Archive by Author | Lisa McAfee

Map Resources for Geography

Nov2

Sometimes you just need a good map that you can touch, label, color. It’s hard to get a sense of a place if you just read about it. Just exactly where is Africa? Having a map can help kids make connections.

Years ago I picked up Map Trek by Terri Johnson and it was a purchase that that paid for itself many times over. It has maps that begin with the Ancient World and go through the conflict in Iraq. There are also individual state maps of the United States. The major cities are labeled and show the bordering states. This hardbound book has all colored maps and a CD-ROM is included in the complete collection for you to print off black and white copies of the maps. You may want the e-book instead to print off what maps you need.

Masterbooks curriculum is carrying the Map Trek line and you can get your own copy here: Map Trek. Amazon, Rainbow Resource, and Christian Books sells it too. Here are other features that are included with Map Trek:

  • Full-color teacher answer maps.
  • Blank outline maps for the student.
  • Instructions for how to use the maps
  • Lesson Plans
  • Glossary of terms

On another note: If you are curious about the picture, The basket in the background is from Ethiopia, courtesy of a dear family whose children I taught. The colorful stones of African animals are carved on a rock known as soapstone.

Have you heard of Map of the Month Club? These maps are excellent and I highly recommend them. My seventh grade World Geography and eighth grade World History students enjoyed working on them. They are well done and have geographical, political, and historical maps. They are extremely reasonable, only $1.00 each, but the S & H is $8.00. You purchase individual maps so you could order maps for the entire school year and save yourself some time and money. Ranging in skill level from elementary through senior high, these 16″X20″ maps can serve your entire family. They come in a sturdy flat box and can be stored safely in it until you need them. MAP OF THE MONTH CLUB I know the image isn’t that clear, but it is just to give you a general idea of the map.

Have a great week! ~Lisa~

Homeshooling: You’ve Got This

Oct26

I was very confident when we decided to homeschool. It wasn’t until I started sharing with my family and friends that I started to second-guess myself. Could I do this? Can you do this? With much thought, discussion, prayer, and seeking wise counsel of veteran homeschoolers I realized I could do this, not just for one year, but for as long as my husband I felt we should do it. Can you do it? Absolutely! Here are some questions that were frequently asked, I bet you have heard some of these before too. 🙂

What about socialization? If I had a dollar for every time I heard that, I think I would be a wealthy woman. (haha) In this age of Corona virus people are wanting children to keep their distance, eat lunch six feet apart, not play on the playground, etc. I don’t see socializing happening much at school. There are community programs and activities that you can take your son/ daughter to that can provide experiences to interact with others. We were involved in co-ops, PE and art classes, park programs, play dates, and all kinds of things where the boys could make friends.

Was I the best teacher for my child? I realized that I was the best simply because I knew my son better than anyone else. I knew what he liked, what he didn’t like and I could adjust things as needed for optimum learning, whether that was curricula, schedules, or interests.

How could I teach multiple children? (This question came later since my kids were three years apart.) I knew I could teach some subjects together (social studies, science, Bible, health, and safety). I figured out a schedule and system for me to teach language arts and math separately because of ability. Here is something to consider: your teacher to student ratio is better than if your child was in a traditional classroom.

Have a great week! ~Lisa~

Keeping Little Ones Busy

Oct19

One of the questions that I have seen frequently asked on homeschool Facebook groups is how to keep your younger students occupied while you teach your school age children. I have created a sheet of activities that I believe will give you some ideas. One of the key things to remember is to limit these activities (as much as possible) to when you are in school. Here is the pdf of this list for you.

activities-for-little-ones-1Download

Showing Kindness

Oct11

I had a deep and to the point conversation with my almost four year old granddaughter this week. She was talking about a friend who she had loved dearly and talked about all the time, but I noticed over the past several months she hasn’t said much about her. I found out why.

“Marmie, I used to love playing with ______, but now I don’t. She is so mean to me! Why does she have to be so mean?”

“Well, she shouldn’t treat you like that. It doesn’t make you feel very good, does it? Can you ask her to stop?”

My granddaughter looked at my with a stern expression and a wagging finger and said, “I have told her, but I will tell her again. I will say, be kind!” Well said, Little One, but I reminded her to say it nicely and with a smile.

I know this doesn’t directly relate to homeschooling as far as subjects, but it has everything to do with life. Which is really the most important part of educating our children. Quite a few people can teach the subject content, but we as parents (and grandparents) are the best for instructing them in character building.

Can you teach children to be kind? Yes, I think you can provide instruction and opportunity to show your children that kindness counts.

Model kindness. I can’t expect that from my children if I don’t do it myself. It might seem cheesy and self-promoting, but as you do something kind you can say, “I am being kind by _fill-in-the-blank__ because I love you and I want the best for you.” Showing kindness to strangers while going about your routine and sharing what you did with your children helps them to see you are preferring others over yourself.

Make a phone call, send a card to someone, create a “thinking of you” video. I love it when someone calls to say hello with no agenda. Who could your children reach out to that would brighten their day?

Serve someone. Kindness begins at home. Look for teachable moments for your children how to be kind to one another (and you). Kindness is being others focused- setting the table, picking up toys, saying please and thank you are just some of the ways we can teach our children to be kind. You can make a kindness chart, have a kindness competition, make Kind Coupons to be given to family members. Some examples could be: One hour of borrowing a toy; helping build a Lego model; doing a craft, etc.

Serve others that are not your family. Food pantries are always in need of staples. How about collecting some a little each week and have your daughter/son put them in a box? Once you it is filled, take the kids and drop it off at a local food pantry. You can contact your pastor or check with your neighbors to see if there is someone who needs help (yard work, grocery shopping, etc.). What about paying for the person’s coffee behind you in the drive-through window? Be creative! There are lots of opportunities to do acts of kindness.

Lighten someone’s load. Homeschooling can be overwhelming. Do you have a friend who could use an afternoon to themselves? Taking the kids to the park could be a huge help. If that doesn’t work out, how about a pot of chili or a taco bar?

I saw this saying on Facebook and had to copy it to share with you. I can’t look you in the eyes, 😦 but I can tell you, “You are awesome! You are doing a great job teaching your children and they are blessed to have such a caring teacher and parent.”

Have a great week! ~Lisa~

Schoolwork: Keeping Kids on Track

Oct5

“I have to feed the dog. “

“Oh, look! There is a squirrel in the yard!”

“This is too hard; I can’t do it!”

Have you heard any of these comments when you are teaching your son/ daughter? There are times when kids find every kind of excuse not to do their work. I have even had the kids volunteer to do chores they normally detest in hopes that I would forfeit their assignment.

“Haha! Nice try!” I would tell them.

So, how do you keep them on track without losing the battle or your mind?

Go over the day’s lessons and what you will be doing. We all do better if we know what will be happening.

Talk about your expectations. There are certain non-negotiable things you want from your child when doing schoolwork. This could be a good attitude, legible handwriting, etc.

Start with success. If your child is having difficulty finishing their work, it could be that they didn’t know how to do the lesson. Begin your lesson by reviewing something s/he knows. For example: If the short <e> is difficult, then review the vowels that are already know and teach to the level of success.

Do the lesson together. After you have taught the lesson, make sure you do enough of the problems that they can successfully complete the rest themselves.

Set a time to finish the assignment. Be sure that it is a reasonable time. If your daughter/son is having difficulty staying on task, redirect and set a timer.

Save it for tomorrow. If the task is not finished within a reasonable time, review the lesson the next day and see if the lesson was understood. If not, reteach, do some of the work together until they are successful and can do it independently.

Reward for completed work. We all have tasks that we don’t like to do and give ourselves a treat when we are finished (chocolate comes to mind lol). Of course, I am not talking about rewarding them for every little thing they finish, but if it has been an issue, then a small reward will help.

Praise your child. Draw attention to the fact s/he has completed their work and celebrate! It’s a big deal!

Have a great week! ~Lisa~