Learning While Away...Part 4

It is definitely not difficult to make a travel curriculum, it is just time consuming, but if you think about the time you put into your regular curriculum it works out to be about the same! I thought this series would be a 4 part, but it looks like it may stretch to 6. Today I will share how we learned about the Spanish language for our foreign language potion of our curricula. When we return for 1 month in February, I have enrolled the children in a full immersion school that meets 3 days a week for 4 hours a day. I am hoping to just give them the basics now to help them out when they walk into a room where no one is speaking English. One thing I truly regret, is not speaking to my children in Spanish from birth, they understand some of what is going on, but we Mexicans tend to speak a lot quicker than a beginner can hold on to. As we have long days in the car and many long hours coming up for our road trip, I picked up Cd's and Rosetta Stone. This is perfect for listening to pronunciation and being able to do it without having a formal lesson and books to go along with it. We usually have the local Christian music station, Classical music or a book on tape so this is no different than our usual.

 

As the kids listen to the audio version of lessons, they jot down notes on what they would like more help with or they have questions on. The Cd's tend to go a little faster than we would like! Once we get back somewhere, they bring their notes in and we work together on correcting their spelling or anything else they need help with, the repetition is key in learning anything.

The main reason I love a curriculum like this, is that it allows all the kids to work together and learn about group work. It also allows all different levels to come together and offer their own insight into things. It can be challenging at times, but it works together quite well at the end.

Our final step in language learning is to make flashcards, but I like to have them make 2 of each word so that they can turn it into a memory game if they desire or so that 2 of them can flip through them at once. Various workbooks offer different words and even music cd's offer plenty of words to listen to and try out on their own. We like to look for words that we know we will use in hotels, on public transportation, at stores, open air markets and the like. Every day high frequency words are the best to use with beginners. At the moment, they pretty much just need a travel vocabulary and then we can build from there!

Enjoy every minute my friends!!

Other parts in this series:
PART ONE
PART TWO
PART THREE

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Homeschool Conference Notes and Tips!

Hello readers! I am so sorry for my disappearance, but my children headed off to camp last week and I took a Mommy Break! I hung out with old friends, had some quiet time and did a lot of shopping. It was great to finally have kids at an age that they could ALL attend camp together. They had so much fun and learned a lot. The best part? They made great friends.

Over the weekend I attended a homeschool conference and really got lost in everything there was to see and do. There were so many speakers, things for sale and people to chat with. I have a few tips to share in the event that you have a conference coming up!

Ahead of Time:

1. Sign up for conference updates ahead of time, even if you JUST MISSED one, sign up to keep updated. This will allow you to find out the exact dates of the next conference and all the information that you will need to ensure you keep that day or weekend free.

2. AS SOON as the schedule is available, print it out and begin to plan your day. There are many speakers that will be there and many topics that will be covered. Do your research if you don't have time to listen to them all. Some may have their speeches on You Tube already or information on their websites/blogs. This will assist you in proper time management.

3. Check the list of vendors if available. Do your research on each vendor so you know if it's a table you will have questions at or just like to browse. Sign up for their updates as well and you may find that they will be offering a conference only coupon! Keep tabs on their facebook pages as well.

4. Have a list of your MUST-Do's. If there are speakers you MUST hear and vendors you MUST visit, have them written out along with times that you need to block out.

5. Prepare of list of items that are needed for your curriculum and what you are looking for.

6. Find a sitter. Our conference didn't allow children, but if they had it would have been better to let them have fun with a friend of family member. This leaves you free to shop and not have to constantly entertain. It also allows you to listen to speakers and stay all day if you wish (I did!).

7. Start saving early! You may have a budget but there will be things that you have not seen before or ones that catch your eye that you will not want to miss out on. (Many vendors offer free shipping at conferences for attendees!)

8. Pre-Register if allowed, this allows you to walk in, find your name tag and move quickly past the registration table.

Day of Conference:

1. Set an alarm on your cell phone or watch for 5-10 minutes before each speaker you would like to hear. You may get caught up with a vendor or see a friend and miss the announcement.

2. Bring sturdy, reusable bags for all your purchases. Most companies offer plastic bags that are not enough to carry 1 book let alone the tons you will purchase!

3. Bring a notepad and pen to take notes during speakers and to jot down certain book titles that you are considering purchasing but not positive about while at that table.

4. Bring the list that you created of books that you are looking for and check it off as your purchase, so that you know what you have left to buy.

5. I kept 3 crates in my trunk to represent my 3 children. When our bags would get full, we would head to the trunk and divvy up the books to where they belong. This gave us a visual representation of what had been purchased and also didn't make for such a headache once we got home.

