Free Online Literature Discussions

atheist homeschool
Have you heard of Pinkmonkey?

The self-description of the website:

Pink Monkey is a "G" rated study resource for junior high, high school, college students, teachers and home schoolers. What does PinkMonkey offer you? The World's largest library of free online Literature Summaries, with over 460 Study Guides / Book Notes / Chapter Summaries online currently, and so much more. No more trips to the book store; no more fruitless searching for a booknote that no one ever has in stock!
You'll find it all here, online 24/7!

My sister, a high school literature teacher in a public school just turned me on to it and WOW was I pleasantly surprised. I'm already a big fan of lit summaries available at sparknotes.com, litcharts.com, schmoop.com, cliffnotes.com, softschools.com, bookrags.com, novelguide.com, thebestnotes.com, homework-online.com, etc., so it's no surprise that a new resource appeals to me.

Let me know if you check it out and find it useful.  :)

Timed Tests and Homeschooling

atheist homeschool atheist homeschool atheist homeschool atheist homeschool atheist homeschool atheist homeschool atheist homeschool atheist homeschool 

When I was a kid I was always in the advanced classes. By the fourth grade we were sorted into ability levels and I was always in with the smart kids. That was all well and good for most of my subjects. But Math...now that wasn't good. If you were a smart kid in those days you were in with the upper echelon kids, with regards to grades, GPAs, in all subjects.

One problem for me was that I was excellent in all classes except for one: MATH. To this very day I can't do math.

In some ways I can take some of my math fear back to times tests. I recall a timed test in the second grade, Mrs. Allison's class, the class when I realized that I didn't get math. This was the moment when I knew that I might have done better on the quiz if I had not felt the pressure of the timed test. On the other hand, when it came to super-fast speed reading, I was top of the class. I would imagine that kids who didn't enjoy reading were turned off on reading forever with those speed reading activities.

Back to math, later on we did the timed multiplication tests in Mrs. Cataneo's class. While I began to ace the times tables, I hated the tests. And later still, the pressure of the math quiz on Fridays in my seventh grade math class still bothers me. I wonder if my own math ability might have changed had someone tried to pique my interest in math rather than to attempt to force performance upon me.

Timed tests. I hate them. 

When John was younger I could see that he was very adept in math, in whatever those skills are that make a person excellent in math. I tried giving him times multiplication tests. At one point he simply put his pencil down and said I won't take timed tests, Mom.

How did he know?
How did John know that the timed aspect of the work was optional and was counterproductive? When given unlimited time to complete his work he could finish that work in minutes and finish it well. But add a timing device and his performance went all to hell. Without the stopwatch, John enjoys the math and logic challenges and even does analogy workbooks just for fun.

Timed tests, in my experience, don't display a child's ability level, but, rather, they display a child's ability to handle stress. From my reading lately, I see that school administrators are struggling to make improvements in the performance of their students, but I strenuously question some of their efforts. How can creating math anxiety help improve performance in math students?

I haven't really followed schooling and education trends; I'm not even specifically certain what is meant by the Common Core Standards that are so in the news these days. But one thing that I am certain of is that performance anxiety can never compete with help in appreciating the beauty of a well-turned math problem.



Addendum:
My friend just posted this article by her dad:

President Obama Finally Opts in 

for Personalized Teaching over Standardized Testing

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My Son Doesn't Like to Write

homeschooling, fine motor skills, reluctant writers

Do you have a reluctant writer?

Oh, I do, I DO!
And by reluctant writer I mean anything that involves picking up a writing implement.

Here are a few sneaky ideas that I have used to get my son to pick up a pen/pencil/other tool and improve his fine motor skills. Keeping in mind that the kids can type like a professional, I still want him to be able to write his name without being embarrassed by it.

• Keep score when we are playing games.
• Creating characters for upcoming games.
• Writing the shopping list or chore list
• Using tweezers.
• Mazes
• Crosswords and Word Finds
• Sketching on graph paper
• Draw over grey-lines pictures  (see below for example)
• Sending postcards to family members and distant friends.
• Writing a menu for dinner
• Writing personal poetry or favorite poems out of books
• Extremely silly writing prompts
• Coloring mandalas
• MadLibs@
• Writing on Post-it@ notes or index cards
• Writing creative and new answers to old jokes
• Write short lists (5 movies I want to see, 5 of my favorite dinners)
• Sentence expansion.

          I write a sentence like John is a boy.
          He adds to it:  John is a blond boy.
          I add to it:  John is an active, blond boy.
          He adds to it:  John is an active, blond boy who is hungry.
          I add to it:  and so on.

• We do writing prompts together.

          ex. Describe the best afternoon possible.
          We both sit and write for 3-5 minutes, 
          then read answers aloud.
          I have books full of writing prompts.

