0 Comments
April 12th: American Heritage Girls Parent Information Night (Ewa Beach) - From their event page: "American Heritage Girls is the premier national character development organization for girls ages 5 - 18 that embraces Christian values and family involvement. Join us during our Parents Info Night for Troop # HI0001 in Ewa Beach at Calvary Chapel of West Oahu. Learn more about American Heritage Girls and how you & your daughter can get involved." https://www.facebook.com/events/1778490319041496/ April 16th: National Jr. Ranger Day - Join a Park Ranger at the World War II In The Pacific National Monument for a scavenger hunt, watch a movie about Pearl Harbor, take a boatride to the memorial, complete a Jr. Ranger boolet, and be sworn in as a Jr. Ranger to receive an official badge! 125 free tickets available. RSVP required. More info at their event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1713305302280500/ April 16th, 23rd, and 30th: Eco-Explorer Series / Keiki Eco-Adventures at The Green House Hawaii - Kids explore the green house garden, create eco-crafts and enjoy a hands-on creative learning experience. $15/workshop or $40 for the series, ages 7-10. For more info, visit their event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/206954869682348/ April 22nd & 23rd: Waimea Valley Moon Walk - From their event page: "Each Moon Walk is guided by a member Waimea Valley’s botanical and/or cultural departments to show you night blooming flowers and learn about the moon’s significance in Hawaiian culture." https://www.facebook.com/events/204329889929261/ April 23rd: The 9th Annual Mauka to Makai Environmental Expo - Waikiki Aquarium's Environmental Expo will have educational activities and displays. Free admission. Free parking and shuttle from Waikiki Elementary. More info at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1713305302280500/ April 25th: Autism Behavior Consulting Group & Poseidon Foundation at Banzai Skate Park - From their event page: "A skate clinic for kids with autism! Learn the basics of safety and beyond! 3pm-7pm Monday April 25th at Banzai Skate Park on Oahu's North Shore! Join ABC Group, Poseiden Foundation and some skateboarding Pros for an amazing afternoon!" For more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/554268464746991/ April 30th: Hawaii Book and Music Festival - A family-friendly festival at the Honolulu Hale civic center. Meet "authors and illustrators; music and stage performances; stimulating panel discussions on a variety of topics; story-telling and poetry slams; as well as activities and entertainment for the younger crowd. Attendees also will enjoy the popular Bank of Hawaii Book Swap, book-seller booths and a multi-ethnic food court." https://www.facebook.com/events/1507932589502767/ May 21st: 4th Annual Kahumana Farm Festival - This looks like a fun and educational event at a fantastic farm. From their event page: "The Kahumana Farm Festival is an annual event that brings the community together to celebrate and promote local agriculture, crafts, education, artists, and music. It is a fun filled day that is free to the public and a family friendly event."
https://www.facebook.com/events/1501906086784156/
My daughter is an avid reader and we enjoy using real books (versus just textbooks) as learning tools, so it's been a pleasure to review the Fifth Grade Literature Guide Set from Memoria Press these past several weeks. We had not previously heard much about the company or had the chance to use any of their homeschool materials, so this was new territory for us. I found out that Memoria Press has a lot to offer and that they are a publishing company, offering classical Christian educational materials in subjects ranging from Latin, Greek, and Literature to Science, Logic, Math, and more. There is so much on their website to look into!
It's easy to get caught up in looking at all their offerings, but please allow me to now focus back on the fifth-grade literature guide set! We loved every thoughtful, well-chosen book selection and found each study guide to be full of good material! As you can see in the image above, this set comes with Teacher Guides and Student Study Guides for three wonderful and classic works of literature: Lassie Come-Home, Heidi, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The readers, or books themselves, did not come with the set we received, but they can be purchased directly through Memoria Press (as linked above), at some book stores (online or at a physical location), or found at some local libraries. It is here that I'd like to note that the literature guide for Heidi is meant to go with a specific version of the book: the Puffin Classics Edition, or any edition translated by Eileen Hall. I missed this little fact at first and picked up a different edition of the book, which resulted in a bit of confusion until I realized my mistake. Also of note for those of my readers that live in Hawaii, is that the library at my local military base did not have Lassie Come-Home or the necessary version of Heidi, so I did have to get them elsewhere. We've previously read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, but the associated literature guide in this set coaxes us further into the story and helps reveal things in this classic piece of writing that my daughter probably would not have noticed or thought about otherwise. These literature guides are all a tool to help dig deeper, not just skim or read through quickly, but really learn from the material, build critical thinking skills, expand vocabulary, practice writing skills, and experience the story even more fully through activities beyond reading. With Memoria Press' literature guides, it's not just reading for pleasure; it's reading for enjoyment AND so much more! The primary sections of the Student Study Guides include:
The Teacher Guides also have Quizzes and a Final Test that could be used as well.
