Add a little pizzazz to your lessons with some United States History Activities that your students will love!
Socialization it one of the biggest fears for many parents when it comes to homeschooling. Even if you as the parent are pretty happy with…
From awesome seasonal activity sheets to printable shared activities and introduction printables for pen pals and long-distance friends!
When I was pregnant with Liam over a decade ago, I walked into a local baby store planning to itemize a few things we would need. I had expected the process to be easy. I would enter the store, write down a few favorite items, and leave. Instead, I was paralyzed. In each category from breast pumps and bottles to ...
Looking for a good homeschool hack? This simple tip will help you streamline your morning and get your entire day started off right! Check it out!
Our simple homeschool routine for pre-k to 4th grade. It's a rhythm, not a schedule! We follow a Charlotte Mason method.
I love my kids. I love spending time with them. I love that I have the opportunity to homeschool them. Sometimes things I love STRESS ME OUT!! So is the plight of the homeschool mom.
My blogging friend Rodna over at Training Children up for Christ asks me if I had a lapbook study on Christopher Columbus. It was said a bit tongue in cheek as she didn’t really expect the answer to be yes. (We were talking about the Little House lapbook series that I had done.) Well, it just so happened that I had made one up a couple of years ago (or so), but I had never got around to preparing it for posting on my blog like I had done with the Little House lapbooks and other lapbooks. (There are several…
We definitely want to teach our children to avoid immoral engagement. But, when our interests are compatible with a secular approach, why not get out there and interact with the “world,” showing them how we as Christians walk through daily life?
Free File Folder Games for Homeschool Learning and Fun! {HUGE Collection}
We are halfway through Fairtrade Fortnight in the UK – with World Fairtrade Day being in May – and the kids and I have been talking about Fairtrade and what it’s purpose and value is. There’s a wealth of information around Fairtrade online, so I’ve worked through it and pulled out the bits that my …
You know I LOVE fingerplays! They are almost a lost art in our world of screens and technology, but children enjoy them as much today as I did when I was a little girl many, many years ago. Through fingerplays children can develop oral language, listening skills, small motor skills, their imaginations, and much more. They can be used to focus the children’s attention or during transitions to engage children. Several months ago Vanessa Levin (pre-kpages.com) and I did a webinar on fingerplays. https://www.facebook.com/prekpages/videos/10153884510016693/ Everyone wanted more, more, more, so Vanessa created this delightful packet with all of my favorite fingerplays. What’s Included? The 54 page printable fingerplay set in color includes: Detailed explanation of why fingerplays are an important part of every early childhood classroom List of standards/skills supported through the use of fingerplays Words to 40 different fingerplays Each fingerplay includes directions for hand motions or movements. These might be better than Black Friday bargains!!! http://www.pre-kpages.com/products/fingerplays-from-a-z/ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fingerplays-from-A-Z-2875554
Lap books are very popular among homeschoolers. We've really enjoyed BookShark's American History lap books. Find out what sets them apart from others.
No matter what age student you're teaching, you love this free printable download of 86 composers called "What are the Best Composers to Study?"
See how we use and enjoy Life of Fred {Homeschool Math} in our homeschool at Blog, She Wrote. Every kind of student benefits from working with Fred and it unifies our math work as a family.
You may be worried that homeschooling will limit these opportunities, but there are many ways to help your child socialize and build friendships.
Hi, Teaching Friends! Keeping your little guys engaged in learning as the school year winds down and during the summer takes some creativity and ingenuity. After all, you're competing with sounds of water fun and the bells of the ice cream truck! For most little learners, pages in a workbook just won't do it! Novelty is the name of the game. Break out the dice and the dominos for some engaging ways to make practice fun! To create this activity for number combinations, I wandered the aisles of a craft store looking for my inspiration. Here's what I came up with. This felt flower measures about 12 inches across, and also comes in purple and in green. The cost was under $1.50, and you'll need one for each player. I think the size, color, and texture of the flower bring some extra interest to these activities, but you could of course save a bit of money by having your children just use paper and crayons to color and cut out their own eight-petal daisies, or even eight-legged spiders. You'll also need dice and dominos for these games. You probably already have dice as a component of another board game. No dominos? Print a free set here from Mrs.Magee at TPT! Having your students sort out the dominos needed for each of these games is part of their learning, so be sure to let them do the "work" of finding the dominos they'll be using! For the first level, they'll need to sort out dominos whose dots total from one to six. They'll then each put one domino on each of the petals of their flower. Players take turns rolling one die, looking for a domino that totals the number they rolled. If they have one, they remove that domino from their flower. Here, the player rolled a three and is removing a 2+1 domino. If the player has no domino that totals the number, he misses that turn. The first player to remove all of the dominos from his or her daisy is the winner. Level Two is played the same way, except that this time players will be rolling two dice and will need dominos that total 2 through 12. Roll, add, and find a domino with the same sum. Here, the player has rolled a two and a six, and is removing a 4+4 domino. This game could easily be adapted to other skills. For example, take a set of alphabet or sight word flashcards and number all of the cards in the set with the numbers one through eight. Write the numbers one through eight on the flower petals (or use cute number stickers!). Players turn over a card, read the word or say a word that begins with the letter, and then cover the corresponding number on their flower, continuing to play until one player has covered all of his or her petals. I'm sure you can think of lots of other ways to use this for skills practice! Here's another way to practice lots of skills this summer. You can download this free board game by clicking on the picture. Then fill in each space with a word, number, or other fact that need more practice, get a die or a spinner and you're ready to go! Here are two seasonal math game sets from my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Click the picture to see them! Enjoy playing games! Although there's a lot of learning to be had through technology, don't undervalue the time spent with your children playing games like these. You are sending the message that learning is so important to you that you're willing to put your own time into it ... and even more important, that you love to spend time together, having fun while you're learning! ***** If you like ideas like this one, you'll love the Primary Inspiration Newsletter! Click on the picture below to subscribe and you'll receive this set of math riddle cards for first and second grade, just to say thanks! Happy Teaching!
