Delighting in Latin - A Song School Latin 2 Review

                                   This post is sponsored by Classical Academic Press.

One of my favorite things this past year has been learning Latin.  I knew nothing about Latin before we started last year, so I am learning right along with my children. What I love the most is learning how much of our English language is influenced by Latin. I am continually amazed at how many of our words are derived in some way from Latin words.

English just makes so much more sense when you know Latin.  I can't believe that I can already tell that after only doing 2 years of very basic learning...taught by a monkey =)

Here are a couple of examples of words that have me delighting in learning Latin:

Contradict -

contra = against
dico = I speak


Transport -

trans = across
porto = I carry


Do you love that too, or am I just odd?  I think I learn things better when I can know the "why" behind them, so when I can see our words broken down like that, it leaves me amazed!

In those examples, I probably should have given the infinitive (to speak, to carry), but I'm still learning, so I did the best I could =)  I'm sure you got the idea despite my insufficiency.

Using Song School Latin 2

Last year we used Song School Latin 1, so this year we moved right along to Song School Latin 2.  SSL1 focuses mostly on fun, familiar words and is a wonderful way to introduce a child to Latin.  When I got to flip through SSL2, I was amazed at how much longer the book was, and how much more content it covered.  It still has all the fun of SSL1, but adds much more grammar.

Each chapter includes new vocab words, a fun song, a grammar lesson, worksheets, and activities.  If you want a better look (or listen!) at these components, the Classical Academic Press website has samples of everything for you.

I am not making my son memorize all of the words and especially not all of the conjugations and declensions.  Of course you could do that, but I am looking at this program as a first taste of learning Latin and I want my kids to just be excited about it.  (We go through every chapter and practice everything, I'm just not testing him on the material.)

So far, it is working =)  As I sit here typing this, my son actually asked me if I could play the Monkey Match game with him.  I told him to wait just a few minutes, so now he is playing by himself on the other side of the room and humming one of the Latin songs.  No joke!

My kids both are learning so much and think it is so neat to see what derivatives we get from Latin.  When we are out at the store and hear people talking another language, I always think it is so funny when my 5 year old daughter says "Oh, they are probably speaking Latin."  I love that Latin is just a normal part of our life (not that we are any good at it yet!)

Another part of the curriculum that you can get is the DVD.  That is the kind of 'extra' that I typically don't get.  I figure if I'm teaching the lesson already, why do I need someone else to teach it to my kids again.  In this case, I would have been making a big mistake!  The SSL2 DVD is very much worth it for so many reasons.

• It helps you hear the pronunciation clearly, if you are not already a Latin pro
• It gives your child another exposure to the material, since it is something completely new
• It gives Latin an element of fun, if they are not as excited about the derivatives as I am =)
• It helps your child learn through multiple senses

The DVD lessons are short and sweet.  Each lesson has a few parts: new vocabulary, derivatives, grammar lesson, and a fun cartoon at the end.  Can I make a confession?  I've never actually seen the DVD.  Eek!  I feel bad saying that!  I may have never seen them, but I have heard them many, many times.  We have a built in DVD player in our minivan and I really don't appreciate having it there, but the one thing I will let my kids occasionally watch are these Latin DVDs.  I really enjoy listening to them.  The voices are pleasing, the derivatives are fascinating, and the cartoon at the end is really funny.  Here is a sample (so I guess now I can say that I've seen it!)

Song School Latin Giveaway

Here comes the fun part!  If you are looking for a Latin program to use with your lower elementary students next year, you can enter to win the entire Song School Latin 2 curriculum!  Classical Academic Press has graciously offered to give one of my readers the complete SSL2 program which includes:

• Song School Latin 2 Student Edition
• Song School Latin 2 Teacher's Edition
• Latin Monkey Match 2 Flashcard Game
• Song School Latin 2 DVD Set

If you don't win, or if you are in need of a different Latin curriculum, you can use code: LLH20 to get 20% off of any Latin curriculum (included the already discounted bundles!) at Classical Academic Press until the end of the month (7-31-15).

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WIN a Book that will Enrich Your Mind and Soul - Scholé Everyday

Thank you Classical Academic Press for sponsoring this giveaway!

This post wraps up our month of Scholé Everyday!   If you missed the first post which explains what's going on, take a minute to read it.  Remember, these are just going to be short posts with an idea to encourage you in the way of restful learning.

Do you remember at the beginning of the month when I encouraged you to join the great conversation?   Well, did you?  Did you pick a book from your shelf, the library, or amazon? (If so, what did you pick!?)

If you haven't picked a book yet, that's ok!  Today I have some great news.  Next month we will be starting back up with the Classical Mamas Read book club, so you can just read along!  I promise that this book will be inspiring to you.  It will open your eyes to a greater understanding of classical education and put you right into the great conversation!  So what is it?

The Liberal Arts Tradition

The Liberal Arts Tradition is published by Classical Academic Press and authored by Kevin Clark and Ravi Scott Jain.  The best news is that you can enter to win one of three copies at the end of this post!

This book is perfect for anyone who already has a basic understanding of what classical education is and wants to learn more.  The back of the book says it well:

"This book introduces readers to a paradigm for understanding classical education that transcends the familiar three-stage pattern of grammar, logic, and rhetoric.  Instead, this book describes the liberal arts as a central part of a larger and more robust paradigm of classical education..."

So what do you think?  Will you join me in reading The Liberal Arts Tradition?  The book club will start on October 17th, which gives you a few weeks to get the book...if you don't win the giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who joined me in this month of Scholé!  I hope you will continue learning from a state of rest, and reading this book along with me is a great step to help that happen!

Enter using the Raffelbopter below, and let's get to reading!  I can wait to learn along with you and to encourage one another in our classical education journey.

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Harmony Fine Arts Back-to-School Sale & a Giveaway!

Hi friends!  I just wanted to let you know about a great Back-to-School sale over at my sponsor, Harmony Fine Arts.  From now until the end of the month, you can get 25% off of your entire order using discount code: BACK2SCHOOL

Also, as an awesome bonus for adding Harmony Fine Arts to your curriculum, you will be entered to win an awesome giveaway!  Check out all this great stuff:

 

To see all the details, use the discount code, and enter the giveaway,

Visit Harmony Fine Arts!

Classical Inspiration from the Great Homeschool Convention

This post is sponsored by Great Homeschool Conventions.  Don't miss the info at the end about the Ontario, California convention in June! 

Two weeks ago today, my husband and I were heading out to the Great Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati, OH.  I was so excited because we had never been to a homeschool convention before.  (Also, our kids were with their grandparents, so it was like a mini-vacation!)

We had gone over the list of sessions and written down the ones that were really interesting/relevant to us.  I had planned when we would take breaks for meals and trips to the exhibitor hall.  We had packed comfortable clothes, water bottles, notebooks, and pens.  We were ready!

I am happy to report that we did pretty well!  There was one session that wasn't what we thought it would be and another that I really wanted to go to but had to skip, but other than that, we followed our schedule!

My husband and I went to about half of the sessions together and then split up for the other half.  For some of the time slots there were two topics that just sounded too interesting, so we divided and conquered.  Also, my husband really hasn't done all that much thinking about homeschooling, so he went to a few more basic sessions that were very helpful to him.

For those of you who are regular readers here at Living and Learning at Home, you know that classical education is my passion.  I know that the same could be said of many of you!  Now, everyone has their own reason for going to a homeschool convention (what's great about GHC is that there is truly something for everyone!) but for me, it was to listen to the incredible classical education speakers.

My Favorite Sessions

Classical Education Panel with Dr. Perrin (Classical Academic Press), Mr. Cothran, Dr. Renyolds, and Mr. Kern

I plan on talking more about some of the great things I learned from these speakers in the coming months, but here is a taste.  I'll list some of the sessions that I went to and a take-away point.

• Teaching from a State of Rest (Andrew Kern) -Wow, this guy is deep!  He talked about our inner-self, and (as Christians) having the Holy Spirit in us, and being able to be at rest.  This one is hard for me, so I definitely need to re-visit my notes!

• What Traditional Stories do that Modern Ones Don't (Martin Cothran) - We need stories with heros.  We need to show our children stories that have clear conflict and right vs wrong.

