Homeschool is the new school for Washington through the rest of the 2019-2020 year. Teachers are finding ways to connect with parents and classes, providing online and printed resources as best they can to keep pace with their students’ need for knowledge. Families can also find valuable resources through the library to supplement their home classroom learning for all ages.
Studying at home is tough. Focusing in an environment that we associate with play can take some getting used to. You can make the transition easier with some brain teasing puzzles and word games from Michael Dahl’s The Everything Kid’s Joke Book, recommended for kids 7-12. Break up lesson time with laugh breaks! Make reading its own reward with silly puns! Build vocabulary with story jokes. While you can’t print from Overdrive materials, kids can copy crosswords and “picto-laughs” to finish. Fun in the classroom can maximize motivation, especially when the classroom is at home.
Every experience is a learning experience when you have the right approach. Explore something new from 52 Boredom Busters for Kids by Lynn Gordon to get the creative juices flowing. Try some memory games at recess, or use the recipe for popcorn balls to make a movie night snack! Take a nature walk through your neighborhood to find materials for mobiles and wooden wind chimes, or try growing plants from birdseed or kitchen cuttings on the windowsill. When creative thinking is involved, learning comes naturally.
Ever wished a historic figure could lend a hand with your lesson plan? Amazing Leonardo Da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself by Maxine Anderson brings history, science and art together to examine and recreate the groundbreaking work of the Renaissance. An afternoon craft project will become a tool to measure humidity and study weather science in the weeks to come. Study sketches of Da Vinci’s ornithopter and create incredible airplanes based on his design. Learn how these models influenced modern aerospace research, then take a virtual tour of the Museum of Flight from home!
Browse Kanopy for video materials to introduce or supplement learning in math, chemistry, biology, language learning and classic literature for students at all levels. Enjoy a relaxing story time with picture books. Stream Shakespeare to make a play come to life in new ways. Use a video series on history and political science to help students engage with current issues. We are always learning. Let your student’s discoveries engage you with their interests as you make home education valuable and enjoyable. Try these for inspiration:
March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World by Christine King Farris
Shakespeare Series: Romeo and Juliet
Chemistry in Action Series, For Middle School
Little Pim: Spanish for Kids, Let’s Eat!
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
We hope these resources make your homeschooling days a little easier and brighter!
~Posted by Hannah V.
Leave a Comment