Homeschool 101

Free Range or Factory Farmed?

2012-01-27T14:57:00.000-05:00

I follow a blog called Free Range Kids, where the author is the woman that was known to send her 9 year old son by himself to come home on a New York City Subway.

If you are like me, just reading that article sends chills down your spine to all the possible horrible things that could’ve happened to that kid. She insists he was fine, that we shelter our kids too much.

I was a free range kid, who was left alone for 12 or more hours a day. My parents worked, which left myself and my four sisters to our own devices in the countryside of upstate New York. We were, in the very essence of what the blogger preaches- free range kids.

Being free-range is not fun if you’re shy and introverted. It doesn’t teach self confidence or pride. I ended up growing up feeling very unsure of everything I did, and knowing- for a fact- the world is not a safe place. My sister, who was expected to care for four younger sisters at the age of 10, seemed to grow up too fast in one aspect, but then seemed to get stuck in her teens forever after that.

Where is the line between ‘free range’ and ‘abandoned’?

I encountered bullies, and even a creepy guy (I realized as I got older he was a pedophile), I had accidents on my bike, and even got hit by a car. My parents were not there. There was no cell phones to call for help, and I had no skills to know what to do in these situations.

I would like to add a few tips on having kids free range in moderation-

-Give them a cell phone and teach them how to use it!

-Teach them living skills and how to deal with emergencies.

-Teach them what to look out for and what to do when dealing with bullies or creepy adults.

- Be sure your kids are confident enough and educated enough to reach those milestones in their lives. (Take note her 9 year old wanted to find his own way home, and he took a route he was familiar with.)

- There’s a difference between free-range and feral. I know of a few kids in our neighborhood who are off the leash all day through the summer who cause all sorts of problems because they are not looked after or are being raised. Their parents might be happy they are out in the fresh air playing, but their play includes harassing my son, vandalizing the neighbor’s yard, and even swearing to one another.

Personally, I try to find a moderate way of parenting. If my son, who tends to be shy and introverted, wants to go by himself around the neighborhood, I give him a cell phone to carry- just in case. I also teach him ways of being independent by taking it in steps.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Are you in favor of her free-range, are you a helicopter mom, or do you feel you need a middle-of-the-road method of parenting? Post in comments below.

Technorati Tags: free range kids,feral kids,latchkey,homeschool,unschool,teaching religion,education

Stupid $#!@ people say to homeschoolers

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

A new meme going around includes crazy and stereotypical things people will say (or not say) to a group.

Here’s my take;

Why isn’t your son in public school? Well for starters he was failing and the school refused to anything but tell me to take him a doctor (to get medicated) for what they suspected as A.D.D. I refuse to give him meds. Homeschooling was a viable option to getting him an education and NOT putting him medication to do that.

How can he be socialized? He was born an introvert; that’s his nature. He’s not shy because he’s a homeschooler. He’s shy because he’s shy. It didn’t help him at all when he went to public school. If anything, being shy in that environment worked against him. He’s a scout, so once or more a week he hangs with his scout buddies, and we often visit friends and parks. He’s also recently joined a co-op groups. Lots of kids there.

What makes you think you can teach grades 1-12 without the proper credentials? Let me ask you- Do you know what those credential entail? I also have a higher-than-average IQ so its manageable to find curriculum to help me teach grade level education for my son. If I don’t know the answer, I can find someone who does.

But he’ll never go to dances or to a prom? With homeschool groups, they have proms. Daniel doesn’t show any interest in going to dances anyway, preferring to meet people at playgrounds or groups settings.

How will he meet girls? He’s only 12, but to be fair to the question, he meets kids, both public ed and homeschoolers, regularly.

Do you do Bible study? Actually no. I’m not a religious person, and am not a Christian.

Do you stay home all day? The beauty of homeschooling is having days we decide to visit a park or museum, or visit a library, a local gym, attend events, or whatever. So yes, we get out of the house.

How will he get into collage? Homeschoolers go to collage. He can still take SAT’s. In MD, he will get a GED, or maybe even go to high school to get his diploma. He might decide to not go to collage, but being a homeschooler doesn’t negate him from going. Some homeschoolers go to collage early. I know of two 15 year olds that are ready to go.

Do you take vacations and days off like public school? Not always. For instance, we generally learn through the summer. I decide that- not because it’s a homeschool thing. We do take days off for sickness, holidays, and sometimes snow days. I will sometimes let him have off if public schools are off too.