• Releasing Your Child From the Grip of Entertainment (Sharon Hofer) - A child should never be bored!  Replace entertainment with projects.  This is something that I've been actively working on since getting home =)  "Children should rather create than be passively entertained."

Dr. Perrin from Classical Academic Press

• Putting Schole Back into School (Christopher Perrin) - This was the highlight of the conference for me.  Dr. Perrin talked about restful learning and taking the time to appreciate the good, true, and beautiful.  He opened my eyes to a whole deeper understanding of classical education.   It is so much more than then trivium, friends!  I will be unpacking this in posts to follow

• The Recovery of Memory (Christopher Perrin) - Another great one!  Dr. Perrin challenged us to start memorizing for the sake of our minds.  We need to step away from our technology from time to time and think.  "Memorization teaches contemplation."

Meeting Great People!

Oh, the people!  There are just so many people =)  My husband and I ran into one couple that we knew from home, though there were others that we just didn't see.

I even met one of you!  G3Mom had her eagle eye out and spotted me in one of the sessions!  It was so nice to put a face with a name (or maybe a body with an avatar =) She had her 3 kids with her and they looked like they were having a great time!

Then I was able to have a short meetup with a few of the great ladies from the iHomeschool Network.  I interact with these girls often online, but had never met any of them before.  The only bad part about there being so many great sessions to attend is that there isn't enough time to really enjoy visiting with all the great people =)  I guess next year it would be fun to come a day early (or stay a day late) just to spend more time with everyone!

One other great opportunity is being able to talk to the curriculum folks and session speakers.  I'd rather be a fly on the wall, so I didn't really do that, but people like Dr. Perrin and Mr. Cothran were completely accessible to chat with in the exhibitor hall or right after their sessions.  I did talk to a nice lady selling violins, though =)

Still to come...Ontario, California

Do you live in the western USA (or do you like to travel)?  Then you still have a chance to catch all this classical education goodness next month at the Ontario, CA Great Homeschool Convention! 

With just a few minor changes, you can hear these sessions and more (ones from Classical Conversations for example), plus encouraging sessions and ones about all kinds of specific curricula and subjects.  Check out the dozens of speakers here.

Did you know will have the largest homeschool curriculum exhibit hall in all of California? Wow! Check out the 100's of companies!

Other points of interest:

• Family Comedy Night with Bob Smiley
• Teen Track - Real Faith for the Real World
• Children's Conference
• FREE parking available!
• Discounted hotel rates available (from $89)

Register Now!  You won't be disappointed! 

 

 

7 Vendors Where You Might Run Into Me at the Cincinnati Great Homeschool Convention

This post is sponsored by Great Homeschool Conventions.

It's just a few weeks until the Great Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati, OH!   Can you tell I'm excited?

I'm excited to have a mini vacation.

I'm excited to be surrounded with like-minded homeschool families.

I'm excited to introduce my husband to the finer details of homeschooling =)

I'm also excited to browse the vendor hall!

I've never been to a homeschool convention before, so I have a lot to learn, but I think I'm ready!

If you haven't already seen, the Cincinnati convention has its session schedule out and also the list of vendors that will be there.

I thought today it would be fun to share with you what vendors you might run into me at =)  There are at least 300 of them, but seven have piqued my interest for one reason or another.

First of all, I can only run into you if you are going to be there!  Will you be there?  Please leave me a comment if you will be.  I'd love to meet some of my readers at the convention!

Here they are in random order......

Classical Academic Press

I love Classical Academic Press!  They are a sponsor here at Living and Learning at Home because I pursued a relationship with them after using (and loving!) Song School Latin.  We are almost done with book 1 so I'm ready to get book 2!  I'm also really interested in Writing and Rhetoric.  I think it's still a year or two off for my son, but I'd really like to take a look in person!

EBARU Publishing/The Violin Book

My daughter's birthday is just a few days before the convention.  She is going to be 4 years old!  Since before Christmas she has been very interested in violins.  Really, she is mesmerized by all beautiful music.  We got her a toy guitar for Christmas (because that is much cheaper) to see if her interest would remain, and if anything it has only intensified.  I'm pretty sure that she is going to be getting a real, pint-sized violin for her birthday.  Now, my problem is deciding what to do as far as teaching her how to play.  Do I find a book that I can learn from and teach her at the same time?  Do I enroll her in (pricy) lessons?  I really am not sure what do to, but you can bet that I'll be looking at The Violin Book and hopefully getting some advice!

LEGO Education

The last one was for my daughter, so how about one for my son?  My son loves all things LEGO, but we have never used anything in their Education line.  The simple machine stuff looks like it would be fun!  Maybe we will just have to get a little present for him =)

Classical Conversations

If you've been around here long, you probably know that Classical Conversations is something that I reconsider on a monthly basis =)  I have always been fascinated with the program, but something has always kept me from taking the plunge.  Thanks to lots of you lovely ladies who are a part of Classical Conversations, I have come to understand so much about the program and would love to learn even more!

Simply Charlotte Mason

When I first started researching homeschooling methods, I really liked the looks of both the classical style and the Charlotte Mason style.  I loved that they both incorporated lots of living books and studied things in a logical manner (for instance, history chronologically).  While I ultimately chose a more classical path, my temperament can always use a dash of 'gentle' so I try to keep the Charlotte Mason method in mind when planning our days.  In fact, I have used a number of resources recommended by SimplyCharlotteMason.com have have really enjoyed them.  I'm looking forward to browsing through what they have displayed at the convention!

Lamplighter Publishing

I love old stories.  I love quality stories.  I am not very familiar with Lamplighter, but I've heard really good things!  We try to read out loud a lot with the kids often throughout the day and I'm sure we would enjoy these books.  I'm sure I will enjoy taking a look at their books!  Do you have any favorite Lamplighter resources?

Saxon Homeschool

We just started using Saxon for math (well, really supplementing the Ray's Arithmetic we are using) in January.  I have loved the dimension it brings to our day.  We have been going through the kindergarten curriculum quite quickly, and I'm looking forward to moving on to the 1st grade book.  I figure I can check to see if the prices are any good at the convention.  What has your experience been with convention vendor prices?  Better than you could normally find online?  Higher because they have you trapped?  =)  I'd love to know what to expect!

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 Have I missed any good ones?

What are your favorite vendors on the list?  

 Where might I run into you?

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Did you know that we really could meet at the GHC?  Well, besides just happening to run into each other at one of the vendors or in one of the classical themed sessions =)  They are working on organizing a Blogger Meet-Up so that everyone can meet in person all the names that we are so well acquainted with online!  It's still in the works, so make sure to follow Great Homeschool Conventions on facebook and twitter to find out the details when they are made available!

Bringing Order Back to My Life with Paperless Home Organization

I am excited to share with you this post about one of my new sponsors, Simply Convivial!

I am a very organized person, or at least I'd like to think that I am.  The truth is that since I had my first child, my planning turned more into a survival mode.  I love to plan and I used to thrive on being organized.  These past few years, I have just been doing things as I can, hoping it all gets done, and crossing my fingers that I'm not forgetting anything.

My husband is super easy going and really never complains, but when he starts organizing the basement on a Saturday or asking if we could have a better system for something, I feel like I'm letting him down.  At the same time, though, I know that I'm doing all that I can.  I'm not trying to say that every wife should have her home and everything in her life perfectly organized, but I am keenly aware that I deeply desire organization back in my life.

This picture is of me back in the days when I was organized =)  Just a happy, young girl at her wedding shower, excited to begin organizing her own home!  What nice memories!

About two months ago, Mystie from Simply Convivial introduced me to her ebooks GTD for Homemakers and Paperless Home Organization.  I thought they might give me some ideas, tools, or maybe even just a little inspiration to get organized again.  Boy was I right!  These books did all three!  I read both of them all the way through and plan on going through them again (which is a mark to me that a book is really worthwhile =)

These books are filled with really helpful information, not just fluff that you already know.  GTD for Homemakers is the why part of the duo and Paperless Home Organization is the how.  Well, I guess GTD for Homemakers has a lot of how in it too, but Paperless Home Organization really takes your hand and walks you step-by-step through setting up a complete organizational system on your computer (or other electronic device).

The goal of Mystie's books is to help you be able to enjoy what is presently going on in your life by not being mentally drained thinking of all the things you need to in the future.  The point is to get it all out of your head so that you are not thinking about it.  If you have it organized outside of your head, you can rest easy.  At the same time you can be confident that you are not forgetting anything.

It's funny, because as I read and reflected on these books I recalled that this is exactly how I used to function (pre-kids)!  I literally remember telling people who asked me about something coming up, "I have no idea, but I can find it out for you in just a second."  I used to practice these principles and I am happy that I am beginning to practice them again =)

"Defining my work appeals most to me, yet doing predefined work is what eludes me most." (GTD for Homemakers pg 11)

This is exactly me, and when I read this I knew that this book would be helpful!  I love to plan and make lists, but it's the doing of the work that is the tricky part =)

"As you go along, remember to just do anything that will take you less than two minutes to do." (GTD for Homemakers pg 36)

I thought this was a great tip!  If you have something that can be done quickly, it will take you less time to just do it than it would do write it down, think about it, decide when to do it, etc.

My Life Before Reading Paperless Home Organization

• Dirty dishes in the sink at all times...enough to do another whole load
• Always playing catch up with the laundry
• Feeling overwhelmed by the thousand thoughts swimming in my head
• Often forgetting things
• Feeling like I would be embarrassed if someone stopped by my house without giving notice
• Frustrated that there just aren't enough hours in the day

My Life After Reading Paperless Home Organization

• Satisfied with the few dishes that might be in the sink at any given time
• Literally not having any laundry to do one day...it was all done!
• Being able to focus on one task at a time, knowing that the next thing to do is written down and waiting for me later
• Feeling confident that we could be ready for visitors with just a quick 15 minute go-over of the house
• Having my husband say to me, "You should really write those ideas down." and being able to respond, "I already have!"
• Looking at my husband one Saturday and actually saying, "I sort of feel bored." Then he reminded me that it was just about dinner time ;)  

The great thing about the ideas in these books is that you will benefit even if you only implement one or two of them.  Then as you settle on those new processes, give one of the books a look through again and find the next easy idea to apply.  That is exactly where I am.  I am really happy with the way things are going, but I'm sure that I didn't catch everything the first time through and I know that there are more ways that I can be using the system to increase my organization.  I'm excited to read through them again!

This week only, you can get Paperless Home Organization and almost 100 other resources as a part of the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle!  

Learn more about this great deal or pick up your bundle today!

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If you are feeling stressed out with all that is going on in your life, if your mind is swimming with a hundred things at any given moment, or if you just feel like you could use a better system for keeping track of everything, I highly encourage you to get these books.

You can get GTD for Homemakers or Paperless Home Organization for just $4.99 each.  I recommend starting with GTD for Homemakers if you need a new mindset about keeping organized.  If you just need the help understanding how to make your computer/smartphone really help you in the process, you might be able to go right to Paperless Home Organization.

I hope that you will soon be on a journey to a more peaceful, satisfying, organized life!

Purchase Now or Learn More!

Be Inspired by Dr. Ben Carson - {free} copywork

This post is sponsored by Great Homeschool Conventions.  You can hear Dr. Ben Carson speak at the Greenville, SC and Cincinnati, OH conventions this year.

I'm embarrassed to say that I had never heard of Dr. Ben Carson before I began browsing the Great Homeschool Convention website a few months ago.  I heard people talking about how excited they were to hear him speak, so I thought I should figure out who this guy is!  In case you are unaware like I was, let me share a little bit of what I learned.

Dr. Carson grew up in inner-city Detroit.  He was raised mostly by his mother and did not look to have a bright future.  He grew up in dire poverty and struggled with a horrible temper, but his mother challenged him and his brother to dream of more than their current circumstances.  She turned off their TV and made him read books.  Dr. Carson learned of the great opportunities that were available to him and dreamed of being a physician.  

Long story short, he became one of the leading neurosurgeons in America, and is the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins.  He has an amazingly inspirational story that he shares in his book Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, and challenges us to do as he did in his book Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence.

If you are going to the Greenville, SC or Cincinnati, OH Great Homeschool Conventions, you will have the privilege of hearing Dr. Caron speak.  I have created some free copywork pages for you to prepare your children to listen to him.  If you are not going to the conference, these are still wonderful copywork pages for your children because Dr. Carson's words will be an inspiration to them!

Here are some of the Dr. Carson quotes that are included in the copywork pack:

"Success is determined not by whether or not you face obstacles, but by your reaction to them."  Dr. Ben Carson   Tweet this!

 "Successful people don't have fewer problems.  They have determined that nothing will stop them from going forward."   Dr. Carson  Tweet this!

 "Everyone in the world is worth being nice to, because God never creates inferior human beings.  Each person deserves respect and dignity."  Dr. Carson   Tweet this!

 "Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but what we give."  Dr. Carson  Tweet this!

 "The doors of the world are opened to people who can read."  Dr. Carson  Tweet this!

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Download Copywork

8 pages of Dr. Ben Carson quotes

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I hope you enjoy this copywork and I hope that you will join me at the Great Homeschool Conventions (I'll be in Cincinnati)!

Want to know more about Dr. Ben Carson?  Spotlight on Dr. Ben Carson.

Ultimate Typing - The Easy and Effective Way for Typing Fast

Do your children need to learn to type or improve their typing skills?  Ultimate Typing might be just what you need!  Thank you to Ultimate Typing for wanting to share with us today!

Ultimate Typing™ is a touch typing tutor that lets you improve your typing skills quickly and without the often repetitive and boring efforts required by other systems. It has been designed by touch typing experts so every feature of it is carefully created to facilitate learning. The software was developed by eReflect, an educational software company, whose design team has built Ultimate Typing™ incorporating the latest technology to help people master their keyboarding skills fast.

A "Personal Tutor" Approach 

Ultimate Typing™ is more than simply a typing software program, it's a personal tutor program that offers guidance, help, and recommendations as you practice to ensure your learning is progressing. The software features high quality video tutorials in which your personal tutor explains typing theory before you are prompted to put it into practice.

Progress Monitoring 

Your typing practice is monitored by an activity tracking tool, which recommends new milestones based on your performance. The system also encourages you to practice further on certain aspects of keyboarding if the tracking tool notices that you are progressing in some areas more than others. This sort of progress tracking is what lets any typist develop balanced typing skills and excel both in typing speed and accuracy.

Personalized Learning 

Ultimate Typing™ is not a rigidly structured software system that uses a "one size fits all" approach. Instead, it is fully customizable, allowing it to meet your individual typing needs, regardless of your previous knowledge or typing level. Its technology permits you to set typing milestones and then uses your input to help you focus on different aspects of typing. The more you practice, the more accurately the software offers feedback and adjusts your training accordingly. This is especially helpful for younger users or beginner typists who can benefit a lot more from a tailored typing practice. However, experienced users will appreciate the flexibility of the exercises in the higher levels.

This personalized approach is a feature that respects each typist’s individual learning style and pace, making any user quickly comfortable with the system, and encouraging them to work on their weaknesses before moving on to more advanced touch typing practice.

Combines Typing Skills and New Knowledge 

An innovative feature of the system is the way it expands learning beyond essential keyboarding skills. By giving the user the ability to choose the text they want to practice typing with, Ultimate Typing™ brings together two skills that are in high demand today: keyboarding and staying up to date with the latest information.

 
Whether you’re a homeschooled student, a 35 year old mom, or a busy professional, you'll appreciate the fact that the software offers a wide range of typing content to practice with. As you work on your typing skills, you'll also be reading and learning new information. The system has over 500 ebooks pre-installed to choose from, and users can also input or download any text documents they want to use to learn to touch type with.

Ultimate Typing™ is a complete typing tutor. It's obvious that a great deal of work and research has gone into its development. The practice lessons and games are engaging and offer users plenty of incentive to keep them motivated with their touch typing training.

It’s the perfect typing tutor for all sorts of learning environments, whether that's homeschooling, schools, or even offices. And it's the perfect typing tutor for you.

 Learn more or Purchase for $29.95