Homeschooling Helper - Curriculum Tips & Ideas

The Game of Opposites

2010-09-05T13:59:00.008-06:00

We always want to help children improve and increase their vocabularies. Here is another fun word game that will help familiarize your children with antonyms.

To play the game, you will say a word, and they have to think of another word that is very different from the given word, or the opposite of the word. Start by using the word in a sentence, such as “Don’t turn the water on, turn it _____.” “If you jump up, you’ll fall ______.” Continue using sentences to add fun and interest to the game. For added interest, let the children act out the opposites where possible (happy-sad, etc). Once the kids catch on, they may want to dispense with the sentences - just say the word so they can supply the opposite.

Eventually you will want to make the game more challenging, so add some antonym relationships that are more subtle, such as cool-warm, or tiny-huge. Try some of these after the children have mastered the more common or obvious opposites. Here are some common (and then some trickier) antonyms:

long-short rough-smooth same-different clean-dirty

big-little wet-dry boy-girl full-empty

hot-cold wide-narrow up-down hard-soft

happy-sad sick-well good-bad open-close

fast-slow on-off old-new young-old

day-night over-under dark-light fat-thin

mom-dad ugly-pretty awake-asleep left-right

cool-warm loud-quiet huge-tiny clean-dirty

play-work baby-adult forget-remember black-white

city-country laugh-cry run-walk sharp-dull

burning-freezing nice-mean top-bottom whisper-shout

You will find right away that the children will have lots of other word solutions for this game. Many will be synonyms of some of the words on the list. For example, skinny for thin, or grown-up for adult. Or how about gigantic or humongous for huge? This can be a great lead-in to more vocabulary games, such as (you guessed it) a synonym game! I have one for you - next post.

Arts and Crafts for Preschoolers

2007-04-20T13:56:00.002-06:00

If you are the homeschooling parent of more than one child, has this ever happened to you?

Breakfast is finished, chores are semi-done, and it's time to get started with lessons. You settle in with your third-grader to work on his times tables and meanwhile your preschooler does one or more of the following: tease the cat, pour cereal onto the coffee table, pull every toy off the shelf and throw each across the room, or scream "Mommy!" or "I need you, Mom!" every two seconds in her effort to get your attention.

As a homeschooling parent, one of my biggest challenges was keeping my little ones entertained while working with the older children. This can make all the difference between a happy, well-behaved child and one who is coloring bedroom walls, cutting their own hair, or pushing peanut butter sandwiches into heating vents. Young children are curious and imaginative, so if they feel they are being ignored, even for just a few minutes, they will find their own sources of entertainment.

I know of one terrific way for homeschooling parents to keep their little ones happily occupied during the homeschooling day. Not only does it keep them entertained, but it accomplishes a variety of other things as well:

- Builds positive self image
- Encourages self-discipline
- Rewards hard work and diligence
- Promotes eye-hand coordination
- Cultivates a love of learning
- Fosters cooperation with others
- Encourages their imagination

The answer is simple: doing crafts with your child. You're probably thinking "Woohoo! What parent hasn't already thought of that? Crafts with older kids are okay, but with toddlers and preschoolers? Yeah, right. How do you find workable ideas, organize everything, and avoid a major mess?" Okay, gotcha.

First, consider how arts and crafts activities make your job as a parent so much easier:

1) Kids love arts and crafts, so are happier and argue less among themselves and with you.
2) Discipline becomes easier and less necessary.
3) They play together better and use their imaginations; even develop their own little games.
4) Your little ones won't need you to constantly entertain them anymore.
5) Your oldest may start helping you more with the younger ones.
6) Homeschooling lessons with your older children will be easier because the little ones will be happily engaged at the same time.

You get the picture. Arts and crafts activities can make life happier for everyone. The only problem is finding age-appropriate crafts. Most craft resources are created with older children in mind. This is why I am recommending "Little Kid Crafts For All Seasons."

Wow! I absolutely love this book!

The author, Chris Yates, has even put in a lot of extra ideas to make each unique craft more or less challenging, depending on the skills of your child. This is a terrific resource for homeschooling parents; a guide on how to craft with your child, create learning opportunities, and create your own projects to do with your child as they grow. Chris really wants you to get the most mileage out of every craft project she writes about.

This is also the first kid's crafting book I've ever seen available as an e-book, so you can get instant access to it (plus a bonus ebook, "Little Kid Paper Plate Crafts"). "Little Kid Crafts For All Seasons" is available in PDF format - readily available anywhere, anytime.

I guess you can tell that I like "Little Kid Crafts For All Seasons" and I feel comfortable recommending it to you. In fact, I wish I'd had this book when my children were little. Take a look - I think you'll really like this outstanding value for parents who craft (or want to try crafting) with their little people!

Let 'Em Paint!

2007-02-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

As a college art major and a mother of five home-schooled children, I know that children of all ages love to paint! However, I also recognize that painting can be messy and time-consuming and probably not on most moms' top ten list of favorite activities to do with their children.

My purpose for this post is to say, "Let the children paint!"

There are a lot of art projects we can do with our children, but take my word for it - painting is the probably the most rewarding. It is well worth the time, the effort, and the clean-up to get your kids painting. Consider a child attempting a pencil, marker, or crayon drawing of a tiger, for example. A complex subject, to be sure, but a popular one with children. Now, consider the added excitement and possibilities of painting the tiger using tempera or poster paints!

The beautiful tiger above, by Kalvin, age 10, was painted using only the three primaries (red, yellow, and blue), which he mixed to get just the right colors. You can see two more examples of painted tigers on the Blackfoot Art Center weblog.

Here are some tips for providing successful painting experiences at your house:

1) Use tempera paints or poster paints, which are brighter, thicker, and much easier to mix and manipulate than water colors. I suggest using only the primary colors - red, yellow, and blue - plus white and black. Then, it is up to the children to mix the secondary (orange, green, purple) and tertiary colors (yellow red, maroon, turquoise, etc), as well as shades and tints (pink, sky blue, etc.). What a great, hands-on way to learn color theory! Your child will love the beautiful variations of green, for example, that can be created for outdoor scenes by mixing blue and yellow, compared to the bottled kelly green, which is not found in nature at all! Use old tin pie pans for paint palettes; you may need more than one for a painting project.

Hint: Teach your child that when mixing colors, always add dark colors to light colors. A light color added to a dark color is quickly absorbed so that in order to get the desired color, a lot of paint may be wasted. To create a shade, add just a drop of black to the color; for a tint, add a brushful of the color to white.

Another hint: Encourage your child to use opposite colors on the color wheel to create grey instead of using black and white. Use two opposites that are prevalent in the painting for a much more interesting grey, such as blue mixed with orange, yellow mixed with purple, or green mixed with red.

2) Use heavy paper, such as sketching, drawing, or watercolor paper to paint on. Size should be at least 10 X 13 inches, masking taped around all sides to a smooth masonite or drawing board.

3) Cover the work space with newspapers. Use large water containers (empty margerine or cottage cheese tubs work very well) and a variety of brush types and sizes, including large soft brushes for filling in larger areas with color, and medium to small brushes for more detail. Use large button-up shirts for paint smocks to protect clothing, or purchased paint smocks.

4) When planning a painting, use these tips:

- Encourage the child to focus on a specific subject. In other words, instead of painting a forest scene, focus on something in the forest such as a bear with her cub(s) or a campfire scene with a forest backdrop.
- Use plenty of resource materials for topic ideas. We use magazines, old calendar photos, and art books to find great subject ideas.
- Fill in all of the paper with paint, even "white" areas should be painted, using a very light tint (such as a bluish white to represent clouds). Remember that the sky touches the horizon. There is no empty white space between the sky and the ground (a common misconception for young children).

6) Once the work is completely dry, carefully remove the masking tape and cut a mat from poster board or matboard. Insert and proudly display your child's artwork.

Amazing Science: Floating Apple

2007-02-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

This video is amazing. You won't believe your eyes!

I haven't personally tried this experiment, but if you decide to do so, please add a comment and tell us what happened. Did it work? Why or why not?

Special Events for Homeschoolers

2006-12-30T23:46:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about homeschooling is attending special events; and we did it as often a possible! Most of the community events we went to were free, such as holiday concerts, art shows, museum lectures, and walking tours. However, some of the events we wanted to attend were out of town and a bit costly. Getting tickets was sometimes a gamble, especially at the door.

The Internet has changed all that. Now, planning to attend special events with the family can be a breeze! Get your tickets for sporting events, concerts, theatre events, and shows through a premium online ticket broker such as Premium Seats USA, and all you'll have to worry about is getting everyone there on time.

When your homeschoolers are looking forward to a special event, an online ticket broker can make it so much easier for you to plan ahead, get the seats you want, and most importantly --avoid disappointment.

Ringing in the New Year!

2006-12-30T23:30:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post here wishing you all the best in the coming new year. I have had a rather rough year, so I'm hoping for better as well.

If you happen to subscribe to the Hands-On Homeschool Newsletter, you may have noticed that you have not recived an issue for quite some time (OR if you are a recent subscriber, you may have not received your first issue at all). Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you! My computer crashed and burned, so to speak, a couple months ago, and unfortunately I had not backed up all of my files. It has been a nightmare getting things back on track, including transferring my website backup files from my webhost to my new computer, so I can carry on; and I still have not been able to recover my entire mailing list (but working on it). I also switched ISPs, which meant making changes to my email configurations and working on unclogging my spam-filled mailboxes.

Arrrggghhh!

As I said, I'm looking forward to 2007 and a much better year.

Sponsor a Child

2006-12-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever considered sponsoring a child? We decided to become child sponsors when our first two children were quite young - before we began homeschooling. We didn't just dive into it; for us it took a lot of thought - just as though we were adopting or fostering a child. We researched several child sponsorship organizations with the following questions:

How much would it cost, and could we afford it over the long term? We recognized that this would be a long term commitment to a child and family who would depend upon us.

What percentage of our payments would go directly to the child/family?

What kinds of things would the money be used to pay for? Would these things make a real difference in the child's life?

How long has the organization been in the business of sponsoring children? What was its track record? Could it be trusted?

In which countries did this organization work, and how long had it operated there?

How much personal, direct communication would we be able to have with our sponsored child? What kinds of personal exchanges could take place? How much would we be able to learn about our sponsored child and his or her family, church, and school?

After exploring several different child sponsorship programs, we finally decided upon Compassion. We liked everything we learned about this organizaton, but I'll be honest with you. When we received our snapshot of Rita (photo above), we just fell in love with her. Rita was an beautiful little eight-year-old girl living with her family in Indonesia.

How could we say no?

During our sponsorship of Rita, our children wrote letters to her and also sent cards, photos, and bookmarks - anything flat that could be mailed in an envelope. For her birthday and Christmas we were permitted to sent a little extra money, with which she bought new shoes and a school uniform. (She was so excited about her uniform, the first day she wore it she danced in front of her classmates.) She draw pictures and wrote letters to us that were translated into English by her teacher, Harry. We also received some of her actual completed school work and interesting information about Indonesia. Our experience was so positive that we decided to also sponsor an African child, again through Compassion. We received yearly photographs of our Ugandan child as well as many group photos taken at her school. We exchanged one-to-one letters, cards, and artwork, and we received copies of her progress reports and several family situation updates.

As a homeschooling family, child sponsorship was extremely rewarding. Through letter writing, photo exchanges, personal financial contributions (even pennies), and prayers, our children learned that they CAN make a difference in the world by helping a needy child in very personal and tangible ways.

We have since lost track of Rita, who would now be 31 years of age, one year older than my oldest child; and Nanduga Mary, of the same age. However, we still have both girls' letters and photos and think of them often; and we continue to pray for their health and well-being.

More "Buzz" About Flowers

2006-12-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

Speaking of "Christmas" and "flowers," you may remember that I have mentioned Dot Flowers in Homeschooling Helper before. This company is one of the best around for same day flower delivery, unique gift baskets, and yummy gourmet treats and savory snacks. Does someone on your list have you stumped? Click on the link above and you'll probably find the perfect gift for him or her.

