The book and the globe.
Map of the world.
Contents of the book. (As always, for the bigger picture, just click on it.) =D
Sunday, August 12, 2007
INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY
Nikki has been expressing some interest in geography these days. Since he has this atlas of the world, I thought it would be nice to start introducing him to some of the well-known countries. A month ago, he asked me to buy this globe and he loves looking for the countries there. He already knows Mexico, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, China, India, Philippines, New Zealand, Africa and some others. I thought it would nice to slowly introduce him to the continents. I would ask him, "Where is the Eiffel Tower?" And he would reply, "In France" and I would continue, "Where is France?" And he would say, "In Europe." At least when we do it this way, he will be familiar with the continents and then later on, we'll study it in full detail.
The book and the globe.
Map of the world.
Contents of the book. (As always, for the bigger picture, just click on it.) =D
The book and the globe.
Map of the world.
Contents of the book. (As always, for the bigger picture, just click on it.) =D
Saturday, August 11, 2007
GOOD PARENTS
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/behavior/368.html
How can I be a good parent?
There's not just one right way to raise children. And there's no such thing as a perfect parent--or a perfect child. But here are some guidelines to help your children grow up healthy and happy:
Show your love. Every day, tell your children: "I love you. You're special to me." Give lots of hugs and kisses.
Listen when your children talk. Listening to your children tells them that you think they're important and that you're interested in what they have to say.
Make your children feel safe. Comfort them when they're scared. Show them you've taken steps to protect them.
Provide order in their lives. Keep a regular schedule of meals, naps and bedtimes. If you have to change the schedule, tell them about the changes ahead of time.
Praise your children. When your children learn something new or behave well, tell them you're proud of them.
Criticize the behavior, not the child. When your child makes a mistake, don't say, "You were bad." Instead, explain what the child did wrong. For example, say: "Running into the street without looking isn't safe." Then tell the child what to do instead: "First, look both ways for cars."
Be consistent. Your rules don't have to be the same ones other parents have, but they do need to be clear and consistent. (Consistent means the rules are the same all the time.) If two parents are raising a child, both need to use the same rules. Also, make sure baby sitters and relatives know, and follow, your family rules.
Spend time with your children. Do things together, like reading, walking, playing and cleaning house. What children want most is your attention. Bad behavior is usually their way of getting your attention.
How can I be a good parent?
There's not just one right way to raise children. And there's no such thing as a perfect parent--or a perfect child. But here are some guidelines to help your children grow up healthy and happy:
Show your love. Every day, tell your children: "I love you. You're special to me." Give lots of hugs and kisses.
Listen when your children talk. Listening to your children tells them that you think they're important and that you're interested in what they have to say.
Make your children feel safe. Comfort them when they're scared. Show them you've taken steps to protect them.
Provide order in their lives. Keep a regular schedule of meals, naps and bedtimes. If you have to change the schedule, tell them about the changes ahead of time.
Praise your children. When your children learn something new or behave well, tell them you're proud of them.
Criticize the behavior, not the child. When your child makes a mistake, don't say, "You were bad." Instead, explain what the child did wrong. For example, say: "Running into the street without looking isn't safe." Then tell the child what to do instead: "First, look both ways for cars."
Be consistent. Your rules don't have to be the same ones other parents have, but they do need to be clear and consistent. (Consistent means the rules are the same all the time.) If two parents are raising a child, both need to use the same rules. Also, make sure baby sitters and relatives know, and follow, your family rules.
Spend time with your children. Do things together, like reading, walking, playing and cleaning house. What children want most is your attention. Bad behavior is usually their way of getting your attention.
Friday, August 10, 2007
DRAWINGS
Here are some of Nikki's and Ethan's drawings. They learned these mostly from Blue's Clues (except for the solar system and the one with the boat. Those ones, Nikki did on his own. =D)
Thursday, August 9, 2007
SIMILAR SITUATION
I am posting this letter from a mom (homeschoolfreestuff). A similar incident happened to us when we were at a playcenter in a mall. This boy, who could not have been more than 8 years old, irritated that Ethan did not want to share his blocks gave Ethan the dirty finger!! You can read about it here (prepared to be shocked). Good thing I was there and good thing Ethan was paying him no heed. But that boy really made my blood boil, that's for sure. So yes, I can relate to what this mom felt.
Socialization, or Avoiding Anti-Socialization
My son was having a birthday, so we decided to take him and a few friends to our local Chuck-E-Cheese. For those of you who haven't been there before, it's a pizza parlor with lots of games and fun things for kids to do.
Needless to say, there were lots of kids running around. Sort of like a an indoor playground.
Everything was going great, everyone was having fun. Then I spotted two bigger kids chasing my child and their friends. I ran over and screamed STOP at the older kids. They turned and began unloading the most amazing set of profanity at me. Words I haven't heard in years. I was floored to say the least.
Okay, I understand that teenagers learn horrible things, but these two kids couldn't be older than 9! Chasing a 5 and 7 year old, spouting language that would make a sailor blush!
I told the manager, and he went over to talk to the two kids. The two kids nodded, and that was it. The manager told me that they would behave. My kids were shocked, but their friends were visibly shaken.
In fact, every time the two kids came into the area my kids didn't notice, but their friends became visibly scared. Clearly, their public school experience taught them how bullies work. Once bullied, you will always be in danger.
My kid's friends couldn't relax after that, so we left. There was no point in staying.
On the way home, I couldn't help but think. Gosh, what an oppressive way to live. If my kids went to public school, they would have to deal with that kind of thing day in, and day out. What a way to live, what a way to learn? So is that socialization, or anti-socialization?
All I can say is thank God for the opportunity to raise and educate my children free from that kind of life.
~IKS~
Socialization, or Avoiding Anti-Socialization
My son was having a birthday, so we decided to take him and a few friends to our local Chuck-E-Cheese. For those of you who haven't been there before, it's a pizza parlor with lots of games and fun things for kids to do.
Needless to say, there were lots of kids running around. Sort of like a an indoor playground.
Everything was going great, everyone was having fun. Then I spotted two bigger kids chasing my child and their friends. I ran over and screamed STOP at the older kids. They turned and began unloading the most amazing set of profanity at me. Words I haven't heard in years. I was floored to say the least.
Okay, I understand that teenagers learn horrible things, but these two kids couldn't be older than 9! Chasing a 5 and 7 year old, spouting language that would make a sailor blush!
I told the manager, and he went over to talk to the two kids. The two kids nodded, and that was it. The manager told me that they would behave. My kids were shocked, but their friends were visibly shaken.
In fact, every time the two kids came into the area my kids didn't notice, but their friends became visibly scared. Clearly, their public school experience taught them how bullies work. Once bullied, you will always be in danger.
My kid's friends couldn't relax after that, so we left. There was no point in staying.
On the way home, I couldn't help but think. Gosh, what an oppressive way to live. If my kids went to public school, they would have to deal with that kind of thing day in, and day out. What a way to live, what a way to learn? So is that socialization, or anti-socialization?
All I can say is thank God for the opportunity to raise and educate my children free from that kind of life.
~IKS~
TOYS
Nikki and Ethan love to play with their "food" toy. Even if it's just plastic, they have lots of fun identifying the fruits and vegetables and pretending to chop them up. However, when we go to the supermarket, we always make it a point to pass by the produce aisle so we can review all the fruits and vegetables. Nikki is getting quite good. He is even learning about imported fruits like cherries, plums, dragon fruits and grapefruit. Not only that, they can even feel the fruits and tell which ones are rough, smooth or fuzzy. They love that! =D
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
MATH WORKSHEETS
Here are some worksheets Nikki did a few nights ago. These are a bit easy for him, but I want him to be able to practice all the time so that later on, he will be able to count in his mind instead of verbally.
READING
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/reading/cognitive-development/38807.html?wtlAC=GS_2007-08-06,email-gs_1248
The Skills Kids Need to Read
As a basic foundation for learning to read and write, kids need strong speaking and listening skills. When you and other adults around your kids encourage them to talk, ask, questions, and use dramatic play, it increases their vocabulary, allows them to hear and practice building sentences, and gives them more knowledge to understand spoken and written language.
There are three skill areas that form the foundation for reading. Kids who develop strong skills in these areas have greater success learning to read:
Children develop these skills by having many early experiences with language, books, and print. They can have these experiences as part of everyday life, through play, conversation, and a wide range of activities. Young children use play and talk as a way to expand, explore, and make sense of their world. When kids talk about daily tasks and special events, tell stories, sing songs, and scribble, they are laying the groundwork for reading and writing.
Why kids have trouble
Why do so many children experience problems learning to read? Many simply do not have enough experiences with language, books, and print. They need more time at home and in their early childhood programs devoted to helping them develop the skills that lead to reading. A lack of developmentally appropriate skill-building at an early age can significantly limit the reading and writing level a child attains.
A child's intelligence (within a normal range, as measured by standardized tests) does not determine the ease with which he'll learn to read and write. However, for about 5 to 7 percent of kids, a learning disability -- a different way of processing information and learning -- may account for their difficulty learning to read. These children will need additional specialized instruction and support.
The Skills Kids Need to Read
As a basic foundation for learning to read and write, kids need strong speaking and listening skills. When you and other adults around your kids encourage them to talk, ask, questions, and use dramatic play, it increases their vocabulary, allows them to hear and practice building sentences, and gives them more knowledge to understand spoken and written language.
There are three skill areas that form the foundation for reading. Kids who develop strong skills in these areas have greater success learning to read:
- Print knowledge -- an understanding of books, letters, and words.For example, understanding that print carries a message, recognizing that people read text rather than pictures, and being aware of how to read a book (right side up, from beginning to end, from left to right, from the top to the bottom of the page).
