The Homeschoolers Guide to the Galaxy

Living History in your homeschool

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 21:39:00 +0000

This is a guest post by Lisa Shoreland.

History lessons can become dull when they are full of dates, long lines of royal ancestry, and political play-by-plays. There's no need to make homeschool history like that!

Studying how the people of a certain time period lived every day, including what they ate, where they worked, and how they dressed, can help bring history to life, especially for younger children. Going to museums or looking at picture books are great ways to illustrate historical concepts, but hands-on projects make for more exciting learning.

Cosplay for Learning

Short for “costume play,” cosplay is a popular hobby among both comic book and gaming fans and history buffs. War reenactments and Renaissance festivals (RenFaire being the most popular) are perfect examples of cosplay in action. The costumes are created to match the details and styles of the period for which they are trying to emulate.

Of course, creating a full-sized Elizabethan gown with embroidery and bead work, a functioning ruff, corset and all the underpinnings might be a bit more than you can fit into a daily history lesson – and probably far above your skill level, and your child’s. But there are many ways to use costuming in your history lessons, no matter your skill level or your time commitment.

Attend Festivals and Shows

Just seeing all the lavish costumes can be inspiration enough for your children. There are Renaissance Faires held in each state at different times of the year. Of course, the time period covered is the Renaissance era, so you will only find a certain kind of costume at this festival. Other great places to see historical costumes are war reenactments and historical sites, where many of the characters are dressed in historical costume. With reenactments, you can even get a front-row seat to a simulated war scene. Search for what’s local to your area. A final option is to visit a museum when there is a costume display. Many history museums will feature a costume section, though the selection may be limited.

Sew Them Yourself

If you’re up for a challenge, you can create your own historical costumes with your children. You don’t have to start from scratch. If you do want to cut and sew your own costume, you can buy a pattern from a local fabric store. Patterns are available for many different kinds of historic dress. If you do choose to sew your own costume, you can easily combine the lesson with an arts or “home ec” lesson.

If you don’t want to sew the whole costume, you can find used clothing to alter to your needs. An old long-sleeved shirt would be easy enough to convert into a tunic with a slit at the neckline and some string. Likewise, a corset could be worn over a blouse and billowy skirt to create a female costume. Help you children think creatively by looking at ways they can transform objects by adding some elements and taking away others.

If you don’t want to sew any of the costume, there are tools that can help you “sew” without ever having to thread a needle, including fabric glues and fusible fabrics.

The only limit to what you can do is your creativity!

Bio: Lisa Shoreland is currently a resident blogger at Go College, where recently she's been researching scholarships for music students. In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing, taking weekend trips, and practicing martial arts.

Are your kids into cosplay? Have they made any historical costumes?

Photo courtesy of Steven Groves from FlickR under a creative commons license.

Food History

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 12:15:00 +0000

One great approach to discovering history with your kids is to go through the history of food.

I've put together a list of great resource links on the history of British food at my website Best British Food. Right now it focuses on prehistoric food, but I'll be adding more later. Some of these links are fabulous finds - I was really surprised at how much free food history information there is out there. One of the sites is even designed for teaching, but not in the conventional classroom sense. Who knew there was so much to learn about prehistoric food!

Let me know what you think. Have you used food to teach history and culture? It's a favorite at my house.

Thinkwell Offer Ending

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:42:00 +0000

The Homeschool Buyers Co-op has its last offer for Thinkwell courses up - after this the price will be full retail. Discount on most of the classes is running at 45% savings.

What is really nice about this offer is that you have one year to complete the course from the time you start and you have upto one year from now to start.

I've been thoroughly pleased with Thinkwell Algebra I which my son has been doing. And I've checked some of their other courses and we're going to be using more. Courses on offer include:

all math from 6th grade through college algebra (except for Geometry), including Calculus and Trig
Biology, Physics, and Chemistry
American Government, Public Speaking, and Economics (micro and macro)

The current price for most of the courses is $68.75 and the offer ends on 08/31/10. If you're looking for high school online homeschool software courses I recommend that you check out Thinkwell Discounts through the Homeschool Buyers Co-op.

