If you are reading this month's book club selection, Flora & Ulysses, you have probably already come across the word CYNIC.

Cynic is a noun. A noun is a word that names a person, place, or thing. A cynic is a person who thinks other people are selfish and do selfish things. If happy people look through rose colored glasses, then cynics view the ( Read more... )

I'm a homeschooling mom to a fifteen year old boy on the Autistic Spectrum. As we step off into a new school year, we face one of our most fearsome fire-breathing dragons --- the writing process. I know we aren't alone in this struggle because many of our friends wrestle with the same beast ( Read more... )

Whether you are a home-schooler, a traditional classroom teacher, or a parent who loves to share books with your children, I hope you will find the Middle Words Book Club selections useful. Each month I will post information about a different book, mostly pulling from Newbery Medal and Honor winners within the last twenty-five years. You can use ( Read more... )

Each Wednesday I will post a new vocabulary word. Today's word is WINSOME.

No, I'm sorry it doesn't mean you win anything, except you may win over someone's heart. Winsome means charming, delightful, pleasing, often in a childlike or innocent manner.

Winsome is an adjective. That means it is a word used to describe a person, place, or thing. ( Read more... )

"Education is like building a house; students need a firm foundation, and it takes time to build," say Jean Burk and Judah Burk, authors of HIGH SCHOOL PREP GENIUS An Academic Guide to Excellence. Designed for parents and children to read together, this book will give you the building blocks needed for a successful high school experience, whether ( Read more... )

While everyone else is wrapping up the school year, we're just getting revved up. We do not have a dedicated classroom in the house, although I am working on that. Getting organized has been tough, but we seem to have hit upon a system that works for us. The kids like to be independent, but they also need a lot of structure and predictability -- ( Read more... )

Okay .. so the word "shortly" is relative. Here is the "-ing" word explanation that I promised back in (ahem) February. Some of you may have seen this already over on Verla Kay's blue boards.

A QUICK -ING WORD TUTORIAL

VERB TENSE

Past progressive: I was going to the store when Hortencia smacked me upside the head with her Coach bag.
Past ( Read more... )

The Loopy Grammarian has returned with a silly verse prompted by a discussion on a popular kidlit message board. She'll be back to 'splane this one shortly ( Read more... )

Home-schooling started out as a temporary fix during my husband's job change and our subsequent move, and it has now ended up as our lifestyle. Two of the main reasons we chose not to enroll them in public school here are overcrowding and over emphasis on standardized test scores. Based on who my kids are and what they need, the home- school ( Read more... )

I would like to introduce my alter ego, the Loopy Grammarian, to you. She'll be showing up now and again with a mini grammar lesson. Sorry, we do not have vlogging capability at this time. You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit.


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