- Beginning writing -- first efforts to use print in a meaningful way.For example, a child's first efforts to use known letters or approximations of letters to represent written language, such as to attempt to write his or her name, and knowing how text should look: letters grouped together into words with spaces between words.
- Language awareness -- an understanding of how language works.For example, being able to count the words in a spoken sentence and being able to hear the individual sounds in a spoken word.
Children develop these skills by having many early experiences with language, books, and print. They can have these experiences as part of everyday life, through play, conversation, and a wide range of activities. Young children use play and talk as a way to expand, explore, and make sense of their world. When kids talk about daily tasks and special events, tell stories, sing songs, and scribble, they are laying the groundwork for reading and writing.
Why kids have trouble
Why do so many children experience problems learning to read? Many simply do not have enough experiences with language, books, and print. They need more time at home and in their early childhood programs devoted to helping them develop the skills that lead to reading. A lack of developmentally appropriate skill-building at an early age can significantly limit the reading and writing level a child attains.
A child's intelligence (within a normal range, as measured by standardized tests) does not determine the ease with which he'll learn to read and write. However, for about 5 to 7 percent of kids, a learning disability -- a different way of processing information and learning -- may account for their difficulty learning to read. These children will need additional specialized instruction and support.
ANOTHER LETTER
Here is another inspiring letter from a homeschooling mom (homeschoolfreestuff.com).
Reading Unleashed
Getting my son to write was a nightmare! I tried all the tricks. I tried having him draw pictures of what we would write about. Write in different colors, crayons, markers. I tried it all. Still he HATED writing. It was a day-long ordeal to get him to even write a few sentences. He would rebel and write in his worst possible handwriting, purposely misspell words, It was a constant fight.
The funny thing was that he LOVED to read! He read everything he could get his hands on. At age 7, he read all the Harry Potter series in a couple months. He got to the point where he would ONLY read books if they had more than 600 pages to the story. He LOVED reading.
Then it dawned on me. The way we got him to love reading was to let him read unfettered. We never forced him to read, and cultivated his love of reading. And it paid off!
So the BIG question was, "WHY were we FORCING him to write?" It went against everything we believed
I know why. It was that typical homeschool guilt. You know what I mean... my child is not up to speed in a certain area, so we must be lacking as parents.
So we let go. We let go of the guilt, let go of all the external expectations, let go of it all.
So we changed our approach completely.
We told our son to write. Just write anything he felt. We told him that we didn't care if it was neat, didn't care if it was misspelled, just write. Anything he wanted.
Then it happened. Remember that boy who could barely write two sentences without pitching a fit. His first writing filled two whole sheets of paper. Front and back! He tried to be goofy and funny. He wrote jokes. Jokes about writing.
So in a short time, he went from fighting to write two sentences to a four page humorous composition. Sure there were some misspelled words, but there a whole bunch more wonderful and funny words, and lots, and lots of smiles.
As a postscript, weeks later I caught him. He was looking up words in a dictionary to see how to spell words. As if I wouldn't find out. Sneaky boy :-)
~Sharon F.~
Reading Unleashed
Getting my son to write was a nightmare! I tried all the tricks. I tried having him draw pictures of what we would write about. Write in different colors, crayons, markers. I tried it all. Still he HATED writing. It was a day-long ordeal to get him to even write a few sentences. He would rebel and write in his worst possible handwriting, purposely misspell words, It was a constant fight.
The funny thing was that he LOVED to read! He read everything he could get his hands on. At age 7, he read all the Harry Potter series in a couple months. He got to the point where he would ONLY read books if they had more than 600 pages to the story. He LOVED reading.
Then it dawned on me. The way we got him to love reading was to let him read unfettered. We never forced him to read, and cultivated his love of reading. And it paid off!
So the BIG question was, "WHY were we FORCING him to write?" It went against everything we believed
I know why. It was that typical homeschool guilt. You know what I mean... my child is not up to speed in a certain area, so we must be lacking as parents.
So we let go. We let go of the guilt, let go of all the external expectations, let go of it all.
So we changed our approach completely.
We told our son to write. Just write anything he felt. We told him that we didn't care if it was neat, didn't care if it was misspelled, just write. Anything he wanted.
Then it happened. Remember that boy who could barely write two sentences without pitching a fit. His first writing filled two whole sheets of paper. Front and back! He tried to be goofy and funny. He wrote jokes. Jokes about writing.
So in a short time, he went from fighting to write two sentences to a four page humorous composition. Sure there were some misspelled words, but there a whole bunch more wonderful and funny words, and lots, and lots of smiles.
As a postscript, weeks later I caught him. He was looking up words in a dictionary to see how to spell words. As if I wouldn't find out. Sneaky boy :-)
~Sharon F.~
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