Getting Started with Homeschooling
Practical Considerations for Parents of School-Aged Children
© Beverley Paine
Index
Homeschool
Australia
Some Examples Of Recording And Evaluation
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Science |
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| Concentrate on projects of own choice. Robin to work with children doing experiments from science books. Read about scientists in history - discuss them, achievement, their humanity and historical presentation of them, Benefits of scientific achievements. Do some wood working projects using tools and techniques. Planning and drafting as part of process. RESOURCES: Fun Ideas for Reluctant Science Teachers, Library, Environment and home, School tech. classes for April. |
EVALUATION: Experiments - sugar crystals, growing copper sulphate crystals, working with pendulums. Rock collecting, classifying and sorting collections of rocks, fossicking and identifying rocks. Jewellery making. Roger study on mice, made cage out of glass. Thomas project on fish and setting up of aquarium. Thomas built a chair with help. April made a photoframe and key ring in plastics. Enjoyed discussing aspects of famous scientist lives. Watched a lot of documentaries which generated discussion. Discussed erosion effects. |
Society and Environment |
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| Geography - maps, direction, latitude, longitude, legend, key and scale; Australia’s near neighbours (particularly Indonesia) Involvement in Trees For Life - tree planting and care. Other gardening.. Spend more time bushwalking, examining natural environment and protection measures. Visit to Zoo and Warrawong Sanctuary. Involvement in Recycle Craft Day. RESOURCES: Environment, community, library, World Book, Atlas, Road maps, Globe |
EVALUATION: Our focus in the environment and recycling has led to lots of building and making activities and included a trip to the dump and walks in areas of degradation and pollution. Lots of discussion. Enjoyed days out. Looked up the way the media looks at the Green issue and discussed how the media could do more to promote environmental and conservation issues. Visited Landcare site and discussed history of the movement. Visualised local area before European settlement, especially beach area. |
Expressive Arts |
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| Try to do more art and craft activities and use up some of our materials! Do some singing, April’s guitar and Roger’s keyboard lessons - encourage more regular practice. Work on display materials and posters for Recycle Craft Day. Sketching. Circus skills workshop coming up. RESOURCES: Community, our materials, curriculum guide-lines, books from library for ideas |
EVALUATION: Did some vocalization, using voice with percussion instruments creatively! Took part in solstice ceremony group singing and chanting and playing of instruments. Visited Art Show, children attentive and critical in their appreciation of visual art. Spontaneous art and craft, mostly related to projects or games underway. Also focussed on display for Recycle Craft Day at school - children enjoyed this activity immensely and helped in setting up display. Circus skills are improving - practicing for show. Thomas now stilt walking. |
Comments
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| We had a full month with an emphasis on activities rather than “bookwork”. We have been busy pursuing family interest of rock collecting which has spawned many “curricula” type activities.. Pets have also played a large part - fish, mice and guinea pigs. Spent a lot of time outside (which is good for before winter). Although being this busy is challenging and stimulating, the children are missing the opportunity to just play with their toys! I’d like to focus more evening time on games together (and not just TV) Robin is m\participating more in the educational stuff which has been great for me and the kids. Happy with daily routine at the moment (or more particularly the lack of it!0 as it is very flexible and based on family and individual needs. Have begun to eat breakfast together to conference on days activities and to plan in jobs, chores, bookwork, and other stuff. Working well so far. Ideas are recorded and some of us are ticking off completed things. Would like to devise more activities in maths and language not out of text type books and more meaningful to children’s lives. Perhaps look at toys and craft more. | |
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Excerpt from Getting Started with Homeschooling, Practical Considerations
© Beverley Paine, 1997