The point is that this child does not like to pick up a pencil because he feels incredibly inadequate with handwriting. I make it a point to not correct (much) or editorialize (much) on what he has done. He actually enjoys the pages where I include a grey outline image and he draws over it, working on making long, comfortable lines.

Maybe it's shocking sounding that his handwriting is as bad as it is, but he can write a nice paragraph or two on the computer, so I'm OK with it at this point.

Do you any any other ideas, sneaky ones!, for getting a kid to pick up a pencil and actually use it?
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Some Other Posts You Might Enjoy:
What if they Never Learn to Read?
Part Two:  What to do with Spelling Words
Mother of the Highly-Distractable-Child blog

Here's an example of the coloring sheet 

that I print out and have him write over the lines...

Don't judge me!

ACK! Parenting Wars!

parenting styles

Are you an Attachment Parent?  How about Permissive? Are you permissive?  How about Conventional? Mainstream?  Uninvolved? Indulgent? Love and Logic?  Authoritarian? Authoritative?

What are all of these parenting labels and why in the world should I choose one?  There are MANY different theories, opinions, and parenting style.  None of which are perfect for every child in every family in every stage of their life with every child's temperament, and every culture.  It is absurd to assume that your way is the right way for any one but you.

Yes, I do have my own parenting method:  I do what works.  When it stops working, I stop doing it. I respect my children.  I assume they are being honest, trying their best, and doing ok unless I see evidence against it.

I am not the slightest big interested in PARENTING WARS!  If you choose to use a paradigm you discovered in a book, a great video, or a wonderful weekend conference, well more power to you!  As in every other aspect of being an adult, feel free to choose your own path, but don't judge mine!  I do not fit into any of those lovely little boxes and definitions.  This is ON PURPOSE.
I do not seek to follow a guru or authority figure of any kind, thank you.

Besides, as sure as you are that your "method" works, that's how certain I am that your child will provide you with an opportunity to see just how inadequate it is...and soon! 

Please, with my blessing, nurse your child for 13.4 months, co-sleep until your child is 3.64 years old, begin using a pencil at the age of 5.2, homeschool in your proscribed way of choice, insist on teaching another language and an instrument, maintain a special diet, always use your "inside voices," allow only "G" rated films, invade their room/laptop./cellphone whenever you feel the inclination, tighten up/loosen up your hold on your teen, be hyper-involved or only peripherally involved, have strict bedtimes or no bedtimes at all, whatever makes sense to you!  If you have done your research and feel comfortable with your decisions and you are not neglectful or toxic or abusive, then I am happy for you!

But, please, under no circumstances expect me to explain my decisions or switch over to what you consider "correct".  My decision-making process has been prolonged and complex.  I can't explain it in a thirty-second blurb!  Besides, surely I make decisions with my kids that would appall you.

I have plenty of disapprovers! Surely you would make different decisions than I have made.

• I allow my children to choose their own language and to live with the consequences of those choices.
• I allow my children to make their own decisions about what tv/movie is appropriate for them.  They have learned many lessons from their mistakes and make excellent choices for themselves.
• My children are often responsible for creating their own meals for breakfast and lunch.
• They are unmonitored when they are with friends.
• I have no rule about when it is OK to date.
• I allow pretend gun-play and violent video games.
• I encourage them to consider differing points of view from those we possess in our family.
• I TELL them what to do for chores and they are expected to contribute to the household with their time and efforts.
• I intervene in arguments when it seems necessary and I require them to make every effort to listen and understand other points of view.
• I allow them to question me.
• I do not use any form of reward or punishment for chores or lessons.
• I provide my daughter with anti-depressants and sleep medication to take PRN.
• I do not now, or ever have, used a curriculum or followed a series of lesson plans in a box.
• My kids each have their own cell phone.
• They are often encouraged to figure out their own consequences for their behavior infractions.
• I am inconsistent about many of these things.

My point is, I am a parent without a box.

In fact if you hold on to your parenting style so strongly that you can't or won't consider any other points of view, maybe it is your safety net, maybe your fears keep you connected so strongly.  If so, OK. I can dig it. Parenting is hard and our generation is lucky enough to have the internet for sharing and learning and connecting.

I encourage you, every single day, to create your own "bests" for parenting.  I encourage you to avoid the "parenting wars", and wars of all kinds.  You can do this!  I believe in you!

And, most importantly, I accept and respect your parenting choices.

Acceptance and Respect:  Spread it around!

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The City of Brotherly Love

 secular homeschool, atheist parenting, against homeschooling, negatives of homeschooling
John John and I are planning a road trip! 

