How Parents Effectively Homeschool Kids, Learning Theory In the Home

I'm a teacher and former homeschool parent. I've explored learning theory inside out and found home an ideal teaching environment. It's best-suited to real-life learning experiences. And parents are a child's primary educators. You don't have call yourself a "homeschooler." Parenting IS educating--every day, all the time. Here are effective ways to teach children in regular family activities. How Parents Effectively Teach Kids at Home, Learning Theory Into Practice 

Free Printable Children's Books for Preschool

 Here in Michigan everyone is kvetching about how early it gets dark and how cold it is. We had the first below-freezing day. Our dune beach grass was coated with snow. Winter is upon us. Parents and teachers, looking for stuck-in-the-house activities for kids? How about free printable books to make?  Free Printable Books for Children

Free Printable Reading Games, Literature Activities

Any time teachers can make a game out of learning activities, education becomes more enjoyable and interactive. Research shows that students retain information that they have actively participated with. Educational activities easily become too predictable and therefore can also become meaningless. Just the act of getting out of the desk and onto the floor breaks the monotony. Here are some free printable reading games for your homeschool and classroom. Use these free printables for preschool, day care, tutoring and lesson plans.Free Printable Reading Games and Activities

Free Printable Stone Soup Lesson Plans for Thanksgiving

Friendship Soup and Stone Soup Classroom Lesson Plan Activities for Thanksgiving When I was in kindergarten we did a classroom Thanksgiving activity that has stuck with me all my life: Friendship Soup, also called "Stone Soup" (taken from the old legend retold by Marcia Brown). Perfect for scouts, homeschool and church groups, making Friendship Soup or Stone Soup shows what wonderful things can happen when people share. This lesson plans gives teachers a lot of bang for their time investment. "Stone Soup" is easy to make, satisfies everyone and provides some nice pragmatic and esoteric lessons. Read more...

Free Printable File Folder Games

March is National Reading Month and just in time, here's a great lesson plan to teach reading with file folder games. Students can learn just about any subject using file folder games to reinforce content and practice skills. Here are free printable file folders games online. Besides reading, teach math, reading, spelling, grammar, phonics, science, social studies and more. Print games for all ages and ability levels: preschool, kindergarten, elementary, special needs, middle school. Use for homeschool, too.

File Folder Fun has over 100 free printable file folder games in content areas across the curriculum. Search by age, grade level, theme and subject. File folder themes include animals, foods, flowers, weather, ocean life, circus. Themes teach math, reading, science, social studies, phonics, spelling, math, ELA (English Language Arts) history, music and other preschool and elementary school subjects. Click the games you want. The click "download." And voila, a screen appears with game background, pieces, cards, all materials you need, free.

File Folder Farm has gobs of free printable file folder games for math, English, reading, writing, spelling, science, social studies and more. Games can be used with varied ages. Click the game you want. The print, cut out and and assemble. Or better still, print in black and white. Have students color, cut and paste and assemble. You get two activities--craft, lesson plan and game--all in one!

Cindy's Autistic Support has free printable math file folder games. Use to teach counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division file folder games. You can make individual games for each math fact (times table) family.

To make file folder games: Print game board and glue to inside of file folder. Write instructions on outside. Laminate or cover with contact paper. Make a spinner by drawing a circle. Divide like a pie. Label segments with game advancement options. Place paperclip on paper fastener (brad). Poke fastener through center of circle. Spin paper clip. Store game cards or pieces in zippered plastic bag or envelope stapled to folder. File folder games store upright in filing cabinet or drawer. Get extra craft mileage from free printable file folder games by assigning students make them.

