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June
1 ,
2007
Dear
Oklahoma Homeschool Subscribers,
Summer
is here! It's time for fresh air, a break from school
work, and plenty of fun. This is also a great time to
plan for next year and purchase curriculum. In this month's
newsletter, I've included suggestions to help you with
planning your school year and purchasing
curriculum.
This
is also OKHS Newsletter OKHS
PARENTS' CONTEST
MONTH!
-
Contest
#1: Oklahoma Homeschool Parent's Writing Contest -
One winner wil receive a FREE
copy of The Checklist!
Here are the rules: In 300 words or less, write what
you enjoyed most about homeschooling this past year and
how it benefited your family. It will be judged on composition,
creativity, and subject matter. The winning entry will
be featured in the September issue of OKHS Newsletter.
This contest
is for non-professional writers only. Deadline
for submissions is July 31, 2007. Send
your entries to Cindy Downes, 1608 E. Tacoma St., Broken
Arrow, OK 74012 or email to cindy@oklahomahomeschool.com. Include your name, address, phone number, how long you
have homeschooled, and the ages of your children. PLEASE
do not send originals. I am unable to return your entries.
-
Contest
#2: Oklahoma Centennial Photo Contest -
One winner will receive a FREE
pdf copy of Oklahoma Scrapbook! Here
are the rules: Send me
your best photo of people, places, or things in Oklahoma.
I am looking for a photo that is obviously Oklahoma.
It will be judged on subject matter, composition, and
creativity. The photo will be featured in the September
issue of OKHS Newsletter.
(NOTE: If any people
are in the photo, you must have written permission
from each person in the photo allowing me to use it on
my website. Have them sign and date a sheet
of paper which says, "I
give permission for Cindy Downes to use this photo on
the Oklahoma Homeschool website." If
they are minors, it must be signed by the legal guardian.
Mail this release with your photos. Any photos sent without
this release will be disqualified.)
This
contest is for non-professional photographers only! Deadline
for submissions is July 31, 2007. Send
your entries to Cindy Downes, 1608 E. Tacoma St., Broken
Arrow, OK 74012. Include your
name, address, phone number, email address, and how long
you have homeschooled the ages of your children.
DO NOT EMAIL YOUR
PHOTOS. No email photos accepted. Limit 1 photo
per person. DO NOT send originals. I am unable to return
your photos.
Finally,
I'll be starting college on June 5th
to begin the process of completing my Bachelor's degree
that I started way back in 1968. Please pray that my old
brain will be able to accumulate new knowledge! If all
goes well, I will graduate at age 62! My homeschooled daughter,
Shelly, age 31, is going back, also, to finish her degree
so it should be a very interesting summer. I've started
a blog about college life, the cost of college, how to
keep your faith in college, studying tactics, dealing with
professors, the state of public education, and anything
else that comes up during my college life. If you have
college-bound kids, you might find it interesting! The
new blog is called — EmptyNestMom
Goes to College.
If you would like to bookmark the RSS, use this feed:
feed://collegeat57.wordpress.com/feed/.
Have
a great summer!
Cindy
Downes
Oklahoma
Homeschool Newsletter, June 2007
Index:
What's
New on the Oklahoma Homeschool Website?
New
Price - Oklahoma
Scrapbook,
$14.95!
Oklahoma
History Online & Oklahoma
Scrapbook Combo - $24.95!
For more information,
check the Oklahoma History
Online Curriculum webpage.
Back
to top
Curriculum/Book
Review: The Checklist
 Summer
is a good time to use The Checklist as a
resource to help you homeschool. As I said about Oklahoma
Scrapbook, I'm unable to write an unbiased review of The
Checklist because
I wrote it; however, I can give you information about
the book and quotes from others who have used it.
The
Checklist is an assessment tool, a planning guide, and
a recordkeeper, all in one. It's perfect for those who
like to use a mix and match curriculum, unit studies,
Charlotte Mason, and other eclectic homeschoolers. It
includes a step by step guide for using it and a scope
and sequence for K-12 arranged by topic, not grade level,
allowing you to choose when to teach what.
The
Checklist has been reviewed by the Old
Schoolhouse magazine, DandelionSeeds (Amy
Verlennich), the Parent/Teacher
newsletter, and by individuals:
I am really enjoying the Checklist! Since I have 7 children
and use a combination of methods in homeschooling them,
I find it really helps pull it all together and be more
organized in my approach. It really helps to keep priorities
straight and to stay focused and to see what each child
has covered, is covering and needs to cover in pursuing
our Biblical studies/worldview and our academic responsibilities
at the same time. Thanks for a great resource! I am so
glad to have found it. Blessings,
Chris R. (Ohatchee, Alabama)
I
ABSOLUTLEY LOVE The Checklist! We have home educated
our children for nine years and I really needed to finally
sit down and see if there were any "gaps" because
we are in highschool now. I REALLY did not want to do
it because there just was NOT a way to do it the way
we educated. NOT ANY MORE!!! The book was worth EVERY
penny I spent.
Diane Fristoe (Iron City, Tennessee)
“I have been homeschooling for six years, and have
tried many ways to keep track of what each child has studied
in the various subjects. As we have gradually switched
from a "textbook" approach to more of a Charlotte
Mason/literature/unit study type approach, it has been
increasingly difficult to determine what we have actually
covered. So much occurs during literature discussions,
or just driving around with the kids in the car as questions
arise and opportunities are enjoyed.
For
a little over 2 years, I have been using The Checklist
by Cindy Downes. It has proven to be the tool I needed
to provide freedom and accountability with very little
time spent on record keeping. Cindy has taken the verse
Luke 2:52 "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and
in favor with God and man.", using it as the outline
to account for everything we would ever need to teach
our children, from preschool through adulthood. Cindy's
checklist is so versatile, it will work with any teaching
approach, whether you are using standard textbooks, the
Principle Approach, Charlotte Mason, Sonlight, Robinson,
unit studies of any kind, or even unschooling. She has
comprehensive listings in all subjects, including concepts,
events, inventions, people, and principles to be understood.
There
are two columns to mark off - one for the elementary
years, and one for the junior/senior high years (and
beyond). I have copied the checklist pages from my master
notebook and made individual books for each of my children.
These have become their "lifetime learning" books.
Several times each year, I sit down with each of the children
and go through sections of the checklist, determining what
they have or have not covered (and retained) during our
studies. I have often been surprised at the things my children
know....things I don't remember "teaching" them!
Somehow, my youngest son has a very thorough grasp of world
geography....and I never would have realized it without
Cindy's checklist. This has saved me almost a semester's
worth of pointless "busywork" I would have spent
last year "teaching" Phillip something he already
know! I was able to determine in only a few minutes what
areas of science we still needed to cover for his 6th grade
year, and was delighted to find that we can do the three
remaining topics almost painlessly, with lots of time for "hands-on" experiments,
rather than work through yet another textbook.
The
Checklist has freed me to enjoy homeschooling. It has
liberated me from the confines of the textbooks and others'
expectations, and has allowed me to follow the interests
and opportunities that arise in our family throughout
the year, since I know that I can quickly note coverage
of an idea without having to go through a stack of texts
to find the "right chapter". I am truly grateful
to Cindy for her wisdom and insight, and for the excellent
tool she has created.”
Sue
S. (Bibliomania
Homeschool Bookstore, Tulsa, OK)
More
information and sample pages at: http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/checklist.html.
Back
to top
Planning
for Your School Year - A Step by Step Guide
 Step
1 - Read: Organize
your school for success.
Step
2 - Read The 16 Greatest Mistake Homeschool Moms Make
Step
3 - Do some assessment.
Step
4 - Read Choosing Curriculum Based on Learning Styles
Step
5: Use the Step
by Step Guide to Choosing Curriculum and read: Choosing
Homeschool Curriculum.
Step
4 - Plan a simple
schedule that will work for you!
Step
5 - Plan a simple yet effective way to keep records.
Step
6 - Get involved in a support
group.
Step
7 - Order
your curriculum.
Back
to top
FREE
Forms:
1.
Free forms to help you plan your school year. http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/forms.html
2.
Enjoy summer - take some field trips!
Why not enjoy your summer and take some field trips. read
a book about it, do a hands-on project and call it a school
day! Use my free
field trip planning guide to get you started:
Back
to top
The
Checklist: Stature
 Summer
is a great time to work on stature as described
in Luke 2:52, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and STATURE,
in favor with God and man." Stature is physical development,
exercise, and taking care of temple of God.
