Starting a Socratic Book Club: Wind in the Willows...

I mentioned in a couple of previous posts starting a Socratic Book Club for 5th & 6th graders.  We've joined book clubs before, but usually it ends being more social than thought provoking or academic.  There was often times a snack or lunch, brief book discussion, possibly a craft, and then time to play.  The discussion usually centered around comprehension sorts of questions and trying to pull from each child what they thought about the book and whether they liked it or not.  I wanted something different, something more so I started researching.

A few years back, I found Teaching the Classics by Adam and Missy Andrews.  After skimming the syllabus and watching the DVD's, I knew I was on to something.  From there, I started networking.  I listened to podcasts including interviews with Adam Andrews and Lawrence Goldstone.  I put out feelers among our local homeschool groups as to whether or not there was other interest in this sort of book group.  This past summer, I also read Deconstructing Penguins by Goldstone and felt convicted that now was the time to act. 

Because Riley and Ruben are 5th and 6th grade, I thought this was a good age group to start with.  After a little behind the scenes planning, our group was formed.  From there, the rest was history as they say.  We have nine students with a mix of boys and girls.  Actually to my surprise, the boys outnumber the girls 2 to 1.  I guess I had some weird stereotype in mind that girls were more likely readers.

Anyway, we met last week for the first time and it was great!  We studied Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.  Each student is assigned to read the entire book before our group meets.  Being our first meeting, it started a little slow, but gained momentum as we went along.  We met for one hour, discussing literary elements such as setting, characters, conflict, plot, and theme.  Many of these ideas were new to the students, but they seemed to grasp them quickly.

Wind in the Willows was a good book to start with.  The language is very rich.  The characters have depth.  Their human like qualities make for great discussion, yet because they're animals, they appeal to children.   I was also fortunate enough to borrow Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, A Socratic Discussion with the Classics Club, a DVD course by Adam and Missy Andrews, in which Adam Andrews leads a group of young people in a Socratic discussion of the book.  This was very helpful to glean from a model in action prior to leading the group.  The DVD is actually nearly two hours and Andrews' discussion gets quite in depth as obviously his students have met and held Socratic discussions before.  However, because our group only meets for one hour and because it was our first meeting, I tweaked and shortened the content to start with basics.

By the way, if you ever read Wind in the Willows, I highly recommend the edition illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard.  The illustrations are fabulous and really compliment the book.

Our book club will meet monthly from September through April, with the exception of December.  I have the following books scheduled...

September – Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

October – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

November – A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

No December meeting

January – The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

February – Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen

March – Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

April – The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

In starting this club, my goal was to get kids reading classic literature from a variety of genres.  I chose most of the books from Ambleside Online's Free Reading lists for Years 3-6.  These books as well as the club discussion is what makes up our reading curricula this 2015-2016 school year.  

Although, I don't have The Classics Club DVD to lead me through upcoming discussions, a friend borrowed me Reading Roadmaps, A Literary Scope & Sequence for K-12, also by Adam and Missy Andrews.  This handy resource lists over 200 titles, which are "summarized and cross-referenced with elements of fiction common to all stories".   There are different chapters/sections broke down by frequency of study.  For example, there's a Daily/Weekly Model, Monthly Model, Six Week Model, Quarterly Model, and Seasonal Model.  Each model contains a chart with book titles, plot summary, conflict, theme, aids/devices, and an alternate title.  Hopefully, this book, along with the list of Socratic questions provided in Teaching the Classics, will give me enough of an outline to lead the group. 

I'm linking this post in the Children's Classic section of the 2015 Back to the Classics Challenge.  

Stop Teaching to the Test and Start Cultivating Affinities...

Principle 12: 

We, believing that the normal child has powers of mind which fit him to deal with all knowledge proper to him, give him a full and generous curriculum, taking care only that all knowledge offered to him is vital, that is, that facts are not presented without their informing ideas.  Out of this conception comes our principle that,– 

"Education is the Science of Relations"; that is, that a child has natural relations with a vast number of things and thoughts: so we train him upon physical exercises, nature lore, handicrafts, science and art, and upon many living books, for we know that our business is not to teach him all about anything, but to help him to make valid as many as may be of--

"Those first-born affinities that fit our new existence to existing things."