I love the Dot Flowers easy-to-navigate website, and you'll find that their customer service department is superb. Their goal is to make sure you are satisfied; and, of course, to make sure your recipient absolutely loves your gift! Dot Flowers can help you make a great impression.

Here's to a happy holiday season!

Poinsettias Were Once "Weeds?"

2006-12-21T00:22:00.000-07:00

I just read an interesting article about the poinsettia; the not-so-traditional Christmas plant. Did you know that until 1828, this plant was a flowering roadside weed growing in Mexico? In 1928, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett, brough the plant to the United States; and the following year, "poinsettias" were exhibited at a flower show. It wasn't until a century later, however, that the flower was cultivated and marketed as a Christmas flower, by a California man named Paul Ecke. Since the plants bloom naturally at Christmastime, he sold the flowers at a roadside stand on Sunset Boulevard. Now, the Paul Ecke Ranch produces 50 percent of the world's poinsettias, and three quarters of the nation's supply. Amazingly, all of these plants are no longer grown in fields, but are all cultivated in huge green houses!

To order your own Ecke poinsettias or to learn more about the Eck family ranch, visit the Ecke family ranch website.

An Indoor Snow Storm!

2006-12-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

We have had just a small amount of snow this year, and now it's gone, so the children in my art classes decided to make it snow indoors! We made large and small snowflakes that are much more beautiful and elegant than the regular flat kind, and actually are quite easy to make. Instead of repeating the instructions here, I decided its easier to send you to the Blackfoot Art Center weblog to learn how to create them, step-by-step. The children love hanging them from the ceiling above their beds. (If you live in a warmer climate, they'll like this all the more!)

For even more fun, make garlands to hang as well. You'll need a roll of adding machine paper and scissors. Simply cut a piece of paper about 18 inches long and fold in half, then in half again, and again, and again until you have a small piece of folded paper, maybe an inch or and inch and a half across. Now cut out your design, making sure to leave folds on both sides somewhere in your design so that you don't end up with lots of little pieces of paper instead of one long one. (If you do, just try again.) Now unfold and hang your garlands from the ceiling amidst the falling snowflakes.

Beautiful!

College at Home

2006-12-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

Once a homeschooler completes his high school requirements, and even before doing so, he may want to plug into a few online college courses that are offered by so many accredited colleges and universities today. In fact, the option of earning a college degree no longer necessitates leaving home! As an example, Capella University is an online university, accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, that offers bachelor degree programs in business and information technology. Capella also offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology; which can be good news for homeschooling parents with a desire to ugrade or complete their educations while tending to their families at home or while working part-time or full time jobs.

Capella University offers 76 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate specializations; providing a student with multiple educational options. Imagine! Your student (or you) can recieve a quality college education from a high-caliber Chicago-based university without ever leaving home!

Life Happens...

2006-12-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

I have been away for so long and I apologize. Other than my October post with the cute little horse painting (Kelly, it's lovely!), the last time I posted was in - gulp - July!

Well, life happens.

I have had so much going on with my art classes (and my personal life), coupled with a complete computer crash-and-burn, that it's been impossible to keep up with everything. My website has suffered as has the Hands-On Homeschool Newsletter. In fact, I believe I may have lost nearly half of my subscriber's information on my old harddrive. I am still trying to recover and get the newsletter back on track, so please bear with me!

I hope you had a wonderful summer, and a nice transition into the autumn months. For many I know that meant homeschooling lessons once again, and for others no real change at all. Whatever your style of homeschooling, I hope this weblog, as well as our website at www.allthingshomeschool.com and the Blackfoot Art Center weblog are helpful to you in some way.

Art and Craft Workshops and Online Lessons

2006-10-21T17:01:00.000-06:00

Are you a homeschooling parent living in Southeastern Idaho? If you are, you'll want to check the Blackfoot Art Center schedule of classes and workshops often. The art center has ongoing homeschooler's art classes as well as exciting Saturday and Monday craft workshops that your children will not want to miss. If you have an interested H.S. group, e-mail the art center about setting up a weekly day and time for art classes of your own.

Currently, Saturday craft workshops are fall-themed. Scheduled - A "Spooky Halloween Craft" day (rescheduled for Monday, October 23); "Fun Autumn Leaf Projects," Saturday, Ocober 28; and "Handmade Greeting Cards," Saturday, November 4. All supplies and materials are provided, and a snack break is included. Please browse the Blackfoot Art Center Weblog for more information about children's art workshops and homeschool art classes.

Don't live near Blackfoot (or anywhere near the Gem State, Idaho)? All is not lost! Visit the art center weblog every so often and you'll find step-by-step instructions for lots of terrific art and craft projects that your homeschoolers can do at home. These are not silly, cookie-cutter activities. They are designed to encourage independent thinking, develop problem-solving skills, and promote creativity through fun, open-ended art exploration.

Above - "Horse Eating Grass," by homeschooler Kelly Layton (7). This painting was created after learning about primary, secondary, and tertiary colors - all colors were mixed from the primaries - red, yellow, and blue.

Never Too Early for Money Management Skills

2006-07-29T11:31:00.000-06:00

How many adults do you know who lack money management skills? Credit card debt is at an all-time high in the US, as well as the number of foreclosures and other money-related woes. The fact is that many people are unable to balance a checkbook or understand a credit card statement (not to mention a ten-page mobile phone bill), so how can they be expected to adequately manage their personal finances?

The time to start teaching money management skills is now, regardless of how old your children are. This does not mean punching out paper "money" from the back of an arithmetic workbook, and pretending to spend it (although this might be fun for the very young if you set up a "store" for them to run and "shop" in). Real money management lessons come from real-life situations. This means children must have access to ample money-earning opportunities as soon as they understand that money has value. Working to earn money is a great way to instill that money has value, and because of the work invested, children want to handle their more money carefully than when it is simply given to them. This is not to say an allowance is bad. We always gave our children allowances, but they were small in comparison to those of their peers, who, by the way, spent their allowances as quickly as they received them.

Here are some great ways to teach your children money management skills:

1. Don't buy your kids whatever they want to avoid an insatiable desire for every great new thing that comes along.

2. Provide money-earning opportunities around the house so that kids can earn the things they want on their own. (Often, once they've earned the money, they'll change their minds about the purchase on their own.)

3. Give them short-term, relatively easy job opportunities for quick cash, such as sweeping out the garage, as well as more time-consuming, difficult jobs that are worth more when completed, such as washing all of the windows, inside and out.

4. Encourage them to be creative and find ways to earn money on their own, both at home and around the neighborhood.

5. Open a savings account and encourage them to save a portion of all of their earnings. Most children enjoy knowing they have a bank account and will want deposit even more than you might expect.

6. Teach them to give 10 % in tithes and offerings to your church, or donate 10% to a worthy cause. Hopefully this will become a lifelong habit.

7. Talk about money matters whenever possible. Explain how credit cards work, and why one must be very careful when using credit. Explain the difference between a debit and a credit card. Older children need to understand interest and how it affects credit card payments and balances as well as how it earns money on savings and other kinds of bank accounts. These conversations can take place at any time during the natural flow of daily life as your children observe your financial dealings. Encourage them to ask questions, and help them to set up a budget.

8. Teach your teens about checking accounts and how to write a check and manage a checkbook. Let them open a checking account as soon as you think they are ready. Most banks will open a "student checking account" for kids at age 16.

9. Don't be afraid to include your children in money related conversations. Money problems affect the whole family, and children should have the opportunity to help out in some way to lighten the burden and to actively learn better money mangement skills at the same time.

10. Teach them to be good consumers. Involve them in comparison shopping whenever possible, whether on the Internet, in catalogs, newspaper ads, or at the mall. If you clip and use coupons, teach them to do the same. Encourage your children to spend money carefully, and to do without if an item is priced too high for their budget.

All of these things can help your children to learn to manage money that will greatly benefit them as college students and adults. Many people have never been taught to manage money; resulting in overspending, credit card mismanagement, and too many bills. Often, we turn to debt consolidation, which is not always the ideal solution it is touted to be. If you have ever considered going this route, by all means, please learn all you can about it first. Although advertised as "non-profit," these companies are working for your crediters, not for you, and you will often find that a portion of your payments goes to "servicing fees." It is essential that you know upfront exactly what you will be paying and where it will go. Home equity loans are usually the better choice, but because your home is offered as collateral, you must, again, be very careful. There is no reason to shield our children from these financial facts of life, by the way. Knowledge is key. You may be instrumental in keeping a child out of bankruptcy someday!

Are your children aware of the costs of driving? Children often are not. As a child reaches driving age, she needs to understand that a car is expensive. Not only should your child help to pay the cost of a car, she should pay insurance costs as well as for gasoline and maintanance costs. Car insurance comparison shopping alone is quite a responsibility for a teen, although in recent years it has become a bit easier with companies such as CarInsurance.com, where you can complete the process and have your proof of insurance within 15 minutes! However, with the cost of fuel being what it is, and all the hidden costs of driving all laid out, kids often decide to postpone driving. For some, it's just not worth the expense and responsibility! (None of my children drove before the age of 18!)

Teaching money management skills is just as vital as teaching reading and writing skills, so please, do not neglect it!

Teach With Flowers!

2006-07-09T01:50:00.000-06:00

I have been teaching art classes for the last couple of months through the Blackfoot Art Center, and I have found that spring and summer flowers are perfect subjects for so many art projects! Whether drawing, painting, assembling, or taking photographs, there are innumerable ways to incorporate flowers and floral subjects. Here are some examples:

Drawing:
Students who are learning or practicing pure- or modified-contour drawing can greatly benefit from drawing a variety of complex flowers. Excellent subjects are irises, carnations, geraniums, and chrysanthemums. Then, as students begin to hone their volume drawing skills, roses exhibit overlapping patterns of light within their petals, lending themselves to great shading variations. Flowers energize and add interest to still life arrangments, too.

Painting:
Beginning and master painters alike are often attracted to floral subjects. Flowers contribute interesting shapes, textures, and color, whether painted as part of an arrangement in a vase, or plein-aire, directly in the garden. Even the youngest child enjoys painting colorful flowers. Whether using watercolors, poster paints, oils, temperas, or acrylics, flowers can be rendered in a striking and unique way.

Assemblages and Collage:
Floral subjects can be created from colorful magazine cuttings, construction paper, or tissue paper. Add dimension by cutting 1 to 1 1/2 inch circles of colored tissue paper, and placing the eraser end of a pencil in the center of each tissue circle. Twist the tissue edges up around the pencil. Using a glue stick, smudge some glue onto the collage, then press the tissue into the glue with the pencil before removing it. Glue several of these tissue "flowers" in clusters atop thin strips of green construction paper, maybe sprouting from a vase made from shapes randomly torn from magazine photos. A five-year-old can create these beautiful, 3-D tissue collage flowers!

Photography:
Flowers make irresistable photo subjects. The closer you can get, the better. My new digital camera has a macro mode, so I was able to get out and take some terrific floral photos (see the snapdragon, above). You may see colors and botanical structures in your resulting photos that you might not have noticed before. Photos can then be enlarged and framed, or used as resource material for drawings and paintings, student-produced field guides, creative writing, or botanical drawings for science projects.

While observing and enjoying the flowers of spring and summer, learn all you can about them. Did you know that calle lilies are not really flowers at all? These elegant funnel shapes are actually extensions of the stem, called the spathe. Did you know that delicate, six-petaled dendrobium orchids are actually exotic tropical flowers, or that the simple daisy is a popular wedding flower that represents hope, purity, and innocence? At DotFlowers.com, you can find out more about the lost language and meanings of flowers.

You can also find out more about plants and flowers at DotFlowers.com's Botanical Database. Flowers are listed alphabetically and also by the state in which they grow:

If you would like some great ideas for projects that use flowers (even faded ones - don't throw them away!) see DotFlowers.com's article archives, including Fun Floral Craft Ideas, Practical Uses for Flowers, and Flower Pressing Techniques.

Use flowers throughout your curriculum while they are available. If the flowers you need aren't available, remember you can always order them online at DotFlowers.com, where flower ordering and delivery are always easy and inexpensive.

Make Crazy Tops and Learn About Color

2006-05-21T20:26:00.000-06:00

The Blackfoot Art Center has just published its Summer 2006 Class Schedule (PDF). If you live in the Blackfoot area you might want to have a look. If not, you can follow along with many of our exciting art activities by bookmarking the Art Center weblog and checking in every so often. I will be posting complete lesson plans including supply lists, instructions, and sample projects.

However, just this once I decided to post our most recent homeschoolers' Art Adventures class activity right here. This was really more of a science/art project anyway; and it was a lot of fun!

Before beginning this project, make a few Crazy Tops like the ones below and have the children predict how the tops will appear when they are spun. I guarantee that when you spin each top,
the sound you hear from your children will be "Whooooaa!" and that's because they won't believe their eyes! For example, who would predit that when you spin the primary colors (I also included green on mine) you will see WHITE? Well, of course you will. Have the children think about what colors they see in a dark room (maybe grey and black - the absence of color). So, the more light the more color. All colors = white! I know, I was amazed too.

After trying these out, let the kids go to town making their own Crazy Tops. Encourage them to use symetrical or circular designs, but if they don't, it's okay! Which colors seem to recede? Which stand out? What new designs do you see that aren't actually drawn on the top? Amazing! This "art experiment" is great fun.

Crazy Tops

Materials needed:

Color markers (broad tipped)
Cardboard tracing patterns (4-inch round) with small center hole (make in advance)
Stiff white and dark (or black) paper
Scissors
Dowel cut to 3-inch lengths
Hand-held pencil sharpener
Fine sandpaper
White and colored paper dots (from hole puncher)
Glue sticks
White glue
Sharp point to punch center holes; small Philips screw driver to enlarge it

Samples of crazy tops – (1) divided equally into four quadrants: red, blue, yellow, green (2) star design on outer and inner edge (any color) (3) black or very dark ground with a few series of white, yellow, and red dots near edge, near center, and in middle ground between each.

What to do:

1) Talk about color, why we see it, and how light affects it. What is white? (all colors combined) What is black? (absence of color)

2) Show the children the Crazy Top with all of the primary colors (plus green). What will they see when we spin it? (No one will likely guess white) Spin the top.

3) Show them the other samples, what will they see? Nearly any design will be a surprise. Why do we see white and red circles when we spin the black top? (the colors reflect the light, black does not)

4) On stiff paper, have each child trace two circles using one of the patterns. Make sure they mark the center dot.

5) Instruct them to design their own crazy tops, filling in with color. Encourage them to use repeating designs around the circumference of the disk. For the black or dark tops, stick on a few white or colored paper punch dots.

6) Have children sand both ends of a stick and sharpen one end to a dull point.

7) Punch center hole in disk, enlarge, then push stick half-way through the hole, point down.

8) What do they expect to see when they spin the top? Now SPIN it!!! "Whooooaaa!"

Note: After a few spins, it will be necessary to add a dab of white glue to the underside of the disk and smear it around the point where it meets the stick. This is because the hole stretches out and the disk becomes slightly loose; and then the top won't spin! Let the glue dry while the children make MORE Crazy Tops!
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From the day we bought our almost new SUV, we switched our insurance to GEICO. They are friendly, always ready to help, and have the very best rates, at least in our case. Now, because six of the top ten auto theft locations in the country are located in California, GEICO has recommended 11 steps that can help California drivers to prevent car theft and fraud. I think everyone should use them. Some are common sense, such as locking your car, even while driving, and never leaving your keys in the car (duh!). Others are not so obvious, such as hiding your registration papers in the car (or carrying them with you), and etching your VIN on each window. Do you know the "bump and rob" technique? Thieves bump your car, you get out to check the damage, they jump in your car and drive away. Beware!

You can learn more about how to avoid being targeted at CarInsurance.com, where you can also get an online car insurance quote and that will save you time and money.

Fine Arts Classes

2006-04-17T22:33:00.000-06:00

First, let me apologize for my tardiness with this post. I have been super-busy this past couple of weeks, and will be until the end of the month. Why? I am opening an art center! My small community is in need of a little culture (those are not my words, but those of my neighbors and friends) and I am in need of, well... self-employment. So this should work out very well for everyone.

I have a very empty finished basement with three small "classrooms" (easy-to-clean linoleum floors instead of carpeting was the clencher). With plenty of storage room, running water for cleanup, and wallspace for artwork and projected images, I knew on the outset that this was a feasible idea. But what about furniture... you know, tables and chairs? I went to the school district and guess what? They gave me (GAVE me) three large work tables and many, many sturdy chairs. I have little chairs for little people, chairs for adults, and even a few chairs sizes in between. I'm working on getting it all together by May 1. (Oh my, did you know it snowed here all day today? So much for mowing the lawn! What happened to spring?)

If you live in the Blackfoot Idaho area and are interested in art classes (for ages 4 and up), please visit my new Blackfoot Art Center weblog to learn more about what we'll be doing. There you can download flyers, class schedules for our first (and future) sessions, and registration forms. Feel free to copy and distribute to your group!

Meanwhile, check in to the Art Center weblog often for fine arts lesson ideas and student work that I'll be showcasing each week. I'll post some more homeschool ideas here just as soon as I'm able, I promise!

Have You Discovered Sudoku?

2006-03-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

"The latest craze since the Rubic's Cube!" That's what they call Sudoku. Although they involve numbers, Sudoku puzzles require no math; they are actually logic puzzles. Vhildren as young as 7 or 8 can enjoy solving simple Sudoku puzzles, and will want more challenging puzzles in no time. In fact, Sudoku has become a challenging, fun, and even addicting adult pasttime.

To learn about what Sudoku is and how to solve Sudoku puzzles step-by-step, click here. (This is a downloadable pdf, so you need Adobe Reader to view it.) Basically, the idea is to complete each quadrant or section of the puzzle using each number once while ensuring that each row and column has no duplicate numbers. Try this one:

Don't just guess... use logic to fill it in. You can see, for example, that the second column has a 4 and a 2, so it needs a 1 and a 3. The 3 cannot go in the first row because there is already a 3 in that row, so it must go in the 3rd row (next to the 1). From there, you can finish that column, then the third column, then the first and fourth column (solution below). There are many Soduko puzzle sites on the Internet, two of which are Activity Village (pdf printable puzzles) and Junior Sudoku (interactive online puzzles).

Warning! Sudoku can be addictive! If you find that five hours at a time are disappearing and you don't have any idea how, you may have the Sudoku puzzle habit. Take a break! Quickly find a meadow of Spring Flowers to run around in, or take a cold shower, or cook food (you probably forget to eat anyway).

Here is the solution to the puzzle above:

More Physics for Little Scientists

2006-03-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

Back in January I posted a physics experiment and promised to post more of these in the future (A Cool Science Experiment!). It's March now, and well into the future (oops!) so today I'm going to post more hands-on science for you to do with your children.

Although air is all around us, most of us never think about air pressure or air as having weight. As demonstrated in the first experiment (link above), air very definately has weight, so much so that it can hold an object down tightly. Now, try this next experiment, which I loved as a child - it was like magic!

Did you know air can hold something UP (even something heavy)?

Fill up a glass with water (to the brim). Place a piece of cardboard or tagboard on top of the glass. Hold the cardboard in place while turning the glass upside down over a sink or basin. Now, take your hand away from the cardboard. What happens? What did you think would happen?

Amazing! The water stays in the glass because the air pressure against the cardboard is greater than the weight of the water against the cardboard. The water will remain in the glass until the cardboard soaks through and collapses, allowing air to slip into the glass and the water to be released.

More surprises about air pressure

Place two books four or five inches apart on a table. Place a piece of paper on top of the books, covering the space between them. Blow through the space under the paper. What happens? What did you expect to happen?

Instead of the paper blowing up or off of the books, the paper sinks between the books! Why? To find out, try this:

Tie two balloons to strings and hang them a few inches apart. Now, blow between them. What happens? What did you expect to happen?

Instead of moving apart, the balloons move together! Both of these experiments demonstrate that moving air causes lower air pressure. The faster the air moves, the lower the air pressure drops. In fact, that's what allows airplanes to fly! The shape of an airplane's wing causes the air pressure above it to lessen as the airplane moves forward, allowing the plane to rise upward.

Speaking of airplanes, it is still so cold and snowy here in Idaho, (in spite of it being the last day of winter) wouldn't it be a nice idea to hop a plane to my little Vacation Home Orlando (if I had one) and lie on the beach, and maybe take the kids to Disney World. . .

. . . Okay, wake up! Snap out of it! (More fun experiments to come. I promise!)

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Two of my nephews went to culinary school, and (suprisingly) both of them loved it! Now they both have great culinary careers. With the global hospitality industry growing as it is, they were smart! Earning a Hotel Restaurant Management Degree can be a great way to train for an interesting and exciting leadership role in today's (and tomorrow's) global workplace.

Pencil and Paper Word Games

2006-03-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

I like words. I like to play with words. Our favorite family games revolve around words and wordplay; Boggle, Password, Scrabble, and Take Two. (See "Better Than Scrabble?" in the Archives to learn how to play Take Two.)

Here are two word games that require no more than a pencil and paper:

COULD BE

Object: To create a list of words around two given letters within a two-minute time limit.

How to Play: Players draw four dashes on their paper. One player chooses two letters to use, and the other chooses two positions. For example, the first player chooses E and R and the second player chooses positions 2 and 4: __ E __ R.

The players now write as many words as possible within two minutes that fit this pattern. What words COULD BE formed within this pattern?

The player with the most legitimate words after a series of COULD BE games is the winner. Here is a list of sample words from the above pattern:

1. deer 2. bear 3. fear 4. tear 5. leer 6. gear 7. rear 8. pear 9. wear 10.near 11.year

Be sure to check spellings and compare one another's lists. Use word lists as resources to write short verses and poems.

This game helps players to improve spelling skills, increase vocabulary, and recognize phonics and rhyming patterns.

ACROSS WORD

Object: To make a list of words that fit within AND that start with or include a letter of the letters in a given topic. Okay, okay, it's not so complicated at all - read on!

How to Play:
1) Together the players (2 to 4) decide upon a topic such as presidents, insects, automobiles, animals, flowers, etc.
2) Each player writes the word vertically on their paper.
3) Within a two-minute time limit, each player writes the names of words that fit within the given topic. The words must start with or include one letter of the topic word. No word may be listed more than once. Players try to score as many points as possible using the scoring system below.
4) Scoring: 2 points for each word that begins from a letter in the topic word, and 1 point for each word that contains a leter in the topic word. Here is an example, using the topic word SPORTS:

2 SOFTBALL
2 PINGPONG
1 FOOTBALL
2 RUGBY
2 TENNIS
2 SOCCER

This player's score is 11 points. Very good! Remember, sometimes a player will not be able to think of a word for every topic letter. Just score zero for those letters. Also, categories can be comprised of two or more words, such as FURRY ANIMALS or GIRLS' NAMES, and time limits can be increased to 3 or 4 minutes.

This game helps build classification and vocabulary skills and improve spelling skills, and it's fun!

As a busy homeschooling parent, I wore many hats - homemaker, mommy, teacher, and home business owner. Although I did not work outside of my home, I usually found ways to supplement our income by working from home. We did not have a computer during the 1980's and early 90's, but now stay-at-home moms have Internet options that I never had. One of those options is making money blogging. I know, because I have found multiple ways of doing this and I love it! Companies are always looking for bloggers to post their links within their content, and they pay cash for each link! For example, if I am writing a post about GPS systems, I can be paid to include Chart plotters in my content so that the reader can learn more about this GP product and where to buy it. Cool!

