Last year we purchased a family membership at the McKinley Museum here in Canton, Ohio for about $49.  Doing so not only got us into McKinley for free but since McKinley is part of the ASTC reciprocal program we could get free or discounted admission into many other science museums around the US and the world as well. But then I started learning about memberships in other places that included zoo and science museum reciprocal privileges. The two I learned about were  Boonshoft near or in the Dayton, Ohio area (family membership $79) and Coyote Point Museum in California ($65).

Several weeks ago I purchased our new family membership from Coyote Point. Now, we don’t have any plans on ever going to California (though I was born there) but the price was better.

Before I bought though, I called a few places here in Ohio to see what admission would be. We will get free admission to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and the Akron Zoo. I think Cosi and McKinley may also be free. Now we can get into a variety of science museums AND zoos for FREE or discounted admission! Since I’m homeschooling now, this is a great thing

Today we broke-in our new Coyote membership by visiting the Akron Zoo for free but paid $2 in parking. My favorite exhibit was the jellyfish and the touch pool /kids play area near the jellyfish.

Do you have or know of a membership to anywhere special that the Hall of Fame Moms readers would benefit from knowing of? Please share in the comment section.

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I’m participating in the Heart of the Matter Homeschool Blog Hop and this week everyone is showing their homeschool rooms. So here’s mine!

…and its really small and its not fancy.  In addition to using this room, we will also be doing schoolwork at the dining room table or elsewhere in the house.

I’m using “my” version of the Workbox System.

I love containers!

But what woman doesn’t ! 

Last week everyone shared about the curriculum they were using. To see my post click here!  If you’d like to keep up with me via email or RSS  you can subscribe here. I hope you will. And be sure to check out my side bar for any current giveaways I have going one. And to find other resources on homeschooling be sure to check out my Homeschooling category in the side bar.

As many of you know I decided to homeschool my boys this year. Officially only one of them has to be schooled (my 6yr old, first grader). But my 4 yr old has things to learn as well so he will be in “school” of sorts here at home too. If you want a little idea of what I was thinking when I decided to homeschool Brendan after one year of public kindergarten click here.

So, curriculum. Well, I don’t want to be locked in a box when it comes to teaching what we have to learn. For this to work in our home, I need to exercise my freedom and rights as an American parent and be true to how God made me to thrive in teaching and my boys to thrive in learning.  I guess my approach might be summed up best as “eclectic” because I will use whatever I feel is right and accessible for me and my family. Here’s my plan so far for my first-grader, Brendan and my preschooler, Jack.

I plan to use some version of the Workbox System but please note, I did not purchase anything or attend any workshop. I just read about the various ways other families were using this system and decided to implement my own version into our homeschooling.  This is not the “finished” product. I’ve added velcro and numbers.  {I know, this part isn’t “curriculum” related }

You’ll have to check back when the Blog Hop is showing off the homeschool rooms to see what mine looks like so you might want to SUBSCRIBE here to see my post on our room.

Math will be done by using the complete first grade Math Mammoth curriculum. In fact, I plan to be reviewing it as we go so if you’re intersted you should subscribe here to get my posts as I write them. For Jack we will just work on basics like numbers and counting. (See my sidebar to the right for the link to Math Mammoth and check them out for some free downloads too).

For Reading, Writing, Spelling, Vocabulary:  I plan to use ClicknKids.com programs and again plan to be writing reviews on how that goes for us too. I also LOVE the affordable and free downloadable lessons and notebooking pages from CurrClick.com and other sources. I plan to have my boys do notebooking and lapbooking activities. These skills can be worked on by doing copywork (copying the stories or bible verses, poems, dictionary words etc) right out of books and onto paper.  By combining methods like this you can also teach/reinforce leaning in particular subjects such as science and history. Throw in a project like mapping out territories or labeling maps for mountains etc and you are teaching/learning geography and getting your art done as well! I love the idea of being creative and being able to get more done with less worry

Science, History, Geography, Social Studies: We will use Usbourne books and other books we have at home as well as using the public library. I also requested my FREE cd (and I have received it)  from (AHEF) American Heritage Education Foundation, INC. . This is a K-12 lesson plan resource cd valued at $150.00 but offered free to educators (including homeschoolers).

