In doing so, I thought I would take the time to share with all of you the Top Ten of Home School Innovation for 2014.

Top Ten Posts from 2014

Here are your favourite HSI Posts from 2014:

1. Tips For Homeschooling the Early Years …You Can Do It!

2. How To Rise Above the Negative

3. 8 Homeschooling Methods

4. Homeschooling Middle School and High School

5. How I Teach Critical Thinking in Our Homeschool

6. Spelling Help – Think Outside the Box and Have Fun!

7. Think You Can’t Homeschool Art? Think Again!

8. Choosing Homeschool Curriculum

9. Recovering From Homeschool Burnout

10. Traditional Homeschooling v.s. Blended

I wish you all the best in your 2015 Homeschooling Adventures

and

Thank you for being a part of HSI!

This post is part of a “My Top Ten Most Popular Posts from 20014”  link up at iHomeschool Network

Click on the picture below for more “Top Ten” posts from other iHomeschool Network Bloggers:

Critical Thinking in Our Homeschool

Critical Thinking is an essential part of learning.  In order for us to be resilient and successful in life we need to be able to gather facts, process through them, know if we require any more information or help, and then make a decision to move forward.

Learning how to “Think it Through” helps us in all areas of life:

• Academics

• Relationships

• Business

Not to mention all the other little bits of life which happen in between the above three areas.  It is because of this I try my best to implement as much Critical Learning into our day as possible.  Although you do want to be careful not to overdo it, sometimes it is worth disguising it into the natural rhythm of your day v.s. always trying to make  a point of  “thinking it through” with your children.

This is a big topic, so I am going to give you a basic peek into what critical thinking is as well as how go about teaching it everyday in our home.

Critical Thinking…What is It?

Critical thinking is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, partially true, or false. Critical Thinking is a process that leads to skills that can be learned, mastered and used. Critical Thinking is a tool by which one can come about reasoned conclusions based on a reasoned process. This process incorporates passion and creativity, but guides it with discipline, practicality and common sense. It can be traced in the West to ancient Greece with its Socratic method and in the East to ancient India with the Buddhist kalama sutta and abhidharma literature. Critical thinking is an important component of education, politics, business, and science.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

When we learn critical thinking, we are learning to think about things more skillfully as well as always reaching for a higher quality of thought.  Once we develop our own questions to dig deeper into a subject we can then develop and support our own conclusions.

How I Teach Critical Thinking

I ask my kids lots of questions, good process questions; some of these are in very obvious ways and sometimes it is as natural as a basic conversation.

If you are new to this concept of teaching/parenting you will have to make a conscious effort to implement some of these process questions.  After a while you will find it will start to flow as a natural teaching method.

What are Process Questions?

Process questions are questions you can ask which will:

• Focus Attention

• Force Comparison

• Seek Clarification

• Invite Further Inquiry

• Seek Reason or Explanation

Now that you see what process questions are think of the academic subjects we learn/teach.

1.  All subjects and conversations we have require us to also know how to give focused attention.

2. What subjects do you think require us to compare data? How can we then clarify that data?

3. Can you dig deeper into said data and come up with some more questions about it?

4. Now that you have dug deeper and thought about more questions and answers, what conclusion have you come to?

Breaking Critical Thinking Down in our Homeschool

You can use critical thinking in every subject area, here are some examples of questions I ask my kids while teaching certain subjects.

Math:

• Do you notice a pattern here? (Focus)

• When have you used addition other than in your Math book? (Further Inquiry and Real Life application)

• Tell me how you did that? (Seek Reason/Explanation)

Spelling:

• What other words do you know which have a “tion” ending (Further Inquiry)

• What does that ‘e’ do at the end of the word? (Seek Clarification)

• Do you notice there are letters you cannot hear when you say this word? (Focus)

Science:

• How can we find out the mass? (Further Inquiry)

• How is _____different/same as _______ (Comparison)

• What is your evidence? (Seek Reason/Explanation)

Reading Comprehension/Family Read-a-Louds

• Look at this picture, what do you think the story is about? (Focus)

• What do you think “Johnny” will do to help his friend? (Further Inquiry)

• Why do you think that? (Seek Reason/Explanation)

As you can see with some of the process questions I ask, you really can include elements of critical thinking in all that you do, don’t forget to incorporate it into your Art and Music study as well.  In fact, we often ask these types of questions in the conversations we are having with each other and don’t always recognize it as a lesson in critical thinking.

