Snow Days!!! Learning About Snow During School My boys and I are learning all about snow! I set aside our “normal” curriculum and wrote a unit study on snow. The boys are loving the break from the norm and are dreaming about our first snowfall. Hopefully we will be sledding before the new year. In the meantime we are learning about all the different types, colors, and sounds of snow. From Blood Falls to Surviving an avalanche, we are all amazed! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I am purposing to break from blogging until 2015! May the Lord bless you and your family!!!
Learning to Speak in Front of Crowds One of our goals as home-schoolers is to teach our boys to be effective communicators. We strive to teach all of the boys to be excellent in both their written and oral communication skills. As future Godly men, we believe they need to have the confidence necessary to stand in front of a crowd and deliver a speech.Without dying. Without breaking into a sweat. Without cowering in fear. One of the things we do for our boys is to look for speech competitions. One of our current favorites is called Oral Language. The Boys select a piece of literature three to five minutes in length that they not only commit to memory but then perform dramatically in front of a panel of judges and an audience. All three of our younger boys competed this year, two of them are moving on to the next level. The reason we are so proud of the boys has nothing to do with how they perform their pieces, but rather how they handle the stress of being in front of a crowd.They are all champions to us! This is not a small task for either the boys or me. It takes FOREVER to find acceptable pieces. It takes weeks to memorize the pieces. it takes dozens and dozens of practices to figure out how to act the piece out. It takes me hours and hours to help them perfect their enunciation and timing. It is always worth it!Today I recorded two of the pieces to share with you and your children. Enjoy! What kinds of things do you do to help your children become comfortable in front of a crowd? This is his first year competing. He is nine years old and was terrified to go in front of the crowd. It has been a HUGE growing experience for him to participate. This guy is one of my “ham children”. This piece is hysterical and he does a masterful job performing it. Thanks to Anchor me Designs for the cute graphic above~ [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=145b7a846639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox] [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=142a79846639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox]
Thanksgiving Week I am not sure where this year went, but it is actually Thanksgiving week. It is a bit bitter sweet for me, because our oldest son is actually not going to be able to make it home for the holiday. sniff, sniff. (He is blessed to go visit his sweet girlfriend’s family!) Many years ago I gave up trying to get much school done during Thanksgiving week. Instead, we clean, decorate for Christmas, bake and truthfully just bask in the goodness of God. My Secrets to Thanksgiving Success I begin to thaw my 25 pound turkey on Sunday. I Decorate for Christmas. (Why do I decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving?) Hang Outside light. The kids are being trained to be good husbands and daddies someday, so we have been teaching them how to do this task for the last two years. Put up our tree. (Yes, its an artificial one . But it is Gorgeous!) We string the lights and place the ornaments under the tree until after Thanksgiving. Decorate the house. My mom gave me a sweet Christmas scene that I always put out each year, this too goes out before Thanksgiving. I Plan School for the two weeks in between the Thanksgiving Holiday and our Christmas break and the first week back after the New Year. I do not know about you, but I need these few weeks to be light and preplanned. All copies need to be made long before I need them! If I do not have these key weeks planned out, we do not do school. I bake pies and breads on Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday I pull out clean and label all my serving dishes and utensils. I put little post its on each dish with the name of the entrée or side that is destined to be placed there on Thursday. Nothing is worse than finishing your gravy and having to look for your gravy bowl right before dinner. Pull them out ahead and you will be more relaxed. Pulling dishes and labelling is a great kid job! Thursday. Thanksgiving Day. This will be my 30ish time cooking and serving Thanksgiving Dinner. We have had years when we celebrate two times so everyone can make it. Here is my staple Thanksgiving Menu! Have a Wonderfully Blessed Thanksgiving! Bekki I am excited to share some of my learning packs with you! This freebie has some easy and fun Thanksgiving Activities. Great for K-1 graders. The Pilgrim packet above is full of activities that are great for 2nd-4th graders. Color by Divisibility is a fun 4-6th grade activity pack. Here are three of my newest packets. 15 Advent and Christmas Activities Easy Practice for Order of Operations Learn and practice the hardest multiplication facts with this fun game A fun collection of Christmas themed activities
21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Little Ones I am super excited about this next activity pack! 21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for you pre-K- First graders. While I wrote it with Kindergarteners in mind, it would be fun for your little ones:). This activity pack is loaded with fun coloring and math activities for your little ones. I loved holiday and themed pages because it seems even my older kids want to use them. It must be the “holiday buzz”! More Thanksgiving Activities Here Thanksgiving Math, Reading, Science Activities for 3rd Grade 30 Thanksgiving Activities, Crafts, and Games for K-2nd Grade 21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Kindergarten 4 Thanksgiving Jokes Solved with Divisibility Fall Math and Literacy Super Bundle- Grades K-2 Did You Enjoy this Article? Subscribe to receive our latest and greatest: right here
11 ThanksgivingActivities for Toddlers and Preschoolers! 15 days of Thanksgiving Homeschooling ideas: 11 Thanksgiving Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers! I love Thanksgiving. The decorating, the preparation, the cooking, the whole kit and caboodle. Everyone has their own expectations for this fun day, even the little people in your life. Here are some fun ideas to make the day special for your toddlers and preschoolers, that do not take too much of your time to throw together. Have Fun! Turkey Feather Hunt Parenting knows what my younger kids love to do: Parade around declaring they are the winners to whatever game is being played. (current character lesson: humility). This one is a simple, yet fun idea. Collect some feathers at the craft store and have the “turkey” hide them inside or outside… Then let the hunt begin! Make their own Turkey Cups This one is a two-for. Kids love creating their own special cup, and parents do not have to go through three times the amount of disposable cups! Fruit Gobbler Food.com suggests a cute craft/snack. Make eating a healthy snack fun while waiting for the turkey! Make a Thankful Tree I love this one from Artful Homemaking! Gather some twigs, place in a solid container and supply the kids with leaf shaped coloring pages. They color, write what they are thankful for and then decorate their tree. Fun! Mayflower Hand print: Too Cute! Preschool Crafts for Kids is loaded with cute (and easy) ideas for your little people! Become a Native American Kids love to dress up. Although I know how to do this craft in my sleep, I gathered this link at Free Crafts for Kids. A few paper bags, some construction paper, scissors and glue and viola! Kids are busy and happy for at least 30 seconds:). ***Warning*** I have 5 boys. When they dress up as Native Americans they also “become” Native Americans. They forget the history lessons about how wonderful and peaceful these people were and become savages on a mission. In my house, they dress up and then go outside:). Thanksgiving Movie Festival Build an indoor Fort Pop a Turkey:) Pop some popcorn and create your own Popcorn Turkey! Isn’t this cute? One Charming Party has the directions for this fabulous bird! Pam at Over the Moon has put together a short list of kid friendly Thanksgiving movies. Pool Noodle Toss! Bubble Break! All kids love chasing bubbles. If the weather permits, make a few fun bubble wands, some super duper bubble solution and head outside! More Thanksgiving Activities Here Thanksgiving Math, Reading, Science Activities for 3rd Grade 30 Thanksgiving Activities, Crafts, and Games for K-2nd Grade 21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Kindergarten 4 Thanksgiving Jokes Solved with Divisibility Fall Math and Literacy Super Bundle- Grades K-2
4 Fabulous Thanksgiving Day Activities 15 days of Thanksgiving Homeschooling ideas: Day Seven : 4 Fabulous Thanksgiving Day Activities 4 Fabulous Thanksgiving Day Activities is a post from Bekki @ A Better Way to Homeschool where we learn to train our children to become lifelong learners. If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Bekki on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+! Thanksgiving is next week! AS you are busily menu planning, shopping, and decorating you might want to prepare a few fun activities for the family. I know we will be preparing our second annual “Turkey Shoot” where we will be shooting balloons and turkey targets with bows and arrows and BB guns… Yes, I live happily with my husband and 5 boys. Here is My Top 4 List of Simple and Fun Activities Thankful Pie Spinner by Simply Modern Mom I love this idea. Trust me, even older kids will enjoy making a spinner wheel. Turkey Feathers You’ll find the directions and the cute printable at by The Idea Room. Thanksgiving Story Bracelets All you need is a pipe-cleaner and a handful of beads and you can lead a wonderfully memorable story time for your kiddos while the turkey is baking. My Monetessori Journey has a nice story printable and the directions for the beads. Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt Kids of all ages will love participating in your first annual scavenger hunt. I love this starter list by Family Fun. Have the kids brainstorm and add a few fun items to make it your own. More Thanksgiving Activities Here Thanksgiving Math, Reading, Science Activities for 3rd Grade 30 Thanksgiving Activities, Crafts, and Games for K-2nd Grade 21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Kindergarten 4 Thanksgiving Jokes Solved with Divisibility Fall Math and Literacy Super Bundle- Grades K-2 Did You Enjoy this Article? Subscribe to receive our latest and greatest: right here I’d love to here about your Thanksgiving Traditions…
20 Thanksgiving Themed Math and Reading Activities I just uploaded my latest learning pack, just in time to help you celebrate Thanksgiving with your kids. I made this one with a 3rd grade focus, but many of the activities are great from k-4. Click on the image to go to my store to preview the pack! Here is the list of fun activities included: Addition: “Owl” Show you my facts! Multiplication: “Owl” Show you my facts! Math: Round to the nearest 10 Math: Round to the nearest 100 Math: Round to the nearest 1,000 Addition: Color by SUM Math: Who, who, who is first? (ordinal number practice- 2 pages) Math: A-Mazing Turkey Math Game: What’s the Number? Math: EASY-Color by Number- Number Recognition Math: Medium-Color by Number Multiples of 2, 3, 4, 5 ,6, 10 Game: Thanksgiving BINGO (4 game boards, 7 pages game pieces) Reading for Facts! It’s all about the turkey! Reading: Color by Sight words Writing: Thanksgiving Acrostic Nouns: Thanksgiving Nouns Verbs: Thanksgiving Verbs Adjectives: Thanksgiving Adjectives Science: Life Cycle of a Pumpkin (2 pages: booklet and labels) Science: Life Cycle of a Thanksgiving Turkey More Thanksgiving Activities Here Thanksgiving Math, Reading, Science Activities for 3rd Grade 30 Thanksgiving Activities, Crafts, and Games for K-2nd Grade 21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Kindergarten 4 Thanksgiving Jokes Solved with Divisibility Fall Math and Literacy Super Bundle- Grades K-2
Creativity and Boredom My dad always said creativity and imagination lived just on the other side of boredom. I watch this truth play out not only in my own life, but the lives of my children as well. I have 5 very talented and creative boys. Yes, I am biased, but I am telling you it’s true. My boys are Lego architects, writers, painters, musicians, and simply a whole bunch of fun to be around. Before I sound too much like a snotty prideful mom, I want to repeat what my dad always told me: “Creativity and Imagination live just on the other side of boredom.” Here is the secret to growing amazingly creative and imaginative kids… …Let them be bored! Allow your kids to get bored. I mean really bored. Do not rescue them (unless there’s blood). Do not turn on the TV and absolutely ban “all things electronic. Tell them all you have is an endless list of chores for them to complete if they come to you for suggestions. If the weather permits, send ’em outside and tell them they cannot come in until the timer dings. At least an hour! Sit back and wait… Depending on how over-stimulated and over scheduled your kids are, there will likely be a delay between their first boredom appointment and the flow of creativity. It could be a few minutes, or a few days. Trust me it is worth the wait! Plan for periods of boredom regularly. Daily is best. Summer is meant for this type of schedule- embrace it. You may think I am crazy, but I am quite sane. Its the bored kids who create the “new games”. Its the bored kids who create awesome forts. Its the bored kids who write creative stories. Its the bored kids who think painting a fence is fun. Its the bored kids who weave complicated characters and events into their make-believe playtime. Its the bored kids who change the world. Now, if you just cannot handle the thought of allowing your children to become really bored, or if the thought of the possibly whining makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck: cheat. Go to the local thrift stores and let them buy some new dress-up clothes. Pick up a few (or a few dozen) empty cardboard boxes. Buy an assortment of PVC piping and let them create. Find a spell-binding book to read aloud at breakfast or lunch. Be sure to stop reading at an exciting part! This is a great time to send them off. My kids end up personifying literary characters often! Buy some spiral bound notebooks and “special pens” to help them write a creative story (Tell them you will not correct spelling and grammar… just let them write). Invite a “cool big kid” over to play. As homeschoolers we can over schedule our children’s lives to the point of physical and mental exhaustion. Slow down. Let the lull of summer on the horizon remind us that it is more than OK to slow down. We need to allow our children to come to the end of their schedules in order to provide time and opportunity for creativity. Download your FREE “Creativity and Boredom” {Printable}
How the Heck to Plan a Successful Homeschool Day Inside: How the Heck to Plan a Successful Homeschool Day and what to do when everything goes wrong. Homeschool kids smell an unplanned day like wild animals smell fear. Normally this is not an issue. I take the time to sit and think through what we are doing in our homeschool day about 4-6 weeks at a time. I create an easy to follow calendar for each of the boys so they know that- “mom has a plan for today, so I better get busy.” I am a little stressed right now because my current calendar/plan runs out in less than 36 hours. Related: I have a free homeschool Success plan Printable for your refrigerator! The fact that I am not ready for the next step is like a ticking time bomb.Come Monday morning, if I do not have a clear plan of attack for our homeschooling week, my boys will eat me alive. Kids KNOW when we do not have a plan. The run, they hide, they break out the Legos right after breakfast, they seem stunned that we expect them to clean their dirty faces, fix their bed-heads and GASP- learn something. If you do not have a plan, your kids will suddenly forget how to get up, make their beds, add and subtract, multiply and divide, and write legibly. They may even forget that they are homeschooled. I think it is a conspiracy. “Psst-Maybe if we pretend to forget how to do school mom will let us play all day and live in our pajamas.” Can you relate?If kids do not see that we are well prepared for our day, week, or topic they do not buy in to whatever learning experience we set before them. They see us grab our teacher’s manual and then say, “OK, let’s get going. We have a lot of school to do today.” They see us begin reading the lesson and make that certain face that says, “what am I supposed to They see us begin reading the lesson with a confused expression and they silently whisper, “She doesn’t know what to do, let’s slip away”. When we, the teachers, finally grasp the core of today’s lessons they have snuck away from the school area and are resentful that we try to lasso them back to school. If you are honest, you would resent attending a class where the teacher wasn’t prepared too. I took the time to come to school, surely she could have prepared in advance to teach me. You took the time to come to school, surely she could have prepared in advance to teach you. Right? Our kids are no different. They need to see that we have invested in their education by taking the time to become familiar and excited about the learning material before we declare it is time for school. Kids smell a day without a plan and begin wiggling to get out immediately. What can we do: Plan school for 2-6 weeks at a time. In pencil. Become extremely familiar with the material before we try to present it to our kids. (remember the teacher from Ferris Beuller? Help us not be like him! I know this is hard. It takes time. I am currently teaching High School Algebra and Biology to our freshman- no fun. But I have to put in the time to study, otherwise, I confuse the hell out of him.) Schedule lessons out for 2-6 weeks in advance. Write them in pencil, so that when life happens you simply erase and begin again the next day. Never try to teach the school week without a plan. Even if you take a rabbit trail because your kids show a sudden interest in penguins, you will be much better prepared. As homeschoolers include a dinner plan/menu into your school day. Be excited about what you are learning together. How do I plan? I have 4-5 weeks of student calendars printed and ready to go, labeled with their names and dates. I teach 5 core subjects: Bible, Math, English, History, and Science FIRST, mark off all school holidays and family days. I schedule math in first. Cause, it’s easy. It usually is just the next number lesson. I include activities like flashcards, videos, and games in my calendars. If I do not schedule flashcards, the kids do not do flash cards. Kids need reminders. Next, I schedule the rest of the “do the next page” assignments. Handwriting, handwriting, phonics workbook pages, and spelling. Now I have to think. I plan a weekly memory verse and Bible reading. True brain power needed. I have a 5-6 week history focus. History is my core, my golden thread. I look for 3-5 main ideas to pull from a lesson and look for English, Math, and Science activities that go along with what we are learning. I have to skim the readings, pull vocabulary and scour for student activities that will work with my boys. This year I am using Story of the World and they have a great Activity Book from which I pull reading comprehension, map, art, and cooking activities. And then, of course, there is Pinterest. I have a whole series of Homeschool boards to help you and help me. Science is my weakest subject as a teacher. Alas, I am not entirely sure why, but even superman had a weakness. Science is mine. Again, I deal with science in chunks: main idea, 3-5 learning objectives, and at least one hands-on activity per topic. (This is ideal. I am lucky to get 2 experiments in a year). I plan English last. The older my kids, the more I plan. Younger kids need lots of time reading, being read to. Older kids need more and more time writing. Here is a great list to help you teach writing. Lastly, I double check my pencil calendars against the master calendar looking for conflicts. Are we home all of the days I planned to teach school? Are there any obvious monkey-wrench days (days that are destined to fail before they begin). I make adjustments whenever necessary. Sacrifice While every homeschool family has different goals and ambitions, talents and abilities, we all sacrifice something to homeschool.My husband and I personally sacrifice time. Lots of time. It is not easy homeschooling a troop of boys of various ages, grades, interests and learning styles. After 18 years I have learned that the key to success is being prepared before the day begins. Grab your FREE copy!
Medieval Science: Sundials, Candles Clocks, and Water Clocks I have been disappointed with our science curriculum this year. We are studying Medieval History together and I really wanted to integrate our science as well. I found a great little picture book with medieval science, inventions, and discoveries but it was lacking with hands-on activities. What’s a girl to do? Well, I decided to make my own activity pack. This 9 page pack has a reading and reading comprehension activity, copy work pages that match each of my kids handwriting levels, and 3 hands on projects. The boys doesn’t know it yet, but we will be making a sundial, a candle clock, and a water clock. I am super excited! I will add in pictures as we do the activities. Happy Learning.
Army Men, Competing, and Inventing: A Great Morning Our morning began like this: This cute little guy found an old army parachute guy amongst the toy collection in our home. This one discovery turned into an all morning endeavour and had my husband and I enjoying the simplicity of childhood. Hubby taught this guy how to throw the army man, and then the fun truly began. Enjoy the photo journey! Hold him kinda like a baseball . Chuck him high in the air . Watch his chute deploy! Bigger brother tried to outdo him, by digging into the toys and finding the “Super G.I. Joe” with Parachute. Here is his explanation for how you throw the army man. This guy looked around and discovered there were no more army men with parachutes, so he made one! One grocery bag with the handles cut off Gut a length of paracord, and pull out the 7 fibers (strings). Find small pebbles… Using the pebbles wrapped in the bag, tie the cords onto the bag. (Apparently the pebbles help the bag not rip! Great tip hubby!) Will it work? Fly, Bionicle, fly!!! Success! This was such a fun morning. There is something about watching your kids delight in simple childhood pleasures that truly delight the soul! Of course, Hubby had to show us video. An 80 year old woman has a major parachute malfunction and lives to tell the tale. Have fun with your kids today! Preview of the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Master Class. We need to STOP measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets.
Insider Deal: Kindergarteners and Preschoolers “Oh my goodness, Jane! I just found my favorite shoes on sale for almost 75% off!!” Don’t you love it when you find an amazing deal? I shout it from the rooftops when I can save money. My husband works hard to provide for our family and he LOVES it when I save money too!! Get ready to shout from the rooftops my friend! Check out my Kindergarten Bundle of fun! This Kindergarten Bundle sells for $25 in my store. That is a great deal. That’s already over 50% off. Want to see everything that is included? View the product in my store here, but don’t buy it at that price! One of the ways I am able to stay at home with my children is to run my homeschool website and create and sell fun activities. It’s such a blessing to hear how other’s are able to learn from my homeschooling journey or how their kids love my teaching materials. It’s goose bump exciting for me. I already work hard to keep my prices low for the general public, but homeschoolers have a special place in my heart. I never had a large homeschool budget. Actually, I had No Homeschool budget most years. So for my homeschooling friends, I try to offer the lowest price possible while sill being able to help put milk in my kid’s cheerios. Let’s face it, dry cheerios are just not as awesome as milky cheerios! If you looked at my store, you will see that this Kindergarten Bundle is only $25. But that’s not a good enough deal for you, my friend. As an Insider you receive the special price of only $15. Full price is not for you, my friend. Come back here to get your special deal:). Yes, you have my permission to share this with your very best, best friend. Everyone else, please encourage them to visit and join us here. If they subscribe, they will have access to all of the same goodies you have had so far! Homeschool 101 Guide Homeschool Notebook Set Up Guide {printable} Homeschool Mindset Checklist {printable} Homeschool Goal Sheet {printable} Unit Study Planner {printable} Babies and Toddler Survival Plan {printable} Notebooking Samples {printable} Math Concepts to Master before Graduating High School {printable} History Concepts to Explore {printable} If you are already a subscriber and are missing any of the things on this list, please email me here. I have made wonderful changes to benefit your homeschooling journey. If you are not a part of our secret club, simply click on the “Yes I want Help!” Button and jump on board! (OK, it’s not a secret club, but it is cool). Download your FREE “Kindergarten Fun” {Printable}
Mosaic Craft: Learning about the Byzantine Emprire and Mosaics Did you know that you can make beautiful crafts with painted eggs shells? My boys and I are studying the Middle Ages right now. We were fascinated with the incredible mosaic displays of the Byzantine Empire. Talk about patient artists! We did some internet research, looked at incredible mosaic designs (like in the Hagai Sophia!) So we decided to give this type of art a try. We collected and painted eggs shells (using nail polish borrowed from a friend with girls), then began creating our own terra cotta pot designs. The kids loved this activity so much! It is funny how easy it is to bypass the messy crafty things with our kids and to opt for the quick “read and discuss” strategy. Things like this take time. It took us two weekends to collect and wash enough eggshells for 3 boys, another few days to paint them (since we opted for nail polish it was stinky!), and then 3 sittings so far to work on the actual mosaics. We have had many discussions as the boys work about how incredible the ancient mosaics are and they are beginning to truly understand that they did not just “happen”. I created an activity packet to go along with our Story of the World study. The inspiration for this packet and activity is from chapter 4, in case you too are reading Story of the World with your kiddos. You can get your copy by clicking on the image.
Fall Giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway I am excited to share some of my creations with you! My Fall math and literacy super bundle has a wide assortment of fall and Thanksgiving themed activities. Beginning sounds, roll a turkey game, big, bigger, and biggest activities, make your own clock, lacing cards and more. This bundle is truly lacked with fun and learning. How do you enter? It is easy! Choose a way to earn points and you are automatically entered! This giveaway ends Monday night (10/6) at midnight. Click on the images to see what you may win! Prize: Fall Math and Literacy Super Bundle and your choice of any of my products listed in my store! No, you do not “get me”, but you do get to chose one of any of my products at my store!
One Of Those Days As a Homeschooler, we can build unrealistic expectations about our kids and school.We are home, loving on our kids all day so they should be perfect students right? When you’re done laughing, I’ll continue… I have 5 boys. Been homeschoolin’ 15 years. I teach workshops, blog about homeschooling, and create learning packed for others to teach their kids. I never have bad days. My kids are perfect. Not.Today, was one of those days. We had just come out of a long weekend and on of the kids simply could not get his attitude together. Every single activity and lesson took hours rather than minutes.I am not proud of how frustrated I became.The entire was a total struggle. In the end, grumpy child overcame his attitude and completed his last lesson just as Daddy was walking in the door after work. It was a long day. We started at 8:30. Ended at 5:30. (Actually another child, our 11th grader is still working as I write this…) I have been sitting here reflecting on the day.Why was it so hard?What could I have done differently to assist grumpy child so that negativity would not have claimed his sweet heart all day long?Should I have called it a day early and then started over tomorrow? Truth is, I do not know. I am really cranking up the level of schoolwork the boys are completing this year.We have exciting ground to cover together. Since there are 3 kids doing the same lessons, I honestly cannot afford to skip a day just because someone does not feel like working. What about the kids who had a great attitude? They would be frustrated the next day while they wait for the other to catch up. All i know is that today, I needed to win the battle. Child does not want to work… Tough cookies.Work anyway.Harsh? I don’t think so. After 15 years, I have learned to pick my battles. I could clearly see that today’s bad attitude could not be rewarded with time off to play. While it was painful, making him press through until he was done was the right thing to do; hard, but right. So, I know I am not the only Homeschooler that has “hard days”.How do you handle days when your kids are off balance and grumpy, grumpy, grumpy? [leadpages_leadbox leadbox_id=1411c8346639c5] [/leadpages_leadbox]
Experince First: Marine Biology Experience First: Marine Biology is a post from Bekki @ A Better Way to Homeschool where we learn to train our children to become lifelong learners. If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Bekki on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+! I am not excited about marine biology. The thought of teaching about bio-luminescence and phytoplankton simply do not cross my mind during the school year. So what if I have a Marine Biologist hiding inside one of my children? This is a prime example of experience first. You know, get up to your elbows in a subject first, then teach about it later… Our second son worked all spring and summer to pay his own way on a Tall Ship adventure. He was excited to learn to sail, kayak, and snorkel. He just returned this past weekend with a passion to learn all about marine biology. Why? He studied different phytoplankton under a microscope. He Observed an octopus in the ships aquarium. He snorkeled among our state fish (the garibaldi). Finally, he swam with baby seal lions. Actually, one jumped right onto his back while he was on his boogie board: How cool is that? Should it surprise me that he now wants to study marine biology? Of course not! He was able to experience the wonder of the ocean before I ever had him prepare a 5 paragraph essay on the wide varieties of ocean creatures. Take your children out into this amazing world. Let them get wet, muddy, and wonderfully dirty. Explore until you find what makes their heart skip a beat, then dive into the books to learn more. You will be thrilled with the “education” you are delivering to your children.
Customizing Homeschool I love creating personalized plans and activities for my kids. Actually, it is not only a passion of mine, but almost an obsession. I remember being about 6 or 7 years old and creating learning packets for my younger sisters. Fast forward almost 40 years and I am still making packets. And I LOVE every single minute of it! Every month or so, I give my readers here free copies of some of the activity packs that I have created. I am preparing a free bundle of goodies this week, so NOW is the perfect time subscribe. There will be something for kids of all ages in this “insiders gift set”. I want to invite you to join in the fun! It only takes a minute… Subscribe to this blog! Subscribe here! I have special tips and freebies for my readers!!! I will not spam you. You will simply get an email whenever I have a few minutes to share valuable homeschooling tips and encouragement. Visit my Store(click here) and Follow me (you will find the “follow me” right under my name at the top of the page. Why? I make new learning packets all the time. You will find something that helps you teach your children here! (if you have an idea of what you need, but cannot find it, let me know. I may be able to make you a customized activity pack. Thank you for subscribing and following me! Be sure to email me if you have an idea that you would like to see turned into a cute learning activity pack!
Organizing, Scheduling, and Managing Multiple Grades By the second day of school I was ready to pull my hair out. I was running ragged between our four homeschoolers. Tutoring the 11th grader Teaching the 4th grader Guiding the 6th grader Mentoring, teaching, and coaching the 7th grader By 4:00 in the afternoon I was exhausted and I looked at the day and realized we did not get through half of what I had planned in my head. That was the problem. All four kids schedules were in my head. They had no clue what to do, so whenever I became distracted, so did they. Enter Wonderful Husband. He reminded me that when our oldest (now 21 and in college) was in 7th grade we helped him create a planner. Hubby encouraged me to do the same for the boys. The result? After a few hours of planning, I had all four boys’ school-work mapped out for a few weeks. I created personal calendars for each student and organzied binders for each student. Oh my goodness. What a difference! I stay about 2 weeks ahead of the boys in planning, so there are no, “What ARE we supposed to do today” moments. We are 4 weeks into school, and all of the boys, event he 4th grader get up and pull out their planners and get to work each day before breakfast. The Planner: Gives them control over their day. More often than not, the youngest is working before 7am so he can be done with school early. Answers the question, “I am done, what should I do next?” Brings me peace of mind! Yes, it takes me a chunk of time to out lessons in advance and to schedule their weeks. But it saves so much time during the school day. My next goal is to teach the boys how to plan out their own weeks, but that will take some serious mentoring! By the time they are in the 10th grade they need to be proficient in planning their own days. How about you? How do you help your days run more smoothly? Subscribe here! I have special tips and freebies for my readers!!!
Math Worksheets, and Activity Packs Ready to Go! I created some new activity packs for you and your kiddos! Click on the images and you will be brought right to my store. Fun packet to help celebrate your child’s birthday. Includes wearable button, table/desk sign, paparazzi game, and more. If you mix food into any subject, it just tastes better. Yes, even math! Here is a daily or weekly worksheet to help your child practice all those different forms of a number: standard form, expanded form, word form, etc. I have included worksheets to cover fall, thanksgiving, winter, valentines, and St.Patrick’s day. Want to watch a quick overview? Visit my YouTube channel
Books for Homeschooling: Adding Picture Books to Your Homeschooling One of the beautiful things about homeschooling is that we do not have to reproduce a classroom environment around our kitchen table. Aren’t you glad? While I was quick to throw out many “classroom-y” ideas and practices in my first few years of homeschooling, I rediscovered a classroom secret that works like magic at home… Books. Picture books. Many homeschoolers take advantage of their local libraries and Amazon, but how do we present those books to our children? The Seed Was Planted One of my homeschooling mentors mentioned how important it was to surround our children with picture books. Forget the thought that picture books are for preschoolers. Simply select books that are beautifully written and illustrated and cover topics that your children are learning about in history. So, I took my 15 library books and out them all over the window sills in my dining room (where we “do school”). Result: All of the boys were drawn to the books. (All. Even the high schooler!) During breakfast, during snack, during break/free time they would wander over and grab a book to browse. There was no agenda; just enjoy the books. We explored the books, talked about the pictures, and of course read the stories! Lesson learned. As a classroom teacher, I guess I would have collected a book-set themed for what we are studying in history or science. I would have the books conveniently displayed all over the room and in the reading center. I suggest to you, that as homeschoolers we need to find ways to display these books to our children as well. On the kitchen table On the coffee table On the window sills Along our white boards On shelves. Displayed like they would be at a book store. If you have matching toys, stuffed animals or knick-knacks then display them with the books! We need to simply put together a history or science themed collections and then place them before our kids. I personally use Amazon to find the books I want to put in front of our boys, then order them from our library. I always have 10-30 books checked out during the school year! Challenge: Pull 3-10 books from your shelves or the library. Place them in a display-like fashion. Set no agenda. In fact, you ignore them. Observe your kids. I bet you will be as amazed as I was to see the difference it makes! Be sure to comment below and share what works for you! If you need some book suggestions, just let me know. I would be glad to help.