Navigating By Joy

Collage Friday

Science Ideas From After School Link Up

{This post contains Amazon affiliate links.}

The Amazing Water Trick – Investigating Density

January 19, 2014ScienceChemistryLucinda

density of hot and cold water

This fun science trick demonstrates that hot and cold water have different densities.

The demonstration reminded my kids that lower density liquids float above higher density liquids. They learned that hot water molecules move faster and further apart from each other than cold water molecules.

The trick also allowed us to revisit the topic of surface tension and to build on the air pressure science we learned last term.

What you need

2 identical jars or drinking glasses (eg babyfood or salsa jars)
hot and cold water
red and blue food colouring
index cards or similar
scissors
a large shallow dish to catch spills

What you do

1. Cut a square of card big enough to completely cover the mouth of a jar.

2. Fill one jar with cold water. Add a drop of blue colouring and stand the jar in the baking pan.

2. Fill the second jar with very hot water. Add a drop of red colouring.

3. Slowly add more hot water to the red jar until you see a bulge of water over the rim. (Take the opportunity to talk about surface tension here.)

4. Lay the square of card on top of the jar of hot water and tap it gently.

5. Ask your students to predict what will happen when you quickly turn the jar upside down. Then invert the jar, and discuss how air pressure and surface tension keep the card in place and the water in the jar.

6. Put the upside-down red jar on top of the blue jar. Ask your students to predict what will happen when you slowly pull out the card, then do so.

fun water experiments — Atmospheric pressure holds the card and water in place (left)

What happens

When you remove the card between the two jars, the hot red water stays in its jar on top and the cold blue water stays on the bottom.

Reverse the jars

7. Repeat the experiment the other way round. Turn the jar of cold water upside-down and put it on top of the hot water jar. Again, ask students to predict what will happen when you remove the card.

What happens

When you remove the card, the water quickly turns purple, as the cold and hot water mix together.

The scientific explanation

When water is heated, the water molecules move faster. They bounce off one another and move further apart. The extra space between the molecules means the same volume of water weights slightly less and is less dense than cold water.

When we put the hot water on top, the less dense hot water floats on top of the denser cold water. The red water and blue water stay in their respective jars and do not mix.

When we put the cold jar on top, the more dense cold water immediately sinks to the bottom and the two colours mix.

We talked about a previous demonstration in which we created a column of liquids with different densities, and reminded ourselves by pouring water into a glass of oil and watching the oil float to the surface.

More fun water experiments

The Tiger Chronicle recently did a bunch of fun water experiments. I especially like the supercooled water video.

All Things Beautiful explored density as part of their science investigations that all students should do before high school series.

I found the Amazing Water Trick at Exploratorium.

fun water experiments

I’m appreciatively linking up here:

Science Sunday

Wonderful Wednesdays

See this post for our unschooling plans for maths and English.

Collage Friday

Unschooling Plans – Science and History

January 11, 2014Unschoolinggrade 3, grade 4, history, Physics, ShakespeareLucinda

Unschooling science and history

Here’s what we have planned for science and history this term. My children intend to keep me very busy!

Science

Physics

C(10) wants to “explore the laws of physics. Like, what makes vacuum cleaners work? How do aeroplanes and helicopters fly? What charges up batteries?”

I’ll be learning this alongside the kids here. I enjoyed physics it at school but didn’t study it for long. When I was 13 I missed a term of school because of a road accident and had to drop a subject (physics). The time has come to catch up on what I missed!

J(8) threw in, “And I want to learn about quantum physics.”

“Sure!” I replied brightly, wondering where on Earth I’d find resources to teach quantum physics to an 8-year-old (or a 43-year-old).

I needn’t have worried – the scientists have it covered. Just look at this Minecraft Mod, designed to teach kids about quantum physics. And YouTube has dozens of videos on the subject. (The kids may be teaching me some science this term.)

“Potions”

J(8), meanwhile, wants to “make more potions,” so we’ll do more activities like Midsummer Potions, Alien Soup and Fizzy Fountains.

Science investigations that all students should do before high school

In our spare moments I’ll use Phyllis’s wonderful collections of science investigations that all students should do before high school and concoctions for play. We’ve done many of these already but I’m eagerly following Phyllis’s blog so we don’t miss any fun.

unschooling science and history — Diet coke geyser fun

History (with a bit of English and science overlap)

C(10) and I will continue with our chronological study of world history (we’re two-thirds through The Story of the World volume 2). We’re especially looking forward to learning about the Elizabethan period and Shakespeare.

Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Globe in London is showing Much Ado About Nothing in April so we’re going to study the play and then see it performed. This week we laughed out loud at the Andrew Matthews and Tony Ross retelling. Next we’re going to read the No Fear Shakespeare (Sparknotes) version, and watch the Kenneth Brannagh movie. And finally – the live performance!

Explorers and navigation

We’ll visit the Royal Museums Greenwich to complement our SOTW study of the early explorers. The children are looking forward to standing astride the Prime Meridian, with one foot in the Earth’s Western Hemisphere and one in the Eastern Hemisphere.

World Wars

J(8) received an illustrated book on the World Wars for Christmas, which prompted him to ask to learn about the World Wars.

He’s more interested in machines and methods of warfare than people and motives so he loves these First World War Fact Cards I recently strewed.

There’s plenty of good quality historical fiction about World War I and II. Right now we’re enjoying The Silver Sword in the car, and Puddles in the Lane is our family read-aloud.

I’d like to use videos, too – does anyone know of any good videos about the world wars that are suitable for children?

Our local kids’ history club is running a workshop on the First World War this afternoon, which will get us off to a great start.

Do you have any suggestions for resources we might like? I’d love to hear from you!

Next time, in the last post in this unschooling plans series, I’ll share my children’s project plans for this term.

***

I’m appreciatively linking up here:

Weekly Wrap-Up

Collage Friday

Unschooling Plans for English and Maths

January 6, 2014English, MathsAudiobooks, Books, Brave Writer, grade 3, grade 4Lucinda

Unschooling Plans for English and Math

Unschooling plans? Is that an oxymoron? I was going to say “unschooling ideas” but that sounded too vague. Call them what you will – over the last few weeks I’ve been chatting with the children about what they want to learn this term and jotting down ideas in Evernote, and that’s what this post and the next are about.

Today, I’ll share our plans for maths and English. Next time I’ll talk about history, science, projects and extras.

Maths

Fourth grade maths

Without a maths curriculum, how do I know what to cover with C(10)?

One place I look for ideas is past SATs papers taken by 11 year-old English schoolchildren. (These are actually quite fun, would you believe.)

When I come across a topic I think C(10) will enjoy learning about (or revisiting) I look it up in our collection of maths books. We especially like the Murderous Maths series at the moment. I usually read aloud, pausing while C(10) – beside me on the sofa – works through problems on a mini-whiteboard.

I also scan our favourite maths websites for games and hands-on activities relating to the topic. Two new (to me) resources I’m looking forward to exploring this term are Mathtrain.TV (loads of short maths videos, mostly made by children) and MathForum (hundreds of links to maths websites and activities).

Third grade maths

For the moment J(8) wants to continue working through Life of Fred. As we progress with the elementary series I’m inclined to agree with Hwee that this series has a few flaws. This has particularly struck me in our current book, Life of Fred: Ice Cream, which focuses heavily on learning the times tables by rote and introduces concepts like perimeter and graphing in a dry and confusing way.

However J(8) loves the Fred story and as it doesn’t form our entire un-curriculum, I’m happy to stick with it for now. He prefers his maths a bit less seat-of-your-pants than C(10), so it works for me to try out new things with her, knowing I can do them with J(8) later when I’ve ironed out the wrinkles. In the meantime we include J(8) in any games, stories and fun hands-on activities we do.

unschooling maths and english

English

English (language arts and literature) is the subject I feel most relaxed about leaving to the children. Over the years I’ve become convinced that the single thing that makes the most difference to their proficiency in the English language is books. Not spelling and grammar workbooks, or learning how to construct a paragraph, but books with stories they love.

Books improve my children’s vocabulary, spelling, grammar and writing voice and style, not to mention their debating skills, critical thinking and general knowledge. There’s plenty of time for them to learn to write essays; for now I want to give them time to develop their own voices, inspired by the books they read and listen to. As a former lawyer I’m also a stickler for accurate punctuation; however I believe this, too, will come easily and naturally when the time is right.

What we’re reading/listening to

Audiobooks unschooling english

As usual we have many audiobooks on the go. Together we’ve just started the fourth book in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish (warning: contains some scenes between a man and woman you may not want your kids hearing. J(8) drifts off during the “sappy bits” which in any case are general enough to go over his head, and C(10) is mature enough to handle them, so this doesn’t bother me personally). J(8) has asked to learn about the world wars this term, so I’ve got The Silver Sword lined up for us to listen to together next.

