Geocaching 101

Has your family tried Geocaching? It’s quite possibly the best, free family activity out there! According to Geocaching.com, “Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.” How to Start Geocaching First, sign up at Geocaching – The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site for a free account and access to geocaches in your area. You can pay for a premium account but I suggest holding off on that for awhile. You will not be disappointed with the free … Continue reading →

Looking for a Reading Program? Reading Horizons may be the Answer

The Reading Horizons Discovery software provides K-3 students with the strategies and skills they need to become confident readers through fun and engaging interactive lessons. At a Glance Product: Reading Horizons Discovery K-3, software Format: Computer Software Software Features: 63 interactive lessons teach students the 42 Sounds of the Alphabet, Five Phonetic Skills, and Two Decoding Skills 22 Most Common Words Lessons 13 Reference Lessons aligned to requirements of the Common Core State Standards Built-in assessments assure proficiency after each lesson, chapter, and comprehension exercise The Vocabulary Word Wall allows students to practice decoding skills while building their vocabulary … Continue reading →

Flower Impressions

Finally, spring is on the horizon. It has been a long winter and it doesn’t look like the cold will leave us soon but spring is coming. As soon as the time is near, I get so excited I start to celebrate by getting out the craft supplies and making something fun. Flowers are a classic symbol of spring so what better way to begin the spring flings then to create flower arts and crafts? The project below is easy to implement and adjust for all grade levels. It is a great family activity or an activity for a homeschool … Continue reading →

Ways to Cope with Difficult Reading Lessons

Teaching a child to read is a joy. However, there are times that joy turns into frustration. Not all children learn to read quickly. When this happens it can be hard on both the student and the teacher. Sometimes the only evidence of a reading lesson is tear stains on the pages. Sometimes our hearts break when our child expresses little to no joy in reading. Sometimes your child needs something other than defeat at the sight of “is”. Act it Out: Using the vocabulary words, have your student act out the meaning of a word. Connecting a word … Continue reading →

The Reading Lesson

At a Glance Product: The Reading Lesson: Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons By: Michael Levin, M. D. and Charan Langton, M. S. Age Recommendation: 4 years old to 8 years old Use: To teach decoding and phonics skills in order to build a foundation for reading. Homeschool Method: Any Rating: Three out of four golden apples. Recommended for a child just beginning to learn the basics of reading. What is The Reading Lesson? The Reading Lesson: Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons, is a program to use with beginning readers to build a … Continue reading →

Fun Project: Colorful Mini Volcanos

This is a fun science project for kids from preschool on up. While it may not hold the same science lesson for a child passed the third grade, it retains its value in entrainment. So go ahead and let all the kids give this one a try. Make sure you have your table covered since the reaction between the baking soda and vinegar can get out of hand. Go slowly, unless you want to see a huge explosion. My kids decided to make a huge reaction right at the end and it really was fun. Colorful Mini Volcanos Supplies Baking … Continue reading →

DIY: I Spy Game

Glitter and sparkles makes this an eye catching game your child will love. It is easy to make but you will need to supervise or only allow your child to help out. Try to get creative and make more I Spy games by making one with numbers, colored objects, safari animals, underwater creatures, and more! Let your imagination run wild. Most items you can find at the dollar store. Corn syrup can be substituted for baby oil. You may want to add a few drops of food coloring to make an I Spy game with more color. Add a few … Continue reading →

Banned Book: The Giver

Book: The Giver Author: Lois Lowry Age Recommendation: 12 and up Format: hardcover, softcover, and Kindle (240 pages) Book Summary: Amazon.com Review In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community’s Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 NewberryMedal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people … Continue reading →

5 Benefits of Video Games

My son’s favorite activity after playing basketball is playing video games. If I allowed, he could play video games all day long. He plays sports, Star Wars, Halo, and Sonic video games. Like many moms, I assumed video games were a complete waste of time. He was only allowed to play after I was certain there was nothing else he could possibly do with this time. Then one day I overheard my brother saying how good my son was at playing the football video game. Thinking that was strange, my husband explained that our son learned to make good … Continue reading →

Homeschoolers Helping Homeschoolers

Christmas. Love. Joy. Hope. The heart of Christmas is giving. It beats in a rhythm that begs to be heard. The call for compassion, to prepare an offering for the hurting, is answered by hearts who desire to fill the cracks of the broken. Despair. Sadness. Exhaustion. The brokenhearted are blinded by despair. It comes with the territory when traveling through difficult trials. They cannot see the shining star on the top of the tree and wander lost. Sugar plums no longer dance in their dreams for nightmares do not share a stage. A family hurts. Hands hold an exhausted … Continue reading →