Bible: Because we are a bible believing, Christ following, Christian family our kids ARE learning the bible at home (not just Sunday morning at church). I was thrilled to receive Plants Grown Up from Doorposts to help me have an organized biblical resource to cover godly character issues. This book was written by a family who wanted to be sure they were training up their sons (there is a book for daughters too) thoroughly according to God’s  ways. I also plan to be reviewing this great resource.  We haven’t started using this resource yet, but I have spent time reading it and getting familiar with it.

In addition we will be using miscellaneous workbooks (the kind you pick up at the store) to supplement and taking field trips using our newly purchased science museum/zoo membership I bought through Coyote Point Museum in California for $65.00 and yes we live in Ohio and may never visit CA. I’ll share why I did it this way in a future post.

Okay so I know you may be thinking, “Holycow, the kid is only in first-grade! Whats up with all this?” Well, it doesn’t hurt to be learning about all this and its interesting. We may only touch on a little of the not-required stuff here and there but I have these resources and so many things can be taught at the same time with a little planning and organization on my part.

I plan to share pictures of our homeschool room next week Subscribe here so you don’t miss it.

I’m participating in the Heart of the Matter Not Back to School Blog Hop where homeschooling families share their homeschooling curriculum, rooms, and more. If you’d like to see what other families are doing click the image below.

I already told you I was researching the option of homeschooling earlier this year.  Sometime in January or February I got really serious about checking into it  for “us”.  I plan to share some of the how, when, what and whys of my decision TO homeschool instead of “public” school.

I might even join a link-up carnival or two!

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*Here are some other posts on homeschooling resources or ideas I’ve written.

Thanks to my Facebook friend Brandi,  my family and I made a trip to the Wildlife Garden on Portage St. in North Canton (near Gander Mtn & the Strip) to check out the special stuff going on over there this past Saturday.  They were showing off some birds of prey, face painting for the kids and free food was provided { thank you ishopstark.com}.

I took a short video of some of the “birds of prey” Nancy Owen of Turtle Spring Farm Wildlife Center, Inc.  had brought to show. {If you are reading this in your email you will need to click HERE to see the short video of Nancy feeding a Hoary Bat (he is really cute!…for a bat). You’ll also see Whisper the beautiful little owl  and a Red Tailed Hawk! }

If you are a homeschool group and would like Nancy to bring her birds for an educational event for your group you can contact her at her email address gaia@copper.net .

Here is a short clip that features the bigger gray owl that I missed in the first video.

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*Click here to see some Wild Things we’ve encountered at home. Click here for more homeschooling resources.

Its a sign of the times, again. School supplies are on SALE!  Whoo-hoo! I like this time of year. I’ve been buying Elmer’s Glue Sticks for .25 cents…markers as low as .70 cents…finding 500 sheet reams of paper for next to nothing in rebate programs. Yeah…

I like it!

This year is different for me.  I am officially homeschooling and we’ve already begun on a small-scale. My boys like it. They are motivated. But I’m learning that there are “triggers” to their motivation.

What motivates my boys?

For my oldest it seems to be  wrapped up in the knowledge that he has goals to reach that appeal to him and as he finishes the educational tasks I give him he gets a sticker to put on his goal sheet. He feels a sense of accomplishment! When he fills a row of 11 he gets to pick a prize. It can take days to fill.  The prizes are simple. Plastic farm animal toys (I paid like $3 for a bag of them) that they can pick one of  (not get the whole bag) or they can pick a piece of candy (snack size M&M’s or a single Reese’s Cup) . Stuff like that.

For my youngest, I think his motivation primarily is his big brother. He follows him. And who wants to be left behind, right?! I have the same set up for him as well…chart, stickers, prize but his tasks are not lofty and his row to fill not as long. Sometimes I even throw in a bonus reward for something they do that day that they didn’t expect to get a reward for.

Some parents may feel like a child should do what they need to do without being rewarded because …they should do whats right without reward. I see the point, but don’t agree with it across the board of life. And besides, they are children, not adults. They cannot reason like us.  Plus, they can’t go get a job to earn money to go buy that coveted toy…like mommy and daddy can (think fancy shoes we don’t really need, boats, furniture- you get the point).

They are dependent on what we as parent’s can give them or choose to give them. I choose to give my kids something to “look forward to”.  It also teaches them something about how diligence and hard work can pay off in life. It teaches them something of setting goals and reaching them and what it feels like to accomplish something.  I think there are a number of lessons to be learned by using a reward system. {Btw, we don’t reward them for everything they need to do…such as clean up their toys, brush their teeth.}

What motivates your children ? … What motivates you ?

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