ALEKS Math

Well, we have finished our first week using ALEKS math as a supplement to our Horizons math program... And I am pleased to say that DS LOVED it!! The only bad thing is that DD isn't able to partake in that it is only for 3rd grade and above... I signed up for the FREE month through the freebies from TOS, but now I am considering signing him up under the monthly option... It has been something he has actually asked to do everyday and even in the afternoon in his free time.. It is $19.95 a month or $99.95 for 6 months so the price isn't completely unreasonable in that it actually could be his math program in whole... They also have downloads and printables on the site to use as well... I will continue to post about our use through the month... then we will see if the newness wears off or if he continues to be as happy with it as he is now...

Valentines Day

Our co-op had a Valentine's Day party... It happened to be a week late due to the fact our classes were cancelled because of snow... The kids were thrilled...
They decorated their bags to hold their valentine goodies, decorated sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles (which didn't last long without being devoured) and then exchanged valentine's... We had around 50 or so kids show up, most from the co-op, but a few that were HS'ers out in the community (which was a great way to extend the homeschool arm of fellowship)...
My kids couldn't wait until they could go through and look at each one...
Gotta love Valentine's Day through the eyes of children...

Here's some links for fun things to do about Valentine's Day.
Valentine Exhibition
Candy Heart Sentences
Graphing Valentine Candies
Valentine's Day lesson Plan
Chocolcate Box Craft
Kleenex Box Cover
Valentine Rice Krispy Treats
Word Play online game for Younger KidletsValentine Word game for Older kidlets

and my favorite link for all activities Valentine is this one  at Family Fun...

Valentine's Day gifts...

           Look what my DH and DC got me for Valentine's Day... I LOVE them!!!                                                                      a new iron skillet

                                  and an iron dutch oven with a ceramic lining
                                 I am in cooking heaven!!!

Feburary Little Hands Art Group

This was our first meeting of 2010 and we had the new art program to use...
As I posted in an earlier post, I managed to find the Level 3 module of the Atelier Art program for $5... this was a real find for us...so today was our first time to use it...

I really like it... It is easy for us and for the kids... I just preview the video to see what items are needed for the class, gather them together, pop i n the DVD and the on TV instructor explains the lesson, teaches the method and it flows smoothly...

Today's class was on "SHAPE"... The kids were able to make pictures involving shape, by "tearing" paper with their fingers and gluing them into the "shape" of the scene they desired...The theme was "PENGUINS" (which was great since it went right along with our study of Antarctica)...
Here's some photos of their work...


                                                                        THE GIRL'S TABLE

                                                                               THE BOY'S TABLE


A LITTLE PENGUIN ON AN ICE SHELF



OUR GROUP WITH THEIR FINISHED MASTERPIECES
 For our music / composer study that we have been adding to Little Hands, we watched a video from the "How Things Work" series called "Musical Instruments" which went through a make-believe place called Mammoth Island and described how musical instruments work and how they are related to things in nature... (it's based on the book by David McCauley)...
It was a good video and a great addition to the class... 

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

Today we went on a field trip with some HS friends to Ripley's Aquarium... It was a snowy day so we were practically the only ones there which made for some great hands on viewing without being rushed...

The kids got to take a class called "Life at the Poles" where they learned some interesting facts about the North and South Poles and made a cute little penguin bead craft...


The kids got lots of hands on experiences with horseshoe crabs, seeing the coral reef center, the rain forest area, shark lagoon and stingray bay...

  Touching the Sting Rays at "Sting Ray Bay" with the diver leading them along with a "snack"



            "A face only his mother could love"... The aerial view from the "Shark Tunnel"...

                                                           The Fossil Exhibit


                                                         My little Divers!!


I like this aquarium since it caters to the kid population (the kids in all of us that is)... They have information in easy to understand terms on every exhibit and lots of hands-on things... They also offer monthly home school class on Saturdays...I am grateful that we live in an area which has so many things to offer for the home school community... I look forward to going again in the spring when their new exhibit on the African Black Footed Penguin will be open... It sounds like it will be a wonderfull addition to the already great stuff there...
You can check it out here..

Trying something new...

In this month's The Old Schoolhouse magazine there are some freebies that I couldn't pass up. One of these was the opportunity to try ALEKSOnline Math program FREE for a month.
I couldn't wait to sign up DS as an added resource to our current Horizons Math program. Our first day with it will be tomorrow. I am  looking forward to seeing how he likes it and how it fits in with our current studies.