Savvy Use of Videos in Your Homeschool

Photo by Marco Arment

Using videos in your homeschool can enhance your children’s learning about a given topic. If you are savvy about how you use those videos, your children will gain a better understanding of the topic at hand. Here are a few tips to help you out.

~Preview the video.

It is always best to know what to expect from a particular video in case there are concepts that need to be explained or there are parts that you want to skip.

Decide what clips are worth showing to your children.

Take notes on what you want to highlight for the children.

~Before watching the video with the children, have a discussion about what they will be watching and what your expectations are.

Have the children take notes while watching the video. Focus their note-taking with a question or a specific topic.

~Watch the video with the children.

Show one clip of the video at a time.

Assist the children with note-taking.

Be willing to stop the video if the children are confused or need more direction.

~After viewing the clip, have a discussion.

Have the children use their notes during the discussion.

Discuss the children’s ideas and questions and clarify any misunderstandings.

Make any points about the clip that you deem important.

Hopefully these tips will help you and your children use media to your advantage in your homeschool.

Homeschool Activities in the Snow

Photo by Muffet

Here are a few more homeschool activities that you can do with your kids in the snow.

Photo by Russ Beinder

~Take your children snowshoeing. It is a lot of fun to hike in the winter with snowshoes! Take the opportunity to see how the woods have changed since the fall.

~Create a map in the snow in your yard. Use water tinted with food coloring in spray bottles to draw the outlines of the continents, for example. Or use cookie cutters in the shape of the United States
as stamps. Put a a paper towel on a cookie sheet and add a little watered down paint on it. Dip the cookie cutter into the paint and stamp the snow with it.

Photo by Mcclaire2

~Go cross country skiing. Skiing in itself is fun, but you can add another dimension to the experience by teaching a geometry lesson. Learn about rays & lines. Explore perpendicular, parallel, and intersecting lines.

~Do some experimenting with the snow. For example, melt some snow and test the pH of the water with a pH testing strip. Or melt the snow and refreeze it to observe the structure changes.

~You can also find some great snow learning activities at The Parenting Exchange.

Homeschool Learning in the Snow

Photo by *clarity*

Instead of letting the snow distract you and your children from school work, try these ideas for using the snow to your advantage in your homeschool. This is the first in a series of posts about learning opportunities in the snow.

~Practice handwriting.

-Use a stick to write the letters and numbers in the snow.
-Try using a paint brush and water tinted with food coloring to practice writing letters and numbers.
-Use your feet to make BIG letters and numbers in the snow. Color the letters with tinted water in a spray bottle.
-Pack snow into a container and “build” a letter out of snow (similar to building a sand castle).

~Learn geometry.

-Draw shapes in the snow with a stick, or use your body to make shapes in the snow. Organize the shapes by number of sides.
-Pack the snow into different shaped containers and flip them over to reveal a cube, a cone, or a sphere.
-Investigate the best way to draw a circle in the snow.
-Make a circle in the snow and measure the radius and the diameter.
-Use bowls, cookie cutters, cups, or other containers to press shapes into the snow to make tessellations.

Have fun learning in the snow!

Snow Angels Homeschool Activity

Let it snow! We have a ton of snow and it is right before Christmas. We just had to play in it today. A2 discovered that snow is cold, and she was not happy about that! Even though A2 complained about being cold, I did convince her that there are a few fun things that you can do in the snow.

I showed the kids how to make snow angels! They had a really great time doing it, and Daddy had fun taking pictures of our masterpieces. I decided to tie our snow adventure into our Advent activities by having the kids make a heavenly host of snow angels! They worked hard to make snow angels all around the yard.

This activity is a fun way to engage a kinesthetic learner in a vocabulary lesson. Unlike the fine motor activity in my previous post about a heavenly host of angels, this activity focuses on gross motor skills. A2 responds better to fine motor work while C4 has more refined gross motor skills. By giving the children both experiences, I was able to add depth to thier understanding of the concept.

We might take this idea to another level and try to paint our snow angels next time. We might even try to make birdseed snow angels. It would be fun to see which birds and other animals eat the seeds!

We’re Going to Bethlehem

Photo by hyperscholar

In our homeschool we packed up our donkey and took a trip to Bethlehem to register. You guessed it! We read about Mary and Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem. This is a fun activity for a preschooler who is a kinesthetic learner.

Supplies

Your favorite Christmas book
Period “Costumes”
“Props”
Your imagination

Bible Verses

Luke 2:1-5Luke 2:1-5
English: World English Bible - WEB
2 ¹ Now it happened in those days, that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. ² This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city. ⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; ⁵ to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.

Activity

~Read a simple Christmas story. Pay particular attention to mention of the trip to Bethlehem.

~Explain that Mary and Joseph had to take a trip to Bethlehem. Explain that the king, Caesar Augustus, was counting all of the people who he was ruler of. People had to go back to their home towns to be counted, and Joseph was from Bethlehem.
~Discuss the preparations people take before going on a long trip. Have your children name things that they have brought on a trip in the past. Reminisce about what it was like to go a long distance on a car trip. What did it feel like? How did you feel while you were driving there?
~Compare your experiences to what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph. They didn’t have a car. They had a donkey to help them carry things and for Mary to ride on. How would they pack for their trip? What would they feel like after walking and riding a donkey for a long time? What is the weather like in the desert?
~Act out going to Bethlehem. Pack up your things and start your walk. Talk about what kinds of things may have happened on the trip – thirsty, tired, hungry, hot, etc.

What is a Manger?

