"Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love"

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Let's Talk Resources!


Last week I talked about the importance of knowing our kid's learning style here, but I feel I have to extend in this matter just a little more, so before classes take off, I want to mention the best resources that helped to enrich our homeschool experience much more. Apart of our wonderful curriculum CHC, my best help is online. My main platform is Pinterest! I find there all kinds of websites, methods, printables, and ideas that link me to YouTube videos and blogs I consult often.


Out of all those amazing things I explored, I have categorized my top resources in the following 5:

  1.  Methods
  2.  Crafts and materials
  3.  Printables
  4.  Websites and media
  5.  Educational toys, games, and Elements

Let's review one by one:

 Methods

  • Montessori is one of the methods I am grateful to use because it has helped tremendously my visual and sensorial learners. Montessori is basically a way of learning through natural materials, allowing independent discovery depending on the child's strengths and abilities. I have been able to incorporate and adapt this method, while working with our curriculum, by introducing activities like nature walks for science, collecting rocks and twigs for counters in math and also samples for science, tracing in sandpaper the alphabet as well as using pipe cleaners and play dough for shapes, words and numbers, also using the abacus as a way to manipulate the beads in order to count. Really anything that can be experienced by the senses! even the Oreo moon phases we consider Montessori approach! 




Manipulation of these materials makes a real and palpable way to understand and reinforce the concepts we introduce in the lessons. Remember is not about advancing rapidly in grades or subjects, but about making sure they are retaining and comprehending the information they learn.    

  • Repetition and memorization are the classical techniques we have been using lately in the higher grades with the girls, especially when it comes to History and Science concepts. In the earlier years I attempted to introduce memorization with short verses or rhymes, mainly to spark retention but now I have found it helpful to build vocabulary and root universal concepts or events. 

We have used repetition in Math while learning multiplication tables only to reinforce. Never as a way to understand it. We do an introduction first and model grids and groups, once they know how multiplication works and grasp most of the basics, we use repetition and then we work on memorizing the tables! We always end up finding a rhythm or song that is catchy to make learning fun and smooth!

  • Notebooking and dictation: We use this method in some subjects to reinforce retention. Writing things down helps you to remember faster because you make visual and motor effort simultaneously, so with this in mind we began to keep notes on Science, Grammar, Social Studies, and History.

  • Presentations and role play: We use this only at the end of the semester or the year, to challenge research and fluency. Girls prepare presentations for book reports or projects in Social Studies, Religion, and Science; along with their presentation, we elaborate posters or visuals that support their research. Role play you may ask? yes! we use this as an alternative to the presentation, they can make an interview of famous people or a play to tell their lives, anything outside the box to support what they have learned about.

  • Debates and Discussion: This method has worked pretty well for us on subjects like Religion, History, and Science; even in Art and Music. I have designated a day of the week where each kid has tutoring with mom or dad, that day we go over the pages they finished and we explain the lesson along with discussion and debating the various subjects. I enjoy this time with the kids, the most! because here is where I pour my heart and knowledge to them and also I get to discover what is in their minds, pushing for analysis, critical thinking, and logic. 

  • Read out louds: This practice is the timeless classical approach that never fails. Not just introduces vocabulary but allows a kind of bonding hard to describe. From Early beginnings and continuing throughout Elementary and Middle school, kids love to be read to. This tool helps to reinforce and retain information as well as nurturing imagination.


Crafts and Materials

 Here, is where homeschool gets fun! to begin I will give you an idea of the materials we love, just remember that as we advance, different projects arise and therefore we may explore other new items in the upcoming grades. For now here is what we use:

  • Recycle, recycle, recycle! caps, cardboard, magazines, cans, shoe boxes, plastics bottles, baby food containers, paper and plastic tubes, beads from broken necklaces, toothpicks, magnets, aluminum molds, bamboo sticks, ribbons, paper plates, cups, paper bags, and fabric.  All these We use as counters for Math, to store and to make various crafts and projects.


