100 Down and the Sky's The Limit

It's nearly 3 months into the 'official' homeschool calendar this year and I finally feel like we're getting somewhere.

There are many ways to homeschool and a zillion places to sell you a zillion products you NEED for a proper education. While every method had its merit and most of the products are useful and helpful - taking a cue from the ever wise Matt Damon (Ha!) - we have rediscovered our love for the Library and we read. We read everything.

So far:

1. A Grain of Rice - Helena Clare Pittman
2. Dolphin Treasure - Wayne Grover
3. Dolphin Adventure - Wayne Grover
4. My Father's Dragon - Ruth Styles Gannett
5. The Light a Tern Rock - Julia L Sauer
6. A Big Ball of String - Marion Holland
7. Put Me In The Zoo - Robert Lopshire
8. A Fly Went By _Mike McClintock
9. The Giving Tree - Shel Silverstein
10. Beatrice's Goat - Paige McBrier
11. Junie B. Jones 1 - Barbara Park
12. Junie B. Jones 2 - Barbara Park
13. Junie B. Jones 3 - Barbara Park
14. Junie B. Jones 4 - Barbara Park
15. Jame's Herriot's A Treasury for Children
16. The Magic School Bus - Inside a Hurricane - JoAnna Cole
17. Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Author of Anne - Jimmy Lindsey
18. Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See - Eric Carle
19. Sketching Outdoors in Autumn - Jim Arnosky
20. Rooster's off To See The World - Eric Carle
21. Mister Sea Horse - Eric Carle
22. The Happy Lion - Louise Fatio
23. No Laughing, No Smiling, No Giggling - James Stevenson
24. Cowby Ned and Andy - David Exra Stein
25. Dinosaurumpus - Tony Mitton
26. Papa, Please Get The Moon for Me - Eric Carle
27. When Will I Read - Miriam Cohen
28. Maisy Goes Camping - Lucy Cousins
29. Silly Tilly's Valentine - Lillian Hoban
30. Maisy's Snowy Christmas Eve - Lucy Cousins
31. Unique Monique - Marla Rousaki
32. Shark in the Park - Nick Sharratt
33. Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs - Megan McDonald
34. Trouble at the Dinosaur Cafe - Brian Moses
35. Dog Breath - David Pilkey
36. Baloney (Henry P.) - Jon Siezka
37. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves - Laura Ljungkvist
38. Frida Khalo:Painting Her Life - Lila Guzman
39. Hugo & Miles in: I've Painted Everything - Scott Magoon
40. I'm a Manatee - John Lithgow
41. Carnival of the Animals - John Lithgow
42. Down the Back of the Chair - Margaret Mabry
43. Henry's Freedom Box - Ellen Levine
44. The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars - Jean Merrill
45. Moog-Moog Space Barber - Mark Teague
46. Pierre, A Cautionary Tale - Maurice Sendak
47. A Bargain for Frances - Russell Hoban
48. A Pussycat's Christmas - Margaret Wise Brown
49. Red Rubber Boot Day - Mary Lyn Ray
50. A Box Full of Kittens - Sonia Manzano
51. Winners Never Quit - Mia Hamm
52. Changes, Changes - Pat Hutchins
53. The Day The Babies Crawled Away - Peggy Rathmann
54. Smash Mash Crash There Goes the Trash - B. Odanska
55. Russell The Sheep - Rob Scotton
56. The Lotus Seed - Sherry Garland
57. We All Sing with the Same Voice - Phillip Miller
58. The Very Best Bed - Rebekah Raye
59. Howling Hill - Will Hobbs
60. Junie B. Jones #5 - Barbara Park
61. Super Fly Guy - Tedd Arnold
62. Hi Fly Guy - Tedd Arnold
63. The Monkey and the Crocodile - Paul Galdone
64. The Promise Quilt - Candice Ransom
65. Peek! A Thai Hide and Seek - Mingfong Ho
66. Morris The Artist - Lore Segal
67. Russel and the Lost Treasure - Rob Scotton
68. The Tiny Seed - Eric Carle
69. The Very Clumsy Click Beetle - Eric Carle
70. The Reluctant Dragon - Kenneth Grahame
71. Have You Seen My Cat - Eric Carle
72. The Very Busy Spider - Eric Carle
73. Tikki Tikki Tembo - Arlene Mosel
74. WOW! America - Robert Neubecker
75. The Crack of Dawn Walkers - Amy Hest
76. Willie Takes a Hike - Gloria Rand
77. Oscar Otter - Nathaniel Benchley
78. Pancakes Pancakes - Eric Carle
79. Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears - Verna Aardema
80. Flotsam - David Weisner
81. The Purple Pussycat - Margaret Hilbert
82. Tell Me Some More - Crosby Newell Bonsall
83. Rain Flowers - Ann Turner
84. First the Egg - Laura Vaccaro Seeger
85. This is The Stable - Cynthia Cotten
86. Shall I Knit You a Hat -Kate Klise
87. Yoon and the Christmas Mitten - Helen Recorvits
88. The Long Red Scarf - Nettie Hilton
89. The Grouchy Ladybug - Eric Carle
90. The Very Hungry Catterpillar - Eric Carle
91. Dinosaurs Before Dark - Mary Pope Osborne
92. Counting Our Way to Maine - Maggie Smith
93. Otters Underwater - Jim Arnosky
94. With You Always Little Monday - Genevieve Cote
95. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers - Mordecai Gerstein
96. The Memory Cupboard - Charlotte Herman
97. 1621 A New Look at Thanksgiving - C. O'Neill Grace
98. Beauty and the Beaks - Mary Jane and Herm Auchs
99. The Very Quiet Cricket - Eric Carle
100. Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, Said the Sloth - Eric Carle

And if you've made it this far - thanks! Our Favorites are highlighted in green and I've included some interesting links. What are you reading and what are your favorites?

I'll be adding a list to the sidebar of our favorites and our current 'in-box'. Until then - I have to run. I just got the call that my reserved books are in now.

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

WFMW: Homeschooling

We Homeschool!

There I said it. Why does that feel like such confession - like coming out of some proverbial closet? I'll tell you why ('cause you knew I was gonna).

I've heard people day that there are two types of families who homeschool:

1. Those who are religious fanatics and want to keep their children "away from the ho-mo-sex-uals" [Please be advised that I truly do not endorse or denounce ANY family's reasons for homeschooling. The above statement is something I heard in a movie somewhere and it always struck me as funny - in sort of a disturbing way.]

and

2. Those that are elitists and think they are too good for public schools.

We are neither of those people and frankly MOST homeschooling families are NOT those people (though there are a few and everyone in this country is free to have, voice, and exercise their opinions at will).

ARE we Christians, YES. Is that why we homeschool - nope. Are we elitists, NO (well maybe a little). Is that why we homeschool - nope!

We homeschool because it's fun. I love my kids and I want to be with them as much as possible. I like the flexibility of learning through experience. I like being able to travel whenever or go where-ever or take the morning off when things are just not coming together. We read and we sing and we laugh and we play. We cook and we shop and we explore and we learn through it all.

Basically what it all boils down to is that we homeschool because it Works For Us! If your schooling situation isn't working for you give homeschooling at look with an open mind you might be surprised at what you find.

Please click on the logo above for more WFMW ideas.

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe