I've got a huge list of FREE Bible curriculum for homeschoolers to use in their Bible Lessons.
Free homeschool art curriculum with famous artists, art history lessons, world culture, easy art techniques and a weekly online art lesson.
Need some guidance for teaching preschool Spanish? You’re in the right place! Young children are the perfect age to soak up a new language. I'm currently raising my own three kids bilingually, and have taught classes to this age group as well. It's never too late to start, and 3-5 year olds are really fun to teach! In this post I've compiled my favorited strategies for you. To get started in learning Spanish together, you Can Do three things: 1. Outline some beginning topics. You can create your own list, with common preschool topics (think numbers, colors, greetings, etc.)Take a
Curriculum mapping is an essential skill for educators. Curriculum Mapping ensures a teacher teaches all the standards for the grade level by mapping out what…
My main goal with my children is to instill a love of the Lord in their hearts and to train them to have GOOD character! There are way too many children nowadays who lack any type of character or morals.
Grab your copy of FREE ELA Curriculum Maps grades 6th-8th and save yourself a year's worth of planning! Digital maps with a planner, calendar, and more!
From free history curriculum to fun timeline activities!
Ready to start Kindergarten with your child? I know homeschooling can sometimes
With our detailed Montessori curriculum PDF list, you'll have everything that you need in order to give great Montessori lesson presentations.
(teacherspayteachers.com) If your students are like mine, they struggle with powers of 10. With this fast-paced game, students have fun practicing and mastering this tricky concept. Simply form your students into two teams and project this exciting game! The student who says the correct answer first gets the point.
Hello everyone! Today, I am going to tell you about our Instant Online Curriculum for Kindergarten, which includes a FREE Pacing Guide/Cur...
Two Points: This is MY method, and not necessarily right for you, your teaching or care philosophy, your set-up, or your students. Curriculum participation by my students is VOLUNTARY. I invite them to participate, but if they choose not to, then that is fine. I usually offer them a choice of a few of the activities and let them decide where we start and where we go. An engaged child learns, a dis-engaged child rebels. The 3-year rotating curriculum is theme based. Some times we stick to the plan, but usually I observe what they are interested in learning about, what they are asking questions about, and suggest up to three different themes they can choose from for us to study. I make my own 3-year rotating curriculum for many reasons: Packaged curriculum is often only one year. Since I teach for 3 years, this would be redundant. Most packaged curriculum focuses on skills my students master early. My 2s count to 20, know 11 colors, know most of their phonics, uppercase and lowercase letters, 10 shapes and some of their numbers and I still have 3 years of curriculum to teach them. They often are worksheet intensive. My students usually are cognitively advanced from their fine motor skills. I have 4 year olds that still can't write well. If I had relied on worksheets for the last 2 years, there is no way they would have the skill sets they have. Worksheets are also not considered Developmentally Appropriate Practice [DAP] for children under the age of 8. We use them here for writing practice starting at age 4. [Yes, worksheet-intensive public schools are not using DAP for kindy through 3rd grade!] They can be expensive. If you are purchasing worksheets, why would you spend even $1 a week/$52 a year when you can purchase a 400 page Scholastic preschool workbook from Sam's Club for $8 that covers probably more material, is most likely aligned with the public school expectations, and is colorful. Colored copies are NOT affordable to make from packaged curriculum. Most [ALL!] preschool learning should be interactive. Pinterest is a better source for ideas. My students change every time I do a theme. I have to be able to tweak it to the interests and capabilities of those currently in my care. Plus, I'll find more interesting activities on Pinterest, have an idea for a new game, etc. It's a constant evolution to keep my curriculum relevant to our current group, situation and resources. However, curriculum planning and creation is very time consuming. Even with older curriculum I spend several hours going over it prior to teaching - updating, creating new materials, purchasing and setting new classroom decorations. While I have had my 3 year curriculum, this year I found myself wanting a more specific schedule to focus on specific skill sets for this particular group of children. Most of these skills can be incorporated into our themed curriculum, or they take 5 minute sessions to pop into our day. I have two groups, the younger preschoolers are 2-3 years old and the older ones are 4-5 years old, all at the same developmental and skill set level within their group. This makes it easier, as I can tailor everything to just 2 groups. If I were to have additional levels of children, then it would be tailored to each level. Children here are taught at their developmental level, not age. Asychronastic development is normal, so I may be teaching a child at various levels depending upon the subject matter. For the younger preschoolers, I came up with this structure. For the older pre-k students, I came up with this one. For instance, both of them have Measurement & Comparison on Friday for Reasoning. However, for the younger students, this would be a more/less, longer/shorter, big/little, etc. activity, while the older students would be measuring with rulers, yardsticks, tape measures, measuring cups, unit blocks, foot steps or themed units, and graphing the measurements to compare. Same skill set, differentiated at vastly different levels. Even this needs conditional tweaking. All the pre-k's know how to spell their last names now, so that is no longer a relevant skill activity for music and will be changed out. In another post I'll get into the curriculum components and the importance of each. For instance, how counting on Friday teaches 1-to-1 correspondence and creating method processes for counting groups of objects. CLICK PICTURES TO VIEW LARGER I use this MS Word template, available for FREE on TPT, for curriculum planning. Often, the daily skill sets above are either already incorporated, or can easily be incorporated, into the theme planning. For an example of a completed curriculum unit, check out our Owls Theme. Each monthly theme is broken down into 4 sub-themes. For instance: SPACE Astronauts & Rockets The Universe Our Solar System Aliens & Robots We also have a musical component, often classical, and an art component, often a master, and Spanish vocabulary component that we incorporate. This planning form may not include all games, file folder games, manipulatives, room-set up, etc. that I utilize. For those of you trained in curriculum creation, I do NOT do a full curriculum development for each activity. With having these children usually from infant to school-age, I keep an internal evaluation of progression and plan out only weekly learning objectives. Since I am creating the activities for my personal use, I do not need to create written procedures and evaluations. My curriculum is stored currently in file folders in a large office bookcase unit. I would like to get it into boxes so that I could have EVERY theme-related item, including dress-up, room set-up, manipulatives, etc. together for an easy pull. File boxes will most likely be the easiest, but they do take up a lot of space. In each file some of the things I probably have: Completed planning sheets All the books I own for that theme Flannel board Sentence and word walls File folder games Samples of previous crafts DVDs CDs Coloring pages Mini-book(s) Build-a-[theme item] game Curriculum creation is one of my great joys. I love the research and compilation, the creativity and excitement of bringing something fun and educational to my students. Learning is rarely linear. Children take developmental leaps, sometimes in odd directions. As a teacher, it is important that I keep each one challenged without pushing or inhibiting their growth, and that takes constant evaluation and a good eye for when those leaps happen so that we can move on to a higher level of instruction. When we do an activity, I constantly question if they WANT to do another round, another activity, and I usually cut them off while they are still engaged. I want them wanting more, and they will usually ask if they can continue. One of the most important desires and abilities I can instill in them is that of self-directed learning. So as they choose to go off with their rulers after we've spent several minutes doing a measuring activity, conferring between themselves as to procedures and what to measure next, I step back and let them. They know I am here as a resource, rather than an intrusive director. It is my job to ensure that when I invite my students to learn, they glow with excitement and anticipation of a fun, interactive, playful time. The results, so far, have been astounding. A few of my complete curriculum units are available through my TPT store. Apples Dental Ice Cream Penguins Rainbows St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Follow Connie -'s board Classroom on Pinterest. Tags: preschool, child care, pre-k, curriculum, development, teaching, education, homeschooling, homeschool, home, school, preschool curriculum development, planning
Botany Homeschool Curriculum Review of Botany in 8 Lessons Grades 4-8. I'm having a guest review a botany homeschool curriculum. I have more tips on my how to homeschool middle school page.
Grab our free, clickable Mega List of Themes and Skills for Pre-K & Kindergarten Lesson Plans to see what themes/skills I cover in my classroom all year!
Whether you are doing a homeschool preschool program or are a teacher in a preschool, having a plan is essential. Every year, I begin with an outline for what I plan to teach throughout the school year. I created this resourceful, editable preschool curriculum to keep organized and easily change what I teach from year
Science curriculum doesn't have to be expensive. A good portion of what we've used for science over the years has been free resources!
There is a lively thread over on the Facebook group, Elementary Art Teachers about a curriculum map. I’ve recently written about why you should write your own curriculum and the challenges th…
This post covers tips to designing a successful middle school art curriculum. It's all about scaffolding, building confidence, and having fun
How to teach geography without a curriculum. Learn to explore maps, cultures, and landforms without using geography curriculum.
sped curriculum, sped scope and sequence, special education scope, special education curriculum map,
Digital Art. The website is called Digital Art Teacher, but have you ever noticed that we don’t actually have an art curriculum focused on digital art? Today, I am delighted to tell you that this is no longer the case! Below you’ll find a sequence of lessons that will fill a semester with creative and informative digital art lessons […]
Click here now for the Come Follow Me Lesson for September 21st - 27th prepared by Come Follow Me FHE. Your family will have lots of fun!
Try these middle school drama lessons and ideas.
Here is the Elementary Art Curriculum Map that all K-4 art teachers in Chelmsford follow. You can click on the picture for an enlarged view National Visual Art Standards BY grade 4 1.1 Use a variety of materials and media, for example, crayons, chalk, paint, clay, various kinds of papers, textiles, and yarns, and understand how to use them to produce different visual effects 1.2 Create artwork in a variety of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) media, for example: 2D – drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, weaving; 3D – plastic (malleable) materials such as clay and paper, wood, or found objects for assemblage and construction 1.3 Learn and use appropriate vocabulary related to methods, materials, and techniques 1.4 Learn to take care of materials and tools and to use them safely 2.1 For color, explore and experiment with the use of color in dry and wet media Identify primary and secondary colors and gradations of black, white and gray in the environment and artwork Explore how color can convey mood and emotion For example, students mix light and dark values of colors or predict the results of overlapping and blending primary colors. 2.2 For line, explore the use of line in 2D and 3D works Identify a wide variety of types of lines in the environment and in artwork For example, students take a walk around the school and note jagged, straight, curved, thick, and thin lines. 2.3 For texture, explore the use of textures in 2D and 3D works Identify a wide variety of types of textures, for example, smooth, rough, and bumpy, in the environment and in artwork Create representations of textures in drawings, paintings, rubbings, or relief 2.4 For shape and form, explore the use of shapes and forms in 2D and 3D works Identify simple shapes of different sizes, for example, circles, squares, triangles, and forms, for example, spheres, cones, cubes, in the environment and in artwork 2.5 For pattern and symmetry, explore the use of patterns and symmetrical shapes in 2D and 3D works Identify patterns and symmetrical forms and shapes in the environment and artwork. Explain and demonstrate ways in which patterns and symmetrical shapes 3.1 Create 2D and 3D artwork from direct observation For example, students draw a still life of flowers or fruit, action studies of their classmates in sports poses, or sketches of the class pet having a snack or a nap. 3.2 Create 2D and 3D expressive artwork that explores abstraction For example, a student simplifies an image by making decisions about essential colors, lines, or textures. 3.3 Create 2D and 3D artwork from memory or imagination to tell a story or embody an idea or fantasy For example, students draw members of a family from memory; illustrate a character in a folktale or play; build a clay model of an ideal place to play; or make images that convey ideas such as friendship. 4.1 Select a work or works created during the year and discuss them with a parent, classmate, or teacher, explaining how the work was made, and why it was chosen for discussion For example, a first grader chooses a painting and tells how she mixed the colors, and talks about the decisions she made. 4.2 Select works for exhibition and work as a group to create a display 4.3 As a class, develop and use criteria for informal classroom discussions about art 5.1 In the course of making and viewing art, learn ways of discussing it, such as by making a list of all of the images seen in an artwork (visual inventory); and identifying kinds of color, line, texture, shapes, and forms in the work 5.2 Classify artworks into general categories, such as painting, printmaking, collage, sculpture, pottery, textiles, architecture, photography, and film 5.3 Describe similarities and differences in works, and present personal responses to the subject matter, materials, techniques, and use of design elements in artworks 5.4 (Grades 3 and 4) Explain strengths and weaknesses in their own work, and share comments constructively and supportively within the group 6.1 When viewing or listening to examples of visual arts, architecture, music, dance, storytelling, and theatre, ask and answer questions such as, “What is the artist trying to say?” “Who made this, and why?” “How does this work make me feel?” 6.2 Investigate uses and meanings of examples of the arts in children’s daily lives, homes, and communities For example, children learn and teach other children songs in languages other than English; interview parents and community members about dances, songs, images, and stories that are part of their family and cultural heritage. 