C(10) and I are listening to I, Coriander (historical fiction/fantasy set in the days of Oliver Cromwell). J(8) and I are listening to The Once and Future King (a charming classic re-telling of the King Arthur legend). I love finding myself in the car with just one child and being able to flick on our special audiobook (on the Audible app on my phone). (We do talk sometimes too, honest.)

Meanwhile, on their own, J(8) is re-listening to the Kane Chronicles and C(10) has just started reading The Underland Chronicles series (by Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins) while she waits for the fourth Heroes of Olympus book to arrive at the library.

Over the Christmas break we finished an excellent trilogy which prompted some very stimulating discussions about human nature, war and politics. I’m not going to mention the title (it’s not The Hunger Games) because I don’t want you to think I’m recommending it for eight-year-olds, but once I’ve formulated my thoughts I might be brave and write a post about it. Both my kids loved the books, and the listening experience really brought home to me how valuable fiction can be for deepening children’s (and adults’) understanding of complex real-world issues.

Brave Writer Lifestyle

I’m intending to use Brave Writer’s Daily Writing Tips: Volume 1 for inspiration, especially as a springboard to write alongside J(8) who has suddenly taught himself to spell (two years after we gave up spelling lessons and six months after we stopped his phonics programme. There’s a lesson for me there).

It’s a joy witnessing J(8)’s emerging written self-expression, not just for its own sake but because his writing is just so funny. Last week I was sitting alongside C(10) as she wrote Christmas thank-you emails. Her messages were polite, well-spelt and punctuated, and followed all the usual thank-you note conventions. Then J(8) joined us. I started out typing for him but he soon seized the computer to stop me editing what he wanted to say. We were soon all snorting with laughter at J(8)’s idea of appropriate greetings and thank-you sentiments. I’m not sure what J(8)’s kind relations and godparents will make of his thank-you notes, but I can be sure they won’t be receiving many others like his!

It won’t take long for J(8) to learn how to formulate his written thoughts into exam-ready paragraphs when he needs to do so. J(8)’s written voice is just beginning to emerge as the perfect expression of his exuberant, off-the-wall personality. To attempt to squash it into a rubric-constrained framework, before it’s had time to fully develop, would be a tragedy.

C(10) will continue her writing sessions with her tutor, the homeschooling mum friend who first introduced me to Brave Writer. C(10) thoroughly enjoys these sessions and I’ve seen wonderful developments in her writing style since she began them. I’ve also noticed that she’s been writing more often spontaneously recently – stories, notes and a very detailed dream journal.

Unschooling English and maths

We’ll also continue daily(ish) copywork, poetry teatimes, word and writing games and our read-aloud chapter book. We might read Puddles in the Lane next. I remember loving this story of evacuated children when I was ten, and it will fit well with J(8)’s request to learn about the World Wars.

More on that, and our project plans, next time!

***

I’m appreciatively linking up here:

Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Collage Friday

15 Best Homeschooling Posts of 2013 from Navigating By Joy

December 30, 2013UnschoolingLucinda

This year we let go of the last remnants of curriculum and enjoyed finding our own homeschooling groove.

In case you missed them, here’s a round-up of the most popular Navigating By Joy posts of 2013. Click on the photos to see each post.

Science

Instead of following a science curriculum, we did at least one hands-on science activity each week, an approach that proved very popular with the kids!

1. Elephant toothpaste – Fun with catalysts

fun homeschool projects — Elephant toothpaste

2. Gummy bear science – Osmosis in action

3. How to make sure science gets done when you’re not using a curriculum

I talk about our curriculum-free approach to science here.

History and geography

Some of our favourite projects this year have sprung from our reading of The Story of the World (vols 1 and 2).

4. Aboriginal dot painting for kids

5. Miniature Japanese zen garden for kids

6. Hands-on Russian history

Maths

In spring 2013 we began an experiment, doing our own thing in maths. It’s gone better than I could have imagined, and I’m buzzing with ideas for 2014.

7. Pythagoras and the knotted rope

8. How to help your children fall in love with maths

Pythagoras Lego Proof — Using Lego to prove the Pythagoras Theorem

9. Five Days of Maths Playtime

Homeschooling

10. Nine homeschool apps we wouldn’t be without

11. Five Steps to an organised homeschool space

12. The pros and cons of joining a homeschool co-op

Language arts

13. Five writing games your kids will love

14. How we do poetry teatime

15. Our top 6 read-aloud chapter books

Thank you to everyone who contributes to the homeschool blogging community – as a blogger, commenter or reader. I couldn’t homeschool without you!