Sometimes the link doesn't quite fit into one's content, and that's okay too. The blogger simply mentions the link as a sponsor of that particular post. For example, I might mention Office Room Reception Chairs here as one of my sponsors, because the truth is, a homeschooling parent might very well find some of these products to be perfect for a creating a comfortable homeschool environment (way better than typical school furniture).

I saved this one for last... Easter Baskets! One of the best gifts I ever received was a gourmet gift basket. Take a look at this site and maybe you'll find something perfect for your precious little bunnies!

Too Many Childhood Favorites!

2006-03-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

As a kid, I had so many favorite books it's hard to pin down my FAVORITE favorites. I read all of the Happy Hollisters mysteries. These are no longer in print, unfortunately, but can be found online or occasionally in thrift shops. In the humor category, I loved Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. My Auntie Mona read these books to my sisters and me. I read them to my children. Hilarious and highly entertaining.

I read Henry Huggins and all of Beverly Cleary's books. Loved 'em all. I read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and The Prince and the Pauper. Again, humorous and wonderful, all. Mark Twain was America's great humourist.

Of course, I learned about life right along with Anne of Green Gables and Heidi and Ellen Tibbits and Laura Ingalls Wilder and all of the other storybook girls as we grew up together.

My favorite genre, I suppose, was animal stories. Whenever I was sick (which was quite frequently), my mother would get me a stack of books at the library to while away the hours I spent in bed. She would pretty much wipe out the dog stories section, then the horse stories, then, well, deer? I loved The Yearling. I read The Black Stallion series (Walter Farley) and of course, Lassie Come Home, Big Red, Tawney, and every other great story of man's best friend.

In high school I dabbled in science fiction and was soon mesmerized. I can't remember any of the titles I read now, but later on I read and loved Meredith Ann Pierce's DarkAngel trilogy. Excellent! I then read The Woman Who Loved Reindeer, also by Pierce, also wonderful. She has written a couple of other titles since way back then, so I hope to find them soon. Oh, Phillip Pullman's trilogy beginning with The Golden Compass is a good fantasy too. I loved the idea of daemons. (You'll have to read it to find out more.)

The point of all this is that books can be an integral part of one's life, especially when reading for sheer pleasure begins early. I can't guarantee that every child can be convinced to be the reader I was (and am). In fact not all of my chidren are avid readers (although believe me, I tried!!!), but oh what a life is the reading life. What would I do without books?

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I don't know about your neck of the woods, but here in Idaho it has been a long cold winter. As the weather begins to warm and the snow disappears, I am looking forward to the daffodils, tulips, irises, and especially the gladiolas. Why not brighten someone's day with a warm reminder of spring, and send flowers!

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Nature Study: In Your Own Backyard

2006-02-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

Here are more of our nature study experiences. These took place at and around our home and in our own backyard:

>>When we lived in the foothills above the Monterey Bay, we discovered that many critters lived all around us, including raccoons, oppossums, snakes, woodpeckers, scrub jays, squirrels, and a deer family. One day we found a wayward mole on the asphalt driveway, frantically searching for a soft spot to tunnel itself into. We filled our empty aquarium with dirt, and scooped the creature into it. We learned very quickly that this insectivore had a voracious appetite that we could not possibly keep up with, so after a day of observation, we released it on the hillside.

>>A garter snake once found its way into the house and slithered halfway up the carpeted stairway. We scrubbed out our aquarium and quickly assembled soil, plants, rocks, and debris in it. The snake resided in it for a time, then after observing and eventually releasing it, we continued to keep the aquarium ready for newcomers. We later kept a gopher snake in it, but learned that it would not eat white (feeder) mice, probably because of the unfamiliar color. We also found a few king snake skins, but never saw a live king snake. By the way, did you know that king snakes eat rattlesnakes?

>>We discovered that a preying mantis is a fascinating insect that can be kept as a pet in a creature keeper. Our mantis would turn its head to look at the children and follow their movements as they approached. Then it would carefully stalk its prey (usually flies) that they dropped into its little habitat.

>>My boys had butterfly nets to capture a variety of butterfly and moth specimens. I built a rather impressive butterfly collection as a child, but my children were not interested in killing and mounting them. After examining and identifying their specimens, they let them go.

>>Living on the California coast, we visited a few fish markets, and once we found a sort of "raw seafood mixture" of tiny octopus, shellfish, and other varieties of sea animals (I can't even remember what!). "People eat this?" and "Gross!" were their comments, but they begged to take a few of each home to examine, identify, and dissect. They spent the entire afternoon happily examining these creatures, inside and out. (Gross!)

>>We lived with poison oak all around us, and we learned that some people are very allergic to it, some become allergic after 5 or 15 or 30 contacts with it, and some people never have a reaction to poison oak. We also learned that you never burn poison oak, because the smoke can be very toxic to some people.

>>There was a dry pond bed at the bottom of our hill. All at once, after it had rained for several days, we heard deafening sounds coming from what was now a small lake. Frogs that had buried themselves under what had become the dry caked bed had been awakened by the rain and made their way to the surface. They were singing, chirruping, and croaking to announce their re-birth!

>>Deer love apples. Never harvest your apples and leave them in piles around your yard, unless you intend to provide deer treats.

If you have any interesting nature-study experiences you would like to share, please add your comments to this blog.

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Nature Study: In the Field

2006-02-18T16:38:00.000-07:00

Did you get a peek at our sample child-created field guides? I discussed these in my last post (February 3) about nature study. Our last two issues of Hands-On Homeschool Newsletter contained a two-part article, "Your Young Naturalist." If you would like them emailed to you or to subscribe, please contact me at sandrabynum@allthingshomeschool.com

Nature study was a essential part of our homeschooling experience. Maybe some of our field experiences will provide you with some of your own nature study ideas:

>>We signed up for a community Lyceum class in the spring of one year, and went on a magnificent wildflower hike. The California poppies, Johnny jump-ups, and lupines were spectacular! We took photos and we drew and labeled various specimens in our sketchbooks. This wonderful daylong experience prompted my daughter to create her own wildflower field guide project.

>>We went camping in the Santa Cruz mountains, taking along several portable "creature keepers," just in case. My sons found and trapped a few Western fence lizards and an alligator lizard in a rocky area. We took three of these home for him to raise and observe while working on his Reptiles Boy Scout merit badge. He did so successfully, while finding it very difficult to keep his charges supplied with enough insect food. After several months he released them to a similar habitat.

>>During the same camping trip, my boys explored a pond and trapped an aquatic garter snake. We took it home and they outfitted our aquarium with water, flat rocks, and vegetation. It was fascinating to watch the snake weaving around in the water as it hunted, captured, and swallowed its prey: feeder goldfish from the neighborhood pet store. The kids also collected the snake's discarded skins, and built it a "den" for winter hibernation. One year later when we again went camping, we returned the snake (albeit a bit fatter) to the same pond from which it came.

>>While camping one summer, my children came across a Western rattle snake, coiled up and resting under a tree. It was amazing how difficult it was to spot it; the snake's dark mottled markings made it almost invisible in the shady grass. After nearly stepping on it, they ran back to camp for a camera, and went back to take several pictures of it - from a distance.

>>There were a number of white-tailed deer, with tiny fawns, in the same area. We took photos, but even better, we found some excellent deer tracks in the hardened mud. My son had brought along some plaster of Paris and cardboard strips. He was able to make several plaster casts of these animal tracks while working on his Mammals merit badge.

In these pictures, Elliott is mixing the plaster of Paris and creating casts of the deer tracks.

>>While living on the California Central Coast, we visited Point Lobos State Reserve, which is often referred to as the "crown jewel" of the State Park System. There are a number of habitats all in this one amazing place. We explored forestland, grasslands, a rocky coastline, tidepools, and sandy beaches. There are rare plant communities and over 250 animal and bird species. The children participated in outdoor classrooms and guided tours, observed sea otters, sea lions, and migrating whales, and set up easles to draw and paint the landscape.

>>Other natural reserves we explored were the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Elkhorne Slough Wetlands Sanctuary, Jacks Peak, the Marina Dunes Preserve, the Monarch Butterfly Habitat, and Pinnacles National Monument. Wherever you live, there are interesting places to go to explore nature!

>>We visited a spectacular Monarch butterfly preserve in Pacific Grove. This is a place where these beautiful butterflies rest along their migration routes from Canada to Mexico. During just a few weeks of the year, these butterflies visit the Central California coast; with thousands resting in the trees at one time. We took pictures and created a photo essay about the migration of the Monarch butterfly. Amazing!

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Here in Idaho, everyone owns guns, and hunting (real animals!) is considered a healthy sport. In fact, at the age of nine or so, kids are considered "ready" to go out hunting with Dad. ARRGGHHH! There is quite a different attitude about guns here compared to California. If your child and/or hubby are gun enthusiasts, help them to consider a safer alternative: paintball guns! It's competitive, physically challenging, and nobody gets hurt! Airsoft Guns has all the supplies, accessories, and related links relating to the sport of paintball.

Nature Study

2006-02-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

In our most recent Hands-On Homeschool Newsletter , I discussed the value of encouraging children to explore the natural world, and how to get them started. Every child can become a young naturalist, no matter where they live or how far they are able to take their explorations. A wonderful book that should be on every homeschool bookshelf is A Practical Guide For The Amateur Naturalist, by Gerald Durrell. His fascination with nature began at the age of two as he observed two shiny slugs on a rainy day. As a child he collected insect specimens that he carried around in matchboxes in his pockets. He later built extensive collections of critters until his bedroom became more of a nature library and a “cross between a museum and a mini-zoo.”

Most children are fascinated with wildlife and the natural world. The adults in their lives can help children to become exposed to and acquainted with a variety of natural habitats through observation and exploration, helping them to develop a deep respect for other living things as well as an awareness of conservation and related environmental issues.

Durrell’s lavishly illustrated Amateur Naturalist instructs the young naturalist, step-by-step, how to study the world around him. In my article, “Your Young Naturalist,” I provided a summary of suggestions based on Durrell’s book and my own children’s experiences as we explored our world together. The next issue of the Hands-On Homeschool Newsletter will continue this discussion with ideas and activities for children to do with their notes, drawings, and specimens once they arrive home from their nature hikes and explorations.

One nature study curriculum idea that worked very well for us is a child-created field guide. We have recently added this exciting learning activity to our website so be sure to take a look and see some child produced samples while you're there. Also, instead of rewriting the newsletter article here, I decided to make it available by email. If you would like a copy of “Your Young Naturalist,” please email me directly at sandrabynum@allthingshomeschool.com and I’ll send it to you. Of course, to regularly receive new hands-on learning activities, you can sign up for your own subscription to the Hands-On Homeschool Newsletter on our website.

Special Note: If you have already purchased our homeschooling e-book, 101 Hands-On, Tried & True Homeschool Curriculum Ideas You’ll Love! you’ve had a chance to try out our super reading, writing, and math learning activities with your homeschoolers. Our companion title, 101 MORE Hands-On, Tried & True Homeschool Curriculum Ideas You’ll Love, will be available shortly. You’ll find many more rewarding homeschooling ideas, this time in the subjects of science, history, geography, current events, and fine arts. (You won’t believe the free bonuses, by the way!) Owners of 101 Hands-On, Tried & True Homeschool Curriculum Ideas You’ll Love! will receive an amazing deal on the companion e-book as well as a limited opportunity to get it FREE!

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http://www.allthingshomeschool.com/field_guides.htm

Homeschoolers Cook!

2006-01-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Kids love to eat. For this reason, it's a piece of cake (so to speak) to get them cooking. My children enjoyed baking and cooking and following recipes and making up recipes of their own. At age eleven, my oldest daughter Alicia created this recipe, which was first one published in the Recipe Corner of their homeschooling newsletter, Time for Kids. Don't worry, we've tried it many times. Very yummy!

Spanish Mexican Cheesy Summer Garden Vegetable Omelet
(If you can say it you can make it)

1 small summer squash (yellow crookneck)
1 small zuchinni
1 small tomato
1 Tbsp chopped onion
2 Tbsp butter or margerine
1 tsp Ortega canned chopped green chiles (optional)
1 Tbsp salsa
3 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper
1 half cup grated cheddar cheese

Slice or chop up squashes. Chop up tomato. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in fry pan or omelet pan. Add squash, tomatoes, and onion. Stir frequently, saute until tender. Remove from pan.
Melt remaining butter in pan. Pour in eggs. Cook slowly unil almost set. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on half of the cheese, the squash mixture, then chiles over one half of the egg mixture. Spoon on salsa, add the rest of the cheese. Carefully fold over omelet, allow to set, and aftyer cheese has melted, place on place. Makes one very large omelet that serves one, two, or three.

I'll include more kid-created recipe from time to time. Get your own kids into the kitchen, and let them cook. Very soon they will want to create their own dishes and write their own recipes to share with others. Meanwhile, let them try out this recipe. One of your children may want to prepare it for the family as a Valentine treat.

For more ideas for your Valentine, try Valentines Day flowers, or maybe create or order some gourmet gift baskets. Know anyone looking at diamond engagement rings? Now's the time!

A Cool Science Experiment

2006-01-09T00:09:00.000-07:00

In my ebook, 101 Hands-On, Tried & True Homeschool Curriculum Ideas You'll Love! I present the most engaging and effective reading, writing, and math learning activities I used during our 15 years of homeschooling. My original intent was to write a book covering all of the core subjects for ages 5 through 12; however, during the writing process, I quickly realized that had more than enough ideas just for these three basic subjects.

So... my next ebook is currently in the works; 101 MORE Hands-On, Tried & True Homeschool Curriculum Ideas You'll Love! This companion ebook will include great learning activities in the areas of social studies (history, current events, geography, social responsibility), science, and fine arts. I expect to complete the book within the next month or two.

I mention this so that a) as a visitor and reader of Homeschooling Helper, you'll know to be on the look out for the companion ebook, and b) because I realize in this weblog I have been lax about presenting learning activities in the areas of social studies, science, and fine arts!

So, today's learning activity is in the field of PHYSICS! You can perform this experiment at home with readily available materials.

Did You Know That Air Can Hold a Stick Down?

Place a yardstick on a table with about one foot extending beyond the edge. Strike down on the free end. What happens? (The other end pops up into the air.)

Now lay just a sheet or two of newspaper over the section of the stick that rests on the table. Smooth down the newspapers carefully by stroking from the center of the paper to the edges.
Now hit the free end again. What happens? (The covered portion will not move up.)

Hit the uncovered free end again, this time with a hammer (not too hard). Now what happens? (It still won't move, unless you hit it too hard; then it will crack or break!)

What just happened? The newspaper created a very large surface for the air above to press down on, and when you smoothed down the newspaper, you pressed all of the air out from under the it. This allowed the weight of the air above to press directly down on the newspaper, the table and the stick in between. Air can be heavy!

Science experiments are perfect "hands-on" learning activities, and children love them. You'll find many more just like this one in my new ebook, and I promise I'll include more here in the future.

I hope these learning activities and ideas are helpful to you and your homeschool. This week's sponsors are Monex, where you can find precious metals quotes and more information about precious metals investing; and Lussori, for a stunning collection of gemstone rings and other gemstone jewelry.

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Another Great Word Game!

2005-12-31T22:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a new word game that your child can play alone or with you and any number of players. Word Lines will to help your child to learn new words, improve spelling, and think fast! You'll need paper and pencils for each player.

First, each player should draw a grids of five rows and four columns, making sure each box is large enough to write in a four letter word. Now place the numbers 1 through 4 in the boxes down the first column. Above each of the last four columns, write one letter of a four letter word. If you've chosen "WORD" as your word, your graphs will look like this:

Each player will now fill in as many of his or her squares as possible with four-letter words in the following manner -

In the W-1 square, the player will write in a word beginning with the letter W. In the W-2 square, he will write in a word using W as the second letter, and so forth down the column. Players will do likewise for the letters O, R, and D. Players may use a word only once.

A completed grid using "WORD" as above might look like this:

Winner is the first person to complete his or her grid OR the player with the most boxes filled in after a certain length of time (usually three minutes). Remember, all words must be spelled correctly, and all words must comply with the rules. In the grid above, one word cannot be counted. Which word is it? Can you think of a replacement word?

You can vary the game by:

> Using a 5 X 5 grid and a five letter word, for a harder game.

> Not restricting the length of the point words, for an easier game. So, in our example above, in the R-3 square a player could write "purple," because it contains "R" as the third letter.

> For a quicker game, have players call out the words as they think of them. Everyone writes in the word, with the caller capturing the word. The winner is the one who captures the most words after all squares have been filled in.

If your children enjoy playing this game, you may want to create a sheet of three or four grids on your computer or with a ruler and black ink, then make copies as needed.

If you decide to play this game with your homeschoolers, please post a comment and tell us about it. Did your kids enjoy it, and what are their ages? Do you recommend it for others?

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Dress Up!

2005-12-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

This year was to be a lean one as far a Christmas gift giving. My daughter and hubby just bought a house, and we've struggled a bit this year as well. So, we put our heads together and formulated a plan. More than anything in the world, her two little girls love to play dress-up. We decided that a dress-up "kit" would be just the ticket. And cheap, too.

Years ago I had purchased silky white fabric and lace for flower girls' dresses. Then, the wedding plans changed, and the little flower girls grew up (teens now). The dresses were never made, and about $50 worth of fabric, lace, and accompanying patterns lay in the bottom of my sewing project box.

Bingo! My daughter became a sewing fool! She made two little wedding dresses (one with a full veil.) Then she also made a dark green velvetine Renaissance style gown, and two cheerleader outfits (with pom-poms from the Dollar Store). An uncle just so happened to give them each a puffy princess dress, complete with tiaras and "glass" slippers. My job was to create a treasure chest or bin of some type to keep all of the accessories in, and to find as many accessories as possible. The lovely dresses and costumes would be hung from closet pole, adjusted for them to easily reach.

I visited two thrift shops. I found: a pair of long white gloves (perfect!), a pair of children's tap dancing shoes, ballet slippers, two ladies' purses (one pink, one baby-blue), a straw hat with a floral band, a parasol (okay, umbrella!), and, well, you get the picture. And I paid no more than $1.00 for any one item. The children were thrilled! The hardest part is usually getting them out of costumes and into pajamas for bed at night, but this year they even got "princess" gown pajamas, so life is just good!

When my little ones were growing up, sewing costumes for them was an ongoing process. Whether it was for Halloween, a part in a play, a cape for one of the boys, or just for fun, costumes were a part of life. By the way, boys are costume freaks. Don't think this is just a "girl" thing. We had so many super hero costumes and animal costumes, a neighbor once suggested we rent them out.

My daughter, who (fortunately) learned how to sew in our homeschool, is now following suit. Before the dresses, she made a mermaid costume and a spider costume for the girls last year (we made both of these patterns up). I know we have pictures somewhere, so when I find them I'll post a few. Meanwhile, I'm posting photos of my middle son Elliott, who was a real dresser-upper. Dress-up was just a natural part of his day. (He is now 22 and attending art school in Portland. We should have known!)

Encourage dress-up! It's such a wonderful way to promote imaginary play and creative growth. I always considered dress-up play an integral part of our homeschool.

PS. Grown-ups can dress up too, starting with diamond jewelry. This post is also sponsored by Monex, where you can get current silver prices online.

Let me mention here, also, that as mothers we all know that we want alleviate as many health risks as possible so as to be there for our children and grandchildren. I have written a post on another blog about a menopausal issue that I invite you to read. The bottom line concerns the pros and cons of HRT and premarin lawsuits, which could affect any woman after menopause if she has used estrogen replacement therapy.

Give the Gift of Poetry

2005-12-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

In my ebook, 101 Hands-On, Tried & True Homeschool Curriculum Ideas You'll Love! I devote a lot of space to creative writing and other types of writing activities. This is because it is vital for children to be encouraged to write whenever possible so that they learn to communicate effectively, and thus develop an essential, lifelong skill.

One area of writing that is often overlooked (or avoided intentionally) is poetry. Parents (even those who write) may feel ill-prepared to teach poetry writing, and children often have preconceived ideas about poetry: rhyming is too hard, poetry is silly, I don't like to read poetry, etc. It's time to rethink poetry, and begin to use poetry writing as a regular part of your writing program! Why? Here are just a few good reasons:

1) Poetry can be written about anything at all.
2) Poetry is short (compared to other types of creative writing, anyway), and therefore can take less time to write and to read.
3) Poetry doesn't have to rhyme, and often doesn't!
4) Writing poetry is fun!

The best way for children to learn to appreciate poetry is to read it to them! Start young with simple Mother Goose rhymes, which all children love. As a child, my favorite poem, read at bedtime of course, was Winken, Blinken, and Nod. Your children will also love Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends," and "A Light in the Attic," and "The Giving Tree." Jack Prelutsky's "Something Big Has Been Here," and "The New Kid On the Block" will have them giggling and learning their favorite silly poems by heart.

Once your children have become familiar with poetry, they will likely have selected their favorites and, with a little encouragement, be willing to try writing similar pieces of their own.

To get started with poetry in your homeschool, find several great online teaching activities, strategies, lesson plans, and tools from poets like Jack Prelutsky and Jean Marzollo at Scholastic.com's Writing with Writers.

There are many different styles of poetry, inluding ballads, Haiku, limericks, sonnets, shape poetry, tongue twisters, and free verse. For some children, it's fun to select a few of these and try their hand at them, such as Haiku, odes, and especially limericks! In our case, we embarked upon a two-family book project:

We wrote and illustrated an entire book of silly limericks, which we called "Where the Sidewalk Begins" and dedicated to Shel Silverstein. After typing up all of our limericks and illustrating in black ink, we made enough copies of all pages (back and front) to make 20 or so books. Then we bound them in hard covers, onto which we had glued a crazy-fabric design, and we gave away the finished books (and sold a few).

Here is the dedicatory poem at the start of the book:

Shel

There once was a poet named Shel

Who had funny stories to tell

Of toothaches and sidewalks,

And battles and yippiyucks,

Which suited the children quite well.

Most of our limerick's subjects were family members and the special characteristics that made them stand out:

The Slop

There once was a boy named Nate

Who spilled every time that he ate.

At his home in the town

Paper towels abound

And his mother blots slop until late!

This was a wonderful project in so many ways! In all, our book contained 19 limericks. It was collaborative, so everyone of all ages from both families contributed writing and/or artwork. We learned book layout so that backs and fronts of pages would match up (tricky!). After copying all of the pages, we learned how to create a hard-cover bookbinding that wouldn't fall apart, found just the right fabric design to glue to the outside cover, and then we constructed the books, assembly-line style. The children were excited about "publishing" their own book, and had fun giving them away as gifts.

This brings me to the subject of Gift-Writing. In our last issue of the Hands-On Homeschooling Newsletter, I discussed the idea of presenting writing to others as a gift and several fun ways to do it. One year, my eleven-year-old, anti-poetry son finally relented and agreed to try his hand at poetry-writing. He decided from the beginning that all poetry must rhyme, so free verse was out of the question. I thought he was just making the project more difficult on himself, until, after a lot of hard work, writing and rewriting, and reassurance ("does this sound okay?"), he produced a wonderful poem, The First Christmas. It had to be shared! We typed it up and printed several copies on special Christmas stationary. Then he rolled them up (like a scroll), tied each with a red ribbon, and gave them away as gifts. His poem was even published in a local newspaper!

