Homeschool blog

New Activity Sheets: Cloud Types

Today's science lesson was about cloud types, and for some reason my little ones just weren't getting it. One of the great things about homeschooling, for me, is that I can change my approach on the fly to match the learning styles of the kids.  The second time that I went through the material, I assigned a dance to each cloud type.  Anytime I said that cloud type, they would have to break into that dance.  Well, they remembered the dance... cloud type, not so much.

Next, I took to Google images to see if I could find a worksheet of some sort that no only summarized the characteristics of the clouds, but also gave me good images - found some, but none that I liked.  So, while the kids worked on a worksheet provided by K12, I created some worksheets of my own.  The kids loved that  I had made them on the fly just for them, and they finally got it.  The poems may be a little corny - I didn't have a lot of time to get fancy, but the kids liked it!

These worksheets summarize everything with rhyme, ask three questions, and give the kids a picture that they can keep in their minds.

Download them here:

Cumulonimbus Cloud Coloring Sheet, Poem, and Questions

Cumulus Cloud Coloring Sheet, Poem, and Questions

Stratus Cloud Coloring Sheet, Poem, and Questions

Cirrus Cloud Coloring Sheet, Poem, and Questions

Let me know what you think! Do you have any interesting ways that you have taught your kids about cloud types?

Add a comment

Making "Gingerbread" Houses

The little ones were looking forward to face to face today so that they could make gingerbread houses. No big kit... no gingerbread... just some graham crackers, candy, an empty milk carton, and their imaginations.

The kids were so creative!  I saw everything from gingerbread farms (which apparently raise gummy bears of various colors) to full on wedding processions in snow crafted out of white frosting.  Mine stuck to just building nice affordable housing... and eating their building materials.

Here's what they used:

• frosting
• paper plates
• empty milk carton
• graham crackers
• pretzels
• marshmallows
• plastic knife
• candy canes and various other colorful candy

The classroom was packed with little gingerbread architects working and proud moms and dads snapping pictures. Here's one of my favorites.

Afterwards I took them home, and had a lunch that included a generous serving of broccoli for lunch before starting our lessons for the day. Needless to say, they found it very difficult to concentrate with all the sugar coursing through their veins, but it was a much needed break from school work.

The holidays will be here soon - do you have any special activities planned for your kids while they are at home?

Add a comment

Homeschooling My Teenager: It Starts with a Plan...

This year at the 2 to 1 Conference, I went to a session about homeschooling a high schooler.

It was really inspirational, and I felt prepared to deal with my soon to be teen when I got home.  Almost.  I was a mess as a teenager.  What I didn’t do – didn’t exist for the most part.  I still shudder to think of the things I got away with.  Apparently payback is a… well… let’s just say there’s payback.  The only difference is that I am with my teen every day all day, and I was with my parents just long enough to ask them for some money and the car keys, so I can’t compare my experience as a teenager to his.

I really don’t believe that parents are meant to know EVERYTHING their teen does. We need to know enough to make sure they don’t harm themselves or the community.

As a family, we focus on making sure he doesn’t harm himself...

• Physically – that includes protective gear for sports, teaching him how to kitchen appliances and utensils, the iron, and trying to manage that overall teen awkwardness/clumsiness that could lead to falling down… a lot. I swear sometimes they are like baby deer learning to walk all over again.
• Emotionally – he is so curious about everything these days, but some things he isn’t ready to know about or see, even though he thinks he is.  It is tough to monitor all the movies he watches and books he reads, since he does visit friends and family sometimes, but we try to steer him in the right direction.  If he does have an experience that is less than age appropriate, we try to help him work through what he doesn’t understand.
• Spiritually – yesterday, he asked me why the church in the Middle ages was so opposed to science.  He is a science and history fanatic, so his questions as we go through both subjects are becoming deeper and more complex.  I am glad that I am here to answer those questions according to the faith of our family.  That is one of the cool things about homeschooling – I get to be there to answer the questions before his teen brain comes up with its own reasoning based on the hormones and other strange influences that parents just don’t understand.

We monitor his impact on the community by...

Add a comment Read more...

Notebooks, Pencils, Crayons, Patience: The School Supply List for Parents

As August approaches, parents begin to ask one another, "do you have everything you need for back to school?"  I don't think we ask each other that just in case we can help - we just want to know if we are the only ones painfully unprepared.

Why doesn't my best attempt at organizing our school space even come close to the wonders on Pinterest? I'm just sayin...

Last night I used up most of my patience checking to make sure all of the books were on the shelves, and that we had our supplies in order for class today. So there I was, after 3:00... still doing the SAME subject with the boy.  I was pretty far past annoyed, and trying to keep calm - but as the minutes passed, my patience was running terribly low.

Here's my school supply list for parents - homeschooling or not.  I wish I had this last week so that I could make sure I had all that I needed.  Now I have to work on getting everything I need on this list at the last minute... :)

 

See the full size infographic here: http://socamom.com/soca/en/graphics/470-school-supply-list-for-parents-2012-2013

 

Add a comment Read more...

Preparing for Back to School - Year 2, 5 things I wish I'd done Year 1...

We're homeschooling again this year! I know that plenty of family and friends are like "why?" - Here's the standard parent answer: Because we said so.

I am a little behind in organizing.  The bookshelves need to be emptied from last year, and the new books put up.  Thank goodness the workspace from last year worked out well - I don't have to rework that.

Baby Girl at the computer. Yes, that is her flash drive clipped to her belt. #raisinggeeks

I have big plans for this year, as we all do.  Last year was good, but hopefully this year will be even better! Here are the top 5 things that I wish I had done my first year of homeschooling.

5.  I wish we had traveled more. We got to do our fair share of outings, but not nearly as much as I would have liked to do.  If this is your first time homeschooling, especially if you have older kids, plan some trips - not just field trips.  Think about taking the train or the bus to an interesting place that can be spun into school work - historical sites are a nice option.  This past school year, we did Williamsburg, VA which is full of history, but also has Busch Gardens so you can have a little fun too.  Roller coasters... isn't that physics?

Baby Girl driving a boat in Hilton Head, SC.  We both learned a lot about wildlife in the bay, conservation, and dolphins that day.

Add a comment Read more...