It is getting ready to be time to think about the beginning of the new school year. I know, I know…summer is just getting into full swing. In some states the deadline for registering your homeschool with the board of education is the middle of July.
So that is why I am reminding you at this point. It is your job to get legal with your state. If you have homeschooled before, then you probably already know the rules, and what you need to do to ensure that you have no legal issues where you state is concerned. If you are new to homeschooling in the state you live in, then take some time to research the law.
You can check the board of education, or department of education website. You can check with the school your child would go to. Talk to other homeschooling families in the area and see if they have access to the forms needed, or know what the requirements are.
The other thing to do right around now is to find out when your state’s tax free school holiday is. Most states have one, and this can mean noticeable savings if you are not paying state taxes on supplies that are eligible for the exemption. Also look for your local stores to begin putting school supplies on sale. Admit it, you love brand new school supplies!!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Spelling
How is your child doing in spelling? My child is not a great speller. This is kind of odd actually, because she is an excellent reader, and usually being an excellent reader indicates being a good speller as well. Just one more exception to the rule…my child seems to live for this!
I think that I have figured out something regarding spelling. If you don’t think you can spell, you probably can’t. Confidence has a lot to do with not only ability but desire. My daughter is an example. She believes that she cannot spell. She would never make any effort to learn to spell better because she has already decided she is a failure at it.
One of the ways that I hope to improve my daughter’s spelling is to let spelling be fun. I have to set her up to succeed because she already believes she has failed. If I teach spelling in a manner in which she is doomed to fail, not taking her learning styles into consideration, then she most assuredly will fail.
We use games, both online and in person. Sometimes we toss a bean bag back and forth as we practice spelling. Sometimes we do exercises like word ladders, that help build words from word families. Sometimes we can incorporate keyboarding and spelling together, so that she is practicing both. The other thing that we do is utilize Vocabulary and Spelling City. We can use their lists, or import our own, and those words can be used for word search puzzles, hang man, and games like hig pig.
I think that I have figured out something regarding spelling. If you don’t think you can spell, you probably can’t. Confidence has a lot to do with not only ability but desire. My daughter is an example. She believes that she cannot spell. She would never make any effort to learn to spell better because she has already decided she is a failure at it.
One of the ways that I hope to improve my daughter’s spelling is to let spelling be fun. I have to set her up to succeed because she already believes she has failed. If I teach spelling in a manner in which she is doomed to fail, not taking her learning styles into consideration, then she most assuredly will fail.
We use games, both online and in person. Sometimes we toss a bean bag back and forth as we practice spelling. Sometimes we do exercises like word ladders, that help build words from word families. Sometimes we can incorporate keyboarding and spelling together, so that she is practicing both. The other thing that we do is utilize Vocabulary and Spelling City. We can use their lists, or import our own, and those words can be used for word search puzzles, hang man, and games like hig pig.
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