New Math Tool - IXL

I quickly realized that I was going to need some real help teaching math and science to my daughter. I know what to teach, but making math and science fun for a class of ONE was challenging from the word, Go!

My child really enjoys her independence so online work, with my supervision, works well for her. Plus the automatic feedback is great.

I am always looking for free stuff and came across, IXL for math. Like most sites, there is a free version and a paid one. For me, its working well still using the free portion. I let the system introduce a concept and if she breezes through, great! If not, we spend some real class time on that concept and she can go back online the next day and try the activity again until she masters it and we move on.

Honestly, it has introduced some concepts that I did not think to do yet. Since she has chosen a career that involves mastery of a lot of science and math, I have to really keep my game tight on these subjects.

The reason I'm considering going up to the paid version is the tool that allows you to make sure you are keeping up with the (low) standards of your own state. My goal would be to get her a grade ahead on these so she can be on an accelerated track by high school and begin taking college courses around 14 or 15.

Let me know if you've used this and how it has worked for you!

Considering A Homeschool Co-Op Pt. 2

In my community there are a few homeschool co-ops. How do you decide which one or ones to join? I always remind parents to remember the reason you homeschool in the first place. Find a place the supports your beliefs or at the very least, does not conflict with them.

I would suggest all potential co-op participants consider this:

1. What is the "culture" of the co-op? Does is cater toward Christian values, Black culture, atheists, etc.?

2. How often does the co-op meet? Will it compliment or hinder your current schedule?

3. Location and safety of meeting. Is the neighborhood safe? Are other people or groups in the building when your group is there? Are you confident that your child is safe walking to and from the bathroom, next class, etc. Is there a possibility that your child could walk out of the building? Is there a fire procedure that includes teachers taking attendance and taking it with them out of the building in case of fire?, etc.

4. Who are the parents and is there a discipline policy?

5. What is the cost of each class? Are there hidden costs such as materials or specialized clothing?

6. Are there established student cliques and if so, are children encouraged to welcome and interact with new students?

After observing and asking questions of the co-op that a friend of ours attended, I opted out.

We are now in the process of starting our own.  But its tough.

Next installment: When and How To Start Your Own Homeschool Co-Op.
Read Part 1 - Why Join A Homeschool Co-Op? CLICK HERE

Teachable Moments - Haiti

When I was just starting college as a music education major, I remember Dr. Carroll stopping occasionally after a question from a student and say, “This is what we call a ‘teachable moment’”. Then he was stray from his intended path for the day and take us where the question led.

Here is my Haiti teachable moment:

The earthquake tragedy of Haiti is a major world event that will soon take its place in history books. But we didn’t want BabyGirl to read about it one day and realize she was alive when it happened but didn’t recall learning or doing anything about it.

Our current core subjects are:
US geography
Family History
Handwriting (printing)
Math
Reading/Spelling/ Vocabulary
Science
Religion

Many would call the Haiti tragedy, world history. Here is how we are working it into our core content:
US Geography: She knows where Florida is on the US map. So we took it to the globe and pointed out where Haiti is in relation to Florida to get some perspective. We mapped what states we’d travel through to drive to Florida and then the modes of transportation to the island of Haiti.
Handwriting/Spelling/Vocabulary: Write the word “Haiti” to learn to spell it. Also “earthquake” “relief”
Science: What is an earthquake? What/Who causes earthquakes?

Then a general conversation about safety ensued. To ease her fears we talked about what emergency preparations are in our home. We let her try on our gas masks. We demonstrated the butane cooking stove and kerosene heater. We talked about the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. What foods we have that are stored in case our electricity is off in an emergency (or other ;o) situation. How we will clean the water from the creek that runs behind our home if the water supply is cut off. Etc.

Also, we made her aware of our contribution to the cause. We have provided major detailed coverage in our newspaper and we have also assisted in the promotion of local fundraising events. She also hears my radio show guests as we discuss it, so she is learning how to help “in your own way” to any cause. Money is not always YOUR best means of assistance.

Reading Fun Online -FREE

My mother had BabyGirl for a week and insisted that I not send all of her homeschool materials.  She said she'd take care of it.

Well, my brilliant 70 year old web savvy mother found a great site that my daughter loves!

It is Star Fall. I have only looked that the free things but they also have a store and curriculum.

This is good for children learning letters and sounds, beginning readers and more advanced.

Overall, a great site that is a fun addition to our resources.

Eco-Education

So I attended the 2 day teacher workshop and the result...I LOVE THIS CURRICULUM.

Briefly, Project WET, Project WILD and Project Aquatic WILD are eco-education curriculum for K-12. If you are into water conservation, preserving wildlife, gardening or the like you will love this.

My certificate says, "promote awareness, appreciation, knowledge and stewardship of the environment."

How it works: In the book are lesson plans for various age groups. Each lesson contains subject areas it can count toward like science, math, language arts, etc. and also offers extensions. Also included in each lesson is the evaluation portion which tells you how to see if your student mastered the concept.

We got all three books and a cd rom for Project WET that contained the student copy pages in English and Spanish which is useful if you are teaching it as a foriegn language to your child.The other subjects have copy pages in the book but they are not perforated so they can't be removed and are difficult to copy.

CON: These lessons, like all science, are better for groups. I am considering teaching these in the co-op so that BabyGirl will have class mates for this. My philosophy on science is that the fun of experimentation is seeing the varying results. If you don't have classmates for your child you have to make 3-4 samples of each experiment to see variance.

BEST PART: The fact that this book is k-12 so it will last your childs entire homeschool career.