The Little Man in the Map

 Geography  4 Responses »
Jul 082009
 

We are learning with The Little Man in the Map by E. Andrew Martonyi and my kids are loving it! This is by far, the best strategy I have seen to help kids learn how to recognize the States on a map. This award-winning, beautiful book teaches children how to recognize the States through mnemonics…each state is a picture of something and becomes a part of the story.

As the story begins, The Little Man in the Map comes to life. Have you ever noticed him before? He is right there in the middle of the map, and is made up by Minnesota (his hat), Iowa (his face), Missouri (his shirt), Arkansas (his pants), and Louisiana (his boots).

My children really enjoy the sing-song rhyming verse of the book. I also really like how Mr. Martonyi breaks the States down into 5, easy to manage, regions: the Midwest, South Central, Southeastern, Northeastern, and Western States. A large, laminated wall map, which is also represented in the book, can be purchased separately. And, if you order from Schoolside Press, you can get an autographed copy of the book at no additional charge!

This book is great for all ages (even my 3 year old is learning U.S. geography!) and for all types of homeschoolers (if you are offended by elves, and the word magic, you may not want this book) .

The Little Man In the Map sells for $19.95, the 38×22 inch Wall Map for $21.95, and a Teacher’s Guide for $7.95 at Schoolside Press. This book is definitely a keeper!

Here is a video that features a short passage from the book:

Written by Kari, Momma Snail.  She also blogs at The Snail’s Trail.

Sue Patrick’s Workbox System©

 Preschool  9 Responses »
Jun 122009
 

workboxSue Patrick’s Workbox System© has quickly become a favorite organizational strategy among homeschoolers. With the Workbox System©, homeschool students can manage their school day independently, complete more activities each day, and stay on task. Because the purpose of this article is to provide ideas and resources for users of the System, I would like to just offer a summary of the program. Please visit Sue Patrick’s website for complete details. The basic structure of the program is that your child has 12 boxes on a rack. Each box holds an item or task to be completed. Your child works through each box and puts the box away as they finish the task or item. This visually allows your child to see how much work they have left to do for the day.

Here are a few of my favorite things from the Workbox System ©:

  • I like that is uses a systematic approach to helping my children organize their school day
  • It promotes student independence
  • It can be used with any curriculum
  • It can be adapted to fit your needs
  • Sue Patrick offers additional support for individuals who purchase and register their purchase on her site
  • It is a visual system that is great for students who need visual prompting
  • This system has been successfully used with students with Special Needs

 

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The following information can help new users and current users get some ideas for workboxes, see different varieties of the program, and additional resources of the System.

Read more of this article…

Written by Kari

What Kind of Homeschooler are You?

 Philosophies  2 Responses »
May 132009
 

old_woman_who_lived_in_a_shoe-kronheim1Tips for Defining Yourself

Homeschoolers are in a world of their own. To outsiders, all homeschoolers are the same…weird. But inside the world of homeschooling, you quickly become defined by your method of teaching. When you meet another homeschooler, some of the first questions asked are, “What curriculum do you use?” and “What kind of homeschooler are you?” To new homeschoolers, this can be completely overwhelming and finding your options can literally drown you in information.  

I know that there are a lot of moms that are just like me. I began researching homeschooling, and how to do it, while I was pregnant with my first child. I was still teaching in a public school at the time, but I knew one day that I would have the blessing of homeschooling my kids. I am a first generation homeschooler so I had no idea that there are actual methods and theories about teaching your kids at home. I also didn’t know that there are curriculum just for homeschoolers. Almost 5 years later, I am still trying to define what kind of homeschooler I am. 

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Before you google your eyes out, turn off your computer and sit down and write out everything you believe about education. This is your mission statement; it will become your foundation for all of the choices you will have to make. In my mission statement, I included how I believe my children learn. I also included how I think that learning is assessed. Brenda has written a great article that can help you as you write your mission statement . 

