The Frugal Homeschool

New Printable Phonics Program

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:15:00 +0000

The printable reading and word games in Robot Reader develop vital skills that are essential to reading success while children have so much fun that they don't even realize that they are learning. But while they are having fun they also learn to -

Identify and name letters of the alphabet
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Identify rhyming words
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Identify the sounds of our spoken language
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Recognize letter to sound relationships
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Segment words into sounds
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Blend sounds to make words
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Identify and recognize common letter patterns
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Develop and expand their sight vocabulary
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Extend their vocabulary
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Develop word recognition strategies
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Develop comprehension skills
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Develop skills with homonyms, contractions, prefixes and suffixes

Mixing fun and games while learning reading skills, can't get much better than that! You can see the program at Robot Reader

Rocket Italian

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 May 2008 07:48:00 +0000

I actually bought this program and if any of you are considering a foreign language package for your child these "Rocket" programs are really worth the money.

Pictures of Snakes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 07:25:00 +0000

If your kids like animals (and what kids don't) then check out this site. What an opportunity for learning there is to be had here. Pictures of Snakes and all kinds of other animals and reptiles. Anyway, very cool.

Unschooling

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 04:59:00 +0000

I'm a worrier. I admit it. I think I may need a twelve step program I'm so bad sometimes. Yet the other day something happened that made me relax a little bit.

I work from home doing computer repair and custom programming. The wonderful part about that is I can be home. The bad part about that is when I get a call from a client I have to go. Well, my oldest went back to public school this year (don't kick me out of the club just yet) We are adopting a foster child that has been living with us since the beginning of summer. You cannot make big decisions like homeschooling for foster children. So, my oldest decided to go back to public school for high school with our foster child. They're both doing quite well, in fact the World History teacher told them they could not participate anymore in class because they were answering all of the questions between the two of them.:)

Anyway, back to my story. With the oldest back in PS I have to take the youngest with me everywhere. All of my clients know that I homeschool and get a big kick out of Carson tagging along with me. Of course he is very well behaved.

Got a call on Tuesday, had to go to a clients house to fix a problem. Carson and I loaded up and headed out. I was worried about getting school in.

On the way home Carson and I started talking about this and that. He started to explain to me the life cycle of the butterfly because we have a cattepillar that we are watching, waiting for it to spin it's cocoon. Then we had a conversation about jellyfish and how we have caused "dead zones" in the ocean with pollution and jellyfish eat bacteria and heal the "dead zones".

He explained that Geology was the study of the Earth and that my client was a type of Geologist because he does surveys for the oil companies.

He asked me how much I charge per hour for my services then calculated how much of a tip my client had given me for the job I had just performed.

We discussed the present tense and past tense of the word "metamorphosis".

The only thing we didn't cover was history, and really I'm sure we talked about something history related I just can't remember.

Sometimes school is not about sitting down and doing book work. Carson learned a lot that day. So did I.

Mythology, Folklore, and Religion

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:37:00 +0000

I was hitting my stumble toolbar today when I happened upon Encyclopedia Mythica. If your kids are studying the classic Greek Gods this is the place to be. They even have geneology tables.

70000+ articles on mythology, folklore and religion. The folklore section is very interesting with over 147 articles on Arthurian legend.

Phonics Worksheets

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 01:39:00 +0000

Looking for phonics worksheets?

Phonics, it's a must have for teaching your children good reading skills. I know I remember filling out phonics worksheets in grade school. For awhile there, phonics kind of went out of fashion, I know our ps tried a "whole word" approach for awhile. But, phonics is back now and here are some resources for phonics worksheets.

Tampa reads has quite a few printable phonics worksheets.

Kidzone has a nice selection of phonics worksheets available.

Or for a phonics program available for download try Uncle Rogers Reader

Flashcards

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 15:19:00 +0000

Neat Flashcards

Metric Conversions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 15:17:00 +0000

Need to convert to or from Metric? Check this out

Pretty Handy

Perseid Meteor Shower

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 05:38:00 +0000

The legendary Perseid meteor shower will peak in the next few days.

What a great homeschool lesson this could be.(And just plain ole' fun!)

Best viewing for North America will be Early Monday morning August 13th from 12am to dawn.

Happy Viewing!

ClickN' READ Phonics

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 18:17:00 +0000

The world's only virtual phonics classroom!

ClickN' READ Phonics

Money back Guarantee.

ClickN’ READ Phonics is the first ever reading program to teach just like a live tutor. Meeting federal requirements it teaches the entire phonics curriculum required for K-3rd. .

Creating, Maintaining and Presenting a Homeschool Portfolio

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 17:32:00 +0000

By Brenda Hoffman

Many school districts now require homeschoolers to present portfolios showing their student's progress in an organized fashion. This is actually a very convenient method of recording whenever it is done properly. Here are some ideas on how to create, maintain, and present your homeschool portfolio for a successful assessment, evaluation and review.