Which homeschool software products do YOU recommend?

How to Make a Homeschool ID Card

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 13:59:00 +0000

Get a FREE
Homeschool ID Card!

Homeschool Buyer's Coop have a nifty service for designing a homeschool ID card which you can use for home printing for free. Or order a professionally printed ID for $6.95 ($4.95 for additional cards).

Looks good to me!

When you go to bookstores, including Borders and Barnes and Nobles and office supply stores, such as Staples, to register as a teacher and receive discounts one of these could be handy.

Do you have homeschool ID cards for your kids? What about for yourself? How have you used them?

Finding Fun Books

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:26:00 +0000

When it comes to enjoying reading, what you really need are some fun books. Not that everyone's definition of fun is the same! But, who would want to read a boring book?

I've just relaunched one of my own websites with lots of information on how to find great reading suggestions. I learned a lot during the process of writing, especially about which publisher produces which ranges of books, where to find great reading lists, and how to find stuff on Amazon.com (often-times I've been frustrated to mainly see best sellers, most of which I'm not interested in).

You can find all of the information about best books at my site GreatFunBooks.com. I've not written specifically for homeschoolers this time, though I do mention that homeschoolers really value non-fiction kids books. I think that's one of the myriad reasons that homeschooled kids know so much. I also did pretty extensive research on early readers for the page on best books for kids so, if you have a pre-reader or early reader at home be sure to check that page out.

Do let me know what you think and whether there is other information you'd like to see there.

Free Environmental Education Curriculum

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:34:00 +0000

The No Impact Project has come out with a free environmental education curriculum suitable for middle and high school kids.

I've not registered to download the curriculum so I can't comment on the details. What I can tell you is that I respect the work of Colin Beavan who has lived his no impact experiment with his family. I have every faith that this curriculum has quality content.

According to the website, the environmental education curriculum:

contains 5 lessons - consumption, energy, food, transportation, water
incorporates internet-based video clips
is designed to be taught in 50 minute lessons
is suitable for grades 6-12, but can be adapted for other ages/grades
the author is "Cari Ladd, M.Ed., is an educational writer with a background in secondary education and media development. Previously, she served as PBS Interactive’s Director of Education, overseeing the development of curricular resources tied to PBS programs..."

You don't need to own the No Impact Man book or DVD in order to use the curriculum. If you want to take it further you can join the No Impact Experiment one week carbon cleanse.

15% Off at Staples

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:46:00 +0000

For those who missed the $1 sale at Staples, or who need to shop for something specific, here is a 15% off at Staples coupon. It is only valid today and Saturday, 01/30/2010 and is not valid on computer purchases. It is an in-store coupon, not for online purchases.

Homeschool supplies you might consider purchasing for 15% off at Staples: binders and sheet protectors (my favorite way to file projects and notes); pens (I'm always losing those); sketch pads; printer cartridges; and calculators (I think they have a range of math and science calculators). Here is a link to the Staples Calculators online - I expect the range at the store will differ.

You might compare Staples prices before making a trip though, sometimes you can get the same price online, and save yourself the gas and travel time. Locally I find Costco and Target to be economical for the limited range of office supplies they sell - I've found binders and sheet protectors for good prices.

Check the ACT calculators permitted list if that is a consideration.

Compare Texas Instruments calculators at Amazon.com (affiliate link).

Thinkwell Courses Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:55:00 +0000

Periodically the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op provides access to Thinkwell courses on sale. I'm a fan of Thinkwell for high school and college prep homeschooling.

Maybe it's Professor Edward Burger that makes me like Thinkwell - he's a kinda cute, geeky, math guy and he makes me laugh. Or the fact that their course is so thorough - he obviously just loves his subject and knows it inside out. Either way, if you're looking for high school online software it's worth checking out Thinkwell.

Courses on offer this time around:

middle school, high school, and some college level math (except for Geometry, which I really wish they had), including college algebra, trigonometry and calculus
high school biology, chemistry and physical science
American government
macroecomomics and microeconomics
public speaking

Prices range from $49.95 to $84.95 with bigger discounts when there are more subscribers.

For some reason it's hard to access the deals if you just go to the Homeschool Buyers Co-op home page - go straight to Thinkwell courses on sale if you want to take a look. The current offer expires February 10th at noon (eastern).

The Homeschooler's Guide to the Galaxy has no connection to Homeschool Buyers Co-op or Thinkwell. I also recommend The Teaching Company Save 70%! Great Courses by America's Top Professors and Elementary Algebra (these are affiliate links).

Staples Dollar Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:41:00 +0000

I know that some of my readers and friends here get a little foamy mouthed, or is that starry-eyed, over discounted school supplies so I'm escaping from lurkdom to point you to Stapes Dollar Deals, which arrived in my Inbox this morning.

So, what delights are in store for you at Staples Dollar Deals, if you just can't resist checking into shiny, new, $1, office supplies?

small, college-ruled, spiral-bound notebooks
mini staplers - so cute!
clear and colored washable glue sticks
sheet college-ruled paper
post-it like Stickies pads
pens

There are also some $2 deals. That's it! If your school supplies have run out, dried up, or you just need a little of that fresh, new smelling, stuff to get you fired up and get you through to Spring Break, take a look at Staples Dollar Deals.

Regards, Alison

P.S. Can someone tell Staples they should pay me for doing this stuff?

SmartDraw 2009 Homeschool

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Homeschool Buyers Co-op have announced that they are offering SmartDraw 2009 Homeschool for the last time, ending December 31st, 2009, early morning. Discount is 60% and the price is $59. You must have been a member for 3 days to take advantage of this offer.

You can find more information about what SmartDraw does and download a free trial at the SmartDraw site. It looks really powerful and useful for all kinds of graphical creations, including slideshows, timelines, family trees, flowcharts, and mind maps. Documents can be exported in a large variety of formats, including .jpg .pdf and to Excel and PowerPoint.

This offer is for an academic license for non-commercial use. Let me know if you've used this - it looks like a great offer.

Bravewriter Black Friday Coupon

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:46:00 +0000

Bravewriter are offering a $25-50 rebate on their materials today, as detailed below.

The way it works: You order at full price, send Julie the code in email, and they rebate/refund your purchase within 24 hours.

If you need help with product selection, call Julie: (513) 307-1405, or email: julie@bravewriter.com

Here's how it works:

The Black Friday Rebate Coupon is good for any Brave Writer product. That means you can use it for The Writer's Jungle, or Help for High School, or any of The Writer's Jungle packages; the Gold package which includes the Arrow and Slingshot Evaluation and Planning Tools, or the Platinum package which includes year-long Language Arts Subscriptions (Arrow and Boomerang). You can apply the coupon to Already Published issues of the Arrow, Boomerang or Slingshot. You can use it for any of the writing aids: Fairy Tales, Poetry, Myths and Legends, and so on. You may even apply this coupon to a semester order of the Boomerang Complete (whose price will go up in January). If you purchase the semester now, you lock in the current price.

For a limited time (until January) they're offering The Writer's Jungle and Help for High School together for $124.99 in a package they call the BW Home Study Package. Don't miss this chance to get them for the lowest price possible.

The coupon is not applicable to online classes (registration for those is on Tuesday, December 1, 2009).

The coupon has two possible rebate amounts.

Spend $120.00 or more - $25.00 rebate.

Spend $200.00 or more - $50.00 rebate.

Simply place your order and put the following code on your Paypal order (if a note option is provided) or send it in an email: julie@bravewriter.com. If you send the code in an email, please include the name and email address of your Paypal order.

The code is: BLKFRIBW09

The coupon only works with online orders. They will not accept the coupon for check orders. If you have difficulties with Paypal, contact Julie at: julie@bravewriter.com.

You may share the Black Friday Rebate Coupon code on homeschooling forums, email lists and with your friends. When a friend uses it, they'll be added to the email list in order to activate the code. If you share the code with a friend who makes a purchase, send an email with her name and order and Julie will send you a FREE issue of the Arrow or Boomerang as a thank you.

Black Friday orders are not refundable so be sure you know what you want when you make your order.

P.S. Check out the new class schedule. Registration opens Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at noon EST

Use the Black Friday Rebate Coupon to order Brave Writer Products on Friday, November 27 and Saturday November 28 for $25.00 or $50.00 off of your total purchase! See above for details.

Thinkwell Announces Classhive for Homeschool Students

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:52:00 +0000

On Friday the folks at Thinkwell announced a new feature in their computer-based, online math and science programs specifically for homeschool students called Classhive.

Within the next week Classhive will be released. It will enable interaction with other students taking the same Thinkwell math or science course. Things you'll be able to do include:

ask questions
upload notes
connect with other students
post web links
create exam reviews
organize study groups

It's no secret that I already like Thinkwell courses. This seems like a great addition.

Thinkwell Math Online

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:24:00 +0000

In my Inbox today was a 30% discount notice from Thinkwell for their online math courses. It seems they would like to increase their take-up amongst the homeschool community.

First let me say that Homeschool Buyers Co-op has the best price for Thinkwell Online Math products.

Both offers expire Monday, October 26th, 2009. You can save 30% direct through Thinkwell and 39-48% through Homeschool Buyers Co-op. Most of the courses at the co-op are currenly just 2 subscriptions short of getting a 44% discount.

Do you like cake? I've been using the Thinkwell Algebra I online course this term and for me it's the most enjoyable Algebra course I've seen. Professor Burger is a really high-thinking mathematician who makes the course fun and just covers math at a deeper level than other courses I've seen. His fun props such a cake and bologne also get his points across.

I don't recommend Thinkwell Online Math courses for every student though. There are a couple of other online math courses I recommend. Take a look at Thinkwell if your kid/student:

Likes variety - there is a fair bit going on within the multi-screen format.
Wants to work excusively online.
Asks questions and wants to understand math in its wider context.
Doesn't need things broken down to tiny steps with lots of repetition.

And if you're already using Thinkwell, or decide to, you might be interested in:

Homeschool Parent Teacher Conference?

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:12:00 +0000

Schools in my area are doing parent teacher conferences next week. As a homeschooler do you to a parent teacher conference?

This might sound a rather stupid question, but when you think about it, conference is not just about a teacher communicating with a parent what a child is doing in school, it's about taking the time to review progress and a child's strengths.

For a homeschooler, conference is a time to look at what you've been doing together. Reviewing can bring back some of the joy of things you've been learning. It can highlight things you want to do more of and things to do differently.

You've been working hard. Acknowledge that, praise yourself, praise your kid/s. Share some more of what you've been doing with a parent who is not working with your child/children every day.

Celebrate and eat a cookie, or a pizza. You'll enjoy the change of pace. All teachers and children need the reward of thinking about good things.

Halloween Costume Ideas with Books

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:24:00 +0000

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Dressing up is so much fun. It's a time for imagination, creativity and just a bit of scaring. Candy is good too, but not too much of it! My kids have always used the candy they gather at Halloween to supply them with a weekly treat for much of the year. We also give excess candy to a food pantry collection every year.

My kids have always loved homemade Halloween costumes. Sometimes it's a challenge to come up with a good costume idea and a plan to implement it. The Usborne Book of Fancy Dress contains some quality classic costume ideas and is great for kids 8 years and up. For the younger group What Shall I Be has simpler ideas which will end up as favorites in your dressing up box. Or, for the princess who needs all the right accessories, there's the Princess Jewelry Kid Kit.

Face painting can really set off a good costume, or make a simple, uncomplicated costume appear professional. A muskeeter with a mustache is so much more believable, tiger face painting looks better and is more comfortable than a plastic mask, and a clown can't be a clown without face paint. Quality face paints are also easy to use if you have any skill at all with a brush and paint. I've bought paints from both Michael's and from a local costume shop. They lasted for many Halloweens and really made a difference to how great a costume looked.

You might take advantage of the excitement with Halloween to get kids reading. Who doesn't love a scary story - so much better under a blanket now that the weather is cooling! A set of Halloween themed readers is ideal for 2nd and 3rd graders just re-establishing their reading after the summer. Or pick out a Princess item or something for a pirate - better than a big pile of candy because a book lasts all year and brings learning too!

If you choose to click through and order I thank you for supporting this blog and the education of my children. Otherwise, purchasing from your local Usborne consultant or borrowing from the library are great options.

What are your Halloween traditions?

Virtual Field Trips - Meet Me At the Corner

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:13:00 +0000

Looking for virtual field trips? Meet Me At the Corner is a fun website which focuses on sharing short, educational videos which get kids thinking about a wide variety of topics.

I've been receiving the Meet Me At the Corner virtual field trips newsletter for several months now and I've been really impressed with the range of topics. Recent topics include:

These all sound great to me. It's too bad that my computer is not letting me view the videos - hopefully you'll have better luck. Upcoming topics sound great too and include: Cable Cars; The History of Chemistry; and Wolf Rescue.

As well as the videos, Meet Me At the Corner provides related websites, quizzes, and reading suggestions to accompany the virtual field trips. You can also submit your own field trips to share with other homeschooling families and there are lessons on how to make a podcast.

Do you have another virtual field trip site to share? What do you think about virtual field trips compared to live field trips?

Free Online Math, Science, Finance

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:18:00 +0000

Khan Academy is a non-profit website site where you can access free online math, science and finance lectures. When you visit you'll see subjects under group headings like Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, SAT Preparation, and Arithmetic.

Under each subject, such as Arithmetic, are listed all the topics, such as Dividing Decimal Numbers. Click on the link and you'll be taken to a YouTube video, such as this one here.

Khan Academy looks like a really amazing resource. Not only are there all the video lectures, but there is also a curriculum, with exercises to work, for some of the math topics, including Arithmetic and Algebra 1. Here is the link to the Khan adaptive math program. I didn't go in and look to see how the exercises are presented because you have to register for that part, but I recommend you check it out if you're looking for a new way to do math.

Now I'm wondering if I could have avoided some of the $$$ I've spent on math curricula over the last 6 years of homeschooling...

Costco September Offers

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Here are my education picks from the Costco September magazine. Just out of curiosity I've compared the prices at Costco with the same item at Amazon.com.

The Human Body Book and The Human Brain Book. These are hardback books which come with an interactive DVD. Price at Costco.com is below the price at Amazon.com, but then you'd have to pay shipping if you order online from Costco. If you're already making a trip to the Costco warehouse buy there. You can look inside at Amazon.com. If I were ordering online I'd probably go with Amazon.com.
Alera Wire Shelving. Shelving really is an essential item for homeschooling. Sturdy, pantry type shelving is great for storing totes with craft, math, and science supplies. Again the Alera Shelving at Amazon.com is a very similar price.
Oceanology, Dragonology, Pirateology - these fun books were very popular with my kids when they were aged about 10-12 years. They are high quality and interactive with great little flaps and things. Again prices are very similar between Costco and Amazon.com. Pick them up at the Costco warehouse, or take a look at the Ology books at Amazon.com.
Magic Tree House books are a classic chapter book series. Costco will have them at the warehouse in September. They don't appear to be selling them at Costco.com so I don't know the price. Here is the link to see them and check the prices at Amazon.com Magic Tree House Books.
Big Blue Book of Beginner Books and Big Green Book of Beginner Books are bind-ups each with six of the Dr Seuss early readers. I love the Dr Seuss books for early reading because they are so wacky. If you want to see the contents of these they are also available at Amazon.com.
Sibley Guide to Birds and Sibley Guide to Trees are going to be in the Costco warehouse mid-September. Books at the warehouse are going to be hardbacks. I imagine they'll be a pretty good deal. If you want to know more and see inside the bird book here is the Sibley Guide to Birds in paperback at Amazon.com.
ECR4Kids is child-sized activity furniture, or kid-sized tables and chairs of the sort you'd find in schools. These are not going to be available at the warehouse, only at Costco.com. Table prices range from $100-200 and chairs come in packs of 6 or 10. I looked around online and the Costco.com price on these looks really good. Be sure to check the shipping charge though because these are large items. Amazon.com don't have anything similar. Here is the link for Costco.com ECR4Kids tables and chairs. If you are in the Kansas City area though check out Constructive Playthings because they have something similar and you can pick up and avoid the shipping.

I hope your school year is off to a good start. Let me know if you need help with something.

Homeschool Math Examination

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:18:00 +0000

I've spent the last couple of days absorbed in an examination of homeschool math options for the middle school and high school years. This is most certainly not a new area of research for me, but each time I take a look at homeschool math options I learn something new. Rather than let this research go to waste, here are a few things I've discovered. Today I'll cover online instruction options.

Computer Based Math Instruction
There are several math instruction methods suitable for middle school, high school, and college level math which are entirely computer based. I'm going to write a few notes on things that seem to me unique about each different program.

iPASS - designed to catch up a student who may have gaps in their learning. Covers math through pre-Algebra - math taught in grades 4-8 in most states. This is a comprehensive program which breaks down math into all it's component parts. The student is not aware of which grade level they are working - levels are simply labeled with letters from A-V and moving from one grade to the next is seamless. For each topic the student completes a timed assessment and they can test out of a lesson if they reach the pass rate. Questions are not multiple choice so a student must actually know how to calculate the answer to get it right. Once a student has mastered the topic they pass on to the next topic. If needed the student will be given more questions from a large pool of questions to provide adequate practice. Students who need additional time for tests can be accomodated. Review is incorporated throughout the program so that the student continues to practice concepts they've mastered. iPASS does not have a free trial - I was quoted a cost of $20 per month and you can sign up for one month and see if it works for you. Find out more about iPASS. You need to talk with a sales representative to sign up. The person I spoke with was Kim and she is very helpful.
Thinkwell Math begins with their Pre-Algebra course. Their courses cover Algebra from Pre-Algebra to College Algebra, Pre-Calculus and Calculus, and Trigonometry. They don't list a Geometry course - I'm not aware of whether geometry is integrated into their other courses perhaps. Each course must be purchased separately. You can save 39-48% by purchasing through the Homeschool Buyers Co-op. The current offering ends on August 21st. I've looked at this course before and I really like the way the teacher covers the work. The software workspace is divided up with the teacher on one side explaining the concept and working the problem, a place to show the math problem being worked on and a key ideas area. It does make for quite a busy screen. You can see the demos at Thinkwell's site and take a look at what the Thinkwell Homeschool Buyers Co-op offering. There is no free trial, but watching the demos should give you and your children a pretty good feel for this program.
PLATO Learning Math has courses covering everything from Pre-Algebra to Geometry, Calculus 2 and Trigonometry. They do not appear to cover Statistics. This year is the first time these courses have been available to homeschoolers. Homeschool Buyers Co-op is able to make them available through the Kentucky Virtual Campus. While I am not familiar with the PLATO math options I've used some of their science courses in homeschooling my teens and we've liked them a lot. The offering for these courses involves signing up to get access to a very wide range of middle school and high school level courses. At a cost of $299 for the year it would be a really good deal if you can take advantage of several of the courses. The courses cover math, science, social studies, language arts, and job and life skills. The Homeschool Buyers Co-op deal ends on the morning of August 23rd. If you're interested take a look at PLATO demos and Kentucky Virtual Campus then sign up through Homeschool Buyers Co-op. There is no trial period for this software.
ALEKS Math cover everything from Grade 3 math to college math courses in Algebra, Trigonometry, AP Calculus and Statistics, and Business Math. I'm not very familiar with ALEKS but I've heard good things and they do have a free trial. At the ALEKS site you can see all of their offerings, take a tour and sign up for a free trial. One thing I like about what they are offering is that you have access to all their courses for the one subscription of $19.95 per student.
Indian Math Online is an online math program I just discovered. It is based on the teaching method used in India. Given that India is now producing some of the leading math and science majors I think it's worth a look. You can sign up for a free trial and then the subscription costs $15-20 per month. Indian Math Online covers grades 1-10 math.

If you are looking for a math curriculum I hope these comments will be of help to you. I also have plenty to say about textbook math, but I'll save that for another day.

Juggling Homeschooling

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:57:00 +0000

I am not a very good juggler. In fact I can't even keep two objects in the air at a time. I don't even multitask very well. You might be excused for thinking this is not a good recipe for homeschool success. I mean, isn't homeschooling all about juggling time, juggling the needs of one child against another, and juggling the housework against homeschooling and the time to be an adult? All I can say is that I drop the balls over and over, but I just pick them up and keep going. I believe that if I can do it, anyone who really wants to can homeschool too. You, for instance, can do it!

The good thing about juggling homeschool is that things never stay the same for long. I mean, I might be getting frustrated that one child has no current interest in writing. The strange thing is that letting that sit for a while, and mindfully exploring options, seems to lead to some kind of spontanteous solution. It's like the watched kettle never boiling. A watched child never seems to be ready for the next step. It's like when you are juggling, or trying to catch a ball - when you are tense and worried there's little chance you'll catch it. The more anxious you are for your child to do something, the less likely it seems they'll be able to satisfy you.

Parents who are thinking of homeschooling the elementary years seem to come in two sorts.

A parent who thinks that, no matter what, they're bound to do better than the schools would. This is usually the big picture thinking parent.
A parent who knows that kids in school are kept busy all day and wonders how they can possibly learn and do enough to provide all that to their child. This is usually the detail oriented parent.

Whichever side you approach homeschooling from doesn't really matter. The truth is that parents can make mistakes, but children benefit from consistency, love, and personal attention during homeschooling in a way that no school can provide. At the same time, kids don't need to be fully occupied at home the same way they need to be when placed in an environment with a class load of same-age peers. You really don't need your kids completing a stack of worksheets to find out what they know. If they don't learn to read until they are 8 or 9 years old it actually may not indicate they have a reading problem. They can learn to count with pebbles outside just as readily as in a classroom with shelves full of bright primary colored mathematically designed doo-dads. Maybe the pebbles even work better.

So, give yourself a pat on the back. You can do it! As I enter the 7th year of homeschooling with my kids there's one thing I have learned. Kids are not eggs. If you haven't mastered homeschool juggling and you drop something a time or two (or even over and over again) they really won't crack and be irreparably broken. Go for it. You'll learn something in the process, and they will learn a ton, even if you NEVER master juggling.

Happy Birthday Homeschooler's Guide to the Galaxy!

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:51:00 +0000

It's hard to believe it, but today, August 13th, 2009, is the 1st birthday of The Homeschooler's Guide to the Galaxy. In honor of this august occasion, I think a little reflection is in order. Herewith, some things I have learned, some posts others have enjoyed, some writing which still makes me glad I did it, and some great homeschooling (and not) friends I've made through my little blog.

Most Frequently Visited
I used to think it was somewhat possible to figure out how to get Google to send traffic here. The more I learn though, the more it seems to me a mystery. The following posts are the ones most visited, largely due to Google picking up on them for some inexplicable reason.

Wizard of Oz Lesson Plans with 687 visits is by far the leader.
Rocket Stove Cooking with 443 visits is one of my favorites. It is now being hosted over at Loving Nature's Garden.
Sound of Music Lesson Plans with 250 visits clearly lags behind The Wizard of Oz in terms of popularity as a movie to teach with. I really enjoyed writing this one though.

Most Popular With You
You are more important to me than a casual visitor who happens here while searching for a lesson plan. I love your comments, but you keep me guessing as to what you'll enjoy reading and benefit from. Here are the posts which have attracted the most conversation in the form of comments. This time I'm excluding any posts on green/nature/gardening.

In the clear lead with 15 reader comments is Santa = Books. This post was entered in a carnival and brought many new visitors over who appreciated what I said enough to comment. It is one of my favorites too.
With 8 reader comments, My Family and Other Animals. I think we all love our pets. They are such an important part of our lives.
And in joint third place with 6 reader comments each are Why Homebaked Bread is a Necessity and A Voting Story.

My Favorites
At this point I seem to have forgotten many of the posts I've written. Looking back through is giving me a nice little dose of nostalgia. Sometimes I even think, "Did I write that? It's not half bad!"

And My Friends
You, dear reader and friend, are the reason I write a blog. I could write a diary, but for me this is about sharing. Who wants anyone to read their diary - a diary is only relevant to the author. I hope that during the last year I've brought you something good. I enjoy the conversation with you and I'm sure we'll continue to develop our friendship. Since you are reading this, you are on my list of people I'm thankful for and who's friendship I enjoy :-)

It's hard to believe it's been a whole year since I started this journey. I've learned many lessons here, made mistakes, moved ahead, shared in your world. I'm sure my kids have learned a ton second-hand through my journey. It's a great journey and I look forward to the future and to our continued connection.

I'll leave you with my first ever post which I hope conveys some of the joy I feel in exploring on the learning journey: I Love to Go A-Wandering.

Horse Therapy for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:05:00 +0000

I just have to share this video from a local, Kansas City, horse therapy for kids camp. I've seen this therapy in action and it's amazing what they do for kids on the autism spectrum.

The horses are used to help children on the autism spectrum to recognize first the feelings of the horse and then their own feelings. The children also learn to follow directions so that they can do the things they want to do on the horse. All of the riding is done without stirrups and the children learn balance and co-ordination too. They are actually taught how to fall off safely.

Places like this need volunteers to help - often they need 2-3 adults working with each child at a time. It's a great learning opportunity for a teen who might be interested either in working with horses or with special needs kids.

Bravewriter Online Classes

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:22:00 +0000

Remember that sign-up for Bravewriter's online classes opened today. Some of the classes have very limited space - the one I signed my daughter up for takes just 20 kids. If you're thinking of signing up and haven't yet you'll need to make a decision today to ensure a place.

Here is the list of Fall Bravewriter Classes.
Here is more information about Bravewriter Online Classes.

Everyone I know who's taken these classes praises them. See my previous article for more about Bravewriter including a conference audio presentation by Julie who started Bravewriter.

Amazon.com Back to School

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:35:00 +0000

Amazon.com Back to School includes a variety of offers. I'm going to give you the general links here then write about a few things, my picks, which I think are particularly worth checking out, and may not be so obvious, below that.

Many of the promotions make me cringe - they are suggesting new bedding, computers, scanners, and a whole host of expensive items which seem to me to have no connection to back-to-school. I do recognize that you mileage may vary. For all I know you may want to buy ahead for the holidays or you may be waiting for just the kind of deals they have. Anyway, here are my picks.

Short-sleeved polo shirts - I wear polo shirts because they are inexpensive and comfortable.
Prismacolor colored pencils - for colored pencil drawing it's worth having high quality pencils and Prismacolor make some of the nicest.
Super magnet science kit - who can resist a set of cool magnets? Looks like fun to me!
Set of 4 Tycoon games - great games for the 8-10 year old boy in particular. Tycoon games were popular in my home for quite a while.

Happy browsing. I'll have more links later on savings.
Purchases made through the above links support The Homeschooler's Guide to the Galaxy.

10 Books for $15

noreply@blogger.com (Alison Kerr) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 20:02:00 +0000

Until August 10th you can sign up to start an Usborne Books and More home business for just $15 (plus tax). Amazingly, there are no monthly minimums.

You will get an effective lifetime homeschooling discount on Usborne and Kane/Miller books of 25% and upwards. If you want to earn money by being a book seller you can do that too. All the training you need to make this a business is FREE.

For more information:

Take a look at the 10 books you get for just $15.
E-mail me: my e-mail is over there on the right with the duck next to it.
Tweet me @alisonkerr

What are you waiting for? These are some of the best educational books on the planet and this is the best deal I've ever seen for getting started with Usborne.