6. Arrive before opening. There are plenty of vendors offering used books for sale and you can get the pick of the bunch if you are one of the first in the door.

7. Make 1 round of the convention hall BEFORE purchasing anything new. (You want to pick up used books if the prices are very reasonable and there are not many copies of what you need) This allows you to take notes and keep track of who has the better prices on things you need.

8. Keep an eye on your time at all times, so you don't miss speakers or meet-ups that you may have going on.

9. Have a bottled water and snacks in your purse to keep your energized and not spending so much time taking breaks.

10. During your 1st break or while waiting for the first speaker to begin, check out your lists and get ready to start purchasing.

Additional Tips:

1. Try to allow time to go to the conference on closing day as well. After lunch, many used books sellers tend to go to 50% off and you could save considerably on things. It's worth paying a visit to see if there is anything you may need. I have picked up maps, flashcards and posters for less than a dollar!!

2. If you make it the day of closing plan on staying until the very end. Many vendors will try to get rid of some items at bargain basement prices just to not have to pack them up Or some used books will even go for free. (Note: This does NOT happen at every conference, but you never know!)

3. If vendors are asking for help packing up after the conference, see if you have time to stay! They often offer a coupon for the website to helpers or even gift cards! (Note: This may not happen with everyone you help, but at least you did a good deed!)

This is everything we came home with and though our wallets are a bit empty, the price does not even come close to paying someone else to educate our children! Do you have any tips to share??

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Money Math Centers!

Math is a huge subject that we focus on over here, my kids have a love of numbers that I just could not understand. I was a poor Math student that just ended up detesting the subject in every way. With the passion my kids have for numbers, it has made me look at Math in a totally different way. With Roman, my youngest, I am starting at the bottom and looking at it all with open eyes. I can see how they enjoy this as I teach him and then the other children new things, there is a true beauty in Math, almost a language in itself. Maybe I truly can get to like it too!

My youngest is tackling Money in math and gets the coins confused when they are on paper. I figured a hands on approach was needed here. I decided to make some Math centers to help him familiarize himself with his Math & Money lessons. I took a variety of coins and glued them onto Popsicle sticks to give them a handle and make them easier to handle. When he sees them on a worksheet, he matches up the right plastic coins, so that he can hold them as he counts. Roman has found this way much easier to learn with. The back of each stick has the value of the coin on it in case the child needs help with it and is using them alone.

I made a full set of coins with the Tails side up as opposed to the rest, which had the heads side up. Now, they become an easy matching game! Sometimes on worksheets, children confuse the coin, because they are not familiar with the backs of them. It makes learning fun!

These can also be used with 'store' cards! These cards all have items and prices on them and the kids can make up the change needed to purchase the items. If you don't have a set of these, it's easy to make them up on your own. You can give the child some cards of things to 'buy' and then a handful of sticks. See if they have enough money and how much change they would get back or how much more they would need.

Add and Subtract! I took a wooden block from the craft store and put addition and subtraction symbols on each side. The idea of the game is to pull out 2 sticks (more if they are advanced) and roll the die. Now add or subtract! Get it right and keep the sticks! Winner has the most sticks at the end of the game.

How true this is!! Enjoy the day my friends!

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Time 4 Learning Online Educational Curriculum Review

Hello readers! I recently had the AWESOME opportunity to review Time4Learning an online educational curriculum. I have 3 children ages 8 (Autumn),7 (Gabriel) and 5 (Roman) and all 3 were given their own accounts on Time 4 Learning. During this time that we had with the program, my children enjoyed every minute. When it was time for them to work on their lessons online, they were all eager to log in and be the first one on.

Time 4 Learning is so easy to navigate, that even my 5 year old was able to log in on his own. Their curriculum is fantastic if you plan on using it as a full time curriculum or even just as a supplement. The bright colors and fun animations kept all 3 of my children fully engaged during their time on the computer with it. One awesome thing that you can look forward to, is that your child can also have access to work that is 1 full grade over where they are or 1 full grade under their current level. Having this access, allows you to really know where your child falls. Even the parents get an account to keep up with your children, if you do not have enough time to sit and do each lesson with them. 

Time 4 Learning even has a Parent Community & Forum! This is AWESOME should you have any questions about something at an odd hour or even just to chat with parents that are in the same boat that you are in. Have questions before you make it that far? They have a Getting Started Guide online too! They have so many tools on the Time 4 Learning website that there is always something to look at and learn from. 

Head on over to Time 4 Learning before this month is over and take them up on their special offer! This is really a great deal when you consider all that they have to offer. You can also try out some Free Demos while you are there, to see if what they have will fit for your child.

*I was offered a subscription for my 3 children in exchange for this review. My review is entirely my opinion.*

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