Art

Art has been a large part of our homeschooling experience. Initially, before the pandemic hit, we had planned to travel to Canada and spend time in Toronto. My husband's family is from Montreal, but he grew up in Ontario, and always loved visiting Toronto.

We had planned to stay in the Entertainment District, and since I had already planned to homeschool Isabella before we had scheduled the trip, I had looked into the art galleries within walking distance.

Vincent Meessen had an exhibit at the Toronto's Power Plant (art gallery) called Blues Klair, which was based on his previous immersive film installation Ultramarine. He used the color blue to heighten the experience as he delved through the history of self-exiled African-American poet Gylan Kain, whose performances in the late 1960s were a primary influence on the development of rap.

In order to fully understand how the spoken word can be used in art, I had Isabella find an art piece and write a story based on it. First, she had to spend several minutes simply writing details of the piece, such as color, missing parts to it, number of items, etc. Then, she wrote a story based on it. Since the art piece she chose was a golden brooch, she wrote a story of a young boy who was commissioned to create it. Then, we looked back at the brooch and talked about it again, using her story. I think it really helped her understand how art can be multi-modal.

From there, we moved on to colors. How do colors create feelings in the viewer? There are a lot of videos out there that explain how colors are used in the media and art.

Isabella's favorite color is blue. So I decided to have Isabella create an art piece using color to convey a message while also using written language. Initially, Isabella wanted to do a haiku, however after some time studying a variety of different types of poems, she chose to instead to a lyrical piece. Her art project is called "A Battle for Peace." I am really looking forward to her finished piece once it is completed.

Speaking of words, and in the theme of written language, a good friend of mine suggested I write a journal to document this time period of our life.

Here's what I have so far:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
my children decided they hated my cooking and asked to order food daily.
I wanted to kill my husband for breathing.
The dogs were happy.

Aztecs, Incas and Mayans

There is a lot of information out there about the history of Aztecs, Incas and Mayans. I introduced this topic yesterday using a fun video I found on YouTube that briefly explains the three of them, and then I shared a Venn diagram I found online that visually showed their similarities and differences. Afterwards, I had Isabella write down some interesting facts about each, and then write a question about something else she was interested in learning about.

Of course she was interested in how the Incas did brain surgery! Did you know that the Inca brain surgeons were better (more successful) at brain surgery than the doctors during the civil war?

I also shared the different calendars that each native tribe used, and shared some videos of native dances. You can find many of the ceremonial dances on YouTube. Afterwards, Isabella was told to pretend she was part of the Mayan empire and that she needed to create a poem to the Maya jaguar god asking for rain to help with their crops.

We also looked at the Mayan language and Isabella wrote a sentence using the symbols. I had suggested just one words, but she is a bit of an overachiever!

This morning, we continued the topic by talking about life during that time period, and specifically, how did they could tell what time it was. Afterwards, Isabella designed her own sundial. We then went outside to learn how to find north and south without the use of a compass, and then tested our sundial. It worked!

Later today I'll catch up on cell structures, specifically plant cells since I want to spend as much time as possible outside (it's been raining for the past couple of days) before it starts raining again!

Studying cells

Today we focused on science: specifically, on the structure of cells. I started the morning by doing something a bit different. I turned on the tv and served breakfast on the sofa. Isabella ate while watching 'Bill Nye The Science Guy: Cells.' Once she was done, we moved into the dining room to work on drawing an animal cell and a plant cell. I used handouts from Ecosystem for Kids to help visualize cells, and talk more in-depth about the functions of each part.

Afterwards, I shared a short video of a young scholar demonstrating an activity using Jell-O and vegetables to help understand the structure of cell. Let's Make Jello Cell Models

It was a fun activity to do, and I think Isabella had a deeper understand of cell structure once it was completed.

Fridays

Half-day Friday

Isabella woke up feeling better. I decided to only do a half-day today because
1. She was sick yesterday
2. It's Friday!

Rockalingua has a great resource to teach Spanish through music. I also have used YouTube videos and Google Images to help solidify topics using a mixture of music, fun worksheets, and videos.

We are planning to go for a drive today. The kids are getting restless. Social distancing can be hard on kids, but we are definitely bonding more than ever. In fact, my kids haven't really fought too much with one another... they know that they are stuck with each other for (at least) the next two weeks!

