </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/1933339004">The Story of the World</a></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> is great for
this. We went through them once for 1st-4th grades (did the easier
activities and quiz questions) and then went through them again for 5th-8th
(doing far more advanced work). </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Each
book in the series has an activity book to go along with it. These are
filled with fun, hands on activities and map work: </span><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/1933339055" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Story of the World Activity Book</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">. There are also test booklets to go with each book in the series: </span><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/1933339217" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Story of the World Tests & Answer Key</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Susan Wise Bauer also has a series for high school level that was commissioned and
published by Norton too. The first in the series is called <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/039305974X">The History of the Ancient World</a> and is great for adults wanting to brush up on history too.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaqvaMKpR8Fiz4-6aR8g20h20I6P_65uVeklR7VXPgPMR0laY6mRfShL-ekZHhcI8z6YAWlZfSf_3WgWbq99ZY9LM9VaXxPTqVNUnmqGE6C3Zs1o2C-LQetimdXWRMDaZVkC5pzD_V1x1/s1600/science.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaqvaMKpR8Fiz4-6aR8g20h20I6P_65uVeklR7VXPgPMR0laY6mRfShL-ekZHhcI8z6YAWlZfSf_3WgWbq99ZY9LM9VaXxPTqVNUnmqGE6C3Zs1o2C-LQetimdXWRMDaZVkC5pzD_V1x1/s1600/science.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For science, we did a lot of classes. I also did work at
home following the recommendations in <i><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0393067084">The Well Trained Mind</a></i>.
My kids really loved the <a href="http://delta-education.com/siangallery.aspx?subjectID=8&subID=5&menuID=68">Science-in-a-Nutshell experiments</a> too. In all honesty though, when it came to science, I relied heavily on homeschool learning centers in my area. The most effective homeschooling parents know their strengths and their weaknesses. I didn't feel equipped to teach much science. It's not my passion either and I wanted my kids to work with teachers who lived and breathed science. They weren't hard to find.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All of it was far easier than I initially thought it would be.
Don't be intimidated by the above list. I just wanted to mention
the things that worked for us. Each day when they were little, we'd spend
an hour or two on school. 20 minutes of math, 20 minutes of writing
practice, 20 minutes of spelling, 20 minutes of grammar, 30 minutes of history
or science (I switched off each day). Working one on one, things get done
far more quickly. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Realistically, kids are learning all the time. Everything
is homeschooling. The formal learning we did each day, was easy and
fairly quick. The big perk to homeschooling is that it allows you to
spend so much more time with your child. I know my relationship with my kids is so strong today because we homeschooled. I'm still a bit
astonished that they come to me and want my opinion on things in their lives...
friends, boys, things I never would've talked to my Mom about. My 15 year
old wants to know what I think. It's strange and awesome. I love
it. At the same time, they're independent. My youngest, at 11 last
year, spent 9 days at fiddle camp on her own. She did great and can't
wait to do it again this summer. Roots and wings :) Good stuff.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anyway, if you're considering homeschooling, bookmark this post as a resource. Many veteran homeschoolers will give you tons of helpful advice. The books and programs I've listed here are really useful and will
at least give you a place to start as you continue to think over what you want
to do. Homeschooling can be very flexible. Some people try it for a
few years, then try school for a year or so, and then go back to homeschooling.
Whatever works is what you should do. There are tons of homeschooling
charters too that offer great hybrid programs. In California, there are many that offer both brick and mortar full time schools, and independent homeschooling with supplemental classes once a week.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you haven't checked out my series on Homeschooling Advantages yet, take a moment and click on the links below:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Click here for <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-one.html">Part One: Academic Opportunities</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Click here for <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-two.html">Part Two: Inspiring Teachers</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Click here for <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-three.html">Part Three: Socialization</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Enjoy!</span></div>
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PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-60160481194319731752014-04-06T13:09:00.002-07:002014-04-06T13:20:17.217-07:00Advantages of Homeschooling - Part Three: Socialization<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">'Vantage Number Three: Socialization! </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">If you are just joining this post, check out the first post in this series: <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-one.html">Advantages of Homeschooling - Part One: Academic Opportunities!</a> If nothing else, it will explain Kipling reference above :) </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Click Here for </span><a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-two.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Advantages of Homeschooling - Part Two: Inspiring Teachers!</a> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">and Click Here for <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/amazing-homeschool-curriculum.html">Amazing Homeschool Curriculum</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOPkWez2uHk3z3UXDUmeJkXjQbbxhGD1nftKEypQGMLkPG-Bq0JL3VofFBiJGwDPoIeiYEZPOr_aFT9vNvA_hQsfH9CmB4Vedw5nKmIYEgJqkTRgxvcNvKGjQkWGULk8_0Nj3H1UEDOng/s1600/socialization.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOPkWez2uHk3z3UXDUmeJkXjQbbxhGD1nftKEypQGMLkPG-Bq0JL3VofFBiJGwDPoIeiYEZPOr_aFT9vNvA_hQsfH9CmB4Vedw5nKmIYEgJqkTRgxvcNvKGjQkWGULk8_0Nj3H1UEDOng/s1600/socialization.jpg" height="200" width="128" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">As important
as academics are to me, I'm always astonished that the first question every
asks about homeschooling is... what about socialization? My kids have
more social opportunities than we could possibly ever keep up with. From
the time they were toddlers, I took them to homeschool park groups -- they're
easy to find in every area. My kids met other kids and I met Moms who
were homeschooling. We all had fun. We've gone on week long
campouts to Big Bear, 4-night beach campouts and our annual CHN homeschool
conference weekends. We've gone on more field trips with these groups
than I can count. Usually 1-2 a week for years. Museums,
universities, hiking trails, boating events, pumpkin patches, botanical
gardens, the list is endless. Right now, my kids have rehearsals at least
twice a week with their homeschool orchestra. They just did a performance
last week and will do several more at hospitals, retirement homes, churches,
malls (anyone who will listen, basically), over the next month. My youngest daughter goes to a week long fiddle camp every year up north. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">My kids have tons of
friends, but..... unlike at school, they're friends are not all born within the same year they were! They have friends all over the map: older, younger, same
age, adults, etc. They are in the world and not locked in a classroom all
day. They benefit greatly by mentoring the younger kids and being
mentored themselves. Parents are never too far, so bullying, etc. is very
minimal, especially the really mean, kind that kids can suffer from in middle/high
school. People have told me that shielding my children from this kind of abuse will
hurt them because they won't know how to face the "real" world.
