Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Homeschool Only Takes 100 Hours TOTAL!!






"No, the truth is that reading, writing and arithmetic only take about 100 hours to transmit as long as the audience is eager and willing to learn.  The trick is to wait until someone asks and then move fast while the mood is on him."


The 7-Lesson Schoolteacher  by John Taylor Gatto




This quote is part of the speech Mr Gatto gave after accepting The New York Teach Of The Year Award in 1992.  Read the whole thing here













Sunday, August 24, 2014

Glorious Flight Links!!







Social Studies - France/ White Cliffs of Dover, Englad

                          England

                          Pictures of the White Cliffs of Dover 

                         White Cliffs of Dover Facts

                          Rick Steve's Europe - South England - Dover to Land's End

                          White Cliffs of Dover Song:
                                   Original Vera Lynn
                                   Britain's Got Talent 10 YO
                       
                          Cambrai, France

                           Pics of Cambrai and maps



                           Color FIAR Disk
                          

                          

LA Onomatopoeia Game - Make sure you have an AD Blocker!!
       Choosing a Title
       Drama - Act Out
       Italics
     
   
         

Art -  Appreciation
          Make a Picture in the Style of the Artist

Math - Roman Numerals, Ordinal Numbers, Math Story Problems
            
           Roman Numberals
           Roman Numeral Train - Make sure you have an AD Blocker!!!
           Roman Numeral Game - Make sure you have an AD Blocker!!!


           Ordinal Numbers
           Ordinal Numbers Video - Make sure you have an AD Blocker!!!
           Ordinal Number Game - Make sure you have an AD Blocker!!!
           Ordinal Number Game -you'll need to pick which game

           Math Story Problems

           Papa Bleriot starts inventing in 1901 and its 1909 when he has something that flies?  How Long did it take?   Answer:  8 years     

           Papa Bleriot flew in 1909, how long has it been?   Answer:  105
           Papa Bleriot left France at 4:35 am and it took him 36 minutes to get there.  What time was it?
               Answer:  5:
           When Papa Bleriot hits the pumpkin cart the Entire Bleriot family helps pick up (8) people.  There were 64 pumkins, How many did each person pick up.   Answer:  8
            Alphonse Juvet decides to give each of the Bleriot family 3 pumpkins.  How many does he give?  Answer:  24
          11 AM
           
             
            

Science - Process of Invention, Flying
                  
               Process of Invention


               Flying
                  Actual Footage Of Bleriot Day Of Flight
                  Aviation History - Bleriot
                  Bleriot XI Plane model
                 Aerodynamics of Flight
                 Fly A Plane Game - Need Ad Blocker
                Make paper airplanes!!
                 
                  
Lapbook for Glorious Flight













Wednesday, August 20, 2014

How To Make ACE Paces or Workbooks and Textbooks More Fun!



Oh the treadmill of using workbooks...everyone will tell you how terrible it is and how you'll burn the kids out...maybe.  But there are ways to make ANY textbook or workbook more fun for kids.  These are just suggestions and you certainly don't have to do all of them but at least do #1 and #2 to make life easier.

 1.   You don't have to fill out every. stinking. page.  Seriously, if the kids know it...move on.  All those pages are in there to give kids busywork to fill the day in a school setting.  You definitely don't need that when you homeschool.  You have permission...it doesn't matter what you payed for the thing it's not worth burning a kid out over it.  I give my kids the 3 test...if they can do three then move on.  If that means to the end of the workbook...fine.  If they can do the test without studying...fine.  If it means they do the (fill in the blank end of the year test) and be done...then fine.  They obviously know it if they can do THAT test without studying.

2.  They don't have to fill out all the fill-in the blanks.  really...they'll live.  Instead use Charlotte Mason's technique and have them narrate what they just read.  You can't explain what you don't know and you're sure to find out what they do know.