I wish you all a very happy, healthy and successful 2014.

***

I’m appreciatively linking up with:

3 Things I’ve Learned About Homeschooling in 2013

December 10, 2013Homeschool RoutineHomeschool HelpLucinda

things ive learned about homeschooling

One of my favourite things about homeschooling is the never-ending learning opportunities it offers me. Not only do I get to facilitate and witness my children’s learning, but every year I get to learn how to be a better homeschooler.

Since love of learning is – according to the Authentic Happiness Centre’s VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire – my greatest strength, this means I get to live a pretty charmed life!

Here, in no particular order, are three of the many things I’ve learned about homeschooling this year.

1. You don’t need a curriculum to learn maths

I have friends for whose families maths curricula work wonderfully, and I’m delighted for them. But although everyone in our family likes maths, we’ve never got on with a maths curriculum. Back in April we gave up trying to find one, and began a living maths experiment.

We love being able to choose which maths topic we learn about when, and what resources to use. I am more in tune with my children’s needs and abilities than any curriculum could be, so as well as being more enjoyable, learning maths this way makes much more efficient use of our time.

C(10) and J(8) benefit from one-to-one attention learning maths this way. With any curriculum there is the temptation to leave a child to get on with the set number of pages while you get on with something else. My long-term goal is for my kids to be independent learners, but the best way for that to happen is for me to be by their side now, enjoying puzzles and stories, asking good questions and modelling creative problem-solving strategies.

ive learned homeschooling — A few of our maths playtime activities

We’ve recently looked at some of the maths test papers English schoolchildren sit in Year 6 (Grade 5). Sitting comfortably at my side, my kids approach the test questions as fun puzzles. Even if they haven’t come across a topic before, they don’t panic – they try to figure out a way round. (And I make a note to explore the topic together another time.) Homeschoolers don’t have to take these tests, but I find it reassuring that C(10) and J(8) would have no problem passing if they did – no curriculum required.

2. My children learn a lot from videos

When my kids want to find out how to do something, the first place they go is YouTube.

In the last few weeks, C(10) has prepared illustrated essays on fossils and the history of skateboarding using YouTube as one of her primary research sources. She also teaches herself drawing, sewing and cooking techniques, and guitar chords from videos.

Things ive learned homeschooling — Recent projects C(10) has chosen to do

At the moment, J(8) mostly uses YouTube to solve specific problems in his computer games, but that doesn’t make the critical thinking and writing skills he’s acquiring during the course of his research any less valuable.

For some reason it took me a while to catch onto this trend and use videos in the learning we do together. I guess it’s another layer of my deschooling (“learning must come from books”), combined with having grown up in a different technological era.

I can’t skim videos the way I can books or web pages, so it can take a bit longer to pull together strewing material. But as more of us use video in our homeschools, the more links to good quality material are being shared, which makes the task easier. (I love the way Hwee, for example, includes videos in most of her blog posts.)

Next year I intend to use video much more in our homeschool. {Perhaps my children will give me some tips on where to look.}

3. You can do less than you think in a year, and more than you think in three years

Sometimes when I look back on a school year, it feels like we haven’t accomplished much. Yet when I look back on the three and a half years since we began homeschooling, it’s obvious my children have learned heaps.

Similarly to the way they get taller when we’re not looking, children seem to learn in spurts rather than in one continuous steady flow. Or perhaps learning is more like the movement of waves in the ocean – always happening, but only visible at certain points in the cycle.

The more of these learning cycles I witness, the easier I find to stay relaxed during periods when not much seems to be happening.

J(8), for instance, does a little copywork or handwriting practice most days, but until recently had never written more than a few comic strips of original writing. Then last month he sat down at the computer and wrote a 1,500 story for NaNoWriMo. A story filled with the rich vocabulary he had apparently acquired over the previous two thousand hours he’d spent ~~lounging around wearing headphones~~ listening to audiobooks.

Talking of audiobooks, I used to wonder how J(8) would ever learn to spell, without seeing actual words in books. Then suddenly, about a month ago, he began inundating me with “How do you spell…?” questions. These come at all sorts of odd times, like when we’re out walking or he’s in the bath, rather than while he’s writing. Meanwhile I’ve started receiving perfectly spelled emails and text messages from him.

To the untrained eye it might appear that J(8) did nothing for several years and then learned to write and spell in a month. But really, like a wave steadily moving towards the shore, he was of course learning all the time.

And so am I.

things ive learned homeschooling

To find out what the other Homeschool Help ladies want to remember about 2013, head over to:

Every Bed of Roses – Our Year in Review 2013

Highhill Education – Looking Forward – Best College Degrees

Barefoot Hippie Girl – Looking Back: Our 2013 School Year

One Magnificent Obsession – The Days are Long and the Years are Short

***

I’m appreciatively linking up here:

6 Read-Aloud Chapter Books I Loved Reading as Much As My Children Enjoyed Listening To

December 3, 2013EnglishLucinda

Now that it’s possible to buy almost any audiobook for a few pounds*, I’m enjoying the luxury of being more choosy about what I read aloud to my children.

This doesn’t mean we read aloud together any less than we used to, but I love that I can now delegate to professional actors the reading of great works of literature to which I couldn’t do full justice (usually because of a lack of personal interest in the book. I have friends who’ve spent a happy year reading The Lord of the Rings to their children, but J(8) is getting much more from Rob Inglis’s rendition.)

Meanwhile, there are some books I just love to read aloud. Here are my top six read-aloud chapter books, chosen for the sheer joy they have brought us.

{*with an Audible subscription. Here are some of our favourite audiobooks}

Five Children and It

The story: Robert, Anthea, Cyril, Jane and their baby brother the Lamb find a sand fairy – “Psammead” – who reluctantly agrees to grant them wishes under certain conditions. None of the wishes turns out quite as the children intend, but each leads to an exciting adventure.

Date published: 1904

Why I love it: I just adore reading E. Nesbitt’s writing aloud. (Maybe because I have a slightly posh English accent?)

My children’s ages when we read it: 6 and 7

Don’t: let the film put you off. I only managed to watch half of it. The book is infinitely better!

Becky’s Book Reviews contains some wonderful quotes from Five Children and It. Here’s one…

Quote

“The people who decide what the weather is to be, and put its orders down for it in the newspaper every morning, said afterwards it was the hottest day there had been for years. They had ordered it to be ‘warmer–some showers’, and warmer it certainly was. In fact it was so busy being warmer that it had no time to attend to the order about showers, so there weren’t any.”

Another favourite by E. Nesbit: The Phoenix and the Carpet

The Return of the Twelves

Date published: 1962

The story: Eight-year old Max finds a box of old wooden soldiers, which come alive. Through the soldiers, Max and his sister discover some fascinating local history and help the soldiers in a quest to return to their rightful home.

Why I love it: The Return of the Twelves is a beautifully written and original story. I also love that it introduced my children to the Brontë family. After reading it, we named our puppy after Branwell Brontë! (Confirming our status among local friends as those slightly strange homeschoolers. :wink:)

My children’s ages when we read it: 8 and 9

Quote:

“Gravey howled, stood up, and began hitting everyone at random, even while still wearing an expression of the utmost melancholy.”

{The Return of the Twelves was published as The Twelve and the Genii in the UK.}

Heidi

Date published: 1880

The story: Five year-old Heidi is taken high into the mountains to live with a misanthropic grandfather she has never met. Kind-hearted Heidi’s cheerful spirit thaws the old man’s heart and she settles into her new home well, only to have yet more changes thrust upon her.

Why I love it: Heidi is a delightful character, so positive and trusting that things will turn out for the best. The exquisite descriptions of the Swiss mountain setting are like a breath of fresh air, too.

Daughter’s age when we read Heidi: 7

Quote:

“I’ll always say my prayers… and if God doesn’t answer them at once I shall know it’s because he’s planning something better for me.”

Understood Betsy

The story: Nine-year old orphan Elizabeth Ann has been brought up by over-protective aunts who have infected her with their own neuroses and hypochondria. When circumstances change and the girl goes to live with different relatives, she enjoys discovering unsuspected capabilities and a new-found independence in herself.

Date published: 1916

Why I love it: The characters are perfectly captured, the writing is charming, and Betsy’s transformation is a joy to behold. Understood Betsy is also the perfect read for homeschoolers, showing beautifully the difference between schooling and education.