What silly things do people ask you?

Technorati Tags: homeschool,unschool,learnings style,education

App Education

2012-01-20T11:34:00.000-05:00

ITunes U- allows teachers (and therefore homeschool parents) to compile courses via the app so their kids and other students (in co-ops, for instance) can view and download.

You can use this on Iphone, Ipad, and Ipod touch.

For those who do not have these gadgets, there are options for creating an online course online.

Check out this extensive list of sites that offer online classes you can make/build.

How to create your own online course.

I intend on trying some of them, and I’ll post a review of my experience.

Please leave comments below on ideas for online classes you’d like to see (I might be able to find them and post for you in my blog).

Technorati Tags: homeschool,funschool,teaching,learning,e-learning

Homeschool Tool Tip

2012-01-17T23:26:00.000-05:00

The Scholastic web site offers many tools and one I’ve used in the past is the flashcard maker.

Choose between words or even math problems, and make a number of cards you can make and print out.

Its very handy for students who like to be tested this way.

You can also use these cards for the make-your-own-boardgame projects, which I will post next week.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,teacher,education,learning,school,flash cards,math,spelling,words

Learning for the upcoming week

2012-01-16T11:13:00.000-05:00

Those of you who follow my blog already know I use Sundays to plan my week ahead. We also just passed our portfolio review last Friday, so my confidence is back on full force.

So, for this week;

Reading- Daniel has the Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever to read, but I also found a wonderful deal at this used book store to get books like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Huckleberry Finn.

You can also download the Kindle app to your Iphone, Ipad, or computer to read some of the books for free via the Internet. Kindle versions of book, by the way, are generally much cheaper than the printed version.

Writing- We got the textbook Writing and Grammar where I’ll have Daniel use an Interactive notebook to jot down notes, but also start an idea section so he can refer to it when he needs topics and ideas.

Math, we explore algebra and hone his multiplication skills.

Social Studies should be fun. We’re starting to learn all about the Middle Ages. We’ve already watched a number of episodes of Horrible Histories via YouTube, which are hilarious (but true).

Check out the “Strange Tudor Laws”

We’re also studying Europe, which meshes very well with learning the Middle Ages. Now we’ll learn Europe’s history and its modern geography.

We try to cook meals from the country, learn about the capital and major cities, the language, culture, and political structure of government. We also cover monuments, landforms, and anything else interesting we find.

We’re continuing with the American Revolution. I found a neat book (a series actually) called History Pockets that help with lapbooking or Interactive Notebooks.

You can find a number of subjects to use, but I bought the one on the Revolutionary War.

Science- I’m signing Daniel up for a class in Micro-Biology in a co-op, and we’ll also cover Chemistry.

Spelling continues with grade 6 word lists and using Spellingcity.com, but I also add words he’s asked me to spell through the week. I noticed the other day he’s getting better at spelling.

For Language (specifically Spanish), I signed him up with a Livemocha.com account, and that’s free. We also use Freerice.com for practice and he gets to earn rice to feed the hungry at the same

For gym, we take the dog on walks, visit an open gym, and he often joins his father at a gym to use weights.

Health includes learning about the human body. This week, we study the Nervous System, as well as covering Drugs and Alcohol.

Music includes listening to lyrics of songs, and interpreting them, as well as exploring music of the Middle Ages.

Art covers crafts we’ll use for the Middle Ages, as well as studying the art of that time period. We’ll also explore the art of France (the country we’re learning about).

Tomorrow, however, he gets a day off because I have a doctor’s appointment.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,unschool,learnings style,teaching,education

A lovely portfolio review experience

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I was told by the Board of Education they scheduled us with someone new, I felt a surge of worry and doubt we’d pass. Not that we’re doing anything different, but sometimes you meet reviewers who hold different standards on what a good education is…and its not matching to your opinion on education..

I’m happy to say, we passed our first of two reviews for the year. The reviewer commented how organized the portfolio looked. I don’t consider myself very organized in the rest of my life, and its nice the effort is appreciated.

Basically I include:

A copy of the Homeschool Law of Maryland. This lets me make points as the word of the law is right there, in black and white.
The previous reviews we’ve had in the past. This is more for me than the reviewer. I like to see how my son progresses over time.
Documents the Board of Education gave me at one point or another such as letters or forms.
The next section includes pages of photos such as field trips, projects too big to put in the binder, hands on type work, and things like my son receiving a patch from the scouts or a class he’s taking.
Week by week section of our homeschooling. In spreadsheet format, I have our schedule laid out by date and subject so the reviewer can easily see that we’re doing a lot on certain days. I highlight holidays, sick days, and days off for other reason by color.

Now the portfolio gets broken into more sections, organized by subject:

Language arts- reading lists, reading comprehension, grammar, spelling lists, essays, stories, and punctuation worksheets.
Math- samples of various mathematics we cover. Lists of sites where my son uses games to learn.
Social Studies- includes lapbooks, projects, art, and other things to show Geography, Ancient History, American History, and Community.
Science- includes science projects, lists of documentaries we watch, nature hikes we go on, hands on experiments, and events we attend such as a planetarium or nature guided hike.
Health/Gym- includes a list of our regular walks, visits to the gym, worksheets from NourishInteractive.com, and anything we’ve covered on the topic of health.
Language includes worksheets and quizzes that illustrate my son is learning Spanish, or any other language phrases we’re studying in Social Studies
Art/Music- includes art classes, samples of his sketches or photos of crafts, lists of books and sites we use to study musical theory, composers, and history.
Social Groups- includes any groups he’s a member of.

I will try to add posts on how I teach specific subjects if it will help other homeschoolers.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,portfolio review,learnings style,education,learning,teaching,subjects,school

Homeschool Co-ops

2012-01-10T14:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I went to my first co-op meeting with a group in the town of Frederick, MD. Co-ops consist of homeschool mom who get together to help teach the kids as a group, often in a classroom setting. This way resources can be shared, as well as experiences and education of the mothers involved..

The people were friendly and welcoming, and there were lots of kids, both boys and girls, around Daniel’s age. I also appreciated the variety of classes they offered.

I will be signing Daniel up for a science class, and he’ll have opportunities to join in field trips as well.

As a homeschool parent, I also benefit from joining a group. I get to meet other homeschoolers to gain information on what classes can be found in the area, or methods I could use. And one remarkable service a group offers is validation as a homeschool mom. There’s moments I have fears, and worries; being other moms who might feel the same helps me cope with those wavering doubts.

Some co-ops will ask members to also participate as a teacher at one time or another This helps homeschool parents share their knowledge on a subject. For instance, I could teach something about blogging, word processing, desktop publishing, web design, or a number of outdoorsy topics due to my experiences as a park naturalist.

I highly recommend homeschoolers look into co-ops in their area. If you can’t find one, consider developing one for yourself. This lets homeschoolers in your area touch base with other homeschoolers, and also offer groups for the kids to join.

Technorati Tags: co-op,homeschool,unschool,education,socialization,teaching

A homeschool tip: writing utensils

2012-01-10T14:27:00.000-05:00

I recommend using mechanical pencils as opposed to the No. 2 pencils for a few reasons;

-You don’t have to sharpen them. No more seeing cracked tips and taking breaks to sharpen a pencil.

- Always sharp. The pencil leads don’t weather down to dull points.

- Lots of choices of how dark or large the lead lines are.

- Most mechanical pencils also come with more erasers too.

They cost a bit more, but my son prefers them over regular pencils.

I also use a purple gel pen in my notes on his papers. This lets the reviewer know exactly who is writing what on our papers.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,pencil,mechanical pencil,unschool,tips

Scrapbooks as learning tools

2012-01-06T17:29:00.000-05:00

If your child tends to enjoy crafts, or leans towards kinesthetic learning, consider using scrapbooks as a means of learning. This allows the child to compile the information they studied into something they can form with their hands.

The ultimate ‘hands on’ tool!

You can start with any notebook, and have your child add pockets, draw pictures, use paper punches, add stickers, or add those cute little booklets you can make with lapbooking.

-Add pockets to store flash cards, index cards of notes, or add photos of work done. Using old envelopes and past them in the notebook or binder makes it the easiest thing to do.

- Draw pictures to any page to illustrate in graphic form the information they learned. For example, a child can draw a molecule when learning about chemistry, or sketch George Washington when learning about history. You can also cut/paste pictures to illustrate their notes.

- Use paper punches to add form and color to pages. I had my son use circle paper punches to help build an atom molecule, which he will also use to create molecules later.

- Creating booklets make interesting blurbs of information for any number of subjects. Add a booklet about the author of a book report, or add spelling rules to the spelling list section of their work. A booklet might include a series of quotes or pictures to add to the material as well.

- Use colored pencil, markets, gel pens, etc to color up papers. Homeschoolers don’t have to stick to the blue or black ink pens. Liven things up with color. Some kids learn very well with this method.

I find my son tends to focus better when it turn into a project that incorporates art.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,funschool,art,crafts,scrapbook,learnings style,education,teaching,school

Celebrating New Year’s with Kids

2011-12-30T11:18:00.000-05:00

I found a few neat ideas to share if you want to celebrate the New Year with your kids without having them stay up all night. (Although, for kids, staying up all night like ‘adults’ is fun too).

- Instead of 12 midnight, celebrate on New Year’s Day at 12 noon. You can keep a countdown and make lots of noise without disturbing others.

- Make Goal bags. (Also known as wish bags but you don’t need any belief system to use them). Check out the video below on how to make. I also recommend birdseed instead of glitter so the kids can pop them outside without any worries about cleanup.

- Do some crafts to celebrate the New Year. Check out the link. Nice ideas there.

- Learn about the way people measured a year and its history.

- Have the kids discuss their goals for the coming year. What do they want to see happen by next year?

What other ideas do you have?

Technorati Tags: new year's eve,party,homeschool,celebrate,wish bags,charmingpixeflors

The beginner homeschooler’s tips

2011-12-27T14:24:00.001-05:00

Here are a few of my tips for those who are just starting out on homeschooling their child(ren);

Don’t panic! I remember being very flustered and frustrated with having to take on the responsibility of educating my son by myself. I learned pretty quickly, however, there are many perks to homeschooling, and its only as stressful as you allow.
Organize and plan. The most important method that worked for me was taking every Sunday to plan for the week ahead what we’ll cover. This allow me to adjust our schedule for field trips, videos to watch, books to find, worksheets to print, and so forth. Saves me tons of time and provides less stress for me.
Keep records of your child’s work. Keep worksheets, take photos of projects, make notes, add notebooks, and add as much as you can to illustrate the information your child understands in their education.
Ask for help if you need it. There are tons of web sites on the topic of homeschool, specific to your state. You can look up forums and communities online that will be very helpful in providing resources and help for just about any question you have.
Adapt and evolve- Trial and error can be your best friend as you homeschool your child. Don’t be afraid to try new things, while focusing on the end product of an educated child.

What best advice can you offer to a new homeschooling parent?

Technorati Tags: homeschool,unschool,education,teaching religion,learning

Upcoming Portfolio Review

2011-12-23T14:53:00.000-05:00

in the state of Maryland, we have two scheduled portfolio reviews. The first one is in January, and the second is in May. This means if Daniel passes (and we always do), he’s officially done for the year.

I often give him a few weeks’ vacation, but we homeschool part time through the summer. I didn’t do that this year- since I wanted the summer vacation for myself, but its just too hard to get my kid back in the schooling in the fall.

I realized this upcoming review had a new reviewer. As I’ve mentioned in the past, we had a reviewer named Monica, who we liked, and were accustomed to. After seeing a new name, I called the office to see if we can switch back to Monica, if only to remain consistent with the person who reviews our work. I also appreciate the time she gave to explain things, offer suggestions, and direct us towards resources we might find useful.

My biggest reason lies in the fact we’re used to her, as she knows Danny. Last year, it was nice when she took note that Daniel matured, and noticed the difference from the year before. If we had someone new, he wouldn’t be able to notice something like that.

So they rescheduled us, which I greatly appreciate, and although its tentative, its nice they made the attempt to accommodate us.

Meanwhile, Daniel enjoys vacation, while I still squeeze in time to figure out what needs to be added. We spend the weeks before a review making sure we have all the paperwork necessary, to show how we’re doing. Not so much vacation for me, but that’s ok. Its what I signed up for when I became a homeschool mom.

Happy Winter Solstice to all. I’ll be glad to see the nights get shorter, the days longer, despite the rumors that we’re in a for a ‘bad winter’.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,portfolio review,frootbat31

Homeschool 101 Wishlist

2011-12-23T13:10:00.001-05:00

Here is a quick list of things I wish for my son, for Christmas, the New Year, and the year to come;

I wish my son would love learning, to recognize that education is vital to his future.
I wish for our sleeping schedules to shift back to something ‘normal’ so our day isn’t wasted with sleeping in. (I intend on doing this in January, after vacation).
I wish people would stop thinking that public school is the only place my son can find social skills.
I wish my son would love to read books. I did all the things the experts suggest you do to raise an avid reader, and it didn’t work with my kid. :-(
I wish the local homeschool groups could have more boys my son’s age in which to play. So far, any groups we’ve joined were filled with kids almost half his age, mostly girls. (not that we don’t girls, but Daniel likes playing cars and video games and most little girls don’t seem to appreciate those).

What are your wishes for your homeschoolers?

Technorati Tags: homeschool,wishes,unschool,education

The end goal

2011-12-20T12:58:00.000-05:00

I was explaining to my son the other day the idea of New Year’s Resolutions and setting goals. He’s a laid back kid, very easygoing. He doesn’t much consider things like goals.

I, on the other hand, am a bigtime lister and planner. I set goals for the year, month, week, and even day. I use an Iphone app to keep track of things, and fill out MS Word tables to make sure I’m moving along those goals, but oddly, I still don’t beat myself up if I don’t meat those goals.

That’s where Zen fits nicely into my philosophy. It’s the journey, man.

- Goals need to be adjusted accordingly. I find sometimes I don’t give myself enough time for a goal so I have to adjust the end date. I sometimes even adjust the goal itself if its not focused enough or if its even too focused. For instance, “lose weight’ might be a bit too relaxed when I need to put ‘lose 10 lbs by spring’. (If by spring, I’ve lost only 5 lbs its still a ‘win’ because its better than nothing at all).

- Goals need to be broken up into smaller, more manageable goals. One goal I have is write a novel. That’s big and time consuming, so my list includes ‘finish chapter this week/month’ or ‘write daily’.

- Goals shouldn’t be compared/contrasted with others. It doesn’t matter if someone with the same goals reaches the end goal first. You have to go at your own pace, with whatever method works for you.

- Goals- enjoying the journey. Don’t make striving to achieve goals into work. I find if I lose my sense of play and adventure, its time to pull back and sometimes even delete the goals that are stressing me out- its not worth it.

What do you think about goals? Do you set goals for homeschool, family, or self?

Technorati Tags: goals,resolutions,success,planning,productivity

Best homeschool tips

2011-12-16T23:56:00.000-05:00

I’ve been thinking as to what advice to give to someone just starting out on the path of schooling at home;

Be organized. I feel this is crucial in keeping records for the portfolio review, but also for your own sanity as to what you’re teaching and what you’ve covered in your child’s education.
Consider ‘de-schooling’ your child if they are just out of public school. Give them a week or more to phase out of the public education style to be ready for the journey of homeschool.
If facing a choice of teaching the child what they want, and teaching them what is expected, go with what the child wants to learn. They learn faster, more intensely, and will remember things more if its something that interests them.
Let your child take part in planning the curriculum. At the beginning of the school year, I ask my son what subjects he wants to cover and how he wants to learn it. He doesn’t always have an answer to this, or an interest, but he’s given the opportunity to have a say. When asked what language he wanted to study, he said Spanish. When asked what science topics he wanted to explore, he mentioned chemistry and robotics. (still gotta work on robotics).
Remember that your questions are only a mouse click away. You can find TONS of answers and ideas from other homeschoolers on the Internet- day or night.
Games can be just as educational as the textbook/workbook methods if not more educational. Make your own board games, use cards, video games, whatever you need to illustrate a point.
If you’re getting stressed out- its time to have a day off. You can also opt to do a field trip for the day, use games or something light-hearted to ease up on the stress. Remember, you’re entitled to vacation just as much as teachers are.

What are your tips to the homeschooling newbie? Please post in comments below.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,unschool,deschool,teaching,education,learnings style

Problems are often the best teachers

2011-12-12T00:25:00.001-05:00

As my son struggles with this game, Minecraft, after we installed a new mod called Yogbox, he began complaining about things such as lag, unable to find things or work things in the game, or simple found frustration at the new controls.

I told him he’d have to figure out the solution because I was no expert on the mod. He’d have to find answers from the people who made it.

So he’s been learning the wonder that is Google and search engines, and how to ask the right questions, while making the necessary adjustments to the game in order to play. He also learned about texture, animation, and other memory sucking elements of games, while mastering the ins and outs of the massive addon to this game.

Complications can be a wonderful teacher, but I also think, just as important, as parents we step back and let them figure it out for themselves. (I’m here to guide him, but otherwise, I let him fix the issues).

With only a few questions directed to me in regards to using a search engine, navigating message boards, and how to spell things, my son did pretty well.

How much do you help your kids and how much do you let them do their own thing?

Technorati Tags: homeschool,unschool,learnings style,teaching,games,minecraft,yogbox

Not so standardized testing

2011-12-09T01:23:00.000-05:00

I was reading earlier today this article a friend posted on Facebook regarding a collage graduate taking one of the standardized tests…and failed.

I considered having my son take a standardized test to figure out how well he was doing in homeschool, but as I researched various states, I discovered some disturbing information;

Most states only test math and reading. This really surprised me because it gives the message that history, science, and the other subjects do not have value.
Tests varied considerably from state to state. Some included essay type answers, while others were multiple choice only. I think I do pretty well with multiple choice because it’s a guessing game, so do these forms really test a child’s knowledge of the material? I’m not sure. It does show that each state’s method of determining student’s knowledge is not constant.

So I read the article where this collage grad failed the test, and got to wondering how much are we pushing students, and if this information is really necessary?

More importantly, are these tests setting up kids to feel as though they are failures?

All I know is that I’m glad I homeschool, and although I use parts of standardized tests to quiz my son or guide me to teach him the grade level material, he doesn’t have to prove to me what he’s learning.

What are your thoughts on standardized tests, and what do you think of the article? Comments below, or post in your own blog, and link below so I can read it.

Technorati Tags: test,school,homeschool,teaching religion,education,teaching,learning

A fun learning method- scrapbooking

2011-12-07T08:36:00.000-05:00

With homeschool, I discovered a method called lapbooking and Interactive notebooking to make learning…well…interesting. You’re basically adding a bit of paper crafting to the lesson, while offering your reviewer an engaging presentation of what your child learned.

Daniel did great with his lapbook on Japan. We included the Japanese flag, with a small excerpt on its symbolism, and sections on ninja, food (in a paper bento box with a list of recipes), Neko the lucky cat- with excerpt explaining its meaning, a photo of Ainu, the natives of Japan, with notecards on their culture, and an envelop that had a number of Origami paper folded critters. The reviewer was impressed.

Interactive notebooking tends to be for older kids, and focuses more on the information you learn. One side includes the parent/teacher’s instructions or explanation on the lesson, while the other side illustrates the student’s understanding of the material. What makes this great is that understanding can take form as a list of books read, note taking, pictures, photos, and elements similar to lapbooks where you add booklets, envelopes with things tucked in them, foldables, and so forth.

We’re currently working on one for the Vikings and another on the ecosystems (biomes) of the world. I think however, where I’m having him summarize what he’s learned, the interactive notebook of the future will show a day by day, or week by week work as we go.

What I really like about both of them is that the same practices can be used to add things to photo albums. Take for instance you have photos of your child’s birthday party. You could add notes or a booklet of the activities involved, quotes said at the party, or have guests sign a card, and add that to a photo album. You’re mixing photo albums with scrapbooking

Technorati Tags: homeschool,unschool,learnings style,teaching,education,teacher,scrapbook,lapbook,interactive notebook

Lapbooking versus notebooking

2011-12-05T14:47:00.000-05:00

With a kinesthetic learner, the use of lapbook or interactive notebooks helps to make the topic interesting and…well…interactive.

A lapbook is best for presentation. Think of it as a book with those fun flap things, where you lift the flap and find interesting things. Lapbooks include such elements as envelopes, pockets, and booklets to organize information on any given subject.

Free electricity lapbook

Lots of lapbooks and printables here

An Interactive Notebook works much of the same, works best for older kids, and is strikingly similar to scrapbooking. Instead of using manilla folders to create a lapbook you can use either a 3-ring binder, a spiral notepad, or one of those composition books. You then paste things inside such as pockets, booklets, journaling areas, pictures, photos, quotes, and just about anything that ties into the subject.

An interactive notebook also includes one side where the parent writes assignment and instructions, and the other side, the child/student adds their work. Generally there seems to be more writing involved, in comparison, but still offers the same fun crafting elements you use with lapbooks.

An Interactive Notebook site- explains what it is, how to set up, and includes links for printables.

Squido Lens on the topic of Interactive notebooks.

You can make much of your own printables, but if you’re like me, its nice to find something where the information and printable stuff is made for you.

History Pockets come in many types of history, but includes lots of thing you can cut and paste in either a lapbook or notebook. I like looking at them to get idease too.

