My Homeschooled Kids are Weird

Newsflash! Yes, it is true that homeschooled kids are weird. At least my kids are.

We have all been sick for a couple of weeks, so life has been a bit slower than usual. Now that the kidlets are feeling better, they have been begging me for school work! Do kids in regular classrooms do that?

This morning C5 demanded that she read a book to me before my morning coffee. She was not going to wait to read it to me either. In my blurry-eyed state I listened and coached her as she read. Even though I thought that the book was not the right match for her, she insisted on finishing the book. Alas, we got through it. I must say her persistence will get her far in life!

The begging continues throughout the day, too, but sometimes it just isn’t feasible to give them work. For example, they desperately wanted some work during that awful time of day right before dinner. I had to give in to the pleading tonight, though. They just wouldn’t back down despite the fact that we were running late on dinner, and they were starving. Amidst all the rushing around the kitchen while Daddy prepared dinner and I cleaned up, the kids worked on a puzzle together at the kitchen table. (It was the best thing I had on such short notice that didn’t required much supervision.) It was a sight to see. C5 was giving A2 a lesson on the letter names and sounds. She was instructing her little sister in the shapes of the letters, too. I heard a lot of, “Good job!” while they were working together. It was so cute!

I just shake my head in these moments. Thank you, God. My children love learning. My children are weird.

Photo courtesy of milena mihaylova

End of Year Assessment: A Quick Portfolio

It is that time of year when you need to evaluate your child’s progress in your homeschool. Here are a few tips for showcasing your child’s learning.

Create a portfolio of literacy and math skills. There are many ways to keep a portfolio, but here is one quick and simple way of creating one. Include the following items in your portfolio:

1. Information about your child’s literacy. You can find a comprehensive collection of printable assessment forms for all kinds of literacy assessment at Reading A-Z. Here are other ideas to help.

*A reading comprehension assessment is important for you to include because it tells you about your child’s readling level, comprehension skills, and what kinds of books to choose in the future. Story retellings are a great way of assessing your child’s reading comprehension. You can find an example of a retelling rubric (a scale that gives a score) here. You can also estimate your child’s reading level at ReadWriteSite: Level Estimator.

*Spelling tests can give a snapshot of your child’s knowledge of spelling patterns. The LA County Office of Education has directions for how to use spelling inventories to better understand specifically your child’s knowledge of words. All About Spelling offers spelling lists for grades 1-7 as well as the Dolch Sight Words list and the Ayers Spelling Scale. Education Place has a number of spelling lists for 1st-6th grades.

*A book list of all the literature your child has read and a book list including all the literature you have read aloud to your child gives a snapshot of your child as a reader. It will also help you choose books wisely in the future.

*Writing samples can showcase your child’s writing skills. Include a description of the assignment with each sample. Carefully choose samples that show what your child has learned. Choose a few different genres of writing, too: a report, a short story, a poem, etc.

2.Information about your child’s math competency.

*An end of year math test is a great way to show what math skills your child has retained this year. You can use the assessments that come with your curriculum if you wish. Otherwise, I have found two websites that have math assessments: Open-Ended Assessment in Math and Free Math Test.

*Work samples are also important to include. Carefully choose work that shows what your child has learned in math.

*Photographs of math projects with descriptions about the work are also important samples to include in a portfolio.

Hopefully this guide to creating a portfolio will help you to wrap up your school year with a good glimpse of what your child has learned!

Photo courtesy of Hey Paul

Homeschool at the Beach

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

Sticky Note Learning: Miscellaneous Ideas

Here are a few more creative ideas for using sticky notes to enhance learning in your homeschool.

~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!

Homeschool Sticky Note Science

Sticky notes can motivate your kinesthetic child to learn science concepts in your homeschool. Try out these ideas.

~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

Homeschool Sticky Note Math

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

Homeschool Sticky Note Literacy

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

Supplimenting Your Homeschool Curriculum

It is the time of year that my husband and I discuss school. We have purchased a curriculum that we will use this coming year, but now we are deciding how we will round out our kids’ school year. We will use our curriculum to keep us focused all year, but we also plan on supplementing with interesting activities. The goal is to map out some ideas we want to try.

We have been looking at the options for classes at our local YMCA as a way to vary our kids’ experiences. The classes there are a great way to address PE and learn new skills. Our problem is deciding which classes to take. We want our children to experience many different things before they settle into focusing on one particular activity they want to pursue in depth. For example, we want them to try various sports, dance,  and swimming. The trick is getting them to try something new. When I suggested a dance class, my daughter told me that she already knew how to dance. I explained that there is much more to learn about dance, but she insisted that she simply did not need to learn anything more about dance. I also recommended other classes we could try with similar responses.

What are your strategies for getting your children to try out a new sport or activity?

First photo courtesy of tiffanywashko

Second photo courtesy of lunawhimsy

Other Ways of Using Puppets in Your Homeschool

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)

Everyday Life Lessons

Some of the best lessons come from everyday life. Everyday experiences can teach our children, and us, so much. 

~ I discovered that I can insist that the children play while I have a quiet time. They complain and try to act up, but if I patiently redirect them and calmly explain what the expectations are, they will find something constructive to do. I also learned that I can be patient with them!

~ I was filling out a registration form today while A2 sat in my lap. She was able to recognize her name on the form and spell it. She also recognized my name. She was excited to see our last name and called it, “Mine.” We had a discussion about how family members share a last name.

~ A2 learned about the power of repentance and forgiveness. While we were at Mom and Me, our play group, A2 pushed some buttons that turned on the projector and lowered the screen. After a time-out, I made her apologize to the director of the program. Of course, she was promptly forgiven. It was difficult for her to apologize to another adult, but she discovered that she could do it and that resolved the problem. I think this is a powerful life lesson for her.

~ While playing in the pool, C4 learned many things. She discovered that she had to hold the watering can close to the container she was pouring the water into in order to actually fill it. She learned that the water splashes all over when you shake a container up and down. If you splash your friend without asking if it’s OK, your friend might get mad. Even though it is difficult to take turns with toys, my friends appreciate it when I share, and they even give me a turn with the tays. If you get water in your eyes, you will be fine. She discovered that certain toys float while others sink and if you add water to floating toys, they sink.

~ Before our nap today, I had the children independently looking at books, and I saw some interesting learning. C4 realized that she can read number books. She also tried out a few reading strategies we’ve been practicing including using picture clues and pushing the sounds in a word together to figure it out. A2 discovered that C4 can read certain books to her, and that it is fun.

Reflecting on the day, I see how much my children learn by simply living life!

Photo courtesy of christine [cbszeto]