The Magic of Music

This time of year, music is filling the air.  There’s so many types of music you will hear as you are shopping here, there, everywhere.  Take advantage of all of those additional sounds by focusing on a music study at the end of the year!  You can compare and contrast genres and types of music.  You can discuss the variety of musical instruments used to create music.  You can listen to different styles of music to find your favorite!

A fun way to continue on with music education is by finding some online music games to play.  Learn about string, percussion, and wind instruments.  Listen to the different sounds each instrument makes.  Learn about music notes and their purpose.  There is a large variety of online games you can find for any subject--even music!

The Benefits of Art

As holidays approach, a fun way to incorporate seasonal studies is by creating some fun art projects.  With such a vast array of mediums of which to choose, you can find materials to create art just about anywhere.  Plus, any chance to get messy, to play, to create, and to learn is a time in which expression and creativity takes place.

There are also more formal ways to add art studies in your day.  Consider looking into an art curriculum for your homeschool students.  Some regular instruction in addition to free expression will allow for thought-provoking ideas.  This time of year especially is a magnificent time to create art as it can be given away to others as a gift!

Don’t Forget Handwriting

By using an online curriculum, it’s possible that your child doesn’t have enough handwriting practice.  There are several ways to incorporate handwriting into your middle schoolers daily lesson plans.  

Spelling Lists

When spelling or vocabulary words are assigned, you can add in a handwriting worksheet.  This way, spelling words are being practiced and handwriting is being developed as well.

Copywork

Often times, copywork is limited to early elementary ages.  Copywork can be continued on into middle school by just finding more age-appropriate selections to copy.

Writing for Fun

They can write a story, create a game, make a list of activities they would like to plan, whatever they can think...they can write it out.  

The possibilities of practice are endless.

Learn to Type

An important skill for middle school students to learn is keyboarding skills.  With so much of the world available on the other side of a few keystrokes, being able to type efficiently will be a highly valuable skill.  A really fun way to learn correct typing is through the use of online typing games.  

By finding something exciting, kids can work on learning correct typing technique without knowing they are learning.  The added benefit of racing against the clock, sharpens their skills of speed and accuracy.  They can work on beating their own personal best time during a typing test as well as increasing their abilities by practicing on the number pad.  After all, today’s learners are tomorrow’s earners.  

Middle School Homeschool

It’s time for the start of another school year.  Lesson plans have been created, pencils purchased, and new books line the bookshelves.  The kids may even be excited for the year to begin because they are ready to get back to the business of learning.  An important question as the year begins is have you planned for the fun of learning?

As children begin their middle school years, it can become more and more important to be sure that they are focused on their educations.  They have requirements that have to be met as they grow as students.  It can be easy to overlook the fun stuff.  The fun stuff, however, is what they learn from the best.  It can be difficult to work something exciting into everyday, and it’s not necessary for each day to be thrilling, but it’s important that several days or weeks not pass by without some stimulating project, science experiments, or interaction.

Don’t forget the fun in your middle school homeschool!

Summer Reading

Over the summer, there are several book clubs available for students to join.  A quick search online will yield numerous results of businesses offering perks to students who take time over the summer to dive into a good book.  Prizes vary from one program to another, but all have the same goal in mind--encouraging children to read over a long break from school.  By offering neat rewards, children can be encouraged to pick up a book instead of claiming boredom in less exciting moments.    

A fabulous place to find interesting books for homeschooled children is Homeschool Literature.  Once there, you will find an amazing assortment of books geared toward homeschoolers.  Finding literature for homeschoolers and participating in a summer book club is a great way to keep learning alive over the summer months.

Rainy Day Blues

Ever have a day stuck inside because of weather?  Rain is pouring down and you aren’t sure how to get the wiggles out of the kids?  Take advantage of what is going on outside of the window by exploring weather in your homeschool.  Talk about the rain, what creates lightning, why thunder makes noise, and how rainbows are made.  A great way to include a variety of weather topics is to discuss the water cycle.  

It often works in your favor to take advantage of learning experiences as they present themselves to you.  If you can put plans on hold to learn about something as it is happening, you might find that the knowledge is retained better and for a longer period of time.  

Science + Art = Fun

The school year is coming to an end and it’s time for summer fun and games.  Taking a break over the summer, however, doesn’t mean that you have to stop teaching or learning. The relaxed schedule the comes with the summer allows for learning opportunities you might not have otherwise.  The internet is a vast wealth of information of all the different activities you can plan in the summer!

A way to have fun and learn simultaneously is by incorporating science fun and art projects.  Experiments, activities, water play, nature habitats, outdoor exploration, and any kind of fun with paint are all awesome ideas for summer playing and learning.  Embrace the excitement of summer but don’t allow learning opportunities to pass by without taking advantage of their benefit!

Homeschool Social Studies

Social studies is an exciting subject to learn but as your homeschooled child gets older, it can become a drier subject.  It's not always exciting to read an endless story on one topic.  It can be helpful to make social studies more interesting by including social studies games.  I'm a firm believer in making school as fun as possible to facilitate an atmosphere more conducive to learning.

Besides social studies games, another way to make school more exciting is to incorporate plenty of hands-on projects.  Often times, kids are very interested in arts and crafts.  Building a model of a covered wagon while studying the move west or making a wigwam when discussing Native Americans can really help solidify the lesson for your child.

Don't let a subject that can become heavy when laden with historical facts be a dull subject to teach.  History can be so exciting and riveting if you find the correct approach to teaching it to your homeschooled students!