Author Archives: Adriana Zoder

Jan 1 2016

Today – My Word for 2016

Posted on by

My word for 2016 is Today. In 2015, I experienced a lot of sudden deaths: about one per quarter. People I knew and loved disappeared just like that out of my life. And just when I recovered to a degree, wham! another one would depart. Plus the increase in terrorist attacks has really shaken my foundations. So I realized on a new level that life is short and can end at any moment.

Hunedoara Castle

Hunedoara Castle in Romania, one of the sites we plan to visit in April 2016 (by Andrei Stroe via Wikimedia Commons)

Tomorrow is not promised. Today is all I have. I plan not to plan in 2016. That does not mean I will not plan at all. It just means that I will plan one quarter at a time – 12 weeks, according to the 12-week year principle.

Things are shaping up nicely for 2016. It looks like we will take a trip to Romania, which will give me an opportunity to teach the kids about my home country and try my hand at a unit study.  Continue reading »

Jan 1 2016

Science4us.com Review

Posted on by

Here we are again, talking about science. Science4us.com is a wonderful online curriculum for K-2 which can also be used in grades 3rd-5th for review of key concepts. It was developed in 2010 and has since received several awards. The Department of Education gave them a grant for game-based learning innovation and they used it well.

Science4us.com activity

Science4us.com activity

This is an online curriculum so once you pay ($7.95 per month) they will send you login information and you are good to go. Once logged in, you can choose from four books: Life, Physical, Inquiry, and Earth/Space. Inside each book, you will find different modules which can be picked up in random order. Once inside a module though, you should start from the top left and work your way down through the activities in order.  Continue reading »

Dec 31 2015

Thoughtful Thursday Week 52 – Happy New Year

Posted on by

This is it, friends! 2015 becomes history tonight. We welcome a new year and with it new aspirations, goals, resolutions, plans and lots of homeschooling.

Happy New Year

I hope you have a wonderful celebration and stay up all night. Just kidding. Do whatever you like. I know some people have to work tonight and tomorrow morning. It’s the nature of their work. Others, like me, prefer to go to bed as usual and be happy I don’t have to make awkward conversation with strangers.

What did that Johnson and Johnson commercial say? Having a baby changes everything, right?  Continue reading »

Dec 30 2015

Year in Review

Posted on by

How has your year been? Have you learned some important lessons? Have you had fun? Have you read some good books? Have you experienced any losses?

For me, in a way, 2015 has been the year of sudden death: my dad in January; my children’s friend in November; a youth camp counselor in June (while my son was at summer camp, but they did not tell the little guys about this incident which took place on a lake nearby, at a sister camp focused on wakeboarding); 140+ Parisians, people with whom I feel I have a cultural connection; Scott Dinsmore, an inspirational blogger I have followed for more than a year now. Every one of these deaths is too sad for words.

All this has lead me to appreciate Today. Today. Tomorrow is not promised. Today is all we get.

Boy and girl reading a music program together

My children checking the piano recital program as they waited for their turn.

In 2015, I have published four books: 101 Tips for First Grade Homeschooling, The Homeschooling Mom’s Devotional Journal, Life in the Smoky Mountains and Kitten in the Storm. Or 11 if you count the seven bilingual editions of Kitten in the Storm as a new book, which, truth be told, that’s what they are. Each of them needed translation, layout, design, a new cover, editing, copy-editing and so on.  Continue reading »

Dec 29 2015

101 Tips for First Grade Homeschooling

Posted on by

A couple of weeks ago I published 101 Tips for First Grade Homeschooling. For one day only, on December 30, this book will be available for FREE on Kindle. If you do not own a Kindle device, you can download the free Kindle app on amazon.com and read the book on your computer, tablet or smartphone.

After December 30, the book will be $3.99 for the Kindle format and $5.99 for the paperback format.

This represents the third volume in my “How to Homeschool” series and it deals with a lot of issues you might run into when your homeschooler is in first grade. The first two volumes cover preschool and kindergarten.

101 Tips for First Grade Homeschooling

The third volume in my How to Homeschool series

When I decided to publish a series by that title, I knew I wanted to keep the books short and sweet, perfect for busy homeschool parents. In the spirit of “just do this,” I have written 10 chapters with 10 tips each. Chapter 11 focuses on Tip 101 – in this volume, it deals with sex education. Continue reading »

Dec 28 2015

Mathletics.com Review

Posted on by

Mathletics.com is an online math program for Kindergarten through 12th grade, put together by 3PLearning.com. As such, you will receive login information and you are ready to go.

What is neat is that when you purchase your subscription to Mathletics they give away a year’s worth of education called “school-in-a-box.” It is a UNICEF sponsored program.

Mathletics Kit

Your Mathletics kit comes in a pretty box

UNICEF will send a physical kit containing education essentials to teachers in schools that have minimal supplies or right after a disaster and all that thanks to your signing up for Mathletics. It makes one feel good when one contributes to somebody else’s development.  Continue reading »

Dec 27 2015

Story of the World, Vol. 2, Chapter 14

Posted on by

I read Chapter 14 to the kids in the car, while my husband was driving us to the piano recital. It was my way of distracting everybody – especially myself – from nervousness. I think it worked. My kids did well on their recital, considering their age. It was my daughter’s first piano recital and she played two songs. My son played three songs. It was his second piano recital.

Homemade viking bread

Crusty, gritty and oh so yummy viking bread

Lots of nervousness going on and lots of dynamics among all of us, so I decided we needed to distract ourselves completely with history.  Continue reading »

Dec 25 2015

Merry Christmas To You

Posted on by

From our family to your family, Merry Christmas! God with us – Immanuel – what a glorious truth! May we experience divinity in every moment of our lives. Mundane moments can be hallowed when we listen to the right message, when we are tuned to the right bandwidth.

The Zoder Family at Christmas time - 2015

The Zoder Family (us!) at Christmas time – 2015

If you don’t celebrate Christmas, we still hope you will accept our wishes for joy, peace, harmony and goodwill.

We love sharing our homeschool and, by extension, our family, with you through this blog and I especially want to thank you for being my friends from afar. I enjoy your feedback and comments. Please keep them coming!

Dec 24 2015

Violin Recital

Posted on by

Last Sunday, my children had their violin recital. It was my daughter’s first. She started taking violin lessons in August and she has already learned the first five pieces in the Suzuki violin book number 1. By that I mean that she can play them by heart, but you understand she does not sound like a virtuoso yet, right? She sounds like a five-year-old who has been practicing five times a week for the past five months.

My son has taken violin lessons for two years now. He is working on the last piece in the second Suzuki violin book and then he will have graduated to book number three. He does well for his age but violin is a tough instrument. Just when you think you have fixed your fingering, the bow starts flying in all directions and you need to give it some attention.  Continue reading »

Dec 23 2015

Christmas Break

Posted on by

Another Christmas has come and we have been allowed to experience it. No matter how you celebrate it or if you celebrate it at all, the idea of coming together with loved ones and exchanging presents is a great one.

This year, my kids are excited to track Santa’s voyage around the world on Santa Tracker, compliments of Google. I have allowed them a whole week (this one) of no school and no instruments. We still read in the evening and do our devotional. They log onto Mathletics.com and Science4us.com which theoretically counts as school but it is so much fun for them, they don’t think of it as a chore. I have reviews coming soon on both, by the way.

Homeschooled brother and sister working on the computer

My kids working on science4us.com

We are still dealing with the loss of their eight-year-old friend, Deborah. My daughter says that “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” reminds her of Deborah and she asks, “Don’t you think of heaven, going there one day and finally meeting up with her again when you listen to this song?”  Continue reading »