7.1 Investigate how artists create their work; read about, view films about, or interview artists such as choreographers, dancers, composers, singers, instrumentalists, actors, storytellers, playwrights, illustrators, painters, sculptors, craftspeople, or architects For example, teachers invite an illustrator of children’s books to school to show how she creates her illustrations. 8.1 Identify characteristic features of the performing and visual arts of native populations and immigrant groups to America, such as • styles of North American native cultures of the East Coast, Plains, Southwest, and Northwest; • styles of folk and fine arts of immigrant groups from European, African, Latin American, Asian, and Middle Eastern countries For example, students look at examples of Native American clay containers from the Southwest, and wooden containers from the Northwest and compare the similarities and differences in form and decoration. 8.2 Identify characteristic features of the visual arts of world civilizations such as styles of ancient Egypt and Africa, China, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and the Medieval period in Europe 8.3 Perform or create works inspired by historical or cultural styles 9.1 When using art materials or handling and viewing artifacts or musical instruments, ask and answer questions such as • “What is this made of?” • “How does this instrument produce sound?” • “Would I design this differently?” • “Who first thought of making something like this?” For example, students examine a variety of percussion instruments, experiment with the different sounds they make, and learn about the cultures in which they were made. 10.1 Integrate knowledge of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts and apply the arts to learning other disciplines Examples of this include: • using visual arts skills to illustrate understanding of a story read in English language arts or foreign languages; • memorizing and singing American folk songs to enhance understanding of history and geography; • using short dance sequences to clarify concepts in mathematics.
Check out over 14 resources that should add to your 8th-grade homeschool curriculum. Includes resources for math, English, history, and even Spanish.
Hi! I recently finished rewriting my K-6 art curriculum plan. We are required to do this every 4 years. You can see my first blog post about organizing curriculum that I wrote a few years back. I use the curriculum plan as a guide for my yearly planning. If students are interested in one area of art more than another, I tend to adapt my plans. If I have a brilliant idea for something new I want to try with … Read more... →
Helping K-2 Teachers Like You Save Time, Grow Instructional Skills, and Teach With Confidence!
If you are doing Montessori at home, this free Montessori curriculum download will be a God-send! Come and take a look!
Use these tips to create a curriculum map for your homeschool - PLUS download the FREE curriculum map template I've created for you!
Freedom Homeschooling lists free high-quality complete all-in-one homeschool curriculum for all grades and learning styles.
Preschool themes from A to Z. Choose a theme that is best for your preschooler or preschool class from over 130 preschool themes!
Teaching Honesty in the Classroom; character education; classroom community; honesty for kids
The burning question that most new, and even experienced, teachers have is what types of writing to teach and how to structure it all within a school year. Most of us are beholden to meet state standards and this can leave us feeling like we are teaching to the test rather than helping students produce […]
Freedom Homeschooling lists free homeschool art curriculum for all grades. Art tutorials, art appreciation, and more!
Please Note: All images seen below are of my students artwork only. These photos/lessons are not posted in any particular order regarding the flow of my curriculum. Abstract Self-Portrait Paintin…
Here's how to decide if the Handwriting without Tears preschool program is right for your child. The most important thing to keep in mind is...
Tracing Lines - Worksheets For Little People As your little one learns how to write, tracing lines is a great activity! And there are benefits to it too! Line tracing is one of those activities that develop your child's control of the small muscles in his/ her hands (fine motor skills). Tracing will teach your child to make the precise movements that are necessary for forming letters. Tracing improves hand/eye coordination. Line Tracing By Age Line tracing is predominantly for little ones as they learn how to write. It's therefore perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners. Your child's age and