Technorati Tags: lapbook,interactive notebook,hands-on learning,education,kinesthetic,teaching religion,homeschool,funschool

What we’ve learned this week

2011-12-02T22:39:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, with homeschool, you find yourself deviating from your planned course. For instance, I wanted to finish up our unit on biomes (eco-systems), but found part of this week, we looked up smelting processes of metals and where coal comes from. This was inspired by our gaming fun of Minecraft and Skyrim.

While working on the Viking lapbook, we also went over what weapons they preferred, and the style of weapon making. This led us to a video on a modern day guy who made Saxon swords in the old way (video) (with modern tools, of course). We discussed why their helmets (which don’t have horns by the way) had ‘nose guards’.

We reviewed grammar, plural forms of words, and continued with spelling. I found the grade 6 spelling list for this week included ‘guillotine’. Wow, good luck with that, Daniel. Most adults don’t know how to spell that. It also included ‘giddiness’ and when I asked my son if he knew what that meant, he nods. “What does it mean?” I asked, and with a smirk he replied “You.”

We explored variables in algebra, where Daniel kept arguing the whole point of learning math with letters in it. I had to come up with a few instances of where it comes in handy, such as formulas in computer spreadsheets. Carpenters also use it. He was a bit more ‘on board’ with learning once I told him the practical applications of it. We also had a bit of fun by making up words for variables instead of finding the sum of ‘n’.

Monday we took a trip to the library, just in time to avoid overdue fees. I really need to check via the Web to update my materials to avoid those fees. I understand I can even borrow books on my Kindle App on my Iphone. Which, by the way, you can download to your computer, Android phone, and other devices.

On a side note, I’ve been doing a lot of reading on kinesthetic learners, and it frustrated me to no end how often I happened upon articles where kids were diagnosed with ADD/ADHD when they were kinesthetic learners. Simply changing methods of teaching, the kids did so much better.

Daniel is also having serious problems with not sleeping well at night. He’s been sleeping in past noon, and complains of trouble falling asleep throughout the night. I let him try some Melatonin (1mg) and he said he slept fine last night.

I don’t recommend using it as an every-night sort of thing, It helps me tremendously, but I don’t take it every night either.

Feel free to add questions, comments, or ideas in comments below.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,unschool,learning,teaching,sleep,melatonin,tangential

Those moments of homeschool pride…

2011-11-28T23:51:00.000-05:00

I went to a birthday party of a friend today and the conversation delved into the public school educational system. It wasn’t exactly favorable. I admitted how I went to three different high schools and the one here in Maryland was just terrible in comparison.

One woman at the party asked me what grade my son was in, and I admitted I homeschool my son, adding that he was considered a sixth grader. She seemed a bit surprised to meet a homeschooler. My friends added to this conversation that ‘if ever there was an argument for homeschooling, its Sharon’s son, Daniel”. Wow. What an awesome compliment!

I was incredibly flattered, not to mention proud that they respected my son. They both told me on different occasions how my son was so grounded and well behaved. Daniel easily engages in conversations with adults as much as kids, and will joke around and even add his opinion on subjects. This clearly shows my son has great social skills.

What better moment to feel validated as a homeschool mom than to hear others support and encourage homeschooling in this way? But then, I have some awesome friends.

What we’ll be learning this week-

This upcoming week basically reviews what we’ve been learning with Vikings, the country of Iran, biomes in Science, writing skills, reading, algebra and multiplication practice, and the Revolutionary War in America that leads into the Declaration of Independence.

We have a playdate setup with his friend Sofia, a library tip on Monday to get more books for reading and study, and to compile Interactive notebooks for the portfolio. This should also show me how much my son was paying attention for the last coupe of weeks.

I’ll post pics as we compile them.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,unschool,learning,education,teaching

What we’ve learned this week

2011-11-18T14:31:00.001-05:00

Now that Daniel’s feeling better, we’re trying to catch up on the homeschool work.

Reading- We found a Book of Lists for 2012 he can read, and discussed how some books are not meant to be read cover to cover. This led into comparing books, the parts of books (index, glossary, etc), and how to look up information in resource books.

Spelling- I’m still using Grade 6 spelling lists, but I think I’ll add words he often asks how to spell when he’s writing. I’ll keep a notebook on hand to add them as needed.

Math- We’re exploring graphs and using data. Last week, we did the bar graphi, and this week was fun with Venn diagrams. Here is a link to a site that has lots of worksheets and interactives.

Grammar- This week, I’m having Daniel learn how to recognize errors in punctuation. I give him paragraphs to find the misspelled words, grammar misuse, and punctuation errors.

