What about you? What places do you visit and how have those visits changed as your child grows? What was your favorite "field trip" and why?
Monday, November 12, 2012
Homeschool Field Trips
I'm excited to have found a very active homeschool "field trip" type group on facebook. It will give my kids a chance to hang out with other kids and see places we have never been or discover something new about a favorite place. Maybe make a lifetime friend. You just never know.
As my kids are getting older, the trips take on different shapes. Before we used to go to the West Side Market to just be exposed to all the sights and smells. Slowly, they started asking questions about the different foods and the nationalities behind them. Now when we go, they get some money to spend and they have to make choices about how to spend it and keep count of their money. As they get older, I'll give them a recipe to gather ingredients for and then they will have to cook it.
What about you? What places do you visit and how have those visits changed as your child grows? What was your favorite "field trip" and why?
What about you? What places do you visit and how have those visits changed as your child grows? What was your favorite "field trip" and why?
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Fall Lessons
Well, homeschooling is well under way, but then again it always is at our house. Learning is 24-7 for us.
We have been focusing on fall stuff and incorporating that into our daily handwriting practices and spelling words. We have done some experiments with apples, which really stuck with the kids. They talk about it all the time. We cut up an apple, left one piece out on a plate, covered one slice with lemon juice, and submerged the other in water. We observed them and noted which one turned brown the fastest and talked about why.
We wrapped up our lessons with a little field trip to the apple orchards to soak up the fall colors and get some apples.
We are so lucky to have both Patterson's & Sage's (pictured below) Fruit Farms so close.
We missed U-Pick season this year, but it is on the agenda for next year.
We have been focusing on fall stuff and incorporating that into our daily handwriting practices and spelling words. We have done some experiments with apples, which really stuck with the kids. They talk about it all the time. We cut up an apple, left one piece out on a plate, covered one slice with lemon juice, and submerged the other in water. We observed them and noted which one turned brown the fastest and talked about why.
We wrapped up our lessons with a little field trip to the apple orchards to soak up the fall colors and get some apples.
We are so lucky to have both Patterson's & Sage's (pictured below) Fruit Farms so close.
We missed U-Pick season this year, but it is on the agenda for next year.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Homeschool Information
One main point that came out of our homeschool panel is that there is no one place to go to find all the resources you'd need to get started homeschooling or to at least send you in the right path to research.
The panel pulled together a bunch of great resources and the News-Herald published them here.
It is a good place to find the law, find the form to send to the school district each year, find resources for classes, books, etc.
I just want to get it in this blog, so it is always available.
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| The Homeschool Panel Discussion at the News Herald- August 2012 |
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Homeschool Panel Discussion
I think the panel discussion held at the News-Herald last night (8/13/12) went really well. We'd hope for a higher attendance, but at the end of the night I felt like we helped several people by giving them resources and encouragement to jump into homeschooling and that is all that matters.
I didn't have too much to say as I am still learning the ins and outs myself, so it was very informative for me as well. I feel lucky to be a part of this community of homeschoolers.
One thing that has had me thinking all day, was the question about how to get your child disengaged from the TV, computer games, etc. We all responded "just turn it off." In hindsight, I wish I would have thought that response out a little more. Sure, turn it off is the first step, but other thing must happen in order for it work. The parent has to engage the child in another activity. Sure it is easier to turn on the TV while you cook dinner. We all know it gets done faster and there is less mess, but if you turn the TV off and invite the child(ren) to help you, you have an instant math lesson. Fractions, measuring, portioning.
So yes," turn it off, but turn the child's mind onto something else" would have been a better response.
I hope those that attended the session, got some good information form it and if you didn't any still have questions, please feel free to ask them here. If I don't know the answer, I can surely find it out.
I didn't have too much to say as I am still learning the ins and outs myself, so it was very informative for me as well. I feel lucky to be a part of this community of homeschoolers.
One thing that has had me thinking all day, was the question about how to get your child disengaged from the TV, computer games, etc. We all responded "just turn it off." In hindsight, I wish I would have thought that response out a little more. Sure, turn it off is the first step, but other thing must happen in order for it work. The parent has to engage the child in another activity. Sure it is easier to turn on the TV while you cook dinner. We all know it gets done faster and there is less mess, but if you turn the TV off and invite the child(ren) to help you, you have an instant math lesson. Fractions, measuring, portioning.
So yes," turn it off, but turn the child's mind onto something else" would have been a better response.
I hope those that attended the session, got some good information form it and if you didn't any still have questions, please feel free to ask them here. If I don't know the answer, I can surely find it out.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Thinking of Homeschooling?
Are you thinking of homeschooling? Want to know why others decided to make the choice to homeschool? Have questions about what resources are available to you? Want to know your rights as a homeschooling parent?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, please join me and several other homeschool moms for a roundtable discussion at the News-Herald's office.
Monday, August 13th, 7pm.
Hope to see you there!
If you answered yes to any of these questions, please join me and several other homeschool moms for a roundtable discussion at the News-Herald's office.
Monday, August 13th, 7pm.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Homeschool Classes Outside The Home
I just registered my kids for the Zoo homeschool programs. Lake Metroparks has their schedule for the fall out and I'm waiting for The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Fine Arts. Sure would be easier planning if they all came out around the same time.
Anyone else doing any of these classes? Found any others that are fabulous?
Anyone else doing any of these classes? Found any others that are fabulous?
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Others View on Homeschool
I don't know about you, but I look at life as a learning experience. Everywhere we go can be made into some sort of teachable moment or segue to a whole weeks worth of learning on a particular topic.
It seems lately, with school being out for the summer that I'm getting a lot of questions about how I home school and if we are "on vacation" like kids that go to "regular" school.
A friend recently commented that since her daughter was now done with preschool, we must be too. That is not the case. While we may have backed off the structured book work; we still do a far amount as well as practice writing and reading. We are also always on the go and each place we go, I find something to teach them about and we go to the library and research or hop on-line and find more information about.
As a parent, I've always felt I was the most important teacher in my kids lives. Even if I had decided on traditional school, I'd still be doing this stuff in the summers with them for retention. It is interesting to see how other parents feel and what they do (or don't do) for time off school.
What about you? What do you do for school breaks? If you are homeschooling do you take a vacation period or do you just keep on going? If your child goes to traditional school do you work with them in the summer or do you take a hands off approach?
It seems lately, with school being out for the summer that I'm getting a lot of questions about how I home school and if we are "on vacation" like kids that go to "regular" school.
A friend recently commented that since her daughter was now done with preschool, we must be too. That is not the case. While we may have backed off the structured book work; we still do a far amount as well as practice writing and reading. We are also always on the go and each place we go, I find something to teach them about and we go to the library and research or hop on-line and find more information about.
As a parent, I've always felt I was the most important teacher in my kids lives. Even if I had decided on traditional school, I'd still be doing this stuff in the summers with them for retention. It is interesting to see how other parents feel and what they do (or don't do) for time off school.
What about you? What do you do for school breaks? If you are homeschooling do you take a vacation period or do you just keep on going? If your child goes to traditional school do you work with them in the summer or do you take a hands off approach?
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