Spring is a great time to homeschool at the beach. It isn’t too hot and there aren’t many folks around. The sound of the ocean and the texture of the sand are soothing. Recently I took C5, A2, and P4 (my nephew) to the beach, and we had a great experience. Here are a few things that we did that you might want to try out.

~Go for a walk along the beach. It is really great exercise. Read more about the benefits of walking on the beach at Discover Walking.

~Skip rocks on the water. You can find out how to skip rocks at wikiHow. If you want to know why stones skip on the water, you’ll find information about the physics behind it at The Library of Congress.

~Collect rocks and shells. In addition to what I have included here, you can find more information about geology and art with rocks at Suite 101.

-Categorize the rocks and shells by size, by color, by shape, etc.

-Examine the rocks to find different geometric shapes. We found rectangles and trapezoids.

-Use the rocks that you collected to build with. The kids built a really great tower together.

-We used those shells and rocks to “write” the kids’ initials.

~Build sand castles. You can research the physics behind why sand castles sand at BNET. This post also includes an experiment for you to try.

Have fun and make memories at the beach with your kids!

Photo courtesy of MyAngelG

~Create a scavenger hunt. On each sticky note write a clue about where the next sticky note is. Or you could include math problems, trivia questions, or riddles on the sticky notes. Place the notes all over the house. This is a great activity for rainy or snowy days or times when it feel like you need to change things up a bit.

~Practice descriptive writing with famous paintings. Have your children write descriptive sentences about the artwork on individual sticky notes. Post the notes around the painting. Then the notes can be moved around in order to plan a paragraph or a story about the painting. (Photo courtesy of tomsaint11)

~Practice rhythm. Write sixteenth notes, eighth notes, quarter notes, and rests on individual sticky notes, and place them in any order on a wall. Use percussion instruments such as drums, claves, or a xylophone and play the rhythm posted. Mix the notes up and play the new rhythm. (Photo courtesy of calm a llama down)

~Have your child label scientific drawings using flag post-it notes. For example, create a poster with a drawing of a flower on it. Have your children use the flags to label the parts of a flower. The same poster can be used later as a test of that knowledge.

Have fun!

~Create a Periodic Table using a different color sticky note for each column on the table. Have your child write the symbols for each of the elements on individual sticky notes. You can even expect your child to write the atomic mass of the element on the sticky. Then each of the sticky notes needs to be placed on the wall in order to construct the table. Another time you can scramble up those sticky notes and have your child reconstruct the table based on the color coding and atomic mass of each element. Ask questions and discuss the similarities of the elements in the same columns. “Are they liquids or gases?” “Are they colorless?” Are they reactive or non reactive?”

~Have your child use sticky notes to show the life cycles of different animals. Have your child draw a picture of each stage in the cycle and label it on individual stickies. You can then post different life cycles on the same wall in order to compare them and make conclusions.

~Be a weather tracker! Laminate a map of the US and post it. Use different color flag stickies for the various kinds of weather and write that information on a key on the map. Each day have your child record the weather forecast by placing the correct color flag in the different regions of the country (Midwest, North East, etc.). Your child can even be the meteorologist and give the weather report to you each day. As you collect data, make observations about weather patterns that occur and discuss.

There are many other ways that you can use sticky notes to learn science, too. I hope this gets you started!

Photo courtesy of General Wesc

Sticky notes can be used for learning and practicing math skills. Here are a few ways you can motivate your children to master math concepts in your homeschool.

~Make a graph with your sticky notes. Collect data on your notes and then organize them into a graph. For example, you can take a nature walk and count the petals on a particular type of flower. For each flower that you observe, record the number of petals on a sticky note. Then create your graph at home with the sticky notes.

~Young children can learn how to put numbers in the correct order with sticky notes. Write the numerals 0-9 on individual sticky notes and post them around the house. Have your children go on a hunt for all of the sticky notes and put them on a wall in the correct order. You can do the same thing with other sets of numbers such as 100-120.

~Children can also learn how to translate numbers from words to numerals. Write the numbers 0-9 on individual sticky notes, and make a couple of sets of these. On another set of notes write different numbers in words such as one hundred twenty three. Post the words on the wall. Then have your children create the numbers with their numeral cards. You can post the words in different locations in the house, too, in order to help your kinesthetic learner stay engaged.

~Create an addition matrix with sticky notes. On individual sticky notes write the numbers from 0-9 and make two sets. Place those notes in order horizontally across the top of the matrix and vertically down the left side of the matrix. Have your child add and fill in the matrix with the sums on individual sticky notes. You can do the same thing with a multiplication matrix.

I hope these ideas inspire you to try using sticky notes in new and different ways.

Photo courtesy of James Cridland

My kids love sticky notes. Do yours? This is the first post in a series on how to motivate children to learn using sticky notes.

Encourage Literacy Skills

~Emergent readers can use sticky notes to label items in a room. For example, you would write “table” on a sticky and your child would place it on a table. Then your child can “read the room” using a pointer and reading each of the words. You have the freedom to take the stickies off the items in the room and play games with them. Put them in alphabetical order. Find words that rhyme. Find words that fit into particular categories such as furniture or toys.

~Help your beginning reader to practice reading words and constructing sentences. Either have your child dictate a sentence to you or choose a sentence out of a book you have read together. Write one word on each sticky note and scramble the sentence. Post the notes on a wall. Have your child reconstruct the sentence.

~Practice spelling with sticky notes. Choose a “secret” word. Write each of the letters on individual sticky notes. Have your child make as many words as possible with those letters. Record each of the words spelled on new sticky notes. At the end have your child try to find the “secret” word. Use the words made to highlight spelling patterns such as “ae”, “ing”, or “ch”.

~Sticky notes can help you add a kinesthetic component to brainstorming before writing by creating a web on a wall. Have your child write one idea on each sticky note and post it on the web. Or practice writing paragraphs by having your child write one sentence on a sticky note at a time. S/he can move the sticky notes around in order to create a cohesive paragraph.

~Teach vocabulary with sticky notes. Write synonyms on separate sticky notes and post the vocabulary words around the house. Have your child collect the words and match the synonyms on a wall in your school room. Or create a vocabulary obstical course by posting words around the house. Have your child read the word and act out the meaning of the word.

Have fun using sticky notes to encourage literacy skills!

Photo courtesy of Viernest

In the past I have written about the benefits of using puppets in your homeschool to encourage literacy. Here are a few other ideas for how you can use puppets to motivate your children and encourage learning in your homeschool.

~A puppet can help your younger child to develop language skills. Young children love puppets and are often willing to open up to them. Take advantage of this and have your child and tell the puppet stories. Ask your child probing questions to encourage more developed ideas.

~Your child can teach a puppet something you’ve recently learned about. For example, have your child explain a process in math or science to the puppet. The puppet can ask questions in order to encourage your child to add details to the explanation. This is a great way to assess your child’s understanding.

~If you are studying a particular historical time period, have your child make puppets that reflect the dress of the time. Then have your child create and perform a puppet show that includes historically accurate details. Music and art can be woven into the the performance as appropriate. Or your child could make puppets of a certain historical figure and have that puppet engage with the audience in character.

Try using puppets in your homeschool.

Photos courtesy of Wendy Piersall (@eMom)

~While reciting the facts, do a hand clapping game. Girls especially love these kinds of games.

~Play card games:

• Cribbage is a great one to play with children who are slightly older. You have to make sums of 21 & 15. You also have to multiply when you get the same score multiple times. You can find the rules of the game here.
• Black Jack is another game helpful in teaching addition facts. (I had a teacher who called it “21″ instead.). While playing the game, you have to find sums up to 21 quickly.

~Make flashcards, one set with the product/sum and one with the equation.

• Play “Go Fish” by matching the equation to the product/sum.
• Play “Concentration” by matching the equation to the product/sum.

