Draw, Write, Now. Adventures In U.S History

 Draw Write Now 

with MFW Adventures in U.S History

While we love My Father's World, we have never used the art that is recommended, and I have found a lot of success using Draw Write Now .  It provides an  independent time of art that ties into history, while I work with another child on other subjects, like Math or Language Arts. 

BOOKS USED

• Draw Write Now Book 2: Christopher Columbus, Autumn Harvest, Weather

• Draw Write Now Book 3: Native Americans, North America, Pilgrims 

• Draw Write Now Book 5: United States, From Sea to Sea, Moving Forward 

SCHEDULE

1. Book 5 – Flag pages 10 & 11
2. Book 2 - Christopher Columbus-All (We turned this into a book.)
3. -
4. Book 3 - Native Americans (We also turned these pages into a book.)

• East Coast Indians pages 12 & 13, 14&15, 16 &17
• Great Plains Indians, pages 18 & 19, 21 &22
• Southwest Indians, pages 24 & 25, 26 & 27
• Northwest Coast, pages 30 &31, 28 & 29

5. Book 3 - The Pilgrims (All)
6. -
7. Book 3 - The Birch Bark Canoe, pages 10 & 11
8. -
9. Book 5 – New Nation, pages 28& 29
10. Book 5 - United We Stand, pages 14 & 15
11. Book 5 – We the People, pages 12 & 13
12. Book 3 - The East pages 36 & 37
13. (Thanksgiving Week) Book 2 - The Autumn Harvest (All)
14. -
15.  Book 5 - New Nation pages 28 & 29 AND Book 5 - Liberty, pages 19 & 19

16. Book 2- Weather
17. Book 2- Weather
18. Book 5- The Frontier, pages 30 & 31
19. Book 5 – Waterways, pages 46 & 47
20. Book 5 - Louisiana Territory, pages 32 733
21. -
22. Book 5 – Trails, pages 48 & 49
23. Book 3 - The Interior, pages 38 & 39
24. Book 5 – Texas, pages 34 & 35
25. Book 5 - The Southwest, pages 38 & 39
26. Book 5 - Oregon Territory, pages 36 & 37
27. -
28. Book 5 - Divided We Fall, pages 16 & 17
29. -
30. Book 5 – Railroads, pages 50 & 51
31. Book 3 The Interior pages 38 & 39
32. Book 3 - The West, pages 40 & 41 AND  Book 5- Roadways, pages 52 & 53
33. Book 5 – Flight, pages 54 7 55  AND Book 3 The South, pages 42 & 43
34. Book 5 - The U.S.A. pages 40 & 41,  Book 5 Cyberspace pages 58 & 59

In second grade, you will only need books 2,3, and 5, but I  bought the  Boxed Set because I knew I would be using it for 2 full years of art, science, history, and writing practice. In 3rd grade it goes perfectly with Exploring Countries and Cultures as you learn how to draw animals from around the world and write a fact about them. They were well worth the investment.

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN MY OTHER POSTS 

How to Survive your First Year of Homeschooling

Back to School Season as a Homeschooler

Second Grade Curriculum~ MFW Adventures in U.S History

We are on our third year of using My Father's World.  We still love it just as much as when I first chose it over Sonlight.

You may also be interested in:

• Second Grade Work boxes/ Using Work boxes with Adventures in U.S History
• Organizing our Second Grade Homeschool Room/MFW Adventures in U.S History

Second Grade Curriculum (included in MFW Packages)
I can not say enough how much we love Adventures in U.S History by My Father's World.

• History, Science-My Father's World  Adventures in U.S History Deluxe package 

• Language Arts- Language Lessons for Today, Second grade (MFW Recommended) 

• Spelling- Spelling by Sound and Structure (MFW Recommended) 

• Reading- Book Basket from teacher's manual, personal home library 

2nd Grade Supplements (Not included in MFW packages)

• Math- Math U See, Alpha

MFW recommends Singapore Math.  While Singapore is a great system, it just didn't work for my hands-on learners.  As a teacher, I also appreciate the DVD curriclum, and the mastery approach (as opposed to spiral approach).

• Art- Draw, Write, Now Books
We did some of the beginning pages from the I can Draw book recommended by My Father's World, but just didn't get into the painting and marker pages..  The boys have several opportunities to paint at co-op and during their free time at home.   The Draw Write Now books are a great independent Drawing program that can easily be used when utilizing Homeschool Work boxes. You can find our DRAW WRITE NOW schedule that I used to line this art up with our History Subjects in Adventures.


• Liberty Kids- Historical Video Series

We began watching these in week we started learning about Benjamin Franklin.  They are so well done, that I ended up watching most of them with the kids.  This video series was especially helpful when we had to do homeschool at my in-laws a few hours away during Deer Hunting Season!  

• Music-Free Piano Lessons from Hoffman Academy

We love the music lesson provided in Adventures, especially the Nutcracker study.  

On top of those lessons, we pooled our gift cards from Christmas and bought a small beginner keyboard.  Piano lessons with a teacher are just not in our budget, and the free lessons from Hoffman Academy have been a huge blessing to our family.  At this age, the parent will have to sit with them during each lesson and practice, but we all look forward to watching the lesson video each week. I am amazed at how much the boys have learned through these lessons in just a short time. We spent the $20 on unit printable materials, and it was well worth it.

• Bible- Awana Club 

We usually do the Bible lessons in the manual, but if I miss one, I know my kids are having a great time  and learning a ton in Awana.  The teachers are wonderful volunteers. The boys get spiritual education, time with friends,  and gym time at the end of each meeting.  The bonus for me is I get an hour and half free every week to have coffee with my husband, go to the grocery store by myself, or just sit and read a book in quiet!  Find a local club near you.

 Bible Character Costume at our Awana's Fall Festival...the twins were dressed as Armor of God!

HAVE FUN IN SECOND GRADE!

Homeschool Workboxes, Second Grade My Father's World- Adventures in U.S History

• For more how we use our  Second Grade Curriculum , see this post.
• See more organization tips in this post on how we set up our Homeschool Room.

The biggest change from our first grade routine to second grade routine was the addition of work-boxes.
Workboxes do not necessarily mean all the work is independent , just that the twins work at their own pace.  The staggering of the subjects enables me to teach one-on-one subjects easily; I can work with one child on Math, while the other is independently reading or drawing.

Calendar & Agenda
Our Agenda & Information for calendar (box 1) is written on a Dry Erase board.

Work-boxes
  The first boxes usually stay at the top for both boys, because they have some of our together time subjects (History and Bible). The other subjects move depending on how I need to stagger one-on-one subjects.
We use a 10-Drawer Organizer Cart, and it works great.

I try to fill the boxes for the following day at the end of each school morning, but sometimes I end up doing it the morning before school. The 5 extra minutes it takes to fill the boxes saves me priceless time and headaches later.

Instead of moving numbers to show which box they have finished, the boys know what box they are on by just keeping their current drawer open.  As you can see below, one boy is on box four, and the other on six.

The organizers on top, from Dollar Tree, hold some of the materials they might need throughout the morning. The rest of their materials are in a pencil box at their seat (crayons, markers, pencils, etc). If any subject needs paper, I put it in the box.

Box 1- Calendar
The first box includes Calendar and Days in School pages inside of a plastic (for Dry Erase Markers),  printable from Confessions of  a Homeschooler..

Box 2- Bible

The boys practice or copy their memory verse.  If they have Awana work, they do it then. Again I used a plastic sheets to make the memory verse sheet in a dry erase page.

The only downfall of these drawers is they can barely fit a small 1 inch binder.

Box 3 History
MFW Adventures in US History. We usually do our History together, reading about booked together on the couch before we start workboxes. If there is a student sheet for the day, I put it in the History working. The boys usually do Bible and Calendar at the same time/pace, so we do our student sheets together.

Box 4 English.  
Language Lessons for Today, Grade 2. The twins use the same English book, so instead of putting the actual book in their box, I put a dry erase page that tells them what lesson to do, and if they need to do it with me.  The boys retrieve their  English book from the shelf next to the work-boxes, and work with me if indicated. I also include any materials they may need for that lesson.

Box 5 Break and Snack 
Each boy can get a snack and then take a 10 minute break.  If you are really goo, you can put a snack in this box.  I just have them get one from designated snack cabinet. I love that they have to set their own timer, and get back to work when they are done.

Box 6 Math  
We use Math-U-See DVD curriculum.

Box 7 Spelling
Spelling by Sound and Structure has a few days of independent work in their workbook, then a test at the end of the week.  I included a blank piece of paper at the end of the week in their work box.

Box 8 Reading
 Sometimes the boys must read from the book basket, sometimes it is free reading, and sometimes I put a book I want them to try in their box.

Box 9 Activity
 This box can vary greatly from day to day.  This particular day, one of the boys needed help with some drill practice on top of his regular math page.  Recently we added free piano lessons with Hoffman Academy, so  it has included a note that says "Piano Practice".

Box 10 Art 
At the beginning of the year, we had did all the A-Z "I can Draw" activity pages recommended by My Father's World.  Sometimes we use our 'Draw Write Now' Page for Art or Activity, depending on the amount of handwriting they have already done that day.  Sometimes Art box  is just a  blank piece of paper and a note saying "Have fun!"

7 Tips How to survive (and thrive) your first year of Homeschooling

 Our first year of homeschooling was a lot like my first year of marriage; much harder than I had expected, but also more rewarding than I had dreamed possible.

 Below are tips I learned the hard way that helped me survive, and thrive, through our first year.  Many of the tips include studying because let's face it, when you homeschool you must be willing to learn new things right along with your kids.

1. Study Yourself 

You are unique; therefore your homeschool room, organization, methods, and routines will also be unique. No homeschool looks the same, because no family looks the same. The fact that you are homeschooling testifies that you know your child should not be pushed into a one-size-fits-all-mold, so don't do it to yourself.  While sometimes I wonder how moms did it before the resource of the Internet, I can also see how the temptation to compare can kill the confidence of a new homeschool mom. 

Study you first, before other homeschool moms. What are YOUR strengths and YOUR weaknesses?  My strengths and weaknesses came into play in many ways.  In regards to curriculum, I am not musical or mathematical, so we use a Math Curriculum that has a DVD teacher (Math U See) and an FREE online music curriculum that has a DVD Piano and music teacher. 

It also took me way too long to accept that I am not a morning person. Starting school at 8:00 a.m. like my teacher's manual suggested was just a bad idea for all involved. I also fought battles over silly things, like thinking we had to change into "real clothes" to start our day. I am not saying PJ's are are a must for homeschool, but they aren't a failure either.

 Do what works for you as the teacher and family.   You will need to tinker to see what you need as they ear goes on. Some moms need to put on "real" clothes to feel like they started the day, some moms need to feel the freedom of PJs.  

Once I accepted that our homeschool should reflect our home, not our home reflect our school, our homeschool life was much more pleasant. Now I have a glass of sweet tea and eat breakfast while my kids play with their toys and enjoy each-other's company (for the most part) in the morning.  We start school around 9:30am or 10:00am.  My kids stay in their pajamas & I put on comfortable clothes and a bra (so I can answer the door with some decency). Our Homeschool Schedule is usually book/seat-work until a  few hours after lunch, depending on the day and what subjects we are covering.  

2. Study your kids MORE than your teacher's manual

Your teacher's manual is not god.  

If that is the only thing you take from this post, please remember it!   Just because your teacher's manual says they should be able to write that sentence that week doesn't mean your child is ready to write that sentence. It is OK to stay on a Math concept for two weeks, even though your manual says they should learn it in two days. 

When you get "stuck" try to count it as a blessing because if your child was not one on one with you are home, they would not be "stuck", they would be "left behind".

I personally love our curriculum , My Father's World, because it combines a few different learning styles that fit our family.  That said, we ignore one third of what is in the manual because it just doesn't "fit" where we are, or that academic need is met elsewhere (we skip their Bible many times because we do to a Bible Study that has it's own homework for my kids, and their art because we take art classes outside the home). 

What Do You Know About Your Child?

What are your children's weaknesses?  What are their strengths?  What kind of learner are they?

I have identical twins who were reading and writing at very different times, and if that doesn't teach you ALL kids learn at different paces, I don't know what will.

This is not something you will necessarily know instinctively (and that is OK!), but you have the very special privilege as a homeschool mom to learn your children on a new and deeper level. 

WAYS TO  STUDY YOUR KIDS

• Assessing your child's learning style
• What is your child's Love Language (this is a big deal when learning how to motivate at home)
• Which of the 8 kinds of intelligence does your child have?

In kindergarten I learned the boys were much happier writing on dry erase boards instead of the worksheets provided. This year we also learned one of my boys has what we dubbed  "reading-induced deafness", and I have to be patient and make sure he truly hears instructions if he is in the middle of a good book and shuts out the world around him...he gets that from me. ;) 

Study Your Kids, not other Homeshool Kids

Remember to study your kids, not the kids of the other homeschool families. For example, one my favorite homeschool families starts kindergarten at 4 years old. I almost gave into the pressure of comparison, but I knew in my heart my kids needed another year of playing and low-key preschool. We started very slowly when the boys were five. To be honest, we all needed that extra year of preschool. 

                                                   

3. Study Your House

Homeschooling Styles- What's the Flavor of your house?

Many moms make the mistake of looking for curriculum before first spending a little time researching homeschool styles. Not many curriculum are purely one style, but knowing your personal bent can take hours off your curriculum search. 

See this post for an overview of some basic Homeschool Teaching Styles. 

1. Traditional 
2. Classical
3. Unschooling
4. Unit Studies
5. Charlotte Mason 
6. Eclectic- A mixture of a few or several of the above by putting together your own curriculum from several different sources 

 How does knowing homeschool styles help? If your child hates to read on their own, you can avoid an entirely Charlotte Mason approach. If your child hates to sit or do worksheets, you would probably not do only traditional or classical. If you only have one computer in the house, you won't pick an online school for your 3 different kids. If you like schedules and predictable curriculum, you may not like Unschooling.

You DO NOT HAVE TO PICK YOUR STYLE RIGHT AWAY, just familiarize with them before you search for curriculum. Not many people are entirely one style of homeschool, but you most likely lean towards certain styles based on your own personality, the needs of your children, and overall family unit.

We personally tend toward Unit studies, with a lot of living books from Charlotte Mason Philosophy.  See more about how curriculum meets a few different styles by visiting the My Father's Page on my site. 

That said, be prepared that your  style will change as you homeschool!  We recently had an unexpected season of unschooling due to medical reasons.  Life changes all the time and our homeschool has to change alongside, but knowing your basic bent will save you a lot of time in your curriculum search. 

My favorite book to learn homeschool styles is "First year of Homeschooling your child" by Linda Dobson because she not only describes different homeschool styles, but has a "Week  in the Life" of seven different homeschooling moms. I re-read this book EVERY YEAR for the first FOUR years of homeschooling!!!! 

4. Find Support Online

Many new moms I meet tell me 'I am not not patient enough to homeschool!'  Well guess what, I am not either! I NEED HELP.  I can use my strengths in homeschooling, but I need the community of homeschoolers can come around me and help me with my weaknesses! 

 Like any other rewarding, yet challenging, journey in life, you will need support!!! Seeking out like-minded families in your area will truly make your first year immeasurably better.  It is OK to not be OK in this homeschool journey, and you need to know that others are  right there will you.  

 Use  Facebook  to find a local homeschool group.  This was crucial to our first year of homeschooling.  I am in a Facebook group that consist of 1200 plus homeschool families, all within a 40 miles radius of me.   Just seeing the member number of that group reminds me of a very important truth, I am not alone. This local group also helps me find many activities to find support in person....

                                                    

5. Find Support in Person

Friends for Mom

Mom needs friends too!  Parenthood can be lonely, and as the teacher/principal/administrator, you need to have a support system to succeed. Online support is easier than finding in-person support.  To find in-person support, you have to be brave, for your kids sake and for yours. Homeschooling changes your friendships a lot, you need others to come along side you who share the same homeschool lifestyle. 

Solitude is not the same as isolation. Isolation is dangerous. Even introverts need the support of like-minded people in person every now and then. Use your online support groups and be brave; show up to field trips, organize play-dates, etc where you know you will meet other homeschool families.

Meeting other homeschool moms in person shows you how truly diverse this community is. I felt the tug that God was calling me to homeschool, but I did not grow up in area with any homeschooling families. This lack of exposure meant I harbored a lot of the common homeschooling misconceptions.  It was life changing to walk into a room of homeschooling women at a Co-Op Open House and think, "Wow, they look like me!"  I remember the freeing moment when I saw another mom had a nose-ring like me.  It may sound superficial, but trust me, it is so important to meet like-minded families in person.  

How homeschool changes your friendships, and what to do about it

Friends for the Kids 

 Home-school Classes, Field Trips Groups, and Activities
Use your online support and ASK QUESTIONS about what is in your area, and if others will go with you!

• Most YMCA's in the country has some type of homeschool program. 
•  Our area also has The Kroc, a community center from Salvation Army, that has homeschool classes for gym, health, music, and art.   The boys met friends in their classes, and I was able to meet some homeschool moms in person at drop-off
• The boys attend AWANA  and Bible Study Fellowship weekly with several other children
• If you plan it, they will come!  Ask families to the park or a local museum! 

Join a Homeschool Co-Op 
See this post to find out what exactly a Homeschool Co-op is. We have attended a few different types and sizes. We now attend a weekly co-op that meets once a week for 12 weeks each semester, it consists of 50 families. My kids can take classes I can not offer at home. As a former Preschool teacher, I  teach the younger kids, while talented singers teach choir and the athletic-minded teach gym.  

6.  Study the laws of your state

We are lucky in  Indiana to have a homeschool friendly atmosphere, but even that depends on your district.  To find more about Indiana Homeschool Laws, click here. Stay informed and do not rely on the public school to give you the right information. I have learned the people who know the LEAST about homeschool laws are public schools. 

 The Home-school Legal Defense Association is best place to start.  You can browse their website without becoming a member.  Membership is  encouraged, especially if you are in a state or school district that is not homeschool friendly, or if you have any problems transferring your kids out of public school. 

So many new moms stress themselves over how to inform the school, or what they need to keep to document.   Seek support, and you will do fine!

I'm not patient enough to homeschool, and neither are you!

7. GIVE YOURSELF GRACE

Maybe this should be #1 tip. Homeschooling is HARD because PARENTING IS HARD! No one is perfectly patient enough to homeschool, just like no one is perfectly patient enough to parent! You learn by doing it. 

You will have days that are hard, and days that are great.  You will work to find the balance between being a Mom and a Teacher.  

You will have kids cry over math, and then you will cry over math. 

 You will rejoice with them when they learn something new, and get frustrated with them when they can't read the word they read only TWO MINUTES BEFORE. 

These problems are not exclusive to homeschooling!!!  

Many Moms hesitate to homeschool because they don't want the responsibility of their child's education.  I hate to break it to you, but you are in the end responsible for your child's education, no matter what school they attend. When kids are in public school, you are responsible, but not fully in control. The beauty of homeschooling is you have the responsible AND the control.

Moms with Public School kids cry over math homework too.  They loose their temper when their kids aren't ready for an event.  I REPEAT, PARENTING IS HARD, but you as a homeschooling Mom get to be there for them in the moments they need you most.  

You also get to model the process of forgiveness by having to ask for forgiveness for losing you temper, again.  Just because it is hard doesn't necessarily mean it was the wrong choice. Resistance is part of learning. 

Give yourself grace and seek support! You can do this! Good luck during your first year!

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What is a Homeschool Co-Op?

May contain affiliate links.  Doesn't cost you anything, I just receive a small portion on items you may purchase. Thanks!

A Day In the Life: Our Second Grade Room

My Father's World- 2nd Grade Adventures In  U.S. History

Our schoolroom is very small space in our basement, about 10 feet by 9 feet. We start each day with Together Time at the table, or on the couch (next to the table). 

Together Time is usually reading our devotional and/or History Book on the couch.  If we have a science experiment, we do it in the kitchen before heading downstairs to the homeschool room. 

.

 I store most of our supplies in a spinning organizer  from Hobby Lobby (used 40 % off coupon of course).

The rest of the art supplies are in the pockets of a screen that I bought from a friend, that also doubles as space to hang posters (clips for poster from Dollar Tree). 

Out Pocket Chart is used for calendar.  I made all the numbers and dates out of plain white paper. 

A local Private School was closing and had a sale of their classroom supplies, and I bought this huge cork bulletin board for $3. It is great for our timeline and Names of Jesus Poster.

After Together Time, each boy has Individual Work, which includes workbox time and chores. 

Our Workboxes are based on Sue Patrick System, Instead of moving labels to know what they have done, the boys work from top to bottom and keep the draw open of the drawer they are finishing.  I stagger the subjects that need one-on-one time with me, enabling me to help them individually in Math and Language  arts. 

 You can see inside  each of our work boxes on this here.

I try to make all copies at the beginning of the year, and organize by week using hanging folders File Tote  .