Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Educator, Coach, Life Strategist

Games that teach

No question about it, kids love games. That’s why, for many children, turning homeschool lessons into a game is such a great way to learn.

There are two kinds of games that homeschool parents may purchase: games that were designed to teach something (geography, reading, or math, for instance), and games that are just plain fun, but have some educational value besides.

Under the category of games that teach, look for these titles available from my friends over at R.O.C.K. Solid:

Hail to the Chief

Totally Tut

Planet Quest

Reading Roadway

As for games that are fun, but end up teaching something valuable, too, consider games such as:

Monopoly

Scrabble Junior

Apples to Apples

In a Pickle

Parent’s Choice winners are always good picks.  So are Fat Brain picks and Dr. Toy’s recommendations, too.

But homeschooling families can also make their own games.  It doesn’t take long to turn math facts or history trivia into a question and answer game, or a set of science terms into a puzzle or word search.  Better yet, get the kids involved and make board games out of simple materials collected from around the house — they’ll learn by creating the game, and over and over again by playing it.

Have any favorite educational games or ideas you’d like to share?  Add them to the COMMENT area, below!

 

Scheduling non-readers

When you’re homeschooling, every bit of organization helps. One of the most successful organizational strategies is to use schedules for just about everything that goes on during the day.  Talk to any successful homeschooler and you’ll quickly find out why — it’s because having schedules helps keep the chaos down and the productivity up.

But, what about the littles? Can they be scheduled, too?

To some degree, yes. They may be young, but preschoolers are more than capable of performing little chores around the house and being in charge of small areas of their own. Plus, since preschoolers take pride in helping and having their own responsibilities, it’s fun for them, too — that is, as long as they can “read” the schedule.

For very young children and other non-readers, a graphic approach is best.  Parents can certainly purchase scheduling systems –  like THIS one or THIS one – to use at home.  However, preschooler schedules are so much easier (and cheaper) to make at home.  The additional benefit to making them is that the schedules will be completely customized to fit the child AND use the exact same language (the specific words and phrases) that is used at home.

Schedules for the very young don’t need to be fancy — they just need to convey a message.  Parents can draw pictures, cut images from books or magazines, or use free on-line clip-art instead.  Something as simple as this could work quite nicely:

Water flowers

Play with puppy

Help with baby

You can include words on graphic schedules, too, as shown on this one.  As a bonus, preschoolers will eventually learn to read these phrases, too!

Schedules can be changed as often as necessary.  If youngsters get bored or discover new things they like to do, the schedule can easily be modified for the next day, week, or whatever time period is being used.  Learning to use a schedule and adapt to periodic changes will prepare youngsters for the schedules they’ll need to follow when they’re older, too.

What to teach year by year

Probably one of the most common questions homeschoolers ask is what to teach.  Even outsiders are prone to wondering how moms and dads decide what to cover each year, some even assuming that school districts provide the actual curriculum to follow.

The truth is that homeschooling parents decide exactly what to teach, and when, if ever.  With the exception of states that mandate the teaching of certain subjects, such as health and physical education (required in Pennsylvania) or  music and drawing (mandated in Massachusetts), parents not only decide upon the curriculum but  are free to change it at any time along the way.  (Find out what your state requires HERE.)

While the ability to choose is very appealing to some families, others prefer to follow an outline.  Knowing what others are teaching, what is taught in schools or what is assumed to be the proper grade sequence can be comforting to those who prefer to follow a previously-designed curriculum, rather than creating one on their own.

There are many places to find this kind of information.  After browsing through these books, research and other resources, parents can then choose what they’d like to teach in their own homes.*

Standard Textbooks and Curriculum Products: Books and curriculum systems are designed to be followed from beginning to end.  Following the table of contents or daily lesson plan is a way to cover all of the material that the author or publisher recommends for that age/grade child.  Merely teaching the lessons in order or reading the chapters in sequence can work as a spine or an entire course in those subject areas.

Core Knowledge Recommendations:  A content-specific guide that parents can follow year by year, grade by grade, to insure progress of knowledge and skills for grades K-8.  Used by schools and homeschoolers alike and can be followed in part, or in its entirety.  Books are available for purchase, plus the entire sequence may be downloaded free HERE.

World Book Typical Course of Study: Based on research and combined with the study of national courses and syllabuses, World Book offers a free curriculum guide for parents with students PreK-12.  The curriculum, outlined in a yearly format, details what is generally required for every grade across the US.   It provides a detailed guide of topics and major concepts in most academic areas typically taught in homeschool. Find it HERE.

 

Homeschooling Helps: Several books have been written about what to teach and how to design a homeschool curriculum.  These books are available from book resellers and online.  Just two of the books are pictured here, but readers are encouraged to search for others on their own.

National Curriculum and Standards: Sets of standards have existed for years and are thought to insure that all classroon students are prepared for graduation and the workforce. Many states recently adopted the Common Core Standards which are purported to be benchmarked to international standards, thus insuring that students nationally emerge as competitive in the global marketplace.  The Common Core Standards can be viewed HERE. Other standards, like the new Social Studies Standards and even the older NSTA Science Standards may also be helpful for seeing what is typically taught in each grade across the US.

Online Philosophy- and Method-Specific Guides:  For those who have made the decision to homeschool following a particular philosophy or using a particular method, online guides can offer the structure and information needed to homeschool by grade, every single year.  Charlotte Mason users, for example, may like the free Ambleside Online Curriculum, and those looking for an old-fashioned biblical education based on old texts and free downloadable books might like the curriculum plan offered by Old Fashioned Education.

Finally, families using an eclectic homeschooling approach should be encouraged to use bits and pieces of any of the above.  Curricular recommendations may be used in whole or in part, or can be modified too, determined only by the needs of individual homeschoolers.

**The products pictured in this post are merely examples of the many options available for purchase or download.  They are shown to help the reader and should not be misconstrued as an endorsement or recommendation for any of the specific items or products shown here.  Note that, unless specified, we receive no benefit, compensation or recognition for featuring products on Quick Start Homeschool.

The difference a pencil can make

Children can have big hands or little hands. Some prefer a different grip than others.  Some just like a certain feel.  And some kids like the way one writes more than any other brand.  It may be hard to believe, but something as simple as making a pencil change can make all the difference in a child’s performance.

I didn’t discover chubby pencils until several of my children were older but I wish I had known about them sooner.  Much easier to hold and easier to stabilize in little hands, these thick pencils could be just what some kids need to gain confidence while learning the mechanics of basic penmanship.  On the other hand, some kids may not like them at all.  However, if your child is showing signs of struggling, they’re definitely worth a try.

Pencil grips can be useful for positioning, resulting in neater handwriting.  Then again,  some kids — mine, for example – can never seem to get used to using them at all.  Again, worth trying…you just never know.

A properly sharpened pencil means a lot to some children.  I don’t like using a dull pencil, so why would I expect a young learner to use one?  Purchasing the best hand-held or electric pencil sharpener you can afford will eliminate that variable altogether.

Some curriculum developers have found that other pencil shapes and sizes work best.  The folks at Handwriting Without Tears sell little pencils, somewhat like the kind you’d use to keep score at miniature golf, only with an eraser on top.   These little pencilsare thought to be the perfect size for Kindergartners and 1st graders.

Browse the shelves of your nearest office supply store or teacher store.  Then, surf over to your favorite online supplier to see what else is available. Ask your friends what they’ve tried, too. 

A small investment in pencils and writing supplies could yield a huge increase in your child’s level of confidence and handwriting ability.  Since good penmanship lasts a lifetime, it could be some of the best money you’ll ever spend!

Measure reading comprehension using book studies

Some parents assign reading time as part of the homeschooling day.  Other times, children read on their own, either during the day or at bedtime.

It is natural for moms and dads to wonder if their children remember and understand what they read – this is called Reading Comprehension.  While it is perfectly alright (in fact, recommended) to allow children to read for fun and pleasure with no strings attached, it is also important to know that they comprehend what they read, too.

Assigning a book study is one way to do this.  You select a book, or allow your child to select a book that meets your approval.  Then, over the next several days or weeks, you discuss the story or assign activities to help measure whether she understood the book.     

How is reading comprehension measured? 

One way is to ask the child questions about the story, a little bit every day or once a week.  For example, after every chapter, you talk about what happened in the book.  You make sure she understood the main points and caught the larger details in that chapter, and talk about anything else that she found particularly fascinating or intriguing.  Of course, this method implies that mom or dad has already read the book (or at least a good online summary) and is able to gauge whether or not her answers are correct.  However, there are many discussion questions and answers available for free or for purchase on the Internet to make the process easier for those who prefer to use a prepared lesson plan.

Another way to check comprehension is to assign a project based on the story.  Asking the student to write a little bit about each chapter, keep a journal about the book, or write a book report are just some ideas.  Other projects, for those who prefer alternatives to writing assignments, include acting out parts of the story, creating an artistic representation of something in the story, or creating an audio or video presentation about it.  Just try to choose a project you think your child will love, rather than taking away the fun of reading the book altogether.

Whatever method you choose, aim to find out whether or not your child understood the story.  If there were difficult words or confusing parts, make sure to clear them up as you go – so they do not block comprehension of the rest of the book.  And talk about any parts that you feel, knowing that particular child, need further discussion.

There is nothing that will sap the fun out of a book more than assigning homework about it.  This is why pleasure reading is highly recommended. On the other hand, as a homeschooling parent, you’ll need to know that your child is capable of reading and understanding the books that you assign.  Book study projects can help with this important assessment.

[Photo: Free Digital]