After you have your mission statement, and you feel you need to put a label on what kind of homeschooler you are, find the methods/theories that best suit you based on your mission statement. Research the homeschooling methods out there and find one that matches your core beliefs. If there are several that match you, you might be Eclectic. As you make a list, write down what you like and don’t like of each method. Here is a list of just some methods:

  • Classical
  • Unschooling
  • Charlotte Mason
  • Ruth Beechick
  • Traditional
  • Eclectic
  • Unit Studies
  • Notebooking
  • Lapbooking
  • Religion or Faith Based
  • Virtual Schooling or Hybrid Schooling or Distance Learning
  • Deschooling
  • Umbrellas (your child learns under an organization, a public school, or private company)
  • Montessori
  • Enki
  • Waldorf
  • Reggio Emilia
  • Delayed: The Moore Method
  • Accelerated
  • Principle Approach
  • Thomas Jefferson
  • Relaxed
  • Delight Directed
  • Child-Led
  • Research Based
  • Radical unschooling

Now that you know how you will teach your child, you have to find the tools to do this. There are so many curriculum choices on the market that there are conventions just so that homeschoolers can check them out. There are three main ways to find your curriculum. First there is the boxed curriculum. This is curriculum that covers every subject area for the entire year. Everything is mapped out for you, may even be scripted, and often comes with all the materials your child will need. Your second option is to pick and choose specific items from a boxed curriculum. You might just want to buy the math materials or the reading books. Another option is to create your curriculum from free online resources, or resources from the library. You also have the freedom to design your own curriculum. 

There are three steps to developing your identity as a homeschooler. First, write your mission statement. After you have this ingrained into your heart, find a method that fits your beliefs. And finally, find curriculum that matches your foundational beliefs and method. 

The great thing about homeschooling is that you have the freedom to teach however you want to teach. And you can change your methods and curriculum whenever you want. Even if it is in the middle of the school year. If it isn’t working…move onto something new. One thing that can give you a concrete foundation is your core beliefs in how you believe your children learn best. In homeschooling, it doesn’t matter what kind of homeschooler you are. It doesn’t matter what curriculum you use. Because, as a homeschooler, you are doing what is best for your child. 

Written by Kari Wilcher

The Curriculum Choice

Meet Me At The Corner & Robert Sabuda Pop Up Books: A Review

 Literature  No Responses »
Apr 242009
 


We got an amazing pop-up book for Christmas from Big Sister Snail (we are known as the snail family at The Snail’s Trail). who is in college. It is called The Chronicles of Narnia Pop Up Book by Robert Sabuda. It is absolutely the best pop-up book I have ever seen. It is so amazing that it stays high up on a shelf and can only be read with Mommy or Daddy Snail. It has become very special to us. Just look at the amazing detail and how big some of the pop-ups are:

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Little Snail loves the ship in the book.
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The pop ups are giant and very detailed. We have spent hours just oohing and ahhing over them.
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Just look at that giant lion! He just leaps off the page!

I was very happy when my friend, Donna Guthrie, told me that there is an interview with Robert Sabuda on her website, Meet Me At The Corner. Check it out (just click here).

The host of this virtual field trip is a little girl. She does an excellent job at interviewing Robert and showing kids how he makes his pop-up books. Our favorite part of this virtual field trip is learning how to make a pop-up card. It has really inspired us! After we watched the virtual field trip, we visited Meet Me At The Corner’s Learning Corner to extend our learning on pop-up books and Robert Sabuda. The site even directed us to Robert Sabuda’s website with directions on how to make more pop-ups (Aslan the lion is on page 2).

We have completely fallen in love with Meet Me At The Corner. This website needs to be added to every homeschoolers list of favorite, most useful, websites.


Meet Me At The Corner, Virtual Field Trips for Kids, is more than just a collection of videos for kids to watch. It is a dynamic, interactive site that allows kids to submit their own individually created videos! Meet Me At The Corner is becoming a community where children can be creative and expressive. As a homeschooling mom, I know that to get my kids to really learn something, I have to make it interactive, hands on, and fun. But most importantly, if I want my kids to really learn something, they have to produce something. With Meet Me At the Corner, The Snails can write, direct, and produce their own educational movies about what they are learning. They even get to use the old video camera! It has really been amazing to see their storytelling come alive. I especially like that the kids can use this as a medium to re-enact the stories that we read and recap the units we have been learning. Of course our videos aren’t near ready to upload to Meet Me At The Corner, but they will be when The Snails get a little older.

The virtual field trips that we “just have to watch over and over again” are:

Meet Me At The Corner makes planning your units, themes, or projects easy because with each video you can get recommended books, websites, activities, downloadable files, and lessons to extend your learning.

I am so happy that my friend, Donna, has created such an amazing resource for kids. Please, visit Meet Me At The Corner for your next field trip. I hope that it inspires the storyteller that is in your child!

Written by Kari

The Curriculum Choice