Homeschool Science Curriculum

July 28, 2012 by

Are you looking for the best homeschool science curriculum?

What is out there and what do you need to consider before purchasing your science curriculum?

Science can be a fun and engaging subject, however, reading about science in a textbook can drain all the fun away.

First you must consider whether you would like to use a Christian or secular science program because this will really narrow down your options. Are you interested in an old world view, new world view or the big bang theory? There are plenty of options to choose from so this will focus your search.

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Singapore Math Review

July 24, 2012 by

The Singapore math curriculum is very popular among homeschoolers and teaches the Asian style of math. It differs from other math programs and focuses on teaching math concepts. Singapore math has different components to their math program which I will go into later.

The Kindergarten program is called the Early Bird Kindergarten program. There are two books for each component in the year, teacher’s book, textbook, and activity book all have a part A and B book, so there are 6 books that are needed for the year. [Read more...]

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Saxon Math Review

July 20, 2012 by

Here is my review for the Saxon math curriculum which is hugely popular with homeschool families. The program from K to 3 is very different from Saxon math 5/4 and up to high school level texts.

Saxon math K-3 program kit contains:

  • Teacher’s manual
  • Consumable student workbook – 2 parts (except K)
  • Meeting book
  • Flash cards

The teacher’s manual contains a scripted lesson plan and answers to the workbook. It’s very detailed. You start the day with the meeting book and it goes through calendar, patterns, time, money, and temperature. Then you go through the lesson which is scripted and very detailed, which is good for first time homeschoolers. Then the student from grade 1 to 3 is expected to finish the workbook page, it is double sided. There is also a manipulative kits to go along with the program, you will need a geoboard, coloured tiles, counters, a balance, a clock, and thermometer. [Read more...]

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Homeschool Math Curriculum

July 17, 2012 by

What is the best homeschool math curriculum for your child? Do you need a mastery or spiral math method? What is the best way your child learns?

Do you need a mastery or spiral program? Mastery programs focus on one topic at a time until it is mastered and then move onto the next subject. Spiral programs will teach something new everyday or every couple of days and continue to review all the material throughout the year. It’s difficult to determine which one your child will prefer unless you give it a try.

What kind of learner is your child? If your child is a kinesthetic learner then you should choose a program that uses a lot of manipulatives. If you have a visual learner, choose a program that illustrates the concepts they are teaching, manipulatives will also help the visual learner as well. [Read more...]

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Music Lessons for Kids

July 14, 2012 by

Why should your kids take music lessons? Music lessons are a great way to introduce  a creative outlet for your children.

Children who study music usually do better in school. They learn that they need to practice their skills to achieve something wonderful. By learning to play a piece of music, they learn about hard work and what it takes to achieve their goals. They learn that in order to get a music piece right, they must practice it over and over again. This dilegent work ethic can then transfer to other areas of their life like school work.

By learning to play an instrument, they can learn about team work, if they are playing in a band. By practicing with other musicians they learn about co-operation and how to work well with everyone. [Read more...]

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Building Blocks for Kids

July 11, 2012 by

Do your children love building? What is the educational value in building blocks for kids?

There are Megablocks, K’nex, Legos, and Lincoln Logs, what use are these to your little ones? If they are playing with them, building, creating, and imaginative play, it sounds like a great way to learn to me.

As a toddler playing with  large building blocks, she must master her hand and eye coordination as well as gross motor skills. All that imaginative play invites creativity and not to mention plenty of fun.

Block building in a group setting or with siblings can help foster social skills by encouraging team work, co-operation, and sharing [Read more...]

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Free Typing Programs for Kids

July 10, 2012 by

Are your children ready to learn how to type? When should you start teaching them?

Once children and writing well, around grade 3 or 4, it is a good time to have them learn to type. Everything is done on computers now, and it will only help them. Once they are able to type, writing or other assignments can be done on the computer. It can also help students who are taking online courses, if they need to interact with other students or the teacher, it becomes less burdensom. [Read more...]

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Teaching Your Kids to Read

July 7, 2012 by

Does your child know all their ABCs? Are they interested in reading and ask you what every word in sight says?

When you see that your child is interested in the ABCs or asks what certain words say, I think that is a great time to start teaching letter sounds and then reading. This age may vary for each child,

If you child knows their ABCs, the next step is to get them to sound out each letter. How can you teach this? There are some wonderful songs and websites that you can visit. LeapFrog: Letter Factory is a great video to teach the letter sounds. It’s fun and keeps the child engaged. My son watched this 3 or 4 times before he was reciting the letter sounds to himself. [Read more...]

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Homeschool Workbox – What is it?

July 5, 2012 by

What are homeschool workboxes? They are an organizational system that can be used to implement your child’s school work.

Are your children always asking you what they need to do next? Are your children disturbing their siblings while they wait to work with you? You may benefit by setting up a workbox system in your homeschool.

What is a workbox? It is a way to organize all your homeschool subjects so that your child knows exactly what to do and is able to workmore independently.

For example, if you have a rolling cart, each drawer would contain a different subject, and it would be ordered in a specific way so that you would have time to work with each student independently. [Read more...]

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