Do you homeschool?
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Anonymous
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My kids go to public school and so far I have no complaints so this question is not about schooling. They are first graders. I try to do things with my kids that have some educational value. I'm not talking boring, beat them over the head with learning activities but fun experiences they can enjoy. Can you recommend any activities that can be done at home or through local day trips? Are there online resources you use? How do you teach your kids about science, history, etc. using a hands on approach?
We've done nature centers, museums, veggie gardens, volcano kits, butterflies and I'm running out of ideas. I'm not trying to get my kids trained up for AAP or Yale admission, just trying to make learning fun. |
Anonymous
| Yes, we have always supplemented. I don't think of it as 'home schooling', I think of it as raising children. |
Anonymous
| You don't have to stress over this. Just point out things in the environment: Helicopter maple seeds that are everywhere, bird watching, etc. |
Anonymous
| Please let up on planned activities. Make it part of every day life. Have them help you cook: measure, etc. Later, you can halve or double a recipe. |
Anonymous
| Pick out a current event and talk about it. Watch the news. Again, don't make it teaching--make it conversation. What do they think? What would you do? etc. |
Anonymous
| I asked for resources for planned activities. You missed the point of my post entirely. I did not ask for advice on parenting style. I have my own parenting style. I asked for ideas or websites. None of your responses answered the question that was asked. I know this is DCUM and I will get opinions that I didn't ask for but you do realize you didn't answer the question, right? I'm assuming that is because none of you home school. |
Anonymous
NP here: I just read every post prior to this. Each one gave AN IDEA about something you could do with your kids. Perhaps you need to invest in a homeschooling course in reading and in basic manners. |
Anonymous
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OP- to answer your question-
I do not homeschool, but I do supplement my children's education at home. I believe that parents have always been the most important teachers, and as schools have more financial constraints placed on them, class sizes will continue to rise, and individual attention is minimal. Here are a few suggestions- 1. For history- my children (2nd grade and K) have recently been listening to "Story of the World"- audio CDs that are for children to learn history. My children find it quite interesting. We mostly listen to it in the car, and they often don't want to get out of the car until the chapters finished. 2. Website- my mother (who is a teacher) told me about superteacherworksheets.com Great website to print out short reading passages (some fiction, some non-fiction), I mostly stick to the non-fiction- my kids like to learn science type stuff, and reading comprehension questions are at the end. It takes them about less than 15 minutes to read and answer the questions. We do this more often in the summer time Hope this help. |
Anonymous
Thank you! |
Anonymous
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I work a lot of it into everyday life. Math: the washing machine takes 45 minutes, and we put in the towels at 10:05. When do I set the timer to go off? Here's the recipe: go make the bread, call me if you need any help. I'm saving $10 a week for those $40 shoes I want - how long will it take until I have enough to buy them?
To me, what's much more important than that is teaching critical thinking skills. "Hey, we normally change trains at this station. What if we miss the stop to get off?" But it's almost ALL in everyday life. |
Anonymous
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We use Singapore math word problems- it's not the "boring" stuff because these word problems are "very" intellectually challenging. We are going to try Beast Academy (AoPS) this summer.
I have my seven year keep a running list and do the grocery math for me in the store (explains the "deals" amd helping me weigh produce). I don't have much "outing" advice beyond what you have already heard or thought of. We provide an allowance and have DS save money toward things on his "want" list. I'm trying to get DS to keep a rudimentary ledger. Books: "Good Times Travel Agency" for "fun history has been a recent favorite. We're going to try some experiments in "Perfectly Perilous Math" this summer. Our favorite apps tend to be "mathy" (Mayan Multiplication, Math Ninja), but he also likes "Stack the States" and "Stack the Countries." Story Bird is a nice writing tool online. I think you can use the basic version for free. You might look at the "Well Trained Mind" community- it's primarily homeschoolers and after schoolers. The folks there will probably have great ideas. |
Anonymous
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Anything can be a learning experience, even if you don't homeschool (we don't either).
Trips to museums, cooking/baking, working in a garden, etc are all great activities. Free time is also invaluable - its good for kids to be bored and to be forced to entertain themselves. Its good for the imagination. |
Anonymous
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Supplement in areas where the public schools sometimes fall short. Science experiments, field trips, history/geography, art/music, and foreign language instruction.
I'd also strongly recommend you consider teaching your kids coding in a few years. |