Charlotte Mason's words are more relevant today than ever.  In this time of public school standardized state testing, it's important to be reminded that Education is the Science of Relations.  Although, apparently, teaching to the test is nothing new, as Charlotte opens Chapter X of A Philosophy of Education with these words...

Few things are more remiss in our schools than the curriculum which is supposed to be entirely at the options of the Head: but is it?  Most Secondary schools work towards examinations which more or less afford the privilege of entry to the Universities.  The standard to be reached is set by these and the Heads of schools hold themselves powerless.

Though Elementary schools no longer work with a view to examinations results yet as their best pupils try for scholarships admitting them to secondary school, they do come indirectly under the same limitations.  

....In both cases, the education we offer is too utilitarian, - an indirect training for the professions or for a craftsman's calling with efforts in the latter case to make a boy's education bear directly on his future work.  

Nearly one hundred years later, we have come full circle.  Common Core and standardized state testing currently rule the Heads of elementary public schools as well as secondary schools.  I spent six years on our local public school board.  One of the famous lines from administration when faced with the fact that Investigations Math is not working was, "We're training kids for future jobs that don't yet exist today"....what?!?!!  I think this mentality is exactly what Charlotte was referring to when she said, "Education, no doubt, falls under the economic law of supply and demand; but the demand should come from the children rather than from teachers and parents..." 

Don't be confused, a Charlotte Mason education is not child led or unschooling.  Rather, Charlotte advocated a broad and generous curriculum so that kids could develop their natural affinities.  She said, "...the unspoken demand of children is for a wide and very varied curriculum" and "They require a great variety of knowledge,  - about religion, the humanities, science, art; therefore, they should have a wide curriculum with a definite amount of reading set for each short period of study."  Her idea was to spread a feast before the child so they could take what they needed and leave the rest.

We also must be careful not to pick and choose for the child as she explains below...

Education is the Science of Relations. - We consider that education is the science of relations, or, more fully, that education considers what relations are proper to human being, and in what ways these several relations can best be established; that a human being comes into the world with capacity for many relations; and that we, for our part, have two chief concerns - first, to put him in the way of forming these relations by presenting the right idea at the right time, and by forming the right habit upon the right idea; and, secondly, by not getting in the way and so preventing the establishment of the very relations we seek to form.  (Vol. 3 School Education, p. 65-66)

A Captain Idea for us,––Education is the Science of Relations.––A child should be brought up to have relations of force with earth and water, should run and ride, swim and skate, lift and carry; should know texture, and work in material; should know by name, and where and how they live at any rate, the things of the earth about him, its birds and beasts and creeping things, its herbs and trees; should be in touch with the literature, art and thought of the past and the present.  I do not mean that he should know all these things; but he should feel, when he reads of it in the newspapers, the thrill which stirred the Cretan peasants when the frescoes in the palace of King Minos were disclosed to the labour of their spades. He should feel the thrill, not from mere contiguity, but because he has with the past the relationship of living pulsing thought; and, if blood be thicker than water, thought is more quickening than blood. He must have a living relationship with the present, its historic movement, its science, literature, art, social needs and aspirations. In fact, he must have a wide outlook, intimate relations all round; and force, virtue, must pass out of him, whether of hand, will, or sympathy, wherever he touches. This is no impossible programme. Indeed it can be pretty well filled in by the time an intelligent boy or girl has reached the age of thirteen or fourteen; for it depends, not upon how much is learned, but upon how things are learned.

A Wider Curriculum.––Give children a wide range of subjects, with the end in view of establishing in each case some one or more of the relations I have indicated. Let them learn from first-hand sources of information––really good books, the best going, on the subject they are engaged upon. Let them get at the books themselves, and do not let them be flooded with a warm diluent at the lips of their teacher. The teacher's business is to indicate, stimulate, direct and constrain to the acquirement of knowledge, but by no means to be the fountain-head and source of all knowledge in his or her own person. The less parents and teachers talk-in and expound their rations of knowledge and thought to the children they are educating, the better for the children. Peptonised food for a healthy stomach does not tend to a vigorous digestion. Children must be allowed to ruminate, must be left alone with their own thoughts. They will ask for help if they want it.

We may not Choose or Reject Subjects.––You will see at a glance, with this Captain Idea of establishing relationships as a guide, the unwisdom of choosing or rejecting this or that subject, as being more or less useful or necessary in view of a child's future. We decide, for example, that Tommy, who is eight, need not waste his time over the Latin Grammar. We intend him for commercial or scientific pursuits,––what good will it be to him? But we do not know how much we are shutting out from Tommy's range of thought besides the Latin Grammar. He has to translate, for example,––'Pueri formosos equos vident.' He is a ruminant animal, and has been told something about that strong Roman people whose speech is now brought before him. How their boys catch hold of him! How he gloats over their horses! The Latin Grammar is not mere words to Tommy, or rather Tommy knows, as we have forgotten, that the epithet 'mere' is the very last to apply to words. Of course it is only now and then that a notion catches the small boy, but when it does catch, it works wonders, and does more for his education than years of grind.

Let us try, however imperfectly, to make education a science of relationships––in other words, try in one subject or another to let the children work upon living ideas. In this field small efforts are honoured with great rewards, and we perceive that the education we are giving exceeds all that we intended or imagined. (Vol. 3, School Education, p. 161-163)

Charlotte further cautions us in different areas of her writing about confusing this principle in the Herbartian sense or unit study approach.

We do not use this phrase [Education is the Science of Relations} in the Herbartian sense, that things or thoughts are related to each other and that teachers must be careful to pack the right things, in together, so that, having got into the pupil's brain, each may fasten on its kind, and, together, make a strong clique or apperception mass. (Vol. 3, School Education, p. 217)

Once again, Charlotte relieves the educator from being the fountain head of all knowledge.  Also, when we teach to the test or try to teach toward a trade, I believe we are standing in the way of the unique plan our Creator has for each individual child.  Instead we should teach from a variety of subjects and the best living books letting children cultivate their affinities. 

We may not even make choice between science and the 'humanities.'  Our part it seems to me is to give a child a vital hold upon as many as possible of those wide relationships proper to him....Because the relationships a child is born to are very various, the knowledge we offer him must be various too.  (Vol. 3, A Philosophy of Education, p. 157)

We talked at length in our monthly CM Book Study group about affinities, which ones we're developing right now and which ones we've neglected.  Every year I try to add subjects to expose our children to a varied curriculum.  This year, I've added things like church history, missionary study, composer study, and Plutarch.  Some of it is trial and error, but the key is to keep trying because you never know which affinity your child will develop. 

Friday Findings: Teaching Latin or Greek Without Knowledge, Book Shelves....

I don't have a lot for you this week as I haven't been online much.  I think I previously mentioned, Ruben is back at the Children's Dyslexia Center receiving tutoring two days per week.  Riley and Ruben also started choir this week.  Riley is playing fall ball.  And, Wednesday evening youth groups are back in full swing, so we've had several car trips.  Unfortunately today, Levi started fevering.  It seems this is inevitable, once kids start gathering :(


I also started a Socratic Book Club for homeschooled 5th and 6th graders in our area.  We had our first meeting this week after reading Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.  I hope to do a review of the book over the next couple of weeks along with more information on the book club in case you're inclined to start something in your area. 

One thing I wanted to share is the practicality of Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn on foreign language.  Here's an example in How do we teach Latin or Greek to a child when we don’t know the language ourselves?  