First of all, it is important to have a firm grasp on precisely what a homeschool portfolio is. Basically, a homeschool portfolio is a collection of materials that are used in order to showcase what your child has learned over the course of the "school year." This is important because numerous states require an annual assessment of homeschooled students either via testing or the presentation of a portfolio. While it may seem that keeping a portfolio is only good in so far as you need to comply with the law. This is not the case however. Portfolios can also help parents and their children to record their progress and achievements. This becomes even more important once a child has reached high school and needs a diploma.

Now that we understand the importance of a portfolio, it is also important to understand that there is no right or wrong way in which to create a portfolio. It is up to the parent and/or child what materials the portfolio will contain. However, it is a good idea to choose a variety of material in order to reflect what the child has learned, experienced and accomplished throughout the year. Some items that should be included in your portfolio are: Suggested items to include are:

(1.) A journal which contains notes about activities and the progress that has been made.

(2.) A list of resources (ie books, computer software, games, toys and outside classes).

(3.) Samples of the child's work (ie samples of creative writing and drawings, text book or workbook pages, and if possible you may include audio or video tapes of your child singing, playing a musical instrument, reading aloud, or taking part in a a dramatic performance - pictures will also sometimes work well in place of audio or video tapes).

(4.) Photos of field trips, artwork, projects and family life.

(5.) Brochures and booklets from field trips and other activities.

(6.) A list of books that the child has read including both the title and the author.

(7.) A list of your goals for the year.

While this may seem quite overwhelming, you'd honestly be surprised at how easily you can accomplish this when you start preparing your portfolio at the beginning of the year. Simply use a three ring binder and add paper for your journaling. Start off by listing a few of your goals for the year and what resources you'll be using to achieve those goals (these can be modified throughout the year as needed). Then begin collecting samples of work, organizing them by subject, and punching holes in them to place them in your binder. Always have at least a throw away camera at hand so that you can take pictures of anything that you'd like that your child does (ie reading, playing, dancing). You'll also want to take pictures at field trips as well as pictures of your child's projects and creations. These pictures can either be placed in a photo album or if you're feeling really craftsy you could organize them into a scrapbook. You'll also want to make sure to hold onto any brochures or other paper items that you collect while on an educational outing. These can be easily placed in clear see-through sheet protectors. This is also a good time to begin accumulating a list of books that are being read.

Once you have put together the beginnings of your portfolio, don't stop there. Regular maintenance (I suggest weekly as it will help you to write your lesson plans for the following week) should include regular journal entries and an ongoing collection of work samples, photos and whatever else you wish to include. Some school districts will require a quarterly assessment throughout your homeschool year. This is a time for parents and children to reflect upon their progress and accomplishments from the previous months. Yet, even if your school district doesn't require a quarterly review, you won't want to wait until the end of the year to scramble and race to put together a portfolio that your school district will approve of. Neither you nor your child deserve having to go through the unneeded stress of having to sort through all of the material that has been collected throughout the year.

When it is time for review you may choose to remove some of the materials from your portfolio. You will find that some of these things simply do not properly reflect what you've accomplished throughout the year. If/when you decide to weed through your portfolio, you need to remember that the purpose of the review is to provide a general overview of the homeschool year, demonstrate that the child is engaged in homeschooling and that progress is being made.

The portfolio review can be exciting since it provides both parents and children with a time to talk about what they've been doing at home. When discussing this with your child, you may find it helpful to write down a summary of the items that you wish to highlight during your year before the review. For instance, if your child learned to read or master a skill you may wish to point this out to the reviewer. Of course, you should never view your portfolio review as a time for you to be judged or ridiculed. It is a time to listen, learn and support from your reviewer. Your child does not need to be present during this time. However, if your child wants a chance to "brag" about their accomplishments and progress to other homeschoolers, then this review is a perfect opportunity for them to do so.

Reverend Brenda Hoffman, is ordained by the Universal Life Church, and has been delivering holistic wellness advice for over 7 years since receiving a BA in psychology with a minor in education. As a home-based professional and mother of 1, she operates a homeschool network. She invites you over to http://www.yourhealthyfamilyhome.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Hoffman
http://EzineArticles.com/?Creating,-Maintaining-and-Presenting-a-Homeschool-Portfolio&id=102223

Free Map Download

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:06:00 +0000

Free Map Download Samples at
Knowledge Quest

Click on the Right hand book then scroll halfway down the page. There is an add to cart button for free map downloads. The shopping cart will come up with $0.00 and then you can fill in your information to download the free maps.

Home Ec. at Home

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 14:44:00 +0000

I have two boys ages 9 and 14. I know some homeschooling parents out there have five or six kids but for me it's just these two. We have a special day out of the week that is set aside for "Home Economics".

On "Home Ec." days they get to choose one subject that they can omit for that day.(One of the major reasons why I think Home Ec. day is so popular at our house!)

They choose a recipe that we are going to fix and print it out or copy it from one of our recipe books. They check the pantry for ingredients, prepare a list for the grocery store and hopefully find coupons for some of the items needed.

Home Ec. day is also a day when we have to do all of our chores. Laundry is sorted, things are generaly organized and picked up and we learn something new about household management (ie. how to run the washer, dryer, dishwasher, vacuum....)

After all of our chores (household management class) are finished we set out on the grocery trip.(throw some math in here by searching for the best price)

When all is said and done we have great memories of cooking together and my boys have learned fractions, measurements, following directions and all kinds of useful information.

By the way, they both make GREAT pies!

The Science of Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 20:45:00 +0000

Fall is such a wonderful time of year. And a great teaching opportunity.

Head outdoors and explore your yard. Collect leaves to make a collage. (you know I love a collage) Investigate the science behind the changing of the leaves. Study the difference between the trees in your yard. Look at the different flowers that are blooming this time of year.

Check out the migration that's going on around you. A great time to teach about hibernation and the life cycle.

How about investigating some of the wives tales associated with different animals appearing? Like the one about the color of "wooly worms" telling you what kind of winter you should expect. Ivestigate where that started.

The possibilities are endless.

Free Homeschool Curriculum

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 06:43:00 +0000

If you haven't explored Eduplace.com you are missing out on a great resource for your homeschool. Pick your state and grade level and you're off and running. This site could easily be the best free resource I've found so far. I've always had trouble finding good teaching resources at our local library for social studies. Problem solved! I'll be using Eduplace for our social studies from now on.

Making Math Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 21:30:00 +0000

Fun Math Games

Lots of printables, boardgames and all kinds of resources for making math fun.

Self Teaching

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 18:24:00 +0000

My goal in our homeschooling adventure has always been to teach my children how to learn.

In my perfect world I sit (perfectly dressed and made up of course) quietly blogging and reading my email while my children sit happily reading and advancing to the next lesson in their books all with little help from me. According to popular self teaching methods all of our children should need little help with their work and will advance quite quickly on their own.

Yes, in a perfect world this would all work quite nicely. Alas, I do not live in a perfect world. My children constantly yell "Mom, help!" The response of "Read your chapter and you will find it." is met with "I've read the chapter and it's not in there!" Until finally I point out (within 5 seconds) exactly which page the answer can be found. Frustration abounds.

Amazingly if I sit next to my children while they work they usually can do most of the work themselves. Maybe they just need my presence to help them stay on track or just the thought of my being right there is reassuring.

On to other things.

Has anyone had any experience with Cosmeo.com? I am looking into this for my kids and would appreciate any feedback.

Happy Homeschooling!

When Feeling Stressed

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:20:00 +0000

I admit it, I get stressed about homeschooling. I worry if my kids are learning enough. Am I covering enough material. Are they at a level on par with other kids their age? Are they falling behind?

And actually sometimes I just get plain tired of coming up with interesting learning ideas. Maybe that's not something we homeschoolers admit very often, but it happens to me.

When I start feeling overwhelmed, stressed and just plain tired, I turn to our local library. Granted, we use our library for a lot of our curriculum anyway. But, when I start to get cranky and frustrated I just check out some textbooks and give myself a break. The kids work out of the textbooks for a week or so and I take a break from performing the homeschool supplement shuffle.

I really don't think they are losing anything and sometimes it gives us an idea of other areas we need to concentrate on.

So, when you're feeling flustered just pick up a couple of textbooks and take a break. The kids are still learning and you can take some time to recharge.

Free Classes from University of Washington

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 16:33:00 +0000

Check out the free online classes offered by the UW. Hamlet, Gullivers Travels, Html..... Lots of interesting classses to investigate, all FREE.

OpenUW Free Courses

Free Homeschool Worksheets

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 16:21:00 +0000

As homeschooling parents we're always looking for free worksheets and other printables. School Express offers free worksheets in every subject. This is a member site but you can freely print one activity set a week without being a member. It's worth checking out, they have some fun stuff.

Phonics Games and Printables

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 15:25:00 +0000

I'm back from vacation, refreshed and ready to teach. While getting some things ready for my boys this week I ran across a great site for phonics. Words and Pictures A site out of the UK that uses fun games and printables to teach phonics. You can have your young ones make up fun poems and silly sentences to post in the gallery.

I'm Going To Disney World!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 16:41:00 +0000

I'll be on vacation for the next week. So, I won't be posting. I'll return on the 24th of September hopefully recharged and ready to go.

Very Handy Algebra Help

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 03:11:00 +0000

You know I love to find sites with Algebra help. Well, this one is a dandy. It has step by step lessons. Categorized by subject. Even worksheets for practice that you can click at the end to check your answers. This is a very handy site.

Algebra Help

Did You Know?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 19:43:00 +0000

Did you know that we have President Martin Van Buren to thank for the expression "OK"? Lots of very interesting little known facts about US States, Presidents and other important people in history at Americas Library.

Measuring Homeschool Success

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 04:13:00 +0000

Homeschool success, those two words can have many different meanings for different people. How do you measure that success? Is it when your children are healthy, happy, well adjusted and learning? Or do your measure your homeschooling success by the academic level your children have acheived? I guess it depends on what your goals are. Of course I want my children to acheive academic success but, their morals and character are much more important to me.

Do they have to master calculus to be moral upstanding citizens? Must they solve quadratic equations with ease to be a good husband and/or father? If my boys grow to be respectful, law-abiding, God-fearing, moral men, I will classify our homeschool journey as a great success.(Even if they don't master calculus!)

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