Jer told me to make it so, so I have been spending a shit ton of cash tonight planning an upcoming trip to Philadelphia! John and Liz and I have been doing a great amount of reading and watching on American History and where better to visit than Benjamin Franklin's hometown and to check out his first library, Independence Hall, BJ's Museum and Memorial, etc, as well as the many other historical places in and near the city.

Bust of Benjamin Franklin
By Jean-Antoine Houdon

Benjamin Franklin was such an amazing human being; we're excited to visit places that he has been and places that he inspired. 

The Liberty Bell?!
John is very excited to see it.  LOL

Guess what else we can see while there?
Go ahead, guess!

The steps of the art museum that Sylvester Stallone ran up while training for the big fight in movie #1!

I have wanted to go to Philadelphia for years now and John has gotten excited about it too. Too bad Elizabeth will be busy with her classes at the local community college!

Have you been to Philadelphia?
What do you recommend?
Any homeschoolers who would like to meet up at some point?

From top left, the Philadelphia skyline, statue of Benjamin Franklin, the Liberty Bell,
Philadelphis Museum of Art, Philadelphia City Hall, and Independence aHall.

By the way, in case you didn't know it, Philadelphia is often referred to as The City of Brotherly Love from the literal meaning of the city's name in Greek:  philos (φίλος) loving, and adelphos (ἀδελφός) brother.

Philadelphia:  Φιλαδέλφεια

Live Today: Inhabit this Moment

This is performance week for Elizabeth's show and that means, of course, that I am crazy busy. I haven't been able to do much with lessons with John for a few weeks now so he and I have a system.

I leave a list of chores and lessons for him to do independently and we check them out each afternoon or evening when I am available. It is working out nicely, though John and I are looking forward to getting back into each other's days.

This week I have had him doing independent reading of some fiction, watching a US History series on Netflix, doing programming language classes with his dad, Algebra with his dad, a few chores, some handwriting, and watching TEDtalks. Takes less than two hours each day.
Then he is to spend time exploring something of interest to him, not a computer game.

Today John watched a TEDtalk given by Arthur Benjamin: A Performance of Mathemagic. He was entranced and went on to watch other TEDtalks by Arthur Benjamin just for his own interest! John was impressed with Arthur Benjamin's passion and love of math, with his ability to apply it in interesting ways, and with the fact that we have watched an entire The Great Courses class taught by Dr. Benjamin called The Joy of Mathematics!

You see, when I think of homeschooling, of any schooling really, I think of it as an opportunity to light a life, ignite interest, get minds stoked! 

Giving John the freedom to explore his own interests has created such fun in our week:  earlier this week he did some magic tricks and sleight-of-hand, today he's learning about Fibonacci.

Tomorrow?
Who knows!

My "Inside of the Box" Kids

I am still Homeschool Atheist Momma!

Secular ethics morals homeschool am I am atheist I don’t believe in God doubting god and religion Atheist parenting secular parenting freethinking parenting homeschool secular challenging children

It was raining today and we were driving along doing some chores, visiting, and finally heading home. We saw a traffic sign on the side of the road that read Lights on when wipers are on, it's the law. Well I have this THING about being told what to do, especially when ridiculous things are LAW. Not just a good idea. Law.

So I said to the kids In my opinion it's a great idea to have lights on when my windshield wipers are on because it helps us all to see one another, but a law?!  That pisses me off. 

So I turned off my wipers.

The kids started getting nervous.

(I should mention that we were perfectly safe the entire time and I was just playing around.)

Mom, you have to understand, they both said, we are going to drive the speed limit, send cards on birthdays, follow street signs, read directions on recipes, give Mother's Day cards ON Mother's Day!, return library books on time, never drink or smoke, have sex only in committed relationships...and FOLLOW THE RULES!!!!!! We are going to follow the rules, Mom!!!! 

And we are never going to smoke weed!

Oh MOTHER!

As they shouting silly things at me I started cringing and saying Nooooooooo in mock anguish. 

Say it isn't so!!! 

Don't follow the rules!

Never send me a card on a holiday!!!! 

Don't fret around the holidays about what to buy me!

LOL

It was a riot and we all laughed and enjoyed it.

But isn't that just the way of the pendulum? All of the freedom that I have fought for and demanded during my adult years and my kids are going to swing all of the way over to conservative Rule Followers.  

Ironic, but history shows that these swings are quite predictable.  Damn it all.

Then again, that is what freedom is all about. 

P.S. I do not smoke pot. One day I told the kids that I would love to try LSD or mushrooms sometime. Not at a lifestyle, but as a life experience. They freaked. Of course, I never did it.

 

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John Green's Crash Course!

I am still Homeschool Atheist Momma!

Secular homeschool am I am atheist I don’t believe in God doubting god and religion Atheist parenting secular parenting freethinking parenting homeschool secular challenging children

I have decided that we are going to go easy on lessons for awhile. Since we are already going easy on lessons.  lol

We have been spending so much time reconnecting with people, following new life goals, and arranging our lives that sitting at the table and doing work is, like, last on our list.

Recently the kids turned me on to John Green's Youtube videos on American History. Since we are doing an American History unit, we have watched a good number of these videos and I can recommend them!

The series is called Crash Course!.
On Crash Course! former Mental Floss writers John and Hank Green have put together hundreds of excellent educational videos that your kid will LOVE. And so will you.

Besides being humorous and irreverent, the series is brilliantly done! But watch each video at least twice because he moves so quickly and tangentially that my fifty-year-old brain can't follow. But the kids love it and are learning so much!

Don't expect boring textbook lectures or mainstream mythology about history. John Green is going to tell it like it is. It's refreshing as heck.
Plus, the kids actually look forward to it and get enthusiastic about it.
SO...WIN.

We've been watching history videos but you can find videos on Literature, Chemistry, Biology, World History, Ecology, Current Events, and probably more.

 

SO check them out and let me know what you think!
Let me know what your kids think!

 

Did you pin this on Pinterest?  I did.

 

 

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Who is Who?

Homeschool High School Engish 1, a Co Op Class

I am still Homeschool Atheist Momma!

Some friends and I are working on having a co op day here at my home next fall. Are you familiar with a homeschooling co op day? While others may do a co op differently, for these events each parent is offering a class or two on co op day. The kids who have committed to the class sit in for the lesson.  It's that simple.  

Several moms and I are planning on having 4-8 classes offered at my home on Wednesdays for our families and for other homeschooling families that fit our profile. I've hosted this type of co op in the past and it has been quite wonderful. Chaotic, but wonderful.

These other moms are all very academic and brilliant and I expect that their classes will be very, very organized and comprehensive. We will have some advanced math courses, science, art, theater, and other things. Knowing these amazing women offering their talents to the co op, these courses will be excellent! Aren't parents amazing?????  Seriously.

Some of the shenanigans of my first English 1 class

Me, what will I be teaching?  I'll be doing English 1-ish, kinda like, in a way... And English 2...I'm not the greatest planner. But I do have a huge pile of materials that I will be using and, bonus, I have been reading lots of books to determine what we will be reading in my class. In the past two weeks I have read at least ten books, trying to figure out what books to bring to the class. 

Here is a list of what I have read in the last fourteen days!

• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
• Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
• Night by Elie Weisel
• The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
• Pudd'Nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins by Mark Twain
• The Chosen by Chaim Potok
• Scrawl by Mark Shulman
• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
• The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
• The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy
• Many poems
• And many short stories 

A FUN group of kids and some of my favorite people!

Before this reading extravaganza I also read the following books during this year for the same reason:

• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
• I am Malala by Christina Lamb and MalalaYousafzai
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
• The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• Cry, the  Beloved Country by Alan Paton
• Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
• Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard
• A few others whose titles are eluding me at the moment

I have read some phenomenal books! 

In the past when I have offered the English 1 class we have read Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a Mockingbird. Good stories. But I was just wanting to branch out a bit, stretch a bit. For this next class I'm not sure what our main reading will include, but I have plans to include these areas of study in my class in order that it can be included on a high school transcript. I will share my plans with you but keep in mind that I am still working on the schedule:

• Poetry
• Grammar
• Editing/Proofreading
• Short Stories
• Writing Prompts
• Referencing/citations
• Vocabulary
• Punctuation
• Commonly Misspelled Words
• Writing Process:  paragraphs, five paragraphs, two page essay
• Book reports
• Public speaking
• Root words/prefixes/suffixes/Latin and Greek
• Types of Writing 
• This I Believe... 
• Literary Terms
• Blog writing: to be used during the week for additional reading

It is a ton of material to cover, but my experience has been that we can cover quite a bit during two semesters, or the equivalent of a typical school year.

Let me explain the blog idea a little bit because you will think that I am BRILLIANT to use it. Each teen will design a blog on blogspot.com that is to be shared between each student, their parents (if they chose), and me. Using that blog, I can tailor lessons just for each teen. I can give writing assignments during the week to those students who are motivated and I can use the blog to communicate with and engage those students who are not motivated.

I don't recommend that any parent take on a co op class of this magnitude unless you are feeling competent, supported, and ready to do such a thing. My friends who are participating in the co op with me all have kids who are in high school years and who have an eye on moving into dual enrollment at a local community college. We are all doing what we can for each other to get our kids prepared!

Also, I LOVE talking to other people who read!
I'd love to hear from YOU
so please leave your comment below.

 

Click to blog hop!

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