TheHomeSchoolMom's Free Homeschool Resources - June, 2009
~~~~Contents ~~~~
- From the Editor
- Website Updates
- Homeschooling High School (Our Sponsor)
- Educational Resources
- Time 4 Learning (Our Sponsor)
- Recently Seen Online
- Article - Six Ways to Refuel This Summer by Shantell Berrett
May was an extremely busy month in our household with one child wrapping up a competitive gymnastics season and the other performing in a multi-show CYT production of The Little Mermaid. June is here (how did that happen!?) and homeschool convention season is upon us, so be sure to check out our Local Resource pages to find out what events are happening in your area. If you have a local, regional, or state event to submit, please let us know so other homeschoolers in your area can find it. Have a wonderful month and enjoy the newsletter!
Warm regards,
Mary Ann Kelley
Editor
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2. TheHomeSchoolMom.com Website Updates
(Our Sponsor)
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Are the high school years approaching in your home? I encourage you to stop, take a deep breath, and consider the possibility that homeschooling your high schooler might be a tremendous boon for you, your student and your whole family. Homeschooling high school is an exciting and scary proposition. You want to turn out a successfully educated and prepared adult at the conclusion of four years of high school, but maybe you feel unprepared or lack confidence that you have the tools and resources necessary to get the job done.
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The Upper Level Homeschool course teaches you how to prepare your teen for college and adult life. The first 5 weeks include:
Most weeks the lessons will also include hyperlinks, worksheets and even curriculum samples for you to use. Order now: Note from Mary Ann ~ I have a special bonus for this program. After you have signed up through the link above, just send me an email (replying to this newsletter is fine) and let me know and I will send you a pack of forms and checklists for homeschooling high school. |
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Chem Shorts
With monthly experiments
going back to 1992, this site site has topics ranging from Fried Green Eggs (uses pH to change the egg color) to Homemade Floam (made with Borax). Great for integrating practical science into the curriculum.
http://membership.acs.org/C/Chicago/ChmShort/kidindex.html
Free Historical Paper Dolls
"Inspired by her daughter's love of paper dolls and her own love of history, Veronica Maria launched Paper Dali as a free resource for homeschooling parents. Paper Dali's collection of free historical paper dolls makes history come alive for students. Paper Dalis can be used for: coloring pages, notebooking, lapbooks, fact sheets and, of course, just playing. "
http://www.paperdali.com/
Hands-On Science: Butterflies and Bugs
Although this site is geared toward selling caterpillars and other insects (which can be a fun science integration), it also has fact sheets and printables available for free. If you have elementary-aged children and have never raised butterflies, consider doing so. Kids love watching the transformation.
http://www.earthsbirthday.org/butterflies/
Simply Charlotte Mason
Curious about Charlotte Mason? This site gives an excellent overview of Charlotte Mason, her educational philosophy, and how homeschoolers are implementing her methods. The site is very large and contains lots of great information so plan to spend awhile browsing all of the content.
http://simplycharlottemason.com/
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Summer is a great time to try new things. After all – following the same learning routine year round can get to be repetitive… and boring. Why not use the summer break to shake things up a little for your kids? Time4Learning safely and securely combines the internet, the computer, quirky characters, funny sound effects and independent learning to create a student-paced environment where your kids can learn and grow. Get Math, Language Arts & more for Prek – 8th grade students. Try the interactive lesson demos or preview the screenshots to learn more. There’s no obligation. |
Profound shift in kind of families...
Not sure I agree with the statistics quoted in this story (or maybe the statistics are fine and their conclusions are not), but here it is, nonetheless. See the response from Home Ed magazine.
Encouraging Delight-Directed Learning
How can you encourage a passion in your children without making it into a school subject?
See more on TheHomeSchoolMom.com
7. Article - Six Ways to Refuel This Summer
by Shantell BerrettWhat would music sound like if there were no rests? Rests provide a break, add dimension, and empower the actual notes, adding emphasis and meaning to the music. The same can be said of our own lives. If we continually go, go, go, the music of our lives becomes monotonous, robotic, and draining. Rests are essential for the beauty of the piece.
As parents, we often think that in order for our kids to have a good summer we need to pack it with activities, camps, and scheduled family vacations. What might be the most beneficial activity is a lack there-of. Creativity blossoms in down time. Energy is renewed. Clarity comes in the quiet moments, never in the noise. This is not to say that the entire summer should be spent lounging around doing nothing. A song made only of rests would be, well, non-existent. It is important to have good activities and engaging moments with our kids during the summer. However, the down time is just as important.
The following are a few suggestions of how to create down time that refuels instead of drains and fosters creativity instead of numbing the mind:
- Take a blanket out on the grass, and just lie down and look up at the clouds. See what shapes you can find. Make up a story about what the shapes/characters you see in the clouds are doing.
- Make mud pies with your kids. Remember how fun that was? I remember my mom would let me take of few of the spices she didn’t use very often and some flour outside with me to help create my masterpiece. I was careful to measure and mix thoroughly. I am sure this is where my excellent cooking skills got their start.
- Go to the library and spend a few hours just looking at books and reading on the soft bean bags in the corners. It is nice to just browse without having to find a book for research or a report. Pitcher and glass of Lemonade
- Use sidewalk chalk, and draw pictures or a hopscotch board. Jump rope. Use a hula-hoop. Bounce a ball.
- Run through the sprinklers.
- Make lemonade, sit on the porch, and just…relax.
Take a few moments to help your kids and yourself refuel this summer. Add dimension and beauty to your life’s music. Find the perfect places to add rests now and then. Be present in the moment. These will undoubtedly be the best moments of your summer.
Shantell Berrett has a B.A. in English specializing in reading and dyslexia. She has three wonderful kids ages 13, 11, and 7. Her 11 year old son has dyslexia and is the reason she works in this field in writing, research and educating in schools and at home. Visit her website at ReadingHorizonsAtHome.com.
Source: http://www.homeschool-articles.com/six-ways-to-refuel-this-summer/
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