Icebreakers is a site I have used at work when leading team meetings. It's been a great way to open up with co-workers and share a laugh. I'm going to begin using 1-2 of the questions with my family at dinner time instead of my previous "What made you laugh today? What did you learn today? What made you proud today?" questions I usually ask at the dinner table.

Quick Science Resource: Free School YouTube channel with science clips

Homeschooling resources

Today (Day 4 of homeschooling) Isabella woke up feeling miserable. I suggested we cancel school for the day, but she insisted in starting the schedule... we made it to the middle of science before she decided her head hurt too much.

I've been posting the homeschool schedule on my Instagram page to help parents organize their day since many families are homeschooling their kids during the COVID-19 pandemic. I think it would make better sense to just share the strategies I have tried, and the resources I have found here instead.

When we first decided to homeschool Isabella, I knew I needed some guidance. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you see it), the internet is full of a lot of information, and it can be incredibly overwhelming to figure out what will work.

Number 1, check your school system's website for standards. It definitely helps to know what you need to focus on, especially if you plan on having your child return to the public school system later in life. Right now, due to COVID-19 pandemic, schools here are closed, and the website is especially useful with activities to practice in each school grade and subject.

Number 2, after looking at what is required to homeschool in my county, and checking out the basic standards required. I found two very useful site to help me narrow down my topics. Isabella was already almost half-way done with 5th grade, so I didn't want to repeat anything or start something that wouldn't be grade-appropriate (as much as she wants to learn about neurology, I will need to table that until we meet the other standards first!)

This resource helped me create a topic list of objectives that my daughter needed to know prior to completing 5th grade. Fifth Grade Curriculum and Homeschool Learning Objectives

This link also really helped me a lot. 25 Things Every 5th Grader Needs to Know

Number 3: know what comes next. 6th grade because when you are homeschooling your child, you will see how quickly your child can learn in a 1:1 setting without the distractions of a classroom. Having an idea on what to teach next will help you feel organized, and be organized, when the time comes to move on from one grade level to the next.

Number 4: 5th grade means health education. There aren't as many topics as I thought there were online to support this area. 5th Grade Puberty Education is a great resource tool, as is KidsHealth from Sesame Street. You can also visit TedTalk to find some wonderful topics. I highly recommend Dr, Gunter's Why can't we talk about periods to help girls understand how her body will change, and what exactly happens when we have our period. Pinterest has a lot of great TedTalk worksheets to help you create discussions after viewing a TedTalk. Again, I highly recommend making sure every activity/task you do to be interactive in one way or another.

Number 5: The resource treasure chest. Educational Companies offering free subscriptions I don't know how long these companies will keep their subscriptions for free, but some of the links provided on this page are always free. Prodigy is a math site that is free and can graph your child's progress. This is great to help you know what areas you need to focus on when teaching math skills.

Number 6: Spend time outside. Social Studies can be taught right in your backyard, neighborhood, city and/or state. Go online to your national parks and you will find educational lesson plans already created for you! Use it as a template, or follow it word for word. It's up to you.

Number 7: Read your child's cues. You may be their teacher, but you are also their parent. You know if your child has reached their breaking point. Don't push them to the point that they push learning away. Keep it fun, keep it light, and praise your child's efforts! This is a new world for both of you, so there will be some learning curves and mistakes made along the way. Don't be too hard on yourself, and don't be too hard on your kid. Take a deep breath, choose your battles, and focus on what's important.

Best wishes!

and on the third day...

Isabella woke up congested and with a headache. I wasn't sure how much we would do today in regards to schooling, but part of this relaxed version of home schooling means letting your child guide the length of studies. I cancelled P.E. because I felt she needed to rest. I even suggested we attempt "school" after lunch instead of after breakfast. Isabella insisted she was fine to start in the morning, so I began the day sharing a fun YouTube video on photosynthesis. After the video, Isabella completed a worksheet, then explained the process to me. Afterwards, she completed a fun crossword puzzle using the new vocabulary words she had learned, and at the end of our science segment, we planted strawberry seeds and set the pot by a window.

Spanish is always fun. I make sure to keep it animated with songs and games. For the brain break, we watched an adorable video of a parrot playing with a napkin instead of the usual movement activities (GoNoodle on YouTube has excellent movement based brain break videos for your child to do).

Isabella's favorite subject is math, so though I had wanted to keep it brief, she insisted on going above and beyond. Eventually, I had to give her a 2-minute warning that "math" was ending, and after a quick snack, we moved on to Art. Again, the internet provides a wealth of information, especially allowing visual tours of museums and exhibits. It's hard to go out when the world is practicing social distancing to stay healthy!

