Australian Home Education

Spelling City review

Serenades and Solace - Fri, 03/09/2010 - 14:30

My children have had limited access to internet play time as a general rule. If they've ever wanted to play a game on the computer, it's either been through the library or a disc I've purchased. However, we've been given a wonderful opportunity to try out an online spelling site through The Old Schoolhouse review team, and it's time to let you all know how we've done with it!

Spelling City is an online resource to help encourage children to learn their spelling, definitions and uses. It also offer teaching resources such as Dolch words, compound words, literature based word lists, and homophones.

Once you have selected your word list, you can choose to select "Teach Me". A real person will pronounce the word, spell it and then put it into a sentence for you. It's the same for the "Test Me" section.

Spelling City is as simple as you like for free, or get more creative and explore the Premium Membership for $24.99U.S.  We have had access to the Premium Membership, which allowed me to enter the children's names and then track their progress with words used, and those where spelling problems existed. We also had access to premium games. For a complete view of what the Premium Membership offers, have a look at this page. (*I've been informed that the Premium Membership will be upgraded to included more wonderful features to help with vocabulary and phonics.)

The children enjoyed using this site. The games for Mariposa's age level were pretty much right on par with where she was at for this time, although she did find the typing of sentences tricky, having not learnt any keyboard skills yet. She could practice the week's spelling words in various forms of games. "Hang Mouse" was one of her favourites; although she would sometimes deliberately type a word incorrectly to see what would happen to poor mousie! ☺

The newer parts of the site called "Student Writing Practice" and "Paragraph Writing Practice" are more suitable for Maestro, as it would be also for older children. Of course, this would mean more time and proficiency using the keyboard, so keep that in mind.  I can see this being a really good tool for further work in vocabulary building, especially in science and literature.

If I had even younger children just beginning to learn spelling, then the "Beginning Spelling Lists" using phonics would be ideal.

Should you feel a little lost navigating the site, they do offer training videos for teachers and parents. I found these to be very clear, so you needn't feel unsure exploring the site with this information.

Once signed up to the site, some encouraging emails will be sent through to you. They want to know if you're having any troubles, so wonderful customer service is a plus. Newsletters are also sent out with any news on additional coming features (see * above).

NB - I received this item from TOS for the purpose of review. There is no other compensation and the opinions are my own. Thank you to TOS and Spelling City for the use of this product. If you'd like to read further reviews on this product, please click on the icon below.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

My boring life?

Oh Peaceful Day - Fri, 03/09/2010 - 08:42

Hello.

Remember me? I used to blog here on a daily basis once.

It is now one week since my computer died. I have a whole camera full of photos to show you and I can't download them. There are posts hiding in those pictures about cooking, crochet, dance, gardening, books, homeschool and family. They're posts about the minutiae of my ordinary domestic life. And you know that's what I like to talk to you about most - the boring stuff - the stability of the daily rhythms of my Peaceful Life in the country. Somehow without those photos I just can't get inspired to write. The old clunky laptop doesn't help much either. And so I've been silent.

Only it hasn't really been an ordinary peaceful boring week. There's been lots happening - good, bad and ugly - and so I thought I would drop in sans photos to update you on what's been going on around here. For what that's worth.

Perhaps you've all left me anyhow - for more exciting places - blogs where something happens. Blogs about lives that are not boring. Perhaps, but I hope not. I'd hate not hearing from you all, and if I don't blog nobody comments and I pine. Anyhow it hasn't been boring this week at any rate, so at least today you'll have something to read about, even if you can't see the pictures. For those you'll have to be patient. Which is something I'm not feeling at all.

This week:

• The computer, the oven, the sandwich maker and the vacuum cleaner have all died. Now to be honest, having no vacuum cleaner doesn't worry me unduly, but having no oven does. Especially since it decided to die halfway through baking a loaf of bread. This is bad.
• Also bad is the fact that the smoke alarm battery decided to start beeping its 'getting flat' alarm at 2 o'clock this morning. Why does this always happen in the middle of the night? Are they programmed at the factory to do this?
• Jemimah decided that this was the week to purge her room of all toys that she has outgrown or tired of. The tidy room is sublimely good; the heap of toys that she has haphazardly piled on the laundry floor for me to sort into opp shop/bin/family piles is bad.
• My Treloar rose order arrived in the post and I have planted out 11 Abraham Darby along the front fence and 6 Felicia along the fence in the English garden along with sundry other varieties in other places. This is decidedly good.
• I have begun pruning the 100s of older roses. You may remember that this is a task that I loved doing with my dear Dad, so this job has been decidedly bittersweet. Lots of tears because he's not here with me, but lots of great memories too. I am determined to do a job that he would be proud of.
• Jemimah danced in her Jazz Ballet concert and looked beautiful. You will need to wait for pictures of this. She looked beautiful and the dancers were great. This was really good.
• My dear Mum came to stay last weekend to watch Jemimah dance. This was wonderfully fantastic, of course.
• Our older daughter - the one I don't blog about - was rushed to hospital with meningitis. This was very terrible.
• The diagnosis turned out to be the viral type of the illness which is much milder and rarely fatal, rather than bacterial meningitis, which has a terrible prognosis, and she is now back home nursing a bad viral illness but otherwise unscathed. This is a wonderful answer to prayer.
• We celebrated the 60th birthday of one of our homegroup members with cake and singing prior to our study of the wonderful word hesed, as part of our study of Jonah. This was good.
• We ate chicken curry served with Thai sweet and sour vegetables with friends. The bok choy, broccoli, coriander, tomatoes and lemongrass were harvested from our own Kitchen Garden. This was good.
• The freesias are flowering and I have lovely little scented bouquets through the house. This is lovely!
• I have mastered the Ripple, and my ripply blanket of cuddly goodness is now about a foot long. I can't wait to show you this. I do hope you will ooh and aah over it with me. This is frivolously fun.
• Grannie is not yet finished. I am not liking the sewing in of all those hundreds of ends one little bit. This is bad. We are using her though, and she is beautifully warm and cuddly, despite being rather hairy, so this is a good thing.
• Literacy Lava 6 was published. This is definitely good. You can get your copy by clicking on the button in my right sidebar there. Can you see it? That's it above 'your say'. Nobody has told me what they thought of my article on travel with kids. That is bad. Or maybe it is my article that is bad and you're too polite to say. That is possible.
• My sister accompanied hubby and me to the current Australian Ballet production, Edge of Night. I love the ballet, I love my husband, and I love spending time with my sister. All good.
• One of my bloggy friends booked flights for her family to come and stay with us in December. This is absolutely wonderful!
• Hubby has developed tennis elbow. This is bad.
• I have mastered the art of no-knead bread. I will share this with you when I can show you the pics, but I am so proud of myself. This is yummily good.
• Last but not least, we have booked a holiday to Bali and Moyo Island in Indonesia. We will be leaving next weekend, and will be away two weeks. I will leave you to decide which word best describes this announcement for yourselves, but I'll give you a hint - it is definitely not ugly.

See? Not boring this week at all. I wonder what next week will bring.

Thanks for reading.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Nasi Goreng.

Aussie Coffee Shop - Thu, 02/09/2010 - 22:34

This recipe brings back such fond memories for me. I remember my mother making it on a regular basis when I was a teenager. I haven't ever made it for my children but was reminded of it this past week so looked up the recipe.

This is the recipe I am using. It can be found here.

Ingredients:

• 400g (2 cups) long-grain white rice
• 1 tbs vegetable or peanut oil
• 2 (about 275g) chicken thigh fillets, excess fat trimmed, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 175g pkt shortcut bacon (Primo brand), thinly sliced crossways
• 5 eschalots (French shallots), thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stick, trimmed, finely diced
• 200g small cooked peeled prawns
• 40g (3/4 cup) loosely packed finely shredded Chinese cabbage
• 80g bean sprouts
• 2 tbs bought fried shallots (Maesri brand)
• 2 tbs kecap manis
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 4 eggs

Method

1. Cook rice in a large saucepan of salted boiling water following packet absorption instructions until tender. Drain. Spread over 2 baking trays, in a thin layer, and set aside for 2 hours to cool completely.

2. Heat a large wok over medium heat. Add half the oil and heat until just smoking. Add half the chicken and stir-fry, for 3 minutes or until brown and just cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with remaining chicken. Add the bacon to the wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until brown and crisp. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Add remaining oil to wok and heat until just smoking. Add the eschalots and garlic, and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until eschalots are soft. Add the carrot and celery, and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until carrot is tender. Add the prawns and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until heated through.

4. Return cooked chicken and bacon to the wok with cabbage, and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until cabbage wilts. Add cooled rice, bean sprouts, half the fried shallots, the kecap manis and soy sauce. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until heated through. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm.

5. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Crack 2 eggs into the pan and cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes or until the white sets and the yolk is almost set (for a soft yolk) or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining eggs.

6. Spoon nasi goreng into shallow serving bowls. Top each with a fried egg and sprinkle over remaining fried shallots. Serve immediately.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

The Write Stuff by Max Lucado

Jessica Letchford - Wed, 01/09/2010 - 18:06

Today I was trying to write my blog post.  Trying and just not clinching it.  My insides were churning and telling me, like Miss Clavel from Madeline, that “something is not right.”

Near desperate, I turned to this article sitting open on my menu bar, written by Max Lucado.  I’ve had it on the back burner of my mind for months, waiting for me to read it.  I decided today was a good a day as any, considering I was having trouble writing.

It was the article I needed to read for inspiration and purpose.  I hope you enjoy it too.  Until then… its back to the writing board.

We like to envision him as an old man with young eyes, wild hair, and a raging quill. He wrote by the light of a lamp in the lee of a shack with the fury of a prophet.  His pen could scarce keep pace with his thoughts… continue reading

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Nearly Wordless Wednesday!!! Kindy sports day.

Aussie Coffee Shop - Wed, 01/09/2010 - 17:52

Today was sports day at the Kindergarten that Christopher goes too. We all went up and spent the afternoon there.

Here are some photos of Christopher in action.


Starting on the lap-a-thon

Getting his card stamped.

Jumping in the long jump.

He was the winner for the lap-a-thon so got an award at the end of sports day.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Bring your 'brolly to Melbourne

Serenades and Solace - Wed, 01/09/2010 - 15:38

You'd better bring your 'brolly,'Cause it's wet, wet, wet.The weather bureau declared it'sOne of the wettest winters yet.

Now, often you'd be out a'walking;The clouds, above they'd loom.A quick downpour, you'd duck for cover,Then your activities resume.

But not this year, my friends. Oh no!The rain, it came to play!And reminds us how winter used to beWhen the rain would stay and stay.

Ballarat has Wendouree returned,And a century's record broke.Free swimming pools in the backyardsMakes gardening almost a joke.

What is growing, though, are all those weeds,And mold on the window panes.Quick! Wipe them down and pull them up,When the rain begins to wane.

I'm sure the 'brolly makersAre rubbing their hands with glee.Everywhere we walk now'a'daysColoured 'brollies there always be.
© alecat 01/09/2010

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Completing Many Things

Living Without School - Wed, 01/09/2010 - 14:05

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Literacy Lava Issue 6

Oh Peaceful Day - Wed, 01/09/2010 - 07:24

Spring is finally here, and along with it comes the newest edition of Literacy Lava. Hurrah!!

Download your free copy of Literacy Lava Issue 6 from the wonderful Book Chook's site now to find ideas for revving up reluctant readers and ways to use poetry to support literacy. Discover how to tell tales with story stones, and how to unlock the mysteries of early readers. There's info on how to get started with a father/son book club, and using newspapers to build literacy. There are lots of fun learning activities with buttons and bottle caps and there's more.

From me you'll get some ideas on how to get the most from travel with children. Here's an excerpt from my article to whet your appetite:
Jemimah has an intimate knowledge of the lives of Muslims, Buddhists and Shintoists. She has eaten Bhutanese Emadatse, Thai Curries, French Cassoulets, and Yemeni Salta. She has climbed in the Himalayan Mountains and explored the hedgerows of Hereford. She knows what it’s like to be stared at for being different. She knows how to adapt and change to her surroundings. She has friends who live differently to her, and she knows that ours is not the only way. She can appreciate cultural diversity.

We don’t need to do much planning for our kids to learn while they travel. When a child is exposed to new sights,experiences and foods, they will learn. Lots. We are a learning family. To us, learning can and does happen everywhere. It’s an integral part of life. Learning is fun.Pop on over and get some of my well practiced ideas for getting most out of a holiday with your kids without turning it into a trial and a drudge for you or for them.

I'd love to hear your suggestions and ideas on this topic as well. It looks like we might be off to Indonesia next week.

Sigh, It's a hard life.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

A Reminder of Days Gone By – Little People

Belinda Letchford - Lifestyle Homeschool - Tue, 31/08/2010 - 21:44

Over the weekend I had two little people staying with us while their parents went away for the weekend. A five year old and a four year old. They were delightful to have but it reminded me of how life has changed now that I have older children. Here are some things I was reminded [...]

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Think about this.

Aussie Coffee Shop - Tue, 31/08/2010 - 19:45

A Friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:
'This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package.'
He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.
'She got this the first time we went to New York , 8 or 9 years ago.
She has never put it on , was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is it.'
He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing
he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died.
He turned to me and said:
'Never save something for a special occasion.
Every day in your life is a special occasion'.

I still think those words changed my life.
Now I read more and clean less.
I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.
I spend more time with my family, and less at work.
I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.
I no longer keep anything.
I use crystal glasses every day...
I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.
I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to.
The words 'Someday...' and 'One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary.
If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now...
I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.
I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.
She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels.
I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favourite food.
It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come..
Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.
Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one.
If you got this, it's because someone cares for you and because, probably, there's someone you care about.
If you're too busy to send this out to other people and you say to yourself that you will send it
'One of these days', remember that 'One day' is far away... or might never come...
No matter if you're superstitious or not, spend some time reading it.
It holds useful messages for the soul.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Am having problems again

Adept Serendipity - Tue, 31/08/2010 - 11:26

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

night words

Warm Love - Tue, 31/08/2010 - 10:46

~ cuddle me mama.
~ itch my back mama. no the other side. up. yeah. itch it harder mama. that's enough.
~ move over mama.
~ turn over I want your face mama.

she is soft and warm and smells of loveliness
she wriggles and turns all night
she needs to touch my skin
she listens to 'the three little pigs' or sometimes its 'the gingerbread man' while we lay together, me pretending to sleep so she'll stop talking and close her eyes
she squeezes so tightly saying 'your a good mama, I love you'
she is three and sleeps in our bed.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

A fresh coat of paint

EggSplatter.com - special Organic Learning feed - Mon, 30/08/2010 - 22:59

Today I spent the day painting our Master Bedroom. You see, Father's Day is coming up fast and Sir Sonic wishes to give his father breakfast in bed. Part of that plan was to give Dad a clean, tidy and freshly painted bedroom (free of freestyle texta illustrations and cereal-based hand prints).

At one point whilst painting I realised, since I was painting with such a similar colour, that I could not tell where the wet paint ended and the dry wall started any more. In order to tell I needed to step back and take a look at the whole wall to see where was wet and where was dry.

Later this evening this experience came to mind with three key concepts tied to it - 'being busy', 'dry areas of life' and 'relationships'. What does that have to do with painting walls?

Well, sometimes we just get busy. We do what we need to do and just toil away in our own routine. Sometimes, though we may not realise that we are painting our way through life onto wall that is already wet and missing the dry parts that cry out to be made beautiful once more.

In the same way that I had to step back to look at the wall to take stock and see which part was wet and which part was dry, so we, too, need to make the time to look at our lives and find those areas that are dry and need to be freshened up. Is there a new recipe you have been meaning to try? Is there something simple you can do to decorate your living room? Have you found a new mind-game to play with yourself whilst doing housework? These are all ideas for something new to bring back life to the dry parts of your day.

Better still, and perhaps more importantly, have you brought a fresh coat of paint to those areas of your life that matter most - your relationships? Relationships are so very important for our health and well being so we should not take them for granted. Instead, do something that will invigorate your relationships with family and friends instead!

Is there are friend that you haven't touched base with in some time? Have you treated yourself to something special as a pick-me-up? Have you told someone that you love them recently? What else could you do?

Take five minutes to write down your thoughts on what you can do in your life to freshen up any areas that are looking old, dreary, dusty or marked. If you want, share them with me too by commenting on this post.

Have a great week!

Categories: Australian Home Education, Organic Learning Home Education, Planet Home Education

Love is… a new book display.

Like a Dumptruck - Mon, 30/08/2010 - 22:11

AHHHHHHH.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Jondaryan, and the State of the Nation, and other bits…

~Beyond bluestockings~ - Mon, 30/08/2010 - 21:44

Hello dear Bloggy friends! You’ll never guess what the Bluestocking household has been off doing, while the fate of the nation (politically speaking), hangs in the balance .  Of course, after my last post, I wouldn’t DARE ask you to guess, I’m just going to tell you straight up. We’ve been to Oakey.  It’s a [...]

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

The Very Big Bang

Oh Peaceful Day - Mon, 30/08/2010 - 18:00

Hello.

On Friday our computer exploded with a very big bang and a mighty smelly billow of smoke and it is no more. It gave Jemimah and me a terrible fright, and made my Beloved fairly grumpy.
I want you to know that life is not very peaceful in our Peaceful Home without our computer. MEP maths done on the little laptop screen is not fun, and we do not like singing folksongs without our backing band. Our iPod lies silent and desolate. School today took a very, very long time.
I do not like not being able to upload the photos from this weekend to show to you all. Jemimah's Dance Concert photos are beautiful, and I want you all to ooh and ah over the no-knead bread that I've baked. I have even mastered the Ripple. Finally. Maybe that has something to do with less time spent on the computer, but if so, you did not hear that from me. There is nothing good to come from this state of affairs. Nothing at all. Big Bangs are never, ever good news, y'hear? Never!
Shall I go on? I have no email. I have no Facebook. I have no Twitter. I cannot read your blogs, and I should not really be writing my own whilst I am being paid to do other more meaningful (to some) worky type things. I feel bereft of all human comfort and support.
I know that I lived a full and fulfilling life before I was connected to cyberspace. I am sure that I was even happy for some of that time, but that was all a very long time ago. So long, that I can't really remember it.
And now I am not happy, Jan.
Not happy at all.
The photo above is of some scones that Jemimah made at Christmas time. I do not know why it is on my work computer, but it is, and I think it brightens up this particularly dismal post just a tad. There is a particularly nice photo of my darling Mum and Dad as well, which makes me a little bit happy. Well, it makes me smile at any rate.

Nothing makes me happy today.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Education

With Hands and Hearts Full - Mon, 30/08/2010 - 17:24

"Whatever an education is, it should make you a unique individual, not a conformist;
it should furnish you with an original spirit with which to tackle the big challenges;
it should allow you to find values which will be your road map through life;
it should make you spiritually rich, a person who loves whatever you are doing, wherever you are, whomever you are with;
it should teach you what is important, how to live and how to die."

~John Taylor Gatto

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

our new floor!!!!!!!!!!!

Aussie Coffee Shop - Mon, 30/08/2010 - 15:11

The hard board going down.


The new floor covering.


Tom and Joseph think it looks great and are both very happy.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

This morning's priority: art in gumboots

Serenades and Solace - Mon, 30/08/2010 - 09:44

Now, who wouldn't have a chuckle to themselves when they find their daughter already up, having made herself breakfast to eat out on the decking and then launched straight into artwork?



The sun is warmer today.  Even though we really appreciate the rain we've had, having some warmth in the morning and sunlight streaming into the house certainly lifts the mood.  Who can resist enjoying it,  beginning first thing in the morning?

And we have apricot blossoms! Yay!  Spring must definitely be very close.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Sweet wheat treats

Serenades and Solace - Sun, 29/08/2010 - 22:58

Today was our final day of dance competitions for 2010. YAY!!!
And what a day! They were running 2 hours behind schedule, so a long wait in the foyer, thankfully with an easy 'picnic style' dinner.

The children all danced exceptionally well, with places in 3rd and 1st with their troupes. We've come home a happy but tired lot, glad to have a 'normal' week scheduled ahead.

Here's a recipe I've not yet shared, made with Wheat Biscuits / Weetbix (cereal). These are very sweet, so one recipe can easily make 24 servings. Perfect with a hot coffee.


Sweet Wheat Treats

3 Weetbix
1 cup (85g) dessicated coconut
1/2 cup (120g) caster sugar
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa
150g butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla essence

Icing:
1 1/2 cups icing mixture
1 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp hot water

1. Heat oven to 180degC. Grease and line a 16x26cm tin.
2. Break up Weetbix and place in bowl with coconut and sugar. Sift over the flour and cocoa. Stir.
3. Add the vanilla essence to the melted butter. Pour this over the dry ingredients and stir. Spoon into tin. Bake for 15 mins.
4. Make icing: sift icing sugar and cocoa into a small bowl. Add hot water and mix. Ice the slice whilst still hot. Cut into 24 squares.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education