  • Paint, brushes, play dough, Ziploc bags, pipe cleaners, straws, Popsicle sticks, clothespins, construction paper, felt, glitter, balloons, twine, yarn, tracing paper, poster boards etc. We buy these to make our models and crafts 


 With these at hand, here are the major crafts we love to use to expand in our lessons:

  • Salt Maps: Most favorite ever! This craft has allowed us to wrap up all the work we do about continents, countries, and states. Here we display rivers, mountains, animals, economy, natural resources, and even saints from each place we decide to display. 
Our recipe is very simple it only needs 3 ingredients; equal parts of salt and flour, and enough water to make a dough texture.


  • Models: As we have moved on higher grades we began to get more complex in our projects. We started with a model from our 5th-grade science book, that recreated the body and all the systems. We made it out of felt! it came out amazing! but we have done many others from Pinterest ideas; to recreate models such as Viking and Indian boats or the planets. We are very excited to begin this year models of ancient civilizations, as well as the Alamo and other landmarks. 
Models are time-consuming but surely a lesson, that kids will always remember.
  • Posters: These are a great resource the kids use to highlight a theme they loved. They can add as much as they want, as long as they can back it up with a presentation to the family. Posters can be used for Religion, Science, Social Studies or Reading.


Printables

 Here all the credit to Pinterest! The many ideas we have found, come from this awesome media resource that links you to blogs, YouTube, and other websites. All you do is to type the key word of your interest and there! thousands of links to choose from! I had organized our favorites in specific boards, that help me to come back and use them as need it.  As a matter of fact, I made one solely for printables. I have been very careful with the links on this board, I want to make sure they are free to download! and most, if not all of them, we have used already and downloaded for future use. I highly recommend you do this in case a website takes down the post. 

 I added my "Printables" board to the side bar of the blog so you may visit and save your favorites! be my guest! also, follow me! I am always finding new printables!


Websites and media 
Number one: Pinterest hehe no need to go into detail! but among  many others, I visit frequently the following:
Blogs
Any other links and resources can be found also on the side bar of this blog. I added the "Homeschool Resources" board on Pinterest. feel free to visit and follow! pick your favorites!
Educational Toys, Games and Elements
I have always been an advocate of toys! especially educational, because unintentionally allows your kids to develop aptitudes of analysis, critical thinking, and logic. We have re purposed many of our toys into resources for our school. 

Toys and Games

 For example for Math I have a box with toys related to counting, time, logic or geometry, where you can find:

  • Cards
  • Dice
  • Time bingo
  • Counters made of army-ninja toys
  • Fake coins and bills
  • Clocks 
  • Rubric cubes
  • Cash register toy and piggy bank
  • Dominoes
  • Tangram puzzles 
  • Abacus
  • Blocks 
  • Chess
  • Battleship to understand grids and coordinates


For Spelling we use:
  • Scrabble.
  • Letter magnets 

For Science we use:
  • Puzzles for the body systems, solar system
  • Ocean bingo
  • Wood fiddlesticks and connectors to build simple machines
  • Magnifying glass
  • Animal sets
  • Cars to study physics and simple machines

For Social Studies we use 
  • Puzzles of countries and landmarks
  • Historical dolls 
  • Flags 
  • Dolls like Indians, pioneers etc



Elements

Lastly, there are some elements that just make learning much easier and interactive such as:
  • Earth Globe
  • Maps
  • Chalk boards
  • Flash cards
  • Cd's
  • Charts and posters
  • Calendars



I know there is much more to add, but I will continue gathering info and sharing it with you. I really hope this could help any of you my readers, it has been a total adventure to explore all this ocean of resources. Please keep in mind that learning and teaching it's a journey of concepts and experiences!

Lastly, I want to leave you with our quote of the week to inspire you to pursue greatness in your homeschool adventure!


“I had to learn very early not to limit myself due to other's limited imaginations. I have learned these days never to limit anyone else due to my limited imagination.”

Dr. Mae Carol Jeminson



     Thanks for stopping by!





Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

You can find my Comment Policy and Guidelines at the top of the menu bar. I appreciate your visit and feedback.

Note: All comments are moderated.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)