Greater Homeschool Convention Cincinnati!!!

Just got back from the homeschool convention.  I go each year, usually with girlfriends and NO kids!  Of course, there are a ton of kids there but none of them are my responsibility!  And absence does in fact make the heart grow fonder!  :)

I left with a friend on Thursday morning and we drove for Cincinnati.  On Thursday evening we went to a session by a woman named Dr Kathy Koch (pronounced Cook) on teaching to the 8 intelligences and it changed everything for the whole conference for me.  I had gone through the book and selected many sessions to attend on discipline and teaching obedience and things of that nature.  We have been struggling SO much with school work and defiance that I just wanted to whip them into shape (figuratively, of course). But I went back through and made sure I was going to ALL of Dr. Koch's sessions.  Yep, I became a groupie.  And proud of it!  Check out her website here

And then I realized maybe discipline isn't the problem....maybe these kids aren't ME (duh!) and I need to come around to their way of thinking better.  I mean I only have 2 doing "real school."  The princess is "just" creating confetti and other messes.  And Little Boy is doing some light school work.  Even when all four are in the trenches, won't it still be easier to teach them how they learn rather than how I do.  Talk about a lightbulb moment.

So I chose a different history curriculum...one that teaches to all 8 intelligences.  I love our science curriculum so I just need to actively DO the projects instead of dropping them all the time.  We are sticking with our handwriting program.  It works well and uses Bible verses.  We are also sticking with our math program (it ROCKS!) We aren't even finishing the grammar that we've been using this year.  It is dry and boring and no one is learning ANYTHING!  I bought a hands on grammar program for next year.  Hopefully, it will be better.  Plus, we're adding a activity based US geography program I think we will all enjoy.  Spelling will be done on the iPad (can I get a woooohooooo!)  And sincve writing is such a challenge because they are boys and HATE the mechanics of putting pencil to paper, they are doing a typing program.  I think that covers it.

Little Boy will continue with phonics.  And he and the Princess will be doing a literature based program, as well as sit in on the big boys stuff and pick up what they can.  I am excited!

Here is our list:
Math - Math U See
Science - Apologia Swimming Creatures
Social Studies - History Revealed : Romans, Reformers, Revolutionaries
Grammar - Applied Grammar
Spelling - Sequential Spelling (for iPad)
Phonics - 100 Easy Lessons plus a teacher Created Resource for Phonics (wkbk)
Typing - Typing Instructor
Handwriting - A Reason For Handwriting
Geography - Trail Guide to US Geography                  
For the little- Five in A Row

I think that covers it.  :)

So we are also in the process of moving school to the dining table.  I want cubbies for them all to keep their supplies in and found an awesome shelf at IKEA.  But I am cheap at my core and would rather spend that $90 on something else so I've taken a bookshelf that we already have and weren't using.  I turned it on its side and it is the perfect size.  Just need to buy a few brackets and ready made shelves at Menards to make the cubbies and then probably paint it.  I'll post pictures when its done!

So that's the convention report.