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FROM MY PERSONAL FILES AND EXPERIENCES
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SONG: "All Creatures of Our God and King"
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We won an award at a Homeschool Fair for this one! Borrow the idea and you may too!
First find an EXCELLENT picture children's story Bible or book. I don't mean one with just the well-known Bible stories in it, I mean one that has a story included about people often left out like Isaiah and Jeremiah...you get the idea. Make sure it tells the Bible stories in SEQUENTIAL order. Don't get one where it jumps back and forth all over the Bible. I used a VERY OLD Zondervan book...I don't know if it is even printed anymore, I know I couldn't find it at the Zondervan on-line site! If anyone does find a source for this book, please e-mail me! Anyway, it is called The Picture Bible by Dena Korfker, Copyright 1960 1st printing, 7th printing 12/1967, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan I started in Kindergarten but you could start this in any early grade (or later grade if you want). For Bible each day I read ONE story out of the Bible Book IN SEQUENCE and orally asked comprehension questions so my child would listen carefully. Then, I let my child illustrate the main event of the story. You may have to focus your child a bit for them to conclude what the main event was. After they finish drawing in the circle, you write briefly a caption under the circle as to what story it is (Ex. Adam in the Garden of Eden). I also drew a small arrow from my words to the circle it told about to further focus the viewer.
Well, we did this from Kindergarten through Second Grade. After each strip was done we hung it in the hallway...it grew way down the hall, and around to the other side and out to the kitchen! You might not want to do it end to end...you may have just one wall and you may have to put strips one UNDER another. But, it is FUN! The child LOVES seeing it grow and they begin to get the idea that the Bible stories they learn have a sequence to them...you know, like Adam and Eve sinned BEFORE Noah's Ark took place and Old Testament events took place before New Testament events. I think it is important for children to have this kind of knowledge rather than hearing Bible stories all out of sequence. Now be careful...you may have to research a little yourself...where does the BOOK OF JOB fit into the timeline? You may or may not want to be TOO dogmatic about how your strips run. Depends if you have a theologian for a husband!!! :-) You may just want to run the timeline in BOOK order (Ex. events in Genesis, Exodus, etc.) You and your child will also see how their art work changed from year to year and you will have a treasured keepsake. Anyway, ours got to be around 9+ feet long! As I needed more strips, I made more. Then at the end of the Second Grade we took it down and put it up at a Homeschool Fair and we won a BLUE RIBBON!
Do you have a checker board laying around somewhere? How about a "Chutes and Ladders Game Board?" This idea could be adapted to work with just about any board.
Let us take the checker board for an example. First, out of white, unlined index card stock, cut out squares that are slightly less in dimension from the squares on the checkerboard. Secondly, cover the entire checkerboard with these squares. I used PLASTIC TACK or FUN TACK found in drugstores or WAL-MART in the school supply section. (It is that sticky stuff that is like gum but will stick things down and when pulled off doesn't harm the surface). Next, write on each square. What to write? Well, what does YOUR child need to practice? Their blends (br, cr, tr, etc.), the short "a" sound, their times tables, addition, subtraction,capitals of US, what? On each square write a fact..like "tr" on one "br" on next or 5-2=? Last, play the game as usual except that in order to occupy the square you would be going to, you must say the fact or give a word with that blend before being allowed to stay on that square. You can still use dice and play ordinary games this way. Don't want to mark up your board? No problem! Keep a stack of index cards nearby and "draw" from it before a dice is thrown or a move made. Just make sure a child has the correct answer to the "card square" he lands on or...back to where they were! Maybe if it is wrong...they go back further...if you really feel nasty! :-) Makes the game interesting. Yes, you too Mom will have to do it to make it fair. That is good also, because the child hears a correct answer (hopefully) from you. Or maybe, give a wrong answer and see if the child can catch you AND correct you. One rule...if it is blends you are practicing, make them come up with an ORIGINAL word...not one you just used...they'll try that trick, the little dickens! :-)
Tip #9: MAKE A BIBLE TIMELINE WITH YOUR YOUNG ELEMENTARY CHILD.
Get the blank timeline ready by dividing an 8 1/2" X 11" white typing paper in half lengthwise. Lay the paper in front of you so that it is long horizontally. Lay the other half next to it and scotch tape the two ends together...I taped on the back. You now have a strip of paper approximately 20-21" long (depending how much you overlapped them to join them).
