Important information about home schooling our children during a pandemic.

Resources.

Suggestions.

pencils, paper, writing tablets, crayons, grade-level workbooks, reading phonics books, age apropriate puzzles, flash cards, markers, craft supplies, scissors, glue, rulers, construction paper

Stores- Michaels(craft store), Walmart, Meijers, United Art and Education, Home schooling supplies websites, Teaching supplies websites

I would recommend going to your particular state's government or education website. They will have your state's education standards listed for each grade level. I do this for my children. It is a way to know what they are expected to know to pass each grade level. In a pandemic when schools are closed, this information will give you an idea of what you need to teach your children. You may be surprised to find out what is and isn't expected of your children for each grade level! You'll want to print the information out, it's booklet sized.

I homeschooled last year. Wish I could have this year and I will next year.

Great homeschooling site       http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/ - http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/

There is so much info there! If any one has ? or needs help w/ homeschooling ideas etc. I'll be glad to help!

Concentrate on Math, English and Foreign languages. Just use real books, videoes and encyclopedias for the rest and wing it.

Forget about prepping your children for a university. Get a GED book and prep them for the test. Getting a GED will allow a 16 year old or older to enter a junior college, which usually have open enrollment. Unprepared students have the option of taking noncredit remedial courses to get caught up with if necessary.

Don't try and do university prep at home. Better to enter junior college EARLY if a child is advanced.

If you don't like the idea of a GED, use American School (a correspondance school). One of my boys has a diploma from American School. The other took the GED.  Both entered junior college early.

The older one (19) just graduated in January, with a degree in business management and is headed for Las Vegas on Sunday :-) The 17 year old is still a freshman as he is having to work his way through college on his own, and can only take as many courses as he can afford to pay for.

My sister is homeschooling a 5 and 6 year old. She likes Rod and Staff for math, Christian Light for Language Arts and reading, and Memoria Press stuff for Latin. She uses Bill Nye videos for science and is just winging Social studies and studying maps right now. I really like the looks of the stuff she is using, but some people might not like Mennonite textbooks. They were certainly the best for the money of all that we looked at.

I STRONGLY recommend prepping for JUNIOR college EARLY, rather than prepping for a university at age 18.

Kat

ok here are a few links -- mostly helpful for younger kids:

re book resource:

http://www.kudzubooks.com/ - http://www.kudzubooks.com/

re animals:

http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/mon2.htm#sidebar1 - http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/mon2.htm#sidebar1

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/PhotoGallery/ - http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/PhotoGallery/

http://pbskids.org/backyardjungle/ - http://pbskids.org/backyardjungle/

http://www.kidsplanet.org/ - http://www.kidsplanet.org/

(be forewarned about above link: it has animal sounds on it, so don't link to it if you are at work....)

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/ - http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/kids/games/index.html - http://www.sandiegozoo.org/kids/games/index.html

http://www.zoo.org/gallery/gallery.html - http://www.zoo.org/gallery/gallery.html

http://www.rainbird.com/rainforest/download.htm - http://www.rainbird.com/rainforest/download.htm

http://netvet.wustl.edu/e-zoo.htm - http://netvet.wustl.edu/e-zoo.htm

http://biology.usgs.gov/features/kidscorner/kcquiz.html - http://biology.usgs.gov/features/kidscorner/kcquiz.html

http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/index.cfm - http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/index.cfm  (This has sounds on it too)

http://www.microsoft.com/games/zootycoon/zoo2/default.asp - http://www.microsoft.com/games/zootycoon/zoo2/default.asp

http://www.aqua.org/ - http://www.aqua.org/

OK. My kidlet is waking up from his nap. Will try to continue with this later. The next category of links is Art. -- Libby

As promised, here are some art links:

http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/ - http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/

http://www.crayola.com/ - http://www.crayola.com/

http://www.dltk-kids.com/ - http://www.dltk-kids.com/

http://www.allcrafts.net/ - http://www.allcrafts.net/

http://ncnc.essortment.com/claykidseasy_rhwh.htm - http://ncnc.essortment.com/claykidseasy_rhwh.htm

http://www.wholefamily.com/aboutyourkids/children/playdough.html - http://www.wholefamily.com/aboutyourkids/children/playdough. html

http://www.ivyjoy.com/coloring/search.html - http://www.ivyjoy.com/coloring/search.html

http://www.kinderart.com/ - http://www.kinderart.com/

http://www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/index.html - http://www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/index.html

http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dstredulinsky/links.html - http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dstredulinsky/links.html

http://www.bestpaperairplanes.com/ - http://www.bestpaperairplanes.com/

Next category is math....

Here are some math sites:

http://www.picadome.fcps.net/lab/currl/math/patterns.htm#Shapes - http://www.picadome.fcps.net/lab/currl/math/patterns.htm#Sha pes

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math/index.html - http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math/index.html

http://math.about.com/od/earlynumeracy/ - http://math.about.com/od/earlynumeracy/

http://www.mathplayground.com/ - http://www.mathplayground.com/

http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/math.html - http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/math.html

http://www.preksmarties.com/math/index.htm - http://www.preksmarties.com/math/index.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/numbers.htm - http://www.first-school.ws/theme/numbers.htm

http://www.kidsdomain.com/down/pc/mattiesprep2.html - http://www.kidsdomain.com/down/pc/mattiesprep2.html

http://www.mathgoodies.com/ - http://www.mathgoodies.com/

http://www.preschooleducation.com/manimal.shtml - http://www.preschooleducation.com/manimal.shtml

Keep in mind, these links are for younger kids....

Next category is music, which my 3 year old calls "mucus."

thanks so much

Here are music sites.

http://www.mysheetmusic.com/new/lessons/lessons.htm - http://www.mysheetmusic.com/new/lessons/lessons.htm

http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/folk.html - http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/folk.html

http://www.pianonanny.com/ - http://www.pianonanny.com/  piano lessons

http://www.nyphilkids.org/main.phtml - http://www.nyphilkids.org/main.phtml ? (this plays music when you load it, so be careful if you're at work!)

http://www.mhschool.com/music/2005/student/index.html - http://www.mhschool.com/music/2005/student/index.html

http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/index.html - http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/index.html

http://drumsdatabase.com/ - http://drumsdatabase.com/  (everything to do with drums)

http://www.cyberfret.com/ - http://www.cyberfret.com/  (guitar lessons)

http://www.classicsforkids.com/index.asp - http://www.classicsforkids.com/index.asp  (this one plays music when you load it...)

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems.html - http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems.html

http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/staffpages/shirk/bus.html - http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/staffpages/shirk/bus.ht ml

Next category I'll post will be reading....

Here are the reading sites. Note that these are for younger kids:

http://www.mrsalphabet.com/ - http://www.mrsalphabet.com/  (This one plays music when you load it)

http://www.abcteach.com/ - http://www.abcteach.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/subjects/basic_skills.shtml - http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/subjects/basic_skills.shtml

http://bogglesworld.com/cards.htm - http://bogglesworld.com/cards.htm

http://ipl.si.umich.edu/div/kidspace/storyhour/goose/index.html - http://ipl.si.umich.edu/div/kidspace/storyhour/goose/index.h tml

http://www.starfall.com/ - http://www.starfall.com/

http://www.abctooncenter.com/alphx2.htm - http://www.abctooncenter.com/alphx2.htm

http://www.learningpage.com/ - http://www.learningpage.com/

http://www.mhschool.com/languagearts/2001/student/index.html - http://www.mhschool.com/languagearts/2001/student/index.html

http://www.mhschool.com/reading/reading/2003/student/index.html - http://www.mhschool.com/reading/reading/2003/student/index.h tml

Next category will be science....

SuperDuperFlu

Music is a required subject for most homeschooled students.

Borrowing books ABOUT music from the library qualify as music education. So does watching a borrowed musical on video or listening to a CD.

The Harmonica, recorder, ocarina and even the spoons all count as musical instruments and are cheap. There is a man who made a video for playing the spoons and even played for the pope :-0

You can make all sorts of musical instruments with household objects. Poor people music is just for little kids or people in other countries. There is now a public school who has classes in playing drums on plastic buckets :-)

Science links for young children:

http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/ - http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/

http://www.exploratorium.edu/ls/pathfinders/preschool/home.html - http://www.exploratorium.edu/ls/pathfinders/preschool/home.h tml

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/science.htm - http://www.first-school.ws/theme/science.htm

http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/science2.html - http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/science2.html

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/mammalws.html - http://www.apples4theteacher.com/mammalws.html

http://www.preschooleducation.com/science.shtml - http://www.preschooleducation.com/science.shtml

http://www.edhelper.com/Science.htm - http://www.edhelper.com/Science.htm

motivational posters:

http://www.print-a-poster.com/ - http://www.print-a-poster.com/

curriculum:

http://www.homeschoolingsupply.com - www.homeschoolingsupply.com

http://www.funlessonplans.com/aSea/seashore.htm - http://www.funlessonplans.com/aSea/seashore.htm

more links later

I'm finding a wealth of resources. All you have to do is google a subject and age group and you will find many links. (example: "preschool and math"). I would say that one of the prep things to do is to start putting together resources and printing them out now (!) so that you have them to use. It would really be a pain if the power went out or the internet went down and you didn't have any resources to use for the kids...

OK, here are some things you should do BF or no BF, so none of this would be a waste.

Every family should have some encyclopedias in print. If you cannot afford a newer complete set, buy multiple broken sets that overlap. Encyclopedias can completely cover science and social studies, and will be a welcome resource for all of the other subjects. Older broken sets are really good as you won't mind the children carrying them around outside and even losing a few volumes. You WANT the kiddoes to carry the "A" volume out to the anthole in the backyard!

Start a biography collection. Adult biographies are OK. The kids can just read the parts about the childhoods. You will be surprized how much science and history children will learn from biographies as well as character training. Children enjoy endlessly rearranging biographies on a bookshelf by author, character, time period, country etc. They really enjoy COLLECTING biographies.

Math is taught very poorly in 99.9% of our schools. Virtually EVERY child should be supplementing their school math at home. Buy some good math books with answer keys. Also pick books without keys at yard sales as resource books. Teach your children to READ math books and use the index and table of contents to look up concepts poorly explained in their school math books. Treat the math book collection like the encyclopedia collection. AGAIN, teach your children to READ math books!

If you are a member of a faith, make sure you have several copies of your holy book and resource and history books for it. Reading comprehension is best taught by analysing holy books! You can find ENDLESS books all talking about each verse :-) Often some of them are free :-0 Maps, coloring pages, crafts, etc. Just ENDLESS free or cheap resources that make the text come alive to your children and teach reading comprehension.

Basic decoding skills and reading speed are best taught by listening to audio tapes as a child reads along in a matching books. Most unabridged audio tapes and CDS will match any unabridged books. THe average child who is exposed to matching tapes and books will gain 5 years of reading skills in 6 months!!

If your child is already a good reader, look for dramatized tapes for OLDER and DIFFICULT books, so the child becomes familiar with the older 17th and 18th century dialects. If their decoding skills and speed are already good, don't worry about matching books. Just listening will give them an ear for older writing. I STRONGLY recommend "Pilgrim's Progress" in the dramatized version. The dramatized KJV Bible is EXCELLENT training for Shakespeare, Plutarch, and 17th century translations of the epics in verse.

Pick fiction with great care! Go for QUALITY not QUANTITY. Have the children read the stories several times, instead of investing in new books. With the aid of audio and rereading a book several times, children are able to read FAR above their age level. Read a page with them, discuss it and then send them back to read it again. My 16 year old son really only enjoyed Plato's Apology on the 3rd reading, after we had talked about it. He liked the 17th century translation in verse of the Aenid right off though, and was zipping right through that, thanks to all the ear training he recieved from listening to "Pilgrims Progress" at LEAST 20 times when he was 12 and listening to most of the KJV several times.

There are lists of books called "Great Books" lists. If possible stick to JUST these books, encyclopedias and biographies for "school" reading. I let my boys read pretty much what they wanted during free time...but "school" reading was pretty limited to choosing from a pretty short list.

Buy books on writing. School does a BAD job of teaching writing! You should be supplenting your child's writing education.

Foreign language is also poorly taught in school. If you are planning on having your child take a certain language, or they are taking a language, stock up on LOTS of resources for that language. We dabbled in MANY modern languages but mostly focused on Latin and Ancient Greek. If you teach an inflected language like Latin or Ancient Greek, you don't need to have a seperate English Grammar book. Most of it is included in their foreign language books. Yes you can teach Latin and Greek to little ones! My sister started her 4 year old on Latin and had never studied it herself. BF or no BF, homeschool or Public school, teaching yourself and your children foreign language is a GOOD thing!

You should have books that teach drawing. Never mind all the extra crafts and even painting. Get DRAWING books!

For Music, ALL children should have a musical instrument. The dollar store has plastic recorders!

Oh, yeah, for gym class, focus on creating a DAILY physical fitness routine, and buy lots of balls. Make sure you know how to teach your child to dribble, throw and catch the different types of balls. This teaches hand, eye coordination as well as ability to handle each ball. They can do SOLO gym class this way.

Ping pong balls can be used indoors in the basement. Dribble the ball on the paddle. Hot chalk marks on the wall. Dribble it on the floor. A vollyball can be dribbled on the forarms in the basement. A soccerball can be dribbled on the basement floor.

A small trampoline can be used to run in place on, for a child with bad knees.

Look for video tapes. Ballet for the girls. Martial arts for the boys. Firefighter and Military videos are good for the boys. You'll have NO trouble finding LOTS for the girls.

Do a daily set of exercises or a video tape. Add 15 minutes of ball skills. You are all set. Again this is BF or not BF. It's just what kids should be doing!

Did I miss any school subjects?

just got some outdated national geographic's about 60 of them.  plan to use them as a teaching tool, they are so full of good info & great pic's.

Printable worksheets for Biblical studies - http://www3.calvarychapel.com/children/site/curriculum.htm - http://www3.calvarychapel.com/children/site/curriculum.htm

Some things I have not seen mentioned yet:

Another good site for little kids up to 8th grade: edhelper.com

A public internet high school was formed by a school district in the State of Wisconsin  & (through open enrollment) is open to all resident high school students (& I assume others willing to pay for it).   Online lecture,  discussion, question & answer sessions (optional but desirable) are schuled by public high school teachers who assign grades.  A for-proffit national high school--Keystone--provides a lot of the curriculum.  If another source is determined better in a specific subect, it is used. 

Homeschooling by state...