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!

 

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!

Lapbooking

 

Imagine being able to make a book entirely on your own and be in total control of what goes inside.  Imagine being able to hold that special book in your lap and review all of the special things you learned along the way.

That is exactly what lapbooking is — creating a handmade lesson book, designed to fit in a child’s lap, with all of that child’s learning and creativity all folded up inside.

Lapbooks are enjoyable to plan and creative to build.  There is no end to the combination of pages, mini-books, decorative objects or other odds and ends that can be built inside.  Plus, they can be designed around any subject or any theme, and contain just as much or as little as a student wants to learn about, document, and put inside. 

Though the project isn’t for all kinds of learners, lapbooks are particularly appealing to younger students, those with more artistic tendencies, and children who enjoy project learning above traditional kinds of projects.  They can be used for one subject, or several, lending themselves perfectly to the unit study homeschooling approach.

With lapbooks, there is no need to reinvent the wheel — free printable pieces can be found on the Internet.  However, families can design and create lapbooks completely on their own, too.

Supplies include nothing more than tabbed file folders, paper for printing plus basic art supplies.  Students can go a step further and add scrapbooking or other papers, twine and ribbons, stickers and small decorative objects, and just about anything that can be attached relatively flat into the book.

To learn more about lapbooking, begin with some of these articles and web sites.  Then, find others on your own:

Homeschool Share

Homeschool Helper

Lapbook Lessons

Basic lapbooking tips from Squidoo

[Photos: Moreau]

Kids can school together

In some homeschool families, students school alone. In others, particularly when children are close in age or interested in the same things, kids can study together. 

If you have never had children study together, but are thinking of giving it a try, here are some simple things that you can try today:

  • read aloud to several children at once, then discuss
  • have one child read to others, and then alternate
  • allow children to play learning games together
  • have children take turns quizzing one another on something they have already learned
  • ask children to make math flash cards (or trivia or word cards) and take turns drilling one another
  • show a group of children the same movie (DVD, computer game, or educational TV program) and ask each to write about it, or tell the others what they learned
  • assign children a group project to work on – it can be something musical, dramatic, artistic, or anything you like – and later present it to the family
  • have one child teach another child something, then switch roles

These are just a few.  If any of these ideas seem to work (or are enjoyable for the children), you can always expand on the idea, or come up with additional ways to homeschool more than one child at the same time.  There are even curriculum products you can purchase designed to do the very same thing.

There are many other ways for siblings to work together. Depending on your schooling goals for each child and your family dynamics, this may be something you’d like to try, or not.  With homeschooling, it’s always up to you.

[Photography by Inmagine]

Homeschooling with babies & toddlers around

About the time that families start having second and third babies is when some homeschooling parents think about putting an older child in school.  That’s because some moms, in particular, cannot imagine homeschooling with little ones around, preoccupying her time, and taking away from schooling an older child.  Both moms and dads worry about the quality of the education suffering, too.

The truth is that homeschooling is not only possible with little ones, but happens all the time, all across the country, in all kinds of families.  While it may seem daunting at first, keep in mind that homeschoolers tend to have larger-than-average families, a testament to the fact that it is not only possible, but very typical of homeschooling households.

Not only is homeschooling with preschoolers around very common, but you can take heart in knowing that the parents who have come before you are willing to share secrets of how to do it.  Tips from large families who homeschool with little ones are worth considering because they work! 

Here are just some ideas that parents of large families use in successfully homeschooling with babies and toddlers under foot:

  • school older children during a younger child’s nap time
  • adopt a more flexible school schedule, rather than trying to stick to a rigid one that may not work
  • keep younger children busy in a designated play place filled with special toys and activities guaranteed to hold their interest for short periods of time while you school an older child
  • have older children take turns watching and playing with younger siblings while you spend individual time with another child
  • spend concentrated time with a younger child first, so that he or she will not be clamoring for your attention if you work with an older child first
  • enlist the help of a spouse, friend, grandparent or neighbor for occasional blocks of time with older children whenever possible
  • join groups or cooperatives where several parents teach a class or conduct an activity for the older children, while other moms are able to keep younger children busy
  • utilize outside time for learning, car time for learning, play grounds for learning, or any place where younger children are safe and happy, thus giving you time to spend with a school-aged child
  • plan to accomplish school in bite-sized chunks, rather than long blocks of time that would be impossible to finish with younger children around
  • find materials that older children can use on their own, with a minimum amount of help from you; use those materials during particularly tricky times of day when younger ones need your attention

There are many other tips and tricks that can be learned by watching and talking to larger families.  Next time you see a homeschooling mom with many children, ask how she does it.  You’d be surprised the ideas you may not have thought of that could work in your home!

[This royalty-free image comes from Free Digital Photos.]