This is total BS. Never, at any time, after leaving junior high or
high school, have I ever encountered the kind of petty, soul-shredding bullying
that young kids manage to inflict on one another.... not in college, not in
the workplace, nowhere. The real world is not like that at all. I
figure, why not skip that nonsense. It's brutal if you're at the bottom
or even mid-way up the social ladder and if you're at the top, I think it's
even worse. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I talk about this in greater detail in another post, so if you'd like to read more on this topic, <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2011/02/homeschooling-and-socialization.html">click here for "Homeschooling and Socialization." </a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><b>Keep reading</b>: The Follow-up to this series on the Advantages of Homeschooling is a post about some of the great curriculum that helped me homeschool!</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Click here for all the info: Amazing Homeschool Curriculum!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Click Here for Part One of this series: <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-one.html">Advantages of Homeschooling - Part One: Academic Opportunities!</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Click Here for Part Two of this series: <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-two.html">Advantages of Homeschooling - Part Two: Inspiring Teachers!</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">And don't miss my curriculum suggestions. Click Here for <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/amazing-homeschool-curriculum.html">Amazing Homeschool Curriculum </a></span><br />
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PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-61739791160020890702014-04-06T13:08:00.002-07:002014-04-07T08:48:55.941-07:00Advantages of Homeschooling - Part Two: Inspiring Teachers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">'Vantage Number Two (to homeschooling): Inspiring Teachers! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you are just joining this post, check out the first post in this series: <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-one.html">Advantages of Homeschooling - Part One: Academic Opportunities! </a> If nothing else, it will explain Kipling reference above :) Also, check out <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-three.html">Advantages of Homeschooling - Part Three: Socialization</a> and <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/amazing-homeschool-curriculum.html">Amazing Homeschool Curriculum</a> for suggestions.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I must begin by saying, I'm a teacher, and I realize that many
teachers are excellent, dedicated, wonderful human beings who do an amazing job
of mentoring students, often in difficult circumstances and without adequate
support. However.... many are not. Both my parents and both my
step-parents were public high school and elementary school teachers. When
I told them I was home-schooling, they were all ecstatically in favor of it.
They had seen things change dramatically throughout their careers and
wanted their grandchildren to have nothing to do with schools. They are
all staunch supporters of higher education, but had faith I could easily get
the kids there. Some teachers just see it as a job and put in a minimal
amount of effort. Some teachers really hate their jobs. Some are
not well educated themselves. If you have the bad luck to get one of
these teachers, your child is stuck and may lose an entire year. Even
with a great teacher, controlling a class of 30 kids is more than half the
challenge. Most (if not all) teachers resort to busy work far too often.
Busy work kills a child's curiosity and by 3rd grade, far too many kids dislike
learning. They may like being with friends at school, but their natural
interests have been a bit squelched. With homeschooling, you (who care
far more about your child than any teacher) will be able to encourage and
nourish their interests. And it's not just you, grandparents,
aunts/uncles, friends all contribute. My father and step-father (both
math teachers) helped tutor the girls. My father-in-law used to do history of
the presidents with them. My mother did religious education with them.
I handled Literature, Writing, Grammar, History and some basic science
when they were younger, but my brother who loves geology would take them on
hikes and show them everything. His passion for plate tectonics is crazy
obvious, and he was able to get them all worked up and excited about it too.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofR0Fv7N11zgfq5Onvs56t2CNI19qbsQ2VU4BIhsPfiO-3bJWuX8T3Y85iMaTWVS6pGg7DhSI4TE8kMvEe1pKtiZnPvbmtZ6JIrJZBKggJcvBLnwi0FTLwR-l04E_MsbwXVTYhr-gAe8G/s1600/inspire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofR0Fv7N11zgfq5Onvs56t2CNI19qbsQ2VU4BIhsPfiO-3bJWuX8T3Y85iMaTWVS6pGg7DhSI4TE8kMvEe1pKtiZnPvbmtZ6JIrJZBKggJcvBLnwi0FTLwR-l04E_MsbwXVTYhr-gAe8G/s1600/inspire.jpg" height="114" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That's the benefit of homeschooling. Subjects can be taught by
those with authentic passion for that subject and passion is infectious!
Additionally, my kids have taken supplemental classes at learning centers
for homeschoolers in every subject imaginable. Fun classes, like Animal
Care and more academic classes, like history and literature (disclaimer -- I taught
the lit classes :) --many of these learning centers operate as co-ops).
My kids have taken tons of hands-on science classes from ridiculously
smart parents with far more impressive science backgrounds than I have.
My younger daughter (in 7th grade this year) is taking a class in high
school biology, debate, math (Algebra games), and Great Books at 2 different
learning centers (each class is once a week). I'm doing 20th C. History
& Lit (with a friend - we created a co-op). My daughter has read more classic
literature this semester alone, than most high school and college students do
altogether. Most important -- she loves it. She still loves
learning. That's what matters most to me. She gets ridiculously
excited about extracting DNA. It's adorable.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.285999298095703px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.285999298095703px;"></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.285999298095703px;">Keep reading -- <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-three.html" style="color: #660000; text-decoration: none;">click here for </a></span><a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-three.html" style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.285999298095703px; text-decoration: none;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'vantage number three:</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Part Three (Socialization)</span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.285999298095703px;">Keep reading -- </span><a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-one.html">click here for <b>'vantage number one</b>: Part One (Academic Opportunities)</a><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.285999298095703px;">Also, for some great curriculum suggestions, check out my post: <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/amazing-homeschool-curriculum.html" style="color: #660000; text-decoration: none;">Amazing Homeschool Curriculum.</a></span></div>
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PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-29222245862270274752014-04-06T13:07:00.004-07:002014-04-06T20:12:59.058-07:00Advantages of Homeschooling - Part One: Academic Opportunity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71G1dv6U6JwHCo55ZFCn1crY122kREXCUcmGOoLbaO04nl8j6gLnHWawClcJVS67hdpDY2QLUivIMdzIWDn4RIVGXMfqD-CjWv1qANHRLK7RZ28tis-mDPQ-hs2bKixNNvkOHYAeV2gVR/s1600/Advantage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71G1dv6U6JwHCo55ZFCn1crY122kREXCUcmGOoLbaO04nl8j6gLnHWawClcJVS67hdpDY2QLUivIMdzIWDn4RIVGXMfqD-CjWv1qANHRLK7RZ28tis-mDPQ-hs2bKixNNvkOHYAeV2gVR/s1600/Advantage.jpg" height="181" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A friend recently asked me for advice about how to get started in homeschooling. Her daughter is just 2, so she's at a perfect spot to begin thinking about this. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"2 years old?" -- I can hear cries of dismay from readers all over the world, but hear me out. Two or even earlier is NOT too early because I think the earlier a homeschool parent realizes that the vast majority of homeschooling is simply interacting with your child in a responsive, encouraging and very verbal way, the better. By the time a child is two years old, a parent has taught her to walk, talk, and a zillion other small, but impressive bits of cultural knowledge. Did they do it consciously? Maybe... maybe not. It would be almost impossible to prevent a child from learning these things. 15 years of homeschooling has taught me that much of what we learn is similar. I am not an "unschooler;" I have followed a primarily classical approach to the formal schooling I have done with my children, but I do think the best part about homeschooling is that kids retain that spark of curiosity that drives learning, compels it. Two years old is not too soon to start to consciously recognize how your child learns and how much you teach. I'm a planner though, so when my kids were very young, I wanted an idea of how to do it all. I will be addressing that too, though in another post here: <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/amazing-homeschool-curriculum.html">Amazing Homeschool Curriculum</a>... or How I Homeschooled my Kids First though, I thought I'd write down some of my insights into homeschooling, looking back from this end... you might want to sit back and grab a cup of tea... I could talk for hours about this, and have :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-mjzLATeFxBxrUmK4rlcZBsYkSAVOdo_V9E8D9zJkz2XuwF5m34S-CuO25EC8-kUwcjc60AQ_3wsSCLeOzQatyPOovObS9U12Rv9sZEeSYORuW8jMoJ949ygzhALM-fPM-PM28DLgk1Y/s1600/Elephant's+Child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-mjzLATeFxBxrUmK4rlcZBsYkSAVOdo_V9E8D9zJkz2XuwF5m34S-CuO25EC8-kUwcjc60AQ_3wsSCLeOzQatyPOovObS9U12Rv9sZEeSYORuW8jMoJ949ygzhALM-fPM-PM28DLgk1Y/s1600/Elephant's+Child.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First of all -- I worried way too much and did far too much that was unnecessary. My plan had always been to homeschool through 8th grade and then unleash my little prodigies onto the community college system. I had taken this route successfully and so had my little sister. We both attended UCLA as juniors before we were 18 and went on to earn masters' degrees in our chosen fields (English for me; Math for her). As of right now, my oldest daughter (who is technically in 9th grade) has taken classes all year at a California Community College and is well on her way to getting all of her general ed coursework requirements done within the next 3 years. At that point, she will have some choices. She will be able to transfer to a 4 year university as a junior, or if she'd rather do a full 4 years in college, she can apply as a freshman and get in practically anywhere -- so far, at least, she has a 4.0. She will be a very attractive candidate as a freshman. Her current plans are to transfer as a junior to a 4 year university, but lately she has been thinking more about music schools, like Colburn in downtown Los Angeles. The main thing is: she has options and lots of time to consider them. Her chances of getting into UCLA as a junior transfer student (harder to get into now as a freshman than even Berkeley) are excellent. UCLA and other UCs take CA community college junior transfer students as a priority. Even with a 4.0 from a high school, her chance of admission would be very slim. So, Advantage #1. (I feel like I'm channeling Rudyard Kipling's "The Elephant Child" from the<i> Just So Stories</i>, so <b>"...'vantage number one"</b> -- I think I'll go with it :) It works: Just as the elephant's truck was stretched to great advantage, so a child's imagination and capacity to learn and be independent are stretched by homeschooling). Homeschoolers who go the Community College route have a far easier time getting into college. It's also far less expensive, if transferring is what they decide to do. It's nice not to be locked in though, because scholarships may come along.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep reading -- <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-two.html">click here for <b>'vantage number two</b>: Part Two (Amazing Teachers)</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep reading -- <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-three.html">click here for </a></span><a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/advantages-of-homeschooling-part-three.html"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'vantage number three:</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Part Three (Socialization)</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, for some great curriculum suggestions, check out my post: <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2014/04/amazing-homeschool-curriculum.html">Amazing Homeschool Curriculum.</a></span></div>
PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-5783126694392004642014-01-31T11:16:00.001-08:002014-01-31T11:16:32.495-08:00Guest Post: Homeschooling is Growing<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.666666984558105px;">
According to the <a href="http://www.ed.gov/news" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">United States Department of Education</a>, an estimated 2.4 million students are being homeschooled in the year 2014. This represents an increase of over 75% from 1999, a tremendous jump which validates the homeschooling movement. Professional educators have begun to question why more and more parents are choosing to educate their children at home.</div>
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Compulsory education laws only began to be enacted in the United States in the later years of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century. By 1917 all of the states had compulsory education laws in place though the laws varied by state regarding the ages of the children who were included in the law and possibilities for exemptions (farm work, disabilities, etc). It wasn't until the 1970s when respected education reformers, including <a href="http://mhla.org/information/resourcesarticles/holtorigins.htm" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">John Holt</a>, <a href="http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED504282" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Charles Silberman</a> and <a href="http://www2.webster.edu/~corbetre/philosophy/education/illich/schooling.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Ivan Illich</a>, began to speak out about their visions of a less-structured, less-authoritarian and more creative educational framework, that homeschooling advocates felt confident enough to organize themselves and push their state legislatures to legalize homeschooling.</div>
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Christian families started to advocate for the right to homeschool their children in 1983 when the Supreme Court focused on the admission criteria of Christian private schools. According to the courts, these schools were discriminating in their admissions policies and, as a result, they lost their tax-exempt status. The resulting tuition hikes in these schools created a situation in which many parents could no longer pay the tuition for their children to be educated according to their preferred religious values. These parents were unprepared to send their children to public schools and, as a result, they joined the homeschooling movement.</div>
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Homeschooling parents point to a wide range of reasons that encouraged them to choose to teach their children at home.</div>
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<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Homeschooling allows the parents to set the curriculum in a way that enables the children to learn independently, engage in more project-based learning and explore topics that are of specific interest to them -- all strategies which have been proven, in studies of educational methodology, to produce more motivated learners who are prepared and capable of taking responsibility for their own learning.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Parents are able to stay with their children throughout the day. There is a higher student-teacher ratio and no bullying or peer pressure. Parents are able to act as their child's guiding force during critical times in a child's life.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Homeschoolers can integrate their family's religious and other values into the daily curriculum and reduce other influences which they see as negative influences on their child's religious and moral development. Family beliefs are incorporated into the social, emotional and academic portions of the homeschool plan.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Homeschooling students can progress and mature at their own speed. If a child wants to put more effort into a specific subject or isn't ready to tackle an aspect of the curriculum, the parent can manipulate the lessons to accommodate the child's interests and needs. The child's natural inclination for learning is nurtured and learning becomes a pleasure, rather than a task.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Homeschoolers enjoy more educational resources because they can use the world, their family and community and their environment as their classroom.</li>
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Test scores show that homeschooled students consistently out-perform students who learn in a traditional school. Homeschooling students average on the 89th percentile of reading scores in standardized testing whereas school students average at the 50th percentile. Homeschool students score in the 84th percentile on standardized math and language tests in comparison to public school students' 50th percentile standing in these tests. Other subjects in which the homeschooled students out-perform the public school students by OVER 30% on standardized tests include social studies and the sciences. When homeschooled and public schooled students were compared in college, the GPAs of homeschooled students were significantly higher than the GPAs of students who came from public schools.</div>
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While homeschooling and public schooling are very different types of learning environments, some aspects do not change -- namely, the place of the educator in creating a successful learning environment. As educational visionary and chairman of <a href="http://www.kueducation.com/who-we-are/lowell-milken" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Knowledge Universe</a> - Lowell Milken has noted, "The most direct and enduring way to reach the mind and imagination of the learner is through the mind, imagination and character of the outstanding teacher." Homeschoolers have proven that parents can fill this role as well as professional educators.<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></div>
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PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-26465584067947133122014-01-16T18:25:00.001-08:002014-01-16T18:27:52.041-08:00Writing Cures Loneliness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my former students posted this quote from Carl Jung on Facebook today and it perfectly sums up one of the most important benefits of strong writing skills. Self-expression is life blood for humans. So strong is this instinct that we see it in youth who desperately strive to convey their feelings and personality through other means. Teens will pierce and tattoo their bodies, dye their hair, choose clothing that conveys a disturbing subtext, and take up unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking and doing drugs, all because they have no substantive outlet for their thoughts and feelings. They don't feel heard, so they shout themselves silly through the easiest method they can find, a method that requires little effort or serious thought. Of course, conveying meaning through appearance is hardly uncommon in a world so visually addicted. We judge on appearance, but I don't think "dressing" ourselves this way is nearly as effective a means of communicating as thoughtful writing. Parents, teach your kids to write!<br />
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<br />PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-28926421450020464712014-01-11T13:58:00.002-08:002014-01-11T13:58:54.781-08:00Homeschooling Road Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyHtDghAQzKfIwWjLCQHGMaQMKVIPZ25pR0lrm8AYgLJJx7s9pxS1a8VG4Xfuaw2UkTvvvwNW7ik9Jr0hMWkJbGZAn_3HNpO1GvHR7fv8KFG2SMSKo0X0UvMo7U-FEaNVjLVN6xDkSW70/s1600/road+trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyHtDghAQzKfIwWjLCQHGMaQMKVIPZ25pR0lrm8AYgLJJx7s9pxS1a8VG4Xfuaw2UkTvvvwNW7ik9Jr0hMWkJbGZAn_3HNpO1GvHR7fv8KFG2SMSKo0X0UvMo7U-FEaNVjLVN6xDkSW70/s1600/road+trip.jpg" height="190" width="320" /></a></div>
Wow! How does this look for an adventure -- driving around the US, hitting most of the major landmarks. I would love to do this with my kids. I just need to find a lot of money and a lot of time. Can you imagine all the learning though? History, Geography... I'd add in a bunch of literature to go along. Just think of all the books on tape we could listen to over 12,225 miles. We'd need an RV for sure, but what an adventure it would be.<br />
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Apparently, a 25 year old man named Brian Defrees took this trip over an almost 3 month period. Happily, and just in case I never actually get a chance to make this trip, he many videos and photos of his entire journey and created a time lapse video, so poor saps like me can enjoy a vicarious 5 minute version of his adventure:<br />
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<br />PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-7329176922685687412014-01-11T11:02:00.001-08:002014-01-11T11:03:21.306-08:00Writing Resolutions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're well into January of 2014 and I still haven't fulfilled my resolution to write more this year. So much seems to get in the way -- mostly family and work obligations. I've decided to declare my intentions here in order to feel a little more culpable if my follow through fails. <br />
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For my work, I tutor and teach writing to others for much of the week and my newest job is transcribing the words of others. It pays remarkably well, for a transcription job, but when my fingers are sore at the end of the day, I can't help wishing they were sore from my own creative efforts. I hope to change many things this year and focusing on my own writing needs to become a serious priority.</div>
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This last year, my creativity was stimulated by a ton of reading. I took the "Goodreads" challenge and read over 100 books and with almost all of them I kept thinking -- "I need to do this!" My daughters both successfully completed NANOWRIMO last year and I was so very proud of them, but in the back of my mind, I was also thinking "I need to do this!" I figure when a call becomes that insistent, it's time to pay attention. I don't know where I'll find the time this year, but I will find it. Even if my writing has to happen in fits and starts, 20 minutes here, 40 minutes there, I will do it. </div>
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Blog posting is a fantastic way to keep disciplined, so renewing my efforts with this blog will be part of my plan. I'll write entries on homeschooling, my own writing, the writing I teach to others, the books I'm reading and anything else that seems pertinent. Even if time is short, I'll make the effort and get something online. This is my resolution: always writing.</div>
PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-6154770128195243412013-08-23T09:07:00.000-07:002013-08-23T09:07:51.950-07:00Guest Post -- The Shape of the Story<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Special Thanks to Nikolas Baron for contributing this Guest Post on Creative Writing ~ I know my readers will find it very helpful!</span></i></b></div>
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<b>The Shape of the Story</b></h2>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Introducing homeschool students to writing fiction is easy.
Set them up with a laptop, or a pen and paper, and have them tell us a story.
While this can be a fun exercise, and a great way to get children to open up
about what matters to them, if they're just starting out, the stories will
often take one of two forms. It will either be a jumbled mass of ideas that
don't make sense or, most likely, derivative of a famous work of literature.
There's nothing wrong with either of these scenarios, especially for younger
writers. We can sit with them and enjoy their hard work, reading their story
together and talking about what it means. All of that is good.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, for many older students (and a few younger ones),
this writing exercise will awaken something within them. They'll want to write
more stories, and more importantly, they'll want to write better stories. But
what exactly does that mean? Really, in writing, “better” can have multiple
meanings. It can mean “better” on a technical scale, such as grammar,
punctuation and word choice. Or, it can refer to “better” storytelling, such as
story structure, character development or dialogue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For my work with Grammarly, I handle the first “better.” I
study and research how people are writing, what tools they're using, and how
they can improve their English. Our website, Grammarly.com, even has an online <a href="http://www.grammarly.com/">grammar check</a> that can help find 99% of
errors in a piece of text. If your young writer wants to polish their work and
really make it shine, it's important to get the basics down, and Grammarly.com
is a great way to do just that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The second “better,” however, is a little trickier. If you're
a literature student yourself, or you've spent years studying story structure
and form, this will all be easy for you. For the rest of us, however, where do
we even begin? How do we teach our students to take their jumbled mess of ideas
and turn it into something that's not only well-written, but enjoyable to read?
Well, there are multiple places to begin, but I like to start with one of the
fundamentals: What story shape do they want to write? To understand this
better, let's turn to one of the great novelists of the 20<sup>th</sup>
century, Kurt Vonnegut:<o:p></o:p></div>
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The above video is from a short lecture by Vonnegut on the
shapes a story can take, though the information was originally from his
rejected anthropology thesis on the similarities of stories throughout multiple
cultures. While the thesis was rejected on the grounds of unprofessionalism,
Vonnegut's theory on the shapes of stories has become a valuable asset for
young writers who want to learn how to write an engaging story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Essentially, Vonnegut's idea is that every story, no matter
how short or long, can be visually displayed by a series of up and down
movements on a graph. The resulting shape shows how the character's fortune
changes throughout the story. This visual representation of a story's movement
often helps young writers wrap their heads around one of the most basic
questions of storytelling: where do I want my character to end up, and what do
I want them to go through to get there? <o:p></o:p></div>
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From there, we work to incorporate that idea into their own
writing. Begin by having them map out their own story's shape, looking for the
high and low points of their main character(s). After that, move onto mapping
out some stories that your students enjoy. Have him or her sit down with a
short book and detail the shape of the story, trying to figure out what in the
story's shape engages them and why it engages them. Lastly, have them compare
that shape to the shape of their own story. Do they give their character too
much at the beginning? Do they take him or her too low in the middle? How does
the character end up – better or worse than they started? Is any of that a bad
thing?<o:p></o:p></div>
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While writing fiction is a very rewarding experience, it
doesn't come easily. With some foundational basics and a little practice,
however, your young Vonnegut will grow leaps and bounds with each draft,
eventually crafting a story that he or she can be proud of.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ahref https:="" plus.google.com="" rel="author" u="
">Nikolas Baron</ahref>
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PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-55782408798693031132013-08-19T15:09:00.000-07:002013-08-19T15:09:21.683-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow! Yesterday this blog passed the 100,000 views mark! I'm so happy that people have found it interesting/helpful :)PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-29787710966874716692013-04-24T16:10:00.001-07:002013-04-24T16:10:35.516-07:00Opportunity to Learn Art at Home this Summer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My friend Mary Main is a fantastic art teacher and she's offering an incredible deal for <a href="http://mainarts.vpweb.com/?prefix=www">Art Camp</a> this summer. If you live anywhere near the Santa Clarita Valley in Southern California, you have to check out her offerings. Her prices are very reasonable, she's flexible and she inspires her students to be creative and expressive. Click on the "Camp at Home" link below for more information.<br />
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<span class="text-class-1" style="color: #2e3092; font-family: georgia; font-size: 48px; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://mainarts.vpweb.com/?prefix=www">Camp at Home?</a></span></div>
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<span class="text-class-2" style="color: #0071bc; font-family: georgia; font-size: 32px; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://mainarts.vpweb.com/?prefix=www">Art Lessons to excite your brain and train your eye this summer!</a></span></div>
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<span class="text-class-4" style="color: #5d1e79;"><span class="text-class-5" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"><span class="text-class-6" style="font-family: 'century gothic', futura, sans-serif;">Affordable</span><span class="text-class-6" style="font-family: 'century gothic', futura, sans-serif;"> art lessons this summer or all year, your house or mine, or how about beside a cascading cool stream under a shady tree </span></span><span class="text-class-7" style="font-family: 'century gothic', futura, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">....hmm. That sounds fun doesn't it?</span></span></div>
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About Mary: She has a Bachelors of Science in Art, School of Education, University of Wisconsin, 1987. She is trained in Montessori methodology, and is comfortable with kids of all kinds, all ages, and anywhere on the learning spectrum.PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-87299306522121648442012-05-01T17:14:00.000-07:002012-05-01T17:18:52.193-07:00Hawaiian Dreams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdQ19gnL44lmU139iAQBm5qquwjj5TX6RSsxp1_Kw1fMIE7H7yWTkbr5lBlTxNv3stJLHo9OuMzuBK0o8BcdM_Mxztig-qJsMbfXRjJJSQNt8fpdK-YZVsoI1Otqfcg1wYzheO44OMEMd/s1600/220px-Kauai04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdQ19gnL44lmU139iAQBm5qquwjj5TX6RSsxp1_Kw1fMIE7H7yWTkbr5lBlTxNv3stJLHo9OuMzuBK0o8BcdM_Mxztig-qJsMbfXRjJJSQNt8fpdK-YZVsoI1Otqfcg1wYzheO44OMEMd/s200/220px-Kauai04.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Isn't that a beautiful picture? I've decided this is my new blogging goal. What, you may ask does blogging have to do with Hawaii? Apparently lots my friends! Yesterday, an <a href="http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/blogging-really-way-women-earn-living-200200207.html?fb_action_ids=3746955721465&fb_action_types=news.reads&fb_ref=type%3Aread%2Cuser%3AgBCxXVnob4OdDrHCh6pQDp-tdq4&fb_source=other_multiline&code=AQBGlWJlTML6cn_cY_J9x9KZs_mvRLH5dqNsFEeqkg1DwGg6NUI3otlGO84A_m9M6g_oTUNOkLBVcnL0PRkXYDUV5310eUlgnEtoU_q5CydyfaFmoXtinbKhxwJtsEHCfP2cZUw52W5cZvp_PQq6aZVTRmCcKzubTdOgELK__khXJm_iMDm0k-7CmWSv6f-sIuc#_=_">article on successful female bloggers crossed my screen</a> and apparently these ladies are making out like bandits with all-expense paid tours of Hawaii, computer and photography equipment, and apparently enough free kitchen gadgets to open their own restaurants. <br />
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Well.... I've decided I want in on this action. I'm a lousy photographer, I have a computer and at the moment have no interest in any gadget that will require me to spend more than 5 minutes on a meal standing in front of the microwave. What can I say -- I'm busy -- read <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2012/05/time-travel.html">my last post</a>. <br />
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But this Hawaii gig? -- I'm all over that. If any luxury, beachfront resort out there would like to sponsor a trip for me and my family to Hawaii -- let me just say now for the record -- I will write you a super-rockin' review! For my homeschooling friends I'll cover all the amazing educational opportunities such a trip would provide. For my knitting readers, I'll wax poetic on the glories of knitting on the beach -- and never even whisper a hint about the difficulties of the sand + wool mix. Let me see, who else reads this blog -- ah, for my Facebook/Twitter followers -- I promise to rhapsodize at length on the glorious luxury of this 5 star Hawaiian resort and I'm sure a stress-relieving (all expense paid) day (or 4) at your spa will inspire pages of compliments and the highest of recommendations. Yes -- I vow to advertise for you (and your 5 star resort -- or heck, I'd even settle for 3 or 4 star joint) like never before. Just set me on that plane. <br />
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So, if any of you kindly readers have connections to such things -- hook me up! :)PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-6667827992096060282012-05-01T16:50:00.003-07:002012-05-01T16:50:36.307-07:00Time Travel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yes... time travel -- this is a skill I need to acquire... now. The next two weeks are going to be frantic, crazy, impossible weeks as I rush to publish 10 novels and 2 essay compilation books for my students, while maintaining a teaching schedule of 7 classes a week, tutoring, driving, theater rehearsals, meal prep, basic laundry necessities (at least clean underwear - for God's sake) + all the sundry activities involved in homeschooling my two kiddos. HELP! No, I mean it.... help. Time travel is the only help that would be effective. Nobody can really do all of these things for me (though child care would come in awfully handy), so the only way I think I can accomplish everything is if I finish today and then through the magic of time travel, manage to go back and get a repeat of the day "Groundhog Day"-style. Or no, let's choose a different movie/literary analogy -- how about a Time Turner. Yes, that would do it. The only other option I can think of is cloning. If I clone 3 or 4 of myself, I might have a chance. <br />
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Of course, to handle the stress, I'm forced to resort to the only thing that really can relax me... <br />
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I have no idea how that Berroco Sox yarn managed to jump on those needles. Really... I'm not procrastinating... I have a plan --- time travel! Seriously - how do you think I managed to write this blog post??? ...perhaps I know more than I let on :)PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-1528096513999439162012-04-11T22:42:00.000-07:002012-04-11T22:42:49.153-07:00My Best Baby Booties<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBMYD-Y2focJQCXzEVA6OzpPJUeZkmzi_crRzcBJzTZJY7F8Bv_9KZSpEdgALnjtdhsgPIlH8CeKXWja_pVvNpFKqYnQNznkQhE1RlxQF4NFYZn0NDNYZtCwGsSTq8XMUsKxSRw6MyR6M/s1600/Baby+Mary+Janes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBMYD-Y2focJQCXzEVA6OzpPJUeZkmzi_crRzcBJzTZJY7F8Bv_9KZSpEdgALnjtdhsgPIlH8CeKXWja_pVvNpFKqYnQNznkQhE1RlxQF4NFYZn0NDNYZtCwGsSTq8XMUsKxSRw6MyR6M/s400/Baby+Mary+Janes.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I'm not sure what else to say about these. They speak for themselves. They're just that crazy cute. I think they are without a doubt the most adorable baby booties I've ever knit. Wear them well Sleeping Beauty!<br />
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Pattern is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-merry-jane---booties">Baby Merry-Janes</a> -- Yarn is Knitpicks Stroll in <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Stroll_Sport_Yarn__D5420187.html">Sport</a> and <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/cfyarns/yarn_display.cfm?ID=5420133">Fingering</a> -- too cute!PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-80680433305509974112012-04-03T13:22:00.001-07:002012-04-04T10:10:48.019-07:00Knitted Cupcakes and Creatures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHXjvEkAFAnmAbuf1rSORf3GUN7MYB9AXsFbZA8wRrR03Fw55KyTNLp09KRTzA1faNRo077WFO_pBi2RIY0rGDxRG408wxwi1yHX9VJ1ZyU7FLFh6OY2UC2gL1qp8msWr5hEV_vOeDP5t/s1600/100_0480_medium2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHXjvEkAFAnmAbuf1rSORf3GUN7MYB9AXsFbZA8wRrR03Fw55KyTNLp09KRTzA1faNRo077WFO_pBi2RIY0rGDxRG408wxwi1yHX9VJ1ZyU7FLFh6OY2UC2gL1qp8msWr5hEV_vOeDP5t/s320/100_0480_medium2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As you can see from the cupcake picture at the left -- we've chosen to spend our spring break with needles and yarn. These are the creations of my 13yo daughter and they're so darn cute I can hardly stand it. I need to get her a clear muffin pan to display them in because the gross one I use to cook actual muffins doesn't display the colorful bottoms. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">She's been on a knitting jag that seems unstoppable. She's much more tolerant of fiddly patterns than I am and has managed to make a menagerie of knitted animals!</span></div>
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This darling fellow was designed to be a friend to her pink stuffed flamingo named "Floyd" (get it... Pink Floyd :) Anyway, he's primarily purple and I am in awe!</div>
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I knit this elephant, but my daughter has taken on the task of designing his wardrobe... er... "her" wardrobe, I guess.</div>
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This is just a small battalion of the ARMY of piggies that have taken over my daughter's brain. She's knitting this obsessively round the clock. My favorite is the teeny, tiny one. I'll try to get her to do a close up photo of that one, so you can see it's darlingness.</div>
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Here is this morning's addition -- just too sweet for words. I think these will be popular among her friends.</div>
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This little duck needs a better photograph, but you get the idea. Purple is popular lately!</div>
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And, just in time for Easter... her version of the colored egg... except these won't ever grow rotten -- I want a basket-full!</div>
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And I've saved the best for last. This was her own design and I absolutely love it -- "A Useful Pot to Put Things In" -- I want one of these too!</div>PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-22279197112809190882012-03-29T20:49:00.000-07:002012-03-29T20:49:35.863-07:00Baby KnitsOur family expanded by one darling, sweet girl today. My newest niece was born this morning and she's a beauty. I've been meaning to post pictures of the knitting I've been doing for her and today seems like the appropriate day.<br />
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First, a blanket... made from a superwash wool (must be kind to the Mama). The pattern is the <a href="http://brooklyntweed.net/blog/?p=425">Shale Baby Blanket</a> from Brooklyn Tweed.<br />
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Of course I had to add matching baby socks to keep those tiny tootsies cozy (I just winged this pattern):</div>
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...and a wee baby bonnet</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WwERhvSdRQJ3dRZrEnioDF-CDJzdAy2ATlYHAJ_F0q26RNUySpchVHZg3l4gZjZktPc-2N39stYUH4pdcWYTMeFRs5byB86yeOeU_gM5LSVHiKSCaQWCelZaOD-iRJh5oV82zBt0DcOO/s1600/Baby+Bonnet+for+Rory.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WwERhvSdRQJ3dRZrEnioDF-CDJzdAy2ATlYHAJ_F0q26RNUySpchVHZg3l4gZjZktPc-2N39stYUH4pdcWYTMeFRs5byB86yeOeU_gM5LSVHiKSCaQWCelZaOD-iRJh5oV82zBt0DcOO/s320/Baby+Bonnet+for+Rory.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And as I firmly believe that all new babies should be showered with hand knits, I added a few cardigans. The first is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-surprise-jacket">classic baby surprise jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman.</a> The matching hat is just a basic pattern with an extra frill at the base. The main yarn is <a href="http://cascadeyarns.com/cascade-superwashPaints.asp">Cascade 220 Superwash Paints (#9938)</a> and the contrast is just a brown Cascade 220 superwash.</div>
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The last little sweater cap set is made of <a href="http://madelinetosh.com/store/index.php/yarns/tosh-dk.html?p=3">Madelinetosh DK (Superwash) in "Corsage"</a></div>
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There's more (of course), but they are meant to be Easter surprises, so I'll have to wait a bit to show them. Suffice it to say, this baby is not likely to be wool deprived. Welcome sweet girl!</div>PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-36679950898602708912012-02-02T09:46:00.000-08:002012-02-02T09:46:31.216-08:00DIY Education<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoswFhGGcirrdMhDUioSORtKWJLIAEHJbYPsknKeLHZaOYDqCAzuxCmXq66K3QrSBEM_iFqyMd3lFqOJK7nFLAJeurs78Pi2wqlSyqPpbFqTYUfaWfrIMe-elOYeCE0v2L5RX7crxTd3hF/s1600/chicks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoswFhGGcirrdMhDUioSORtKWJLIAEHJbYPsknKeLHZaOYDqCAzuxCmXq66K3QrSBEM_iFqyMd3lFqOJK7nFLAJeurs78Pi2wqlSyqPpbFqTYUfaWfrIMe-elOYeCE0v2L5RX7crxTd3hF/s200/chicks.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">"They raise chickens. They grow vegetables. They knit. Now a new generation of urban parents is even teaching their own kids."</span></h2>
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OK, ok... I'll admit I've been known to grow a tomato or 2 (thousand), and well, there's no denying I knit obsessively --- but so far, no chickens. Admittedly, I hang out with people who raise chickens -- but still. So I guess I fit the above stereotype, sort of. I most definitely don't live in an urban area and really, technically, tomatoes are fruit. But, I teach my own kids and wouldn't have it any other way.</div>
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The above quote is from this week's <u>Newsweek</u> article on homeschooling entitled <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/29/why-urban-educated-parents-are-turning-to-diy-education.html">"Why Urban, Educated Parents are Turning to DIY Education."</a> Apparently, the powers that be are starting to notice... took em long enough. </div>
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But, just as I only "sort of" fit the stereotype, I find that most homeschoolers I know are equally hard to pin down. The closest pigeon hole you could probably stuff most of us into might be the "Do It Yourself" mentality. The idea of handing my kids over to a school bureaucracy sounds like crazy-talk to me. I'm far better equipped to know what my kids need and if I can't provide it myself, I can find people who can. </div>
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So, for example, I've got liberal arts subjects covered (in these areas, my education generally trumps most teachers -- so I have no insecurities there). Science and math (above the elementary levels).... not so much. But, so what? I don't have to be master of all -- I just need to recognize the need. Happily, my daughters are tutored in math by my stepfather (a retired HS math teacher), but even if I didn't have that connection, online <a href="http://www.studypoint.com/math-tutor/">math tutoring</a> is readily available. For science, my kids take classes as at a nearby learning center for homeschoolers (where I teach writing) and that serves the dual purpose of helping me cover areas of science I know little or nothing about (they start a marine biology class this Monday) and of providing a social outlet where they have a chance to learn in a group setting. We go to a park day with the same group of kids and even camp with them each summer by the beach. My kids love art and theater as well, so they also take art/drama at the learning center and are involved in a musical theater group. Homeschoolers, at least the ones I'm around, aren't home often. The world becomes our school and in my opinion makes homeschooled kids far more <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2011/02/homeschooling-and-socialization.html">"socialized"</a> than kids stuck in a classroom all day. </div>
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But my point is, homeschoolers find creative and original ways to meet their kids' needs. The defining point about them, if there is one, is that they each do it in unique ways. We're hard to categorize because kids can't be stuffed into a "one size fits all" or even "one size fits most," style of education (and really no kid should be). I suppose it would be simpler if we could streamline it all and make education resemble a factory-line. But assembling widgets and assembling the needs of individuals are far different things. It's time people began to re-think education and I think the evolution of the internet has sparked a mighty change in our educational paradigm. The trend IS toward DIY Education and I'm happy that <u>Newsweek</u> noticed. I think a revolution is afoot.</div>PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-68567116431890777182012-01-14T08:29:00.000-08:002012-01-14T08:29:58.977-08:00A Few Spaces Left for "Write Your Own Novel" course at Huck!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINoQM5JDDPu_KpQ8RuQ8O9i97lY4TszpUHMU5JWZvqopftgdqCGcVdK8TO76Hw5KctJD1k-36WGAoDEnv2of9EoRuj4qwToSepEy6l3iBLKOtYvE6HKOpx-1nO-C0Xm72G3lFMwk6Z5oC/s1600/Books+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINoQM5JDDPu_KpQ8RuQ8O9i97lY4TszpUHMU5JWZvqopftgdqCGcVdK8TO76Hw5KctJD1k-36WGAoDEnv2of9EoRuj4qwToSepEy6l3iBLKOtYvE6HKOpx-1nO-C0Xm72G3lFMwk6Z5oC/s320/Books+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Student Novels from Fall, 2010 Semester!</td></tr>
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Our new semester at the Huckleberry Center for Creative Learning begins February 6th and I'll be offering six writing and literature courses for kids from the ages of 7-18! Most classes are filled, but it's still a good idea to get on the waiting list as sometimes people's plans change. There are still a few spaces left in my <a href="http://www.hucklc.org/classes/spring-2012-schedule/891-creative-writing-how-to-outline-your-way-to-a-terrific-story.html">Creative Writing course -- "Outline your way to a Terrific Story" -- in which kids write a novel in a semester and publish it on Lulu.com.</a> This is a course for kids 12+ and more information can be found <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2011/01/homeschool-student-novels.html">HERE</a> and <a href="http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2011/01/student-author-exhibition-book-signing.html">HERE!</a><br />
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This is a challenging course, but I've seen students really grow dramatically as writers when they take on a project like this. The planning, organizing and critical thinking involved have lasting effects on their writing abilities in other classes as well. Students become very comfortable with writing tasks and far less intimidated by big projects. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have and look forward to working with all my emerging writers next semester!PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-67881609540148056552012-01-14T07:24:00.000-08:002012-01-14T09:56:54.969-08:00Class Project book from my course: "From Novels to Knowledge"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqheDkzrEolmU5k9Tm8-f9snO3MBs3E7t3UjE2Lll1CwEbeBuyib16Eju-a_q2eRA9Temyu7vWetwWcmiiL5aTgRVusNBgPCuMs_YK1k5BtN9BP4mrZoskgZGVxRcydv4pyh8NXM_mX3k3/s1600/N2K+Fall+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqheDkzrEolmU5k9Tm8-f9snO3MBs3E7t3UjE2Lll1CwEbeBuyib16Eju-a_q2eRA9Temyu7vWetwWcmiiL5aTgRVusNBgPCuMs_YK1k5BtN9BP4mrZoskgZGVxRcydv4pyh8NXM_mX3k3/s1600/N2K+Fall+2011.jpg" /></a></div>
This semester I tried a new approach to teaching literature for kids ages 9-12 at the Huckleberry Center for Creative Learning. We looked at Newbery Award winning novels as a way of understanding both literature and history through writing. Students improved in all three subjects along the way and created a beautiful Guidebook tracing their journey. We focused on American History from the time of the Civil War through the Vietnam War by reading <i><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0439668212">The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg</a></i> (an entertaining and educational look at life in Civil War America); <i><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/031265930X">The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate</a></i> (a "turn of the century" look at life in Texas as a young girl explores naturalism and Darwin's <i>Origin of Species</i>); <i><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0375858296">Moon Over Manifest</a></i> (the 2011 Newbery winner that focuses on life in a small Kansas town during WWI and the Great Depression); <i><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/044022800X">The Watsons Go to Birmingham</a></i> (a hilarious book that deals sensitively with civil rights); and <i><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/054723760X">The Wednesday Wars</a></i> (which focuses on a 7th grade boy in the 1960s New York, coming to grip with the issues of his day THROUGH Shakespeare -- yes, this was my favorite!). For each of these novels, the students took on one of five roles (Historian, Character Analyst, Summarizer, Thematic Adviser or Passage Illuminator), switching for each novel, so that by the time the course was completed, everyone had a chance at each role. They wrote an essay for each novel, based on their role and presented it to the class to help spark our discussion. Along the way, they learned a lot about writing, history and literary analysis and this book (which contains all the essays, creative writing and drawings they did for their work on these novels) is a fitting tribute to all their efforts. I couldn't be prouder of these kids!<br />
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If you'd like to see a preview of their Guidebook, it's <a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-novels-to-knowledge-guide-to-american-literature-from-the-civil-war-to-the-vietnam-war/18824220">Available HERE! </a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span>PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-60607731869144882462012-01-14T06:59:00.000-08:002012-01-14T06:59:55.326-08:00Guidebook to Coming of Age Novels Published<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhLYUS40daZPjX8GRzOOqgGYGo1oZv3UVUwO6DYaqnHResqySYxbr9_hmcsvYCRk-l_ZeMwDrYTOfOm5FEV3cw-EkO46W9QZl0khA1J4Vimd42ud4ypM1ArmaT14DBDHmrlX5B04L_Mcc/s1600/R2W+Coming+of+Age+Novels+Guidebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhLYUS40daZPjX8GRzOOqgGYGo1oZv3UVUwO6DYaqnHResqySYxbr9_hmcsvYCRk-l_ZeMwDrYTOfOm5FEV3cw-EkO46W9QZl0khA1J4Vimd42ud4ypM1ArmaT14DBDHmrlX5B04L_Mcc/s1600/R2W+Coming+of+Age+Novels+Guidebook.jpg" /></a></div>
