Archive for category Home Schooling
Homeschooling With Multi-Age Children
Posted by admin in Home Schooling on February 16, 2012
What is a busy bag? It is a Ziploc bag (or a small cloth bag with a draw string if you prefer not to use plastic) that you fill with different manipulatives for specific activities. All these bags should be clearly labeled and kept in one large box or shelf. The busy bags can only be taken out and used during homeschool time so they stay special.
For the messier activities in your busy bags keep a small plastic pool or inflatable pool available just for indoor use. You can set it up in the kitchen or the bag porch and let them paint, write in shaving cream, play with Playdoh etc. When finished simply take it outside and spray it off. Voila! No messy kitchen!
The Role Of Music And Movement In Early Childhood Development
Posted by admin in Home Schooling on February 9, 2012
A child’s early years constitute a period of rapid intellectual, social, and emotional development. Integrating music and movement into children’s education at this point in their lives is well-established as a great way to maximise this golden ‘window of opportunity’. But how does music and movement actually work to benefit a child’s early development, and are there some easy ways to build these activities into daily learning?
Mind games: How does music and movement affect the child’s brain?
Recent research into early cognitive development has unearthed the substantial impact that music and movement has on a child’s mind. Both activities work to stimulate different areas of the brain, subsequently combining to provide long-term benefits for a wide range of cognitive functions. This stimulation also encourages connections between the brain’s neural pathways.
When Should You Consider Paying for Home Tuition?
Posted by admin in Home Schooling on February 2, 2012
Paying for private tuition is an effective way to increase a student’s chance of academic success, and in doing so maximise potential job opportunities in an increasingly competitive market. There are many reasons why children and adults consider paying for English and Maths tuition, in particular. English and Maths are essential qualifications to have and most employers will not consider an applicant who does not possess at least one of these qualifications.
Therefore, parents seek out one to one tuition for their children when they are at KS2 and 3 and when they are approaching their SATS or 11+ exams. One to one tuition gives their children the valuable support they need, whether they are catching up on activities they missed at school due to absence or whether they simply need that little extra one to one support to understand elements of the English or Maths curriculum. I knew a parent who was convinced her daughter would gain a free place at a private secondary school if only she could have extra tuition after school. For very little outlay, certainly when compared against her future potential earnings, her daughter gained the knowledge and confidence she needed to sit those all important exams and win a place at the school of her choice. Home tuition can be money well spent!
Practical Neuroscience Approach for Homeschooling Parents
Posted by admin in Home Schooling on January 23, 2012
Homeschooling parents undertake the monumental responsibility for facilitating their children’s education. Taking on the role of “teacher,” as opposed to being a “facilitator of learning,” is a potential deterrent to successful learning outcomes for parent and child, alike. The two greatest gifts a parent can bestow on their children are instilling a lifelong desire for continuous learning and helping them develop the life skill of “learning how to learn.” These two elements of practical neuroscience all but guarantee the development of young minds into responsible, successful and self sufficient adults and future leaders. This applies to all parents, regardless of whether they home school or not.
John Naisbitt, American author and futurist said: