Added to Links by Subject Page–Finally

So it seems like it’s been forever since I’ve added anything to my links page but I have found a few sites. And I noticed that I am in serious need of going through the links for broken links. A job for another day…

Not many, very short post but here they are.

Sites of Interest
+Safe Internet Information Resources-  find various links grouped by subject on this page. I've not looked at all the links so cannot vouch that all work but the ones I checked were good links (thanks to Nancy Cashian and 'kids' for this link).
=SchoolhouseTeachers.com this site has way more than I could list in a short post! The cost is $5.95 a month, with your first month just $1.
+Highland Heritage Home School site with a lot "many items that hopefully will prove helpful to your own classroom - be it either in a school or at home." Forms and unit studies by subject.

Science
+Science Class free chemistry and physics lessons (thanks to Emilie).
+Marcia's Science Teaching Ideas great site with lots of ideas on how to teach different aspects of science, also has a few links to other places.
+The Science Queen I've not checked the entire site but like it so far, is good for middle school science tips and ideas.
+The Science Spot lots of links to go through on this...I haven't done it yet.

Language Arts
+Daily Grammar- 440 total lessons starting very basic; has quizzes also. Printed books can be purchased.

Bible
+E-Sword   Bible study software downloads
+Bible Master   Bible study site
+Bible History   Biblical history site
+Online Parallel Bible   compare Bibles 'side by side', also has concordance, dictionary, commentary, etc,
+Links for apologetics/defending faith This is from a website called Recon; not all links have been checked and I don't agree with all that are linked but many are useful; includes some that I have here also.

Highlighting Links by Subject for Schooling: Art #2

Each week or so there will be a post {or two} highlighting some links that have been collected and compiled on the Links by Subject for Schooling page on my blog. At this point, I plan to go alphabetically through the subjects because that’s how I am but the websites most likely won’t be alphabetized…sorry for any confusion!

Art

This round will feature online art galleries.

CGFA Art Gallery- A virtual art museum.

Olga’s Gallery- A collection of over 300 painters with over 12,000 works.

ArtCyclopedia- Although not a real ‘gallery’ it does feature many works and the artists. Get to know more about artists and their work.

Garden of Praise Art Gallery- You can visit the second gallery here. Also there are “art lessons” that feature quite a few works also.

Avalon Arts- This goes to a gallery of children’s art! I included this to let kids see that they can be an artist, too.

Google Art Project- Search for artwork, or by artist, and search users collections.

Those are all of the links for Art Galleries that have been collected. Stay tuned for more link ‘highlights’ every so often.

Highlighting Links by Subject for Schooling- Sites of Interest for Learning/Teaching

Each week there will be a post {or two or three} highlighting some links that have been collected and compiled on the Links by Subject for Schooling page on my blog. At this point, I plan to go alphabetically through the subjects because that’s how I am but the websites most likely won’t be alphabetized…sorry for any confusion!

Sites of Interest

Sites for Teachers- a collection of websites where you can find resources for teaching. It was being ‘upgraded’ last I checked (it is still accessible and still works). FYI- I think it may be moving to a different page/site.

All My Faves/Education- this is a site with so many sites listed you'll just have to check it out to see how great it is! Not all the sites are free but I'm sure there are a lot!

CK-12- open content, the mission is to reduce the cost of textbook materials for the K-12 market both in the U.S. and worldwide. (Thanks to Laurie from 3RHomeschooling for the great resource!)

SAT Practice & 4Tests.com- FREE practice! (fyi- the 2nd one does have occasional unrelated pop-ups) 

Hippo Campus great site for upper grades (rising middle schoolers through high school) features Algebra*, Statistics, US History, American Government, Biology, Calculus*, Environmental Science, Physics, Psychology, Religion *offered in Spanish also.

Those are some of the links for Sites of Interest for Learning/Teaching that have been collected. Stay tuned for more link ‘highlights’ every so often.

Highlighting Links by Subject for Schooling- Science

Each week there will be a post {or two or three} highlighting some links that have been collected and compiled on the Links by Subject for Schooling page on my blog. At this point, I plan to go alphabetically through the subjects because that’s how I am but the websites most likely won’t be alphabetized…sorry for any confusion!

Science

Houghton Mifflin Experience Science- K-6 Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science. Worksheets, simulations, and assessments (of the material presented) from Education Place.

The Biology Place- From Pearson Education. Activities, labs, glossary and quizzes as it pertains to biology. To see other science offerings, view the science page.

Fractals- Learn more about and create fractals. “They show an order in seemingly random things, and give us tools with which we can predict the weather, render natural looking objects, and help understand the order in our chaotic lives (from the website).”

The Virtual Scope- use this virtual microscope to learn how to use a real microscope.

MSNucleus.org- Find curriculum for K-12 as well as other supplements for math and technology. Here is a page for Teacher’s Resources.

Those are just some of the links for Science that have been collected. Stay tuned for more link ‘highlights’ every so often.

Highlighting Links by Subject for Schooling- (Ray’s) Mathematics

Each week there will be a post {or two or three} highlighting some links that have been collected and compiled on the Links by Subject for Schooling page on my blog. At this point, I plan to go alphabetically through the subjects because that’s how I am but the websites most likely won’t be alphabetized…sorry for any confusion!

Mathematics

This week it is specifically Ray’s Mathematics.

Ray's Primary Arithmetic
Ray's New Primary Arithmetic
Ray's Intellectual
Ray's New Intellectual Arithmetic revised
Ray's New Elementary Algebra revised edition of Rudiments
Ray's Practical Arithmetic, by Induction and Analysis
Ray's New Practical Arithmetic revised
Ray's Arithmetical Key to the Third Book use with some of Intellectual and all of Practical
Ray's Algebra, Part First
Ray's Algebra, Part Second
Ray's Key to Algebra Part First and Second
Ray's New Test Examples
Key to Ray's New Higher Arithmetic

Those are some of the links for Math (Ray’s) that have been collected. Stay tuned for more link ‘highlights’ every so often.

Highlighting Links by Subject for Schooling- Language Arts

Each week there will be a post {or two or three} highlighting some links that have been collected and compiled on the Links by Subject for Schooling page on my blog. At this point, I plan to go alphabetically through the subjects because that’s how I am but the websites most likely won’t be alphabetized…sorry for any confusion!

Language Arts

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Companies Free workbooks grades 6-12 on this page...but check the rest of the site for more resources!

Scott Foresman Reading Headquarters Free workbooks online by clicking Teaching Resources and then Online Writing and Grammar Handbooks

The Basic Cozy Spelling Course Free site with links on the sidebar that lead to Grammar, Punctuation, and Essay courses

KISS Grammar- The site is a bit tricky to navigate but it looks like a good free program.

Grammar Lessons Free site by Joan the English Chick

Spelling City Free site that offers games, tests and more for learning a plethora of words!- the paid subscription is only $24.99 a year for a family with 5 students which includes quite a few more games and record keeping capabilities the free doesn’t offer. Watch for my review of this site on 2/20/12.

Those are some of the links for Language Arts that have been collected. Stay tuned for more link ‘highlights’ every so often.

Highlighting Links by Subject for Schooling- Foreign Language

Each week there will be a post {or two or three} highlighting some links that have been collected and compiled on the Links by Subject for Schooling page on my blog. At this point, I plan to go alphabetically through the subjects because that’s how I am but the websites most likely won’t be alphabetized…sorry for any confusion!

Foreign Language

Byki- Learn a language from A to Z This program is available for free {the Express edition} or for purchase {the Deluxe edition}. On the site you can access lists that have been made by other learners/contributors to help learn a new language. The Express edition allows you to read, hear, write and track your progress. The Deluxe edition has more support and also more resources than the Express edition.

Livemocha- Free language learning lessons and resources for a limited number of languages {38 languages at my count}. We’ve used this in our homeschool and found it to be quite good. Read, listen, match and say words and sentences to learn. A “Gold Key” can be purchased by the month or for a year which allows for extra resources for any of the languages that Livemocha offers {much more than 38}.

World Champ- Free site with resources for learning over 100 foreign languages. It has flashcards, Absolute Recall™, web reader {so you can read other foreign sites without a dictionary}, classes and soon will have self-paced lessons. For the classes, I’m not sure if these are strictly through access from an outside source {such as taking a class at a school and the instructor giving the students a code to access the class online}. Also, the site does offer Premium membership which grants access to more resources.

Free Online Language Courses- From word2word.com, this site offers links to free courses for learning many different languages. Quite a few different links that take learners to other sites for learning. Also many languages have more than one link {Russian has 14 links!; Spanish- I lost count} if you are not happy with one site. I can’t vouch for all the links because I’ve only used a few.

WorldLanguage.com- This is a website where you can purchase resources and materials for learning a foreign language. By putting it in this post, I’m not suggesting it is better than other sites. You may find these items at different sites for a better value but you may find something here that you’d not known of previously. Good starting point when looking for products to purchase, perhaps.

Those are some of the links for Foreign Language that have been collected. Stay tuned for more link ‘highlights’ every so often.

Highlighting Links by Subject for Schooling- Home Economics

Each week there will be a post {or two or three} highlighting some links that have been collected and compiled on the Links by Subject for Schooling page on my blog. At this point, I plan to go alphabetically through the subjects because that’s how I am but the websites most likely won’t be alphabetized…sorry for any confusion!

Home Economics

This isn't just for girls!

FCH Handbook- although this is directed towards females with the mentality that they will be the homemakers, these are good skills for all to acquire- that way if they (the boys) don't have a female to 'make their home' they will be able to do it themselves! (no longer free *sniff*)

Home Baking Association- This site does offer free resources but you have to dig some. You can find recipes, sign up for a newsletter and find baking activities

Food Forum- free worksheets pertaining to dealing with and preparing food. Designed for younger ages/grades. It is a UK site therefore wording is UK-style *wink* I didn't try all the links but most of them and they download just fine.

Home Economics Lesson Plans- these range from middle school to college/university. They do not include any extras just the 'plan'. I thought it interesting what is included in 'home economics' in this list...

Home Economics/Work and Family Studies- includes a link list of sites that may have some good home economic resources. I've not checked them all.

Those are some all of the links for Home Economics that have been collected. If you have more, please share! Stay tuned for more link ‘highlights’ every so often.

Highlighting Links by Subject for Schooling- Computers

Each week there will be a post {or two or three} highlighting some links that have been collected and compiled on the Links by Subject for Schooling page on my blog. At this point, I plan to go alphabetically through the subjects because that’s how I am but the websites most likely won’t be alphabetized…sorry for any confusion!

Computers

Microsoft- The link will take you to lesson plans that are available at Microsoft but you will need to search through them to find computer related plans. Or here is a page that offers curriculum for faculty that includes cloud training, Silverlight, programing for gaming, and more. Or if you look here you can find software for teachers.

Alice- “is an innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the web. Alice is a teaching tool for introductory computing. It uses 3D graphics and a drag-and-drop interface to facilitate a more engaging, less frustrating first programming experience.” This is suitable for upper elementary through college and it’s free.

eLearning for Kids- Geared towards kids ages 5-12, this site offers free basic ‘courses’ that help kids learn how to use computers. Courses pertain to Word, PowerPoint, Excel and internet search and safety.

W3Schools- Free site for leaning html, web design, css, xml, browser and server scripting, and much more. It says for beginners and experts but I’m not sure how much of a beginner. Certification is available but does cost.

Free Computer Training Sites- This is a page on a site that has a list of free training that you can take for computers. I’ve not checked all the links. It has quite a few ads interspersed throughout. It was last updated on 4/2/11.

Those are some of the links for Computers that have been collected. Stay tuned for more link ‘highlights’ every so often.

Highlighting Links by Subject for Schooling -Art

Each week there will be a post {or two or three} highlighting some links that have been collected and compiled on the Links by Subject for Schooling page on my blog. At this point, I plan to go alphabetically through the subjects because that’s how I am  but the websites most likely won’t be alphabetized…sorry for any confusion!

Art

Drawspace- This site offers over 200 free lessons on drawing, from beginner to advanced. Choose solo lessons {free} and/or guided learning courses {payment required}. Certification is also available through guided courses directed by professional art educators.

