Homeschool Co-Op

Hey, I was looking to start an elementary homeschooling co-op (grades 1-3).  My thoughts were to get a couple moms together to teach certain subject matter.  Each Mom would have her own curriculum to teach our group of children.  And if we get enough interest and you feel like you don't want to teach, you can do a special activity to augment the art, physical education or music side each week. 

 

Any suggestion or interest please email,

 

Michelle Foster

ufmeshelllie@yahoo.com     

Make your own Play-Doh and other fun stuff

Here are some fun recipes to make with your kids.

Everyday Playdoh

Mix 1 cup of flour, 1/3 cup of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter in a bowl. Meanwhile, bring to boil 1 cup of water, one tablespoon of cooking oil and a few drops of food coloring. A little flavoring essence could be added, too. Pour hot mixture into flour mixture and stir. Add more flour if necessary.

Kool-Aid Playdoh

Add a packet of unsweetened Kool-Aid to boiling water in Everyday Playdoh recipe to strengthen the color and scent.

Self-Hardening Playdoh

Mix 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of flour, and add cup of water. Use the same day, air dry for about 48 hours, and paint if desired.

Peanut Butter Playdoh (edible)

Mix together 1-cup peanut butter and cup honey. Blend in powdered milk until mixture is not sticky, and a playdoh consistency. Double the recipe if necessary.

Fudgy Chocolate Playdoh (edible)

Mix together 4 tablespoons softened butter, 1/2 cup white corn syrup, 6 tablespoons cocoa, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 cups powdered sugar, and 3/4 cup powdered milk. Knead well.

Finger Paint

Pour about a tablespoon of liquid tempera on laminate surface or large piece of shiny paper. Add a few drops of mild dish soap.

Pudding Finger Paint (edible)

Add food coloring to prepared vanilla pudding, and finger paint on a paper plate.

Egg Yolk Paint

Separate the yolk from the white of an egg. Put the yolk in a small cup, and save the white for another use. Mix a few drops of food coloring and teaspoon water with the yolk. Make several colors with more yolks. Use a small brush or cotton swab to paint. This paint dries with a glossy finish on paper. It can be used to paint cookies before they are baked.

Buttermilk or Condensed Milk Paint

Mix drops of food coloring with cup buttermilk or condensed milk. This creates pastel colors. Corn Syrup Paint Mix drops of food coloring with a small amount of corn syrup. Mix in small glass cups to see the translucent colors. This is sticky and glossy.

Bubbles

Mix together equal parts of water and Joy dishwashing soap. Make a wand by twisting a pipe cleaner into a circle with a handle.

From http://www.everythingpreschool.com/recipes/index.htm

Heather, Guest Blogger

Resources for Homeschooling & Afterschooling

Perhaps you want to homeschool, are homeschooling, preschooling, or would like to supplement your child’s education with afterschooling. There are several free resources available for homeschooling, preschooling and afterschool families, for a variety of subjects.

Reading – Starfall (www.starfall.com) has a beginning reading program for young children. This includes ABC’s, phonics, early readers’ stories, and stories for more proficient readers.

Literature & Poetry – The Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page) has a variety of classic literature available online, including ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and modern literature. Some are text files and some are audio files.

Foreign Language – You can find free foreign language lessons at http://www.openculture.com/2006/10/foreign_languag.html/ or http://www.elanguageschool.net/

History – for history lessons from ancient through modern times, visit Bringing Up Learners (http://bringinguplearners.com/mosaic/)

Math – free materials and lessons can be found at Cultivating Dharma (http://www.freemontessori.org/) and the Math Album (http://faculty.fullerton.edu/syen/mts/math/_link.htm), both of which are Montessori-based

Science – to work on science at home, try K-12 Science Ed. Resources (http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/edu.html) or Interactive Educational Science Games (http://www.apples4theteacher.com/science.html)

Art – to work on creating art, try Kinderart (http://www.kinderart.com/) or KidsArt (http://www.kidsart.com/quick.html). For a look at the classic pieces, Art at the Getty (http://www.getty.edu/art/) has lesson plans and plenty of pictures from their exhibits.