While the discussion questions and some enrichment options required interaction from a parent, this literature set was mostly student-driven, requiring little guidance or prep work from me. The Teacher Guides were a valuable resource to find correct answers or ideas for responses to discussion questions, which would be particularly useful for those parents who haven't read the book (or at least haven't done so recently).
Our Experience...
Big Sis read from the book almost daily. In fact, it was difficult to get her to slow down and pace herself as we went through the study guides as well. Often times, she'd read ahead and then have to go back to a previous chapter in order to complete the questions in the guide. While this wasn't always a problem, sometimes it slightly muddled her responses and views when answering questions about what she read (because some questions asked things that assumed the reader didn't know what happens next or were based on only the knowledge the reader had from that chapter). This could be considered a drawback, for those like our family, in using literature study guides like these... my daughter just wants to read and keep reading and can get annoyed by being reined in, interrupted, or slowed down to focus on a certain part of the book. On the other hand, this could also be viewed as a benefit in that it might help strengthen my daughter's ability to gain more from what she reads and not just rush through to see what happens next.
When using the study guides, I noticed that the pages all have the same look and the similar sections... which could pose a problem for a child who wants to finish the book and might not see their progress as they move along. We avoided having it feel repetitious by focusing on one chapter at a time and making sure to include some enrichment activities with each chapter. We also found that this predictable pattern throughout the study guides made it easier to follow and use, allowing my daughter to have a sense of continuity and consistency, flowing from day-to-day, and from one guide to the next. It allowed her to know what to expect, plan for it, and improve in each area (writing, thoughtful discussion, figuring out vocabulary, etc.) as she went along. While my daughter can, and does, do a lot of independent learning, she still thrives on interaction from me and spending time together. With that in mind, the discussion questions were a nice time to bond with one another through our thoughts on the story and even how things from the plot relate to our own lives or that in the world around us, or similarities to a character's experience or personality.
Enrichment Activities were my daughter's favorite part of the guides and study time. Some things from the Heidi study guide were: trying goat's milk, finding places on maps and pictures of mountains from the story, drawing a family tree, listening to and analyzing poetry, sewing, and more. I think it's important to reiterate here that these are optional activities, so please don't feel overwhelmed after reading this, thinking it's too much to fit into your day! Some were quick and easy and others were chosen by my daughter as something she did on her own outside of our regular study time. The easiest, and our favorite, enrichment task was to "spend an afternoon or day outside among nature and enjoy God's creation!"
We did not do all the enrichment activities, but there were plenty of good ideas that we could choose from. In particular, we did not always do the lengthy or complete copywork since writing is Big Sis' least favorite activity. Nonetheless, as the guide mentions, writing and composition are rather valuable, so we did find a middle ground where she completed some of the writing, challenging her to grow and improve, without making it a burden.
It is quite a blessing to have this entire set to work through and continue to develop the skills the guides focus on, instead of having this be an isolated activity that got cut short! While the guides are similar in structure from one to the next, they are not exactly the same because they have a different style book that goes along with it, and each one brings something new to learn and discover, helping to create a more complete study overall for my daughter's grade level. One could certainly use just one guide for just one book, but I feel like using the complete set of all three guides is getting the full benefit of building skills over time... and besides, we wouldn't want to stop after just one!
Final Thoughts
This Fifth Grade Literature Guide Set from Memoria Press has a lot to offer those who are seeking easy-to-use, easy-to-understand, Christian-focused, classical guidance for great works of children's literature. While some families might not enjoy the writing, the copywork options, or the classical style, I think others may find it to be just what they're looking for, giving a child the chance to challenge their thinking skills and improve their writing in easy-to-tackle sections as they explore a good book. It could also help a parent know that their child is truly understanding and learning something from the books they read!
If you'd like to learn more about Memoria Press and this or other products they offer, head on over to their website or check out other bloggers' reviews- including those of other grade level literature guide sets too- by clicking on the banner below. You can also find Memoria Press on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+! Authentic Living and Learning is hosting a FREE student-led Learning Lab for 4th - 8th grade homeschool students (parent participation is required at this time, but drop-off option is being considered for the future). This will be a 4-week session, meeting Tuesdays from 9:30-12pm, from March 29th to April 19th, 2016. It will be held at the Makai Recreation Center on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) at 100 McChord Street Bldg.1859. Limited space! Reserve your spot now! You can also download the flyer by clicking the link below. Please note that Oahu Homeschool Mom (I) am not affiliated or associated with Authentic Living and Learning or this program being offered. This is NOT an ad or sponsored post. I am just sharing the information in case some of my readers might find it helpful. :-)
Do you have a high school student that is looking into their college options? Wayland Baptist University, based in Mililani, is hosting an Open House on Saturday, March 19th. They will also be having a drawing to give away ten $1,000 scholarships! Read on to find out more... Here is the information that I received from their Open House Coordinator: "Wayland Baptist University will be having an Open House on Saturday, March 19, from 10:00AM-1:00PM. The purpose of this event is to get high school students from homeschools, private schools, and public schools to come down and check out Wayland. In doing this, the students will be able to look towards Wayland Baptist University as another or the best college option. During this event, we will be having informational workshops on admissions, degrees, and financial aid. We will also be having a drawing to give away ten $1,000 scholarships." See the flyer below for more information or you can scroll to the bottom of this post to download the flyer image. Please note that I am not affiliated or associated with Wayland Baptist University. This is not an advertisement or sponsored post and I do not benefit financially for sharing about this event or school. I'm simply passing on the information in case it is of interest to a local homeschool family. If you attend Wayland Baptist University (of have in the past), please share about your experience in the comments below, since I'm sure others would love some personal insight.
Newly added to my extra-curricular activities resources page is the Hawaii Youth Drum Line, from the Hawaii Drum Science Academy. I am not affiliated or associated with this organization/business, nor am I being compensated in any way for sharing about them. Just passing on the info in case some of you are interested! If you've had experience with them, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.
Here's what they told me about their program when I inquired: "We teach beginners, intermediate and advanced drum set lessons. We provide all instruments and drum sticks. Lessons are one on one - each class lesson is for one hour/ one day each week. We have Saturday and Sunday lesson times open. We teach all drum styles, music theory and how to read music. We charge 100.00 per month and lessons are one hour each week.....that's 4 lessons per month (sometimes 5 depending on how many Saturday's or Sunday's are in that month). We are located in town on PUMEHANA Street-the Mcully area. For the kids that take private lessons... The youth drum line class is free no extra charge." I also noticed that their Facebook page said the youth drum line was for kids ages 6-12. Hawaii regulations, as I understand them, require homeschooled students to participate in a standardized test for grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. If you're looking for an option to test your child, here is one that you might want to look into that uses the Stanford-10 (SAT-10), coming up in mid-June for grades K-12. Registration ends May 22nd. See the flyer image in this post for more information or you can also download it below.
Do you have a daughter in grades 6-8? This free STEM opportunity is coming up on April 16th, 2016! Be sure to register if your child is interested in participating (the last day to register is April 11th). "The Expanding Your Horizons Conference is a unique opportunity for girls in grades 6 through 8 to engage in hands-on workshops in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) led by Honolulu, Hawai'i's top scientists, engineers, and specialists. This unique event is designed to foster young girls’ enthusiasm for STEM careers, inform them of professions and opportunities, and encourage them to continue their studies in science and math to reach their goals and objectives." Find out more at http://eyhhawaii.org/. You can also download the flyers by clicking the links below.
NOTE: I am not affiliated or associated with Expanding Your Horizons Hawai'i. This is not a sponsored post or paid advertisement. I'm sharing here for informational purposes only. Enjoy!
NOTE: I am not affiliated or associated with Google or the Google Science Fair. This is not a sponsored post or paid advertisement. I'm sharing here for informational purposes only. Enjoy and good luck!
Reminder: MBTA & HTA are now enrolling. They have been known to fill up fast, so contact them soon if you are interested. What are MBTA & HTA? For those looking for a blend of home and public education, there are two public charter schools on Oahu that offer an opportunity to do most of the education at home with a primary caregiver (parent), under the regulations and guidance of the school and an assigned teacher. Some people call this a hybrid approach, others say it is "public school at home", while some participants feel they are essentially homeschoolers (though the fact is that the enrolled children are technically public school students, the day-to-day experience can seem similar to some homeschoolers). This is not conventional or traditional homeschooling, but some of my readers find it to be a good fit (while others don't). Some love it, some hate it. It really is a personal decision and choice that needs to be decided according to each family's individual situation, needs, and wants. Myron B. Thompson Academy (MBTA) information can be found by contacting them through http://ethompson.org/. There is a separate elementary and secondary program that work quite differently. One involves an allotment and choice of curriculum used, while the other provides a curriculum. Both require a few classes with a teacher each month. Details can change a bit from year to year, so be sure to contact them directly for details. Hawaii Technology Academy (HTA) information can be found at their website: https://hi.myhta.org/. Last I heard, they utilize the K12 curriculum. They have an elementary, middle, and high school program with online courses and teacher-taught, in-person classes as well. Details can change a bit from year to year, so be sure to contact them directly for details. NOTE: I do NOT have a business affiliation or association with Myron B. Thompson Academy (MBTA) or Hawaii Technology Academy (HTA). This is NOT a sponsored post or advertisement. Nor should this be construed as a recommendation or endorsement of these programs. Instead, this post is for informational purposes only. |
AuthorI'm a homeschooling mom of three, enjoying our time in Hawaii and hoping to share some of that experience with you, including ideas, reviews, resources, and information. Archives
November 2017
Categories
All
|