Homeschooling Education Articles for Teachers - Page 3

Homeschooling is a tricky endeavor that requires the ability to adjust. There is always something new that enters into the equation. Just when I thought things were running smoothly, the middle school years arrived. Who knew that middle school would completely change our homeschooling experience?...

Discovering the Water Cycle Water - 97% of it is in the world’s oceans. The remainder can be found within the Earth itself, and on the surface in rivers, lakes, and streams.  Water goes up. It comes down. Then the cycle repeats. This seemed to be a simple enough topic to teach for someone like m...

Testing smesting, that is what I used to say. If you homeschool, why would you need to give your students tests? Tests just create anxiety and take the fun out of learning, right? My grinchy self did not find merit in this technique, and nobody would make me change my mind. In my experience as a...

One of the hardest parts of studying is knowing how to do it right. This is one of those elusive skills that is rarely taught, but students are expected to know how to do. Study skills can be tricky to teach because studying properly involves a variety of factors. Primarily, each person must disc...

While not a hypothesis based on scientific investigation, my own personal observations on how the gene pool works have led me to believe that it functions like a slot machine. You drop in a couple of chromosomes, pull the handle, and wait for the jackpot. It’s a bit like gambling in Vegas as you ...

Halloween has grown in popularity by leaps and bounds since I was a child. The decorations and costumes appear earlier and earlier in stores each year. This year, I noticed fall scarecrows in August! As the temperatures start to cool, it gets my mind turning to the trifecta of holidays that are c...

The microscope was always a tool that I found both fascinating and a little off-putting. In my schooling, I didn’t come into contact with one until high school biology. Even then, I only spent a couple of class periods looking at slides. My education wasn't mediocre; microscope use just wasn't an...

All great science lessons have to start somewhere. It usually begins with a great idea, that may or may not be practical, or easy to execute. And, yes, I'll admit that the someone who comes up with these great ideas is usually me. I send for that science kit, experiment, or do it yourself robotic...

With homeschooling, like with anything in life, there are good days and there are bad days. Sometimes you might feel like you are on a roller coaster. One day you may feel the rush of excitement from making a new discovery, while the next the sinking feeling you get when you've taken the plunge, ...

When I reread the fairy tale Cinderella, now as a mother and home-schooling parent, it makes me think the stepmother might have gotten a bad deal. When money is tight, and there's not a lot of help around, there has to be a way to achieve Cinderella's accomplishments in the Grimm Brothers fairy t...

Homeschooling parents and children may experience what I like to call the “summertime blues.” It is hardly worthy of the crooning of Billie Holiday or Big Maybelle. However, I could really use their rich voices to convey the sad melancholy we’re all feeling. Some homeschoolers may be familiar wit...

Solemnity is one of the words you can use to describe the feeling that overcomes you when you walk into a cemetery. The ground holds lost loved ones who may be gone, but not forgotten. Many of these sites are also the resting places for men and women who served our country valiantly. The last Mon...

Ruby Bridges  is one of those people who have an incredible story to share. She was an instrumental player in the Civil Rights Movement at the age of six just by showing up to school. Ruby Bridges was one of the African Americans who helped to integrate the school system by attending a previously...

The air has the tang of moist earth, the weather is warm, and everywhere you look there is new life. Spring has sprung. It is a time of relief after the cold, hard winter. This winter was marked by excessive snow and cold temperatures, even in some southern locales. After being pent up inside, or...

It is not an exaggeration to say that the gods on Mount Olympus have toyed with mere mortals frequently. Epic stories have been written about the exploits and whims of the Immortals. The updated version of the 1981 movie “Clash of the Titans” has more technical advancements, but the essence of th...

There are many ways to introduce the concept of Pi to the students in your classroom. In some cases you might want to take a non-traditional route and tell them about the history of Pi, or make up your own creative story like the one that follows. The ring of the bell above the bakery door resou...

As the word spread through the village that Hans Christian Andersen was on the way, children scrambled out of their homes, and abandoned their games. Everyone came out to meet the famed storyteller. A throng of excited people gathered around the gangly man with an angular face and protruding nose...

The crisp air of an early, frosty morning is disturbed by the sound of the crunching boots, or the swishing sounds of a skier. The white snow is pristine, and most of nature is asleep under its blanket. Barren trees are decorated with icicles dangling from their otherwise empty branches.  A low r...

Shared reading can be an enjoyable family experience. It provides a setting for slowing down and savoring life. For a long time, it was considered a lost art, but shared reading has seen a revival over the last several years. Lately, studies have shown that reading aloud to children fosters a lif...

Earthquakes have been shaking all over the world. Seismic activity can cause total devastation. Since earthquakes have recently been in the news, it is a good time to investigate various aspects of tremors. Seismic Activities A good way to begin is to review the basics. Earthquakes are caused b...

Ecosystems are interconnected communities. All living things, including plants and animals, depend upon one another for survival. Science has proven that if one part of the ecosystem is missing or damaged, it can have far reaching ramifications. Ecosystems represent the simplistic, yet beautiful,...

From sea to shining sea, and over fruited plains aren’t just words in a patriotic song, they are also descriptions of some of the varied and beautiful landforms that we find on Earth. Our blue and green planet is blessed with an array of topography.  By studying about landforms, children can lear...

The Inca Civilization was located throughout the Andes Mountains from the Equator down to the tip of Chile. It was one of the most influential ancient civilizations in the Americas, and is worth a thorough study. While the Inca Civilization was prominent, it eventually suffered the same fate as t...

The first of January has the distinction of being the first in line. It offers brand new possibilities. The day is also the beginning of a new calendar year.  Crisp day planners or wall calendars are ready to be filled with upcoming activities.  However, the new year not only brings with it the p...

'Tis the season for count downs. December is month filled with numbers. And the numbers are generally connected to lots of excitement. Students can count the number of days until they get presents, add up their lists, check them twice, and measure the size of gaily wrapped gifts in order to guess...

The Mayan Civilization mysteriously disappeared thousands of years ago. Yet, the descendants of this ancient culture continue to speak the language of their ancestors. Most Mayan descendants are concentrated in Guatemala. And surprisingly, the Maya culture is still relevant, and can be studied fo...

Just about every child has had a fantasy about being a prince or princess. The advantages can seem pretty attractive. There are many fairy tales, movies, and stories that draw us in by taking us into the world of royalty. One of these is the fairy tale "The Frog Prince". The 2009 movie, loosely b...

Mark Twain was the nom de plume for Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Twain was the media and public darling of the 19th and 20th centuries. His writings, quotations, and attitude helped shape public opinion. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" are still required readi...

"Ahoy there Matey, we're talking 'bout pirates, arghh!" This poor imitation of pirate speak indicates that no matter what age you are, learning about pirate lore can be fun. The influx of pirate entertainment and regalia is especially prevalent with the popularity of the movie series "P...

The weather is one thing people desperately try to predict, control, and understand. A meteorologist has often had to face slight ridicule after predicting there would be a sunny day with a cloudless sky, only to be met with pouring rain. People have come a long way in understanding the principle...