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(HOMESCHOOLING) DISCUSSION BOARD
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Fine Arts in Homeschooling
MESSAGE: WELCOME TO FINE ARTS IN HOME SCHOOLING AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Thursday, 30 September 1999, at 4:57 p.m. What will we discuss this month? How to incorporate living books and fine literature, art and music appreciation and those "finer and lovely things" in our home education. So are you ready? Let's hear how you all do it, your ideas, what materials you use, what methods you have tried. Looking forward to our discussion. Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: a great website.... AUTHOR: MaryN DATE: Thursday, 30 September 1999, at 6:51 p.m. We love this place. A Pintura- Art Detective. http://www.eduweb.com/pintura/index.html I did a link below but pasted this just in case! ======================================== MESSAGE: fine arts in home schooling AUTHOR: katie in Wisconsin DATE: Thursday, 30 September 1999, at 7:51 p.m. Right now we are studying Vincent Van Gogh. I borrowed a video from the library narrated by Van Gogh's own letters to his beloved younger brother Theo. You hear what Vincent thought of his own life and are shown his works. Then I also borrowed two large coffee table books of his work for the kids to study his pictures. Also I found a book written about Van Gogh that shows what other people thought of him. In the book we learn that Gaugan(sp) was a college of Vincents, they even had a studio together for a while. The book tells of other artists who worked at the same time, those he knew or admired. So we can go on to study his contemporaries. We plan to copy some of his pictures too and study his style be actually doing it. We get the books for 3 wks and they can be renewed 3x so we can study each artist for 9wks. A friend of ours has a game called "Pin the Ear on Vinnie" so I'll either borrow that or make my own. For music, I found C.D.'s by Mozart, Vivaldi and Chopin. We listen to those during dinner, chores, cooking etc. We get them for a month from the library. Plus we use our collection of contemporary, Gaelic/Irish, and folk music. I can't wait to hear all your ideas. ======================================== MESSAGE: here's a site AUTHOR: sandy in az DATE: Thursday, 30 September 1999, at 10:00 p.m. This site has a lot of info.. I heard there is a masterpiece game at kay bees toy store, and at this site you can buy 5x7 photos. So you can change cards. I am looking forward to playing this game. sandy ======================================== MESSAGE: Gallery Shows w/Kids Exhibiting AUTHOR: Clare DATE: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 12:12 a.m. In my neighborhood their is a gallery whose proprietor has his sculpture and painting studio in the back yard. This guy is so neat--he has a show exhibiting the works of children about once a year. As long as you and your children are out there looking for mentors and tapping community resources, you might as well ask the gallery owners if they'd show your kid's work! ======================================== MESSAGE: Picture books as inspiration AUTHOR: Clare DATE: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 12:31 a.m. One thing I miss about my child being being past picture books is the daily opportunity to look at all that great art. So many different art techniques are represented in children's books. I always liked to figure out with my little one how the artist made their picture. Sometimes we would try it. For example, Leo Leonni assembles his sweet pictures from cut outs taken from paper that has been given a wash of various shades and texures using watercolor and tempura (or so it appears). You can spend one day daubing, rolling, brushing, splashing, dripping, twigging, etc paint onto plain paper to experiment with all kinds of colors and textures. Fill up whole sheets with a single technique. Store away the painted papers until you are ready to try a Leonni-like collage. Then cut up the paers into various shapes to form your picures. We had some little book that was illustrated with photos of synthetic clay scenes. My son made a picture of an amaryllis on a cookie sheet using clay. We photographed the picture. Seeing it in the 2-D photo as compared to the flat, but actually 3-D clay was such an eye-opener. I thought it was a pretty fine work. If I can find the disk, I'll post the photo here so you can see what I'm talking about. Anyhow, children's picure books have so many types of artwork in them--woodcuts, linoleum cuts, pen & ink drawings, crayon drawings, chalk drawings, fabric drawings, photos of puppets-like figures, on and on. I think it's great to talk about how the artist did the art, and to try something similar when inspired. ======================================== MESSAGE: All Music, All the Time AUTHOR: Clare DATE: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 12:48 a.m. I wonder if you all have some good ideas for keeping music in your life all the time. My son started learning piano (electric keyboard) by ear. We keep it plugged in and available in the room where he chooses to do most of his formal lessons. Between every lesson, he tinkles out a tune, (or two, or three, or four.) Some days he gets in an hour and a half of practice this way. Sometimes he even takes the keyboard with us when we travel. It can operate on batteries. I myself started learning to play the recorder last December. Mostly, what I know to play are hymns and folk songs. My son hears them often enough that he learns them just by hearing me play. He then goes and picks them out on the piano. My husband keeps a CD playing when he works on computer. Our house is tiny, so the music is everywhere. One night, I heard my son playing a piece of a tune, The Promenade, from Mzorsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." He had just sort of learned it by hearing it repeatedly. Last week we spent an afternoon poking around down by a river. I brought my recorder alond and sat on a log to tootle while my son skipped rocks, threw in branches, and examined the artifacts he found on shore. Ah, it was an idyllic day. Music sounds different in the open air. There has been a big surge in music in our home since we've been homeschooling. What else do you all do to keep the music flowing? ======================================== MESSAGE: We UNschool art and just love it!! AUTHOR: Dawne DATE: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 9:56 a.m. I love this topic. Its probably the only subject that I can unschool them in without worry over the county and portfolios and such. Living close to Baltimore is a goldmine for this type of thing. One of our museums has an Artward Bound program at least 3 Sat. a month. If you get to the museum at the right time then the entrance is free. The activity is always free. Another museum has a whole family event on the First Thursday of each month. The Baltimore Museum of Art participates in FIRST THURSDAYS as do many other area restaurants and cultural orgs. We just like the BMA. One of our local universities offers classes year round in the Fine Arts. They are far too expensive but nice to know they are there. We also have a few artists in our hs group. One is just beginning to offer art workshops. What I am most excited about is using a lot of the ideas I JUST learned in Aesthetics. Talk about timing!! Ben and I discuss "who calls it art?" "is art subject to limit and restriction when the funding comes from the government?" "why are there GREAT masters but no great female artists in many text books?" "why is there a distinction between high art [Mozart, Monet] and low art [quilts, domestic arts].?" AND...WHY were women relegated to the domestic arts? Why was classical training so hard to get in certain periods of history because of gender?" There are so many things to think about when we think of art. Is a scrapbook art? Are our clothes art? Do standards of art different by region and culture? Who decides what is "fine" art and what is "low" art? why is one given more prestige? I can't wait to read through this board this month and see what other folks do and how other kids express themselves. You can tell we've had DISCUSSIONS in this house and I JUST LOVE IT!! Dawne ======================================== MESSAGE: WOW AUTHOR: Dawne DATE: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 10:02 a.m. Response To: Gallery Shows w/Kids Exhibiting Author: Clare Date: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 12:12 a.m. This sounds so fascinating!! My kids would love this. We do have a restaurant nearby [Chinese food] that exhibits various artists month by month but I don't think they have ever had kids' work on display. Not a bad idea to ask them though. ======================================== MESSAGE: what we do for music is.... AUTHOR: Dawne DATE: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 10:14 a.m. Response To: All Music, All the Time Author: Clare Date: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 12:48 a.m. > There has been a big surge in music > in our home since we've been homeschooling. > What else do you all do to keep the > music flowing? We kinda create lullabyes by "committee". I get a tune in my head and a chorus and before you know it we've got 4 diff. verses. MY personal favorite is our "exploration" into music. None of us play an instrument :( [terrific and reasonable lessons abound too] but we quite enjoy listening to the music of a country we're studying. Or, since mom likes so much anyway we listen to what I like and then throw in classical too. Right now its Persian Music, Turkish and Peruvian. Of course, latin music is a BIG part of our selections from old salsa to techno-merengue and the old classics. Dawne ======================================== MESSAGE: oops, no link. looking forward to checking it out though. nt AUTHOR: Dawne DATE: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 10:16 a.m. Response To: here's a site Author: sandy in az Date: Thursday, 30 September 1999, at 10:00 p.m. > This site has a lot of info.. I > heard there is a masterpiece game at > kay bees toy store, and at this site > you can buy 5x7 photos. So you can change > cards. I am looking forward to playing > this game. sandy ======================================== MESSAGE: Great topic . . . and some questions AUTHOR: dmx DATE: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 1:06 p.m. Some background: I have a 14 yo son. We've always homeschooled and unschooled as much as possible. We began work out of a math text when he was about 10 & have ever since done some 'required work' in areas where I see missing skills. The amount of time we have dedicated to this required work has increased from about an hour a day to about 3 hours about 4 days a week. I've been concentrating the 'formal' bookwork on my son's weak areas: essentially math & 'technial skills' in history and science. He writes quite a bit on his own, so we do little in that area & he has always read in diverse areas, so we don't emphasize that. What I'm seeing is that, because the 'formal work' is limited to these others areas, he is beginning to give less importance to literature, the arts, and his curiousity in science. It's a subtle change, but it concerns me. We often discuss why we limit the formal part of bookwork, so he knows I believe his interests are the most important part of learning, but somehow he seems to be taking in a different message from my emphasis in our structured work. So, though I noticed this trend in his thinking last year, I sort of forgot about it until you brought this topic up!!! I'm looking for ways to incorporate literature and music into our days, without making it a formal curriculum. Am I making any sense here?? Any advice out there? ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: oops, no link. looking forward to checking it out though. nt AUTHOR: sandy in az DATE: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 9:26 p.m. Response To: oops, no link. looking forward to checking it out though. nt Author: Dawne Date: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 10:16 a.m. > sorry about that, the address is http://www.nga.gov/collection/collect.htm The National Art Gallery ======================================== MESSAGE: Art, Music, & Literature AUTHOR: jennifer DATE: Saturday, 2 October 1999, at 8:17 a.m. Response To: We UNschool art and just love it!! Author: Dawne Date: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 9:56 a.m. This is one close to my heart, too, Dawne. I'm a writer and my husband is a musician, so it's a constant atmosphere in our household. We make it an attitude and a way of life. When you come down to brass tacks, these things are only the history of the exaltation of beauty through civilization. In our home, we have art prints on the walls everywhere -- my dining room wall is a grouping of Renoir's, the bedroom is Van Gogh, the living room is Monet.....These don't have to be expensive - you can get reproductions at Wal-Mart of some of their more cliche'd pieces for around $2 an 8x10. I've just gradually built up over time. I was also glad to see the reference to beautifully-illustrated children's books. For music - we play classical CDs occasionally during housework, or times when my husband is working (he's more the rock-opera type ;-) And literature -- poetry, lots of poetry. It encompasses both literature and music, as well as teaching thinking skills in matters of density. My children are yet small, and can't appreciate my own website, but for any of you with older kids, here's my contribution to the arts. It's a compendium of lesser-known works of poetry by over 40 great poets since the Elizabethan age to the present (Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Dickinson, the Bronte sisters, the Brownings, W. H. Auden, right up to Geoffrey Hill and X. J. Kennedy), accompanied by around 20 paintings by the masters (Caravaggio, Picasso, Dali, Chagall, etc.), all on ancient New Testament themes. What these poems all have in common is their use of classical technique - meter with or without rhyme. Thanks, and I'm looking forward to seeing more on this topic. ======================================== MESSAGE: Science & Art AUTHOR: jennifer DATE: Saturday, 2 October 1999, at 8:35 a.m. Response To: Great topic . . . and some questions Author: dmx Date: Friday, 1 October 1999, at 1:06 p.m. Interesting question. Charles Darwin once wrote that there was a time in his life when he adored the reading of great literature, art & music, but as his scientific faculties took greater and greater precedence, he found that in his later years, he no longer had the patience, appreciation of (or even the ability to comprehend) those more philosophical humanities. He called it a 'curious and lamentable loss of the higher aesthetic tastes....The loss of these tastes is a loss of happiness, and may possibly be injurious to the intellect, and more probably to the moral character, by enfeebling the emotional part of our nature,' so I would say it's definitely an area for balance and concern, if your aim is to raise a "Renaissance Man." Darwin's advice was simply: keep reading, listening, and viewing, and that part of the mind/heart will not atrophy. jennifer ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Science & Art AUTHOR: dmx DATE: Saturday, 2 October 1999, at 1:37 p.m. Response To: Science & Art Author: jennifer Date: Saturday, 2 October 1999, at 8:35 a.m. Wow - that's food for thought. I suppose my concern is that I am somehow communicating the greater importance of math and science. I really don't feel that way, but I worry about those areas more because of my son's natural inclination towards the humanities. I guess it feels - as I read and listen to news these days - that the future is in the sciences and I don't want to foreclose possibilities for my son. Thanks for your thoughts - somehow I've got to find a way to make sure that the humanities side of his education is valued, even if it isn't the 'structured' part. ======================================== MESSAGE: The Best Links AUTHOR: Liz DATE: Saturday, 2 October 1999, at 7:11 p.m. Here are the ones we use on Fridays, which is our Fine Arts Day. We work like crazy during the week, take a few tests/quizzes on Friday morning, then spend the rest of the time on fine arts. Check these out! Art History: @rtifacts www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/@rtifacts.html A. Pintura Detective-game www.eduweb.com/pintura Inside Art-game www.eduweb.com/insideart/index.html Leonardo Home Page www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo Louvre Museum mistral.culture.fr/louvre/louvrea.htm Projects: @rtrageous Thinking www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/@rtrageous.html Kinderart Education-complete curriculum K-6 www.kinderart.com/lessons.htm Art Sparklers www.arts.ufl.edu.art/rt_room/sparklers/@rt_sparklers.html Links: Art Curriculum discussion www.cypressradio.com/paula/art_curriculum.htm Art Library www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/@library.html www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/@rtlinks.html Tours: Museum Fine Arts Houston mfah.org/ Web Museum www.oir.ucf.edu/wm/ Art Gallery www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/@rt_gallery.html I hope these all work!! ======================================== MESSAGE: More art links to share...... AUTHOR: Vicki DATE: Sunday, 3 October 1999, at 12:20 p.m. These are some of my favorite art links: Vicki's World Wide Art World http://members.aol.com/boatingcpl/index.htm This is my personal fine arts directory web page that features many art links to explore. From children s art contests to museums etc. Examples of my own artwork are online here but warning!!! some of my artwork's content is not appropriate for children Bob Staake: Admiration List of 101 Cartoonists, Artists, Designers, Illustrator Illustratorhttp://www.bobstaake.com/admiration.html http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/start.htm A wonderful eclectic listing of artists from masters to children's book illustrators who have influenced Bob Staake Encyclopedia Smithsonian: The Smithsonian from A to Z http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/start.htm topics range from carousels to space flight Copious Artlinks http://rampages.onramp.net/~dnewman/artlinks.htm#journals really excellent list of important art journals online and more OLGA Home Page current http://www.olga.net/ For all music lovers OLGA stands for On Line Guitar Archive. Collection of chords, tablature, & lyric sheets ranging from popular music to Christmas songs and much more HomeSchool Dad Magazine - Educational Family Activities http://www.acsol.net/hsd/index.html Endless supply of activities http://www.getty.edu/ Getty Center HomePage Click on ArtsEdNet for lesson plans all ages, downloads, etc. Art Masterpiece Collection - Jim's Fine Art Collection http://www.spectrumvoice.com/art/index.html very easily navigated, this site has over 350 artists represented ======================================== MESSAGE: What we do for music AUTHOR: Mrs. K DATE: Wednesday, 6 October 1999, at 10:26 a.m. What we do for music: 1) Listen to music all the time. All types, even a little of what we don't like (I like calssical and country, but when we are doing chores I'll turn on an oldies station) and 2) Do music "lessons" twice a week. Learning a song: campfire, christmas, silly etc.; theory: learning the parts of music; Instrument: recorder, piano and rythm; specific appreciation; etc. If you don't know, get some good books a learn with them. Well, that's about it. I am an amatur musician so I am able to do a little more. Exposure and appreciation are the best things if you don't know where to start. My $.02 Mrs. K ======================================== MESSAGE: Mommy it's a Renoir AUTHOR: Carol DATE: Wednesday, 6 October 1999, at 10:29 p.m. I have the _Mommy it's a Renoir_ book and really think it's a great "unschoolish" way to introduce kids to works of art and their artists. However, collecting postcards for this has been a real chore. (Museums tend to only have cards from current/recent exhibits.) The address in the back of the book for ordering sets of cards brought my letter on inquiry right back, marked "Address Unknown." Does anyone know enough about this book to recommend a simple means of acquiring postcards that can be used for this? TIA Carol Great topic, BTW! ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Mommy it's a Renoir (info) AUTHOR: snow DATE: Thursday, 7 October 1999, at 12:13 p.m. Response To: Mommy it's a Renoir Author: Carol Date: Wednesday, 6 October 1999, at 10:29 p.m. Here are a couple of places: Child-sized Masterpieces (a.k.a. Mommy, It's A Renoir) Rainbow Resource Center 1-888-841-3456 http://www.elibrary.com/ Shekinah Curriculum Cellar http://www.shekinahcc.com > Does anyone know enough about this > book to recommend a simple means of > acquiring postcards that can be used > for this? > TIA > Carol Great topic, BTW! ======================================== MESSAGE: Have you tried NGA? AUTHOR: Paula H DATE: Thursday, 7 October 1999, at 3:22 p.m. Response To: Mommy it's a Renoir Author: Carol Date: Wednesday, 6 October 1999, at 10:29 p.m. Have you tried National Gallery of Art? They have a large selection of postcards available for 50 cents each. ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Mommy it's a Renoir AUTHOR: Jody C. DATE: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 12:18 a.m. Response To: Mommy it's a Renoir Author: Carol Date: Wednesday, 6 October 1999, at 10:29 p.m. Carol, I bought the game Masterpiece for my kids and they just love playing it. It was on sale at Kaybees Toys for 3.99!! After buying it, I wanted to add some other post card masterpieces to it so went to the Dover catlog and found TONS of postcards to choose from...some were 6 for $1 and some were 24 for $3.50 ( or something cheap). Now we can nearly play Masterpiece with just impressionists or western painters or just Mary Casset's paintings (my favorite). I've used NGA too, but Dover was much less. Jody ======================================== MESSAGE: I'm so jazzed!! But how to contact Dover? AUTHOR: Carol DATE: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 12:41 a.m. Response To: Re: Mommy it's a Renoir Author: Jody C. Date: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 12:18 a.m. Have you got a 1-800 number or a URL? I will definitely need that catalog! Thanks! Carol ======================================== MESSAGE: Any thoughts about the Mozart Effect? AUTHOR: Paula DATE: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 12:55 a.m. I have seen so many Mozart CDs claiming that listening to them will make you smarter, or more creative. There have been studies to see if his music "rewires" your brain. What do you think? Anyone willing to try experimenting with it? They claim that listening to it prior to a test will improve scores. They also say the effect is temporary. I figure it's excellent music to share with my child anyway, why not give it a try? What type of test could be used? (IQ?) Paula ======================================== MESSAGE: From what I have read... AUTHOR: Liz DATE: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 9:35 a.m. Response To: Any thoughts about the Mozart Effect? Author: Paula Date: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 12:55 a.m. >From what I have read, in order for the music to really make a difference, one must study the music like a musician. In all the studies cited so far, if the effect is temporary--what good is that?! I don't have time for anything that leaves only a temporary effect on me or my children (except maybe a massage!!) We do have alot of classical music CD's which we play softly during our hs day. It's wonderful music! But to think that simply sitting on one's butt, and listening to the music "grows brain cells" sounds like baloney to me. We did our own test on this-we have a 1 1/2 hour drive to our educational consultant for our annual achievement testing. All during that school year, I made sure, during math time that we listened specifically to Mozart. We also listened to him again during the drive. We compared the math scores of that test to the previous year when we didn't have any classical music. The previous year dd1 had been 2 grade levels ahead in math. The "Mozart" year test was also 2 grade levels ahead. She had progressed a year, but had not increased her score. I know this is very unscientific, but I think marketers have gotten hold of this, and are trying to extract alot of money by preying on parents who want to do everything to ensure their children's education is the best it can be. I have heard that the state of Georgia is now giving a Mozart CD to every child born. Someone is making alot of money off this!!! Liz ======================================== MESSAGE: Literature for older kids. . . AUTHOR: dmx DATE: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 2:13 p.m. I'm interested to see how all of you approach the introduction of 'literature' to your older kids. I have a 14 yo who reads quite a bit. He STUDIES Godzilla magazines, comic books and collections of Calvin and Garfield comics. He'll read chess books, Hank the Cowdog books, and occasional New Yorker or National Geographic article that some recommends for him. But as for, "Why don't you try.." some classic I recommend - he's not interested. So, I thought I'd see how some of you work it in. TIA - dmx ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: I'm so jazzed!! But how to contact Dover? AUTHOR: Jody C. DATE: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 10:35 p.m. Response To: I'm so jazzed!! But how to contact Dover? Author: Carol Date: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 12:41 a.m. There is no 800 # nor website...sorry, no instant gratification!! Here's how it is: Dover Publications 31 East 2nd St. Mineola, NY 11501-3582 This is THE only way. However, in locally owned books stores and some others, I have seen some Dover stuff carried. It'd be worth a look, but really, you ought to have a catalog. Ask for the COMPLETE catalog and the ART catalog and maybe the CHILDREN's catalog...they're great! Jody ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: From what I have read... AUTHOR: Tara P DATE: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 11:07 p.m. Response To: From what I have read... Author: Liz Date: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 9:35 a.m. > From what I have read, in order > for the music to really make a difference, > one must study the music like a musician. > In all the studies cited so far, if > the effect is temporary--what good is > that?! I don't have time for anything > that leaves only a temporary effect > on me or my children (except maybe a > massage!!) > Liz All I can say, is that when I was in college, I did much better on tests when I listened to Mozart when studying than when I listened to nothing. I had thought I read that it was *listening* to Mozart (though I think it could be applied to other classical music)that the studies tested (not studying music though that has been researched, also). I haven't read the info in awhile though. It seems to me that the commercial promotion of the study was just picked up by money hungry advertisers. Tara ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: I love Dover! AUTHOR: Lisa Torres DATE: Saturday, 9 October 1999, at 5:45 a.m. Response To: Re: I'm so jazzed!! But how to contact Dover? Author: Jody C. Date: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 10:35 p.m. I bought a whole bunch of classic literature from Dover for a dollar a book! They have great coloring books of wildflowers, etc., and some really interesting books--for example, Indian Boyhood, by Charles Alexander Eastman (a must read if you are doing Native Americans, IMO). > > There is no 800 # nor website...sorry, > no instant gratification!! > Here's how it is: > Dover Publications 31 East 2nd > St. Mineola, NY 11501-3582 > This is THE only way. However, > in locally owned books stores and some > others, I have seen some Dover stuff > carried. It'd be worth a look, but really, > you ought to have a catalog. Ask for > the COMPLETE catalog and the ART catalog > and maybe the CHILDREN's catalog...they're > great! > Jody ======================================== MESSAGE: My personal art page... AUTHOR: Jody C. DATE: Saturday, 9 October 1999, at 10:23 p.m. Just thought I'd mention that I have an art page on my personal website. It mostly deals with what we've been doing for art and art appreciation. This year we are working with "Drawing With Children" and I think it's wonderful! http://members.truepath.com/Jody/art.htm ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Literature for older kids. . . AUTHOR: Jody C. DATE: Saturday, 9 October 1999, at 10:31 p.m. Response To: Literature for older kids. . . Author: dmx Date: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 2:13 p.m. I have a 15yos who loves Hot Rod Magazine and Motor Trend!!! However, I do get him to read some of the classics too. Most of his classics are considered "history" for him...like Johnny Tremain, Rifles for Watie (you know, guy books). What about Tarzan?? I'm planning to have him read Ben Hur for his Roman History this year and thought of The Children's Homer for Greek History. My son likes books on WWII also...again, a guy thing...books I don't like, but if they're reading "real stuff" and they learn, it works for me. BTW...he brought me his Hot Rod Mag the other day to show me this algebraic equation he was working on to determine horse power!!! He also mentioned that the editor mentioned getting all the science and math you could in order to be a good racer/mechanic/engineer! YESSSSS...I love HR!! Jody ======================================== MESSAGE: Mozart effect? AUTHOR: Lisa E DATE: Monday, 11 October 1999, at 7:59 a.m. Response To: Re: From what I have read... Author: Tara P Date: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 11:07 p.m. I confess I've not read the original study, but I'm going to post anyway, because it sounds like noone else here has either... Anecdotally, the "Mozart Effect" was first reported in the mainstream media (at least it first got my attention that day!) the day I took the LSAT exam a few years back...on my way home from the test, listening to NPR, they had a story on it....bad timing (I did fine, mind you, but a few extra points never hurts). I've since purchased a couple of Dan Campbell's tapes for kids. Interestingly, my autistic son absolutely HATES them. He will turn the music off if I put it in. That alone persuades me that there is SOMETHING to the idea that Mozart's music has a certain complexity that might indeed have an effect (sort of like mental aerobics?)...anyway, just food for thought...Lisa E (former librarian and wannabe lawyer, now homeschooling mom) ======================================== MESSAGE: Obviously, you've AUTHOR: dmx DATE: Monday, 11 October 1999, at 3:47 p.m. Response To: Re: Literature for older kids. . . Author: Jody C. Date: Saturday, 9 October 1999, at 10:31 p.m. Obviously, you've encouraged the right things in your home! My tendency is sometimes to overlook interests that don't seem 'cool' or 'educational' to me. Fortunately, I have other family that reminds me that using those interests gives the best results! It's fun to see how it works out for others. Thanks for the post. ======================================== MESSAGE: Art Postcards... AUTHOR: Barbara Page, Co-hostess of the Science Board DATE: Monday, 11 October 1999, at 7:48 p.m. Ever since my oldest was two-years-old (he is now 15) we have been collecting art postcards from all the museums that we have visited. Those things have really come in handy in the past years in our study of the fine arts. Barbara Page Co-host K'scapes Science Board pageclan@msn.com ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Literature for older kids. . . AUTHOR: Kristen AKA curlywhirly DATE: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 1:09 a.m. Response To: Literature for older kids. . . Author: dmx Date: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 2:13 p.m. Ya know, I am just taking a shot in the dark because my kids are younger than yours, but would your son go for you reading aloud to him? Maybe as an experiment? It seems to me that once you whet his appetite he might come looking for more. If I were to try this, I would make sure I pick a VERY interesting book that would really hook him. Good luck ~~(*-*)~~ ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Literature for older kids. . . AUTHOR: dmx DATE: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 12:52 p.m. Response To: Re: Literature for older kids. . . Author: Kristen AKA curlywhirly Date: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 1:09 a.m. We've read aloud for years. In fact, that's the way I've gotten some 'literature' and really great nonfiction in. We read Exodus, Richard Feynman's books, Chaim Potok, among others. He enjoys it. But, about two months ago, I stopped the practice - except for Shakespeare's plays, which we still read aloud (and he loves that!). We stopped for several reasons. First, time. He doesn't choose to make time for it, so I end up insisting that once we start a book, he has to make time for it. Secondly, he's getting older & it feels a bit awkward - silly, maybe, but there it is. Lastly, I felt it was making him a bit lazy. He'd ask me to read books he wished he would read, but wouldn't on his own. Anyway, I guess I used to fill that 'literature' niche that way and am now looking for new ways. Does my reasoning seem off? Anyway, I appreciate your post. -dmx ======================================== MESSAGE: Personal Art Museum AUTHOR: Kristen AKA curlywhirly DATE: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 3:29 p.m. Right now we (me, my 10 & 11 yobs) are studying the Renaissance. I really wanted them to be familiar with some of the great paintings, and sculptures, etc and artists, especially since the older boy is very interested in developing his artistic talents. We got a book from Bellerphone Books about the Italian Renaissance Artists that is line drawings of many paintings, etc, and I had my boys trace and color them, and make up an artist card with info on the artists and location of the painting, etc. We hung the results up in are hallway and made a wonderful "museum", and the information is reinforced every time they walk down the hallway for a guest comes to our house and asks "what is that?" You could also use prints from the National Art Gallery if you chose and just do the artist cards yourself. My boys really enjoyed the tracing though, and it was a wonderful time for me to read aloud to them about the artists, hand history of the times. God Bless, Kristen ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Personal Art Museum AUTHOR: Kristen AKA curlywhirly DATE: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 4:05 p.m. Response To: Personal Art Museum Author: Kristen AKA curlywhirly Date: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 3:29 p.m. Some sites that have been very helpful to us in our fine arts studies are: List of Artists http://www2.iinet.com/art/artists/artists1.htm Italian Renaissance Artists http://tqd.advanced.org/2838/artgal.htm Classical Net Composers http://www.classical.net/music/composer/ Explore Art http://members.aol.com/powers8696/artindex.html Louvre Museum http://www.atlcom.net/~psmith/Louvre/ Exploring Leonardo http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/LeoHomePage.html Shakespere http://daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare/default.htm National Gallery of Art Reproductions http://www.nga.gov/shop/shp-artists.htm World History Through Art http://www.ben.esu6.k12.ne.us/art/history/ Enjoy!!! ~~(*-*)~~ ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Literature for older kids. . . AUTHOR: leslie DATE: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 5:28 p.m. Response To: Re: Literature for older kids. . . Author: dmx Date: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 12:52 p.m. > Lastly, I felt > it was making him a bit lazy. He'd ask > me to read books he wished he would > read, but wouldn't on his own. Wow, I can see my ds in that thought. Both 10yods and I love our reading together time, and I plan on continuing for awhile yet. However, I have been wondering how long I should continue. Looking forward to more input on this thread. ======================================== MESSAGE: Reading aloud--when to stop. AUTHOR: Andrea in ME DATE: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 9:37 p.m. Response To: Re: Literature for older kids. . . Author: leslie Date: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 5:28 p.m. Well, I'll tell ya--I read aloud to my son in the car on the way to the airport to send him to college! (It was a very exciting book, and we really wanted to finish it.) I don't think there's ever a reason to stop, ever. My husband and I spent lot of our courtship reading aloud to one another, and I hope will spend alot of our retirement. I don't think it promotes laziness. On the contrary, I think it promotes a more in-depth absorption of the material for both reader and listener. One has to go more slowly, and also the discussion and sharing that follows makes the experience much richer and deeper. It is true that kids of a certain age are less apt to want to make time for it than younger kids. But given the right circumstances, they still can enjoy it, and so can the reader. ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Reading aloud--when to stop. AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 11:11 p.m. Response To: Reading aloud--when to stop. Author: Andrea in ME Date: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 9:37 p.m. > Well, I'll tell ya--I read aloud > to my son in the car on the way to the > airport to send him to college! (It > was a very exciting book, and we really > wanted to finish it.) I don't think > there's ever a reason to stop, ever. YES! I agree! And think about your GRANDCHILDREN too! There will be more reading aloud in our futures for sure. I say don't stop---EVER! ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Literature for older kids. . . AUTHOR: BJ DATE: Wednesday, 13 October 1999, at 1:28 a.m. Response To: Re: Literature for older kids. . . Author: leslie Date: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 5:28 p.m. I started reading aloud to my dds when they were very small and plan to continue for a long time to come. They still enjoy it a lot. I first came across the idea before I even had children in a book called "Honey for a Child's Heart". The author said that she and her children read aloud through high school. Reading aloud does lend itself to a greater understanding and discussion of the books. My dds are 11 and 13, and the neat thing that I have found is that now they are going back and re-reading some of the books that we read aloud years ago. My youngest daughter picked up one book at the library that we had already read. I asked her why she had checked that book out and she said, "I remember that I liked it, but I couldn't remember all of the story". My main goal has been to introduce them to literature that they most likely wouldn't pick up on their own--mainly the classics. By the way, a number of the books that we have read, I had never read before, either. At last count, we have read over 100 novel length books together, and it has given them a wonderfully broad background and a great vocabulary. (The last time I tested them, they tested out at the 99% level in vocabulary, and we had never covered vocabulary as a separate subject in school.) ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Literature for older kids. . . AUTHOR: Brenda In Ohio DATE: Wednesday, 13 October 1999, at 2:54 p.m. Response To: Re: Literature for older kids. . . Author: Kristen AKA curlywhirly Date: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 1:09 a.m. My 13yo son and I do a lot of reading aloud. We both love it. He would not read the books on his own. It promotes discussions between us, and he snuggles next to me on the couch when we read. I don't know how much longer he will be willing to do it, but I am willing to read to him until then. ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Literature for older kids. . . AUTHOR: Diane DATE: Thursday, 14 October 1999, at 4:41 a.m. Response To: Literature for older kids. . . Author: dmx Date: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 2:13 p.m. Nobody has mentioned this so I'm a bit shy, but why not require him to read the books you want him to? At 14 few, if any, children are mature enough to see the benefits. Even before we stated home schooloing (they were in ps) I required my kids take books from the library they weren't particularly interested in. I felt it was, and still is, important to have a broad range in reading to expand their horizons. My kids also, as someone else mentioned, have tested at the high end of the scale in related test skills. I think it's due to reading quality literature. Another reason to consider is that I have read repeatedly that reading quality literature is a must for good SAT verbal scores. Many companies publish a suggested reading list. The last reason I would give is that over the years my kids have become book lovers and now choose quality books without any guidance from me. When we go to the US each summer forget the mall and music stores, we spend hours and hours in book stores. Lots of dollars too! That's my opinion. Diane in Tokyo (Have you tried any GA Henty books? They were written for older boys.) ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Literature for older kids. . . AUTHOR: snow DATE: Thursday, 14 October 1999, at 9:17 a.m. Response To: Re: Literature for older kids. . . Author: leslie Date: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 5:28 p.m. Reading aloud--does it have to be the parent reading?? Why not the child reading to the parent or other siblings sometimes? It could also be done while the one listening is doing a task that does not take total concentration. (meal preparation or cleanup, cleaning up room, washing the dog or car, etc.) just a thought--snow ======================================== MESSAGE: Art History AUTHOR: Alicia DATE: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:16 a.m. This is my first visit to this board so I'm sorry if this subject has already been mentioned..... I just received the "Taking the Mystery Out of Art History" study packet and my 2 kids (11th grade daughter and 6th grade son) both love it! It not only discusses the great masters and their works, but gives projects for the kids to do that mimic the masters. For example having the kids tape a paper to the underneath side of the coffee table in order to simulate the painting of the chapel! Has anyone else had any experience with this curriculum? ======================================== MESSAGE: Music Lessons---tell me your experiences AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:41 a.m. My son wants to play drums. My daughter says she wants to play violin. He is 7, she is 5. I think they are too young. I think 8 or 9 years old is a good age to start. Do you agree? Please share your stories in regards to finding a teacher and on the overall music lesson experience. THANKS! Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: Good Literature for Girls AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:47 a.m. I'm finding that there aren't very many great heroines out there! Is it just me or are all of the good books centered around male characters? Any recommendations on good books for girls? ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Any thoughts about the Mozart Effect? AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 5:25 p.m. Response To: Any thoughts about the Mozart Effect? Author: Paula Date: Friday, 8 October 1999, at 12:55 a.m. There is apparently some correlation between classical music and the brain. Is Mozart better than say.... Beethoven or Bach? I don't know. I did hear from a source (not sure how reliable) that the state of Georgia has passed a law that requires licensed preschools/daycares to expose their children to so many hours of Mozart per day. YEP! I found this out last year when I had set up a booth as a vendor at an early childhood development conference in Orlando. The booth next to us couldn't sell Mozart tapes fast enough and this was supposedly the reason why. Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: Plenty of experience in this area...but not sure I'll be much help AUTHOR: Ann in NC DATE: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 12:34 a.m. Response To: Music Lessons---tell me your experiences Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:41 a.m. Giovanna... you asked! Daughter number 1 started piano at 6 or 7 years old. She was immediately disappointed. She had thought that as soon as she started, she would play like her mom plays. Except that I'd had 10+ years of lessons, and I'd played every day for 20 years. Sheesh...who knew that is what the kid was thinking? She did amazing well....the teacher said he'd never seen a young child with such a good grasp of chords, and people would hear her play in another room and then be astonished it was this little kid. BUT...it didn't go well. By the time she was 10 it was a big struggle...she wanted me to sit with her -- but she hated that I sat with her...she practiced, but she moaned. I was so upset-- thought I'd ruined her because I'd started her too early, or that I shouldn't have sat with her when she asked, or whatever it was I did MUST have been wrong. (This was many children ago..I don't take such blame or as much credit now! ) I hated to let her quit -- all those stories of people who are glad their parents forced lessons on them. But it finally got to a point that it didn't seem right to be unschooling except in music. So she quit. And didn't play much for a year....but then ,gradually, she started playing again. And she started working on more serious stuff -- Bach inventions and all. At 15 she decided to go with a teacher again, and he felt she had done wonderfully on her own. Now, in college, she loves her piano lessons and uses it as a way to stay sane amid all her academic coursework. Okay...experience number two. Second daugher BEGS to take piano at 6 years old. I think she's too young -- but we already have a piano and the teacher is very convenient. So she does...and after a few months there is NO progress -- and the teacher suggests we wait a while. I'm not quite as devastated this time. A few years go by, and she's 9. And she wants to take up the harp. WHAT??? I never heard of a kid with a harp. So I ignore it. Six months later she's STILL nagging me, so I get her a little lap harp (for $50 from a fancy toy catalog). I figure THAT will keep her happy. You don't have to learn music -- just put that funny-shaped paper under the strings and follow along. I love the little thing, but SHE hates it. It goes out of tune ALL THE TIME, which bothers her....and she won't play it. But still she nags that she wants to play the harp... After TWO YEARS of this, I finally break down and call around for harp teachers (not the easiest to find). The kid takes off!! She loves it and learns to read music and plays beautifully. At 16,she has decided music is her life and she's considering music conservatories! Child number three tries piano for a month...hates it, never touches it and doesn't take up another instrument with a teacher, although she teaches herself guitar. Child number four takes piano for a while, LOVES it, but never practices. Maybe I would have accpeted that earlier, but now our budget does NOT allow the cost of lessons without practicing going on... So I force him to quit. A year later he decides he wants to play the cello...we rent him a cello and find a teacher.... HE LOVES IT!! He's been at it for more than a year now, and seems to be making progress. He practices twice a day, and enjoys the orchestra he is in...and talks about perhaps doing both math and music majors in college (exactly what his mom did! ) -- he's only 12, so I'm not holding my breath on that one. But I am enjoying the cello music around the house. So...I don't know myself what worked and what didn't. I'm glad my eldest found her way back to the piano....I wish my third child would have an instrument that she could play with the others... I wish we could afford piano lessons for a kid who 'likes it' but doesn't practice, but we can't. But maybe he wouldn't have found the cello if he hung on with the piano? I dunno'. Good luck, though....how marvelous that your kids are asking for insturments... can't wait to hear how your family music journey goes! Ann ======================================== MESSAGE: Thank you all for your input AUTHOR: leslie DATE: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 7:12 a.m. Response To: Re: Literature for older kids. . . Author: leslie Date: Tuesday, 12 October 1999, at 5:28 p.m. I appreciate all your thoughts, and am looking forward to many years reading together with ds. Hopefully he will go back at a later date and read on his own some of what we have read together. But if not, at least he will have been exposed to some of the classics and better literature. ======================================== MESSAGE: Guess what??????? AUTHOR: Deb Mc DATE: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 1:20 p.m. We are new hs. For music appreciation, we listen to a classical music composer every week or so, and read something about him online, in the encyclopedia, or the Gift of Music. I didn't know if it was sinking in or not. One of our first composers was Vivaldi. The other day, we were watching a TV show together and I heard familar music. Listen to the music, I said. My 9yob said, yeah, Mom it is Vivaldi. I thought already the child knows more than I did just a few weeks ago! Gives me the courage to keep on! :) Deb ======================================== MESSAGE: Like Ann, I have 4 kids and 4 music stories. AUTHOR: Andrea in ME DATE: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 11:53 p.m. Response To: Music Lessons---tell me your experiences Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:41 a.m. Like her, I have one recreational musician in college, one intense it's-gonna-be-my-life musician now high school age, one sort of in between those two, and one non-musician (so far). So we have 8 kids between us, and the only common theme I can discern is that a child's realtionship to music and to instrument-playing is mysterious, even sometimes to the child, but there is no one wrong or right way to foster their interest. It seems like if they're really meant to play something, they'll keeping bugging you about it. In the case of my eldest, it took him three instruments (violin, cello, and guitar) to get to the one he really connected well with (bass guitar). However, in the case of my daughters (now 17 and 13) they knew suddenly and with great conviction, at 12 and 8 respectively, exactly what they wanted to play. . . .Maybe 5 is a little young. My youngest was bound and determined to play the trumpet at 6, and after hounding me for a year I finally let him start, but he got so good so fast there were no groups of peers to play with and so he quit! (He's currently the non-musician.). . . Well, good luck with this hodgepodge of experiences! ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Good Literature for Girls AUTHOR: Andrea in ME DATE: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 11:54 p.m. Response To: Good Literature for Girls Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:47 a.m. >Hi Giovanna--What age group are you looking for? Also, fiction, nonfiction, or either? ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Music Lessons---tell me your experiences AUTHOR: Susan M DATE: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 2:39 a.m. Response To: Music Lessons---tell me your experiences Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:41 a.m. We played around on the piano (which I used to play, but seldom do anymore) and with recorders when the boys were young. My older son had no further interest, although occasionally he will decide to play the piano some and try out the beginning books that I have. My second son has always liked to sing, but had little interest in the piano. Then at age 11 he decided he wanted to play in a band. After some thought he settled on the trumpet for his instrument and we rented one for him. We checked with the local middle school and they said he was welcome to join the 5th grade band there. We also found a high school student to give him weekly lessons, which he has enjoyed very much. His first teacher graduated and moved away, but his second one is now attending college locally, so she is still able to teach him. (And her rates are half of what the local adult teachers charge.) I myself started piano lessons at age 7, after admiring my mother's playing the piano, and I didn't stop until well into high school, when I just got too busy. I don't play much now, but I am glad for that background in music, and plan to play more when life becomes less hectic. Susan M ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Music Lessons---tell me your experiences AUTHOR: Kim Frey DATE: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 7:13 a.m. Response To: Music Lessons---tell me your experiences Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:41 a.m. Our two girls started piano lessons at 5 and loved it. Somewhere around the 3rd year for both of them they wanted to quit, but we made them continue. The urge to stop lasted only a couple of months... their teacher felt it was due to a jump in abilities. They were ready to move onto a more difficult level, but it was more work than they were used to. Now they love it... I sometimes can't tell who is playing even though they are 2 years apart. They read music much better than I do, can just pick up a new piece of music and play it, and like all sorts of styles. (Nobody told them classical was "boring"!) Each girl is different in her abilities. The oldest relies on the music, is very visual and detail oriented, and can play new stuff quickly and easily. The youngest relies more on her ear and can play a piece better if she knows what it's supposed to sound like. She puts more natural "feeling" in her playing. The only problem I see in starting early is that mine really didn't understand the theory they were being taught when they were young, so we're having to go back and relearn some of it. I think a lot of the theory was learned by experience... they know it, but don't know exactly how to put it into words. One thing that inspired my girls was an older girl in our homeschool group who said music was her "passion." Every time she came over, she would play classical pieces with them! At one homeschool meeting, we had a lot of new parents, and I wish you could have seen the looks on their faces when the music from these three girls started wafting in from the music room! They wanted to sign up for this homeschooling thing right away! :-D Kim Frey ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Good Literature for Girls AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 8:38 a.m. Response To: Re: Good Literature for Girls Author: Andrea in ME Date: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 11:54 p.m. We are looking for five years and up and of any genre. We know about the American Girls books but what else is out there? How about you folks with older girls? Do you all have trouble finding good literature with a female as the central character? Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Music Lessons---tell me your experiences AUTHOR: Debbie G. DATE: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 8:52 a.m. Response To: Music Lessons---tell me your experiences Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:41 a.m. We own a piano so we decided to start with my 5 year old daughter and see how things went. We purchased a set called Progressive Pianist. It comes with a workbook and 2 tapes. We began working through the lessons and she is doing fairly well. She is learning to read the notes and has learned her first little song. The tapes help by letting her hear the correct way to play the exercises and pieces. Also, once she learns a "Performance Piece" there is background music for her to play to. We have planned a recital for Thanksgiving when Grandma will be visiting. She is very motivated by the idea of playing for someone else. All in all this has been a positive experience for us so far. > My son wants to play drums. My > daughter says she wants to play violin. > > Do you agree? > Please share your stories in regards > to finding a teacher and on the overall > music lesson experience. > THANKS! > Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Art History AUTHOR: Jean Kelly DATE: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 9:08 a.m. Response To: Art History Author: Alicia Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:16 a.m. I am interested in that curriculum you mentioned.Could you let me know where you got it from? This is our first year homeshooling our 13 year old. thanks. Jean > This is my first visit to this > board so I'm sorry if this subject has > already been mentioned..... I just received > the "Taking the Mystery Out of > Art History" study packet and my > 2 kids (11th grade daughter and 6th > grade son) both love it! It not only > discusses the great masters and their > works, but gives projects for the kids > to do that mimic the masters. For example > having the kids tape a paper to the > underneath side of the coffee table > in order to simulate the painting of > the chapel! > Has anyone else had any experience > with this curriculum? ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Guess what??????? AUTHOR: Andy DATE: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 2:13 p.m. Response To: Guess what??????? Author: Deb Mc Date: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 1:20 p.m. Hey Deb, We do the same and my 6yr. old son absolutely loves Vivaldi too! He wakes up and puts in the CD first thing to start his day! > We are new hs. For music appreciation, > we listen to a classical music composer > every week or so, and read something > about him online, in the encyclopedia, > or the Gift of Music. I didn't know > if it was sinking in or not. One of > our first composers was Vivaldi. The > other day, we were watching a TV show > together and I heard familar music. > Listen to the music, I said. My 9yob > said, yeah, Mom it is Vivaldi. I thought > already the child knows more than I > did just a few weeks ago! Gives me the > courage to keep on! :) Deb ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Good Literature for Girls AUTHOR: Andrea in ME DATE: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 6:01 p.m. Response To: Re: Good Literature for Girls Author: Giovanna Date: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 8:38 a.m. >Well, for girl-oriented fiction, you can't do any better than the Little House books. They're historical (although only one period) but IMO tons better than the American Girl books. The Little HOuse books are beautifully written, a joy to read aloud. For fantasy, we've really enjoyed the Dealing with Dragons series. The heroine is a princess who's bored with the please-rescue-me routine. She's slightly and charmingly rebellious, befriends some delightful dragons, finds a prince who enjoys her spunk, and deals with evil wizards. These books are by Patricia Wrede. Another great female series is the All of a Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor. They tell the story of a Jewish family at the turn of the century in NYC--I learned most of what I know about Jewish culture from reading those. And the family has 5 girls, making it very appealing to one's daughters. As for nonfiction, I'd look for good children's biogrphies of prominent women. I remember reading aloud a bio of Harriet Tubman to my kids that they found riveting. A good picture biography of Clara Schumann was just published. All of the series mentioned would be fine readalouds for a 5 year old, good read-to-yourselves for older kids. The bios I mentioned might be a little much for a Five, but if you look for female biographies in the boookstore and library, I bet you could find some simpler ones. Oh yes, there's a great picture-book fairy tale called Molly Whuppie! She successfully foils a dreadful giant that's destroying her town. My favorite line of hers: "It's a good thing I'm not afraid to be scared!" ======================================== MESSAGE: Charlotte Mason--the ultimate teacher of art & music appreciation, fine literature AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 7:55 p.m. Are you all familiar with Charlotte Mason, an educator of the late 1800's? What an amazing woman! Who has read the A CHARLOTTE MASON COMPANION by Karen Andreola? Wonderful tips on how to encourage a love of art and music and living books. Check out this link for information on Charlotte Mason http://members.aol.com/BEEME1/index.html Giovanna ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Art History AUTHOR: Alicia DATE: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 10:40 p.m. Response To: Re: Art History Author: Jean Kelly Date: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 9:08 a.m. Jean...The book is called Taking the Mystery out of Studying Art History and I got it from Rainbow Resources (888)841-3456 www.rainbowresource.com page 241. To let you know a little more about it... it comes with the study guide $12.50 and also uses a coloring book $7.75 that allows the kids to color thr masterpieces their own way (or copy the great ones) It also uses an Usborne book The Story of Painting $5.95 and suggests you get The Annotated Art book (really great "coffee table" book) $20.75. Along with that is a literature book called I, Juan Pareja $4.25. You can buy them individually...I got the whole set.The study guide gives you a list of all the materials needed & you can get as detailed as you like. The thing I like about it is that it was designed by a family! They said they completed it in 3 months doing it 3 days a week. Great for a semester class. Hope you enjoy it like we do! Alicia ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Good Literature for Girls AUTHOR: Carol Sue DATE: Monday, 18 October 1999, at 4:57 p.m. Response To: Re: Good Literature for Girls Author: Giovanna Date: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 8:38 a.m. I would recommend the Childhood of Famous Americans. There are several about women. Ruby Slippers School by Stacy Towie Morgan Elsie Dinsmore books Not really good literature but fun to read: Honey Bunch and Norman. Also for older girls: the Dear America books. Carol Sue ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Good Literature for Girls AUTHOR: lizza DATE: Tuesday, 19 October 1999, at 9:58 a.m. Response To: Good Literature for Girls Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:47 a.m. I'm reading Ballet Shoes to my 5 year old right now.About two adopted girls that have to start contributing to the family income when money gets tight. My daughter loves it and begs to go on to the next chapter when we're done for the night. There is a whole series of shoes books but I bought them second hand so not sure if you can still get them at a regular book store.(I couldn't find one we're missing at Band N) We also like the Amelia Bedelia books and recently read a book called baby island that was terrific. > I'm finding that there aren't very > many great heroines out there! > Is it just me or are all of the > good books centered around male characters? > > Any recommendations on good books > for girls? ======================================== MESSAGE: dance AUTHOR: lizza DATE: Tuesday, 19 October 1999, at 10:10 a.m. Just a question. My youngest is two and loves to immitate her older sister when she is practicing her dance. She is actually learning alot and they enjoy each other while doing this.(one of the few yimes during they day they are not fighting over something) I had thought about putting her into a tumbling for tots class. Any thoughts?? I would hate to ruin the one thing these two kids have in common . ======================================== MESSAGE: I am looking for some THEATRE- Drama links AUTHOR: PattiC DATE: Wednesday, 20 October 1999, at 1:28 a.m. specifically ones with plays or sketches we can print in order to work on our own production! Any body have any links or ideas? ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: I am looking for some THEATRE- Drama links AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Wednesday, 20 October 1999, at 1:34 p.m. Response To: I am looking for some THEATRE- Drama links Author: PattiC Date: Wednesday, 20 October 1999, at 1:28 a.m. Ok. I don't know if this is what you are looking for but a friend of mine passed these along to me. http://www.qesn.meq.gouv.qc.ca/schools/bchs/rtheatre/scripts.htm (these were written by older kids for younger kids. Lots of them are from picture books. They are .pdf files.) http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/RTE.html (mostly for middle/upper elementar and older) http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/readersmine.htm (these are two scripts for young kids--"The Little Red Hen" and "The Three Billy Goats Gruff". Here's a site for church groups--The Christian Drama Source http://www.runawaytech.com/cds/scripts.shtml You can also find on-line texts of lots of plays http://www.brookes.ac.uk/VL/theatre/eta.htm ======================================== MESSAGE: Here's a Bunch AUTHOR: Laura DATE: Wednesday, 20 October 1999, at 11:11 p.m. Response To: Re: Good Literature for Girls Author: Giovanna Date: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 8:38 a.m. Giovanna, My daughter is six. I have been looking into this myself and doing some preparatory reading. Here are some that I have found. I put an asterisk * next to the ones that I think could make good read alouds to a 5 year old. We just finished Grandma's Attic and we both loved it, and now we are enjoying Strawberry Girl. Of course, we have read a lot of books with boys as the main character too; I don't worry about it too much. * Strawberry Girl and others by Lois Lenski - I think all of hers are about strong girls * In Grandma's Attic and the other Grandma's Attic books by Arleta Richardson The Little Riders by Johanna Shemin *Henner's Lydia by Marguerite d'Angeli - story about a young Amish girl (traditional roles) Bright April and Thee Hannah by Marguerite d'Angeli *Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Bulla *Good Queen Bess by Diane Stanley (easy biography) *Clear That Cow Pasture, I'm Coming In for a Landing by Robert Quackenbush about Amelia Earhart *Who's That Girl With A Gun by Robert Quackenbush about Annie Oakley Miss Pickerell books by Ellen MacGregor Mary Poppins series by P. L. Travers Ballet Shoes, Circus Shoes and the other 'shoe' books by Noel Streatfield *Wizard of Oz series by Frank L. Baum - Dorothy is the main character in all of them * Alice in Wonderland (Troll's illustrated classics abridgement is good) * Heidi (same as above) Pippi Longstocking books by Astrid Lindgren The Secret Garden by Frances Hodges Burnett Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher *Ordinary Princess by Mary Margaret Kaye *Wheel on the School by Meindert de Jong The Borrowers series by Mary Norton *Ramona books by Beverly Cleary Princess and the Curdie, and Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald Easy Readers: Josephina's Story Quilt by Eleanor Coerr Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie by Peter Roop New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelmans Brave Irene by William Steig Corduroy by Dan Freeman Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Burton Mirette on the High Wire by Emily McCully ======================================== MESSAGE: Symphony program for children AUTHOR: Sandy in OR DATE: Thursday, 21 October 1999, at 1:20 a.m. Monday we took our 5 children (ages 5-13)to a symphony program put together for school-aged children. Most of the audience were ps children, but we had a sizable hs group. The theme was the planets, the music "Planets" by Gustav Holtz. I wondered what my 5 yob would get out of it. Well, that afternoon, he found the CD we have of "Planets" and proceeded to conduct with his "baton" (pencil). Soon, all the kids joined in. My 9 yog now wants to play the violin. The program was planned for children; the conductor talked to them between pieces along with an astronomer who talked and showed slides of the planets. Homeschoolers are very welcome to join programs such as these that are actually planned with school groups in mind. I think my children got more out of it because it was aimed at children. We will also be going to see "Romeo and Juliet" by a Shakespeare company that performs during the day for (older) school-aged children, talking to the audience before and after the performance. ======================================== MESSAGE: Web site -- list of good books AUTHOR: snow DATE: Friday, 22 October 1999, at 9:18 a.m. Response To: Good Literature for Girls Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:47 a.m. '1000 Good Books' is a web site with a list divided into age groups--excelant http://www.classicalhomeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html > I'm finding that there aren't very > many great heroines out there! > Is it just me or are all of the > good books centered around male characters? > > Any recommendations on good books > for girls? ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Here's a Bunch AUTHOR: Kim from sidetracks DATE: Friday, 22 October 1999, at 11:00 a.m. Response To: Here's a Bunch Author: Laura Date: Wednesday, 20 October 1999, at 11:11 p.m. The Narnia series (girls and boys in that one) Caddie woodlawn, Pollyanna, Books by Dick King- Smith (she might be able to read these if she is very precocious, but still good read alouds) My "late" reader (8 yo girl) is enjoying "mr. putter and Tabby " books (c. Rylant) and has always loved Poppleton the pig (and cherry sue) by the same author. Has anyone said Amelia Bedelia ?(Peggy Parish) Oh and "The Girl Who Loved Caterpillers" by.... 8-/Jean Merril ? very good read about a girl that goes her own way in Ancinet Japan. One of our favourites. ======================================== MESSAGE: Not my own list; RESOURCES! AUTHOR: Teri S DATE: Friday, 22 October 1999, at 5:00 p.m. Response To: Good Literature for Girls Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:47 a.m. Check out these handbooks! They have informative descriptions to help you choose what your daughters might be interested in. -Let's Hear It For the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14 by Erica Bauermeister & Holly Smith -Great Books for Girls: More Than 600 Books to Inspire Today's Girls and Tomorrow's Women by Kathleen Odean By the way, Odean wrote a Great Books for Boys, too, for those of you with both genders. Teri ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: and Anne of Green Gables, too, ofcourse ! nt AUTHOR: Kim from sidetracks DATE: Saturday, 23 October 1999, at 10:20 a.m. Response To: Re: Here's a Bunch Author: Kim from sidetracks Date: Friday, 22 October 1999, at 11:00 a.m. > ======================================== MESSAGE: Shakespeare easy reads ? AUTHOR: Kim from sidetracks DATE: Saturday, 23 October 1999, at 10:24 a.m. I was reading about them but the didn't give any titles - SO- does anyone have titles of Shakespeare that have been made easier and more appropriate for children ? 8-) ======================================== MESSAGE: Anne & Where Brook & River Meet AUTHOR: Kathy DATE: Saturday, 23 October 1999, at 2:13 p.m. Response To: Re: and Anne of Green Gables, too, ofcourse ! nt Author: Kim from sidetracks Date: Saturday, 23 October 1999, at 10:20 a.m. At www.cadroncreek.com, Margie Grays' Prairie Primer site, you can now find WHERE THE BROOK AND RIVER MEET, a study guide she has written for the annotated Anne of Green Gables book. Margie has included wonderful Victorian poetry such as "The Lady of the Lake," links to internet websites, and a message board of discussion. This is for girls (and boys) ages 13 and up. My 7th grader has read so many wonderful books, but we were at a standstill. This WHERE THE BROOK AND RIVER MEET has helped us both cross the bridge from chilren and fantasy into more academic pursuits. She was even inspired to create a web page for L.M. Montgomery's "Emily" series at http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Opera/1435/ Let me know what you think! > ======================================== MESSAGE: Five is not too young if you take the Suzuki violin route. AUTHOR: Joan, sneaking over from the Curricula board DATE: Saturday, 23 October 1999, at 10:53 p.m. Response To: Music Lessons---tell me your experiences Author: Giovanna Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 12:41 a.m. This is the direction my oldest dd took at the age of four. She is now 13, plays in a metropolitan youth symphony, and is beginning to think "music major" with respect to college. She has also started playing oboe and plans to audition for another youth orchestra this winter. Needless to say, music is her number-one passion in life. My youngest dd (11) studied with two different violin teachers before deciding that violin was not her cup of tea. She's been playing flute for the past two years and finds it much more to her liking. She also plans to audition for youth orchestra. She's not a "music is my life" kid (she wants to become a writer), but she loves music of all kinds. Both dds fool around with piano, recorder, guitar, and harp as well (we have one room stuffed with musical instruments). I believe seven might be a little early to start drums. You could always find a set of kid-sized drums at a good music store and let him experiment for a while until he's old enough for formal lessons (10 or 11 maybe?). Joan ======================================== MESSAGE: We are using Tales from Shakespeare AUTHOR: leslie DATE: Sunday, 24 October 1999, at 7:17 a.m. Response To: Shakespeare easy reads ? Author: Kim from sidetracks Date: Saturday, 23 October 1999, at 10:24 a.m. by Charles and Mary Lamb,published by Puffin Books. Having never read Shakespeare myself, this is great for us. >From the Preface: The following Tales are meant to be submitted to the young reader as an introduction to the study of Shakespeare, for which purpose his words are used whenever it seemed possible to bring them in; and in whatever has been added to give them the regular form of a connected story, diligent care has been taken to select such words as might least interrupt the effect of the beautiful English tongue in which he wrote: therefore, words introduced into our language since his time have been as far as possible avoided. > I was reading about them but the > didn't give any titles - SO- does anyone > have titles of Shakespeare that have > been made easier and more appropriate > for children ? 8-) ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Shakespeare easy reads ? AUTHOR: Giovanna DATE: Sunday, 24 October 1999, at 12:57 p.m. Response To: Shakespeare easy reads ? Author: Kim from sidetracks Date: Saturday, 23 October 1999, at 10:24 a.m. Check out this page: http://www.bright.net/%7Edouble/shake.htm This mom talks about her experience with Shakespeare and her eight year old son. ======================================== MESSAGE: Re: Good Literature for Girls AUTHOR: Mary Ellen DATE: Monday, 25 October 1999, at 12:41 p.m. Response To: Re: Good Literature for Girls Author: Giovanna Date: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 8:38 a.m. I Highly recommend "All-of-a-Kind" family series! Not only does it provide an education on Jewish culture (without being at all preachy), but also a view of life in NYC pre - post WWI. Lots of emphasis on family centered life, responsibility for one’s actions and self-reliance. DO NOT get hung up on the religious aspects of the books, it is a view into a different culture. I included a link, read some reviews. Although out of print, I enjoyed the “Trixie Belden” mysteries. She was a spunky detective and there were probably 50-60 books in the series. Checkout the library. Earlier books in the series are better than the later but all are enjoyable. For some literature selections, how about “Little Women” or “Island of the Blue Dolphins” (Indian girl stranded on island off the coast of California for 18 years, won the Newbery Medal 1961). While not great works of literature, books by Judy Blume and Paula Danziger, have predominately female characters although some of their books are for a slightly older audience. ======================================== MESSAGE: We just started this book! AUTHOR: Kristen AKA curlywhirly DATE: Wednesday, 27 October 1999, at 12:02 p.m. Response To: We are using Tales from Shakespeare Author: leslie Date: Sunday, 24 October 1999, at 7:17 a.m. They have a web site,Tales from Shakespere http://daphne.palomar.edu/shakespeare/default.htm ======================================== MESSAGE: shakespeare for kids AUTHOR: alison datz DATE: Sunday, 31 October 1999, at 10:07 a.m. Response To: We are using Tales from Shakespeare Author: leslie Date: Sunday, 24 October 1999, at 7:17 a.m. Don't miss Shakespeare's plays by Marcia Williams-portrayed in beautifully painted comic book format, but using correct language and great pictures of what the Globe theatre looked like, how its audience reacted to and behaved (and misbehaved!) during the play. My daughter started poring over it at the age of 5, now at 7 she loves anything Shakespeare. We just got Shakespeare Stories (comes in versions I and II) by Leon Garfield form the library--each tale is told like a very long short story, complete with quite a bit of true dialogue--we are really enjoying them. And believe me I'm learning a lot! ========================================Back to the TopBack to the Digest Index