Summer Fun: Tip #1

Tip #1

Animals Unit 

• Make lap books about animals. 
• Read animal books that can be found at the library.
• Draw animals using art for kids on youtube.
• Play animal games online. 
• Finish off the Animal Unit with a trip to the ZOO!

What else can you think of that will help you have Summer Fun with Animals?

Yes, Tutoring or No, Tuturoing

Do use tutoring in your homeschool?

For those who follow a school year, summer is coming. In fact some homeschoolers will stop their year at Memorial Day. Others will be schooling year round. We are one of those families that school year round.


It does not matter if you are a school year follower or a year round schooler tutoring can help any one at any time. For the school year follower sometimes tutoring is a form of simple schooling during the summer months that will help the student not forget all of what they have learned through out the year.

If you are a year round schooler sometimes tutoring is a way to have someone different present extra help to your child catch on to the concept.

No matter what kind of school you have tutoring can be a value in any school.

Language Arts

This past year we have used a great homeschool language arts program. But this program is also a history, bible and we even count it as writing program. We have used Notgrass Amarican History. This program has history, history based literature, writing assignments and bible assignments. It covers all our needs.  But that is only for our 9th grader. 

We have used time4learning.com as a part of our language arts program for our 1st grader. Granted we don't really call our 1st grade reading, phonics, spelling, writing language arts but in reality it is just that language arts.  

So what do you use for your homeschool language arts program and what grade are you teaching? 

Ideas to help with reading/spelling

From abbreviations to homonyms to vowel-constantat-E and root words, all of these are needed in what?

Did you answer reading or spelling? then you are right. The english language is very complicated but over the years people have worked hard to give some great ways to help with learning the to read and spell in the english language.

A reading/spelling notebook is a great way to help.
This is a notebook where you can have a section for all the different areas of reading/spelling.

Site word list - Site words have to be memorized and review of them is the best way to do this. You can draw a picture in that notebook to help you remember what the site word is.

Abbreviations and their full word next to it. Example Fl = Florida or St = Street.

A spelling glossary is another great thing to have in your notebook. This is a list of all the things you might have in your notebook.  You could go as far as to color code or number your pages. So you could go to that set of pages in your notebook that you need help with.

I am always looking for great ideas on how to help my children learn to read/spell. If you have any ideas please share.

Earth and Matter, Oh My!

Does your child know the difference between solid and liquid?

Do they know the difference between solid liquid and gas?

Did you know that on Earth matter is found most commonly in three different phases? That is right, solid, liquid and gas.

If you have a Kindergartener through Second Grade your child can learn in a fun way all about this and more on Science4Us.com.