Archive for the ‘Curriculum’ Category
The Importance of Education – Home or School
Educational importance before the industrial revolution was tied to:
1) learning,
2) preparation for wise leadership and personal achievement,
3) opening your mind to new ideas.
These are the requirements we can assume from all education. If these steps are not being achieved than a change in how children are taught is required.
When a child does not want a particular food then we suggest they just try a bit to taste it before they decide. So can be said for educational subjects. Instead of assuming a child won’t like a subject, or need a subject, we should let them try it – he/she may just like it.
I have always wondered how we can determine the career that will carry us through our life with only a few courses of introduction. I was very excited about studying Archaeology, then I took the first course and found that the preliminary work, gridding and such was not something I would enjoy doing endlessly. But I went in with an open mind, and learned that that was not the path for me.
I am not a fan of the variety of requirements needed in order to receive enough credits for a high school diploma. Something from this group, two from that group etc. Although it offers choice to the student, it also limits choices and opportunities for them to excel at the subjects they enjoy the most. Often, courses that are not suited to the student, but are required for a diploma can discourage learning and create avoidance of that class, or school all together. As a homeschooler, I have been able to offer my children a variety of lessons, determined the ones that are not suitable, and finish them up early so as not to prolong the agony of an unwanted subject.
Students with choice, variety and the ability to switch out of a lesson that is not working for them are learning, opening their mind to new ideas and preparing the best base for personal achievement. Fulfilling all steps in the importance of education helps fulfill the student as well!
A Lesson in Falling Leaves
The changing seasons provide a great learning lesson opportunity.
What makes the seasons change? The answer to this question will start a great topic of study. You could also include what happens to various aspects of nature when seasons change – like the leaves on trees change and fall to the ground putting the tree into a hibernation of sorts. Walk through the woods and try to identify trees by their bark, once their leaves are gone it is a lot harder to know what tree it is.
Fall can also create other learning opportunities besides the obvious nature studies. Leaves fall off trees can inspire a lesson on Gravity. Leaves change colour can produce an art lesson on colour mixing. Animals gathering food for winter storage can lead to a variety of lessons on animal behaviour, which animals hibernate, what animals eat and more. Even the changing temperature can allow for math lessons and a graphing exercise.
The leaves on the ground can also be great use for lessons. They can be used in crafts to make various tree fairies. They can be used for rubbings or shapes and they can be put into a tree journal to help remember what leaves match each tree.
Autumn is a great time of year, with lots of inspiring lessons to fall into!
Making Mountains out of Mole Hills
So, the first mountain you have climbed led you to the decision to homeschool your child. It sure was an uphill battle but at last you have reached the top and feel accomplished.
So now, your child would like to learn about car mechanics, or magpies or even mustard plants. But you don’t know about any of those things! In this case, there really isn’t a mountain to climb. It is just a little hill that can easily be reached by a little reading and research. Look to the library for books on the subject, or find some unit studies and workbooks to help you plan a lesson. Ask people in the neighbourhood or family that have had experience with the subject and just get in there and learn it together!
Homeschooling does have its share of mountains to climb, but teaching subjects that are unfamiliar doesn’t have to be one of them. You may be surprised how much you learn, and enjoy learning in the process!
Game night – bring it into your school day!
There is much talk about family game night, a chance to spend quality time with the family. But board games shouldn’t be restricted to game night, they can be part of your school lesson plans!
Most board games offer learning through counting, matching and cooperation. There are also board games made specifically for their educational value, like phonics bingo or money matching games. Classic games like Monopoly and Scrabble have obvious educational value but games like Operation or Jenga can be great to develop hand/eye coordination and patience skills. The key to having board games enhance learning is to play them and have the child do the work. Have them count the spots on the die, then move the appropriate space. Have them find the colour that matches their own or count out the money owed. As they get older give them more opportunity to learn by letting them be the banker, or having them help a younger sibling spell words. Board games allow children to learn by doing, and by talking and by seeing – perfect to fit all learning styles. As an added bonus, playing a game can help active learners learn to sit still for a specific amount of time.
Make board games part of your lessons and see how much fun your children have learning!
There are no rules, that is the beauty of homeschooling. Working one-on-one with your child will allow you to determine the best way for them to learn, and then you can teach it appropriately.
If your child does not like to read, offer stories in comic book form, you can get classics, Shakespeare, even the history of the world in this form. Comics break up the words with pictures making reading easier for reluctant readers.
If your child likes hockey bring that into your lesson plan. A unit study on a specific subject that the child likes not only covers the curriculum but also inspires them to learn because they are learning about something they are interested in.
If your child is an auditory learner, work in some audio books, computer games and music to the lessons so that they have the best chance to learn. Likewise, visual learners and kinesthetic learners can be taught to their learning style.
If your child is struggling with a concept, or is not liking a particular subject, tweak it so that the lessons will be more interesting, or easier for them to understand.
With homeschoooling you can take the time to determine how best to teach lessons to your child. You can cater to their interests, their likes and their dislikes. You can make education fun and important to them – that should be the only rule!
History can be a subject that is overwhelming to learn. So many names, dates and events, it can cause children to shut down and not want to learn. It is important to make subjects like this come alive so that kids can enjoy studying them!
Plan a project on a favorite topic and combine historic elements into it. For example learning about horses can encompass many eras of history including medieval times and Native American culture. Field trips are also helpful for bringing history alive. Many historic sites have costumed interpreters that help kids understand how it was back then. Some places even have programs where children can dress up and “live” in history too! Art, poetry and music contain historic references that can be developed into a further project. And don’t forget unit studies, history can be followed in a unique way through a unit study. For example, early History of Canada can be followed through forts – this would take you through the fur trade, the War of 1812 and the North West Mounted Police encompassing all of the country!
Wouldn’t you love to have an entire lesson in one box! Well you can with educational CD-ROMS.
Many educational computer games include the basics for lessons in English, Math, Art, Geography, and other languages. An hour of playtime with one of these computer games can include an entire lesson without the children even realizing they are learning. It is a lesson of fun in a box (monitor)!
Theme units – boredom buster
Sometimes school work can be boring. If a child is not enjoying the subject or is struggling with the lesson it can be hard to teach them.
Theme units are a great way to beat the boredom. Pick a theme your child enjoys and develop it into a lesson plan. Or find a theme unit that already exists and use it. Because theme units encompass cross-curricular activities all geared to that specific theme, your child can get a well-rounded lesson on something they enjoy. It is amazing how keen they will be to do their school work when pirates or princesses are involved!
Arts and Crafts – Educational and fun!
Many of us have done arts and crafts with our preschool child. It helps them learn coordination skills, cutting skills and more. But it is not just for the little ones, arts and crafts can be incorporated into lessons for older children, helping them have fun while they learn!
Many websites offer craft ideas for children of all ages. These can be utilized in a theme unit or lesson plan for a specific subject. For example, a study on Egypt could lead to a diorama of King Tut’s tomb. Also, there are many arts and crafts ideas that can complement a learning skill. For example a colour wheel can show how colours blend together to form other colours. Math concepts can become clearer with pictures or models. The student can make a paper pizza and then use it to learn about fractions. Art does not have to be just one class, it can be carried through each subject and add fun and education to your child’s day!
A Lesson in Savings
There are many advantages to homeschooling but one big disadvantage is paying for all the books, workbooks, resources and curriculum you need each year. Of course there are curriculum companies that can sell you the entire lessons for that grade, but what if you have multiple grade levels and what about next year?
Your best method of building up your homeschool library that can benefit lessons in every level is to start early. Scour the shelves of used book stores. Dive into boxes of books at garage sales. Check out homeschool exchange sites. Locate other homeschoolers that might be finished with that year. Plan ahead and you can keep your homeschool resources within your budget.