Can it already be January?!? It's hard to believe that the regular school year is already halfway over. If you and your sons have been hitting the books hard for the past several months, you might want to think about changing things up a bit. Try adding a few more hands-on projects into your day. Or adding an extra fieldtrip here and there. Having a change in routine can breathe fresh life into your school days - and put smiles back on your boys' faces!

In This Issue:

1. Experiment with Colors!
2. Books Boys Love

1 - Experiment with Colors!
Whether your sons are preschool age or older, they will delight in this science experiment - and it's easy for parents as well.

Conduct this experiment in the kitchen so that your child can be the one to pour the colored water from container to container. Also, let them see what happens when they mix ALL of the colors together. Or more of one color than the other. Try adding a drop of household bleach into the colored water and let them see what happens.

For more fun learning about colors, check out these resources:

The Magic Rain: Color-Mixing Slide Book By Nora Gaydos / Innovative Kids Learn about primary colors, mix secondary colors, and create new colors of your own! A magical rain falls on the animals and changes them into silly new colors. Become a part of this special story and change the colors of each animal in the window by moving the Magic Color Slide (TM). Along the way, learn the secrets of mixing primary and secondary colors while creating new ones of your own! For more coloring fun, check out the hands-on activities on the back of the Color Board. Experiment, mix and create multicolored cookie cakes, colored salt to use like glitter, homemade finger paints and much more! Recommended for ages 5 to 7.

Color Scheme Game By Educational Insights Inc. Which primary colors blend together to make secondary ones? Help your students discover the beauty and variety of various hues with this strategy game. Overlap different tiles in the swivel tower to create a new shade, but be careful---it could create a disaster. Includes game tower, 30 dual-colored tiles, and guide. For two or more players, ages 6 and up.

2 - Books Boys Love
When we first decided to homeschool our boys and they were preschool age, I was terrified that I would do something wrong and they would never learn how to read. Experienced homeschooling moms assured me that they would learn how to read - but I had my doubts. My sons were very active and didn't even want to sit still through my reading an entire book like Blueberries for Sal - so I was very concerned that even if they did learn how to read, they weren't going to grow up to love reading as do their father and I.

I continued to work with them, making my read aloud sessions with them longer and longer. I would put a pile of picture books on my lap and let them take turns choosing which book I would read next. The boys grew to love hearing me read for extended periods of time... but they still didn't seem to be enjoying reading aloud themselves. My oldest son was in 2nd grade at this time, so I was starting to become concerned again.

Then a wonderful thing happened. My son was given a Magic Treehouse book as a gift and a whole new world opened up for him. The next thing I knew, he was off in the corner reading book after book... and asking for more! He read through that entire series (38 books) in a few weeks and started begging to read the Boxcar Children books - a series we had read together in the past, he was now eager to read on his own.

This was a valuable lesson for me - boys will learn to love reading when they are given material that excites their imagination. Mysteries, adventure, action... all of these things are like candy to boys' minds. Here are some books that helped our boys to fall in love with reading:

The Chronicles of Narnia, 7 Volumes: Full-Color Collector's Edition By C.S. Lewis / Harpertrophy Once your children have followed Lucy through the back of a magic wardrobe - and met Aslan, the Christlike lion - they'll never be the same! Kids adore these classics for their imaginative story lines and adults appreciate the rich Christian symbolism. This high-quality, softcover set would make either a memorable gift or noteworthy addition to your library. This commemorative set of softcover books features the original cover artwork and full-color illustrations of Pauline Baynes, the first illustrator of this beloved series. The individual books measure 5.25" by 8" and the set includes an attractive slipcase in which the books can be safely stored and attractively displayed.

Teaching With Favorite Magic Tree House Books By Scholastic Teaching Teaching With Favorite Magic Tree House Books motivates kids to learn about the features of fiction and nonfiction with the series they're mad about. Skill Building Activities Vocabulary Builders Journal Writing Activities Explore Character, plot and setting Booklinks Ideas for Companion Nonfiction Books Paperback, 64 pages. Reproducible for Home or Classroom Only. Grades 2-3.

Little House on the Prairie, 9-Volume Boxed Set By Laura Ingalls Wilder / Harpercollins Trophy Now readers young and old can enjoy the classic adventures of Laura and her family as they survive and thrive on the American frontier! The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier past and a heartwarming, unforgettable story. These slipcased softcovers feature fresh, bold photographic covers, sure to appeal to the newest generation of Little House fans. This set includes the titles: Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, Farmer Boy, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years. Recommended for ages 8 to 12

Reading is so important! Continue looking for material that your sons will enjoy. All kids are different! And they mature at different speeds. Continue trying different books with your sons. When they are ready and when they find something they enjoy, your son will develop a love of reading that will make you sigh with relief!

We hope these resources will be helpful! Thank-you for taking the time to read this newsletter and we'll see you next month.

Michelle Caskey

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