Homeschooling - SUPPORT GROUP

[PlaidBattleAxe]

Feedback on Bill Nye the Science guy on the series covering the body: smell, digestion, etc.

My boys are loving this. Very easy to get them to fill out the 15 question form as they watch the episode. I ask them to write 2 questions they would like an answer to BEFORE viewing, to drum up participation. After, we go thru each question, and rewatch if necessary to find answers missed the first time. This step is a great way to discuss what was viewed.

I catch my youngest popping in discs when he has free time!! Perhaps he will really become an astrophysicist . . . .time will tell. lol

My two love it also! That and lots of Magic Schoolbus (gotta love the early 90's tv! lol).

 

[DMRippy]

I got my HDMI cables today, so now I can hook the laptop up to the TV so the kids can do the school sites on the BIG SCREEN LOL. 15 ft cables for less than $9 delivered I didn't think that was too bad. I can have one for the living room and another for the playroom/schoolroom. We must have worked on school sites for over 2.5 hours.

Found some sites I want to share

This site kept them busy for a long time. I have only looked at the science part but I really like it.

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/index.htm

This one has games based on grade level. This was a hit too

http://mrnussbaum.com/

We just hopped from one site to another. A little ABC Mouse, Easy Peasy, Discoveryk12, and those other 2 sites. It held their attention for sure. Tomorrow we need to work on math and writing more.

OH..... If I can find it, I found a website that will let you make your own writing practice sheets. Print modern script and cursive. Just type in what you want and VOILA you have custom copy work!

I can't believe I found it!

http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/flash/dnealian/sentence/index.html

I have been finding some posts with HUNDREDS of links and have been bookmarking the best of the best...... I just need to organize them so I don't have to do so much hunting. Time to fill out the paper work for the umbrella school! We are ready to start..... I guess I need some kind of attendance record keeper.

 

[DMRippy]

Feedback on Bill Nye the Science guy on the series covering the body: smell, digestion, etc.

My boys are loving this. Very easy to get them to fill out the 15 question form as they watch the episode. I ask them to write 2 questions they would like an answer to BEFORE viewing, to drum up participation. After, we go thru each question, and rewatch if necessary to find answers missed the first time. This step is a great way to discuss what was viewed.

I catch my youngest popping in discs when he has free time!! Perhaps he will really become an astrophysicist . . . .time will tell. lol

Are you watching something longer than the clips I am finding? I only found the 2 mins clips is that right?

 

[Arielle]

Quote: THe DVDs are very long, certainly not just 2 minutes. THe back cover lists 26 minutes each.

THey are almost too long. But then I'm all for increasing attention span as too many kids have the attention span of a gnat due to over use of electronics.

Perhaps the 2 min is just the teaser . . . .????

THe silly slap stick antics that boys love. Wild, crazy silly, and at moments= my boys break into laughter.

THe worksheet are very easy-- just a good means of creating active listening skills. My kids have missed 1-2 questions each of 2 worksheets.

 

[Dafty Duck]

Hi I'm from Alberta Canada and I am trying to set up a U.S.A. home schooling curriculum for my two grand daughters. Grade 1 and 3. Would there be someone that might have the time to help me out with this Maybe sometime next week or so? I put the youngest one through kindergarten last year and i find that your curriculum is far superior to the one we have. The children learn so much more. Talk about that latter. I will be gone camping for the weekend.

 

[DMRippy]

Hi I'm from Alberta Canada and I am trying to set up a U.S.A. home schooling curriculum for my two grand daughters. Grade 1 and 3. Would there be someone that might have the time to help me out with this Maybe sometime next week or so? I put the youngest one through kindergarten last year and i find that your curriculum is far superior to the one we have. The children learn so much more. Talk about that latter. I will be gone camping for the weekend.

Welcome! Not sure what you are looking for exactly. I am planning to use FREE online Curriculum and let the kids lead me with what they want to learn about.

Here are some links I have come across that have a HUGE list of links.

http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/homeschooling-for-free-frugal-elementary-homeschooling-for-free/

http://livinglifeacademy.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_7251.html

http://www.classroom20.com/profiles/blogs/649749:BlogPost:177332

http://donnayoung.org/index.htm

http://www.homeschool.com/articles/top100-2009/default.asp

http://sprittibee.com/2013/01/my-big-fat-homeschool-links-list.html

Here is another one

http://homeschoolmosaics.com/homeschooling-for-free/

http://www.onlypassionatecuriosity.com/free-homeschool-list/



I have HUNDREDS of links. I need to organize them but I found a way to print them out if anyone want them. I can post them ALL here, my interests and yours will be different. Some I just bookmarked and have not explored much.

Anybody have a good way to organize your links? I could make subfolders under my homeschool folder or I could just have a word document sorted by TYPE like Math, spelling etc.

Also how do you guys keep up with attendance for records? Do you plan everything or follow a planned curricula? I am just going to hodge podge so not as worried about PLANNING at this stage.