The best book I have ever found for kids learning to write poetry is Gonna Bake Me a Rainbow Poem: A Student Guide to Writing Poetry, by Peter Sears. It is a step-by-step guide to poetry writing that includes only poems written by students.

To get a copy of the complete article, "Gift Writing," as well as many other terrific hands-on ideas delivered free right to your mailbox, subscribe to Hands-On Homeschooling. Just click here and fill in your name and email in the left sidebar.

I hope this article has inspired you to include poetry-writing in your homeschool curriculum. My sponsors have helped to make this weblog possible:

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Wonderful e-Books!

2005-12-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

I recently added another page to my website. Here you'll find links to several recommended hands-on e-books especially suited to homeschoolers. I am convinced that e-books are ideal resources for homeschooling families. Here's why:

Instant download delivery - no waiting and no shipping or handling costs.
E-Books can be stored digitally, and printed out one page or chapter at a time.
Most are PDF files with 8.5 X 11 inch pages: perfect for children's consumables (puzzles and activity pages). Print out the same consumable pages over and over again.
Print out entire e-books and bind as you wish: in a three-ring binder, spiral bound, comb, or coil binding, all of which will lay flat. (Look office supply outlets such as Kinko's for options.)
E-Books provide useful, original content that can be changed and/or updated easily.
E-Books are written by experts in their fields and can be ordered from and delivered directly to the reader (instantly) anywhere on earth.
Most e-Books come with free bonus materials (e-books, reports, videos, etc.) making digital products a super value!

Have I convinced you? Go ahead, take a look! From how to teach your baby and siblings sign language, to fun piano lessons, to printable brain e-games, you're sure to find something you can really use. You'll even find plans for building a terrific play activity / train table, essential for homeschoolers (well, it was for mine)!

Talking about e-books... did you know that many higher learning institutions now offer online degree programs? It's called "e-learning," and it's great for homeschooling parents who want to take one or more courses but would rather learn at home (with the kids!) Online colleges may be a great option for you.

I also want to mention the 60-Day Experiment once again. Learn (online) how to build an online business from the ground up. I did it, and you can too. Amazing! I learned more than I ever thought possible, step-by-step! New "live" session starts very soon, or sign up to learn at your own pace.

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Thanksgiving History Lesson

2005-11-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Remember the history textbooks you had in school? Do you remember anything interesting that you learned about history from one of these textbooks? Not likely. Typical history textbooks water down our history to the point of bland and boring, leaving out the really interesting, fascinating, events that keep history alive and exciting.

What we end up with is politically correct, carefully selected historical tidbits that are carefully worded and arranged to provide feel-good history lessons and to allow the authors to give moral instruction rather than to provide honest and inclusive history. What we end up with is a book of genial ommissions, invented details, and “origin myths,” not historical facts.

Let's take Thanksgiving as an example. What do you remember learning about this holiday? Well, let’s see. The Pilgrims left England in search of religious freedom aboard the Mayflower. They crossed the Atlantic, landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620. There they found “friendly savages,” who introduced them to new foods such as pumpkins, squash, and corn; and helped them to plant crops. Since they had arrived in late autumn, they were not prepared for the cold, harsh New England winter. Life was hard and many suffered from disease and many more died. However, with the help of their Indian neighbors, especially an English speaking Indian named Squanto, the following fall they experienced a bountiful harvest and new prosperity. So, they celebrated the first Thanksgiving with several days of feasting, dressing in their starched Sunday best seated side-by-side with their almost naked Indian friends.

This is the story of Thanksgiving that I learned in school and that most school children continue to learn today. Unfortunately, this story is so full of inaccuracies that it can only be considered a myth. School teacher, historian, and Native American Chuck Larson calls it “an inspirational bit of New English folklore." He has created a lesson plan to help you teach the true Plymouth Thanksgiving Story, which is much more in keeping with what really happened in Plymouth, as well as how our Thanksgiving holiday came to be (actually two seperate things).

For a different perspective (with a more religious orientation), see The True Thanksgiving Story, by Dennis Rupert, still a much more accurate representation of history (and you’ll like the music, too).

I believe that as homeschoolers, we can more aptly teach our children the truth about history, and we should do so for several important reasons:

1) We learn from history, both good history and bad.
2) History is fascinating and exciting when correctly taught; it brings historical events and figures to life; it is not just a series of rote dates and "facts."
3) Historical truth teaches that all races and ethnicities have contributed to the advancement of humankind, therefore the glorification of the exploits and achievements of Caucasians only promotes misunderstandings and ethnocentric attitudes, resulting in less tolerance towards others.
4) History help us to know ourselves: who we were, who we are, and who we can become in the future.

Consider too, that history textbooks are written to please publishers and school districts, to sell feel-good history, and to moralize – I strongly urge that you not use them, at least for content. Don’t worry, you can find true history lessons just about anywhere else. Start with the Internet, the library, the History Channel, history magazines – well, you get the idea!

I hope I haven't stepped on anyone's toes with today's posting. I truly believe we should teach our children the truth, and I hope you do too.

I have been able to continue this blog with the help of several sponsors. Two of them are Risk Management Jobs, where you can apply for a job or post your resume online; and Fighting for You, a personal injury and litigation firm that will help you with your Vioxx lawsuit.

Shop, Shop, Shop!

2005-11-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

You may think the title for this posting has something to do with Christmas shopping. Not really. I just finished putting together my little shopping mall in my new website, All Things Homeschool, so I thought you might want to take a stroll (or a click) over to see what we've got.

It took FOREVER! I didn't want to disappoint you, so I searched and searched for books and products that either we have actually used in our homeschool and highly recommend, or items that we definately would have used if they had been available (such as this wonderful new Christmas story pictured above). You'll find a little bookstore, and also things like science kits, puzzles and brainteasers, handcrafts, games, and more great things for your homeschoolers. If you take a look and you DO happen to find something for someone on your list, I would sure appreciate your business. That will help me keep this blog and my website going.

In the meantime, I have a few sponsors, so if you're so inclined, please take a look!

Do you have a pet? What would you do if your dog or cat disappeared? That happened to us once; our dog ran away on a very windy day and she could not sniff her way back home. She got hit by a car, but she was wearing a tag with our phone number on it, so a witness was able to call us right away. We got to her and rushed her to the vet. Pet ID tags cost so little, but can save your best friend's life.

Another form of security is a good job! Am I right? Personally, I enjoy freelancing, and writing is my thing. However, some folks are more interested in the numbers, such as accounting, auditing, quantitive analysis, risk management, etc. If you have experience in finance and are looking for something bigger and better, try looking at these financial jobs or posting an online resume.

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A Little of This, a Little of That

2005-11-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

Hi Ho!

Still working on my website. This is really time-consuming stuff! Working on the Shopping page right now; I know you'll love it! If you get a chance, take a look at us at All Things Homeschool.

Have you seen my new little ebook, 75 Craft Recipes for Kids? It's 37 pages of terrific recipes for everything from paints (23 different recipes) and modeling clay to home-grown crystals and handmade paper, and much more! You can buy it (very affordable) or get it free with 101 Hands-On, Tried & True Homeschool Curriculum Ideas You'll Love!

I found a website the other day that I just have to share. Visit Psychotherapy T-Shirts and click on "Child Therapy." Adorable! Remember, every child is a genius ("talented" counts!) in some aspect or another. Who better than we parents, as homeschoolers, can discover where our child's true genius lies?

I have so many irons in the fire, (in other words, I'm really busy!) I have decided it would be helpful to have a few sponsors to help me pay the bills. I am including links to some of my sponsors here:

Visit NY lawyers if you are looking for a good attorney, or up-to-date health or drug related information. You'll learn something new here, to be sure.

Try low mortgage rates if you are interested in the idea of thousands of lenders competing to lend you money (who isn't?).

If you are looking for diamond anniversary rings, these are absolutely gorgeous. In fact, if you aren't shopping for diamond anniversary rings, you might change your mind!

About Us...

2005-11-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

I just finished the About Us page on my new website. Take a look, at http://www.allthingshomeschool.com/about_us.htm, and get to know a little more about us. We were featured in our local newspaper a couple times as homeschoolers, and the pictures and articles are right there on the About Us page. Current photos, too.

Can you believe Halloween is over and Thanksgiving just around the corner? I love the holiday season. In fact, I love the seasons, period. We're expecting our first snowfall this week and it's pretty cold today. By the way, don't forget to send Grandma or Auntie some Thanksgiving flowers. (We like that kind of stuff.) (We like See's Candy, too.)

Well, back to work on my website. It's coming right along. Lots of good stuff, including freebies, and I'm adding more every day.

Up and Running!

2005-10-27T14:16:00.000-06:00

I've finally completed and launched my new website, at www.allthingshomeschool.com! Whew! Pretty steep learning curve, but I did it! The first thing you'll see is this picture of my youngest son Alex in the website header. At the age of two, he is examining a gopher snake we found in our yard. (He's 19 now.)

So go ahead. Take a look at our new website. You'll find all sorts of hands-on teaching activities and curriculum ideas that you can really use. You'll also find articles and advice to make the everyday process of teaching your children at home easier and more fun. You'll find links to all sorts of carefully selected resources, including an entire pageful of links to free downloadable, printable worksheets, and plenty of other freebies. I have also included a reader submissions page. Read about what works best for other homeschoolers, or submit your own best ideas. If we use your submission, you get a free gift! Do you have a question or a problem related to homeschooling? Submit it to our online Q&A column. We'll do our best to help you, and other homeschoolers can offer their tips as well!

Best of all, my new 96-page e-book is now available! 101 Hands-On, Tried & Tr u e Homeschool
Curriculum Ideas You'll Love! is full of great hands-on ideas to help you to teach reading, writing, and mathematics skills, and is extremely affordable. When you order, you'll also get six (that's 6) free bonus items especially for homeschoolers, AND I'll practically give you the companion book, 101 MORE Hands-On, Tried & True Homeschool Curriculum Ideas You'll Love once it's available (which will include 101 terrific ideas for teaching Social Studies, Science, and Fine Arts). I know you'll love these great homeschool e-books. After 15 years of homeschooling five children, I had so many great learning ideas I just had to write them down. Click here to find out what other homeschooling parents have to say about 101 Hands-On, Tried & True Homeschool Curriculum Ideas You'll Love! If you decide to try it out, let us hear from you, too!

Go Places, Do Stuff!

2005-10-02T16:34:00.000-06:00

Remember the excitement of a "field trip?" Everyone in class was talking about it the day before. It was hard to sit still and concentrate. You arrived early the day of the trip and couldn't wait to board the bus (or load up the cars or pair up to walk). It didn't matter where you were going! You were out of the classroom.

Unfortunately, field trips were rare.

As homeschoolers, it is important to remember that learning can happen anywhere. Children need to have real life experiences. Whether it's the natural history museum or the SPCA or learning how they make bagels at the Bagel Bakery, it's fun and your children will learn from it. You don't need permission slips, insurance forms, itineraries, or buses. You don't even need to plan ahead. Just go!

Let your motto be, homeschoolers have class, everywhere!

In the picture above, my oldest son Nathan is watching the sea life at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a standard destination for our homeschool. (Nate is now 26.)

Never Too Late To Learn!

2005-07-14T20:43:00.000-06:00

I must apologize for being so seemingly neglectful of this weblog.

I have been feverishly working on my new homeschooling website, which will complement this blog and give you even more terrrific homeschooling resources. I am taking part in David Perdew's 60-Day Experiment , an online workshop that is teaching me, and about 150 other participants (mostly writers) how to build a blog (got that down), how build a website (workin' on it), how to write an eBook, and how to turn it all into lucrative online enterprises so that we can pursue what we love w/o worrying about the bills. (For me, that would be WRITING!)

As a part of this "Experiment," I am writing an eBook: 101 Hands-On, Tried-And-True Homeschool Curriculum Ideas You'll Love! which will be available to you very soon.

