homeschool help

Learning Cursive Writing

June 26, 2014 Leave a Comment

With the influx of modern technology, teaching cursive writing has taken a back seat. I acknowledge the importance of understanding how computers, mobile gadgets and keyboards work but I believe that learning cusrive writing is still an important art worth studying.

It has been noted that there are benefits to learning cursive writing which includes improvements in brain development in the areas of thinking, language and working memory. It is for this reason that I am still letting my kids learn cursive writing.

I have been searching the internet for free and realiable cursive alphabet writing guides and worksheets and I’m sharing the links that I’ve found:

http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2012/10/a-z-cursive-handwriting-worksheets.html

http://www.k5learning.com/cursive-writing-worksheets/cursive-alphabet

http://www.k12reader.com/subject/cursive-handwriting/

http://donnayoung.org/penmanship/index.htm

I also found some free printable Bible verses for copywork and handwriting practice:

http://www.heartofwisdom.com/homeschoollinks/free-printable-bible-verses-for-handwriting-and-copywork/

http://www.biblestoryprintables.com/BibleCopywork.html#.U6ukxJSSySo

http://biblebasedhomeschooling.com/free-bible-copywork-resources/

Tools in Teaching Filipino

June 17, 2014 6 Comments

If your family is not speaking Filipino as your first language at home, teaching the Filipino subject can be quite challenging. The Filipino textbooks are not at all fun too. I’ve seen some materials which could help you as you teach Filipino to your kids.

> The Learning Lion Filipino Learning Sets. I’ve shared about Alpabasa products before so you can read more about it from my old post.

> Samut-Samot Worksheets. You can get different worksheets made by a Filipina mom who homeschooled her daughter for two consecutive years. The worksheets are designed for different grade levels.

> Schoolkid.PH. Schoolkid.Ph is an online resource for parents and educators of preschool & elementary school-age children. It offers free printable worksheets to be used as review or supplemental learning of the child.

>theGoMom Filipino Worksheets. The reviewers or worksheets are actually made by a Filipina mom for her own kids and she has decided to share it with others over at her blog.

>Learn Filipino thru MyLanguages.org There are audio sounds to some of the Filipino words that your child can listen to.

> Story books with English and Filipino translation. Adarna, Hiyas from OMF Literature and Lampara books.

Teaching Filipino doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Enjoy learning the national language with your kids and they will surely pick up the lessons even faster!

Filed Under: homeschool help Tagged With: Filipino

Homeschool Help: Bible Curriculum

September 16, 2013 3 Comments

For the past 4 years that we have been homeschooling, we have used a couple of curriculum for our Bible study time. I’m sharing with you 3 Bible currciulum that we have tried. We liked them but each has its own advantage and disadvantage. Of course, you should still give these curriculum a try to see if it fits your own family. Please also note that this is not a sponsored post.

For our first year, we have opted to try the Alpha Omega Lifepac Bible series. It comes in a box of 10 individual workbooks. It is a complete package already as it contains readings, worksheets and tests. Answer key is also provided and minimal intervention from the teacher is needed.

We used this material for 2 years. What we didn’t like is that the workbooks are consumable, meaning, I have to buy another set for my next child and it is quite costly. I also didn’t like that it inserted english lessons in between certain unit studies. It was out of synch for us since we were not using Alpha Omega Lifepac for our other subjects. I am also looking for something that I can use on a multi-level homeschool.

So we moved on to Big Book of Questions and Answers by Sinclair Ferguson. It contains a list of questions about the Christian faith. It has a list of activities, prayers and Bible references.

We liked this curriculum because it was very simple and straight forward. The kids enjoyed the activities and clarity of the lessons. The questions were thoroughly discussed and answered.

This curriculum is better used with the guidance of the teacher and family discussion would prove to be the best way go with this curriculum. We were able to buy this at a local Christian bookstore. We finished the 2 books in one semester.

After we finished, we moved on the Bible Study Guide for All Ages by Mary Baker. This curriculum was recommended by a friend and we liked this curriculum because it goes through the entire Bible, chapter by chapter and you can use this study with the whole family. Everyone studies the same text and family discussion works for our family. Aside from theology, the kids learn to apply what they learn in their lives.

I enjoy Bible Study Guide for All Ages since I get to learn along with the kids. I also love the family discussions we have and the in-depth study that we get out of this curriculum. This has 4 units and each unit has 104 lessons. Each unit can last for one school year.

We hope to continue on with Bible Study Guide for All Ages for the next few years.

Filed Under: homeschool, homeschool help Tagged With: Bible curriculum

Homeschool Help: Learning Math

September 9, 2013 1 Comment

Math is a challenging subject for my daughter. Because of this, we have tried many different approaches to make learning Math easier for her.

For learning and memorizing the multiplication table, we have been using the big visual multiplication table. We bought this multiplication table from last year’s Manila International Book Fair. Since my daughter likes visuals, this has been a great help to her.

Since we are using Singapore Math, we have used ThinkingBlocks.com to help understand Math problems better. This free program uses blocks to visualize the given numbers and understand what is missing in the problems given. You can use this program on your PC over the Internet and on your iPad.

We also use manipulatives from Math U See. The blocks are in groups of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. The blocks help Kyla remember the multiplication process and also understand the division process.

As for fraction and decimals, we use coins, pancakes and any other object we can find inside the house which uses fraction and decimal. There are also available manipulatives which you can buy.

We also tried Life of Fred. It is a Math curriculum with a very different approach. This curriculum has allowed my daughter to enjoy Math and see Math from another point of view.

Learning math entails practice and for non-math lovers, we take it one step at a time. If you know of any other ways of learning Math easier, do share them and leave a comment.

Filed Under: homeschool, homeschool help Tagged With: math help

Homeschool Help: Setting Up Your Home For Homeschooling

July 2, 2013 Leave a Comment

Most people think that when you homeschool your children, you are just moving the school to your home. While it is partly true, homeschooling is so much more than just reading books, answering worksheets and finishing the curriculum. Homeschooling is actually making your home a place where learning takes place.

The home is a place of refuge for the family, but it is also a place where learning happens every day. Thus, it is important that the house is set up properly to provide a condusive place to study, to research, to learn and to grow.

There are several ways to set up your house to accomodate homeschooling. If possible, set up a study room. Put a table and place the school materials in that area. You can also create a creative area where you can make the art materials accessible for the children. Setting up an accessible library area is one of the best ways to encourage your child to read.

Another idea would be to set up an area, where you can do circle time. This is done in the floor so it would be best to install flooring that is suitable for children to sit on. Carpet flooring would be ideal so that the children will not get cold sitting on the cold tiles but if the children uses art materials, the carpet would not be the best option. The laminated floor tiles would be another option. You can Discover More Here and choose which would be the most suitable flooring for your family needs.

Some use the dining area or the living room area as their primary study areas. Of course, it all depends on the rooms available at your house. Just make sure you arrange your furnitures so that there are enough spaces for the children to move around.

Homeschooling is best when the home is comfortable and accomodating to learning.

Filed Under: homeschool help