One scene is so well described I found tears rolling down my cheeks as I read aloud – much to the bemusement of my children, whose empathy capacities are not yet quite as developed as mine! The book mostly made us smile, though.

My children’s age when we read it: 8 and 9

Quote:

“Uncle Henry and his father – why Moses or Alexander the Great didn’t seem any further back in the mists of time than did Uncle Henry’s father! … And to think he had been a little boy, right there at that desk! She stopped chewing altogether for a moment and stared into space. Although she was only nine years old, she was feeling a little of the same rapt wonder that people in the past were really people, which makes a first visit to the Roman Forum a thrilling event for grownups. That very desk!”

Charlie and the Cat Flap

Date published: 2007

The story: Charlie and his friend Henry are good boys with a talent for getting into mischief. In Charlie and the Cat Flap the boys plan the best sleepover ever. Needless to say things don’t go quite to plan.

Why I love it: Charlie is one of those “adorable scamp” type of characters that everyone in our family can easily relate to. Hilary McKay has an enormous talent for setting up comical situations that make you laugh out loud as they unfold.

Also for new readers: My children discovered Hilary McKay for themselves in our local library. She writes for a broad age range. The Charlie series is suitable for fairly new readers, but I couldn’t resist reading it aloud to my son after I peeked at it over my six-year old daughter’s shoulder. We went on to read the entire series together, and many times I’ve given the books as gifts to young friends.

My children’s ages when we read it: 5 and 6

Another favourite by the same author: Wishing For Tomorrow, The Sequel to a Little Princess (a sequel to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s A Little Princess)

Fattypuffs and Thinifers

Date published: 1930

The story: Plump Edmund and his thin brother Terry go through a secret entrance and find themselves in the Country Under the Earth, where their different sizes lead to them being segregated. Edmund is taken to live with the fat and congenial Fattipuffs, whereas Terry must go with the thin and cranky Thinifers.

Why I love it: I adored Fattypuffs and Thinifers when my teacher read it to the class when I was seven (it’s one of only two books I remember being read to me as a child).

Reading it as an adult, I was struck by the parallels with French and German history and was astounded to discover that the book was written by a French author several years before World War II, whose events it heavily foreshadows.

My children’s ages when we read it: 7 and 8

What chapter-book do you love to read aloud?

chapter books to read aloud

For more read-aloud ideas, visit:

Barefoot Hippie Girl – Read Along Chapter Books

Every Bed of Roses – Our Top 6 Favorite Chapter Read-Alouds

Highhill Homeschool – Best Chapter Books

One Magnificent Obsession – Our Top 6 Read-Alouds

***

I’m appreciatively linking up here:

Hip Homeschool Hop

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

6 Favourite Read-Aloud Picture Books

November 26, 2013EnglishHomeschool HelpLucinda

favourite read-aloud picture books

This week’s Homeschool Help topic has been a marvellous excuse to delve through parts of our bookshelves I don’t often visit these days. Many of our picture books have been handed down to my young nephews, so those that remain are the special few that I couldn’t bear to part with.

But Excuse Me That is My Book

I have mixed feelings about Charlie and Lola. Slightly-spoilt, childish Lola is not a good role model. But her conversations with saintly big brother Charlie do make me giggle.

We love all the Charlie and Lola books, but my favourite is probably But Excuse Me That Is My Book (or “Beetles, bugs and butterflies” as it is known in our house, after Lola’s favourite library book).

If you haven’t seen it, watch the corresponding TV episode to get the cute voices and then have fun reading But Excuse Me that Is My Book aloud to your children. It’s one you won’t mind reading over and over.

A Squash and a Squeeze

No list of my favourite read-aloud picture books would be complete without a mention of Julia Donaldson (author of The Gruffalo).

A Squash and a Squeeze earns its place here because the title has established itself so firmly in my vocabulary that I use the phrase almost daily.

The book tells the story of an old lady who grumbles, “There’s not enough room in my house… My house is a squash and a squeeze.”

A wise old man advises the lady to take into her home first her hen, then her goat, her pig and finally her cow. Barely able to move for livestock by this point, the old lady finds her house squashier than ever. Then, of course, the man instructs her to turn all the animals out, whereupon the old woman revels, “Just look at my house, it’s enormous now.”

Back in September I wanted to have a breakthrough in managing our busy schedule. After a long summer break, I was not looking forward to going back to chauffeuring my children to activities several days and evenings a week. Then … my husband broke his right ankle and my driving load doubled!