I also loved seeing Nancy Kelly's freshly rearranged history shelves in A Well-Read Child!  I really enjoy looking at shelves of books.  I know it sounds crazy, but I guess that's was bibliophiles do :)  

Across Five Aprils...

WOW!...that's what I have to say about Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt.  Even if you prefer textbooks or are not a living book aficionado, there are a few books that should be read.  Across Five Aprils is one of those books.

It is the story of young Jethro Creighton coming of age during the Civil War.  Jethro is the youngest surviving child of Matt and Ellen Creighton and is left home to run the family farm in southern Illinois, while his older brothers go off to war.  Hunt's writing is intense and realistic.  Though it is a work of fiction, her novel is based on true stories told to her by her grandfather who grew up during the Civil War.  The characters have depth and reflect the human spirit.  Not only is it a wonderful story, but also a great historical work as Hunt's book portrays the harsh reality of that time period.

I must confess that we did struggle getting started with the book.  The chapters are quite lengthy and the dialect of the characters was a bit tricky for this northerner. However, I knew from the first chapter it was worthy.  The kids also loved the book!  Ruben would beg for more.  Riley was hoping for a sequel.  After every chapter, they would talk about it through out the day.  

It's no wonder Across Five Aprils is recommended in TruthQuest History, Sonlight, and Beautiful Feet.  I just can't say enough about this fabulous book.  You must read it for yourself!  I can't wait to read it again with Levi some day. 

Since Across Five Aprils was originally published in 1964, I'm linking it as my 20th Century read in the 2015 Back to the Classics Challenge.

Books for Sale: Math & Science...

I will be posting updated lists of the books we have for sale over the next couple of weeks. Prices do not reflect shipping. I accept PayPal and ship media mail anywhere in the U.S. Please send questions and requests through the contact form. Once I have your list, I will package and weigh books and send you a total price.

Thanks so much for your consideration,
Melissa

A Beka

Arithmetic 3 $10 set

-       Teacher’s Edition Work-text

-       Teacher’s Key Tests & Speed Drills

Arithmetic 4 $10 set

-       Teacher’s Edition Work-text

-       Teacher’s Key Tests & Speed Drills

Grade 4 A Beka Academy spiral bound Video Manual $2 FREE w/ any book purchase

Arithmetic 4 Work-text Answer Key $8 $5

Arithmetic 6 Speed Drills & Tests – Student & Answer Key $5 set

Rod & Staff

Understanding Mathematics grade 6 $10 set

-       Student Text (hardcover)

-       Teacher’s Manual Part 1 (hardcover)

-       Teacher’s Manual Part 2 (hardcover)

Singapore Math   

 

New Elementary Mathematics $5 set

            -       Student Text 1          

            -       Quick Revision Guide

            -       Student Workbook 2

Science

A Week with AIMS (Activities Integrating Math & Science) Primary Grades Series 1 $5

Simple and Fun Science – Learning by Doing Level A $2

Mudpies to Magnets – A Preschool Science Curriculum $4

Ponies of the World by John Green (new Dover coloring book) $3

Spectacular Space! by Annalisa Suid grades 1-3 $3

Incredible Insects! Spectacular Space! by Annalisa Suid grades 1-3 $3

Outstanding Oceans! Spectacular Space! by Annalisa Suid grades 1-3 $3

Science Trivial Pursuit – Intermediate grades 4-6 by Jacome; published by Good Apple $2

Step by Step Science Series published by Carson Dellosa grades 4-6 $2 each

-       Water

-       Simple Machines

-       Kitchen Chemistry

-       Light & Color

-       Sound

Food, Fact, Fun & Fiction by The Solski Group grades 1-3 $2

The Brown Paper School Series $8 set

-       The Reasons for Seasons by Linda Allison

-       This Book is about Time by Marilyn Burns

-       Blood and Guts by Linda Allison SL 5/F

Winter Activities by Carson-Dellosa Publishing (story starters, puzzles, games, etc) grades 2-3 $1

Simple Science Fun by Teacher Created Materials, Inc. $2

Kids Celebrate! Activities for Special Days Throughout the Year by Esche & Braham $3