What Else Can You Use?

Every once in a while the kids and I pull out these “Mind Benders” books from Critical Thinking Co.

We get out some scrap paper, pencil and eraser and get started on solving some of these mind benders.  They can be lots of fun, but also gives us as parents a chance to guide our children through a problem.

How to Teach Mind Benders:

1. Use process questions

2. Give your child time to think, don’t rush

3. Have them support their train of thought

4. Mistakes happen, ask more questions to get back on track

5. Have fun

Like anything new, the first time you try something it isn’t always going to work or go according to plan.  Give yourself and your children time to adapt to critical thinking exercises.

End on the Positive

I also like to end anything we tackle on a positive note.  Whenever you hit a wall, do not let yourselves stop there.  Turn it around and go over 1 item you know your child will be confident in.  If it is Math, go back and do an exercise they will get correct, let them execute that, end on the positive and then close the book.  You now know where your child will need further instruction  the next day, but both you and the child end at a spot of success!

I am always reading and learning about ways to develop good thinking skills, so this post is just and example of  How I Teach Critical Thinking based on the information I have learned so far in my journey.  We have had some great conversations and I always look forward to listening to my kids point of view on a subject.

So go ahead and start to ask more questions!

After all, when we ask someone a question it shows we have faith in them and that we respect them enough to listen!

This post is part of a “How I Teach”  link up at iHomeschool Network

Click on the picture below to find other “How I Teach” posts:

“How I Teach” – a link up with iHomeschoolNetwork.com

There is a time for pen to paper and copying out words, but what if we could make it more fun?

What if we could get our brains firing and connecting more efficiently?

Spelling Help

Well we can!

We can make spelling fun and we can improve our brain function at the same time.

(In this post I am not going to cover too much about the brain part of things as that is a whole series of  different posts. 

I will, however, offer you a few examples of what we do in our home to get those spelling and vocabulary words to stick!)

Supplies You Will Need

•  Dry Erase Markers

•  Dry Erase Board (preferably with ability to adjust height)

•  A Large Window or Mirror (this will work if you do not have dry erase board)

•  Chalk and a chalkboard will work too (again adjustable height if possible)

The Fun Part!

1. Have your list of words (start with 5 words, use 1 word per day, or even just 1 word for the week)

2. Decide the order of words to be studied

3. Have your child stand nice and square to the dry erase board looking straight ahead, holding marker. (Note where their fingers are on marker, you don’t want their grip to be too close to tip, this will block their view)

4. With your finger, point to each corner of their back; as if to mark all the corners of a page. (Each shoulder blade and each side of waist, for instance)

5. Have them take a deep breath, to be relaxed and ready to go (note: relaxed but not sluggish)
   

6. With your finger tip draw the first letter on their back, and then have them print it on the board. If they are incorrect, have them erase it, remind them to clear their mind and draw it on their back once again.

7. Continue in this way until the word is spelled correctly.

8. Number each letter up above.  i.e. walk is four letters, the w will have a 1 over it, the a will have a 2 over it…etc. (this is a bit of organisation which will help them to truly learn each word)

Working through your spelling list this way can be a lot more fun for everyone!

Will you have to set aside a bit of extra time to do it?

  Yes… but you can choose to do it once per week if you want.  Or you may want to do this on Monday as an intro to their word list, then have them do their regular spelling T/W/Th and then do this fun approach again on Friday as review?

If you take the time to do this with each of your children, they will reap the benefits!  Once you have gone through this a few times your children could take turns and partner up with each other.  The ones who are drawing the letters on the back will benefit just as much as the child having to write out the word.

We even do this with our youngest, it is a great way to get those alphabet letters going!  They can just verbally tell you which letter you drew, or they can also take a turn at the dry erase board.  Once they get the hang of it, there is no reason to not start with some small words.  They don’t even have to know they are spelling.

You could draw three letters… CAT.  Then after they have it written out in front of them you could say something like:  “Look, you just wrote cat!”

For my younger kids, I tend to not focus on the fact they are spelling…I just let them have fun with letters!

Go ahead and give this a try, be patient and see where it takes you!

  I’d also love to hear how it went!

If you like this post and want more ideas on how to make Spelling fun check out my other posts I wrote (they include and yoga ball and some letter tiles ):

• “Spelling Can Be F-U-N!”

• “More Spelling Fun – video”

Things roll along smoothly for a while and then the dips come…then the loooong climb back up to the top only to find you dive down once again; but this time with more momentum and speed.  There are many reasons for this, and one might argue “that’s life”, which can be true; another reason is, you could just be stuck in a rut.  You know what you are doing isn’t working but still plug along making the same old “mistakes”.

Remember, there is no one size fits all when it comes to homeschooling, and my mistakes might be what actually works for you.  These are just some ideas to help you keep an open mind and to not be afraid to change things up if need be.

10 Things You Can Quit:

1. Quit mimicking what doesn’t even work in the first place!   Schools are an outdated institution that were basically developed to form perfect soldiers and then later adapted to develop obedient workers for the industrial revolution where freedom to think and explore are squelched.  Don’t add more barriers to learning than you have to; please quit thinking you must fit your home school into that old outdated mold!

2. Quit expecting you need to home school from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday.  You have the freedom to do and incorporate what works for your family. By working more one on one with your children you can accomplish quite a lot in 15 minutes. Allocate 15 to 20 minutes for each subject, anymore than that you will start to overload them. (High school could be an exception to this.)  Take a look at how they learn, the material they are trying to learn and their tolerance for a given topic.  (Recently I had one child only do 2 math questions per day, and expected perfection. This worked wonderfully! He quit his “self-blocking” about this particular math operation and realized on his own he could understand it and execute it with confidence.)  Be flexible when it comes to this as well, you don’t want to stop something that is going great just because the 15 minutes is up.  As well, your older children may require more time to work through high school level material, take the time to understand what works best for your child. 

3. Quit requiring that they do page after page in workbooks.  I know quite a few homeschoolers who do not use workbooks at all, or some who just use Math workbooks.  Don’t be afraid to set you and your children free from boring workbooks. If they don’t work for you, quit using them.  Be creative, technology is here waiting for you, so jump in and use it!

4. Quit boring Spelling lists.  I’m not telling you to throw spelling out the window, but there are so many fun creative ways to do spelling! Everything from using computer apps to getting out the letter tiles.  I use a workbook from time to time to get suitable words and other times we use words from whatever we may be reading.  A favourite for my kids is to have a list on hand and use letter tiles to make their own crossword puzzle! Words are wonderful, quit making it boring!

5.  Quit Reading Comprehension Questions.  The written out, long drawn out questions…..Boring!  Talk about sucking the life out of a great novel!  Have a great discussion instead.  Give your children an opportunity to form their own thoughts about what they read.  You can guide them, but be careful as to not to lead them to what you think it is about.  This is such a great way to get them to think about thinking.  Forming an opinion and owning it is a skill that will carry them through life.  If you feel the need to have them write something, why not get them to write one awesome paragraph to summarize a chapter. If you have teens, they can then collect and put together those paragraphs and work on forming an essay!  Don’t over complicate it.  Let them fall in love with books!  Loving books and novels will carry them further than the 15 written out questions for each chapter.

6. Quit boxing your children into grade levels.    Let go of grade levels and instead grab onto passion.  Kids are very passionate, get in and get your hands dirty with them.  My husband has explained higher levels of Physics to the kids because they were eating it up.  Never stop explaining because they are only in grade 3 and that is all that is required.  When the door of opportunity is wide open don’t be foolish and close it.

7. Quit thinking that for kids to be learning they must be sitting.  We have two big work tables put together so projects can be spread out and puzzles can be on the go.  I allow the kids to spread out, and move around.  We also will often have music playing in the background.  Music enhances your brain power; it’s a proven “Brain Fact”.  Embrace the fact that everyone learns differently and experiment to see what works best for each of your children.

8. Quit lecturing.  You can go on and on hoping that what you are “teaching” is sinking in, or you can choose to be a mediator and facilitator of information.  When you mediate with your children you are doing them more favours.  They are learning to think about thinking, are becoming more independent and owning what they learn. This, in turn, will enhance their retention for what they are learning.  Bridging new information to something real and tangible for them will increase reciprocity.  I dare you to do this!

9. Quit being so busy.  Quit being so busy looking like you are doing school for the sake of the doubters that you in fact end up missing out on amazing wide open door opportunities and moments.  Those are the moments your children will remember. These moments will keep them moving forward, fanning the flame, and quenching their thirst for knowledge.

10. Quit thinking homeschooling involves necessary boring work.  Our English word “school” derived from the Latin word “schola” which means “leisure devoted to learning”.  I challenge you to think about that, have you embraced that meaning or have you allowed modern day institutional type of schooling creep in.

There is no one size fits all when it comes to learning, which is why I wrote this post.  I want to challenge you to be brave enough to step out of your comfort zone of what you think learning, teaching and homeschooling is.

Homeschooling “Mistakes”

We all make mistakes, and we can all learn from them as well as from one another. Don’t wallow in a wrong turn, but empower yourself to pick up and move on.

Take action and embrace what works for your family!

Share with with me 1 adjustment you will make in your homeschool.

Using letter tiles and making little crossword puzzles is fun and takes very little time to do.  Get the list of words,  letter tiles, a camera (I like to document our work, I also like the kids to see what they have accomplished), and a cup of your desired beverage and do spelling.

Once kids get the hang of this, take it one step further and have them actually create crossword clues for each word.  They can make a book of crossword puzzles to share with friends and family!

Let me know when you try this and what you discovered about your child(ren)!

Homeschool Spelling is Fun!

Spelling can be:

Monotonous, boring, tedious, time consuming, the list can go on and on and that is just how I feel, never mind the kids.

I have a solution for you … make spelling   F–U-N !

It is proven that our emotions directly correlate to how much we learn and retain! (it’s true!)

Keeping a positive and fun atmosphere will keep everyone, including mom, engaged and excited to learn.

Think about when someone has the opportunity to engage in a hobby, it is something they don’t mind investing time in as it is a positive and joyful experience.  This is what we need to do for our children and even for us moms.  Positive and joyful learning/teaching experiences will facilitate accomplishment for everyone.

If  we engage our children in a different positive way  we will not only help eliminate some foundational school work boredom, but this will also help with memory retention.   Not to mention it is a wonderful way to get some critical work done with some of those children who can’t sit still. 

How We Make Spelling Fun!

One way we make spelling fun is to use our yoga ball!

A child will sit on the ball,  I will put a word on our white board and he/she will bounce for each letter they say out loud.

Using the white board, and or letter tiles to spell out words is also something we do.

Spelling does not have to be pencil to paper and endless lists.

We also use this technique to help with some eye exercises with my one son, the movement forces his eye to work harder to stay on track while also engaging different parts of his brain.  (to see a quick reference of  right and left brain hemispheres pop over to my post titled  Break Free Part 2 – Games)

Another added plus is they are working some of their core stability muscles at the same time. (wahoo!)

I love how a yoga ball can have so many uses for such little investment!

How do you make spelling fun?