Actually it has been nearly 2 months since we started lessons. The time has flown by and it is already time to start compiling my first quarter observations.
Last year I typed a progress report each quarter (after about 9 weeks of lessons), and I think I will do that again. I included the topics we'd covered, a critique of our progress, books we'd read, field trips we'd taken, and any other information I'd felt was pertinent to the learning process. I didn't give my son grades, but for each subject area I assigned him a progress label, such as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Progressing. It actually helped me a lot to look back over the work my son had completed, reflect on what we'd done, and decide whether we'd met our educational goals in each subject. I then could use this information to make any necessary changes to our curriculum map.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Last week we went on a field trip to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C. This was a really interesting trip. You get to tour the facilities where they are actually making paper money. We saw them printing $50 and $100 bills. We saw workers loading "paper" into the machines to be printed and the printed sheets into the machines that inspect the money. We saw other workers repairing one of the machines that prints final details onto the bills. We also saw them inspecting the money under special lamps with magnifying glasses.
The tour begins with a video on the entire process of making money, from printing the background color to the money being monetized by the Federal Reserve. You are then joined by your tour guide who takes you along a special corridor that has been constructed for you to walk through and be able to view a portion of the printing and inspection process. Your tour guide explains the process to you and tells you lots of interesting facts, like that they print over $900,000,000 a day at the facility and that most of that money goes toward replacing old, worn money. The tour takes only about 45 minutes. The tour ends at the gift shop. After our tour, we ate lunch at the Department of Agriculture's cafeteria, about two blocks from the BEP tour entrance.
This was an informative and fun field trip. Even the younger children, who might not really understand the concept of money, were interested in watching the machines and the BEP employees. The older children (and adults) learned that making money is a very complicated process. They also learned about the security features that are designed to discourage counterfeiting. (Actually my kids didn't know what counterfeiting was until we went on this trip.) I felt that the tour was a little rushed. At each of the 4 "stops" on the tour you only had a couple of minutes to watch what was going on in the manufacturing process. There were also wall displays along the tour that you didn't have time to look at because you were being rushed along because the next tour was right behind you. Our tour guide was very nice and tried to take time to answer our questions and accomodate us, but the overall tour schedule didn't allow for her to take very much time at any stop along the tour.
We went with our field trip group and reserved a group tour space, but they do have public tours throughout the day. The tour is free. If you are interested in more information visit www.moneyfactory.gov.
The tour begins with a video on the entire process of making money, from printing the background color to the money being monetized by the Federal Reserve. You are then joined by your tour guide who takes you along a special corridor that has been constructed for you to walk through and be able to view a portion of the printing and inspection process. Your tour guide explains the process to you and tells you lots of interesting facts, like that they print over $900,000,000 a day at the facility and that most of that money goes toward replacing old, worn money. The tour takes only about 45 minutes. The tour ends at the gift shop. After our tour, we ate lunch at the Department of Agriculture's cafeteria, about two blocks from the BEP tour entrance.
This was an informative and fun field trip. Even the younger children, who might not really understand the concept of money, were interested in watching the machines and the BEP employees. The older children (and adults) learned that making money is a very complicated process. They also learned about the security features that are designed to discourage counterfeiting. (Actually my kids didn't know what counterfeiting was until we went on this trip.) I felt that the tour was a little rushed. At each of the 4 "stops" on the tour you only had a couple of minutes to watch what was going on in the manufacturing process. There were also wall displays along the tour that you didn't have time to look at because you were being rushed along because the next tour was right behind you. Our tour guide was very nice and tried to take time to answer our questions and accomodate us, but the overall tour schedule didn't allow for her to take very much time at any stop along the tour.
We went with our field trip group and reserved a group tour space, but they do have public tours throughout the day. The tour is free. If you are interested in more information visit www.moneyfactory.gov.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Luray Zoo
Last week we went on a field trip to the zoo in Luray. It is a small rescue zoo. When I was a child, it was a very small reptile zoo with just two rooms. It has now expanded to include outdoor exhibits with many different kinds of animals.
Anything that includes animals is always a big hit with my kids, but we went with our field trip group and all of the children really seemed to enjoy it. Some of the highlights were the baby wallabees, the very active capuchen monkeys, the alligator turtle. (We even saw a copperhead passing an unfertilized egg. Our guide had quite a time explaining that to the 4-9 year olds in our group.)
Being a small zoo, our group was able to interact with the owners, asking questions about animal care and particular animals at the zoo.
One of the important things I think my children came away with is that pets are a responsibility not to be taken lightly. This is a rescue zoo. All of the animals were either exotic pets that were surrendered by their owners or animals that had been hurt and could not be returned to the wild.
Visit www.lurayzoo.com for more information.
Anything that includes animals is always a big hit with my kids, but we went with our field trip group and all of the children really seemed to enjoy it. Some of the highlights were the baby wallabees, the very active capuchen monkeys, the alligator turtle. (We even saw a copperhead passing an unfertilized egg. Our guide had quite a time explaining that to the 4-9 year olds in our group.)
Being a small zoo, our group was able to interact with the owners, asking questions about animal care and particular animals at the zoo.
One of the important things I think my children came away with is that pets are a responsibility not to be taken lightly. This is a rescue zoo. All of the animals were either exotic pets that were surrendered by their owners or animals that had been hurt and could not be returned to the wild.
Visit www.lurayzoo.com for more information.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Reflections on our first week
So, the first week of lessons has come to an end, and I think it would be a good idea to reflect on how things went. Overall it was a good week. My older son (the now fourth grader) got right back into the swing of lessons. My nephew and niece both work very well. It was a little difficult sometimes when everyone needed help or instruction, and noone is doing the same thing.
I would say the biggest problem we encountered was the four year old. He simply refused to do any work or lessons. Each day when I said, "Ok guys it's time to get started," he would tell me what he was going to do. "Mom-mom, I only going to do my calendar today." "Mom-mom, I not do colors now." What am I supposed to do about that? (Seriously, it's not a rhetorical question. I would love suggestions.) So far I just haven't fought it. I don't have time, all the other kids need my time. I let him do puzzles or play with his moon sand, and when a bigger kid has free time they read him stories and can sometimes coax him into singing his ABC's or identifying numbers for them.
I've already encountered my first unplanned interruption, when my husband decided to stay home from work on Friday and take all the boys (my nephew included) camping at Smith Mountain Lake. There went anything I had planned for Friday. The good thing is I hadn't planned anything for Monday because it is a holiday, but we are just going to have to get some work done. My husband will be home, but maybe instead of being a distraction to the boys, he can help me work with each of them individually.
Our homeschool co-op met for the first time this week. We are meeting at a new church, so there were a few snags. But overall I think it went well. I was a little concerned because my older son was moving up a level and his reading skills are not on grade level, but he loved all of his classes. I am teaching Virginia Studies, U.S. Geography, and Spelling. My classes went well, I will have to tweak some things now that I've gotten a feel for the students' abilities and prior knowledge.
I'm excited about next week. We will be going to the Luray Zoo with our field trip group. And, we are starting our Astronomy Unit Study. Now if I can just get the little one to cooperate, it will be wonderful.
I would say the biggest problem we encountered was the four year old. He simply refused to do any work or lessons. Each day when I said, "Ok guys it's time to get started," he would tell me what he was going to do. "Mom-mom, I only going to do my calendar today." "Mom-mom, I not do colors now." What am I supposed to do about that? (Seriously, it's not a rhetorical question. I would love suggestions.) So far I just haven't fought it. I don't have time, all the other kids need my time. I let him do puzzles or play with his moon sand, and when a bigger kid has free time they read him stories and can sometimes coax him into singing his ABC's or identifying numbers for them.
I've already encountered my first unplanned interruption, when my husband decided to stay home from work on Friday and take all the boys (my nephew included) camping at Smith Mountain Lake. There went anything I had planned for Friday. The good thing is I hadn't planned anything for Monday because it is a holiday, but we are just going to have to get some work done. My husband will be home, but maybe instead of being a distraction to the boys, he can help me work with each of them individually.
Our homeschool co-op met for the first time this week. We are meeting at a new church, so there were a few snags. But overall I think it went well. I was a little concerned because my older son was moving up a level and his reading skills are not on grade level, but he loved all of his classes. I am teaching Virginia Studies, U.S. Geography, and Spelling. My classes went well, I will have to tweak some things now that I've gotten a feel for the students' abilities and prior knowledge.
I'm excited about next week. We will be going to the Luray Zoo with our field trip group. And, we are starting our Astronomy Unit Study. Now if I can just get the little one to cooperate, it will be wonderful.
Friday, August 28, 2009
NPS Junior Ranger Program
We are very lucky to live right outside Shenandoah National Park. This summer we've been to Dickey Ridge; and we've hiked to Overall Run Falls and Old Rag Mountain. (All of the kids, even the 4 year old, made it to the summit!)
Earlier this year we found out about the National Park Service's program called Junior Rangers. It is offered at most national parks. Children can complete a booklet of activities and participate in ranger-led programs in order to earn a badge or patch. (There is a nominal fee to cover printing costs at some of the parks.) Each park has their own unique patch. Shenandoah National Park's Junior Ranger program is by far the most time-intensive one we've done this summer. In order to earn your SNP patch you have to complete 12 activities in the booklet and attend 2 ranger-led activities. My son has earned a patch from Yorktown National Battlefield and a badge from Petersburg National Battlefield.
I think it is a great program. It encourages children to think about why it is important to protect our natural and historic places for the future. The program also gives the kids some focus as they tour the wonderful sites made available through National Park Service. If you are planning a visit to a national park and intend to do their Junior Ranger program, make sure to get your Junior Ranger materials early in the day to ensure you have ample time to complete the activities. To find out if the park you are visiting offers a Junior Ranger program, visit the National Park Service's website at www.nps.gov.
If you are unable to visit a national park, but your child would still be interested in participating in something similar to the Junior Ranger program, you can visit www.webrangers.us.
Earlier this year we found out about the National Park Service's program called Junior Rangers. It is offered at most national parks. Children can complete a booklet of activities and participate in ranger-led programs in order to earn a badge or patch. (There is a nominal fee to cover printing costs at some of the parks.) Each park has their own unique patch. Shenandoah National Park's Junior Ranger program is by far the most time-intensive one we've done this summer. In order to earn your SNP patch you have to complete 12 activities in the booklet and attend 2 ranger-led activities. My son has earned a patch from Yorktown National Battlefield and a badge from Petersburg National Battlefield.
I think it is a great program. It encourages children to think about why it is important to protect our natural and historic places for the future. The program also gives the kids some focus as they tour the wonderful sites made available through National Park Service. If you are planning a visit to a national park and intend to do their Junior Ranger program, make sure to get your Junior Ranger materials early in the day to ensure you have ample time to complete the activities. To find out if the park you are visiting offers a Junior Ranger program, visit the National Park Service's website at www.nps.gov.
If you are unable to visit a national park, but your child would still be interested in participating in something similar to the Junior Ranger program, you can visit www.webrangers.us.
Monday Is the Big Day
Not that we haven't been learning all summer long, but Monday is the day when we start our Fall School Schedule. No more last minute obligations--I hope my family is reading this. (It's not that I mind helping them in any way. I just need advanced notice so I can make sure I've planned the boys' lesson time accordingly.)
As I said before I think the schedule is going to be key to me keeping my sanity, especially on those days I have 4 kids all doing somewhat different things. I'm not too attached to the schedule yet. I figure the first 2 weeks will be a trial run, and it will definitely need to be tweeked.
Soccer practice and co-op start next week. And the following week dance class and music lessons start. It's always a new adventure and I'm ready (I think).
As I said before I think the schedule is going to be key to me keeping my sanity, especially on those days I have 4 kids all doing somewhat different things. I'm not too attached to the schedule yet. I figure the first 2 weeks will be a trial run, and it will definitely need to be tweeked.
Soccer practice and co-op start next week. And the following week dance class and music lessons start. It's always a new adventure and I'm ready (I think).
Monday, August 17, 2009
Where Has the Time Gone?
As I try to organize my supplies and my space to prepare for a new school year, I am struck by how fast the summer has flown by. It seems we were just scrambling to finish up third grade material and take tests; and, here it is almost time to start again.
We are expecting a big change this year. My sister is going back to school to complete a nursing degree and her children will be staying with me Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I won't have them all day everyday, but enough that I will need to keep up with some of their work too. It just makes it even more pressing for me to be more organized this year.
For social studies and science I am going to try to do Unit Studies. My neice and nephew are both close in age to my oldest son, so I think they will all be able to work on the same (or similar) material. Our first unit study is an Astronomy Unit. I'm developing it myself. I've purused several different companies' Unit Studies. Some were very in depth and/or kind of complicated, I thought. Others were extremely simplistic. I'm going to try to find a middle ground. I have developed an outline of what I think we need to cover and some activities to include. But, I don't want to be too rigid. I want to be able to expand as the kids' interest is piqued. And some things might need to be skimmed over if they aren't as interesting or dropped altogether if they are too complicated.
For language arts we are going to do Literature Studies. I actually purchased a book on this, because it is completely new to me. I'm hoping since grammar is taught in the context of the selections being studied, it might not be as boring as what I was doing last year. I am not using the spelling from the Literature Studies. Because my oldest had such a problem learning to read he still needs a very phonetically structured spelling approach, which does not describe the Literature Studies spelling at all.
Back to my original thought...we've had a wonderful, fun-filled summer. We went to the beach. We visited Yorktown and the Petersburg Battlefield. We visited family. We went on hikes. We swam at the pool. We've tended a vegetable garden that has provided (and still is providing) us with abundant zuccini and tomatoes! We've played with friends and done many other fun things. They say time flies when you're having fun--I guess that's true.
We are expecting a big change this year. My sister is going back to school to complete a nursing degree and her children will be staying with me Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I won't have them all day everyday, but enough that I will need to keep up with some of their work too. It just makes it even more pressing for me to be more organized this year.
For social studies and science I am going to try to do Unit Studies. My neice and nephew are both close in age to my oldest son, so I think they will all be able to work on the same (or similar) material. Our first unit study is an Astronomy Unit. I'm developing it myself. I've purused several different companies' Unit Studies. Some were very in depth and/or kind of complicated, I thought. Others were extremely simplistic. I'm going to try to find a middle ground. I have developed an outline of what I think we need to cover and some activities to include. But, I don't want to be too rigid. I want to be able to expand as the kids' interest is piqued. And some things might need to be skimmed over if they aren't as interesting or dropped altogether if they are too complicated.
For language arts we are going to do Literature Studies. I actually purchased a book on this, because it is completely new to me. I'm hoping since grammar is taught in the context of the selections being studied, it might not be as boring as what I was doing last year. I am not using the spelling from the Literature Studies. Because my oldest had such a problem learning to read he still needs a very phonetically structured spelling approach, which does not describe the Literature Studies spelling at all.
Back to my original thought...we've had a wonderful, fun-filled summer. We went to the beach. We visited Yorktown and the Petersburg Battlefield. We visited family. We went on hikes. We swam at the pool. We've tended a vegetable garden that has provided (and still is providing) us with abundant zuccini and tomatoes! We've played with friends and done many other fun things. They say time flies when you're having fun--I guess that's true.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
Today we went to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley for our field trip group (although my sister, our kids and I were the only ones who went). The museum is located in Winchester, VA. The museum complex includes the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, the 6-acre gardens, and Glen Burnie Historic House. We toured the museum and the gardens today.
The Shenandoah Valley Gallery shows a history of the valley from Paleo-Indians to the 1930's. It is very interactive. There are computers and video monitors where children can listen to traditional music or learn about early settlers. There are activities related to the German heritage and history of slavery in the Valley. All of the kids really got into the Scavenger Hunt. It was not very complicated. It could be completed by simply reading the titles for each of the displays or paintings. My oldest son actually said his favorite part of the museum of the Portrait Gallery in the Julian Wood Glass, Jr. Gallery. Currently they have an exhibit of O. Winston Link's railroad photography. My kids are train enthusiasts, so this was very popular with them too.
The gardens were beautiful. I think the kids liked the Asian garden the best. There is a water garden, rose gardens, a vegetable garden, and more. There was a garden Scavenger Hunt, which focused on the abundant statuary throughout the gardens.
When we left one of the older boys said that was a great field trip. Everyone was able to tell me at least one new thing they had learned. Some were about portrait painting, others were focused on the settlers having to make their furniture. The museum staff also gave me a pamphlet for the kids called "War Comes to the Valley," about the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley. We didn't visit the Civil War Room in the museum, but the booklet is something we could read at home.
We took about 1 1/2 hours to tour the museum and 1 hour to tour the garden.
For more information about the museum, gardens or about Glen Burnie visit the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley's website at http://www.shenandoahmuseum.org/.
The Shenandoah Valley Gallery shows a history of the valley from Paleo-Indians to the 1930's. It is very interactive. There are computers and video monitors where children can listen to traditional music or learn about early settlers. There are activities related to the German heritage and history of slavery in the Valley. All of the kids really got into the Scavenger Hunt. It was not very complicated. It could be completed by simply reading the titles for each of the displays or paintings. My oldest son actually said his favorite part of the museum of the Portrait Gallery in the Julian Wood Glass, Jr. Gallery. Currently they have an exhibit of O. Winston Link's railroad photography. My kids are train enthusiasts, so this was very popular with them too.
The gardens were beautiful. I think the kids liked the Asian garden the best. There is a water garden, rose gardens, a vegetable garden, and more. There was a garden Scavenger Hunt, which focused on the abundant statuary throughout the gardens.
When we left one of the older boys said that was a great field trip. Everyone was able to tell me at least one new thing they had learned. Some were about portrait painting, others were focused on the settlers having to make their furniture. The museum staff also gave me a pamphlet for the kids called "War Comes to the Valley," about the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley. We didn't visit the Civil War Room in the museum, but the booklet is something we could read at home.
We took about 1 1/2 hours to tour the museum and 1 hour to tour the garden.
For more information about the museum, gardens or about Glen Burnie visit the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley's website at http://www.shenandoahmuseum.org/.
Fort Raleigh
A few weeks ago, while in vacation, we went to Fort Raleigh in Manteo, North Carolina. We went late in the day, and did not participate in any of the ranger led tours or activities. Although Jamestown is the first permanent English colony in the Americas, Fort Raleigh was the English's first attempt. In 1586 the group of colonists lead by John White set out for Virginia. When the colonists arrived in the New World, they were forced to stop at Fort Raleigh, previously a base for privateering. Governor White was forced to return to England for supplies and once he arrived in England he was not able to return to his colony until 1590 because of war with Spain. When he did return, the settlement had been completely abandoned. The only clue was the word "CROATOAN" carved in a tree. The colonists were never found.
There is a small visitor's center with displays about artifacts found at the site, tools, Native Americans, and depictions of the Native Americans by Thomas Hariot, the scientist and chronicler of the ill-fated voyage. There is a reconstructed moat, earthen wall and palisade, like White found when he returned to Fort Raleigh in 1590. There are trails through the woods, with markers that identify many of the flora and how the Natives and early European settlers used the plants for food, medicine, and building materials. Many of the markers include first-hand accounts of how profitable harvesting the lumber of the region could be.
The boys probably enjoyed the nature trail the best. They would run from one sign to the next. Luckily the markers didn't include lengthy text. My 9-year old thought it was interesting to see the way they used to spell (like "f" being used for "s"). They liked the fort, but were disappointed they couldn't climb on it. My husband and the boys did have fun plotting how they would be able to sneak over the moat, earthen wall and palisades. We talked about what could have happened to the colonists.
Located on the Fort Raleigh complex are the Elizabethan Gardens. The boys and I have gone several years in a row. We love it. There are many beautiful flowers to see. It is a mature garden with wonderful large trees. One big oak tree, that is 300 years old, has a hole in its trunk that was patched with bricks. There is a fountain in the sunken garden and a gazebo overlooking Roanoke Sound where the boys like to take a rest. A beautiful statue of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the New World and White's granddaughter born just before he returned to England for supplies, is tucked in the beautiful foliage. Last year, my oldest son, got a houseplant as his souvenir. It is some kind of geranium, and it is still living.
The Waterside Theatre, where the play Lost Colony is produced each summer, is also located on the complex. The play tells a fictional story (based on first-hand accounts of those who visited the colony before and after its disappearance) of those first colonists. We haven't gone to the play. I wanted to go this year, but decided it might not be a good idea to take my four year old. I think next year he will be able to sit still for two hours and not be distressed by it.
The Elizabethan Gardens and Waterside Theatre are not managed by the National Park service. There are separate fees associated with attending the play and visiting the gardens. If you are in the Outer Banks area, I would highly suggest visiting Fort Raleigh.
Visit the National Park website at www.nps.gov. Here you can find links to all the national parks and national historic sites throughout the country.
There is a small visitor's center with displays about artifacts found at the site, tools, Native Americans, and depictions of the Native Americans by Thomas Hariot, the scientist and chronicler of the ill-fated voyage. There is a reconstructed moat, earthen wall and palisade, like White found when he returned to Fort Raleigh in 1590. There are trails through the woods, with markers that identify many of the flora and how the Natives and early European settlers used the plants for food, medicine, and building materials. Many of the markers include first-hand accounts of how profitable harvesting the lumber of the region could be.
The boys probably enjoyed the nature trail the best. They would run from one sign to the next. Luckily the markers didn't include lengthy text. My 9-year old thought it was interesting to see the way they used to spell (like "f" being used for "s"). They liked the fort, but were disappointed they couldn't climb on it. My husband and the boys did have fun plotting how they would be able to sneak over the moat, earthen wall and palisades. We talked about what could have happened to the colonists.
Located on the Fort Raleigh complex are the Elizabethan Gardens. The boys and I have gone several years in a row. We love it. There are many beautiful flowers to see. It is a mature garden with wonderful large trees. One big oak tree, that is 300 years old, has a hole in its trunk that was patched with bricks. There is a fountain in the sunken garden and a gazebo overlooking Roanoke Sound where the boys like to take a rest. A beautiful statue of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the New World and White's granddaughter born just before he returned to England for supplies, is tucked in the beautiful foliage. Last year, my oldest son, got a houseplant as his souvenir. It is some kind of geranium, and it is still living.
The Waterside Theatre, where the play Lost Colony is produced each summer, is also located on the complex. The play tells a fictional story (based on first-hand accounts of those who visited the colony before and after its disappearance) of those first colonists. We haven't gone to the play. I wanted to go this year, but decided it might not be a good idea to take my four year old. I think next year he will be able to sit still for two hours and not be distressed by it.
The Elizabethan Gardens and Waterside Theatre are not managed by the National Park service. There are separate fees associated with attending the play and visiting the gardens. If you are in the Outer Banks area, I would highly suggest visiting Fort Raleigh.
Visit the National Park website at www.nps.gov. Here you can find links to all the national parks and national historic sites throughout the country.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Preventing Summertime Brain Drain
Well, summer is flying by and I haven't been keeping up with this project. I can't believe it is July already!
It is important for children to have some review through the summer. As a former teacher I can tell you that when the students returned to school in August, it was like they had lost a grade's worth of material through the summer. You always spent September, and sometimes part of October, reviewing material they should have already known. Since I homeschool a struggling learner, it is especially important that we try to keep what he learned for third grade fresh in his mind.
I purchased a Grade 3-4 "bridge"-book, a workbook that reviews concepts from the previous grade in preparation for the next grade. The one we have is published by Evan Moor. I like the books by this publisher. I'd used some of their materials when I was teaching in second grade. They can be great supplements to use in your lessons. The activities in the book are very short (15-20 minutes a day) and provide means for the child to self-monitor independent reading and to reflect on what they might have learned throughout the week. Each week's activities cover topics in reading comprehension, grammar, handwriting, math, problem solving, and geography.
I've also been encouraging my husband to randomly quiz both the boys on things that they learned last year. We try to not make it obtrusive. If we are at a store or read about something in a book that relates to something they've learned, then my husband or I will ask them a question about it. The little one is learning colors, shapes, numbers, and letters. He loves to tell you he knows the letters or numbers on signs. Our older son likes to show what he knows too. So a single question about why the town might have erected that statue in front of the courthouse could lead to him telling you all about U.S. military history.
We are still going on field trips. They are a bit more informal than those we went on during the "school year." Instead of having a formal lesson and writing reflections about what was learned, I might read them a story or talk to them about what they might see or learn and then after the trip I encourage them to tell me about their favorite part and something that they learned on the field trip. The boys still have a great time and learn a lot from each trip.
Games are great. My oldest son loves to play board games. Kids actually learn a lot from games.
Even if you don't purchase a workbook or do mini-lessons with your child, just interacting with your children. Encouraging them to help you figure amounts at the grocery store, to talk to you about prior knowledge before reading a book or what they read about in the book, to play games as a family. All of the these things can foster those connections in the brain that keep the essential knowledge from getting buried deep in their brains. So, instead of spending a month or more reviewing, you can delve right into new, exciting material when you start lessons in the fall.
It is important for children to have some review through the summer. As a former teacher I can tell you that when the students returned to school in August, it was like they had lost a grade's worth of material through the summer. You always spent September, and sometimes part of October, reviewing material they should have already known. Since I homeschool a struggling learner, it is especially important that we try to keep what he learned for third grade fresh in his mind.
I purchased a Grade 3-4 "bridge"-book, a workbook that reviews concepts from the previous grade in preparation for the next grade. The one we have is published by Evan Moor. I like the books by this publisher. I'd used some of their materials when I was teaching in second grade. They can be great supplements to use in your lessons. The activities in the book are very short (15-20 minutes a day) and provide means for the child to self-monitor independent reading and to reflect on what they might have learned throughout the week. Each week's activities cover topics in reading comprehension, grammar, handwriting, math, problem solving, and geography.
I've also been encouraging my husband to randomly quiz both the boys on things that they learned last year. We try to not make it obtrusive. If we are at a store or read about something in a book that relates to something they've learned, then my husband or I will ask them a question about it. The little one is learning colors, shapes, numbers, and letters. He loves to tell you he knows the letters or numbers on signs. Our older son likes to show what he knows too. So a single question about why the town might have erected that statue in front of the courthouse could lead to him telling you all about U.S. military history.
We are still going on field trips. They are a bit more informal than those we went on during the "school year." Instead of having a formal lesson and writing reflections about what was learned, I might read them a story or talk to them about what they might see or learn and then after the trip I encourage them to tell me about their favorite part and something that they learned on the field trip. The boys still have a great time and learn a lot from each trip.
Games are great. My oldest son loves to play board games. Kids actually learn a lot from games.
Even if you don't purchase a workbook or do mini-lessons with your child, just interacting with your children. Encouraging them to help you figure amounts at the grocery store, to talk to you about prior knowledge before reading a book or what they read about in the book, to play games as a family. All of the these things can foster those connections in the brain that keep the essential knowledge from getting buried deep in their brains. So, instead of spending a month or more reviewing, you can delve right into new, exciting material when you start lessons in the fall.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Bug Box
This week we went to the Bug Box, a small insect museum, in Fredericksburg with our field trip group. The field trip was a hit with the kids and adults.
The museum is pretty small. It consists of about 1 1/2 rooms of displays organized into three sections--desert, forest, and aquatic habitats. Since our group was small (just 6 children this time) the kids got to help feed the lizards and turtles that are part of the exhibits.
As part of our educational program the kids got to touch a tarantula and hold Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches. Now my oldest is saving his allowance to buy cockroaches and supplies for their terrarium. (At least he's not asking to get a bird for the moment. I'm super scared of birds!) The program focused on insects being an integral part of ecosystems that humans need to respect.
After our museum visit, we went to Loriella Park just outside of Fredericksburg. That was great. There was a play structure, but the real highlight was the paths through the woods. They boys started off searching for cockroaches. They found centipedes, beetles, a turtle, a salamander, mushrooms, lichens--no cockroaches, though. A small stream runs across the path we took and the paths were steep. Some of our party didn't have very good shoes for hiking through the mud and loose dirt (something to keep in mind for next time). There is also a path through a meadow, but we didn't have time to explore that option.
My boys and I enjoyed the trip. The only problem was the lack of follow through in our group. The cost to just tour the exhibits at the Bug Box is $2 per person or you can pay a flat fee to have an educational program for up to 25 people. I arranged for the educational program because all but one family in our group originally said they liked the idea of going. In the end only three families attended the field trip; there were only 10 of us in the entire group. The presentation was good, but with so few of the field trip group families participating it ended up being rather costly for those of us who did attend.
www.bugbox.net
The museum is pretty small. It consists of about 1 1/2 rooms of displays organized into three sections--desert, forest, and aquatic habitats. Since our group was small (just 6 children this time) the kids got to help feed the lizards and turtles that are part of the exhibits.
As part of our educational program the kids got to touch a tarantula and hold Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches. Now my oldest is saving his allowance to buy cockroaches and supplies for their terrarium. (At least he's not asking to get a bird for the moment. I'm super scared of birds!) The program focused on insects being an integral part of ecosystems that humans need to respect.
After our museum visit, we went to Loriella Park just outside of Fredericksburg. That was great. There was a play structure, but the real highlight was the paths through the woods. They boys started off searching for cockroaches. They found centipedes, beetles, a turtle, a salamander, mushrooms, lichens--no cockroaches, though. A small stream runs across the path we took and the paths were steep. Some of our party didn't have very good shoes for hiking through the mud and loose dirt (something to keep in mind for next time). There is also a path through a meadow, but we didn't have time to explore that option.
My boys and I enjoyed the trip. The only problem was the lack of follow through in our group. The cost to just tour the exhibits at the Bug Box is $2 per person or you can pay a flat fee to have an educational program for up to 25 people. I arranged for the educational program because all but one family in our group originally said they liked the idea of going. In the end only three families attended the field trip; there were only 10 of us in the entire group. The presentation was good, but with so few of the field trip group families participating it ended up being rather costly for those of us who did attend.
www.bugbox.net
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Reflections on Our First Year Homeschooling
My third grader just completed his "progress" test required by the state. And, now I feel like it is time to reflect on how our first year has gone.
First I want to say that I am so glad I decided to homeschool. It isn't always easy. There have definitely been days when I think, "What in the world am I doing? Why did I leave my job to stay home with these ungrateful children? " But those days have become fewer and farther between as the year has progressed. And, when I reflected on it, I realized my children aren't ungrateful--they are children. I also realized that my thoughts were actually selfish and unkind. Everyday I get to see them growing and discovering new things about themselves and about the world around them. I've concluded that I am truly lucky to have this opportunity!
I definitely feel like I need to be more organized. As I am going through his paperwork, trying to make sure I have a portfolio with a good representation of materials that show what we've done this year, I keep finding stuff that I'd wanted to do, but didn't get around to doing. I think the reason for this is wasn't lack of time--it was my lack of organization.
Another thing I would like to do next year is more cross-curricular projects. (Any ideas, let me know!) One of his weak areas is capitalization and punctuation. I hope that I can incorporate some fun writing activities into the cross-curricular units. And try to teach grammar and usage in an applied manner. He seems to be really turned off by traditional grammar lessons, so I definitely need to find a different way to teach this.
For math this year I relied a lot on worksheets. Next year I am going to use a math text book. Toward the end of the year I found a really old math text and started using it to do some review assignments. Copying the problems from the book and then solving them actually seemed to help him pay attention to the signs and how the numbers line up. (I used to do a lot of math tutoring and even taught math for a little while. I am a stickler for neatness in math!)
Another big change for next year is how I handle my younger son's schooling. Last year he was 3 for most of the year, so we did stuff when he was interested. I wasn't very structured with what he was doing. Next year he will actually be 4 (pre-school age). I want to organize lessons for him, while respecting that he is still a little boy. I think he is ready to begin more structured lessons. About a week before he turned 4, he told me, "When I turn 4 I will do school like brubber."
I truly believe that kids are natural learners. They will absorb stuff they find interesting like sponges. As I am making plans for next year I want to remember that one of the reasons I decided to homeschool is as a teacher and a parent I saw daily how traditional school turns kids off from learning. I did not want my eager, inquisitive young children to become the apathetic, indolent students I taught in high school. So, I will try to be careful as I (with my adult mentality and perceptions) look at activities and lesson ideas and think well that is "very interesting (to me)." I will also think is it fun, can I make it fun for the boys, is there a more engaging way I can do this with the boys.
First I want to say that I am so glad I decided to homeschool. It isn't always easy. There have definitely been days when I think, "What in the world am I doing? Why did I leave my job to stay home with these ungrateful children? " But those days have become fewer and farther between as the year has progressed. And, when I reflected on it, I realized my children aren't ungrateful--they are children. I also realized that my thoughts were actually selfish and unkind. Everyday I get to see them growing and discovering new things about themselves and about the world around them. I've concluded that I am truly lucky to have this opportunity!
I definitely feel like I need to be more organized. As I am going through his paperwork, trying to make sure I have a portfolio with a good representation of materials that show what we've done this year, I keep finding stuff that I'd wanted to do, but didn't get around to doing. I think the reason for this is wasn't lack of time--it was my lack of organization.
Another thing I would like to do next year is more cross-curricular projects. (Any ideas, let me know!) One of his weak areas is capitalization and punctuation. I hope that I can incorporate some fun writing activities into the cross-curricular units. And try to teach grammar and usage in an applied manner. He seems to be really turned off by traditional grammar lessons, so I definitely need to find a different way to teach this.
For math this year I relied a lot on worksheets. Next year I am going to use a math text book. Toward the end of the year I found a really old math text and started using it to do some review assignments. Copying the problems from the book and then solving them actually seemed to help him pay attention to the signs and how the numbers line up. (I used to do a lot of math tutoring and even taught math for a little while. I am a stickler for neatness in math!)
Another big change for next year is how I handle my younger son's schooling. Last year he was 3 for most of the year, so we did stuff when he was interested. I wasn't very structured with what he was doing. Next year he will actually be 4 (pre-school age). I want to organize lessons for him, while respecting that he is still a little boy. I think he is ready to begin more structured lessons. About a week before he turned 4, he told me, "When I turn 4 I will do school like brubber."
I truly believe that kids are natural learners. They will absorb stuff they find interesting like sponges. As I am making plans for next year I want to remember that one of the reasons I decided to homeschool is as a teacher and a parent I saw daily how traditional school turns kids off from learning. I did not want my eager, inquisitive young children to become the apathetic, indolent students I taught in high school. So, I will try to be careful as I (with my adult mentality and perceptions) look at activities and lesson ideas and think well that is "very interesting (to me)." I will also think is it fun, can I make it fun for the boys, is there a more engaging way I can do this with the boys.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Hawksbill Greenway
Today we loaded up the bikes and went to a wonderful park in Luray, VA. It is called the Hawksbill Greenway. It runs along Hawksbill Creek in Luray. We met some of the families from our field trip group there. We rode bikes around the first loop. (There is a cow pasture in the middle of the loop, which was neat. Right now there are a few calves. But, no touching. The enclosure is surrounded by an electric fence.) Everyone walked along the creek and looked at the signs that showed the water level was high because of all the rain we'd had lately. One of the boys had brought a net and the kids took turns dipping the net in the creek. They even caught a little fish, which they did release. The kids collected caterpillars off the paths (so noone would step on them). We looked at gypsy moth nests and talked about how destructive some types of insects can be. Even a fun time at the park can be educational. But just as important, we all got to exercize.
Exercise!
When my son was in public school, I was concerned and frustrated by the lack of physical activity the children received. With all the media attention given to childhood obesity in the United States, you would think schools (where the majority of children spend the greater part of the daylight hours) would be doing more to get children physically active. Yes, reading and math are important, but you aren't going to develop diabetes or heart disease if you don't do them for hours on end 5 days a week. Where as lack of physical activity does lead to major health problems that will follow you through the rest of your life.
Children also need to release energy. To have children (especially boys) sitting in desks for hours really isn't natural. However, elementary classes have gone from having physical education class every school day to only having p.e. 2-3 times each week. (It saves the school system from having to pay for multiple p.e. teachers.) In addition recess is given at the teachers' discretion. Teacher has to get paperwork done, students need to review material for an upcoming standardized test, then no outdoor recess.
Ok, now that I've had my rant. One thing I love about homeschooling is the amount of time we can spend outside, being active (or not)! We have science lessons outside, where the kids can really experience the things we've read about in books. We do social studies demonstrations. We spread out on the patio to do big, messy art projects. We can just sit outside and read. It is great!
In addition to playing, we also participate in sports. My oldest son plays soccer with the local soccer association. He plays in the spring and fall. My sister (who also homeschools her two children) takes her kids to an informal soccer clinic for homeschoolers once a week. My oldest son also takes karate classes. (J has been doing soccer and karate since he was 5. E is eagerly awaiting the time when he will be old enough to join "brubber.")
Children also need to release energy. To have children (especially boys) sitting in desks for hours really isn't natural. However, elementary classes have gone from having physical education class every school day to only having p.e. 2-3 times each week. (It saves the school system from having to pay for multiple p.e. teachers.) In addition recess is given at the teachers' discretion. Teacher has to get paperwork done, students need to review material for an upcoming standardized test, then no outdoor recess.
Ok, now that I've had my rant. One thing I love about homeschooling is the amount of time we can spend outside, being active (or not)! We have science lessons outside, where the kids can really experience the things we've read about in books. We do social studies demonstrations. We spread out on the patio to do big, messy art projects. We can just sit outside and read. It is great!
In addition to playing, we also participate in sports. My oldest son plays soccer with the local soccer association. He plays in the spring and fall. My sister (who also homeschools her two children) takes her kids to an informal soccer clinic for homeschoolers once a week. My oldest son also takes karate classes. (J has been doing soccer and karate since he was 5. E is eagerly awaiting the time when he will be old enough to join "brubber.")
Thursday, April 30, 2009
National Museum of the American Indian
Our field trip group went to the National Museum of the American Indian yesterday. Opened in 2004, this museum "features the lifeways, history, and art of Native Americans throughout the Western Hemisphere." (I took that description from the museum's "General Information" brochure.) They have a "Family Guide" available at the Welcome Desk, that is pretty good. It includes some activities and "blurbs" for parents to read to the children to get them engaged with some of the displays in the three main exhibit areas. (We didn't actually acquire the "Family Guide" until we were preparing to leave the museum, but I was still able to use it as a discussion starter to reflect on the things we had seen and learned during our visit to the museum.)
We took the Metro, which is an exciting adventure itself, especially for the little ones, to the Smithsonian stop. We ate lunch in the museum's cafe. Most of the group had packed lunches, but the weather wasn't very nice, so we had to eat indoors. A couple of members of the group got native cuisine from the cafe.
My kids and I like the exhibits on the fourth floor the best. This is where you find the "Our Universe" exhibit with displays on Native American myth and belief systems. Everyone liked the story screens, where they could listen to native myths, see the illustrations on the screen and speculate which stars in the sky (on the ceiling) were the ones from the story. They also liked the short film that featured two of the artists that had created pieces for that exhibit. Also on the fourth floor you find the "Our Peoples" exhibit. This features displays on Native American history. The boys seem drawn to the exhibit on the role of guns in Native American history. They also like the display of gold objects. I noticed the corn included among the gold artifacts, and tried to point out to the older kids that corn was just as important as gold to the lives of the indigenous peoples.
We also visited the "Our Lives" exhibit on the third floor. I liked the display areas for each of the ethnic groups or tribes. We spent a little time checking out the Pamunkey display, since that is a reservation in Virginia. Of course the kids liked the Bombadier, the ice fishing vehicle. Once we had wandered around the "Our Lives" exhibit, it was time to start back to the Metro. (We did stop by the Roanoke Museum Store on the second floor. Where my younger son had a melt down over a toy flute.)
The children seem to like the displays with the screens and pull out drawers in the landing area of the third and fourth floors. I think they like that they can pick their favorite piece in the display and then inspect it more closely by choosing it on the screen. They also seem to like all the television screens in the "Our Lives" exhibit that show Native Americans talking about their way of life or Native Americans participating in dances or festivals.
We had alot of fun and will probably try to go back when we have more time to spend at the museum. We spent about 2 1/2 hours at the museum, which includes the time we spent eating lunch at the cafe. I wish we'd been able to stay at least one more hour.
Visit www.AmericanIndian.si.edu for more information about the National Museum of the American Indian.
We took the Metro, which is an exciting adventure itself, especially for the little ones, to the Smithsonian stop. We ate lunch in the museum's cafe. Most of the group had packed lunches, but the weather wasn't very nice, so we had to eat indoors. A couple of members of the group got native cuisine from the cafe.
My kids and I like the exhibits on the fourth floor the best. This is where you find the "Our Universe" exhibit with displays on Native American myth and belief systems. Everyone liked the story screens, where they could listen to native myths, see the illustrations on the screen and speculate which stars in the sky (on the ceiling) were the ones from the story. They also liked the short film that featured two of the artists that had created pieces for that exhibit. Also on the fourth floor you find the "Our Peoples" exhibit. This features displays on Native American history. The boys seem drawn to the exhibit on the role of guns in Native American history. They also like the display of gold objects. I noticed the corn included among the gold artifacts, and tried to point out to the older kids that corn was just as important as gold to the lives of the indigenous peoples.
We also visited the "Our Lives" exhibit on the third floor. I liked the display areas for each of the ethnic groups or tribes. We spent a little time checking out the Pamunkey display, since that is a reservation in Virginia. Of course the kids liked the Bombadier, the ice fishing vehicle. Once we had wandered around the "Our Lives" exhibit, it was time to start back to the Metro. (We did stop by the Roanoke Museum Store on the second floor. Where my younger son had a melt down over a toy flute.)
The children seem to like the displays with the screens and pull out drawers in the landing area of the third and fourth floors. I think they like that they can pick their favorite piece in the display and then inspect it more closely by choosing it on the screen. They also seem to like all the television screens in the "Our Lives" exhibit that show Native Americans talking about their way of life or Native Americans participating in dances or festivals.
We had alot of fun and will probably try to go back when we have more time to spend at the museum. We spent about 2 1/2 hours at the museum, which includes the time we spent eating lunch at the cafe. I wish we'd been able to stay at least one more hour.
Visit www.AmericanIndian.si.edu for more information about the National Museum of the American Indian.
Last Day of Co-op, Drama Performances
Today was our last day of KDOC (until September). In some ways it is a good thing. We will have an extra day each week to review material for the yearly progress test. Recently it has also seemed like some of the members of co-op are getting "burned-out." But both of my boys enjoyed co-op each week, and will miss it during the summer.
An indicator that there was burn-out is that at the end of the fall semester every class did some kind of presentation, but today the only class presentations were the drama performances. But this is what it is like at schools too. Warm weather seems to make everyone want to abandon indoor and organized activities.
The performances were very good, considering the time constraints, ages of the children involved, and the difficulty of some of the plays. The oldest group (9-11 year olds), which happened to consist of only boys, wrote their own play. I was pretty impressed. It had all the elements a play written by 11 year old boys should have--aliens, army guys, battles, volcanoes, and a magical sphere that is the key to defeating the alien alliance.
The middle and lower level classes performed plays their instructor assigned. The lower level's play was pretty involved for 5-6 year olds, but it was a large group in which everyone wanted a part. The middle level did not have as many performers and some children weren't as keen to perform as others. Another snag was the middle level had 2 performers that couldn't make it because of illness (and unfortunately one of them had a rather important part). In the lower level 1 performer was missing. The children really liked working on their play. Even my son, who hates being the center of attention, liked having a small role as a raccoon in the middle level play.
An indicator that there was burn-out is that at the end of the fall semester every class did some kind of presentation, but today the only class presentations were the drama performances. But this is what it is like at schools too. Warm weather seems to make everyone want to abandon indoor and organized activities.
The performances were very good, considering the time constraints, ages of the children involved, and the difficulty of some of the plays. The oldest group (9-11 year olds), which happened to consist of only boys, wrote their own play. I was pretty impressed. It had all the elements a play written by 11 year old boys should have--aliens, army guys, battles, volcanoes, and a magical sphere that is the key to defeating the alien alliance.
The middle and lower level classes performed plays their instructor assigned. The lower level's play was pretty involved for 5-6 year olds, but it was a large group in which everyone wanted a part. The middle level did not have as many performers and some children weren't as keen to perform as others. Another snag was the middle level had 2 performers that couldn't make it because of illness (and unfortunately one of them had a rather important part). In the lower level 1 performer was missing. The children really liked working on their play. Even my son, who hates being the center of attention, liked having a small role as a raccoon in the middle level play.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Need Writing Motivation
One problem I've come across in homeschooling (and in traditional schooling) is how to motivate kids to want to learn and to practice what they've learned. I can tell my son that it is important to learn to do something, but he's 9. Sometimes he just doesn't see the importance of sentence structure and that the way words or punctuation are placed in a sentence can affect the meaning of a sentence. And, I can not resort to the wonderful parent argument, "Because I told you so." I am committed to raising a "thinker." I'm always stressing to him I don't want him to ever think something has to be true or the only way just because it's on t.v., or in the newspaper, or because an adult (or other authority figure) said so. To my mother's consternation, I explain to him why I need him to do things.
From my above example, you can probably tell that one of our biggest struggles is with writing. Writing is important. Learning to write properly is important. But, all the examples I've come up with to illustrate the importance of learning correct grammar just aren't really important to a 9 year old.
I have found that I can motivate him with "writing contests." (I've also had luck with letter writing, but I'll share about that in a later post.) He will write poetry, stories, essays--if it is for a contest. So far he has submitted things to a magazine that he subscribes to and to a PBS contest. But, I just discovered (through a homeschool e-newsletter) this website that provides a list of writing contests for students with links to the contest's webpage. I told my son about one of next month's contests and he actually seemed excited about writing a submission! Woah! He didn't even ask, "What can you win?"
There is also a related site that provides links for math contests. I'll provide the links to the contest list pages below. Have fun and good luck!
http://homeschoolwriters.com/chart.aspx
http://homeschoolmathcontests.com/default.aspx
From my above example, you can probably tell that one of our biggest struggles is with writing. Writing is important. Learning to write properly is important. But, all the examples I've come up with to illustrate the importance of learning correct grammar just aren't really important to a 9 year old.
I have found that I can motivate him with "writing contests." (I've also had luck with letter writing, but I'll share about that in a later post.) He will write poetry, stories, essays--if it is for a contest. So far he has submitted things to a magazine that he subscribes to and to a PBS contest. But, I just discovered (through a homeschool e-newsletter) this website that provides a list of writing contests for students with links to the contest's webpage. I told my son about one of next month's contests and he actually seemed excited about writing a submission! Woah! He didn't even ask, "What can you win?"
There is also a related site that provides links for math contests. I'll provide the links to the contest list pages below. Have fun and good luck!
http://homeschoolwriters.com/chart.aspx
http://homeschoolmathcontests.com/default.aspx
Monday, April 20, 2009
Great Country Farms
Last week we took a field trip to Great Country Farms in Bluemont (western Loudoun County), Virginia. This was such a fun day. If you live in Northern Virginia or Northwestern Virginia I highly suggest go here!
We started out with a wagon ride. The farmer told us about the farm and about growing peaches and strawberries. The kids got to break open a peach blossom to inspect the baby peach inside.
Then another farmer talked to us about greenhouses and planting. The children planted sunflower seeds. We then proceeded to the petting farm where they had neat posters/displays about the different animals, like cows, sheep, goats, chickens, and ponies. You could see baby chicks.
There were a bunch of fun mazes and slides. There were rope swings and play sets. They have a huge air pillow bouncer. J's (age 9) favorite part was feeding the animals. E (age 3) wasn't too enthused about getting animal slobber on his hands. He said his favorite was "the big slides." The boys learned about farming and they had a great time!
The farm also has a gem mining activity (extra charge) and a stocked fish pond (bring your own equipment). They also have pick-your-own fruits and vegetables, once they're in-season. We didn't do all of the activities, and we were there over 4 fun hours. We will definitely go back again (and take Dad).
Admission is $8-10 and they are open 7-days a week. Visit www.greatcountryfarms.com to learn more.
We started out with a wagon ride. The farmer told us about the farm and about growing peaches and strawberries. The kids got to break open a peach blossom to inspect the baby peach inside.
Then another farmer talked to us about greenhouses and planting. The children planted sunflower seeds. We then proceeded to the petting farm where they had neat posters/displays about the different animals, like cows, sheep, goats, chickens, and ponies. You could see baby chicks.
There were a bunch of fun mazes and slides. There were rope swings and play sets. They have a huge air pillow bouncer. J's (age 9) favorite part was feeding the animals. E (age 3) wasn't too enthused about getting animal slobber on his hands. He said his favorite was "the big slides." The boys learned about farming and they had a great time!
The farm also has a gem mining activity (extra charge) and a stocked fish pond (bring your own equipment). They also have pick-your-own fruits and vegetables, once they're in-season. We didn't do all of the activities, and we were there over 4 fun hours. We will definitely go back again (and take Dad).
Admission is $8-10 and they are open 7-days a week. Visit www.greatcountryfarms.com to learn more.
Hands-on Learning Lasts
"Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand." This quote from the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, reflects my teaching style at home.
Last week we were talking about insect anatomy. We read stories. We drew pictures. We talked about insects and other anthropods. Then Friday (when the weather was much too beautiful to be inside) I sent the boys outside to turn over rocks and leaves to look for bugs. Both boys were cute, finding different bugs and determining whether they were insects for not. They inspected each animal's body, comparing snails, centipedes, roly-polies, ants, beetles. They were even able to observe a butterfly. My older son pointed out the the little one how many of the animals they found were invertebrates and have their skeletons on the outside of their bodies. In the end we acquired a couple of "special pets"--two roly-polies and a snail. The boys will remember what we learned today about anthropods, invertebrates and insects because they were able to see, touch and move them.
I must admit when I was a classroom teacher I did not consistently provide my students with hands-on learning experiences. I was a secondary school teacher and found myself lecturing more than guiding students through a learning adventure. I knew that students retained information best when they were able to physically and mentally apply it. But not all the students were cooperative about being engaged in their learning. (They've been conditioned to have the teacher drill the information into them with lectures, textbooks and worksheets so they can remember it for a standardized test after which they will promptly forget everything they've been "taught".) Also doing these type of activities and projects takes time. You only have the students for a short period of time and administration does not encourage you to spend lengthy periods of time on one thing--there are alot of other standards they need you to be able to prove you've covered.
My oldest son (age 9, third grade) has a difficult time with reading. Traditional school had almost completely demolished his self-esteem and was teaching him that no matter how hard he tried he couldn't be successful. And even worse, he was coming to believe that learning was not fun! Doing projects where he can be engaged with the subject matter and where I can minimize the amount of reading required makes him feel good about learning. He also internalizes the information. This isn't to say that I never tell Jacob information. (And, we still read a lot, but I try to make it fun and non-threatening.) But after a "lecture" I try to make sure he gets to do an activity where he gets to apply what he learned. I hope that next year we can do more extensive projects involving the entire "learning wheel:" goal setting, experimenting and observing, reviewing, and action planning. (I just came across this "wheel" analogy and I like it because it implies that the process never ends. Learning should never stop.)
Last week we were talking about insect anatomy. We read stories. We drew pictures. We talked about insects and other anthropods. Then Friday (when the weather was much too beautiful to be inside) I sent the boys outside to turn over rocks and leaves to look for bugs. Both boys were cute, finding different bugs and determining whether they were insects for not. They inspected each animal's body, comparing snails, centipedes, roly-polies, ants, beetles. They were even able to observe a butterfly. My older son pointed out the the little one how many of the animals they found were invertebrates and have their skeletons on the outside of their bodies. In the end we acquired a couple of "special pets"--two roly-polies and a snail. The boys will remember what we learned today about anthropods, invertebrates and insects because they were able to see, touch and move them.
I must admit when I was a classroom teacher I did not consistently provide my students with hands-on learning experiences. I was a secondary school teacher and found myself lecturing more than guiding students through a learning adventure. I knew that students retained information best when they were able to physically and mentally apply it. But not all the students were cooperative about being engaged in their learning. (They've been conditioned to have the teacher drill the information into them with lectures, textbooks and worksheets so they can remember it for a standardized test after which they will promptly forget everything they've been "taught".) Also doing these type of activities and projects takes time. You only have the students for a short period of time and administration does not encourage you to spend lengthy periods of time on one thing--there are alot of other standards they need you to be able to prove you've covered.
My oldest son (age 9, third grade) has a difficult time with reading. Traditional school had almost completely demolished his self-esteem and was teaching him that no matter how hard he tried he couldn't be successful. And even worse, he was coming to believe that learning was not fun! Doing projects where he can be engaged with the subject matter and where I can minimize the amount of reading required makes him feel good about learning. He also internalizes the information. This isn't to say that I never tell Jacob information. (And, we still read a lot, but I try to make it fun and non-threatening.) But after a "lecture" I try to make sure he gets to do an activity where he gets to apply what he learned. I hope that next year we can do more extensive projects involving the entire "learning wheel:" goal setting, experimenting and observing, reviewing, and action planning. (I just came across this "wheel" analogy and I like it because it implies that the process never ends. Learning should never stop.)
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Field Trip Friends
Midway through the year, we were asked to be part of another group. This is a new field trip group. As a group we take a field trip every other week. Each parent takes turns making the field trip arrangements. So far the group has taken field trips to a local grocery store, a local pet store, the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum, Skyline Caverns, the Warren Heritage Society museum, and Blandy Farm State Arboretum.
I've been happy with this group too. The boys favorite trip so far has been Skyline Caverns. Our guide was a lot of fun. He joked with the kids and showed them tons of really neat stuff. They were all pretty enthralled by the anthracites, which have only been found in Skyline Caverns and one other cave in Germany. We have trips planned to the Bug Box and Herr's Snack Factory in the near future.
Having different people do the planning for each trip not only means less work for each individual parent, it also means that each parent brings new ideas for field trips. (I find that I get stuck in a mental rut--what is the nearest museum--when I am planning trips.) We also get group or educational rates for admission to most of our trips.
Some of the parents are a little more serious about this group than others. It is often difficult to give an exact number of attendees because many parents don't RSVP or even worse just don't show up the day of the field trip! But, the boys enjoy the field trips. I feel the trips help the boys to see that the stuff we learn about at home applies to places outside of our house and our family. This is also a new group, so I think it will evolve and stabilize.
I'll provide some links to the field trip locations below and I hope to provide more information about each of our trips in the future.
Giant Foods, Petco Pet Stores, A. C. Moore Craft Stores - www.fieldtripfactory.com
Blandy Farm State Arboretum - www.virginia.edu/blandy
Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum - www.discoverymuseum.net
Skyline Caverns - www.skylinecaverns.com
Warren Heritage Society - www.warrenheritagesociety.org
I've been happy with this group too. The boys favorite trip so far has been Skyline Caverns. Our guide was a lot of fun. He joked with the kids and showed them tons of really neat stuff. They were all pretty enthralled by the anthracites, which have only been found in Skyline Caverns and one other cave in Germany. We have trips planned to the Bug Box and Herr's Snack Factory in the near future.
Having different people do the planning for each trip not only means less work for each individual parent, it also means that each parent brings new ideas for field trips. (I find that I get stuck in a mental rut--what is the nearest museum--when I am planning trips.) We also get group or educational rates for admission to most of our trips.
Some of the parents are a little more serious about this group than others. It is often difficult to give an exact number of attendees because many parents don't RSVP or even worse just don't show up the day of the field trip! But, the boys enjoy the field trips. I feel the trips help the boys to see that the stuff we learn about at home applies to places outside of our house and our family. This is also a new group, so I think it will evolve and stabilize.
I'll provide some links to the field trip locations below and I hope to provide more information about each of our trips in the future.
Giant Foods, Petco Pet Stores, A. C. Moore Craft Stores - www.fieldtripfactory.com
Blandy Farm State Arboretum - www.virginia.edu/blandy
Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum - www.discoverymuseum.net
Skyline Caverns - www.skylinecaverns.com
Warren Heritage Society - www.warrenheritagesociety.org
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Homeschool Co-op
When my husband and I began discussing the option to homeschool, he was very concerned about socialization. He'd had no contact with homeschooled children; and, I think he envisioned children that were extremely introverted when other children were around or completely wild, without any self-control. I was a little concerned about making sure the boys were able to function in an organized setting--follow directions of adult in charge (even if it isn't Mom), sit still, wait your turn, not talk when others are talking. What if they had to go back to school for some reason?
I didn't know very many people who homeschooled and wasn't sure what we were supposed to do, aside from our daily lessons. I saw a flyer for a homeschool co-op at our local library. I had no idea what a co-op was, but I looked up some information on the Internet and I e-mailed the coordinator for Kids' Day Out Co-op (KDOC). I found that homeschool co-ops differ from group to group, but the basic premise is all the parents contribute according to their interests and talents and the children's needs.
KDOC meets once a week from September to November and January to April. There was a nominal charge to cover the cost of supplies. We have been extremely happy with the group. Both of the boys looks forward to going to co-op each week. They enjoy seeing their friends and I think they like having someone other than me teach them.
The first half of the year the my 8-year old son participated in Science, American History, P.E. and Music lessons each week. The latter half they participated in Science, Spanish, P.E. and Drama. My 3-year old has been in the pre-school class. In Science the parent-teachers organized experiments and demonstration, a field trip to Blandy Farm State Arboretum, and a science fair among the co-op students. (They did provide information about a larger, juried homeschool science fair for those interested.) In preschool they focus on a weekly letter and do lots of fun stuff. Co-op also organized a fall trip to a farm. And, we will go on a spring farm trip in a couple of weeks.
I've assisted in American History, preschool, and Spanish classes this year. The regular contact with other homeschool parents is great. As a newbie, I felt I could ask the other parents questions about curriculum or organization. There are about 50 children and 20 parents that participate in KDOC.
If you live in or close to Frederick or Clark Counties in Virginia and are interested in the group you can contact the KDOC coordinator at kidsdayout@hotmail.com.
I didn't know very many people who homeschooled and wasn't sure what we were supposed to do, aside from our daily lessons. I saw a flyer for a homeschool co-op at our local library. I had no idea what a co-op was, but I looked up some information on the Internet and I e-mailed the coordinator for Kids' Day Out Co-op (KDOC). I found that homeschool co-ops differ from group to group, but the basic premise is all the parents contribute according to their interests and talents and the children's needs.
KDOC meets once a week from September to November and January to April. There was a nominal charge to cover the cost of supplies. We have been extremely happy with the group. Both of the boys looks forward to going to co-op each week. They enjoy seeing their friends and I think they like having someone other than me teach them.
The first half of the year the my 8-year old son participated in Science, American History, P.E. and Music lessons each week. The latter half they participated in Science, Spanish, P.E. and Drama. My 3-year old has been in the pre-school class. In Science the parent-teachers organized experiments and demonstration, a field trip to Blandy Farm State Arboretum, and a science fair among the co-op students. (They did provide information about a larger, juried homeschool science fair for those interested.) In preschool they focus on a weekly letter and do lots of fun stuff. Co-op also organized a fall trip to a farm. And, we will go on a spring farm trip in a couple of weeks.
I've assisted in American History, preschool, and Spanish classes this year. The regular contact with other homeschool parents is great. As a newbie, I felt I could ask the other parents questions about curriculum or organization. There are about 50 children and 20 parents that participate in KDOC.
If you live in or close to Frederick or Clark Counties in Virginia and are interested in the group you can contact the KDOC coordinator at kidsdayout@hotmail.com.
Monday, March 30, 2009
New Market Battlefield Homeschool Open House
On Saturday we went to the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park for their Homeschool Open House sponsored by Home Educators Association of Virginia. New Market Battlefield is the site of a Confederate victory on May 15, 1864. 257 cadets from the Virginia Military Institute participated in the battle, some of these boys were only 15 years old and 10 of them died in the battle or from wounds received during the battle.
The weather was overcast on Saturday, but it did not rain. It was very muddy due to the previous day's rain, but we decided that was more akin to what the soldiers had experienced during the battle in 1864. The battlefield was nicknamed the Field of Lost Shoes because many of the soldiers lost their shoes in the ankle deep mud, but went on fighting.
I am glad we went for the Homeschool Open House. It was a great experience. They had lots of activities and living history displays. There were scavenger hunt sheets for the museum and the battlefield. I attended with a group that included 3 boys, aged 4, 8, & 9, and one 7 year-old girl. It was a fun day for everyone.
We started our visit with the museum, watching the film, "Field of Lost Shoes." This film was a little dry for the youngest children, but engaging for the older children and adults. I found the boys were looking for things, around the battlefield and farm that had been mentioned in the film. It also gave me something to reference during the rest of our visit.
We then proceeded to the "military camp," which the kids liked alot. They set up their tent, dug out the "sink," and practiced rifle drills. They learned about rations and got to try on uniforms and haversacks.
We then walked the battlefield and checked out the river overlook. The boys liked the replica canons. Afterward we wandered down to the Bushong farm. There were crafts in the barn that kids and adults enjoyed. Outside the house they had games that the kids really liked playing. The girls learned to dance the Virginia Reel. (We couldn't cajole the boys into dancing.) We walked through the house, listened to a re-enactor tell us about cooking in the 1860's. We checked out the cellar where the Bushong family hid with their cow and chickens during the battle.
By the time we finished touring the house and outbuildings, we had been there nearly 5 hours. We'd been having so much fun the time had flown by.
The staff and volunteers at the event were terrific. Everyone was very helpful, knowledgable, and enthusiastic. I'd definitely recommend this activity. This was the first year we attended, but I believe it is an annual event. The battlefield hosts events throughout the year. You can visit www.vmi.edu/newmarket to find out more about the battlefield and museum.
The weather was overcast on Saturday, but it did not rain. It was very muddy due to the previous day's rain, but we decided that was more akin to what the soldiers had experienced during the battle in 1864. The battlefield was nicknamed the Field of Lost Shoes because many of the soldiers lost their shoes in the ankle deep mud, but went on fighting.
I am glad we went for the Homeschool Open House. It was a great experience. They had lots of activities and living history displays. There were scavenger hunt sheets for the museum and the battlefield. I attended with a group that included 3 boys, aged 4, 8, & 9, and one 7 year-old girl. It was a fun day for everyone.
We started our visit with the museum, watching the film, "Field of Lost Shoes." This film was a little dry for the youngest children, but engaging for the older children and adults. I found the boys were looking for things, around the battlefield and farm that had been mentioned in the film. It also gave me something to reference during the rest of our visit.
We then proceeded to the "military camp," which the kids liked alot. They set up their tent, dug out the "sink," and practiced rifle drills. They learned about rations and got to try on uniforms and haversacks.
We then walked the battlefield and checked out the river overlook. The boys liked the replica canons. Afterward we wandered down to the Bushong farm. There were crafts in the barn that kids and adults enjoyed. Outside the house they had games that the kids really liked playing. The girls learned to dance the Virginia Reel. (We couldn't cajole the boys into dancing.) We walked through the house, listened to a re-enactor tell us about cooking in the 1860's. We checked out the cellar where the Bushong family hid with their cow and chickens during the battle.
By the time we finished touring the house and outbuildings, we had been there nearly 5 hours. We'd been having so much fun the time had flown by.
The staff and volunteers at the event were terrific. Everyone was very helpful, knowledgable, and enthusiastic. I'd definitely recommend this activity. This was the first year we attended, but I believe it is an annual event. The battlefield hosts events throughout the year. You can visit www.vmi.edu/newmarket to find out more about the battlefield and museum.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Why I Homeschool
1. My kids will only be young once. I want to cherish this time with them.
2. I can focus on their individual strengths, weaknesses, and interests.
3. I can make sure they learn how to do more than regurgitate facts. I can ensure they learn how to think and how to apply their knowledge.
4. I can help them learn to be good people. I know I can't block every bad influence or experience, but I can control the kind of behaviors they perceive as rewarding.
5. I can try to make learning fun, rewarding, and part of our daily lives, so as the boys grow up they will continue to be curious and excited about the world around them.
6. With just a little effort I can provide more diverse experiences than anything that would be available to them at a traditional school.
7. If the weather is beautiful we can have "class" outside!
2. I can focus on their individual strengths, weaknesses, and interests.
3. I can make sure they learn how to do more than regurgitate facts. I can ensure they learn how to think and how to apply their knowledge.
4. I can help them learn to be good people. I know I can't block every bad influence or experience, but I can control the kind of behaviors they perceive as rewarding.
5. I can try to make learning fun, rewarding, and part of our daily lives, so as the boys grow up they will continue to be curious and excited about the world around them.
6. With just a little effort I can provide more diverse experiences than anything that would be available to them at a traditional school.
7. If the weather is beautiful we can have "class" outside!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Getting Started
I am new to this. But, I hope to share my experience with homeschooling my two children. I do not claim to be an expert. In fact I'm fairly new to homeschool--we are still in our first year. However, I do know that there are a lot of misconceptions about homeschooling and that it can be difficult when you are getting started. I'll try to share activities we do, strategies we've tried, anecdotes. We'll just have to see how it goes.
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