Posts Tagged ‘Visual Media’
Back to School Tips – Start with the Basics
What I really enjoy about homeschooling is being able to provide a huge variety of topics for my kids (and myself) to learn about. We are not limited to the specific recommended courses but instead, we can explore our interests, our wonders and even some off-beat ideas.
Of course, without the basics, none of this exploration is possible. The basics meaning, reading, spelling, writing and math. A strong foundation in these subjects will allow children to explore anything they want.
Recently, I had a chance to explore the ClickN SPELL program from ClickN KIDS. This program is an entertaining online program to help kids with spelling. It features the ability to set up a number of children and various learning levels. Each child can follow up to 100 lessons. Each lesson provides new words to learn through repetition. The spelling lesson will also increase typing skills as the child types in each spelling word. There is amazing encouragement as the child progresses and in each lesson the words get progressively more difficult. Each lesson ends with a practice round which reviews the words learned with a little mini-test. The results are then given in a report that can be viewed on the screen, printed and emailed to the parent. The cartoon cat that helps the child through each lesson adds some fun to spelling drills.
ClickN KIDS also has ClickN READ Phonics program to help a child learn to read. The programs provide some entertainment along with lessons and represents a “video game” idea which is sure to attract children to play!
In this world of technology there is more instance of children playing video games than board games. And although endless hours of gaming is not a good practice there are some learning advantages to video games.
Obviously, many subjects at different grade levels are offered through computer games but regular video games can teach too. The new technology of the Wii system allows for fun, fitness and learning as well as developing hand-eye coordination. Some games require strategy and logic to advance, keeping the mind at work. Many “Sim” type games offer chances of social interaction, worldly knowledge etc. from the safety of your own home. You can learn about finances, schedules and more through a simulated character. Even games that have a child looking after a pet can help to develop responsibility. And some games offer a chance for kids to join together in teamwork in order to win the game.
Although video games can be overpowering for many children, when played in moderation, they can provide a form of education as well.
So what makes home-schoolers qualified to teach our children? Well, obviously we can’t know everything, but we can look it up and learn it along with them, relegate to a professional or provide instructional video to teach the lesson.
Many times, the tip for teaching a subject that is not familiar is to read ahead. Staying a chapter or two ahead of your student will allow you to help them learn and answer their questions. Field trips can also be used in place of a lesson that you may not know as much about. Let the experts help you! Instructional DVDs can also be helpful. A DVD that teaches French can be a useful resource for parent teachers that haven’t any French background. The key to teaching what you don’t know is to know where to get help!
What happens when the homeschool parent/teacher is not in the mood to teach one day? Fatigue, illness or whatever complaint can keep a parent/teacher out of the classroom but it is their responsibility as a homeschooler to give the kids a good educaton.
This is a great time to assign a project. Create a powerpoint presentation, write a story, create a comic book. All these ideas are creative and can be done individually by the child. Or, provide them with a learning video and let them learn from a different teacher that day. There are many ways a child can be educated and there is nothing wrong with them working alone sometimes. This gives them some independence and encourages them to look up things on their own.
Understanding learning styles can create a more effective learning environment. A child will learn better when his/her learning style is addressed. This is especially helpful for subjects where they are struggling.
A visual learner learns by seeing. One of the best methods to teach visual learners is through video, DVD or other movie type media. There are many different educational videos that span all subjects. Using visual media throughout a lesson will help increase their ability to learn. Picture books, posters, maps, flash cards and other types of visual materials will also help this type of learner.
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.