Niche Homeschool Group

Homeschool 101 Classes November 30, 2007

Are you considering homeschooling? Or have you been homeschooling, but still feel a bit lost or unsure?  Attend one of Niche’s Homeschool 101 Classes.

Homeschooling is quickly becoming a common educational choice.  If you have a child who is struggling, bored, unmotivated or just doesn’t fit in, then homeschooling might be a great choice for your family.  Perhaps you’d just like your family to be more bonded and less hurried.  Or maybe you feel that your child deserves an individualized education. 

Come join the growing number of families who are finding out that homeschooling can provide a quality, individualized education, more content family time and less stress.  This class will provide information about homeschool law, curriculum choices, philosophies and socialization. 

Classes are held on the 3rd Thursday of the month, every month.  Classes are free but a small materials fee will apply. 

To register, or get further information, send an email to cohsmama at yahoo dot com

Homeschool Web Articles November 27, 2007

“Beginning Your Journey,” by Karen M. Gibson http://www.leapingfromthebox.com/art/kmg/beginningjourney.html

“That Dreaded “S” Word,” by Sarah A. McUmber-House — But what about socialization?http://www.angelfire.com/mo/sasschool/socialization.html

“10 Ways to Ease into Homeschooling,” by Carolyn Morrison http://guiltfreehomeschooling.org/blog/2007/08/10-ways-to-ease-into-homeschooling.html

“Home School Burnout and How to Avoid It,” by Ellyn Davis http://www.homeschoolmarketplace.com/e-zines/ejournalmar0806.htm 

“The Six-Lesson Schoolteacher,” by John Taylor Gatto – jaded view of what the public school really teaches http://www.cantrip.org/gatto.html

“Are You Missing Something,” by Martin & Carolyn Forte – What happens if you forget to teach something?http://www.excellenceineducation.com/are_you_missing_something.php

“The Baby Is the Lesson,” by Diane Hopkins – Christian perspective on homeschooling w/young children http://www.lovetolearn.net/policies/baby.lasso 

“Tidal Homeschooling,” by Melissa Wiley – a style somewhere between Charlotte Mason & unschooling http://melissawiley.typepad.com/bonnyglen/2006/01/tidal_homeschoo.html

Homeschool Facts websitehttp://www.homeschoolfacts.com/index.php

Homeschool Books

You Are Your Child’s First Teacher , by Rahima Baldwin Dancy

Playful Learning: An Alternate Approach to Preschool, by Anne Engelhardt

Fun with the Family Colorado, 5th (Fun with the Family Series), by Doris Kennedy

Learning All the Time, by John Holt?A fine work that discusses profound approaches to teaching and learning

The Read-Aloud Handbook: Sixth Edition (Read-Aloud Handbook), by Jim Trelease

Honey for a Child’s Heart, by Gladys Hunt

Books Children Love: A Guide to the Best Children’s Literature, by Elizabeth Wilson

Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense, by David Guterson A?great intro to homeschooling, and some of the reasons to consider it

The Three R’s, by Dr. Ruth Beechick (An Easy Start in Arithmetic, A Strong Start in Language, A Home Start in Reading)

You Can Teach Your Child Successfully: Grades 4-8, by Dr. Ruth Beechick

Discover Your Child’s Learning Style: Children Learn in Unique Ways - Here’s the Key to Every Child’s Learning Success, by Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Kindle Hodson

100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing The Right Curriculum And Approach For Your Child’s Learning Style, by Cathy Duffy

The Home School Source Book, by Jean & Donn Reed? - Peggy’s favorite - a resource book she refers to almost weekly

The Complete Home Learning Source Book: The Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents, and Educators Covering Every Subject from Arithmetic to Zoology, by Rebecca Rupp

Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School, by Rebecca Rupp

What Your [Kindergartner, First Grader, …] Needs to Know (Core Knowledge series), by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.

A Survivor’s Guide to Home Schooling, by Luanne Shackelford and Susan White

Homeschooling: Take a Deep Breath—You Can Do This!, by Terrie Lynn Bittner

The Relaxed Home School: a Family Production, by Mary Hood - Helps soothe frayed or worried nerves about how to start or keep going

The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook: a Creative and Stress-Free Approach to Homeschooling, by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore

A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning, by Karen Andreola

For the Children’s Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School, by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason’s Philosophy for Today, edited by Elaine Cooper

The Original Homeschooling Series, 6 volumes by Charlotte M. Mason - Miss Mason’s original writings for those wanting more in depth information on her ideas.?

A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the 21^st Century, by Oliver Van DeMille

The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home, by Susan Wise Bauer

Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling, by John Taylor Gatto

The Teenage Liberation Handbook: how to quit school and get a real life and education, by Grace Llewellyn

Homeschool Resources

Looking for inspiration?? Need to get remotivated. Grab a warm cuppa something yummy and peruse these resources.

Some homeschool magazines to peruse when the kids are quiet for 5 minutes.?

Lovely homeschool books to spend a quiet rainy day with…Send the kids to the zoo with Dad and call it a teacher inservice day.

Grab your laptop and refuel with these web articles while your kiddo finishes their math.

Some math games October 10, 2007

Gameschooling is using games to teach subjects that may not be very exciting.  Add a game to a lesson and see how much more fun is involved, not to mention learning and retention.   

Buzz Fizz Burp

You just count, starting at 1.  When it’s your turn, say the next number in
order.  BUT - all multiples of 3 instead of saying the number you say Buzz.
Multiples of 5, say Fizz.  Multiples of 3 and 5 get a buzzfizz.  Advanced
players can add the burp on multiples of 7 - and, yes of course, you would
also get fizzburps and buzzburps -

For example, it goes like this - 1-2-buzz-4-fizz-buzz-7-8-buzz-fizz-11
you get the idea.  And that is without the burps!  I find it a challenge to
play while tackling rush hour city driving, which levels the playing field a
little.

We started out with just the buzzes, and you could do it on multiples of
whatever you are working on, though my daughter, who likes consistency, will
play it only as stated above.  You can set a goal of counting to something
for an end point - 30 is good for beginners.  For kids like mine, who need
LOTS of repetition to get this stuff down, this is a fun review.

~~~~

I don’t know if this one has a name; it’s played with a deck of cards

Ace = 1; all face cards count as their value; Jack is 11, Queen 12, can choose to use King, as 13 or wild card, or if working on a fact family, assign King as that number for extra practice.

Deal out all the cards between 2 people

flip over top card, the person with lowest card, multiplies the 2 numbers; correct answer, get the cards; if incorrect, the person with the highest card gets a chance; keep going until someone gets the right answer and wins the “hand”.

This game can be adapted to addition, subtraction, division, fractions, etc., and include any number of people.

Here are a few more ideas.

First, an adapatation of your 2nd ‘war’ type game.  Have both people play two cards and each person add or multiply their own. Highest total wins. 

Deal a pyramid of cards 1 at the top, 2 on the next level etc laying each card slightly on top of the next card.  Then playing only the fully exposed cards, work towards uncovering the whole pile.  To remove cards, use whatever function you are working on to achieve a desired number.

      3

    4 1

  2 3 5

 4 5 3 1

So for example, the first 3 rows are covered by other cards if you lay the cards out and don’t do this as a computer screen game

Say your goal is 5s.  You can add 4+1 = 5 so remove those two cards.  Take away the 5 since it equals 5.  That leaves the 3 from the bottom level and the 2 from the level above it exposed.  They equal 5 so remove the.

We play go fish all the time.  Play to a goal #.  Say, we’re playing to 10.  If I’ve got a 7, I ask for a 3 to make 10.  If kiddo has it, they give it to you. If not, go fish.