One of the consequences of his injury is that we’ve dropped a few activities (a good thing). Another is that when my darling husband is able to help out again, I will really appreciate it! “It’ll be like a squash and a squeeze!” I find myself cheerfully saying (probably far oftener than my family would care to hear).

Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent

I know I’ve already included one Lauren Child book, but what with the Clarice Bean series, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Book and Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent, I just couldn’t limit myself to one.

Hubert Horatio is the heart-warming tale of how Hubert’s delightfully random parents lose their fortune and their mansion home, but wind up happier than ever living in a tiny apartment where there’s always someone available for a game of Kerplunk.

Their son is also happy because, “for the first time ever, Hubert Horatio’s cocoa was still warm by the time he had walked the short distance to his parents’ room to say, ‘Goodnight!'”

Arnie and His School Tools: Simple Sensory Solutions that Build Success

Arnie and His School Tools is a wonderful book for anyone affected by Sensory Processing Disorder whether personally, or as a family member, friend, teacher or classmate.

I ordered the book when I first began to suspect that J(8) had Sensory Processing Disorder. After I read it to him, I asked J(8) if Arnie reminded him of anyone. “Me!” he replied without hesitation.

Arnie’s “fast motor” used to get him into trouble, but now he uses special tools that help him learn.

In this beautifully illustrated story Arnie uses fidgets, heavy-work, weighted-blankets, ear plugs and other tools to help him focus. The story is helpful without being in any way patronising. In fact, re-reading it just now has given me lots of fresh inspiration for ways to help J(8) concentrate on learning.

Beautiful Oops

Over the years I’ve bought my perfectionist-tending children a number of books about the value of making mistakes (another favourite is Mistakes That Worked).

The artistic Beautiful Oops appeals to C(9) in particular. Each new page transforms a seeming mistake or accident on the previous page into something beautiful.

This is another book title that has happily made its way into our everyday vocabulary – “Hey – we could make it into a ‘beautiful oops’!”. It was C(9)’s suggestion that I include it in this list. 🙂

Unstoppable Me: 10 Ways to Soar Through Life

I’ve given Unstoppable Me as a gift to all my Godchildren and young relations, safe in the knowledge that the messages it contains are pure upliftment and inspiration.

Wayne Dyer’s Incredible You: 10 Ways to Let Your Greatness Shine Through is wonderful too.

6 favourite read-aloud picture books

For more favourite read-aloud picture books, head over to:

Every Bed of Roses – Our Favourite Picture Book Read Alouds

Barefoot Hippie Girl – Top Favourite Read Aloud Picture Books

One Magnifient Obsession – The Wonderful World of Picture Books

Highhill Homeschool – Best Picture Books

***

I’m appreciatively linking up here:

Hip Homeschool Hop

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal

* This post contains Amazon affiliate links

Alien Soup – How to Separate Mixtures

November 23, 2013ScienceChemistryLucinda

“Alien soup” is a fun way of learning how to separate mixtures using scientific processes.

What you need

rice, sand, salt, paperclips
water
glass, spoons, sieve, magnet, filter paper
saucepan
lid of a larger saucepan
dish to collect water drops (large because you don’t know exactly where they’ll land)

What you do

I gave the children a copy of the Alien Soup “recipe”. (You can obtain the printable by registering on the TES website – it’s free.)

C(9) and J(8) mixed up a spoonful each of rice, sand, salt, 10 paperclips and 100ml of water.

Then they read …

“Oops! We added too much salt! We need to separate out all the ingredients and start again!”

You should have seen the looks on their faces at this point. “What? How are we going to separate that?!”

It was fun watching as they gradually figured out how to separate each ingredient.

Separating the mixture

J(8) remembered how we’d removed paperclips from water when we had our magnet morning.

how to separate a mixture — Then they sieved out the rice

What next?

“Hmmm. The salt is dissolved in the water! How do we get that back out?”

Then C(9) remembered how J(8) had done exactly that earlier this year. (A project he’d asked to do while browsing our Science Experiments book.)

They heated the salt solution in a saucepan, capturing the evaporated water on the oversized lid. The condensed water was then collected as it dripped off the lid.

I hadn’t been sure how C(9) and J(8) would get on with this activity. I knew they’d enjoy it, but I thought I might have to help them more than I did.

Seeing how they confidently and intelligently tackled the puzzle reassured me that our science un-curriculum is still working well.

***

I’m appreciatively linking up here: