Family Game Night Builds Family Memories

Family game night, a universal concept to enhance family unity, can provide a mathematical format for learning in any home. However, in a homeschooled home, these weekly family games can become a foundation for the homeschool math curriculum. Many homeschool families utilize the family game night into a nightly gathering of the entire family to enhance the homeschool mathematics curriculum and the family unit. Using card games such as Uno, SkipBo, Cribbage, War and other numerical card games provides an educational format that teaches numbers and strategy through game night fun. Board games such as Monopoly, Life, Cranium and many others also enhance the mathematical thinking and learning skills of the homeschooled student without every opening a textbook. Dice games, dominoes, Legos and Tangrams also provide a learning format through family fun. Critical thinking, strategy, mathematical equations, subtraction, addition, and many other mathematical concepts become a concrete concept when practices through play. As a homeschool family, utilizing games to teach math is a logical transition from fun to learning. A homeschool math curriculum is built upon realistic learning and comprehension scaffolded by the parent. In a family game night format, not only is the family life enriched but the overall comprehension of math, it is enhanced through family playtime. If your homeschooled student is intimidated by the mathematics curriculum that is presented in your current homeschool curriculum, introduce new concepts and explore the basic math skills while playing a game. There are many different games that specialize in specific mathematical concepts, introduce the new concept while actively using it during play and it will remove the intimidation factor almost immediately.

Don't Forget to Search the Internet for Free Homeschooling Resources for Your Co-op or Classroom

The Internet is full of free homeschool resources and materials that can be used within your classroom. For many homeschool parents, the adopted homeschool curriculum includes both the formally purchased academic curriculum used in association with the many different units that are created at home. As you seek out homeschool lesson plan resources for your homeschool classroom, remember that the Internet is rich with ideas, lesson plans, thematic units and research resources that are available at little or no expense. There are many homeschooler’s research guides available that provide in-depth information on how to access free teaching aids. These guides are often filled with web sites that offer detailed information on almost any subject you can teach to a child. While many different ideas and topics can be located just by using the different search engines, it is often nice to have the homeschool guide to help shed a light on the easiest path to the best information. Don’t be afraid to approach specific web sites and ask for supplemental resources guides. If you are studying computer technology; seek out computer companies for various resource materials about their specific company. If you are teaching nutrition, seek out national nutrition programs, fast food companies and other food production resources to supplement the program provided within your curriculum. It is best if you can have your children/students actively participate in the search, allowing them to learn the research skills you implement, modeling is a key educational tool for any student.

The First-Day Fears of a Novice Homeschool Mom

The time has arrived for you to implement the homeschool program you and your family chose. Some time after you decided to homeschool, you felt the panic rush into your brain: “Can I teach my kids anything successfully?”

Many parents experience of rush of exhilaration mixed with fear about their first day of homeschooilng, the moment when it becomes a reality that the kids are not going to go to school anywhere else today or any other day. Today you are their teacher.

The first and most important thing to do is assess your children so that you have something to measure their performance at the end of the year. You need to evaluate and determine how your children learn and how you are going to teach to each child. You will need to know who needs more supervision and who can work independently.

Once the basics are covered, you will begin to go over the curriculum with your children. Establish a schedule and daily routine almost immediately and stick to it. Children need and appreciate routine.

Children's Picture Book Read-Alouds

Every elementary homeschool program must contain a unit that discusses how to teach writing, and hopefully it inspires the young child to want to learn how to write well. Many children don’t realize how important writing skills are; they view writing as an assignment verses a life skill that will be used on a daily basis.

One way to remove the perceived drudgery of writing assignments is to move the concepts of writing from abstract to concrete. Young children have a difficult time comprehending abstract concepts and will often disregard them entirely because they are confused.

Children’s picture books are a great resource to use when discussing important writing topics such as setting, plot, character and story organization (beginning, middle and end). Children can listen and observe as a picture book is read-aloud; simultaneously the child can be processing the concrete writing steps of story creation.

As you begin your writing unit, be sure to have a variety of different books that explore and explain the different aspects of story creation. If you are unsure what to use, ask a librarian for suggestions. Her list will get you started and then you can supplement your choices with favorite books from home or purchase those you want to keep in your homeschool library.

Combating Single Homeschooling Child Loneliness

If you are homeschooling a single child you should consider enrolling in a support group. Support groups will allow you and your child to come in contact with other homeschoolers. Homeschool support groups are a wonderful place for your child to make friends and get help with curriculum such as homeschool science or math. Most support groups offer field trips, potluck dinners and game nights for homeschooling families. Don’t forget that support groups are also a great place for moms to make friends, too! When you find a support group that you enjoy you will be surprised at how much smoother your homeschooling life will be when you and your child have those weekly outings to look forward to. To encourage budding friendships invite your child’s new friends over to your house to play.

High School Homeschooling And Athletics

Many parents are under the wrong assumption when it comes to high school sports. They may have been told that their high school homeschooling teens will not have access to sports. That is simply not true. While teens may not play on the public high school teams, there are many outlets for athletic teens who homeschool.

Are you debating as to whether you should continue to pursue high school homeschooling? If so, here is a list of the top reasons that many parents choose to continue homeschooling their teens through highschool:

• Families who travel prefer to homeschool through high school.
  Teens can learn a lot about geography, history, customs and life by
  traveling with their parents.
• Teens that homeschool are more
  likely to garner work experience in their desired fields of study
  during high school. This could include paying jobs, internships or
  volunteer positions.
• Generally speaking, teens that homeschool tend to grow closer to their parents than teens who attend public school.
• Parents can save money by homeschooling their teenagers. When you take
  into account clothes, lunches, transportation, tuition for private or
  Christian schools -- homeschooling wins hands down.
• Homeschooling teens develop very strong study habits and can
  work independently. This is important for students who plan to go to
  college.
• Homeschooling teens have more time to pursue their interests over teens who attend school every day.
• Homeschooling teens can graduate earlier than teens who attend regular school.

What Is A Homeschooling Umbrella School?

An umbrella school is a new concept to someone who has never homeschooled before. To put it in a nutshell, an umbrella school is usually a private or religious based school that has an option for homeschooling. What this means is a homeschooling family can sign up under the umbrella school as homeschoolers instead of enrolling as a homeschooling family through the public school system or state. This is good news to parents who may live in a school district who frowns on homeschooling.


It is important to note that many umbrella schools even require more of a homeschooling family. One school may require that you use particular curriculum, another may require that you come in and have regular meetings, while another may simply want an end of the year report filed on your children. Before you enroll with an umbrella school you should be clear about their requirements and be sure you can meet them all.

The Advantages of Joining A Homeschool Co-op

A homeschool co-op has many advantages for a parent who is teaching an elementary homeschool program. Here are just a few:

• You and your children will both develop friendships.
• Coming together with peers is fun and it enables both adults and children to learn from each other.
• If a parent is weak in a particular subject another homeschooling parent can teach that subject. For instance, a parent who is weak in math can allow another parent to teach their child math. Then, the parent who is weak in math may teach a subject he or she is in such as history or geography.
• Children learn about public speaking and how to get up in front of a group through giving reports, doing show-and-tell, or simply reading a story.
• Character growth is developed in homeschool co-ops because children learn to take instruction from someone other than their parents. They also learn how to share, interact with their peers and be a friend.
• Homeschool co-ops are a good break from home and something both parents and children look forward to each week.
• Homeschool co-ops make homeschooling families more accountable and they are more likely to stay on track.

Develop Your High School Homeschooling Teen's Interests

Here are some practical tips which can help you develop your high school homeschooling teen's interests:

• If your teens are a computers geeks let them volunteer their computer skills at a local church, public library or parks and recreation organization. Geneaological societies will also welcome your teens help.
• If your teens are into politics and social science let them participate in local political campaigns.  
• If your teens are interested in science let them volunteer at your local science museum or college science department.
• If your teens are into writing, encourage them to keep journals. You can also find a local writing club for them to join where their fiction works or poems can be critiqued.
• If your teens are into acting enroll them in acting classes or let them try out for community plays.
• If your teens are into music make sure they have access to teen friendly music cafes. Encourage them to write their own music and participate.

Weather: NASA Lightning Detection from Space

Searching for ways to make your home school science environment more fun? The Internet has a wide variety of resources on just about any topic that you can use to supplement your teaching. For instance, if you were studying weather with your child it would be cool to show them images and videos relating to weather research on the computer.

NASA has investigated the phenomena of lightning from aircraft and the Space Shuttle. This "Lightning Primer" explores the characteristics, the history, and the on-going research about nature's most capricious and deadly member. While you are here, make sure you check out the picture of lightning taken from Columbian crew cabin!

This web site is available at: http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/lisotd_old.html

A Rubric For Writing

Here is a sample rubric for writing:

Criteria - Title
Excellent - Title piquest the reader´s curiosity by using unique vocabulary
Acceptable - Title is based on the vocabulary of essay´s content
Not Too Good - Title reiterates name of book or assignment
Starting Over Again - No Title

Criteria - First and Final Paragraphs
Excellent - Strong engagement, and sense of closure
Acceptable - Avoids the template, but doesn´t grab the reader
Not Too Good - Flat, template-like beginning and closure
Starting Over Again - Not distinguishable as beginning and ending paragraphs

Criteria - Paragraph Sequence
Excellent - Uses tect to effect transition from one pargraph to the next
Acceptable - Transition achieved, but by an overuse of traditional words (likewise, so, therefore, et al)
Not Too Good - Paragraphs ordered, but no sense of transition
Starting Over Again - No logical sequence to paragraphs, disjointed

Criteria - Sentence Contruction
Excellent - Variety of sentence forms used to achieve balance
Acceptable - Complex sentences, but too much prose
Not Too Good - Declarative and compound sentences
Starting Over Again - Short declarative sentences

You can easily apply a letter grade to this rubric if that is your preference. It is always handy to word the rubric in such a way that you can hand it to your student in advance and let him know what you are looking for.

Getting Into College, Part 1

In order for your child to get into college, you should keep good records, develop your own transcripts, and have your child take the college entrance exams (SAT, ACT, and CEB). You can obtain information about these tests from your statewide homeschool organization.

Every major college and university accepts homeschooled students; some even seek out college-bound homeschoolers because they are typically serious about learning and do not attend college to party. Recently, a university rejected a homeschooled student on the grounds that the student had not attended an accredited high school, despite the fact that his transcripts and SAT scores would have gained him admission to Harvard. The applicant took the school to court and won admission.

Check into the colleges your child wishes to apply to and obtain their specific requirements. Many private colleges in the US rely on interviews as well as written recommendations to determine the student´s ability to shoulder the school´s workload. Homeschoolers are welcome at these institutions and they do well in college.

Daily Schedules Not An Issue In Homeschool Curriculum

Many families do not like to adhere to rigid time schedules imposed by the public school timetable. For these families, the opportunity to homeschool provides a strong benefit within their lifetyle, freedom from timeline and scheduling demands being a strong motivator in their lives. In the homeschool classroom, the parent, as teacher, controls the day-to-day structure of the classroom, building it to fit successfully within the family’s own personal time frame. For many this means studies in the early morning then onto family chores and errands. For others, the daytime hours are spent working around the home, running necessary household and academic errands and then study time in the evening. As a homeschool classroom, the academic timeline is absolutely at the best interest of teacher and student in one classroom rather than an entire school district. For many families, this individualized schedule is exactly what is needed for success. Additionally, when working on a homeschool schedule, it is also possible to have flexible scheduling family fields, vacations and other travel plans. Another benefit of the homeschool program is the ability to fit in music, art, physical activity and other extra-curricular activities. For many homeschool students, the concepts of math, science, geography and other more concrete subjects are more easily understood through dramatic play, artistic creativity and personal self-expression. For students that require a more specialized educational program, homeschool provides a successful opportunity to learn in a classroom that is molded around their own personal learning style.

Using Real Life To Teach Math Concepts Increases Overall Comprehension

The most important teaching tools involved in providing an educational mathematics program for students is to make the learning objectives fun, relevant to real life and challenging for the learner. A well-planned homeschool math program is going to teach the student the mathematical concepts in a well-organized and realistic manner that will enhance the learning style of the student. Many families have discovered that bringing mathematics into everyday activities often provides a quality learning experience in a real-life setting, enhancing the comprehension of the student. Using the kitchen or grocery store to teach such concepts as sorting foods, counting, fractions thru reading recipes, patterns in food shapes or colors, subtraction or addition through eating and preparing meals or snacks allows the student to submerge themselves into real-life applications. Using concrete items and daily practices to teach mathematical concepts allows children to learn and apply mathematics within their own daily lives. Another real life tool that can facilitate the mathematical homeschool curriculum is learning math through money. All children learn the basic ideas of money within their own lives on a basic day-to-day experience, whether they are homeschooled or taught in a public or private school. However, for the homeschool family, money as a mathematic unit is an ongoing and daily lesson in the making. Using money to teach values, decimals, percentages, interest, making change and carrying and borrowing and other mathematical concepts provides a realistic way for students to understand and apply these skills within their own lives.

Recyclable Product Make Wonderful Homeschool Materials

As you continue to seek out homeschooling materials to provide for your classroom, don’t overlook neighborhood businesses. It is often cost effective for a business to donate items to your homeschool classroom rather than pay to dispose of them. Don’t be afraid to ask for donations, as you are never sure who might be willing to help you out. However, when gathering donations, be sure to only take what you need for your personal classroom and to use all that you are given. It is also a very good idea to write a letter of appreciation and to have your children sign the note of thanks as well. As you begin to seek out local businesses for donations, don’t overlook copy shops as a source for discarded paper scraps, empty boxes and other office supplies. Craft stores may have extra crafting supplies, used art supplies; clearance items and other items eligible for donation. Decorating stores are a great place to get wallpaper books, carpet and linoleum samples and upholstery swatches that are perfect for a wide variety of crafting and creative projects. Doctor and dentists offices are often happy to donate used magazines that can be used within your classroom for different art and language art projects. Local contractors often have a wide variety of wood scraps that they might donate, which work wonderfully for wood projects, building blocks and other artistic needs. The most important thing in seeking out new or used materials for your home school resources is to keep your eyes open and ask.

