This is a longer post but I guarantee you there are some amazing information and discounts so read to the end. This is part one of two because I have so much to share.

How do you learn? As mentioned in my last newsletter we are all unique. This applies to how we learn. Some of us are readers, listeners, doers, or a combination of all. Listen and watch your kids carefully and they will show and tell you how they best learn. You could do some testing for this but save the time and stress and just observe your kids. At Knowledge Seekers we approach learning styles in our first contact with families. The application and interview process is all about gathering information on how a student learns and what they are passionate about. To be honest this is harder than you think. Kids are not always trusted to know what they love. This is a chance to guide kids and give them a voice.

At KSHC we maintain open communication and practice observation to help kids voice their likes, dislikes, ideas and passions. We use hands on project based learning to ignite imagination. We have found that it most often takes an eclectic approach to learning to meet students needs. Just reading a book is not the only way to seek knowledge about science. There are some fun podcasts, you tube videos, art projects, experiments and lesson plans out there to support learning. I will list some resources in this newsletter today and in the following months.

Eclectic learning is how I have approached homeschooling my twin boys. It was been the best way to make it fun. Unit studies and hands on projects are wonderful for all ages. Unit studies help cover all academic subjects in one topic. One of the most enjoyable unit studies was Egypt. It was a rediscovering for me and first time discovery for my kids. I distinctly recall learning about Pharaohs, pyramids, when I was about 14 years old. I did this unit study with my boys when they were 8 years old. We watched documentaries on mummies, read loads of books about daily life, land forms and more. They loved making a rice crispy pyramid using math, asking math questions and finding information on measurement and engineering in ancient times. Creating a clay model of a sarcophagus and painting them required creativity and patients. Making bookmarks and writing our names in hieroglyphs was fun. We used a world map, atlas and globe, to discover even more about the people and culture. Why wait until kids are older? We did this unit study in 2nd grade and my boys loved it.

One of the best aspects of homeschool is teaching subjects when you want, not when the system tells you it is time to cover a specific subject. Why wait for middle school to delve into aviation when your kids are playing with toy planes, making paper airplanes and asking to go see the planes at the airport when they are in 2nd grade. Taking your kids lead when it comes to learning is not only fun it sure takes pressure off of you as the parent.

When I started homeschooling (this is our 5th school year) I found all of the options overwhelming. There were too many options and I could not make decisions. I was fortunate and started the process in kindergarten so I did not feel like I really could mess up in the first year. I mean, kindy is fun and really only requires learning through play and 15 minutes to 20 minutes per “learning” day. At least this is what I finally realized after some emotional pain. All kids no matter their age learn through play.

How to facilitate eclectic learning. Think of our senses. Hearing, Smelling, Seeing, Touching and Tasting. Throw these superhero abilities into the mix when thinking about the subjects you are teaching and learning. Unit studies and hands on activities work really well. There are curriculum and classes to make this easier for you. I’ll list some here.

Freebies, Resources and information Online : Homeschooling can be expensive but it does not have to be. There are many free and low cost resources to create a student led inexpensive learning journey. Here are some places to check out in the PORTLAND community and online.

Online information

Heart Spark- Lara is a homeschooling Mom of 4 and creates beautifully illustrated lesson plans and unit studies for a variety of ages. Lara is the creator of Heart Spark Homeschool. It was created to fill a need to find wonderful curriculum that sparks excitement and wonder in children. Check out these wonderful offerings; From butterflies and bridges to book studies and the 50 United states. Here is a 50% off coupon code 50DEC2024. Visit  https://www.heartsparkhs.com for more information. 

Blossoming Artists– offers both live, online art classes and a lesson plan membership that you can use to inject art into your homeschool curriculum at your own pace. Projects are art history based, including not only the old masters, but also contemporary artists and everything in between. Students will learn about various cultures and the elements and principles of design. Live classes are taught using Zoom, so participants can interact with one another. Classes are taught by a homeschool mom and art teacher with over 18 years of experience.  Lesson plans are written so students can complete the projects without needing much (or any) support. Please feel free to reach out with questions to Sarah.martise@gmail.com. To sign up, please visit www.blossomingartists.com and enter SEEKERS20 when registering for a class. Offer: 20% off classes AND 1 free month of the lesson membership.

Grammar– Quill.org   You can create a classroom and add your kid for free and assign activities. These are short lessons. 

kids Podcasts: Wow in the World, Who’s Amazing Life, Who when Wow, Story Pirates, Circle Round, By Kids for Kids, and Once Upon a Beat.

Math: http://www.prodigygame.com You can create a classroom and add your kid for free and assign activities. This would be an addition to math not a full substitute. It’s more like a game with some math. It is a relaxed and fun way to practice math. 

Mathantics on youtube, covers all topics and breaks them down.

Math games: “Equate” and “Math Dice”. Math Book: Math Curse byJon Scieszka, Lane Smith.

History Books: Any of the I survived series By lauren Tarshis. Our favorites are Mt St. Helens, Hindenburg Disaster, and Hurricane Katrina. They are well written, age appropriate, fascinating and have many opportunities for discussions.

Problem solving Skills: Book- Problems to solve. Folktales from around the world. Greog Sharron. This book has been much enjoyed by the kids at KSHC. They are short stories that have you solve a riddle. Great for critical thinking. Board Game-Outfoxed, and Clue for the older kids.

All Subjects– Teachers Pay Teachers is a great resource. You can pay for lesson plans on all subjects. You can also filter “Free” to try out what is on offer. 

Science– Kiwi Boxes (they also have Atlas box or country studies) https://www.kiwico.com, great for hands on activities.

STEM–  Arizona STEM Acceleration Project and more, amazing, engaging free lesson plans https://stemteachers.asu.edu

Help! Would you like advice on homeschooling or maybe you just have a few questions as you enter this journey? email or call me I truly want to help make this a joyful time for you and your learners. scholltess@gmail.com or @ 818 970 0246

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