Hands-On Science Projects by John Clark $2

Teaching Science through Literature – grade 6-8 $2

Earth: Our Planet in Space by Seymour Simon (hardcover) $2

Jupiter Seymour Simon $2

Tornado Alert by Franklyn Branley $2

What the Moon is Like by Franklyn Branley $2

Ducks Don’t Get Wet by Augusta Goldin (hardcover) $2

Catch the Wind! All About Kites by Gail Gibbons $2

The True Book of Seasons by Illa Podendorf (hardcover) $2

Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft & Richard G. Van Gelder $2

The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole SL $2 each

The Magic School Bus Adventures in the Food Chain Activity & Coloring Book $1

Backyard Insects by Millicent Selsam $2

One Day in the Desert by Jean Craighead George $2

Simple Machines by Gare Thompson new $5 $3

Your Stomach by Anne Yivisaker (new hardcover) $2

Your Lungs by Anne Yivisaker (new hardcover) $2

Body Detectives, A Book Abou the Five Senses by Rita Golden Gelman $1

Muscles by Seymour Simon $2

How Ducklings Grow by Diane Molleson $1

Usborne First Nature Wild Animals by Barbara Cork $1

Usborne Mysteries & Marvels of Plant Life $1

The Gardener’s Journal, An Old Fashioned Keepbook (hardcover) $1

An Animal Information Book – 14 book set $4

-       Lions & Tigers

-       Puppies & Dogs

-       Kittens & Cats

-       Zoo Animals

-       Horses & Ponies

-       Farm Animals

-       Baby Animals

-       Bears

-       Birds

-       Wild Animals

-       Monkeys & Apes

-       Sea Animals

-       Reptiles & Amphibians

-       Big & Little Animal

Rivers by E. Joseph Dreany (A Maxton Book About – hardcover) $2

A Walk in the Deciduous Forest by Rebecca L. Johnson (hardcover) $3

Digging and Discovery – Wisconsin Archaeology by Diane Young Holliday & Bobbie Malone $3

All About Series (hardcover) $5 set

-       All About Whales

-       All About Satellites and Space Ships

-       All About Pre-historic Cave Men

-       All About the Ice Age

The Beaver Pond by Alvin Tresselt (hardcover) $3

White Snow Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt (hardcover) $3

Rain Drop Splash by Alvin Tresselt $3

Dolphin Adventure, A True Story by Wayne Grover SL $3 each

Shark Lady, True Adventures of Eugenie Clark by Ann McGovern SCM $3 each

It Couldn’t Just Happen by Lawrence Richards (hardcover) SL AO $3

Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation by Dennis Petersen (hardcover) $4

Exploring Nature with Your Child by Dorothy Edwards Shuttlesworth (hardcover) $6

Science Around the Year by Janice VanCleave $5

Rocks & Minerals by Janice VanCleave $3

A+ Projects in Biology by Janice VanCleave $4

Science in the Creation Week by Unfred – grades 2-5 $5

Exploring Nature with Your Child by Dorothy Edwards Shutttlesworth (hardcover) $6

Men of Science/Men of God by Henry M. Morris $3

The Adventures of Reddy Fox by Thornton W. Burgess $2

The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel by Thornton W. Burgess $2

Math & Logic

                                                      

Scott Foresman – Addison Wesley Daily Cumulative Review Masters – Math Student Book grade 1 $3

Scott Foresman – Addison Wesley Math Text – grade 3 (hardcover) $3

Scott Foresman – Addison Wesley Math Text – grade 4 (hardcover) $3

Scott Foresman Exploring Mathematics 4^th grade set $50

-       Teacher’s edition

-       Student text

-       Enrichment blackline masters

-       Enrichment blackline masters key

Scott Foresman – Addison Wesley Daily Cumulative Review Masters – Math Student Book grade 5 $3