~Play Soduku. You can play online here.

~Learn the doubles - 2+2, 3+3, 4+4, etc. Also focus on the the trickier facts – 5+6, 5+7, 5+8, 5+9, 6+7, 7+8, 7+9, & 8+9. You can make up songs to help remember them.

Photo courtesy of peiqianlong

March 2 is Dr. Seuss’s birthday, and it is the day that children and educators celebrate Read Across America Day. You can celebrate this special day in your homeschool. This is the first post in a series on planning appropriate Read Across America activities for your children.

On March 2 have a “Cat in the Hat” party.

~Invite friends to your party. Create your own invitations with red and white striped paper. Or send a free Read Across America e-card.

~Have each of your guests make a hat just like the Cat’s using red and white construction paper and a paper plate for the brim. You can also find directions to make a hat, as well as other ideas to use with The Cat in the Hat, at Hubbard’s Cupboard. Everyone has to wear the hat during the party!

~Read The Cat in the Hat. Try using Reader’s Theater by having the kids read the lines for each of the characters. You could also have the kids retell the story with puppets.

~Play “Concentration” as a rhyming game. Make a deck of cards with rhyming pairs from The Cat in the Hat book. Play with the cards by matching words that rhyme.

~Write a poem together. Brainstorm a list of rhyming words with the children. Write the words on index cards. Work together to create a poem with the words. You can move the cards around as you construct your poem.

~Play “Pin-the-Hat-on-the-Cat”. Create your own Cat poster by drawing a cat on a overhead slide. Project the picture on large poster paper. Move the projector closer or further away from the poster until the picture is the size that you want it. Then trace the image onto the poster. Create several red and white striped hats for the children to pin on the poster.

Start planning a fun day for your homeschool!

Photo courtesy of drewfer

Photo by pingu1963

Has your child just started to read in your homeschool? Here are a few tips for the beginning reader.

~Have your child practice rereading that first book as much as possible. Start an autograph book for anyone who listens to your child read. Doing this builds excitement for reading since everyone will affirm your child’s efforts.

~Record yourself reading the book, and have your child follow along with that recording pointing to the words. This adds more opportunities to practice independently.

~Remind your child to point to each word while reading. This helps beginning readers to read the words instead of saying the words from memory.

~Create flashcards with the words in the book. Make doubles so you can play “concentration” and “go fish”. This allows your child to practice reading these words in a playful way.

~Cue your child to use different strategies if s/he gets stuck. For example, use the picture clues to figure out tricky words. This allows your child to word solve independently and builds confidence.

~Remind your child to look at all of the letters in the word. Sometimes beginning readers guess the word based on the first letter or two.

~Have fun with your child and be positive!

Provide many opportunities for your child to be successful with reading because that will help your child to learn to love reading in the end.

Plan a trip to your local children’s museum.

BEFORE YOUR TRIP

~Research together the exhibits in the museum including those exhibits that are there for only a short time. Plan out your schedule to include the exhibits you would like to spend the most time visiting.

~Decide how much money you will need to cover all of the expenses and create a budget. Don’t forget to include the cost of food and parking.

~Have your children use maps to locate the museum and determine the best route to take to get there.

~Read various books related to one of the exhibits.

DURING YOUR TRIP

~While visiting the different exhibits, ask your children probing questions. Encourage them to make hypotheses and deductions. Show them how certain things work.

~Bring your science journals along. Have your children spend some time at the museum writing about a science related exhibit.

~Take photos of the activities your children enjoyed the most. Use those photos to write a story. You can even make a book about your trip.

AFTER YOUR TRIP

~Write letters to the museum staff about your experience. Include postive experiences as well as anything you feel needs to be changed.

~Make note of topics that your children found interesting at the museum. Continue to study that topic in the coming weeks.

~Create your own brochure for the museum. Include directions, parking information, dining options, the cost of admission, and information about the exhibits. Use thumbnail size photos from the visit in the brouchure.