Canadian Home Education ResourcesAugust 2012
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  101 TOP PICKS 
Cathy Duffy narrows the focus and simplifies the curriculum selection process with questionnaires and charts. She walks her readers through the process of figuring out their preferences in
101 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum  by Cathy Duffy
101 Top Picks
terms of a philosophy of education, learning styles, and goal setting.
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Welcome

Greetings!

We are thrilled to welcome you to our inaugural edition of the CHER quarterly newsletter! We trust that you will find encouragement and helpful information in the pages that follow as well as issues to come. If you would like us to address certain topics of interest to you, please don't hesitate to contact us using the information at the bottom of this page.
Enjoy!
Canadian
A Mountain Alphabet
A Mountain Alphabet
An Absolutely Albertan, Completely Canadian, Road Trip
  

Though I may be an adult, I can always find time to snuggle up with a good children's book. The simple tales and wistful illustrations
can warm my heart and tickle my funny bone. It wouldn't be fair to tell you of my love for children's books without telling you of my equal love for Alberta's Rocky Mountains. Combine the two, and you've got magic.

 

Now for two of my Canadian favourites...

 

A Team Like No Other

Albertan author and illustrator Georgia Graham has created a sweet tale about a boy and his father who meet danger while dog sledding in the Canadian Rockies. Based on a true story, the narrative begins charming, becomes gripping, and closes heartwarming. Each page's realistic, full spread illustration of vibrant mountains breathes life into an effortless plotline. A Team Like No Other is set just outside of Canmore, Alberta in the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. Why not load up the van to discover Spray Lakes and Ha Ling (also known as Chinaman's) Peak, which are both minutes from downtown Canmore? A family picture in front of either mountain would make a memorable bookmark. Keep an eye out for mountain goats along the way to Spray Lakes... they're frequently roving the hills!

 

A Mountain Alphabet

Continue the journey down HWY 1 towards Pilot Mountain. Pull out A Mountain Alphabet and check out the snowcapped summit accompanying the letter J. Margriet Ruurs' always alliterative captions and Andrew Kiss' many, many, magnificent mountains arouse awe. This is truly a book for all ages. Not only are Kiss' illustrations vivid and wildly detailed, hidden within each painting is a puzzle. Challenge #1: list flora and fauna beginning with the appropriate letter. Another few kilometers down the highway will show the way to the beautiful serenity portrayed in the letter D, Castle Mountain. Challenge #2: find the corresponding letter hidden in each image. For the older kids, use the introduction and glossary to learn about salmon spawning, outdoor safety, spot the difference between the grizzly and the black bear, and lots more. The next stop could "be brought to you by the letter L: Lake Louise."

 

A - Mt. Victoria, Lake Louise
B - Sunwapta Pass
C - Athabasca Falls
D - Castle Mountain, Moose Meadows
E - Along parkway north of Lake Louise turnoff
F - Kananaskis
G - Bow Glacier
H - Peyto Lake Area
J - Pilot Mountain
K - Kananaskis River
L - Lake Louise
M - Kananaskis
O - Saskatchewan River
Q - Kananaskis
V - Parkway north of Lake Louise turnoff

 

I'm sure you have your own Canadian favourites so feel free to post them on our Facebook page and share them with other homeschool families!

 

Stef 

 

Home
Ultimate Homeschool Planner
The Ultimate Homeschool Planner
Organizing School and Home

It is no small task to manage and organize a family home as well as your homeschooling life. Thankfully, there are many resources and ideas to help and encourage you along this journey! Here are a few of my favourite ideas that have worked for me and some of my homeschooling friends; I pass them along in hopes that you will be able to find some solutions to those common organizational problems.

 

Declutter so you have less to clean.  Clutter's Last Stand is a great book to motivate and help you declutter your house. My personal method is to tackle a room or area of the house using three piles: Give away; Throw away (or recycle); and Keep. I try to only keep the items I really use, need, or absolutely love! This method has worked well for me so give it a try and see what you think.

 

Teach your children to help with the household chores. I know it seems like you can do the job faster and better without help, but in the long run, teaching your kids to do chores will be a huge resource to making the household run more smoothly. Keep the activity age-appropriate with little ones picking up toys and wiping baseboards, middle-school kids making beds and doing laundry, and older kids cooking supper and cleaning bathrooms. Taking the time now to teach them well will save you lots of time in the future and it gives your children the life skills they will need to run their own household someday. The Choreganizer is a kit that will help organize the troops and Do I Dust or Vacuum First should be in every household's bookshelf as a go-to resource for how to clean.