Houghton Mifflin Mathematics Text – grade 3 (hardcover) $5

Houghton Mifflin Mathematics Text – grade 4 (hardcover) & Teacher’s Edition (spiral bound) $12

Houghton Mifflin Mathematics Text – grade 5 (hardcover) $5

Houghton Mifflin Mathematics Text – grade 7 (hardcover) & Teacher’s Edition (hardcover) $10

Houghton Mifflin Math Text – grade 5 (hardcover) $3

Addison Wesley Teacher’s Edition grade 1 (spiral bound) $5

Addison Wesley text grade 1 (hardcover) $3

Holt Mathematics student workbook – grade 2 $5

Holt Mathematics blackline masters – grade 2 (3-hole punched w/binder) $5

Holt Mathematics student textbook – grade 4 (hardcover) $5

Everyday Mathematics student reference book – grade 3 (hardcover) $3

Everyday Mathematics student reference book – grade 4 (hardcover) $3

Everyday Mathematics student math journal 2 – grade 5 $5

Everyday Mathematics student reference book – grade 5 (hardcover) $3

Texas Everyday Mathematics student reference book – grade 5 (hardcover) $3

American Education Publishing Ready to Test Grade 3 workbook $3

Frank Schaffer Teacher Resource Learning About Money grades 2-3 $2

Frank Schaffer Teacher Resource Fast Ideas for Busy Teachers Math – grade 4 $4

Frank Schaffer Teacher Resource Fast Ideas for Busy Teachers Math – grade 5 $4

Multicultural Math – Carson Dellosa Publishing grades 1- 4 $3

Connections – Linking Manipulatives to Mathematics – grade 3 $3

Math Zones Level A Addition and Subtraction by Christine Losq (spiral bound) $5

Math Zones Level A Games for Number Sense by Jane McCabe & Christine Losq (spiral bound) $5

Creative Math Experiences for the Young Child by Imogene Forte & Joy MacKenzie $3

Scholastic Teaching Math with Favorite Picture Books grades 1-3 $2

Scholastic 50 Fabulous Measurement Activities grades 1-3 $2

Scholastic Easy Math Art Projects and Activities grades K-2 $2

Scholastic Collaborative Math Books grades K-2 $2

Literature-Based Math Activities an Integrated Approach by Alison Abrohms grades K-3 $2

Number Sense by Mcintosh & Reys grades 1-2 $2

Creative Teaching Press Instant Math Games that Teach grades 2-5 $2

Math: A Workbook for Ages 6-8 by Nancy Casolaro $2

Every Day Counts Practice Counts student workbook & annotated teacher’s edition grade 4 $5 set

Alpha Omega Lifepac Math grade 4 (diagnostic test, unit 6, 7, & 10) $4 set

Keys to Percents student workbook 3 & answers/notes: books 1-3 $2 set

Keys to Measurement answers/notes: books 1-3 $1

Decimals: Multiplication & Division grades 4-6 $2

Basic Mathematics Skills – Money grades 2-3 $2

Teacher Created Resources Measurement grades 1&2 $2

Teacher Created Resources Money grades 1&2 $2

Teacher Created Resources Problem-Solving Math Journals for Primary Students $5

Family Math $5

Count and See by Tana Hoban (hardcover) $2 each

Take Shapes Lines and Letters by Jeanne Bendick (hardcover) $4

Discovering Math – Subtraction by Alison Wells (hardcover) $2

Dividing Treasures (hardcover) $3

Logic Brain Boosters by Becky Daniel grades 1-4 $3

Subtraction Bingo (game) $5

Math Time by Cadaco $5

Cuisenaire Rods - $4 set

Linking Cubes - $4 set

Magnetic Days of the Week (Today is….) (Tomorrow is….) $3 set

Summer Math Success kits – covers grades K-6 $40 set

Friday Findings: A Nurturing Education, Benefits of Drawing, My Messy Closet, Favorite Canning Tools...

In A Nurturing Education, guest author Meghan Morales states, "{Education} is a matter of conscience".  It's a great article reminding us that a true education only comes through Jesus Christ.

The topic of drawing came up in our last CM Book Club when we were discussing cultivating affinities.  It was mentioned that in Charlotte's time, drawing was taught to everyone.  It seemed a core subject like arithmetic or reading, however, it has since fallen by the wayside.  In Rediscovering the Forgotten Benefits of Drawing, Jennifer Landin, Ph.D. attempts to show the importance of drawing, particularly in biology classes and why we should consider putting it back into the core subjects.  Reading her article was very timely for me.

Oh, I nearly cried when I read Hiding Behind Perfection.  You see, that's me...looking like I have it all together on the outside, but knowing it's really a crazy mess inside.  Last week, I held a book sale and school room open house in our home.  I thought I had everything pulled together.  Then a mom asked to see my All About Spelling/All About Reading programs.  I haven't used All About Reading for a couple of years since Ruben started tutoring at the Children's Dyslexia Center.  So, when I pulled it out of a drawer, it had at least an inch of dust covering it to my shame.  Of course, in my embarrassment, I apologized repeatedly.  And do you know what she said!..."It's OK, you're real."  UFFFDA...smile, and huge sigh of relief!...Because, isn't that what we all really want, the reality of it all, for better or worse.  There's something comforting in knowing we're in the trenches together.   I wonder if this desire for reality is what sparks the recent heightened interest in reality TV?

On the home front, no harvest time would be complete without my favorite preservation tools.  A couple years ago, a friend told me about the Vidalia Chop Wizard.  I don't normally jump on bandwagons and I typically prefer older kitchen gadgets that have stood the test of time.  However, this chopper is revolutionary!  It cuts salsa making time in half.

Another favorite is my 5 piece Home Canning Kit.  I bought this set back when I first starting canning, probably about twenty years ago.  Even though I only use it annually, I love opening my cupboard every year knowing it's there!  

What are your favorite harvest preservation tools?  Feel free to leave a comment below...

Books For Sale: Language Arts...

I will be posting updated lists of the books we have for sale over the next couple of weeks.  Prices do not reflect shipping.   I accept PayPal and ship media mail anywhere in the U.S.  Please send questions and requests through the contact form.  Once I have your list, I will package and weigh books and send you a total price.

Thanks so much for your consideration,
Melissa

Handwriting Without Tears

1^st Grade Teacher’s Guide $2 each

3^rd Grade Teacher’s Guide$2 each

4^th Grade Teacher’s Guide $2 each

Reasoning and Writing – Levels A through E (teaches logic & grammar through writing) $100 set

Level A – Presentation Book, Teacher’s Guide, Workbook 1 (x2), Workbook 2 (x2)

Level B – Presentation Book, Teacher’s Guide, Answer Key, Workbook 1 (x3), Workbook 2 (x2)

Supplemental Writing and Extension Activities for Reasoning & Writing A & B

Level C – Presentation Book, Teacher’s Guide, Answer Key, Workbook (x2), Textbook (x2)

Level C Reasoning & Writing Grading Rubrics, Fluency Writing Evaluation

Level D - Presentation Book, Teacher’s Guide, Answer Key, Textbook

Level D Fluency Writing Evaluation

Level E – Textbook

 Write Source – Great Source

Write One Teacher’s Edition grade 1 $3

Write on Track (A Handbook for Young Writers, Thinkers and Learners) with TE grade 3 $5 set each

Reading & Writing Sourcebook Teacher’s Guide grade 3 $2

Great Source Reader’s Handbook grades 3-5 $3

Writers Express (A Handbook for Young Writers, Thinkers and Learners) (hardcover) grades 4-5 $3

Write Source 2000 Student Handbook & Sourcebook 6000 Student Workshops, Activities, & Strategies grade 6-8 $5 set