1.
Physical Development & Exercise - Make
appointments for dental and medical checkups. Exercise.
Play at the park, join a bike club, or participate
on a sports team.
2.
Care of the temple of God
- Learn
about safety (Home, Fire, Stranger Danger)
- Take
driver's education to learn about driving safety.
- Learn
about good nutrition and then prepare some healthy summer
meals.
- Take
a first aid course.
- Research
what the Bible says about dating, marriage,
drinking, and how to dress appropriately.
3. Be
sure to add what your children did on stature
to page 174 of your copy of The
Checklist!
Back
to top
Oklahoma
Centennial Events:
July
Centennial Events:
Poteau's Celebrate America Country Style, Jul 4,
2007. Activities include quilting demonstrations,
butter churning, weaving, blacksmithing, knife making,
etc. Other activities include an apple pie contest,
storytelling, a reenactment of a gunfight, and music.
Children's activities include games from the past,
water games, face painting, and a fishing booth.
Throughout the day speakers will tell about the "Road
to Statehood" and
what it meant to the people of the country, including
American Indians. The evening will end with a fireworks
show.
Viva Oklahoma Hispanic Chamber Expo, Jul 28, 2007,
Oklahoma City, The Viva Oklahoma Hispanic Chamber
Expo is the biggest Hispanic event in Oklahoma with
participation exceeding 13,000 people. Includes booths
and sponsorships from over 200 companies.
2.
For discount coupons and more travel info about
Oklahoma, check TravelOK.com.
Back
to top
Oklahoma
History Resources:
1.  Looting
Spiro Mounds: An American King Tut's Tomb by
David LA Vere. Brand new from University of Oklahoma press.
2007.
2. Elmo:
The Oklahoma Prairie Dog by
By Norma Scudder. A fictional tale of a prairie dog
told against the backdrop of historical facts from
the great State of Oklahoma's first 100 years. 2007.
3.
For more info and learning materials about Oklahoma
history, check my website at: http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/teachOKH.html
Back
to top
Internet
Resources for Summer -Just Plain Fun (with a little
learning on the side!)
 1. Comic fun with the elements. Introduce your
children to the periodic table with comics!
2.
Pick
Your Own - This is the time of year for berry picking.
Here's a website that lists Pick Your Own farms around
the country!
3. Summer fun recipes
for kids.
4. 101
Nature Oriented Things to Do during the Summer.
5. Make some homemade
musical instruments and start your
own family band!
6. Make a toy from paper!
7. Become a Web
Ranger.
8. Learn how
to draw with Billy Bear.
9. July
4th Activities. Here's
some fun learning activities to do for the 4th. Here's
more activities.
10.
Revolutionary War Thematic Paper. Use these two forms
(wide lines and thin lines) to write about the 4th of
July: http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/forms.html
11.
Independence Day reading recommendations.
Back
to top
 Quote:
"Children
should be educated and instructed in the principles of
freedom."
— John Adams (1735
- 1826)
"Liberty
is the right to choose. Freedom is the result of the
right choice."
— Anonymous
Back
to top
Please
feel free to forward this to anyone who may be interested.
Please forward in it's entirety.
If
you'd like to be added to the Oklahoma Homeschool Newsletter
mailing list, please email back with "Subscribe"
in the subject line, along with your city and state or country
and how long you have homechooled.
COPYRIGHT
NOTICE: This newsletter is ©Copyright
2007 by Cindy Downes. All rights reserved.
PRIVACY
POLICY. Your name and email address will always remain
completely confidential. I do not sell, loan, or share any
subscriber or customer information for any reason. Your information
will never be used for any purpose other than delivery of
my e-newsletter and to occasionally inform you of updates
to http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com.
If
you want to be removed from this mailing list, please
send a blank email with the word "unsubscribe" in
the subject line.
Have
a great day!
Cindy
Cindy
Downes
OKLAHOMA HOMESCHOOL
Website: http:www.oklahomahomeschool.com
Email: cindy@oklahomahomeschool.com
EmptyNestBlog: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/EmptyNestMom
EmptyNestMom
Goes to College Blog: http://collegeat57.wordpress.com/
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