Do you try to introduce concepts well before necessary so it doesn’t seem like such a new topic? I’ve noticed this trend and I really like it. Royal (7) just started multiplication – a very very basic multiplication. But this way, when he really needs to learn it, it won’t be this completely new concept. …
Have you ever taken one of those “Can you name the 50 states” types of tests? Did you do well? I’ve always enjoyed geography, and for the most part, I’m pretty good at naming the states and capitals, and being able to locate the states. I even know that Alaska is in fact up…
We hit a wall in math. It happens – walls, I mean. There are some subjects that you just hit a wall (mine was chemistry in school). But what I’ve learned since becoming a homeschooler, is that there are ways around every wall. Up, down, around, through – there are many many ways to break…
Do you ever have trouble wrangling the littler kids while still getting work done with the older kids? Truth is, for us, Baloo (10) is simply on a different level than the younger too. And sometimes that means when we all work together, he doesn’t get enough information or stimulation. Enter Online Unit Studies. …
Do you ever take a break to focus on one subject? We’re taken a break right now to focus on memorizing math facts. It’s been something we’ve worked on but right now we are focused on that. The holidays tend to mean less learning anyhow, so I thought I’d make a more manageable goal for…
Sillyness wins in our house, how about yours? Anything silly and funny is hit and easily aids the learning process. My kids are as silly as they come and it’s a good thing, because they have very silly parents. So when we can do a silly exercise and call it school work and educational, we’re…
As we continue to work on new ways to practice letter sounds, I keep thinking about how important learning phonics can be to a beginning reader. They need all the extra review to make sure they can read letter sounds quickly. Otherwise, sounding out words becomes very challenging. So we will practice, practice, practice and…
Is anyone else having trouble getting their kids to concentrate already? We’ve hit this moment before where the excitement of the holidays makes school work impossible. I just don’t remember it happening so soon! I’m going to have to pull out all the stops with holiday themed work so we don’t lose ground in December! …
Did you ever throw a party when your child reaches a milestone? Like, a big milestone? Logi-Bear learned to read earlier this week and we told him we would throw a family party after he read his first book. He is so proud of himself. Now, when I say he learned to read I mean…
We have been working diligently on our spelling (translate that to, they want to write messages on signs in Minecraft and I refuse to help them spell words…so they must learn spelling) so I’ve been working on some activities to help push the spelling along. Make a Word activities are great because it’s really more…
Math. I can hear the groaning already. So many people dislike math with a passion. Math is abstract and difficult and they keep changing how we teach math! But it doesn’t have to be that way. Math can be hands on and concrete and fun. Hands on math is the way to make math…
It’s been years since we’ve had a Christmas Tree up, but this year we are getting one. I’m pretty excited, but not nearly as much as the boys. Of course, they don’t know yet that it’s going to be an educational experience. Muah haha! I see no reason why we cannot incorporate an amazing tree…