You can revive your homeschool and make it better than ever now! Even if you feel like you have hit a homeschool slump season, there is hope and it is much easier than you think! Ready to conquer the homeschool slump and revive your homeschool?
Many, many years ago when I was doing a workshop there was a younger teacher sitting next to an older teacher. The younger teacher said to her friend, "Tell Dr. Jean how you teach your kids handwriting. Your kids are the best writers in the school." The older teacher smiled and said, "We write round the mulberry bush." She then went on to tell me how they practice making strokes for weeks before she teaches them how to form letters. She demonstrated how they learn to go from top to bottom and left to write as they sing the song. They do a different stroke for each verse. Note! I think a key to this is "purposeful practice for automaticity." By repeating this every day children are able to master these basic strokes. Now that I know the developmental stages for writing I've tweaked what she taught me a bit. These are the stages according to most experts: 1st vertical line 2nd horizontal line 3rd circle 4th cross 5th square 6th diagonal 7th X 8th triangle I would have the children draw and sing as they copy what I do on the board. Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush. Here we go round the mulberry bush so early in the morning. (Pick up your pencil and place it at the top left corner.) This is the way we wash our clothes, wash our clothes, wash our clothes. This is the way we wash our clothes so early Monday morning. (Make vertical lines.) (I explain how people used to scrub their clothes on a wash board.) This is the way we iron our clothes...so early Tuesday morning. (Make horizontal lines.) (Some children don't know what an iron is, so this is a good chance to explain and demonstrate.) This is the way we scrub the floor...so early Wednesday morning. (Draw circles.) (Explain when you scrub you go around in circles with the brush.) This is the way we mend our clothes...so early Thursday morning. (Make a cross.) (Show a button that has been sewn on with a vertical and horizontal stitch.) This is the way we sweep the floor...so early Friday morning. (Diagonal lines.) (Pretend to hold a broom and sweep in a diagonal fashion.) This is the way we bake our bread...so early Saturday morning. (Make X.) (Pretend to hold a rolling pin and show how you move it from top to bottom in a slanted way.) This is the way we smile and sing...so early Sunday morning. (Draw a smiley.)
My boys, ages 1, 3, and 5 have been eyeing the new books, supplies, and schoolroom with excitement and finally break down my desire to begin in Fall. We start. Running out of the gate, full steam ahead! They love it! I love it. This is great. Day two, day three....and then the new wears off a bit an
For the culminating activity for my first grade girls group with the goal to identify qualities of positive friends I adapted the idea I saw on Pinterest. I cut out clouds, wrote each girls name in a cloud, and precut the rays in rainbow colors. At the beginning of the session we reviewed positive qualities we had covered in previous sessions and I wrote them on the white board. Then I gave each girls her set of materials and told them to write 5 positive qualities they have now (red-blue) and on the two purple strips (representing indigo and violet) they think about and write 2 they still need to work on after the group. I was very impressed with their discussion of which ones they already have, including checking for feedback with fellow members, and which ones should be goals for the future. They loved the activity and were eager to take it home with them to share with family. This could be adapted for a classroom lesson in first or second grade.
What do you do after strawberry picking? Fun educational strawberry activities of course! Check out these ideas to extend the learning.
This free play dough mat is an intrinsic hand strengthening exercise to build strong grasp and pinch strength through play.
You may be worried that homeschooling will limit these opportunities, but there are many ways to help your child socialize and build friendships.
From awesome seasonal activity sheets to printable shared activities and introduction printables for pen pals and long-distance friends!
Freedom Homeschooling lists free high-quality homeschool foreign languages curriculum for all grades. Over 100 foreign languages available!
Have you thought about project-based learning in your homeschool? I developed this step-by-step guide to help homeschool parents use this method.
Today, we will be discussing 7 different homeschooling methods and offering a free homeschool styles QUIZ to help you decide which way to go.
I want to share a story about character development for kids. If I could get at the root of selfishness, I could instill godly character in many areas of life.
A few weeks ago we read Knight Before Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne as part of our study of Great Britain (I know...great literature, but the kids love it!).
FREE Family Printables - includes My family tree, family history interview, and all about pages
The past few months my students have been making feathers for a group mural. This idea was inspired by my friend and celebrity in the art community, Cassie Stephens! Head on over to her blog and check
Not sure what to do when your kids hate writing? Here are two quick and easy ways to turn the tides and help them learn to love it!
Learn about Italy with this fun unit study...the food, the music, and so many famous people. Check out the resources below and grab the FREE printable portion.
Hi Friends…. The past two weeks we have been working on Prefixes and Suffixes in our second-grade classroom! My kiddos were having such a good time brainstorming words with prefixes and then figuring out the meaning. They really had a strong grasp of the concept… I was pretty impressed. After our whole … Prefixes, Suffixes and a FREEBIE Just for YOU! Read More »
This is a great unit with my seventh graders. It's easy to start because the kids usually remember something about photosynthesis from elementary school. If not, they already know that plants need sunlight and water. This is not a very long unit. Maybe 2-3 weeks. The goals for this unit are: The students will be able to write the word equations for photosynthesis and respiration Photosynthesis is "sunlight + water + carbon dioxide --> glucose + oxygen." Respiration is "glucose + oxygen --> ATP energy + water + carbon dioxide." The students will identify that photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplast and respiration occurs in the mitochondria. The students will identify that they are reverse/opposite reactions. The students will understand the words "reactant" and "product." The students will use their knowledge of the reactions to answer various questions. Some (not all) of the activities we do for this unit: 1. Acting it out! I have little cut outs from card stock paper (nothing fancy!) and one kid is assigned a role (either a reactant or a product, or the plant). I make up a little narrative and the kids have to listen for their part and come in and "act" it out appropriately. It's just a fun little activity, but it gets the kids up and moving and helps them visualize what's going on. This class actually happened on Halloween this year, which was perfect. None of my kids dressed up for school (sad!) so I told them I had brought their costumes: sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, glucose, oxygen, and a plant. haha. 2. Worksheet practice: Worksheet practice throughout the unit, used in whatever order makes sense for that year and how that group of students is progressing. This is only two of my worksheets. The others ended up as a mix of things from other sources that are not directly mine, so I'm not putting them on here. I know I've got others, but they're probably on my work computer (I'm on my home computer right now). If I find them I'll put them on here, too. (Get the worksheet at the bottom of this page) Worksheet A: Identification WORKSHEET B: Chemical Formulas I use this more for my 8th graders who are working on the periodic table and interpreting chemical formulas. It reinforces what they learned last year and applies their new knowledge to familiar situations. Link for worksheet at the bottom of this page. 3. WALL-E Day! from google image search No, we don't watch the whole movie, although that would be awesome and less planning for me! But there's no time to do that and it would be a waste when a few clips can aid your discussion quite nicely. The kids love this class because we get to watch some of WALL-E and understand that it actually has real science in it! The clips I show (I may or may not show all of them) 1. Opening Scene 2. WALL-E's day at work 3. WALL-E finds a plant 4. WALL-E first date scene (EVE takes the plant) 5. WALL-E in space 6. Human dystopia 7. Directive A113 8. End Credits (I show this so we can talk about what the people are doing and how the earth changes) WORKSHEET FOR WALL-E (link at bottom of page) 4. Yeast Lab: It's hard to tell, but the red balloon is a little bigger. It would be fun to also do a plant lab, but I haven't figured out how to do one of those in our small little country school with limited resources. So yeast lab is how we'll have to do it! The kids love watching the balloons fill up. I use this towards the end of the unit to really push their thinking and application of what they have learned. Deeper level questions like "How can you prove the yeast are doing respiration and not photosynthesis?" (possible answers: we added sugar as a reactant; they're not green, so they don't have chloroplast; etc.) "What is filling up the balloon and how do you know?" (CO2, because it's undergoing respiration). My kids have a harder time with these questions that make them think. It takes more prodding as a teacher to get these SPED kids to that level. We can get there, it just takes longer. LAB WORKSHEET (link at bottom of page) And that's photosynthesis and respiration. We do a lot of group lecture, discussion, and practice. I draw a lot on the board and I have them practice the equations every day. Today was our last day on the unit, but we have two days of review before our cell test (the overall unit), so we'll have some talk on it before the test next week.
The Visual Memory Games included here focus on visual memory and attention. These fun games for the eyes can be made simpler or more complex to match skill levels.
Homeschooling allows us freedom in our schedules. Check out why we follow a 4-day a week homeschool schedule and keep the 5th day free for extras.
FREE personalized name tracing sheet for preschool and kindergarten. Can be edited to include any child's name. Great for kids learning to write their name, as well as kids who need more handwriting practice.
Today we have mix and match puzzles that have 6 adorable characters resulting in 216 different puzzle combinations kids can make with these mix and match
