What we're reading, what we're doing November 2022

 Hi, friends. It's been a minute. I am going to make an effort to start showing back up here more often, but I thought I'd start with a quick check in. The girls have been back in in person school, and I have been back to subbing as much as I can. Here's a quick run down on what we've been reading.

Our monthly book vs movie family book club at our local library is Howl's Moving Castle. I am absolutely delighted by this book. It's magical and funny and surprising in all the best possible ways. I can't wait to see the movie!

Miss 12 is making her way through the Uglies books by Scott Westerfield. Someday I'm going to write a dissertation on why young adults love dystopia so much. But not today. 

I recently started re reading The Chocolate Touch to make a comprehension packet for my friend's son, which will hopefully make its way to my teachers pay teachers store soon. This is an early chapter book I recommend to anyone looking for one!

Miss 9 is reading Otherwise known as Sheila the Great. She is usually a fan of graphic novels, with which I have no problem, but I do also love to see her read more classic novels.

What have you been reading?

4 Reasons to teach short stories

 I have been thinking a lot about what I love to teach and how to focus on that. As a former high school English teacher, with a masters in English education, literature is definitely my first love. And the thing that has always been my favorite to teach is the short story. So I thought I'd do a quick series here on the blog about short stories and how to use them in your ELA classroom or homeschool block. Here are 4 reasons why:

1. They're short. The first and most obvious reason I love short stories is because they're short. This means they can be read and taught in one sitting and don't rely on outside reading (which sometimes doesn't get done) or drag on for weeks and months.
2. They have a clear structure. When teaching novel studies or plays, it's sometimes hard to highlight a specific narrative structure. Short stories generally have one plot, one conflict, b and one climax, which makes them easy for students to map out
3. They can be used for a specific focus or skill. You can choose short stories for your lessons that illustrate a specific theme, literary term, or reading skill. Again, because they're short and focused, you can touch upon several of these skills in a much shorter span of time than if you tried to find novels for all of them.
4. They can be used as models for writing. For most students, it is not realistic to expect them to write an entire novel. Generally all students can write short stories though. Reading widely in the genre can help student's get a feel for the craft and become better creative writers.

Do you enjoy teaching short stories? What challenges do you face? What would you like to learn more about?

What we're reading, what we're doing November 2021

 Whew! October was ... something. Here I am back with a quick post of recommendations, but I'll try to write something longer in the near future. 

Miss 11 and I are both really into Rick Riordan Presents books. Both the Tristan Strong and Paulo Santiago series had new books come out this year, and I am HERE for it. 

Miss 8 is on a Raina Telgemeier kick. She has read both Sisters and Smile this month. Anyone who doesn't understand the quality literature that is happening in the graphic novel space right now hasn't been paying attention.

Our current read aloud is Stuart Little, for our library's book vs. movie club. It's not our normal speed and both girls groaned about it, but they are thoroughly enjoying it.

What we're doing, what we're reading - September 2021

 Whew. Well here we are. We hit the ground running with our cyber school/ mom school combo two weeks ago and I'm exhausted. Here's some of what we've been up to.

We read The True Meaning of Smekday for our monthly Book vs. movie family book club with our local library and watched the movie Home. They are *very* different and would make a great comparison essay, but we didn't actually write one this time. I will say I thoroughly enjoyed both.

Miss 10 is doing ratios and proportions in her online math program. It's very dry, so I found her these fun videos to liven it up a little. 

And while I was there I found this great video on oceans and continents that fit in perfectly with Miss 8's social studies curriculum.

Miss 8 is also learning her multiplication tables. We are trying a variety of strategies, including flash cards, printable games, movement games, and songs. We are also trying the program Times Tales for the first time. I will follow up with a review when we've gotten through it. For now, enjoy this video.

 

 Some links in this post are affiliate links. Thanks! 

The accidental homeschooler (kinda)

So here we are. When I started this blog, it was with the stipulation that, while I provided resources that may be useful to homeschoolers I myself was not one. 

 And then Covid happened. For the past year, my kids have been home, but they've still been doing their synchronous public school. And this year, even though the pandemic is definitely not over, that isn't an option, but I'm still not comfortable sending my kids back to school. 

 I've considered a cyber charter school, but I have long time personal issues with the charter school model, and besides, you know what? If my kids are home with me, I don't really want to make them be online learning 5+ hours a day. So we're doing our own thing. As of now, we're still enrolling in asynchronous learning that will provide an hour or so of core curriculum a day, but I'm going to do the rest. I'm excited to try gameschooling, project learning, kinesthetic learning, and outdoor activities. 

 I have a feeling I'm not the only one in this position right now, so I thought maybe I'd come back here and share some of what we're trying, successes and failures both. i can't wait to have you join me on this journey.

Aru Shah and Hindu mythology

It's here, it's here! The latest Rick Riordan Presents book, Aru Shah and the Song of Death by Roshani Chokshi.



I love these books. In Riordan's own words, Non Western writers need to be allowed to tell their own stories, and these books are a great way to introduce a YA reader to different cultures and stories from around the world.

So, I couldn't help myself, and I made it into a teaching moment. Because that's kind of what I do.

Kids who read books about modern kids immersed in mythical stories then become interested in those origin stories, and so I gathered some resources about Hindu religion and mythology to give kids a way to look deeper into it.

This website contains a nice, kid friendly summary of various aspects of Hindu culture, the gods, and the more famous story.



This youtube video on Shiva the God of Destruction and the rest of this list of Hindu gods.


For more fun, check out these books:


Hindu stories book



More Hindu stories from Sanskrit




A guide to the various Hindu gods.

(All amazon links are affiliate links, and if you buy through them, I will get a few pennies. Thank you for the pennies.)

American Revolution Girl Squad edition

I have two daughters, 6 and 8 years old, both of whom are super into girl power. They are also really into history, and we've done a few deep dives into the American revolution before, but that history is always more exciting to them when it's about women.

And so, one day we saw this.



This Liberty's Kids video (you watch Liberty's Kids, right? Right??) is about Sybil Ludington, a young girl who rode by night to gather her father's troops to prepare for a British attack. Paul Revere who? Give it up for our girl, Sybil.

So, I logged onto our library website and requested this book: (Amazon link is a referral link)



Then, I thought about who else we could cover, and Abigail Adams of "Remember the Ladies" fame came to mind. Abigail was awesome, and this book was great:



Then, the next time I was at the library, I saw this book on display. Fate, and my amazing librarian, were on my side. Each page of this book highlights a different woman from the American revolution, many of whom I'd never heard of.



And last but not least, my new favorite American revolution hero, Deborah Sampson, who dressed as a man to fight in the war.


Happy Independence Day! And go girls!