By the way, you can still sign up for the big Experiment! Frankly, I have learned more through the daily lessons and the online forum than I could in any college course, and the best part about it? It's FREE! No cost. Nada. Zip.

Not forever, though. Although this session is nearly halfway over, you can still sign up and go back and read (and do) the lessons, or just sit back and observe. That's not even the best part. If you sign up NOW (through July 31), you'll be able to retake the course over and over at no cost EVER! Don't wait until the new session starts, however; because then there will be a fee, although reasonable and well worth it!

Something to think about if you are considering an online business from home. The 60-Day Experiment comes highly recommended!!! Check it out right here!

Learning Styles

2005-06-24T21:05:00.000-06:00

What is your child's personal learning style?

Huh?

What type of learner is your child? Visual? Linguistic? Kinesthetic? What does all that mean, anyway?

When my children were young, the theory of learning styles was rather new. In the 1970's, it focused on right-brain and left-brain learning. The theory was that creative, visually minded, dreamers were right-brained, because the right brain was responsible for creative thinking, visual imaging, and spatial experiences. Those who were audio learners, strong in math, and good memorizers were left-brained, because the left hemisphere controlled the logical, mathematical, and symbolic intelligences. Because so many creative individuals are left-handed (remember, the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and visa-versa), the theory seemed to make sense.

However, we now know that the neurological organization of the brain is much more complex. First, the various functions of thinking and learning involve both sides of the brain to varying degrees, not simply one side or the other. Second, although we may display strengths in a certain type of intelligence, humans cannot be categorized into one particular intelligence group.

Mostly by trial and error, I discovered that each of my children had different learning styles. Fortunately, we were homeschooling, so I was able to develop curriculums that would teach to those abilities.

During the 1980's, seven different types of intelligences were recognized and first described in detail by Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner in his book, Frames of Mind. These seven kinds of intelligences "provide a solid foundation upon which to identify and develop a broad spectrum of abilities within every child," says Dr. Thomas Armstrong in his book, In Their Own Way. Basically, these intelligences are:

Logical-mathematical
Musical
Bodily-kinesthetic
Linguistic
Spatial
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal

It is likely that upon reading this list, you might recognize one or more of these intelligences in your child or children. Observe how your child spends his or her free time. Does your child spend hours reading books? Drawing intricate pictures? Playing a keyboard and composing songs? Does he or she excel at sports? Is your child a chess whiz?

One of the greatest things about homeschooling is being able to customize your curriculum to the needs of your child. Essential to this process is discovering your child's individual learning style.

To find out more about multiple intelligences and how to discover your child's personal learning style, I suggest getting a copy of Dr. Armstrong's book, In Their Own Way. As I have mentioned before, every homeschooling family should build a homeschool library, and this is one book that should be on the shelf. My own copy was published in 1987; but it was updated and revised in 2000. The book is inexpensive and can be found at Amazon.com (below) or you can find it at your local library.

Creativity - Not Just for Artists!

2005-05-31T12:07:00.000-06:00

Wow, can you believe it's almost the last day of school? No, wait! Homeschoolers don't have "school" so to speak. School calendar? What's that? Or, maybe you could say homeschoolers have school all-year-round.

Bottom line is, does it really matter? Shouldn't learning be happening all the time, not just during school hours, or on school days, or when the teacher says so? Do any children simply stop learning during the summer months? Of course not. As homeschooling families, we can ensure that our children have positive learning experiences no matter what the season or the month or what day of the week it is. (Just as schooled children should!)

One of the most important things we can do to for our children is to encourage creative thinking. Creativity itself is a process that involves and encourages inner motivation and self-reliance. As we learn to foster our children's creativity we provide them with creative problem-solving skills that will prove to be invaluable as they mature and become adults.

Some children are just naturally creative. Right from the start they are able to solve simple problems in creative ways; that is, without depending upon someone else to solve them. Even the toddler with the battered dirty "blankie" has found a way to comfort himself through his own creative devices...surely no one encouraged him to drag that blanket around!

I believe that most children initially have great creative potential; their imaginations are fertile and they love to pretend to be someone or something else. My middle son dressed in costume on almost a daily basis. A cape was an integral part of his daily attire. At the age of four we began to see the artist in him. He began creating intricate drawings and books with covers. By the age of six he was building pop-up books (that worked!) and giving them away as gifts. As part of his homeschool curriculum, we provided him with professional quality art pencils and pastels, and by the age of eight he was selling (for money!) copies of his drawings, and later winning first place awards in art shows and fairs. One of his pieces won a high school sculpture competition and was bronzed (it's sitting on my desk!) Fast forward - he is now a full-time student at the Art Institute of Portland, on a full scholarship.

Each of my children has a similiar story, but not all of my children are artists. Creativity transcends life, no matter who you are or where your talents lie. For a wonderful book on nurturing creativity, take a look at Growing Up Creative, by Teresa M. Amanbile. I have this book in my homeschool library, and you will want to own a copy too.

If you enjoy this blog, please support us by clicking the Top Blog Button. Your "vote" will enable Homeschooling Helper to be a valuable resource to a wider audience and will allow you to check out and visit other Top Blogs!

Imagine That!

2005-05-16T21:17:00.000-06:00

The other day I remembered once again why I decided to homeschool my children. My daughter registered her five-year-old for kindergarten, and part of the process involved an evaluation to determine what group to place her in. (Already, categorizing and grouping children!) The teacher sat her down and asked her some questions about her home and her friends and such.

Then, this stranger, whom my grand-daughter had never met or seen before in her whole little life, asked her to make up a story -- on the spot. She thought a while, then told her about the cats in her yard (She has a lot of cats). The teacher then wrote in her records that this child has no imagination and will need work in this area.

WHAT?

When my daughter told me about this I gave her my best - are you SURE you want to send her to school? - look that she's seen before when we've touched upon the school-or-homeschool subject in the past.

My grand-daughter (pictured in my previous post, It's Time to Rhyme), is a child who pretends possibly 90% of her waking life. She wears her pretty princess dress and tiara or her mermaid costume almost on a daily basis, and is otherwise a "baby horse" or some other animal and must meow or bark or whinney to get what she wants. She plays by herself most of the time, but not really, because she carries on long conversations with her invisible playmates, dolls, toys, or whatever else her imagination conjures up that day.

But wait! According to a stranger's five-minute interview, this child has no imagination!

Story-Writing

Because children have such wonderful imaginations, (including my grand-daughter!) they always have stories to tell. Encourage your child to record his or her stories on paper. Of course, children of all ages should always have access to blank drawing paper for doodles and drawings. An inexpensive ream of white copy paper is perfect, except for really lofty projects requiring larger sheets.

By the age of four or five, you child is ready for "story paper" and lots of it! This paper is blank on the top for drawing, and lined at the bottom for writing. Story paper used to be cheap manilla paper that tore easily, but our children still used lots of it. Now story paper can be found in neat tablets of quality white paper--perfect for the timeless stories of childhood.

Once your child is able to draw recognizable pictures, she will want talk about them or tell stories about them. She can draw her illustrations in the white area, and at first, you can write the story below as she dictates it to you. Encourage her to continue until the story is three or four pages long. Very soon she will want to do the writing as well. Remember that the grammer and spelling are not an issue as yet. Just let her write.

It is then time to assemble her best work (with her permission, of course) into book form. Once she catches on, be prepared for lots of books! Let her create a title and design the cover. Feel free to get fancy; that is, bind the book in something beyond construction paper. Many of our children's books were bound with wrapping paper- or cloth-covered cardboard for permanence. One book was bound in felt-covered cardboard cut in the shape of a tree.

Let book-writing and "publishing" be an integral part of your homeschool curriculum. This is a valuable activity for all ages; even children in the high school grades. We have a library shelf filled with home-published books, and our children (even as adults) are still proud of the books they wrote and created themselves.

Now I know My ABC's...

2005-04-24T00:24:00.000-06:00

We all know that every child has his or her own learning readiness timetable, and that readiness to learn specific skills can vary greatly from child to child. Normal children, for example, attain sufficient gross motor skills to begin to walk as early as eight to nine months, and as late as a year and a half.

Recognizing that these normal variations exist, it difficult to understand why all school-age children are expected to learn specific academic skills at exactly the same time. This "canned curriculum" approach is one reason we decided to homeschool. Our children were "allowed" learn specific academic skills when they were ready to learn them, and often with very little “teaching” on my part.

With five children, I noticed huge differences in reading readiness. One of my children, did not walk until 17 months of age, yet was ready to learn to read at the age of five. (This same child taught himself to read music and play piano at age 11.) Another child was making sophisticated drawings and learning first grade math concepts at age four, but was not interested in learning to read until he was eight! He then whizzed through the letter sounds and the primer-level readers; and by the end of that year, he was reading at third grade level. He was ready!

Integral to learning to read is learning the letters of the alphabet, and then learning the sound or sounds of each letter. But don’t stop there! Every child's school curriculum should include phonics, that is, learning to read phonetically. A knowledge of phonics provides the child with the tools needed to decipher unfamiliar words. Most of us remember this as “sounding words out.” Once the child sounds out a word, he can then hear how it sounds and often he will then recognize the word. (More on phonics later.)

Almost all children are eager to learn the alphabet as preschoolers. Every child picks up the Alphabet Song regardless of whether you teach it to him or her (don’t ask how this happens, it’s just does). Once the child has some understanding that the alphabet is made up of letters that represent sounds and are used to form words, it’s time to start working on learning those letter sounds. Because vowels each have more than one sound, it’s best to begin with the consonants.

Time to make another book!

Alphabet Book

Give your child a blank sheet of white copy paper. Ask her to name a letter. (Steer her to a commonly used consonant such as B or H or S.) Provide plenty of old magazines (in fact, collect these, they make great resources), a glue stick, scissors, and colored pencils or markers.

Have her write the (capital) letter in the center of the paper, then decorate the letter to make it special. While she is working, talk to her about the sound that this letter makes. Have her name some things that begin with the sound. Now she can search through the magazines and find things that begin with the letter sound, cut them out, and glue them onto the page around the letter. Remember, she is looking for the correct sound, not the actual spelling. If the letter is J and she finds a giraffe, that’s great! Pictures of feelings work too; a smiling child is happy, perfect for the H page.

Do not expect your child to do a page for every letter of the alphabet! (That’s hard work; this is playful-fun learning.) Let her pick the letters (in any order) and let her decide when the book is done. Then, make a cover for the book, and have her write the title on the front: My Book About The Alphabet, or Letter Sounds I Know, or whatever she chooses. Have her write her name below the title, and be sure to date it.

She will probably look at her alphabet book again and again, “reading” it to herself while reinforcing those letter sounds. And someday, you will still have it to enjoy and remember back to the time when your avid reader was first learning about the alpahabet!

Make a Book

2005-04-11T19:19:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wanted to write a book? Dumb question. Of course you have! That's like asking, "have you ever wanted to draw a picture?" You may not have an interest in doing either of those things now, but all children enjoy drawing and LOVE to put their work into book form when presented with the idea. Why? Because books are real. They're permanent. They mean, "your work is important, and this is where it will be saved forever."

My children made oodles of books as homeschoolers, from the ages of four or five years old. It didn't matter how "talented" they were or how well they could write or draw at that young age. We just took what we had, tried real hard, and made something a little more special than the daily drawings and scribbles of young children. THAT, I believe, is the best thing about making books. For a young child, this is a first real "project." This is something that requires thought, real effort, and follow-through.

I have so many ideas for books, I will start here with a very easy one for young children. It may seem overly simple, but for a five-year-old, it can be quite a lofty project.

My Favorite Things

First, ask your child to think about some of his or her very favorite things. To make the book, you will need lots of old magazines, retail store ads (in color), and family photos that can be cut up and glued (we always ordered a second set for such projects; now you can print out your own digital pics). You'll also need glue sticks, blank white copy paper, scissors, and colored felt tip markers.