Music – getting started in music appreciation is as simple as visiting the library for CDs of Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, and others, or download tracks from Classical.com. You might listen to certain famous pieces or do an in-depth composer study, a la Charlotte Mason (http://www.amblesideonline.org/ComposerSch.shtml).

Some general sites to visit for ideas for lesson plans and activities are Scholastic (www.scholastic.com), Crayola (www.crayola.com), Discovery Kids (www.discoverykids.com), or the Play-doh site (http://www.hasbro.com/playdoh/en_US/).

Last, but certainly not least, the Osan Library has many books available in their juvenile section, including the DK and Eyewitness series. These are full of colorful pictures with information suited to a child’s attention span and the phase during which most children absorb knowledge (ages 5 to 8).

Homeschooling: A Brief Primer

Reasons for and styles of homeschooling are as unique as each individual military family. There are several homeschooling families at Osan. Chances are you have encountered one of us, whether you realized it or not.

I would like to address some popular misconceptions about homeschooling, and share a little about why and how it might be done.

Misconceptions

1. All homeschoolers do so for religious reasons – very untrue. Religion does not always factor into the decision, nor are all homeschoolers conservative Christians. We are also Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, Agnostic, and Atheist, just to name a few possibilities.

2. Homeschoolers deprive their children of “socialization” – absolutely not. We are always on the go along with the rest of society. We run errands, meet in co-ops and support groups, go on field trips, visit the library, meet for playdates, scouts, sports, and more.

(Personally, I’m still waiting for someone to prove that children who go to public school somehow benefit socially from sitting in silence or standing quietly in line for several hours a day.)

3. Homeschool families have many children – our families come in all shapes and sizes. We happen to be an adamant only child family, while others feel the more, the merrier.

4. Children who are homeschooled are prodigies or geniuses – we wish! Homeschooled children range in abilities and talents. Also, many parents find that homeschooling children with learning disabilities or autism is more beneficial than placing them in public school. One on one attention can work wonders for all children.

Reasons for Homeschooling

I can only address our personal reasons. For me, I simply feel that the one-size fits all system of education is inadequate. The current way of doing things in a typical classroom puts boys at a disadvantage (check out The Minds of Boys by Michael Gurian if you want to learn more).

This isn’t to say that boys in public schools can not thrive; they certainly can and do!

But public school fails to take the needs of the individual child into account. They are simply incapable. Thus some parents choose to take their child’s education into their own hands.

My husband’s reason is that he is tired of schools teaching children what to think as opposed to how to think. This lack of acceptance of critical reasoning skills in public school is his main reason for wanting to homeschool our son.

Reasons can be varied and numerous, or simple. They can be religious or academic, social or practical. The reasons may be based on the child’s or family’s needs, lifestyle, morals, or ethics. If you want to know why someone homeschools, ask them. It will give you insight into their choice, but it will not be the same response for every family.

Style, Method, Approach

Perhaps you picture homeschool families sitting around a table, doing their work, or at little desks in a homemade classroom. Maybe you think we get out of bed at 5 or 6 a.m., like a family preparing for a public school day.

These scenarios are possible, but not the most likely. Homeschooling takes various forms. Some words you might see or hear are classical, Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, or unschooling.

Some methods are academically rigorous, which others are child-led. Some focus on reading and language, while others focus on nature study.

Homeschoolers may get up early in the morning or sleep in, get to work immediately in the morning or take their time accomplishing educational tasks.

One thing many homeschoolers seem to agree on is that our “school day” is far shorter, yet richer, than that of a public school day. Within 4 hours, we can complete lessons for math, reading, writing, poetry or literature, science, history, art or music, and foreign language. This often includes nature study outdoors, rather than through books, computers or television, a visit to an historic site, and/or a trip to the library.

This sort of one-on-one academic attention leaves plenty of time in the day for a trip to the beach or playground, a picnic or time with friends, a concert or visit to the theater, and so much more.

Homeschooling is experiential more often than not, which is what tends to give our children their academic edge. They are not sitting in a classroom hearing about a subject, but often exploring the subject with all their senses.

In the end, we are doing the same things as any public school family – that which we feel is best for our child(ren).

If you're interested in learning more, ask us at osanparents@gmail.com and we can put you in touch with some Osan homeschooling families and resources.

Wendy, guest blogger