HodgePodge’s Free Pastel Tutorials- Wonderfully done pastel tutorials presented by “Nana” at HodgePodge. The lessons range from a mug of hot chocolate to a chickadee to a Medieval castle to tree reflection. These can be implemented with any age.

Watercoloring Painting- That link goes to the tutorial page where there are step by step illustrations for different ‘skills’ of watercolor. You can also click on the Learning tab on the page to ‘look, read, learn to make art’. Really, have a look all around the site; it is a great resource.

Learn to Draw Portraits- YouTube videos by “EclecticAsylumArt” that give some good tips for drawing portraits. Each video is about 10 minutes in length. My daughter went through the ‘series’ and thought it was helpful.

Jan Brett’s How to Draw…- The name says it all This is a collection of videos from Jan Brett showing how to draw various characters, from her books. The videos are not exclusively of her drawing but are generally short.

Those are some of the links for Art that have been collected. Stay tuned for more link ‘highlights’ every so often.

Homeschool.com’s Top Sites for 2012

I’ve followed Homeschool.com for a few years- even before we started homeschooling. I love their top sites list each year.

Have a look at this years top sites {if you want to}- there might be new places and resources to be found!

Homeschool.com Top Sites of 2012

Here are a few of my ‘new’ finds from that list:

• Pete’s Power Point Station- through power point presentation, teach/learn any subject.
• Youngzine- News and more for the young. When it says ‘young’ it doesn’t mean that excludes teens. There are a lot of resources on this site. Kids can post comments about the articles.
• BBC Learning Schools- there is so much I haven’t even scratched the surface! Watch educational videos, take online learning courses, play games, etc. Neat site!
• Softschools.com- I’m sure I’ve come across this site before but it’s been awhile. Find worksheets and games by subjects and grades at this site.

And two that are not new to me but are on the list:

• Homeschool Freebie of the Day- exactly what it says! For one day each week, they feature a ‘freebie’ for the taking {downloading}. But don’t miss it! The download links generally expire after the one day.
• neoK12- educational videos. All in one place! This site has been bookmarked on my favorites f.o.r.e.v.e.r but again, I’m glad it’s on the list. I am revisiting it like it’s the first time

So have a look at the list and find some great resources

Sharing some Links & Posts

First up: Fearlessly Feminine Challenge

I am participating in this but may not get any photos up until the last day (if at all!). I saw this going on last year and thought it interesting. This year I decided to join. I don't personally feel that women have to wear skirts/dresses all of the time. But I understand why some do feel that way. I wear jeans, corduroys, khakis, whatever feels comfortable. I respect others who feel they are directed to wear skirts. So why did I decide to join? To see what it is like to wear a skirt/dress every day. I love dresses and skirts but usually wear them only when there is an occasion for it. Like church or something fancy (dinner or whatnot). Yesterday I wore my favorite broomstick skirt. It is a teal blue and bright. It goes almost to my feet. Love that skirt. I wore a white tshirt that my hubby gave me from Oshkosh AirVenture. Today I am wearing my second favorite skirt- it is brown faux suede(?). The challenge asks not to wear sleeveless shirts so I am wearing a light blue tshirt with a button up white shirt with no sleeves. The tshirt is a little see-through because it isn’t a thick material so I figured the white over shirt would be good. Blue, brown and white- good combination of colors

Next is:
This Girl Learns- College Prep with a Charlotte Mason Education. I like this site because it breaks down what the plan for the week is for using AO. This is a secular AO/CM blog. You can always see fairly the same thing on AO’s site but it’s nice to see individuals plans, I think.

Followed by:
Course Repository- Open Educational Resource (OER) for students and faculty in higher education, high school and Advanced Placement. Find different books and labs, online, for subjects such as History, Biology, Physics, Calculus, and a few other.

And then:
Traditional English Sentence Style- free online grammar program through literature. The workbook is free online also.

Writing should always be obvious,
even to the most careless
and negligent reader.

We must study not only that
the reader may understand us,
but that it shall be impossible
for him not to understand us.
(Quintilian)

A little fun video:
Flowers are Fun!- drawing/doodling flowers.

And a couple of posts:
Singing is to the Song Thrush as Narration is to the Child by Nancy Kelly.
How to Create a Homeschool Binder @ FiveJs by Jessica from LifeasMom
Homeschool Showcase #80- I always miss this.
And He Walks- because I just love the little things in life (which are so monumental!)

Well that wraps up my sharing post At some point I will be back to discuss our doings and going-ons. *We are going to visit that river that is just down the road- TODAY*

What Do You Want To Be?

Many of us are already ‘grown-up’ but there are some of us that still are not sure what we want to be. When I was growing up, I wanted to be a teacher, a dancer (although I never even danced), a nurse, an accountant…and a few things in between (like an actress, like that would ever happen!). But interestingly enough, I didn’t even think about college. In high school my counselor suggested college but I didn’t really pay much attention at the time.

I didn’t even know what I wanted to be (in terms of a career) until about 6 years ago. Once I realized what I wanted to do then I started searching for colleges that would help me get there. I searched for the top online schools. I focused on online schools because with my husband’s job we move around a lot and I didn’t think we would be in a place long enough to finish my degree on location.

There are many websites that now can help you find online degrees such as Degree Jungle. If getting a degree is something you are interested in checking into more, perhaps Degree Jungle would be a good place to look. You can find in-depth rankings of online universities.

Brought to you by Degree Jungle at http://www.degreejungle.com

Few Links to Share ("Green" Edition)

I'm not feeling so hot this morning so I am working on school work (probably should be in bed). But while working on my schoolwork I decided to have a look-see at the blogs I follow. Here's a good one for 'going green' (and although it might ultimately be about helping the environment, it really helps us individually):

Home Grown Families 365 Days to Green #30 The Fourth R of Going Green REFUSE 

Honestly, this is something I must work on. I love pens, paper, notepads, key chains, etc. They are just clutter and trash really. Many never even have the privilege to be used.

Here are some other links you may (or may not) be interested in:

EcoHearth- Ecology News, Blogs, Zine

& from that site, here is a list of the Top 10 Things You Can Do to Save the Earth (and recycling isn't one of them).

An article on eating fresh produce that is in season.

And last but not least, is the Organic Consumers Association Green People Directory Buyers Guide. Find what you need, where you need it (of course, for wee little towns like mine, you most likely won't find it local).

Some Writing Resources

Since I am going to be teaching a Creative Writing class this semester at WNHEN Co-Op I decided I needed some online resources. And I've found quite a few worth sharing. 

First, the class is geared towards grades 3-5 but without knowing what levels they are at reading wise, I'm searching high and low for ideas. What I've come across just recently:

List of Adjectives and at the bottom are links to other 'list of's

Ten Creative Writing Activities

7 Science Fiction Writing Projects for Kids

I had a lot of websites open the other day when I was looking for short stories and writing prompts but unfortunately I did not save the sites! Of course if you just google Creative Writing, it generally brings up a bit.

Well, that's about it for tonight. I'm off to finish up my last bits and then off to bed. Tomorrow's Monday and it's gonna be a loooooong day.

Two sites worth sharing

Thanks to a comment left by someone on a different post, there is a Spanish help site that I'm going to share. Now, I've only browsed it for a short time (found it today) but I like what is there so far and hope that it continues to post relevant and helpful posts. The site is Spanish Help Now. 

The other site is one that homeschoolers may have already seen and bookmarked. But I'm including it today because I recall in 2009 I came across this site's list of 100 top sites and loved it! I see that many of those sites are still listed and there are new ones as well. The site is Homechool.com's Top 100 Educational Websites for 2011.

Enjoy and have a great day :)

Topic That Most Would Rather Not Think About- Life Insurance, Death, Funeral Arrangements

Not a pleasant topic. You might not wish to continue reading, and I understand.

A few years ago (well, almost 6 years to be more specific), my dh lost a close friend in death. He was the same age as my dh, who was 28 at the time. It was a very unexpected blow. It caused my dh to start thinking about things that he definitely didn't want to: death. And life insurance and funeral arrangements.

Not even two years after his friends death, my step-father passed away after dealing with cancer. Within a few months of this my dh lost one of his grandfathers in death. It just brings it to the forefront of our mind how fragile life is- how uncertain. My dh made the arrangements for what would happen in the event of his death. It's not something that I like to think about but at the same time, we need to be prepared because we just never know.

Just last month a 'friend' from the online community passed away from cancer and it again got my husband and I thinking about what we would do if one of us were to pass away. It isn't a lovely thought, it is downright sad and depressing. But it is something that I think needs to be thought about and discussed- and long before it is 'needed'. 

Something that I have thought about is the funeral process. When my great-grandmother passed away in 2002, I had no idea about final expense insurance or about funeral insurance policies. Of course, I wasn't part of the group of family members that took care of all the arrangements so I wouldn't have even been paying attention to those things. Something that I think, now, I should probably at least know about. But as I get older, these are some things that I need to think about. My dh tells me, "I've taken care of everything." But really, I don't know how it all works and I think I should.

I know that there is life insurance through MetLife that we can use to help ease the worry of financial strain in the case of an untimely death (when is there ever a 'timely' death??). I used to think that life insurance was only for those who were in dangerous jobs or situations or those with a lot of money (not sure why on that last one). But it isn't just for those people. It is actually for those who are left behind. The insurance would be helpful if a family member were to pass away- it would allow more time for the grieving perhaps- by allowing the added strain/stress of money issues to be less. 

I do apologize if this topic is something that brings sadness to any of those who read this post.

Top 5 Posts Viewed in 2010 @ NLH&S

I am doing what so many others do at this time of year- recapping the most popular blog posts based on blogger stats. Since I've not had my blog for even a year, just 7 months, I thought it would be quite interesting to see which were the most popular. I'm a little surprised- but only a little :) I will do a recap of the most popular 5 because there really weren't enough to go beyond that.

1. Downloading Books Onto the Kindle for PC...from Places Other than Amazon...Using Mozilla Firefox  Page views 598
2. Our School Room and Not Back to School Blog Hop...Sorta Page views 137
3. 50 Followers Giveaway Page views 129
4. Giveaway! Right Here! Page views 107
5. Kawaii Kitty on a Hot Day Page views 80

Surprisingly to me the way I get the most views (to the most viewed post) is from ManyBooks.net! They have a link to my tutorial on their Help page :)

We hope you have a wonderful end of the year and a blessed start of a new one! Here's to another great year!

Newest additions to Links pages

Lasted additions to the Links by Subject for Schooling and Homeschool Curriculum and Support Groups pages (sorry for duplicates!).

Homeschool Curriculum and Support Groups

+Joyful Light Education (RC focused) this site gives a lot of insight into using RC curriculum in your homeschool. It isn't strictly RC.

+Vital Core this is a blog that does not have a curriculum per se but it does have helpful information about strengthening the core of knowledge- reading, writing, and memorizing math facts- has links to math and vocabulary flash cards

Links by Subject for Schooling

Foreign Language

+/=Visual Latin video lessons for Latin (first lesson is free)

Geography/History

+American Revolutionary War a unit study put together by a Southern Utah University student, and the Lapbook put together by her mom :)

+US Constitution.net American History Costitution, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and other.

Language Arts

+FreeReading K-3 free full curriculum to grade 3 and reading intervention program to grade 6

Math

+Mathway I found this when trying to figure out an algebra problem with my dd. It is beta right now so there may be a cost at a later time (Premium membership is available also from what I can tell). You can put in any mathematical problem and get the solution- Premium accounts also get step-by-step solutions. (can't find the cost of the Premium right now- if you know, let me know!)

*Edited: Mathway, although a great site is not free for the purpose of getting the step-by-step solutions. You can still get the answer for free. When I found the site and checked it out, I was given a free trial of the Premium membership- which ranges from $4.99/day to $59.99/year.

What are you in the market for?

Does that sound funny? It reminds me of an old-time saying....but it might not be. I don't know. Anyway, I'm always in the market for something. I search online all the time for random things, like console tables (I like this one!)

or maps would love to have this one!) 

or dinnerware (some additions to my Pfaltzgraff) 

or whiteboards (can never have too many?). I cannot find things like these where I live generally. 

My town is in a time-warp I think ;) We have things that are upwards of 20 years old! Hey, that might be a good thing- that'd make them vintage... ;)


Well, off to do some more perusing :)