Archive for August, 2009
Incorporating Educational Games
Conscientious parents can be wary of the dangers lurking online – and understandably so. The Internet is chock full of images and pieces of information that are only suitable for a mature adult. But that harsh reality is no reason to deprive home-schooled students of benefits of computers. As a preventative measure, you can install software that restricts access to morally reprehensible Web sites.
Educational PC games provide a safe learning environment where kids can hone their academic skills while enjoying themselves at the same time. These experiences are especially rare in public schools, where learning comes to be associated with drudgery and rote memorization. By keeping your home-school curriculum fresh, you can guarantee your child’s interest and full participation.
Many active students are kinesthetic learners. That is they learn by doing. The key to teaching these learners is to keep them doing. A great learning tool for kinesthetic learners is manipulatives.
Manipulatives are items that are used to enforce the lesson rather than worksheets and written work. Other great tools for kinesthetic learners are models, magnet letters, and video games. Educational video games can keep the mind active and amused while helping to encourage learning.
Although the practice of teaching home-schooled kids can be a joy, tracking down books can be another story entirely. In public schools, the textbooks are often long out-of-date and torn to shreds, but at least they are provided free of charge. It’s not until college that most kids have to start worrying about paying grossly exorbitant prices for books. Home-schoolers have to provide their own study materials from the outset.
Parents of home-schooled kids like to get as much value for their money as possible; that way they can afford more materials for the next semester. Used homeschool books are considerably cheaper than new copies, and they are not defaced and marked up in the fashion of public school hand-me-downs. And since they are become the propety of the student, they don’t need to be turned back in at the end of a semester.
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.
As the parent of a homeschooled child, you’ve most likely had to field a series of questions from your peers. Although they admire your dedication, these people often wonder about the socialization aspect. How can a homeschooled kid grow into a healthy, functioning member of society without those bonding experiences that come along with public school attendance?
Most parents who tackle home education respond to that question with a few of their own: What about the cruelty and humiliation many kids experience in public schools? Is that what I want for my child? The answer is obvious. In addition, many home education systems allow for group study sessions and field trips in conjunction with other kids. Homeschooling is the furthest thing from sheltering and isolating a child – it’s merely an alternative teaching technique.
A unit study, or thematic unit offers a comprehensive overview of a specific topic. It provides a variety of activities that cover science, math, language arts, social studies and fine arts. A unit on Vikings for example could contain a mapping activity for geography, a saga lesson for language studies, some math questions about how much a Viking ship can carry and more.
Not only do unit studies provide lessons and worksheets across the curriculum but they can also provide lessons for a variety of learning styles and levels. Unit studies are especially helpful for the reluctant learner because they can be about a topic that is a favorite and will therefore make them more willing to learn!