 

[Dafty Duck]

This is awesome but first I'm not even that far. ex: I notice that your children are still in school. Is there a reason for this? Like 2 and a half months out of school like it is here is too long and the children forget half of what they learn so it takes them another month and a half to get caught up? Or is it just what you prefer? I would like to understand the workings of the school system there. Than i think it would be easier to get on board. Does you school year start in September like it does here? Or am I out of sink with that too? If I am starting a year when your half way through than is that going to matter? I heard that your school year starts in May. Than there is the curriculum itself. For example in kindergarten here by the end of the year the child has to know how to sing there abc's and count to ten. Not much for a years work.I couldn't believe it when Abby even went into learning how to spell simple words last year. (year ended first of June) If I get in sink from the start than I won't have to deal with discrepancies latter on the could create problems in higher grades. Am I on the right path in my thinking or am I worrying about things that really doesn't matter much?

 

[Arielle]

Donna you have hit on a number of points that I too am struggling with.

I have not accomplished as much as I had planned ( mentally) and I think it is because I dont have a written daily planner. I have now printed one from the Donna Young site to facilitate a bit more work.

Our summer is quasi busy. Swimming lessons 1 day a week and time changes; 3-4 times a week in the pool for practice and then play. GOt an email at 5 yesterday inviting kids to swim 7-9 pm-- very late I"m now super tired, and kids stayed upt to 10 and got up tired. Needed to get to a friends to get details on house sitting the cat.

I do think kids need help organizing their time or the time flitters away.

Perhaps just listing the links here is enough. Or in the first post perhaps-- though that one will become unchangeable ( new word, lol) In time reading thru a whole resource like this thread wil be come daunting trying to find past discussions. Perhaps we can enlist one of the mods to post the link and the page of our discussion about that link--IDK how long they have access either.

IMO hodge podge is ok when kids are younger though I might suggest having a list of material you want to accomplish by a certain age or time, so you cover all the areas in a given time period. I think this creates an awareness on the"teachers" part to keep introducing new material to the younger kids but also allows the material to be what is of interest tothe student.

My kids are older and are used to being bossed around and cannot self regulate their own learning at this time, so unless I book a time and subject, nothing happens. IMO this is the impact of publich school methods and I need to help my kids learn to become independent learners.

We are planning to go with 2 other boys to Plimouth Plantation in AUgust. My plan is to search out some information ahead of time to introduce this Pilgrim era township that is a living museum. IMO kids more out of it if they know a bit about it and can study about it before going.

Art museums-- I make a list of items for the kids to find at the museum. Meant to be fun and a purpose for looking at everything which can become boring as the items just stand there like a statue, or hang on the wall. I make a list like: blue cat, spotted dog, pearl necklace, white vase, jade bowl. . . . and they can find it in a painting or anything else in the museum. THis worked best for the 7-11 aged boys; perhaps for girls the age might be wider. Perhaps tailor the list to an area the child has an interest-- how many paintings can a child find containing balls, or if dogs are an interest, a list of dogs to try to find. I dont recommend art museums for the uner 7 crowd as they are NOT allowed to touch anything. TOUGH on kids.

THe Worcester Art Museum has a HUGE tile floor from a roman house-- hunting scenes-- I ask the boys to to an eye spy game or to tell me know many different animals they can ID. Yeah, we have been too many times and dont go anymore.


I dont know if I have mentioned it, My kids are in boy scouts. Boy Scouts of America is Christian based but they dont receive religous training. So . . . After one year I am thrilled with how much the boys are doing. Our troop is VERY active and the kids can learn many skills and it is another avenue of independent learning fostered by the troop leaders ( and parents). Cub scouts start young; and BS start at 11 yrs old. Girl Scouting is an opportunity for the girls--- again if you have a strong troop in your area the girls can have fun and learn together. THe troops are only as good as the leaders. I am finding their "requirements" as opportunities to select a subject to teach my kids more of. And the BSA requirements are on line and a bit like a planned curriculum . . . .maybe be modified for younger children . . . .

 

[Dafty Duck]

We don't have to worry about attendance until grade 10 and there isn't much to go on for the curriculum. I am going to have to plan my own because what Abby learned in kindergarten is what is expected here for kindergarten and most of grade 1.

 

[DMRippy]

In the US the states have control over education. So each stat can do something different and even districts within the states can do things different. Common core from the feds could be changing some of that but we will see how that plays out.

Some schools are year round some a balanced schedule some just regular. With home schooling you can do what you want but you have to meet the states attendance. Here in Tennessee it is 180 days a year. We are going to school year round even if it is more than 180 days. We can also use ANY CURRICULA in TN. We have several options to home school too.....we can go though the schools and test the kids every year. There are 4 options here can't remember them all but the option we are going with is an umbrella school through a church. We have more freedom that way and don't have to test.

You figure out what works for you and do it! If you don't have any restrictions go for it.