Now, find a lid (or use a compass) and trace circles one at a time filling up the length of the paper. I spaced the circles about 1/2"-1" inch apart from each other--I did not let the circles touch. In these empty circles your child will draw a picture illustrating the story you will read each day. I let my child use fine tip magic markers since the circles can't be too big...crayons are too fat to use...no details can be put in and that is half of the fun! I also drew a long line under the BOTTOM of all the circles. I used this line to write on (so the viewer of the timeline knew what the child was ATTEMPTING to illustrate--HA-HA!).
Tip #10: ADAPT GAME BOARDS ALREADY OWNED TO BE A SKILLS GAME...NO NEED TO BUY FANCY EDUCATIONAL GAMES ANYMORE!
Tip #11:
BE ORGANIZED! HERE IS MY EASY,
INEXPENSIVE SYSTEM THAT I HAVE USED FOR YEARS...I USED IT ONCE
FOR THREE KIDS AT A TIME.
1) Get one sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" lined notebook paper for each subject your child has.
2) On the top line, title one of the sheets with one subject's name. (Ex. Math)
3) In the upper-right hand corner of the sheet put a "1" if it is the first quarter, "2" for second quarter, etc.
4) Repeat steps 2 & 3 for each of your child's subjects using a different sheet for each subject.
5) Use one extra sheet and title it OTHER ACTIVITIES. This sheet is important to this system!
6) Now let's take Math for an example. Using pencil only (also important to this easy system), date every other line at the left margin of the page--like M 9/7, T 9/8, W 9/9, Th 9/10, F 9/11, M 9/14, etc. I usually schedule 1-2 week's worth of work at a sitting.
7) Now pencil in each day's lessons next to the days. Abbreviate names of texts if using two different books. (Ex. for a Skills Text (ST), for the Regular Text (RT), or a workbook (WB).
EXAMPLE:
M 9/7 off--Labor Day
T 9/8 RT p. 8-9 evens only (alone)
WB p 2 #1-5 (alone)
W 9/9 RT 10-11 evens only (w/Mom)
WB p. 2 #6-10 (w/Mom)
Th 9/10 RT p. 12-13 evens only (alone)
WB p. 3 #1-5 (alone)
F 9/11 RT p. 14-15 evens only (w/Mom)
WB p. 3 #6-10 (alone)
(Notice I make notes to myself whether work is independent or not.)
8) Do likewise for all subjects. Some subjects may only require a one-line entry. Some may require a three-line entry. Leave spaces accordingly. Good Rule: If you think you may need more than one space, leave it.
Let’s say your washer broke on W 9/9 causing general havoc so you couldn’t get to help your child in Math and it was a new lesson that your child couldn’t do alone. You happened to have bought a math software program which drills basic facts and you want your child to do that instead of the math you had planned while you tend to calling a repair man and mopping up the mess the washer caused.
Now, in alot of these “bought” systems and in a regular teacher’s plan book you’d have to erase all your writing in those nasty blocks or use arrows and move everything down and day. Confusing! Not with my system.
Here’s what I do. On the Math planning page, I squeeze in after T 9/8 an entry really small and date it W 9/9 and write next to it “Other Activities.” This tells me to see my “Other Activities” page. Under the “Other Activities” page I simply list W 9/9 and write an entry like, “Did computer math drill program -- 40 min.
Now on the Math page, I simply erase the dates only--W 9/9 thru F 9/11 and I redate. Next to what was supposed to have been W 9/9 's work I put in the new date-- Th 9/10 and re-date the rest of the entries sequentially. Isn’t that a breeze? I got tired of trying to make the manufactured scheduling systems fit into what was really happening duing my homeschool day.
Suppose that math assignment took 2 days to do because my child didn’t get it the first time. It does happen! :-) I add a comma next to Th 9/10 and Friday’s date like this: (Th 9/10, F 9/11). Now erase the date F 9/11 from in front of the next assignment and pencil in the new date that that assignment really will be done--M 9/14. Easy!
Suppose I decide that my child and I need a break from Literature and a video classic is available to me for one-day’s use only. I don’t want to totally ruin my scheduling book! YIKES! (cause I’m a perfectionist--you suspected that!) The video takes two hours and it is educational. No problem with my system. I decide to cancel what I had planned for Literature for that day and maybe Art too since the video will last for two hours. (In GA we have to have 4 1/2 hrs. of educational work for one instructional day.) I just erase and re-adjust dates downward on my Literature and Art page and on my “Other Activities” page I write the date and the entry “Watched Video--Tom Sawyer--2 hours”. Super easy!
Make sheets for that child too just like described above. Put these sheets in a different color binder altogether OR just put a tab divider in with that child’s name recorded on the tab.
If you have older kids they can be taught to read their own assignments out of your planning binder (I always call my binder, “MY BRAINS”) and get started on their lessons without your prompting them telling them for each subject what to do! That gives you time to prod the younger ones along in their studies. Naturally you would have to trust the older ones not to erase an entry because they didn’t want to do a particular assignment. I’d have a severe penalty if they tried that! Mine never tried this one but it could unfortunately be a temptation.
I only schedule 1-3 weeks ahead of time because if I schedule too far ahead, too much erasing and moving would have to take place when something happened to disrupt my plans and that would make this system ineffective. But usually, we stick to what is scheduled anyway and disruptions are kept to a minimum. Each day, when I wake up, I consult the binder and off we go! Aren’t you impressed? :-)
I also make little penciled-in preparation notes in the extreme left-hand side of the page for myself. Sometimes if I have to have something xeroxed or materials gathered before a particular lesson can be taught, I star the day’s entry and write a small note “xerox” or “need ivory soap”. That helps me too--I can look through my week and be prepared ahead of time for that day’s lesson. Not all of a sudden then will I have to say, “oops...I can’t do that science experiment today...I forgot to buy ivory soap!” Has that ever happened to you? :-)
At the end of a quarter...I merely take out that quarter’s subject sheets and move them to my permanent record file box and I make a new set for the next quarter. At the end of the year I have a great record of what actually happened for the entire year.
The funny thing about this system. I grew to love it so much that when I did go back into a Christian School to teach K-5 one year, I couldn’t get used to using those little blocks in the Teacher’s Planning Book! We still had disruptions during our day too which postponed a lesson here or there. I used my system for teaching and threw the PLAN book aside and got out my trusty binder.
In my looking through other homeschooler's sites, I found Snowy Owl's site and she has made some schedules that she is offering for free to anyone who would care to print them. Please read her rules on how and how not to use these. Click here to go to her free schedules page.
Tip #12: MAKE THIS GEOGRAPHY PROJECT TO LEARN ABOUT LANDFORMS.
First, obtain a dictionary of geographical landform terms. I found one in a general public school social studies text book and also one in an atlas. It should show you a color picture model of such terms as: peninsula, plateau, plain, delta, valley, mountains, islands, butte, cliff, etc. Since children will run into these terms constantly in their history or literature reading, I think it is important to do this type of project. It will promote better comprehension of what they are reading!
Secondly, make a batch (or 2-3 batches) of flour and salt clay. Click here for a recipe. I would leave out the food coloring it calls for and just paint it later...more fun anyway!
Next, obtain a large piece of corrogated cardboard about the size of a poster board. Have your child sculpture examples of these landforms on this piece of sturdy cardboard. As each landform is made, stick a toothpick into the landform. This way you can put a "flag" onto the other end for later use in making the KEY. Let this dry thoroughly...if you don't make your land too thick, it should not take more than a day or two. Put in the sun to hasten the drying process.
When thoroughly dry, paint with tempra paints...really you will only need green, blue and brown.
Finally, prepare a key coordinating the flags (tape a piece of paper on the end of the toothpick and put a number on each one) with a list of the geographical terms they represent. Mount this list somewhere on the project or in a sheet protector next to the project. Enter a Homeschool Support Group Contest and win! :-) (We did!)
Tip #13: USE RECYCLED PRODUCTS AND OBTAIN THE HELP OF YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY AT THE SAME TIME.
I really don't have a place at my site yet to put personal tips from other homeschoolers that I receive by e-mail so for now, until I get alot more, I will put them on this page. Here is one I got from Cori Kitchen recently:
"Hi Linda--My name is Cori and I'm new here...I really liked your hint about making things at home. It reminds me of what we did our first year. I wrote up a note of things that I could use in our homeschool such as plastic peaanut butter jars, magazines, paper, oatmeal cans and I gave one to my extended family (grandmas, aunt, cousins, and such) They loved being included and I got enough recycle stuff to make all our homeschool containers plus have things for crafts. It saved alot of money and helped others get rid of some garbage, plus we were recycling. Maybe others could do this as well."
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