 

Create a cleaning schedule that works for YOU! Just because your Mom cleans once a week or your friend cleans a little every day doesn't mean you have to do it their way. There are many websites and books that recommend different systems so do a little research and try one that looks appealing to you.

 

Schedule a planning day or two for your upcoming school year. I've found that when I can actually put this planning session on the calendar, and treat it like a real "appointment", I'm able to get a lot accomplished in a few days. Spend some time thinking carefully about your goals for each child including academic, spiritual, character, and physical. Then, based on those goals decide which curriculum, books, and field trips will help you achieve them. The Ultimate Homeschool Planner is an invaluable tool for this preliminary planning.

 

Write it down. My family knows that if it isn't written down, it doesn't count! Using your calendar, smart phone, and dayplanners will help you remember all those great ideas you came up with during your planning days.

 

Stick to the schedule. This is my Achilles heal, for sure! I always have great plans and goals for the new school year but not enough motivation and energy to carry them out. I'm learning to keep my plans realistic and to be more disciplined so I can accomplish the tasks and goals I've set for each day. My perspective on each day will make a big difference in my attitude which will, in turn, affect my productivity level so it's important to know WHY I do the things I'm supposed to do. 101 Devotions for Homeschool Moms is a sure way to get your day started on the right foot.

 

Lisa  

 

 

 

Education
Well Planned Day
The Well Planned Day
Planning Your Life

As you strategize your upcoming school year, it's always helpful to write it all down so you can stay on track. I also find it useful to refer to last year's planner while organizing the new year so I have a sense of continuity and evaluation.

Here are my favourite picks for homeschool planners and organizers.

 

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner: A Planning System Designed by Debra Bell

This planner is full of practical ideas, a journaling system, and, of course, a full year's worth of planning pages. I particularly like the goal-setting and "how-to" sections. The thing that sets this planner apart is that there are no dates pre-printed so if your homeschooling style requires a more flexible and customizable planner, this is the one for you.

 

The Well Planned Day: A Family Homeschool Planner by Rebecca Scarlata Keliher

I loved this planner from the moment I saw it! It's beautifully designed with many encouraging and helpful articles. The planner includes household planning as well as homeschooling to help bring everything into one place.

 

On the Go: A Well-Planned Day Planner by Rebecca Scarlata Keliher

This lovely purse-sized household planner is just the thing for busy moms who need a place to keep track of all those family details!

 

The Ultimate Daily Planner for Students by Debra Bell

This student planner includes study tools and lots of space to write out assignments without pre-printed dates or subjects so you can customize it to your needs.

 

The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens by Debra Bell

I am totally impressed with the quality, design, and layout of this planner. Along with the expected elements, Debra has included several pages of study helps, SAT words to memorize, and resource pages. Excellent to help your teen stay on track throughout the year. 

 

Well Planned Day Student Planner by Rebecca Scarlata Keliher

With the inclusion of the Shorter Westminster Catechism as well as reference pages, room for notes and assignments, this planner is a must-have tool for all students in the middle to high school levels.You also have a choice between "flora" and "tech" styles. 

 

High School 4 Year Planner by Rebecca Scarlata Keliher

This planner has been a blessing to me as I've taught my children through high school! It includes excellent articles to encourage the high school student as they prepare for a post secondary education, a planning section, and lots of room for assignments. Because keeping records in high school is so important, I appreciate that this includes all four years.

 

Lisa 

 

Resources
HomeSchool Support Group Home School Support Groups -
meet a very valuable need. They are wonderful for fellowship, encouragement, inspiration, resources, and just plan fun. If you are new to homeschooling you will find a Home School Support group helps you with getting started in your Home Education. If you are a veteran home educator, you are an amazing resource for new comers and their enthusiasm helps you remember why you started this adventure!

We hope you have enjoyed our first edition of the CHER Newsletter! If you have any questions or need help choosing your homeschool products for this school year, please contact us at 1-800-345-2952 or check out our  website!

Sincerely,
 
The Team at Canadian Home Education Resources