Write Source 2000 Student Handbook grade 6-8 $3

Writer’s INC, A Guide to Writing, Thinking, & Learning MFW $4

Writing & Grammar Books

No Frill Grammar Drill grade 4 $2

Scholastic Narrative Writing by Tara McCarthy grades 4-8 $3

Spectrum Writing – grade 2 $3

Spectrum Writing – grade 3 $3

Spectrum Writing – grade 7 $3

Spectrum Language Arts – grade 6 $3

The Better Letter Book by Donna Guthrie and Jan Stiles – grades 3-6 $2

The Student Editor by Virginia Allison – middle school $4

Critical Thinking Co. Editor in Chief Book A-1 $4

Correcting Reversals – grades K-4 $2

Basics First Capitalization & Punctuation – grade 2 $2

Basics First Capitalization & Punctuation – grade 6 $2

Language Lesson for the High School Student 2 by Sandi Queen – student book & key $10

ETA Daily Writing Reinforcers (spiral bound with answers and teacher notes) grade 2 $6

ETA Daily Writing Reinforcers (spiral bound with answers and teacher notes) grade 4 $6

Daily Oral Language (spiral bound with answers and teacher notes) grades 1-5 (5 books) $3 each

Many Luscious Lollipops – A Book about Adjectives by Ruth Heller $4

Up, Up and Away – A Book about Adverbs by Ruth Heller $4

Little Kids Can Write! – reproducible pages for early learners – ages 3-6 $3

Basic Skills Series Handwriting Traditional Manuscript $3

Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Practice Master Student Workbook (cursive) grade 3 $4

Quad-Line Advanced 3/16” Ruling 100 sheet pack $1 each

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. & E. B. White SL AO $4 each

Learning Language Arts Through Literature – orange teacher book – grade 4 $5

Learning Language Arts Through Literature – tan teacher book – grade 6 $5

Reading, Phonics, & Spelling Books

Claims to Fame – Fourteen Short Biographies – Book 3 $3 each

Claims to Fame – Fourteen Short Biographies – Book 2 w/key $5

Claims to Fame – Fourteen Short Biographies – Book 1 w/ key $5

Guided Independent Reading – Book 1 Grades 3-5 $2

Frank Shaffer Integrating Literature Series middle and upper grades $6 set

-       Science

-       Environmental Education

-       Social Studies

-       Multicultural Education

Carson Dellosa Publishing Exploring Cultures Through Literature – African Americans grades 1-4 $1

Teacher Created Materials – An Annotated Bibliography of Multicultural Literature $1

Frank Schaffer Creative Teaching Through Picture Books for Middle School Students by Janet Reuter $2

Reading Response Forms by Classroom Complete Press grades 1-6 $5

Scholastic Using Caldecotts Across the Curriculum – grades K-2 $3

Knowledge Box Central Literature Book Report Lapbook $3

Spelling Power 3^rd edition (3-hole punched in a binder) $10

Spell Time by Cadaco $5

Yawn at Dawn by Saundra Scovell & Guyla Nelson $3

Five in a Hive by Saundra Scovell & Guyla Nelson $3

Treasury of Literature grade 1 set $5

-       Jump Right In (hardcover)

-       Whisper a Song (hardcover)

-       Writer’s Journal (teacher edition with student pages to accompany reading books)

Pathway Reader First Steps (hardcover – cracked spine) grade 1 $1

Building a Strong Vocabulary by Carl B. Smith, Ph.D. $3

Bob Books – Levels 1, 2, & 3 $3 each level

Study Guides

The Biggest Bear w/book $4

Ella Enchanted w/book $5

Tuck Everlasting w/book $5

The Westing Game w/book SL $6

Out of the Dust w/book SL $6

Misc. Study Guides $2 each

-       Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry SL

-       Out of the Dust SL

-       Oh, The Places He Went: A Story About Dr. Seuss

-       Ishi, Last of His Tribe

-       Arthur’s Honey Bear

Total Language Plus Guide - The Wheel on the School SL $10

Progeny Press Study Guide: The Bridge $4

The World of Anne Frank by Betty Merti – Walch Publishers $2