The Internet Provides A Magic Carpet For The Homeschool Youth Today

The Internet is a vast information highway that can locate specific online homeschool information in seconds, bringing the world together in a whole new way. For the homeschool parent, the internet has provided a new way to teach children research skills, opened up homeschool chat rooms and online support groups from all over the world and has greatly reduced the number of trips to the local library for research materials. Homeschool parents need not feel alone as they brainstorm, create and construct innovative and exciting new curriculum for their students, as the resources and ideas are so plentiful on the Internet.

For many, a simple online search with a favorite search engine can provide all the information necessary. Others prefer to discover new resources and Websites from friends and fellow homeschool parents. For those that have used every available resource and still want to locate a specific homeschool Website, look no further than homeschool resource books and homeschool magazines at your local library. These different resources provide a plethora of information, suggestions and obscure websites that are filled with valuable information.

The Great Outdoors

Helping your children connect with nature is a wonderful way to incorporate language arts, mathematics, science and social studies into one study unit. After all, c hildren love to walk and investigate outside. Use the simple discoveries made during the daily walk to make comparison and contrasting charts, classify insects, identify and press flowers, count wildlife and keep a nature journal.

If you have the time, incorporate art into the unit by giving each child colored pencils and a sketchbook. Grades two and three often study seeds and plants in the public school curriculum, but as a homeschool teacher, you can choose to include these life skills in your curriculum at any time and extend your outdoor study unit into yet another direction.

When teaching your children about seeds and plants, you can teach them the term “hypothesis" and show them how to create observing and recording charts to use as they monitor the growth of their potted seeds.

If your family is planning on planting a garden in the spring, have your children work on creating a garden blue print. Prior to buying any garden seeds or supplies, have the children research “companion planting” so that they can determine which plants grow better next to one another and which should be on opposite ends of the garden. Once the blueprint for the garden is done, use mathematics to determine its actual size and the width and lenghth of rows. Giving your children a real life situation is a lesson they won’t forget.

Teaching A Life Lesson Is Not Always Easy

There is an important thing to remember about joining a co-op: New members can and will join at any given time. An important life lesson you may have to teach your children is learning to work peacefully with a new member that you initially find hard to get along with.

Let’s imagine that you have joined a co-op and built many new and valuable relationships. In fact, the entire co-op has proven to be one of the smartest things you have modified since you began homeschooling. Then one day, you are introduced to a new member. Immediately you realize that the two of you have absolutely nothing in common beyond the shared homeschool goals.

Your teaching style is laid back, allowing your children to guide the direction of the learning process, while the other women is structured, textbook-oriented, and prefers teacher-directed lesson planning -- and she's trying to impose these mindsets upon the entire co-op. At this point you have two choices: you can continually dispute the new member’s teaching style, fight her suggestions and provide a negative role modeling for your children. After spending so much time trying to teach positive character traits to your children, your negative behavior will immediately contradict and discredit all of your teaching efforts.

The other, more productive choice would be to observe this new member of your co-op and share your own strengths and motivations for your teaching style. The unique and real life training that both you and your children will share as you successfully conquer this personal challenge will be a lesson in good will and respect that will last a lifetime.

Giving Others Homeschool Information

Parents who homeschoolers get asked a lot of questions about the process and procedure. Here are a list of the most frequently asked questions of homeschooling families.

• What will your children do for socialization?
• How can you teach your children if you are not certified?
• Will your children be able to get a diploma?
• Will your child be accepted into college?
• Do you not get tired of being around your children all day?
• What is so wrong about the public school system?
• How will your children ever learn about life?

It is not just parents who get asked a lot of questions about homeschooling. Homeschooled children also find they are asked many questions about homeschooling from their peers. Here is a list of questions that homeschooling children may be asked. Teach them how to give homeschooling information that is informative and positive.

• Don’t you get lonely?
• Don’t you have friends?
• How do you play sports?
• Do you have a social life?
• Why do you homeschool?
• Don’t you think you’d like public school?
• Do you take tests?
• Do you get a grade card?
• Do you get to sleep late?
• Do you get an “A” in all your subjects?
• How long does it take you to homeschool?
• Will you be able to go to college?
• Do you have homework?