We are currently near the end of our school day. I've introduced "City of Ember" for Isabella's English curriculum. Afterwards, we'll have lunch and indoor recess. If she's up for it, we will end our day with Social Studies, where we will finish up the map of the C & O canal.

Tomorrow, I'll put Health and Music back on the schedule, and we will consider P.E. depending on how she feels. I am really happy with how our homeschooling is going. I hope those who are reading this, arelearning and taking some ideas as well.

Best Wishes!

Homeschooling Day 2

It helps to be flexible. We had initially planned to drive up to Cumberland, MD to visit the Paw Paw Tunnel and the end of the C & O Canal, but my husband had a scheduled conference call at 11:00 am, and Skype meeting at 3:00 pm. I really wanted to make this a family trip because the four of us had been stuck in the house for awhile now and we were all feeling restless.

Great Falls is part of the C & O Canal, and it has 6 locks in a one-mile radius. A 30-minute drive to Great Falls to find all six locks was much more efficient than a 2-hour drive to Cumberland.

Another tid bit, is that even though your child may learn much quicker in a 1:1 home school setting, it's important to review and go backwards in case anything is missed...even if your child disagrees LOL

Lastly, a shorter day can definitely be a more productive day: don't try to cram every subject into a school day. My daughter certainly wants to, but no one wants to see a kiddo burn out.

Homeschooling: Day 1

So far, so good. One thing I learned already is that parenting styles, like teaching styles, vary person to person. It turns out that my husband and I, who have similar parenting styles, have quite different teaching styles!

If you notice in the schedule above, I don't have any time limits except for the brain break (it's a YouTube movement activity video), 10 minute snack break, and then lunch and recess. I also allow breaks in between subjects, and made sure to ask my daughter if she needed a break throughout each subject as well.

I also made sure to have a mix of videos, hands-on learning, handouts and talking points. I am pretty happy with how this is going so far, and I hope it continues...time will only tell! But what I can say right now, is that this is working right now :)

recess

Several people didn't seem to understand how I could homeschool while working full time if I am, well, working full time. Well, being home with her today, I can tell you that we spent about four hours of actual work plus one hour of lunch & recess. In four hours, my child learned how to solve for x, understood the basics of the planets in our solar system, reviewed perspectives & POV in literature, learned the days of the week in Spanish as well as practiced some emotion words, learned about early art in the 200s AD, practiced her violin, and began learning the history of the C & O Canal. Oh, and she also learned about empathy (or lack of) in most tv shows geared towards children. It was an incredibly productive day! And now she has the afternoon free to play with her legos, read and/or watch a video on YouTube!

Tomorrow will be slightly different because I am planning a field trip to visit part of the C & O Canal.

Homeschooling

Sometimes schools want to fit children into a box instead of looking at them as the actual individuals that they are. We ended up pulling our daughter out of public school in the middle of fourth grade because of some significant bullying issues and the school's inability to respond appropriately. Our daughter has an anxiety disorder, and the bullying not only made the situation worse, but the school's horrible decision practices and responses to it made the environment unsafe for her to continue.

We moved her into a K-12 private school that boasted using the Mindful Curriculum and keeping their class sizes small. Our wallet took an enormous hit, but it was worth it for our daughter's mental health.

Unfortunately, when 5th grade started, her anxiety increased. Whereas the elementary school focused on mindfulness, it seemed to be less so in their middle school. The small class size seemed to cause more anxiety instead of lessen it as well. It got to the point that my darling daughter was unable to access all the strategies she had learned to cope and survive her anxiety. We knew a change needed to happen.

We decided that she needed a reset.

Our daughter would begin home schooling on April 1st of this school year. The three weeks would give both my husband and I enough time to plan, organize and create a curriculum that would challenge her (she loves to learn) while also making sure she could prepare to return to a classroom setting in the fall.

Life is funny sometimes though because starting tomorrow all schools in our state will be closed for two weeks due to the coronavirus. So our daughter will begin her homeschooling tomorrow instead. It will definitely be easier to implement with both my husband and I being home for the next two weeks.

I will spend some time sharing what I've learned and my experiences homeschooling my daughter on this blog. I hope for those who are interested in home schooling their child while also working full time can learn from my own experiences. Wish us luck!