Preschool and Elementary Wood Shop Learning Center

Child Size Wood Working Learning Center for Preschool or Elementary School One of my favorite memories in kindergarten was 'wood shop'. Schools can't provide real tools and wood working activities due to safety reasons; here are safe, child-friendly preschool wood shop learning center activities. Read More

Cheap Homemade Reading Games--Scrabble, Boggle Letter Dice for Word Games

DIY Scrabble Letter Dice Word Games for Reading Games and Spelling
Summer means freedom and fun for kids, but summer can also take its toll on retention of material learned over the school year. Here's a fun, easy DIY game to make and play with children and tweens to keep reading, writing and spelling skills fresh. Read More

Yoga and Homeschool: Healthy Breathing and Stretching Improves Learning

Yoga in School Classroom: Stretching and Breathing for Healthy Body, Healthy Mind In school classrooms, we often put the cart before the horse. Before we can educate a child's mind we must tend to his bodily needs. A tired, hungry, uncomfortable child does not learn well. Using yoga stretching fosters learning. kids yoga

Dr. Seuss Lesson Plans for Preschool and Young Elementary Learning Centers

The Cat in the Hat doffs his cap on March 2, to honor the birthday of his creator Dr. Seuss (Ted Geisel). To celebrate Seuss, the NEA (National Education Association) hosts "Read Across America" reported WBAL-TV11 on March 2. March is National Reading Month. Explore Dr. Seuss and reading in preschool learning centers with these activities. Dr. Seuss is right at home in the book or library learning center. Fill your book corner with Seuss books. Emergent readers will love the pictures. Scatter some comfy pillows Seuss character toys. Throw a Seuss story party.

For a Dr. Seuss art center, display Seuss books: The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Each day of Read Across America week, create Seussinspired artwork. Paint Seuss creatures at easels with brightly colored Seuss paints. Model creatures in modeling clay or playdough. Create sculptures by poking recycled materials in Styrofoam blocks.

To teach Dr. Seuss at the Collage center, make Seuss toys from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Put out oddly shaped cardboard containers, egg cartons, aluminum foil and cans, plastic containers and colored fabric scraps. Students can design their own version of a Whoville Jing Tingler, Flu Flooper, Tar Tinkers, Who Hoover or Who Carnio Flunx
To teach Dr. Seuss in the Music Center, make homemade Seuss musical instruments. Create noisemakers like the Grinch's hated Gar Ginkers Trum Tupers Slu Slumkers Blum Bloopers Who Wompers and Zu Zitter Carzays. Encourage students to give their musical instruments silly Seuss names.

To teach Dr. Seuss in Dramatic Play or Dress Up center, have students make masks of Seuss characters: Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, Horton the elephant, Yertle the Turtle, Maisie the bird, the Wickersham monkeys, the angaroo and her joey. Have children create their own Seuss creatures. Have a Dr. Seuss parade like the one in his first book "And to Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street." Dress in homemade Seuss costumes, play musical instruments and show off homemade toys.

To teach Dr. Seuss science center, use the Lorax. The Lorax deals with environmentalism. Set up an experiment on decomposition and pollution. Place different pieces of trash in zippered bags with a little water. Monitor them over time to show students how slowly trash decomposes. Students could also tend "trufulla seeds" (use any flower seeds, sunflower, cosmos or daisy). Make Oobleck mixing liquid laundry starch and white school glue.

To teach a Dr. Seuss practical life area, use "The Cat in the Hat", "Green Eggs and Ham" and "Horton Hears a Who." These books deal with caring for others, preparing food and house cleaning. Do a Cat in the Hat tidy up relay race. Cook green eggs and ham. Care for an insect or goldfish. Use these free printable Dr. Seuss activities from my website Free Printable Lesson Plans, in your lesson plans, too. 

Free Printable Reading Response Journal Activities for ELA Lesson Plans

Optional Activities for an ELA (English Language Arts) Response Journal Rubric Students demonstrate success and mastery when teachers give multiple options for response. Instead of the routine written question and answer response, give students many choices. Here are 50 activities for educators to select from to create blocked assignment check off cards. Reading response journal rubric

Home School Field Trips: Behavior and Expectations

Home school Field Trips and Behavior in Public We homeschooled our four children for over ten years. Our motto was 'learn by doing'. We organized 100+ field trips, many as part of a larger group. I've found that one bad apple spoils the bunch.
homeschool field trips

Free Educational Websites, Online Resources for Homeschoolers

Free Educational Websites Educational websites offering free printable lesson plans, online games, homework help, home school activities. Use for educating children with safe online activities. free educational websites