Last weekend the boys were camping with their scout troop. After camping the weekend before and acknowledging it's May in Florida I decided not to camp with them ... it's normally just too darn not and humid to camp in the middle of May.
Mia, River, and I did head up to their camp for the day Saturday. And, man, it was gorgeous! Fantastic camping weather - cool at night and not much humidity at all. We thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the weather while we were there (and while camping would have been fantastic, comfy bed and shower were nothing to complain about either).
To achieve a particular rank advancement in Boy Scouts a scout is required to earn a set amount of money, determined by the scout and his parents, and save at least half of it. This is pretty tough for the kids to do; they're young, can't drive, have little money to invest in anything, and aren't old enough to enter the work force. Ian accomplished this requirement by selling a kayak he had. Adam and Kaden have some some stuff from my dad that they are welcome to sell, but they haven't really found their motivation yet - they just aren't sure that this is the way they want to earn the money.
Right in the midst of figuring out this requirement we had the exciting opportunity to use Micro Business for Teens, by Carol Topp, which the boys read for review. For the review we received the following e-books:
Carol Topp is a CPA who specializes in micro/small businesses and has worked with other teens, including her own daughters, as they started and ran their small businesses.
And just what is a micro-business? It's basically a "super-small" business with one employee, quick start-up, low start-up costs, sole proprietorship, low risk, and generally run as a home based business. A micro business allows time for other activities and an opportunity to learn while earning cash.
The boys began by watching the YouTube video, Micro Business for Teens: Starting a Micro Business. They learned of other kids who started their own businesses and succeeded. One teen was offered a crazy amount of money to sell his business and he refused, thinking he'd like to keep running it himself and he could get more money that that for it(!). Adam and Kaden were both motivated after watching the video, for us it was a perfect beginning to the program.
They then read Starting a Micro Business and Running a Micro Business and worked through the workbook.
In Starting a Micro Business, the boys began by learning about overhead, start up costs, and risk. Then they brainstormed, coming up with as many ideas for businesses as they could (River's idea was to teach people how to make lemonade -- after I taught him how, of course). They learned the hows and whys of writing a business plan and why you should avoid debt when opening a business.
Here's where we had a nice talk about my businesses. I think knowing someone who runs a micro business made what they were learning more "real" to them. They asked a lot of great questions and we had a great time reminiscing about my store and discussing Because I'm Me, which they see "in action" every day.
First I had Ditto Kiddo, my children's new and resale shop. The shop was open for 9 years and was successful, closing so I could spend more time with my family - which turned out to be very well timed as the economy tanked, I found out I was pregnant, and I became a single parent all within a few months of the store closing. I majored in Business in college so I had a good idea of what I was getting myself into. I knew not to expect a profit for two years, I knew what I needed to get a loan, and I knew the importance of defining my store and writing a business plan. Only I was in a hurry to get the store open, so I bypassed the business plan and loan and financed the start-up costs using credit cards (I feel sick just saying that, having now not had or used a credit card for over five years). I was lucky in that the store was successful and did turn a profit before too long, much less than two years, but still, that's not the way to do it and I'd never, ever do it that way again.
My current business, Because I'm Me, didn't face issues with start up costs, I started by selling quilts, handbags, and baby items, and parlayed that profit into tie making. So, start up for Because I'm Me was much simpler. Of course, there are still things to know when running a business, like taxes and marketing (which is ever changing in this digital age).
Which brings us to Running a Micro Business. To me, running a business and succeeding is way harder than starting a business. Half of new businesses fail within the first five years, many, especially in our very seasonal part of the country, don't plan ahead and fail midway through their first summer (my former husband and I understood season, having been in the restaurant business, we made sure to save enough money to cover June-September completely by May). Running a Micro Business covers taxes, marketing, customer service, insurance, and all those other legal details that we don't necessarily know ahead of time, and don't want to find out about when it's too late.
Adam, in particular, really liked these books and devoured the information in them. When I asked him for his thoughts on the program one of the first things he pointed out was that he now knew more than a lot of adults about running a small business. He's right. He found the information interesting and very empowering - and motivating. The books are easy to read and follow, they're written for teens so while they're chock full of information it's presented in a down to earth manner.
Adam hasn't started his own business yet, but he's excited to do so. Finding the right business isn't easy, even with him writing down 10+ different business ideas he's not sure he's found his niche. Right now he's looking at car washing and/or doing weeding for neighbors.
My thoughts on this program ... I think it's pretty great. The information is invaluable, and would be a solid resource for any teen (or college student) looking to start their own small business. As I've mentioned a few times before I'm not a fan of downloadable books for schoolwork (or anything!), so I'm considering investing in the hardcover versions of these for Ian and Mia to read and for all the kids to have as references. If just one of them started a business and used the information in the books it'd be well worth the price of the materials.
Last night the kids and I volunteered at a Duck Dynasty/Salvation Army
world record breaking duck call event. While there, Willy Robertson
talked about his start in business, how someone had given his family a
bunch of gum that he turned around and sold on the school bus and at
school until the principal told him he had to stop. Still looking to
earn money he became a "human jukebox", kids on the bus would slip him a
quarter and he'd sing part of a song for them. Cool micro business.
Foundations A was a huge success with River. He absolutely, positively loved the program and really thrived using it. I had planned to buy Foundations B for him once he'd completed A, so the opportunity to get it for a review pretty much made my day (and his ... we happy danced).
The Foundations program teaches reading and handwriting to kids aged 4-7. Foundations A ended with River making and reading short books with 2-3 words per page, having learned most of the consonant sounds and one sound for each vowel.
Foundations B picks up right where A ends. For this review we received the teachers book and a student workbook in manuscript (cursive is also available). The supplies we'd received with Foundations A - dry erase board, phonogram and writing flashcards, manuscript chart, and game cards - carried over to B and continued to be used. The dry erase board is lined on both sides for handwriting, the writing flashcards are textured so the child can follow the letter and get a real tactile understanding of it, the phonogram cards show the letter on one side and the sounds for that letter on the other, and the game cards allow for a wide variety of games to be played with them.
If a child knows most of his basic sounds I think you could comfortably begin with Foundations B, skipping the beginning Foundations A book. However, I really appreciated the way handwriting is taught, beginning in A, and wouldn't want to bypass that.
The Foundations program takes about 20 minutes or so per day. I have noticed as we've progressed that the daily work takes a little more time. Most lessons begin with a bit of review, then teach a new letter and how to write it, work on handwriting, and then move to reading and writing words and short phrases.
Oh, and tossed in there are silly games to play, fun busy activities that involve running, jumping, patting, sitting, smiling, and more to teach the concepts, and other really cool activities that make both of us laugh and forget we're supposed to be learning something. One day River had to read words correctly, each time he read a word he added a block to a tower, seeing how tall it would get before tumbling over. Another day I read a word to him and he had to write it in chalk on the driveway.
As River and I work through the book there are tips for the teacher built into the sidebar. Awesome. When I'm not sure how to help him through an issue (getting that "s" sound right, for example) there's a tip there to keep me going. We've struggled a bit with the short vowel sounds, mostly just remembering which sounds go with which vowel ... according to the tip in the sidebar that's normal, which was very reassuring to read and made me more comfortable.
At the beginning of Foundations B River was able to read two to three short word phrases. The whole reading thing hasn't completely clicked for him yet, he still has to sound out each word he reads, not quite catching on when he reads the same word twice or that words that end the same sound the same. By the end of this book set (40 lessons and 8 reviews) he should be able to read whole paragraphs.
We do about 3-4 lessons per week. He could do more or less, but this level seems to keep him moving forward and interested. Some weeks we do more, some less. Because the lessons are so fun it's really not like doing schoolwork to River.
Trees and dirt. And bug spray (and bugs). And heat. And deer, alligators, raccoons, armadillos, and fish.
And R&R. And family. And fun.
That was our weekend.
We tent camped at Myakka River State Park, near Sarasota, FL with our Cub Scout pack. This park has some pretty amazing climbing trees, which were very well climbed by the time we left the park.
The rest of the park was just as fantastic as the climbing trees. Fishing, hiking, a bird watch area, a scenic drive, shopping and dining, a fun canopy walk bridge ... one weekend wasn't enough to take it all in.
The dirt - at one point over the weekend I wrote "Wash Me" with a wipe on one of the boys legs. It was clearly visible, until he went back to the woods and trees.
Everyone arrived home filthy, tired, and very happy ... signs of a successful weekend of memory making.
One of River's most favorite books is Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, written by Virginia Lee Burton. This book is old … written in 1939, and takes the reader back to what feels like a much simpler time. The story, without giving it all away, tells the story of Mike Mulligan's love for his Steam Shovel, Mary Anne, and how he found a way to save her from the junk yard when the steam engines were replaced by gasoline, electric, and Diesel shovels. We've read this book over and over, so much so that River can read most of it by himself, because he's memorized it.
The musical, educational CD's are designed to bring the stories to life while presenting music lessons and teaching children to be active listeners.
We first listened to the Casey at the Bat CD. The CD begins with a retelling of the poem Casey at the Bat accompanied by music by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. None of us were familiar with this poem, I don't think I'd heard it since I was a child, and I loved it. The writing is fantastic, filled with colorful descriptions and great use of adjectives and adverbs:
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip
The music adds a new level to the poem. and gives it even more life. Following the telling of the story and playing of the music the narrator provides information about the author and the origins of the story. The next selection on the CD presents a piece by the Michigan State Marching Band. The CD goes on to teach the listener how music is used to create suspense, mood, and how music brings life to a piece. The CD ends with another telling of Casey at the Bat, this time with instructions to listen for the musical enhancements used throughout the telling of the poem.
Now that we've listened to the poem and the rest of the CD the kids and I are excited to go and watch a minor league game, and are curious to see if any batter gets the same reaction from the fans that Casey did, and if their turns at bat will end as Casey's did!
The Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel CD begins with the telling of the book Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel set to music by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The music does so much to bring the listener to the edge of his seat, waiting to see what happens to Mike and Mary Anne. The second section of the CD tells about the author, Virginia Lee Burton. Section 3 provides a song about Mike Mulligan. Then we were told about the music, with the narrator breaking it down and teaching about each individual section of the story and music, explaining why certain music was used in certain places and what music was used in certain sections. The CD ends with another presentation of the Mike Mulligan story and music, allowing the listener to listen for what they've learned.
Overall, we really enjoyed the CD's. The kids and I learned a lot about the stories, the authors, and the music. We were not very familiar with orchestral music, and really enjoyed expanding that horizon. The stories were relayed in a very interesting manner. Our attention was held throughout the CD's.
We did run into problems with the volume of the CD's. With each new segment, and often within a segment, I was raising and lowering the volume quite a bit, which got frustrating.
The CD's are geared towards children ages 5 to 12 and their parents.
River, at 5, was just the right age for these stories set to music. Adam and Kaden, at 12 and 11, weren't quite as interested as River but enjoyed hearing the CD's, particularly Casey at the Bat. Ian and Mia, ages 16 and 14, were content to listen to each CD, they did discuss the information afterwards and found it very interesting but were ready to go back to a more "current" radio station after hearing each CD once.