History- We’re still learning a bit about Vikings. We watched the movie Thor, where I pointed out a few changes they did to the myth (and its based on a comic book more than history). For instance, the movie, Odin loses his eye in battle, but in the stories, Odin willingly gives up his eye to learn the Runes and brings writing to the people.

The video game Skyrim is also packed with Viking references, such as barrows, skjald, and runestones. I had Daniel make his own runestone to boast about his own exploits. It was covered with Minecraft pictures, a small graphic of him being silly on his Heely shoes, and he even added color.

Science- (and health) We learned how pills are made. This was something Daniel asked me the other night, being he had to take medicine for his illness, so we explored how pills were made. I found this video on the subject that summed it all up.

Health- We’re also continuing with the study of the human heart (PDF worksheet) and about healthy diet/exercise.

Music/art- We haven’t done much this week on this subject, but continued with the fun of Garageband. There’s so many presets to mix your own music, For those who don’t have an IPhone/IPad, check out Aviary’s audio mixer online service or check out tons of sites that pretty much does the same thing.

What are you learning about?

Technorati Tags: homeschool,unschool,education,teaching religion,learning

Video games = violence?

2011-11-18T14:03:00.001-05:00

ScienceCentral (video) shows what I’ve already understood all along concerning video games and violence. In moderation, video games are fun and they do not make kids violent.

First of all, not all video games include violence. Sims 3, Bejeweled, and others have no guns or fight mode in them. Not all video games include violence towards humans. You find you’re on a side fighting zombies, aliens, or other such type of creature.

We are not passive creatures. Without guidance from adults, kids lean heavily towards the power of the fist, and require rules to keep that in check. And although video games may reward kids to be violent (in some games), they are not hurting anyone at play.

Any study should show how it was conducted, how many people were involved, and what the results were. One study I read, I felt, was clearly biased and didn’t include children as much as college aged kids.

My son has played games since he was five, and is one of the most passive, caring kids I know (okay, I might be a bit biased) but his response to dealing with bullies is often “I would just walk away”. Does that sound like some kid who’s learned violence is the answer?

I remember once asking him while he was playing Grand Theft Auto, after stealing a firetruck and hosing pedestrians down on the sidewalk, “did you know they say video games make kids violent?”. He responded “Mom, I would never do this in real life.”

And I think that is where the real issue lay- do kids understand what is real and what is not, and can tell the difference between the two? With that, parents play the most vital role in this debate.

In my humble opinion.

What are your thoughts?

Technorati Tags: video games,violence in kids,video games as teaching tool

Nature Watch

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

I happened upon this site, Nature Watch, the other day in my online travels and just love the nature-oriented products. I would’ve loved this stuff as a kid…okay, even now there’s stuff I’d love to get.

Some stuff is a bit pricey, while others are just fancy, pre-made things you can do on your own.

For instance, bug collecting and rock collecting provide more of a challenge if you’re out in the world finding the items for the collection rather than just buying it.

But perusing the site certainly gave me ideas on what to teach Daniel next summer!

Technorati Tags: homeschool,education,nature,learning,outodoor adventures,funschool,unschool

What we’ve learned this week

2011-11-12T00:30:00.001-05:00

We certainly learned by up-close-and-personal about the flu virus. Poor Daniel got sick on Tuesday night, and spent the rest of the week being sick. We didn’t cover much in the way of formal learning.

We’ve been reading about Colonial culture by the way they dressed back then. Anatomy of a gown was interesting. The site also offered anatomy of a suit.

We went over the words ‘who, what, when, why, and how’ with American Sign Language. We then practice asking questions to one another using those words.

We watched Bill Nye the Science Guy episode about the heart.

We reviewed multiplication, and started working on graphing in Math.

Had lots of fun with this new Iphone App called Garageband. It’s a bit pricey for an app ($4.99) but you can play guitar, drums, bass, and piano, plus mix, combine, and record into a song. You can also get the app for the Ipad.

If you don’t have either, check out Aviary Audio Editor- it’s a free online service where you can add, mix, and create your own songs.

The rest of my week was spent on catching up on the paperwork for the portfolio, working on an anthology story my writer’s group is compiling for next year, doing some chores like the unpleasant task of washing blinds (what a pain in the rump!) and

Feel free to share some things you did this week.

Technorati Tags: homeschool,unschool,funschool,education,learning,iphone app