3.  If your kids are struggling with Math here's a couple of ideas...do the problems orally if they're little and struggling with writing and see #1.   Play board games!  Seriously almost every game has math of some sort in it.  Give'em a break every 10 minutes so it breaks up the monotony.  Especially if they're boys they need to MOVE so have them race around the house (outside!) or do jumping jacks or jump on a mini trampoline.   Use a timer so they know when the break is coming OR use it to do beat the timer.  Try having them stand to do it, that way they can move their legs and jitter around.   Make sure they know their math facts...it's hard to do math when you don't know the facts so go over them at XtraMath ...or online games at Math Playground, ABCya (math bingo is a favorite here!), Sheppard Software or...realize they may not be ready for it yet and let it rest for a week or month and then come back....remember they are going at their pace.  They didn't learn to walk or talk on a schedule and math is no different.

4.  Split up the subjects through out the day OR do it in the afternoon OR evening!  Some kids (and adults) are not good at mornings so you can split the day up however YOU want because you're not doing school at home but homeschool.  If you do math before lunch and finish up with history as the read aloud at night...so be it if it works!

5.  Add some art study in there....are they studying volcanoes??  Look up some volcano art (yes there is some!)    Let them study the art and then...get out the paints, crayons, scissors and try to create what they just saw.

6.  Make each day of the week a special study day instead of daily. (aka block studying)..ie... Monday-History, Tuesday-Science...you get the idea.  Then find out more about that on that day after the workbook for that day is done.  Make your read-alouds only Living History on Monday or plan a trip to a living history museum on that day or watch a history documentary.  On Tuesday blow up something..oh..is that only my house??? LOL  but on Tuesday due all those fun science experiments or if you can't then get the InquisiKids Discover and Do DVDs or whatever is at the library's DVDs and watch science.  You can watch science documentaries on youtube or even better, you can watch it free on Genesis Science Network!

7.  Play a certain composer during school time.  You could make it Beethoven for the entire month or just the week.   I guarantee you'll recognize his music after that time.  OR  listen to hymns.  You can find a selection of hymns on youtube that you can play in the background.

8.  Decide you'll quit at a certain time like noon.  Anything past that is homework for later for older kids or not at all.  Again it's about balance and not burning you or the kids out.  All day marathon sessions are going to kill everyones joy.

9.  Get outside!  Go to the park and do school there.  Sometimes a change of pace makes all the difference.  Since the kids aren't going to be doing every page now (right??..see #1) Let the littles run around and then settle down for a little session then let'em loose again.

10.  If you have workbooks you can have the kids make collages out of their old workbooks or make cheat sheets ( I think they're called offices) with info they have learned.

11.  Have older kids work with the younger kids.  It's amazing how it cements an idea when you have to teach it or grade it or listen and give some thoughts about it.  Besides part of being in a family is helping one another.  Even littles who can read can help with ones that can't by helping sound out letters and words or simply reading lovely books to them.  It amazes me how when a child teaches another child they do it in such a way that the younger one feels so special!

13.  Have them read their workbook and not do the fill in the blanks. Then make a notebook page about it or they could make a movie or draw a picture (if they're real young) or even act it out.

14.  If the kids are crying, someone has flushed a toy car down the toilet or you're all raging sick that isn't the time to try and get school done.  Time to pop in a book on tape, watch a documentary or science experiment and just be a family.  If you look at the schedule for a "typical" school year at public school you'll see there is about 180 days.  That's only a little over half a year.  Give yourself and the kids a break and school using technology...determined by you of course.  And if you're not big on "Glowing Screens"  than pop that book on tape in or start baking brownies...everyones happier with brownies!  Doesn't matter if it 9:30am  you can worry about nutrition at lunch..or dinner.  The point is if you design it so that you do school even half the year you're doing great and teaching them more about living life with grace and humility.



