Thursday, September 15, 2011

Elementary Enrichment Activities

Homeschooling is one thing, but what about after school hours? What can homeschoolers do as enrichment activities to further their education? One thing parents often overlook is the contribution that art and music make on a growing child’s brain. Kids need a chance to explore their artistic, creative side too. With that in mind, art classes, music lessons, and drama clubs are excellent choices for homeschoolers.


In addition, parents can easily find ways to enrich the academic side of homeschooling by supplementing their regular curriculum with additional media resources, hands-on experiences, and learning activities. Book learning is no fun all the time, so shake things up a bit and come at difficult concepts from a different angle to drive home the point. If the same material is presented in several different ways, it’s more likely to make sense to a child. So it pays to supplement your curriculum in areas you feel your child could benefit.


Enrichment activities that teach kids to apply the knowledge they’ve learned are also quite helpful. For example, after several lessons about counting money, have your child help you add up your purchases at the store, or help you make change. Or perhaps after learning about weather, have them read the weather forecast and let you know if you need to cover your plants to protect them from frost. Even the act of helping you to cover those plants will help them understand the concept. Enrichment activities don't have to be complicated, just activities that can help give some depth and understanding to an otherwise mundane school lesson. Make your school day fun by going above and beyond your curriculum!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Using the Computer in Homeschooling

So much of our lives is handled through computers these days, from scheduling our days to storing family photos, so it’s no wonder a vast array of options for homeschooling has developed utilizing computers. There are several publishers that market CD-ROM programs with everything you need for a given grade. The student can sit at the computer and work almost completely on their own.


Of course, the parent will still need to help out, particularly if the child finds a particular concept difficult. Homeschooling parents can also choose to supplement the curriculum with other materials of their choosing, as needed. This is a great option for parents of multiple children or those homeschooling with a baby or toddler who also needs their time.


Websites for kids abound that can help with a particular concept, such as those sites that offer math games or online phonics flashcards. Even websites that look like nothing but fun can also have an educational component. It helps with visual and spatial skills too! When kids are a little older, they can type their essays and papers on the computer, learning typing skills along the way.


Computer skills are an invaluable part of modern society, and starting kids on the computer at a young age can be quite beneficial to their long term education.