Photo by Todd Huffman

Have you ever really thought about Jesus’ humble beginnings? Open your children’s eyes to the fact that Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger, the food trough for the animals. This Advent season use this creative arts homeschool lesson to help your children learn about where Jesus was born. It is a perfect lesson for a kinesthetic learner!

Supplies

Lyrics to “Away in a Manger”Users
YouTube Video
Old Box
Shredded Paper
Doll
Rags to wrap doll in

Objectives

~To understand that Jesus was born in the most humble of circumstances, in a stable and laid in a manger instead of a crib.

Bible Verses

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7Luke 2:6-7
English: World English Bible - WEB
6 It happened, while they were there, that the day had come that she should give birth. ⁷ She brought forth her firstborn son, and she wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.

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Kids’ Activity

~Sing “Away in a Manger”.
~Discuss how Jesus was born in the stable next to an inn. Explain that a manger holds the animals’ food. It is filled with hay.
~Watch this video of “Away in a Manger” and learn the signs.

Family Activity

~Make a manger prop and put a baby Jesus in it. Use an old box for the manger and make some hay with shredded paper.
~Have the children perform “Away in a Manger” using the signs and the manger prop.

“Deck the Tree” with Applesauce Ornaments This Advent

We had some homeschool friends over to do our Advent activity today, making cinnamon applesauce ornaments. They smell so good! The best part of this project is that all of the ingredients are non-toxic, so this is perfect for young children. However, if your children are very young, I recommend having another adult with you to supervise since my friend and I found this activity difficult to do alone. I also advise you to let the children play with the dough before you cut out the ornaments. I set up all of my supplies ahead of time, too. This project is well worth the planning and time that it takes to do, though.

Supplies

Lyrics to “Deck the Halls”
“Tree Ornament – Spicy Apple Sauce” recipe from Craft Bits (Note: I added 1/4 cup more applesauce than this recipe calls for. The dough was too dry otherwise.)
Bible
Your Favorite Christmas Storybook (I used The Story of Christmas by Patricia A. Pingry.)

Objectives

~To understand that our Lord is beautiful.
~To make the connection that since God is creative and beautiful, we are and people enjoy being surrounded by beauty.

I wrote the following on the index card inside the Advent calendar.

Bible Verse

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4Psalm 27:4
English: World English Bible - WEB
4 One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after, That I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, To see Yahweh’s beauty, And to inquire in his temple.

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Kids’ Activity

~Sing “Deck the Halls”
~Read your Christmas storybook.
~Read the Bible verse. Explain that this verse tells us that the Lord is beautiful. Since He is beautiful and Christmas is all about Jesus’ birth, we are making our Christmas tree beautiful.
~Make the cinnamon ornaments.

Family Activity

~Decorate your Christmas tree.

“Follow that Star” Advent Activity

Photo by DanieVDM

We completed another successful homeschool Advent activity today. I think that you and your preschool age children will enjoy this one. Please post a comment if you have ideas for older children.

Supplies

Lyrics to “We Three Kings of Orient Are” (We only sang the first verse and the chorus.)
Star craft printable
Black construction paper
Glue sticks
Scissors
Bible

Objectives

~To understand who the Magi were.
~To understand that the Magi followed a star to find baby Jesus.

The following was written on the index card in our Advent calendar.

Bible Verses

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2Matthew 2:1-2
English: World English Bible - WEB
2 ¹ Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men The word for “wise men” can also mean teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, or sorcerers. from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ² “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.”

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Kids’ Activity

~Sing “We Three Kings of Orient Are”.
~Read the Bible verses. Talk about how the magi were wise men who studied the stars, and they noticed a special star in the sky when Jesus was born. They followed that star to find baby Jesus.
~Make the star craft. Glue the star onto the black construction paper.

Family Activity

~Do some star gazing. If you have one, use a telescope. Talk about constellations.

Homeschooling Method: Thomas Jefferson Education

There are lots of homeschooling methods out there. In pursuit of great home education ideas I found this report on CBS about homeschooling in general and specifically the Thomas Jefferson Education (aka Leadership Education or TJed)

Watch CBS Videos Online

You can also read more about TJed at HS Unlimited.

I am interested in learning more about this method from first hand experiences. Have you used it? What is your opinion about it?

Rehearsal Learning

Photo by Alan Light

Rehearsal.

I’m not talking about the kind of rehearsal you have before a play, but if that’s what comes to your mind,  you are on the right track. I mean that some kids need to practice before they are expected to “perform”. For example, my little one whispers words that she is practicing before she says them for everyone to hear. There are many ways to use rehearsal in your home school.

• Very shy children, children who do not react well to the unexpected, and autistic children benefit from practicing social scenarios. They learn what to expect and what to say. Rehearsal allows the children to make mistakes and get coached in social skills.
• Children who struggle with writing, either the act of writing or with the process of writing, benefit from rehearsing their ideas before they write them down. Simply removing the frustration of actually writing can be a huge relief to kids who struggle to write. You might notice more insightful written thoughts and better organized writing.
• Children learning a foreign language can rehearse useful and typical conversations before you assess them on their conversational skills. This gives them the opportunity to think about vocabulary and verb tenses ahead of time. They can correct grammatical errors on the spot without the risk of failure. This also works for written work.
• Rehearsing by taking a practice test can also alleviate test anxiety. Through rehearsal children know what to study for and what to expect on the test. Often they perform better on the test.
• Young children can learn basic safety skills by rehearsing. Recently my daughter and I rehearsed an emergency scenario. I pretended to be unconscious and a friend talked her through making a 9-1-1 call. It was both enlightening to me and helpful for her. She’s now more equipped for emergency situations.

Rehearsal is a unique and helpful learning tool. Try it out in your home school.