Here's a post I did a while ago about add on's  to a literature based curriculum you may find useful







Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Emergency Homeschool Plan or How To Homeschool Through A Mess or Chronic Illness


dis·as·ter
diˈzastər/
noun
  1. a sudden event, such as an accident or a natural catastrophe, that causes great damage or loss of life.
    "159 people died in the disaster"
    synonyms:catastrophecalamitycataclysmtragedy, act of God, holocaust;
    "a subway disaster"
    • denoting a genre of films that use natural or accidental catastrophe as the mainspring of plot and setting.
      modifier noun: disaster
      "a disaster movie"
    • an event or fact that has unfortunate consequences.
      "a string of personal disasters"


      synonyms:misfortunemishapmisadventuremischancesetbackreversal, stroke of bad luck, blow
      "a string of personal disasters"


      Ever had one of these???



What happens when disaster strikes??  Back when Hurricane Katrina went through, Ambleside Online made an emergency plan with FREE resources and some really great advice for ANYONE who is homeschooling through a rough patch.  It has curriculum suggestions and ideas to keep life moving forward.... even when you've lost everything.  The kids can read on their own and make it real simple for you.

Ambleside Online HELP

Here's a great article from Renee over at Homeschool How To's that worth a read:

Tips for Homeschooling with FEW or NO RESOURCES






Here's some of my suggestions based on stuff that's happened to us:

First let me say that there's an old saying among pioneer homeschoolers - all you need is a math book and a library card...I agree.  You can get the math book from my FREE Vintage Education tab above.  Don't let the old texts scare ya..Math hasn't changed...as a matter of fact the last update was Calculus and that was almost 500 years ago so....    1+1=2 has been around for well, forever!

1.  Only do the 3 R's -  Reading, Writing, Arithmetic     You can pull this from ANY book you have.  For ideas see Renee's tips above
        
          
2.  Use internet linked websites and FREE curriculum - I don't think you need curriculum but..

        Ambleside Online HELP - This is the emergency homeschooling page
        Easy Peasy Homeschool
        Everything Homeschooling
        Kahn Academy - CAUTION.. common core!
       Old Fashioned Education
        Use my FREE - Vintage Education

3.  Use Internet linked Unit Studies

        Amanda Bennett Unit Studies - Load these up on the Ipad
        The Simple Homeschool

4.  Stream or Get Educational Videos
        Netflix
        Hulu
        Youtube Education
        Use Your Local Library


5.  Play Games and Online Math Games

        ABCya
        Sheppard Software
          Math Playground
         Mr. Nussbaum
        Apps on your phone or Ipad
        Really most kids board & card games involved math of some sort

6.  Let them do Retail Learning

         Use grocery shopping to learn:

                         -money
                         -fractions
                         -weight  -  oz's, LB  (there is a scale in the veggie department)
                         -value  - price per oz
                         -find colors, numbers etc
                         -percentage - 20% off coupons and such
                         -budget shopping- give them the money and the list and see if they can get                              all that's on the list
                          
            you get the idea....


6.  Read...just Read
        
        Use Your Local Library
        
         Find books:
                              Internet Archive
                              Google Books

7.  Books on Tape

          Use Your Local Library

           Find Books:
                          
                              Librivox
                              Sparkle Stories - not free but super sweet stories for the younger crowd.  You can get it for $1 the first month by using the code SPARKLEFRIENDS


8.  Strew Ideas by website

             Strewing means to leave stuff laying around so the kids discover it but in this case  
              you can leave it up on your computer so they can see it 
        
            The Kids Should See This


9.  Emergency Food Plan
             
               My Blog Post On Emergency Food Plan


Sometimes whatever is going on in your life IS the curriculum...and the lesson... so don't be hard on yourself.  Kids will learn in spite of what's going on...that's just the way God made them!  So let them see you filled with God's presence and peace so they can learn to have  "the peace that passes all understanding"  Phil. 4:7

A great book to have during hard times is  God's Promises For Your Every Need

Remember that this too shall pass....
                           
     


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