Monday, March 23, 2015

Welcome Spring!

With spring approaching, something fun we like to do is explore how nature is changing around us.  With a wooded area nearby, we have the opportunity to view the changes in the trees, the animal wildlife, and the way the weather starts to wake up the woods.  We explore ant hills, snake holes (carefully), and hunt for toads.

We search for tracks and listen for birds.  We write down what we see and sounds we hear.  We draw pictures of the observations we make.  We then take this information inside to the computer and start with our research.  It was by listening to a bird outside and then doing a little web search that we were able to find that a Chuck-will’s Widow lives somewhere nearby.  He has a rather interesting call that seems to go into the night.

Welcome spring!

Monday, February 16, 2015

Music in Your Homeschool

Music is a great addition to your homeschool if you are looking for something fun and educational to include in your day. Taking some time to explore the sounds of music from many years ago and comparing it to music that is available to us now is a great way to examine the similarities and differences.  It’s neat to compare and contrast musical stylings as you learn about a new subject.  

Another really fun aspect of incorporating music studies into your homeschool is by including online music games.  Learning about percussion, wind, and string instruments are all made more exciting by using games to enhance music education.  Plus, any chance to include fun in your day is a good day for the kids!  

Monday, January 5, 2015

Happy New Year!

As a new year begins, I try to take this time to evaluate how our school year has been going to this point.  Are things working out as I had hoped or do we need to make a mid-year change to any of our curriculum options?  Regardless of how much I like the product or how much I may have spent on it, if it’s not working for us, it’s not something I want to continue to use in our homeschool.

How is your teaching going with plans you made at the start of the year?  Have you found any adjustments that should be made or changes to curriculum you need perform?  Don’t allow your curriculum to make choices for you.  If you don’t like it or it’s not working, then change it so it does work for your homeschool or put it aside.  You are the boss of your homeschool curriculum, not the other way around.  Be sure to keep that in mind when scrutinizing the efficiency of your resources.