This semester I taught a literature and writing class at the Huckleberry Center for Creative Learning (for kids between the ages of 12-16) and after a lot of hard work, the students completed their class project book, "The Read to Write Guide to Coming of Age Novels." For the class we read <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0141330139"><i>Great Expectations</i></a>, <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0486406539"><i>Siddhartha</i></a>, <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0451528646"><i>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</i></a>, <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0061743526"><i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i></a> and <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/knitted-20/detail/0061120073"><i>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</i></a>. For each of the novels, the students took on one of five roles (Historian/Biographer, Character Analyst, Thematic Adviser, Symbolist or Passage Illuminator), switching for each novel, so that by the time the course was completed, everyone had a chance at each role. They wrote an essay for each novel, based on their role and presented it to the class to help spark our discussions. The Guidebook pictured here is the result of all their hard work and effort. This format worked beautifully this semester and the students' writing improved by leaps and bounds as they learned from each other in class. I guided them and helped them develop, focus and organize their work, but the hard work they did on their own. They learned a lot about literary analysis, writing and critical thinking this semester and I'm so proud of all of them! <br />
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If you'd like to see a preview of their Guidebook, it's <a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-read-to-write-guide-to-coming-of-age-novels/18821023?productTrackingContext=product_view/recently_viewed/left/2">Available HERE!</a>PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-30576076317128776892012-01-14T06:37:00.000-08:002012-01-14T07:30:54.028-08:00Short Story Anthology Published<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-huckleberry-learning-center%E2%80%99s-anthology-of-short-stories/18821012?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HPQITd3YyvxkNcknNEgz95A1UDMN3PxO6-_2Z6cXxTnp1A7ukdfhr7uiLcPvxEDJPSamamA3pWY5I5Svf1vC4TfNndvPvei7pZc_ksgvKhyphenhyphenQKMoIS1gOpC5Pm2IBzf3dpPCk4XmKy7O4/s1600/Short+Story+Anthology+2011.jpg" /></a></div>
After a semester of hard work, the students in my Short Story class at the Huckleberry Center for Creative Learning have their own Anthology to show for it. These kids, ranging in age from 10-14, each wrote five original short stories for this anthology (basically one every two weeks or so). In class we covered plot construction, point of view, dialogue, character development, details, hooks, mood, setting, conflict & tension, style (playing with literary language) and revision skills. Along the way we read about a dozen classic short stories as well. We had a busy and productive semester and I'm so pleased by all of their hard work. It takes courage to come to class each week and take part in a round table writing workshop -- reading your work aloud and opening yourself up to the friendly critique of your classmates and teacher. These students did a great job and I'm so very, very proud of them!<br />
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If you'd like to see a preview of their Anthology, it's <a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-huckleberry-learning-center%E2%80%99s-anthology-of-short-stories/18821012?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1">available HERE!</a>PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9090706788381385782.post-56054196016315428542012-01-05T09:20:00.000-08:002012-01-14T21:48:30.813-08:00Baby Surprise Jacket<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpKVsxE4B9ebEuco-dqd779TWLM78f0Imc4Sg-WC5W4n564A-69pgb45OSAE2lM9EhKWCnk1ryETRy6njp38yhyxRgEKCaLh66BNy8kM8FSUFixnCM-sjFCsEtHfbdlQCe542j96OA4jK/s1600/December+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpKVsxE4B9ebEuco-dqd779TWLM78f0Imc4Sg-WC5W4n564A-69pgb45OSAE2lM9EhKWCnk1ryETRy6njp38yhyxRgEKCaLh66BNy8kM8FSUFixnCM-sjFCsEtHfbdlQCe542j96OA4jK/s320/December+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Surprise Jacket - Unfolded</td></tr>
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<br />Knitting ingenuity at its best! Elizabeth Zimmerman has long been a favorite designer of mine. I love her books, her newsletters and only wish I'd seen more of her original PBS show from the 70s. One of the things I like best about her is that although she loves knitting, she's forthright about the parts that are a pain in the butt. Happily, she and I generally agree on these parts, with seaming being at the top of the list. I don't know why I waited so long to try her Baby Surprise Jacket, but having never made it for my own kiddos, I decided to try it out for my new niece -- scheduled to arrive sometime in March. <br />
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The brilliance of this design (as those familiar with it already know) is that it's knit flat in one piece and when you're done, you have only the tiniest bit of seaming to do on the sleeves. The first time through is an act of faith that is generously rewarded. As you can see from the picture above, when you're done knitting this one piece, you're left with an amorphous mass that most have difficulty folding into anything resembling a sweater. It's fun to amaze your family and friends by challenging them with this misshapen, towel-like object. Most give up and then stand in awe as you fold it up neatly into a sweet little sweater like this:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sVFxQVeDRCKNDiRBs4fA7T59t-_1SV9gAbztj0_cbCSFDyo7jjCWBLSKo6dX40UZVTYdiVQXZFDUChTO-e99YQ67T1G9y8GA6KC-IyGrOVKY-4j4ebL47mSUDQxDyvjQmkKVxItvBCUZ/s1600/December+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sVFxQVeDRCKNDiRBs4fA7T59t-_1SV9gAbztj0_cbCSFDyo7jjCWBLSKo6dX40UZVTYdiVQXZFDUChTO-e99YQ67T1G9y8GA6KC-IyGrOVKY-4j4ebL47mSUDQxDyvjQmkKVxItvBCUZ/s320/December+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Surprise Jacket - Folded into cardigan shape</td></tr>
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I used <a href="http://www.alpacadirect.com/Details.cfm?Cascade-220-Superwash-Paints-Yarn----9938=1&prodid=5271&category=8&secondary=47&featuremain=18&featuresub=66&featurecount=221&featurevalue=Cascade%20220">Cascade 220 Paints #9938 (Superwash</a> -- cause you know, I like this Mama-to be). I striped occasionally with a chocolate Cascade 220 Superwash I had leftover from a sweater I made my brother for XMAS last month. But, this being my first BSJ -- I made a rookie mistake and it's bugging me to no end. I'm seriously considering ripping back to fix it. I added a stripe one row after finishing the bind off on either side for the neck. I just wasn't thinking. Because you bind off the 1st 5 stitches on two consecutive rows, one side has an extra row and when I put in the next stripe (the one that runs along the bottom front and up the 2 front sides (near the button holes), it came out perfectly on one side and with extra space on the other. As you look at the picture, it's the right side that has the extra space and now that I've pointed it out, I'm sure it's all anyone will ever see when they look at this sweet little sweater. Now normally, I wouldn't think twice about ripping, but this is literally the only mistake I think I made on the sweater and I firmly believe every piece of knitting should have one good luck mistake. I think this is called a "God's Eye" or a "Devil's Eye" -- it's one or the other and folk knitters who could easily produce perfect work would always add one mistake out of respect because perfection is the realm of God -- and only a devilish usurper would dare aspire to such lofty heights. So, far be it from me to mess with such a tradition -- I guess the mistake stays and lovely little Aurora (my niece to be) will be free to be as perfectly gorgeous and talented as she's likely to be. I've got her covered.</div>PinonKnitterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14113895653080351359noreply@blogger.com2