Now, help your child to write one of the "favorite things" on the first page. Start with simple concepts such as "FOOD" or "TOYS." For non-writers, you can either write the word(s) on a seperate sheet for your child to carefully copy, or you can actually create a dot-to-dot of the letters in the word for him or her to trace. (I did this for a four-year-old who was creating a book about whales.) Your child's task will now be to find pictures of some of his favorite foods, cut them out, and glue them to the "FOOD" page. Once he gets the idea, topics like "TOYS" or "ANIMALS" may not be specific enough. He may want "ACTION FIGURES" or "DOGS." Be sure to provide appropriate magazines and ads that will picture his "favorite things."

Don't expect your child to finish this project in a day. More realistic is one page a day. Once the novelty is worn off and he's DONE, it's time for his work to be "published." Simply make a cover with two pieces of construction paper (his favorite color, of course), letting him glue his photo to the front cover. Help him write "(child's name)'s Favorite Things" above his photo. Bind the book by punching two holes along the side, then fasten with brads or tie the book together with yarn.
This is one page from my youngest child's first favorites book (created at age five). Her favorite things were: FOOD (two pages), BARBIE (of course), ANIMALS (including a photo of our dog), DOLLS (baby), STUFFED ANIMALS, CARTOON CHARACTORS, CLOTHES, VIDEOS (Toy Story, etc.), and PLAYING OUTSIDE (photos of her on the swing and the monkey bars).

Now, at age thirteen, some of her "favorite things" may have changed, but then again, maybe not!

Better Than Scrabble?

2005-03-31T19:55:00.000-07:00

My adult children all agree that one of the best things they remember about homeschooling was playing games together. We played games to learn geography (such as capital cities of the world), Black American History, zoology (names, habitat, and interesting animal facts), money management, improving reading skills, and who-knows-what-else.

Many of the games we played were not store-bought board games. (And those that were, we often played in "new and improved ways," as you shall soon see.) Most of our games were of our own making, either borne of a need to work on skills in a particular area, or to try an idea found in a book or other resource. Sometimes the children invented the game as a project to demonstrate skills or knowledge in a given area; complete with game board, playing pieces, draw-pile cards, and rules. We all then played the game, tweaked it, and added it to the family game chest.

When my two older boys arrived from Portland this past week for a visit, they couldn't wait to clear off the table to play one of our all-time favorite family games, which, along with a couple of the neighbor kids, they made up about ten years ago. It's called (quite fittingly) "The GAME." It is also referred to as "Take Two," which is the name we shall use here.

Take Two

This is a word building game. Any number of players can play, but all must have reading skills of at least 3rd to 4th grade level to play successfully. You will also need two or more Scrabble games and a very large table. (One Scrabble game will do if players are emerging readers and no more than three are playing.)

To play The GAME--I mean Take Two--you will first remove all of the tiles from the Scrabble games and mix them together in the center of the table. Don't worry about the game boards or the little wooden tile holders--just set them aside; you won't be using them for this game. In fact, (just a helpful hint) if you enjoy playing Scrabble, it's best to keep one intact Scrabble game separate for that purpose. The tiles you just dumped and mixed together on the table are now Take Two tiles and will likely stay that way!

Turn all the tiles upside down and mix them again. Everyone should be sitting evenly around the table with plenty of "working space" in front of them. Each player selects ten random tiles from the tile pool, without flipping them over, and slides them to their workspace. On "Go!" everyone flips their tiles over to expose the letters, and commences to create interconnected words using their given letters. As each player continues to create and connect words, each individual "crossword puzzle" will begin to take shape. As soon as a player is able to utilize all of his letters into his expanding puzzle, he shouts "Take two!" and everyone (the player included) must pull two more tiles from the pool and somehow integrate these new letters into his or her puzzle. A player's goal is to complete his or her puzzle with no leftover letter tiles before the tile pool is gone, or, in other words, to be the player to call the last "Take two!"

Depending upon the number of players and the number of tiles used, a player's puzzle can become quite gangly. Sometimes a player will need to slide his puzzle from the edge of the table or curve his letters away from the edge. Whatever. A player may also become very dissatisfied with how his puzzle is going and decide to start over. This is called "sneezing." The player "sneezes," and scatters his pieces at the same time. New puzzle. I have seen players start a new puzzle halfway through the game and still win!

When "Take two!" is called and there are not enough tiles left in the pool to go around, the game is over. Players must stop building words immediately and count up their scores. The scores are figured by adding of the Scrabble values of each of their leftover letters. (You can see that it's important to somehow use X's, Q's, and Z's in one's puzzle no matter what!) The player with the lowest score after one or more rounds (you decide how many rounds are played) wins the game.

Hints:
This is a great game for perfecting spelling skills. Obviously, some of us are better spellers than others. You can determine as a group how much importance you place on correct spelling. Children sometimes spell grammatically, but not always correctly. The fun is in building the puzzle and doing it quickly, so for emerging readers we usually point out a misspelling but assess no penalty.

However, for established readers and especially for adults, correct spelling is a MUST. If a puzzle is found to be laden with misspellings, the group must handle it however it sees fit. You can insist the the player remove the misspelled word and all other words attached to it from the main body of the puzzle, and count up! OR, you can examine a "questionable" puzzle and attempt to decipher certain "suspicious" words. A typical after-game discussion at our house might go like this:

"Hmmm...what is this word?"
"What word?"
"This one...GRUP."
"Where?"
"Right here...G-R-U-P."
"Oh. That's supposed to be group."
"Right..."
"Uh, no wait! That's grub!"
"With a P?"
"Oh man, how did that happen?"

By now everyone is scrutinizing the puzzle and giggling, including the speller who is getting clowned.

It helps to keep a dictionary nearby, not only to check on spelling but also because throughout the game players will ask if such-and-such is a word, and there is no better way to make sure than to look it up.

Abbreviations and proper nouns (anything that starts with a cap) are not allowed. No backwards spelling. All words must connect in some way to another word. If, at the end of a game, a player's puzzles don't connect, the player must select his "main" puzzle, and the tiles in all other puzzles are counted against him (you may want to relax this rule a bit for younger players and allow more than one puzzle per person.)

More Hints:
Use S at the end of nouns to make plurals. Use extra F's and N's to create of, if, on, an, or in using available vowels. Use high point value letters such as Z and Q as soon as possible. Build long words, adding to words to make them longer any time that you can. Remember, it's easier to connect new words to long words than to short words.

As you may have already guessed, this is a great game for adults. Our Take Two game consists of three Scrabble games worth of tiles, which allows us to build large elaborate puzzles and play long into the night.

Players agree that the best thing about this game is that there is no sitting around waiting for someone else to take their turn. Take Two is fast-paced, engaging, and fun as everyone busily concentrates on building his or her own puzzle.

Try inventing your own family games! I'll be sharing more of ours soon...

Learning New Words - The Fun Way!

2005-03-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here's another idea to help build your child's volcabulary. It's called Go-Togethers.

Think of a category, such as summer, and then list all of the summer words you can think of. Take turns adding to the list, and the first one who runs out of words loses the game. Take turns making up categories; just about anything will do:

camping words--campfire, tent, marshmallows, hike, sleeping bag...
grocery store words--friuts, vegetables, shopping cart, cashier, money...
pretty words--flowers, colors, sunsets, clouds, rainbows...
sad words--cry, sob, mope, unhappy, tears...

Catgories, as you can see, may be types of objects, feelings, or any other classifications. For some, you may think of only two or three words; for others, a long list of words. Short phrases are okay for some word categories, such as I love you for happy words. Don't be afraid to include some unfamiliar words along the way, such as canine or veterinarian for pet words. Now, how many stinky smell words can you come up with? Skunk, sour milk, burnt food...

It's Time to Rhyme

2005-03-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

Help your child build a strong vocabulary

Playing rhyming games will help your child learn new words by developing her sensitivity to sounds.

Finish the Rhyme

Make up a rhyme, but leave out the final rhyming word. Your child then fills in any rhyming word that makes sense:

A big black bug
Hid under the _____
(Rug, jug, or mug?)

You can make these up, and it's fun too! Here are some more to get you started:

The old grey cat
Lies on a _____

He flies with his wings
And then the bird _____

We drive in the car,
Sometimes near, sometimes _____

I do like to rhyme
I can do it any_____

Rhyming Chain

You can play this one with two or three players. Start with a one-syllable word. The next player thinks of a rhyming word, and each consecutive player names one more until a player runs out of words. Then the chain is broken, and a new one can be started. Be sure to listen to responses and point out words that don't really work or are nonsense words:

Hog
Fog
Dog
Log
Jog
Rock
Wait a minute. Listen again. Which word doesn't fit? Hog, fog, dog, log, jog, rock.
Oh, I meant rog!
Well, that does rhyme, but it's not a real word.
Hmmm...

(The chain is broken, time to start a new one!)

Like
Bike
Spike, etc., etc.

Playful Learning

2005-03-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

Children begin their homeschooling experience at many different ages and grade levels, depending up their circumstances. If you are beginning at the beginning, so to speak, your child is may be six years old and would be entering the first grade.

Wait a minute! What about kindergarten?

In my experience, kindergarten age children (like preschoolers) have one basic learning task: to PLAY. With a positive environment and ample opportunities for exploration, make-believe, social contacts, and creative expression, four- and five-year-old children experience tremendous mental growth as they learn about themselves, their families, and the world around them. Learning at this age should always be playful and fun. Most children are just fine left alone to play, but they will also want to help around the house, play interactive games, and be read to.

For a "beginner's guide" to homeschooling young children, click here. You'll find an overview of playful ideas for teaching your six-year-old child science, arithmetic, reading, art, and more.

Today's Tip: Play See It - Name It.

Before a child learns to read effectively, he or she must acquire a strong vocabulary. For many children, this comes naturally, but for others it can be a struggle. This vocabulary skill-building game will make learning new words fun.

You and your child are sitting in the living room. You say, "lamp."
Your child looks around the room.
"Piano."
"Television," you say.
"Drapes."
"Bookshelf."
"Desk."
"Encyclopedia."
"What does encyclopedia mean?
"Encyclopedia is a word that means a very big book or a set of books that you can read to learn about any subject that you're interested in."

Continue to name everything you see, encouraging your child to ask about the meaning of words that she doesn't know. You will begin with easy-to-spot words, but you can challenge your child with less obvious items that she may not be familiar with. Your child will get the idea and search for more challenging words as well. In the meanwhile, she will learn more words and develop stronger visual awareness.

Play this game any of three different ways:

1-List as many words as you can together within five minutes.
2-Work together to reach a pre-detemined number of kitchen words, or maybe 40 bedroom words.
3-Make a list as long as you can with no time limits. The game is over when someone can't think of another word. Hints are okay, however. When your child can't think of anything else, ask, "What is that black thing on the desk?"
"That's a stapler!"
"Great! That's 55 words."

Real Help for Homeschooling Parents!

2005-03-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

If you are homeschooling your kids and always in search of hands-on curriculum ideas, Homeschooling Helper is for you.

Whether you are new to homeschooling or an old pro, you will find useful new ideas, great projects, and fun learning activities that are just right for homeschoolers. Use them just as they are presented, or as starting points for your own original curriculum ideas. (Be sure to share these with the rest of us! How? Read on!)

What you won't find here are philosophical "why everyone should homeschool" essays or political news regarding homeschooling policy. You've already decided to school at home; this site will give you the hand-on ideas you need to do it.

Having homeschooled my children for 15 years, I have oodles of terrific, tried-and-true tips that you can use right away. Think of this as a forum for homeschooling tricks-of-the-trade; and best of all, it's FR*E! Posts will be added regularly, so check back often. Readers are welcome (and encouraged) to post and share their own successful learning ideas with the rest of the homeschooling community. Just click "Comments" beneath any post, and start typing!

Welcome to Homeschooling Helper!

2005-03-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

Typical homeschooled kids (mine)