How? Your children will want to watch television or play rather than get to work Your mother may call in the middle of the great project you are doing or book you are reading with the children. Your neighbor may knock on the door and need some great favor or want to visit. Other home educators may lure you into too many activities outside of your home, leaving little time for what really matters. And you…well, I can’t say what your weaknesses are, but I foil my own plan by checking e-mail, answering the phone, planning appointments or starting projects all during the hours I planned to do school with my children. I usually only plan to spend a few minutes doing these things and then we will get right to school. But the reality is that at the end of an unfocused day I don’t feel the same sense of peace and accomplishment as when I have truly spent quality time with my children exploring the subjects of the day.

So how do we avoid these interruptions that can devastate a great school day? We must choose. Most interruptions can wait. I understand that there may be situations where there is a true emergency or urgent situation that needs attention, but these are the exception. I repeat… most interruptions can wait.

Establish firm habits with your children concerning television or other distractions from school work. Charlotte Mason says that “habit, in the hands of the mother, is as his wheel to the potter, his knife to the carver-the instrument by means of which she turns out the design she has already conceived in her brain.” Habit is a powerful tool in helping children to remain focused on learning. As the parent you can instill this habit lovingly. The key is consistency. This is where it becomes critical to eliminate the other interruptions from your life so that you are not being pulled away from your children at a moment when your attention will make the difference.

Help the people who are close to you understand that you will not answer the telephone, door or e-mail during the hours you choose to do school. One friend puts a stop sign up on her door as a friendly reminder that school is in session. Owning an answering machine or subscribing to voicemail will allow you to monitor your messages in case there is a situation that is a true emergency. I check my messages when I have given my children a ten minute break. Otherwise, we let the phone ring.

Choose activities in your home school community carefully. In our community there are always classes in art, drama, language, geography and more. Some offer co-op groups for boys, girls, teens, preschooler or a combination. We see chess clubs, nature clubs and clubs for anything else a person can dream up as well as sports opportunities. Convincing yourself that activities like these are providing most of what your child needs in their education is concerning. Over the years and through many co-ops and activities I have come to the conclusion that my children learn best at home. Believe me, I’ve tried to justify every kind of co-op I could create join or create. In the end, it has never been as effective as what I can do with my children at home on a focused day. There may be a place for carefully selected activities in your plan. But these types of activities have sometime been my largest interruptions from accomplishing my goals with my children. If you choose to participate in these types of activities, try to choose ones that are at the beginning or ending of the week, in the afternoon, or at times when it will conflict the least with your plan.

How do we keep from foiling our own plans? This is probably the biggest question. In the end, I am the person who decides whether to answer the phone, check the e-mail or to justify working on that project “just for a minute”. Habit, again, is a powerful master. You just have to decide to change the habit that is keeping you from achieving the plan you have set out to accomplish, and then stick to it. If this change is too overwhelming, change one little habit or part of a habit at a time. It is better to make a slow change and have it be permanent than to get discouraged with an overwhelming plan. Remember that your children are worth it. Habits you establish now will pay off later.

As a final note, enjoy the ride. All of this habit changing and choosing to stay home with your children doesn’t mean you can’t have fun; quite the opposite. You will find that as you create a “House of Order” by having a plan and having control of that plan you will find other ways to be flexible, enjoy your children and treasure each moment.

 1.Charlotte M. Mason, Home Education, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 1989

Melanie Skelton has educated her six children at home for eight years.  She is the co-founder of Utah Families Teaching at Home and assists in teaching workshops to empower and help home educators.  She is the web designer for the website, found at http: http://www.utahfamilies.net/ and is in the process of co-authoring a book about home education.  This book will help home educators better understand learning styles, personality styles and levels of learning.  It will teach the reader how to apply this information to their home school and plan out a curriculum that will meet the needs of their children.

The Spanish Language is an integral part of family life and 32.2 million families speak Spanish in the home and Texas leads the nation with 29% of residents speaking Spanish at home. Twenty-two states now report that their largest minority group is Hispanic: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming
National Hispanic Heritage Month is the perfect opportunity to introduce children to the language and culture that surrounds them every day in their homes, pre-school, daycare and elementary school setting. Research shows that children who learn a second language, even before they have mastered their own are better readers, which puts them on the path of academic success.

For National Hispanic Heritage Month, I recommend the following 4 activities that will bring the message of understanding, unity and commonality as all ethnic groups raise their voices in song and fun. Whether you are leading children in song, dance or arts and crafts, everyone is guaranteed to have a great time and learn a little Spanish too. All Activity Sheets for National Hispanic Heritage Month come with easy to follow directions to bring the Hispanic language and culture to life for children everywhere.

Food :Cooking is a social time in Latin American Families: These Quesadillas are easy to make and eat.

Fitness: Fitness Fun with Bilingual Beats, Engage children in learning 20 body parts in Spanish/English in a Follow-the-Leader format.

Counting: This Language activity comes to life as the children create their own bi-lingual number book while singing Me gusta contar / I Like to Count

Culture: Children learn about Maracas, an instrument from our Hispanic friends. In this activity the children make their own Maracas and celebrate to music.

Family Fun Is Cooking
Quesadillas are Spanish and Southwest in origin. The ones we experience in restaurants here in the U.S. are fine but are not true depictions of how the real Mexican quesadillas are made. Quesadillas in Mexico can be found outside movie theaters, stadiums, special events with the most popular quesadilla being made with potatoes, cheese, chorizo, beans, green peppers (rajas) and other ingredients.

Following is a simple recipe for quesadillas that allows you to easily involve your children in their preparation. Cooking is a social time in most Latin American countries – make it a social time with your family too!

Quesadillas

Ingredients:
3 six-inch flour tortillas
Vegetable cooking oil
2 cups shredded Colby/Jack mixed cheese
½ cup finely chopped tomato
Cilantro

Directions:
Lightly fry each tortilla in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until crisp and golden, turning once. Sprinkle with combined cheeses and top with tomato. Put lid on pan and turn heat to low. When cheese is melted, fold tortilla in half. Cut each tortilla into quarters. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve warm with salsa if desired.

Yield: 3 servings

Fitness Fun with Bilingual Beats

We read the statistics on obesity among our young children here in the United States. We realize the many benefits derived from learning a second language during our early years.

Put the two together for an interactive, upbeat fitness activity that brings Spanish to life just in time for Hispanic Heritage month. Grab the download of Movin’ and Groovin’ from the CD Sing Along with me and get those fingers/dedos wiggling and leg/piernas running!

This activity appeals to kinesthetic, auditory and visual learners as it encourages learning 20 body parts in both Spanish and English while following the prompts of the song. Use an older child to be the ‘leader,’ and watch the young ones delight in their grasp of a new language.

Twenty fun body part directions are given in Spanish and English – representing a true bilingual format. This fitness fun song uses a follow-the-leader format.

The chorus is acted out with the children rolling their hands then pointing out with the left thumb on one downbeat, then with the right on the next and back and again. When the group sings ‘move and groove with me’ the leader instructs the children to shake their shoulders and point at themselves on the ‘me’ part (with the leader reminding the children that they are very special/muy especial).

Request that the children follow the leaders’ directions for what to do as each body part is sung about – one action at a time. At the end of the song the children are told they will be estrellas/stars in the music video as they throw their hands, outstretched above their heads for the final beat!

Counting: Language Activity for Hispanic Heritage Month
The children will make a book/un libro that helps them learn the Spanish words for the numbers one/uno to ten/diez. Reinforcement is the key to all learning so a MP3 version of Boca Beth’s “Me gusta contar / I Like to Count” song is available for download.

Materials needed:
Depending upon the ages of the children you might offer pre-made blank books out of brightly colored construction paper that measures a finished book size of 5” x 7” (a total of six pages stapled or bound together is needed for this activity). If the children are old enough they can participate in the making of the blank book first.
Markers, crayons, magazine pictures or newspaper food ad pictures, age appropriate scissors, glue sticks
Procedure:
Guide the child in making a cute front and back cover for this bilingual number book. “My Book of Numbers/Mi libro de numeros” is one suggestion.
Each page should have the numeral (1), the English word (one), and the Spanish word (uno) for the number you are working on.
Assist the child in finding a picture that depicts the number of a certain item (one banana, two dogs, three pencils and so on*). Glue the picture onto the page that corresponds to that number.
The English-language number words in sequence order are one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten while the Spanish-language number words in order are uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, and diez.

Arts & Crafts Create Culture Fun

Maracas help celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the culture and music of Spanish-speaking countries. Using old cardboard tubes, jelly jars, plastic soda bottles (anything that you can put a lid on and shake!) makes this project inexpensive and fun! Find different materials and different sized containers to create a wide range of musical sounds that will allow the children to create their own band!

This activity is suitable for toddlers, preschoolers and elementary aged children (with adult supervision). And what child doesn’t love singing the Happy Birthday/Feliz cumpleaños song with cha-cha-cha’s sprinkled throughout?!?! Download our Boca Beth version of this children’s favorite song – presented in a fun bilingual format!

Materials needed:
Containers with tops/lids to hold dried beans or rice in. (jelly jars, plastic soda bottles, cardboard tubes with paper glued on as ‘lid’)
Dried beans, rice, small shell pasta
Construction paper or white computer paper
Paints, markers, glitter, glue, Spanish/Mexican theme stickers

Procedure:
Allow each child to choose their own ‘maraca’ container and filler.
For soda bottles you can insert a cardboard tube that has been cut and wound tightly to fit into the top of the bottle in order to create a handle. Secure the top to the handle with quality masking tape.
Pour approximately 20 dried beans, grains of rice or pasta shells into the container (amount based on size of container and filler chosen).
Secure the lid back onto the container. If no lid is available, make one with paper and secure tightly with quality masking tape or transparent packing tape.
Wrap paper around the container as desired for decorating purposes. Some children may simply want to decorate the container with stickers. Encourage the children to customize their maraca with markers, glitter, stickers and imagination.

Beth Butler is a bilingual educator of young children and strives to prepare our young children for a very global society. She is the founder of the internationally acclaimed BOCA BETH Program that introduces children ages birth – ten to Spanish as a second language. The BOCA BETH Program and its fun and easy-to-use bilingual products were recently awarded Learning Magazine 2007 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Family & Best Educational Product of the Year (2006 & 2005) –Parent to Parent/Adding Wisdom Award. 

To sample this fun, integrated bilingual product line for free visit www.bocabeth.com .

Visit www.bocabeth.com  for music to accompany the activities.

It is a bragging right for colleges to have National Merit Winners among their student body.   These students represent the top one percent of the nation.  Very often colleges will compete for these students to come to their school. These schools may even sweeten the pot by adding more benefits to entice those students to choose them. 

The “P” in PSAT does not stand for a practice SAT.  The correct acronym is PSAT/NMSQT, which stands for Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.  Unlike the SAT, which is administered seven times annually, the PSAT is only offered once in October, and only counts toward potential scholarships in a student’s junior year.  For a small fee, students can sign up for the test at most local high schools.  Sign-ups are usually held up until the day of the test as long as there is still room available. This year it will be administered on October 17^th or 20^th.  

Winning PSAT scores can vary several points depending on what state you live in. In Texas in 2006, semi-finalists qualified at a score of 216, but Mississippians only needed a 205. (out of 240) Each of those students had to write an essay, provide a transcript, an SAT score, and some other necessary paperwork.  For qualifying students to be considered for finalist status, they must return all required information before the deadline.  The National Merit Board will then choose a certain percentage of finalists to be named National Merit Scholars, Corporate Scholars, or College Scholars.  

Begin preparing in ninth grade for the PSAT.  Students should take the test for practice in October of their freshmen and sophomore year.  This will help familiarize them with the test before their junior year.  They will also receive back their test booklet in the mail. This is a plus because they can use it to work on their weaknesses and also learn to pick out hidden patterns that the College Board likes to use on these tests.  It is also important to have finished Algebra 1 and Geometry by the eleventh grade. 

Colleges have always known the importance of the PSAT.  Now that you know more about the PSAT and its significance, you can start preparing.  The dividends of doing well on this test could pay off tremendously and have you seeing green. 

 To learn more PSAT information visit www.collegeprepgenius.com or contact Jean Burk at info@collegeprepgenius.com   Also sign-up for our free No Brainer Scholarship Newsletter

A: A young teenager told me that when he meets new kids and they find out that he does not go to school, they present him with a math question. His response is, "I don't like being tested. This is one reason I don't go to school."

I wish I had that kind of courage as a child. I remember how embarrassed I felt when asked questions of any kind, even my name and age. I hurried to respond lest I would be thought as stupid. Today, when I watch my own children refuse to answer or when they take a long time to ponder over questions, I feel awed by their confidence. Last night we played a word game that required some tough decision-making. There were eight of us playing, half adults, half children. Every time the youngest (nine) had a turn, he took a long time to make his decision. Some guests tried to hurry him along with "guiding questions" but he seemed immune; he ignored them. He talked when he made up his mind and until then he seemed absorbed in thought and completely calm.

In settings such as public school, children become very skillful at giving fast responses to questions; they are anxious to get a positive evaluation and they fear failing and being ridiculed. Your daughter has escaped the tyranny of evaluation, and most likely doesn't see the point in these questions.

A question is only a question when we seek knowledge we don't have. When we ask a question to which we know the answer, we are testing. Congratulate yourself on your daughter's unwillingness to be tested. Such self-respect will protect her authenticity and well-being. Most children and adults love to share knowledge with one who does not have that particular information, but they rarely want to be tested.

Quizzing can be enjoyable when everyone has equal control and choice in the conversation or the game. If a friend wishes to engage in knowledge quizzing with your daughter, he must find out if she is interested. If she is, they can decide together how to share the information or skill as equal partners. For example, the other day two of my children wanted to play geography quiz cards. We took turns: One of us read the question while the others pondered the answer with the help of books, the globe and a lively sharing of thoughts. Some questions were dismissed for being hard or not interesting, others ignited further discussion. When an answer was found, the one who read the question went on to read the answer on the back of the card.

It is best to wait for the children to request to be asked questions or play games that challenge their knowledge or skills. While riding in the car, some children ask their parents to quiz them in math. These same children, if put on the spot by an adult with the same math questions, will   most likely refuse to participate. Sadly, when children succumb to being tested without their consent, they can become dependent on external evaluation and doubtful of their own judgment and value.

I recall the paralyzing fear I felt when quizzed in music classes; having to identify intervals had a deafening effect on me; I heard a blur. Although I often gave the correct answer, I saw it as luck and concluded that I did not have good musical ears. Today, when the children and I sit together and take turns identifying chords, notes and intervals, I find it easy and enjoyable. They ask me only simple intervals and chords, one child wants to identify a chain of single notes and complex chords and the other child wants intervals and melodies. Each one of us makes a request like, "play complex chords for me" or "play easy intervals in one octave."  When the quizzed person says, "OK, I had enough," we move to the next person. The piano player is not testing us but serving our need.

We were taught in school to verify a child's knowledge. (I wouldn't be surprised if one day the school system will have a brain knowledge scan.) It is therefore natural for a parent to feel anxious if she can't prove what her child knows. Yet, you can celebrate your child's freedom from such anxiety. Her knowledge is for her to keep and to use as she wishes. When approached with testing questions, she needs your support in asserting her autonomy. If she is young or shy, you can request of friends and relative to avoid quizzing her. With time she will learn to stand for herself. If she is ready to speak up in such embarrassing moments, let her know that you are her ally.

In addition to sharing knowledge in self-directed play, some children enjoy talking about their newly found discoveries. In a phone counseling session, a mother told me about her four year old child who was enamored with astronomy. He kept giving "lectures" about the solar system to people who came his way. In restaurants he would go from table to table and pass on his knowledge. In contrast, his brother kept his knowledge and thoughts to himself.

Many people say that they remember things better once they have explained them to another. Those people tend to find a listener (as that child did) or become teachers, so they can verbalize to their heart's desire. Putting knowledge into words can be useful for some people and is needed in specific situations and activities. Your daughter will let you know when and if she wants to drill her skill or knowledge by putting it into words; she may ask for private lessons or classes where she can get this need met, or she may initiate such encounters with you or her sibling. Respect your daughter and you will find that she will request for things and settings that will propel her quests for knowledge and growth as the need arises.

©Copyright Naomi Aldort 

Naomi Aldort is the author of, Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves. Parents from around the globe seek Aldort's advice by phone, in person and by listening to her CDs and attending her workshops. Her advice columns appear in progressive parenting magazines in Canada, USA, AU, UK, and translated to German, Hebrew, Dutch, Japanese and Spanish.

Naomi Aldort is married and a mother of three. Her youngest son is thirteen-year-old cellist Oliver Aldort www.OliverAldort.com.

For more information: www.NaomiAldort.com  or www.AuthenticParent.com

 “I like leading trips. Wow, I LOVE it. Experiential education is my passion. There is part of our psyche that needs deep physical challenge and expanding cultural awareness; we require challenging experiences to develop fully as individuals."

- Jim Brady, Santa Barbara Middle School and Educational Safaris and Consulting LLC 

“Watching the expressions on the faces of the middle-school students as they discover something new and seeing the students’ self-esteem and confidence grow by the mile.”

- Joe Torrisi, community education specialist, and Mimi Deem, PE teacher 

Kids these days are less active than they were thirty years ago. As a result, youth obesity rates are at an all-time high and many lifestyle-related illnesses such as childhood diabetes are on the rise. Bicycling adventures are excellent opportunities to introduce your child to the joy and beauty of an active lifestyle. 

Putting your child on a bike saddle will give her a sense of empowerment in her own learning and the tools for success in life. Bicycling can be made accessible to almost every youth, and a tour will give them a memorable experience and potentially turn them into committed cyclists for life. 

Because bicycle travel is by definition a multi-day activity, it is all-encompassing and offers endless opportunities for experiential learning. In addition to mastering how to ride a bicycle, your child may: 

• experience other cultures

• learn life skills such as cooking and bicycle mechanics

• learn about history and the environment

• learn how to solve problems experientially

• have fun

• hone social skills

• work as a team

• improve physical and mental fitness

• grow intellectually

• gain confidence and self-sufficiency

• discover the “real” America and beyond

• overcome physical and mental challenges 

There are many different forms of adventure bicycle travel. From one-nighters to season-long expeditions, tours can be taken on paved roads, dedicated bicycle routes or trails, dirt roads, and even single-track trails. Your child can carry his own luggage or have a vehicle truck his stuff. Tours can be thematic, by studying history around the route, or act as a fundraising expedition for a favorite cause. There are no bounds to what type of life-changing experience you can create. 

Organizing a bicycle trip with your child requires a broad range of skills and resources. We asked some youth bicycle tour leaders what their biggest challenges were: 

“Everything…It is not easy work, but if it were easy, it would not be as valuable.”
- Dave Battista, Fox Chapel Area High School Backcountry Adventures Club 

“Time!!!”
- John Waterman, Programs to Educate All Cyclists (PEAC) 

“Details, details, details.” - Todd Murdock, Talent Search 

These challenges are actually opportunities to get your children involved in their own learning. They can be co-organizers of your adventure, helping with just about every detail that goes into getting a trip on the road, and learning a lot from the process. 

Is Bicycle Touring the Right Thing for You and Your Kids? 

If you enjoy bicycling, like to introduce your child to new and wonderful lifetime activities, and have the time and mental space for planning small and big-picture details, then you are a great candidate to take your child on an overnight bicycle adventure. The process of planning, implementing, and evaluating the success of your trip will challenge both your technical and people skills. It is a very rewarding experience to share in the physical and mental successes of your child, but also a very demanding one, requiring you to be on the job twenty-four hours a day. While you will be running on high during the tour, you will most likely be drained by the end. Your adventures, however, will be recounted for years. 

In the next year, we will share a series of articles that will walk you through organizing your own overnight bicycle adventure. Our goal is to provide a basic framework for traveling on bicycle with your child, and sharing with you the many choices you have to make along the way. In future articles, we will cover:   

• Equipment, trailers, trail-a bikes, and kid seats
• Establishing a Trip Vision
• Funding, Recruitment, and Retention
• Leaders and Partners
• Route Planning
• Bike and Bag Set Up
• Teaching Kids (and Leaders) to Travel by Bike
• Safety and Liability
• Life on the Road
• Trip Evaluation and Additional Bicycle Resources

Throughout the series, we will be referring to the vast cycling resources that already exist in North America. This series of articles should be supplemented with other resources that address bicycle safety, camping skills, and group dynamics if you are traveling with several kids.  

Dave Battista with Fox Chapel Area High School Backcountry Adventures Club sums in up well when he says “Reading about a place or event is just a step to learning about that place or event. To really ‘learn’ about something, you must experience it firsthand: talk to someone - walk in their footsteps, live their lives.” We look forward to sharing this journey with you over the next year, and creating memories that will last a lifetime. 

Happy bicycle travels! 

Becky Douglas is the Outreach and Education Coordinator at Adventure Cycling Association. Thanks to Kerry Irons for his help in writing this article. The mission of Adventure Cycling Association is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. They help cyclists explore the landscapes and history of America for fun, fitness, and self-discovery. Becky is the administrator of the Pedal Pioneers Program, which aims to inspire and empower adults who are taking kids on overnight bicycle adventures. She is also the author of Pedal Pioneers: A Guide to Bicycle Travel with Kids and can be reached at outreach@adventurecycling.org.

After all, you need to maintain your studies over a long period of time. In order to do this, it's necessary to change things so that you're interest remains high. After all, most people have the initial desire but lose interest due to, among other things, a boring routine.

That's where things like a cell phone come in handy.

It's the perfect addition. You have it with you day after day, you are familiar with how it works and you can use it to practice whenever you have some downtime. No need to have your books by your side or be in your car to listen to tapes.

Let's take a look at how to add your cell phone to your study tool-chest.

Tip #1 - Set up your cell phone to use the language you'd like to study. - Go to the menu, find settings, locate language and change it to Spanish, Chinese, whatever you would like to learn. If you ever get stuck you can go and change it back.

Tip #2 - Take a look at the buttons you normally push and begin associating those items with the new vocabulary. - This is a great way to master simple words and phrases with little or no effort. For example, each time you open up your cell phone you'll see, (in the case of Spanish), "mensajes" instead of "messages", "juegos" instead of "games" and "llamdadas hechas" instead of "calls made."
These words begin to stick once you see them again and again. Before you know it you'll recognize the Spanish word just as quickly as the English one.

Tip # 3 - When you have downtime, take out your cell phone and start hitting buttons. - You'll be surprised at all the vocabulary you can learn by just playing with the different menu items. Some things you'll recognize immediately and others you'll be able to guess just by where you find them.

As you probably know, the more contact you have with the language the better. That is particulary true of vocabulary. Seeing a word for the first time and then not seeing it again is a recipe for a very limited vocabulary. You have to get the repetitions needed to help move the information into long term memory.

You also need to see things in context. With a cell phone, you begin to see relationships between words of the same category. For example, the category "llamadas" is "calls" in English. Contained in this category are "llamadas hechas" (calls made), "llamadas recibidas" (calls received), "llamadas perdidas" (calls missed), just to name a few.

You have a goldmine of related words and phrases that can double your vocabulary almost overnight. Why not take advantage of it?

It's one of the ways you can keep your learning fresh and interesting. And that's important because boredom is a big problem with language learners. You need variety and a cell phone is one way to get it.

Don't fall into that trap. Grab your beloved cell phone right now and start hitting some buttons!

"Weatherman"

Designate someone as the weatherman for the week. Everyone tries estimating the temperature, barometric pressure and humidity. The Weatherman looks it up and charts it. If you want, make it a game—the closest estimate gets a point. Find a special hat.

Baking with Fractions

Never follow the recipe exactly! Double it; half it; make 7/8's of the recipe. Make that your kitchen rule.

Growth Chart

Set up an area to keep track of everyone's weekly weight, height. Whose hair and nails grow the quickest?  Make outlines of your hands and feet. Include your cousins and family friends!  Years later it is wonderful to look back on. 

Grade Averaging

Keep track of your marks as you bring assignments and test home and figure out your average grade.  This can also be used as a goal setting tool.

Neighborhood Math

Estimate, measure and compare distances to locations your walk and drive to frequently—your school, the library, the park, the store. This is another activity that can be turned into a game to see how close you can get.

Big Telephone Numbers

Memorize all your friends telephone numbers and add up (or multiply) the digits. Who has the highest number?

Math Challenges

Get into teams to have math fact races. Have everyone challenge Dad! Look up mental math tricks and try some tougher challenges. Who can skip count backwards by 12s? Or what about trying to double numbers up to 1,048,576!

Math Games

There are many math games you can play while folding laundry, traveling in the car and doing chores. One of our favorites games is "What number am I?" which is very similar to 20 questions. Traditionally, you play by guessing a number between 1 and 1000 (or any rational integer). Children eventually learn to half each guess to zone in on the number. You can also get creative with your questions and provide clues. I am a factor of 36; what number(s) am I?

We routinely play games with cards and dice. In fact I always carry dice and cards in my purse. They come in handy. One way to include more math in your card games is to try to estimate and pick up the exact number of cards from the pile before you deal out the hands. This challenge forces the dealer to multiply the number of cards by the number of players.

Music Practice

We have added into our music lessons a short time to put math patterns to music. Number the ascending notes from 1-9 and play the numbers. Of course you can also try singing pi too! Now the kids play different irrational patterns and sequences.

Craft Time

Do you have a certain time when you do crafts? Add math into your crafts—create 3 dimensional geometrical shapes out of cardboard or toothpicks, make a fraction pizza, build a sundial, create a collage of geometric patterns, design a tessellation, play with tangrams, make your own flash cards, craft your own math game... it's endless.

Out and About

Get in the habit of checking your mileage. Keep a logbook in the car for the kids to record the information. Routinely take turns being “the estimator” as you add up the groceries in the cart. See how close you can get to the final amount. The playground has many great geometric shapes used to build playing structures. Which ones are the strongest?

Math Around Your Home

Younger kids will love keeping a chart of the math they find around the house. Look for things to count, arrays, shapes, angles, things to measure (height, weight, volume), measurements on labels. Sort cereal, socks, Lego®, anything! Watch how quickly they become Crazy 4 Math if you have a treat at the end. Create a math log—a special book outlining the math they have learned, that they can show relatives and look back at in years to come.

Math in Nature

Look for math when you are enjoying nature—plan for regular math walks. Kids love searching for examples of symmetry and Phi in flower petals, pinecones and leaves. Plant a tree and track its growth. Start a log book or diary of your math observations.   

Write down all those questions the kids ask and try to find the answers together. Carry around a little book of questions. Share your findings with your family friends. What's the probability of all the flower seeds growing that you plant? What factors lead to them growing successfully? How many seeds are on a dandelion flower? Is a snowflake symmetrical? How many snowflakes can you catch?   

Make each moment special. Tools such as log books, math journals, charts, scrapbooks and collections provide routine structure to maintain your math rituals.

Start a rock collection. Press leaves. Build your own birdhouse for the yard. Make steeping stones for the garden. Count and sort stones. Measure a tree. Measure your shadow. Build a sundial. Count the stars. 

 "The math is endless and the memories are priceless.  

Susan Jarema is the founder of Googol Learning and the Crazy 4 Math Contest. The Learning with Googol Power Website has many free resources to inspire mathematics and family learning in your home through music, games, stories and layered learning. Visit www.googolpower.com  for more information on workshops, presentations, the award-winning Googol Power Math Series and Discovery Multiplication Program.  

Nature Deficit Disorder is a condition where nature is non-existent in a child’s personal experiences. Practically an entire generation has lost touch with nature. In a digital age, we have brought a child’s total experience of exploration and discovery indoors. Instead of flipping over a rock to discover a few Pill Bugs, children can click on a mouse and explore the deepest depths of the Ocean floor. Amazing, yes, but swimming with Bottle Nose Dolphins on-line is by no means as stimulating as finding a millipede and watching it…feeling it crawl across your arm! In nature, children are forced to use all their senses at once. They smell the flowers and forest floor, see denizens scurry across patches of grass, hear the singing of birds and rustling of leaves, they feel the rough texture bark and smooth cold surface of rocks, and the taste of freedom is the best! 

How many of you remember running off in the woods or up in a tree house with your friends? It is there you bloomed. It is there, without teachers or coaches or parents that you told stories and secrets, cursed and cried, kissed and laughed…and really, really laughed. Nature-play is important.    

A Kaiser Family Foundation study shows that the average American child is hooked to digital media 6 hours per day. Six hours! The Nation Parks have reported a decrease in State and National Park visitation by as much as 35%. State Fishing licenses have decreased even more. And although the U.S.A. has more organized outdoor sports activities for our children than ever, 2 out of 10 kids are obese. Not overweight. Not chubby. Obese! What is going on? 

Doctor’s report higher cases of children who can’t sleep, are restless, have lack of stamina, and who show signs of slow muscle development. Our society is seeing chart-breaking cases of children with Attention Deficit Disorder, Hyperactivity, and Asthma. Is it the water? Could it be global warming? Or can it be, just maybe, a lack of being outdoors?    

There is no hard evidence yet, but experts agree that spending time outdoors (ala fresh air) is much better for Asthma sufferers than being indoors. Maybe hyperactivity is the body trying to over compensate for under-stimulation. And a child’s senses learning to work all at once might be the just the thing for better focus.     

Nature or my use of the “woods” need not be backpacking through Yellowstone National Park. A small backyard with a few un-manicured trees, rocks, a stream, a nature trail or lake is all it takes for a child to have a hands-on experience with nature. In teaching children about nature and Science, I have seen first-hand the positive effects of “nature-play” on children with everything from ADHD to Autism. For parents, a good place to start is www.CoolBugStuff.com. There are plenty of projects and interesting facts for both parents and children alike. The point is to get outside and let a child’s imagination go free. 

It’s time to get rid of your “Nature-Danger” attitude and allow your children to get dirty, climb trees, skim rocks, catch frogs, and bring home bugs. None of this requires batteries, assembly, or money and the payoff could be huge!

Seth Prezant is the founder and Bugmaster of www.CoolBugStuff.com . His award winning web site was created to help promote fascination and education in science using nature’s most abundant creatures…Bugs! Seth is a true EEE (Education & Entertainment Entrepreneur) providing educational and entertaining nature shows for schools, camps, aftercare programs and home school groups all around South Florida. The Bugmaster can be reached @ seth@coolbugstuff.com.

Early Advantage
Serving: Worldwide

New Child Montessori
Serving: Worldwide

Upper Iowa University
External Degree Independent Study Program
Serving: Worldwide

The National Science Center 
Serving: National and Worldwide

Faith and Family Magazine
Serving: Domestic and Foreign

Power-Glide Foreign Language Courses at BrainGrow
Serving: United States and Canada

Griggs University/Griggs International Academy
Serving: United States

COLOR ME MINE
Serving: See Website for Locations

Education Program for Gifted Youth 
Serving: United States

The Kids Hollywood Connection, Inc.
Serving: United States

Child1st Publications
Serving: United States

Scribble 2 Script
Serving: United States

Kiddos Delight
Serving: United States

Connections Academy
CA, AZ, CO, OR, ID, MN, WI, PA, OH, FL, NV

Barefoot Books
Serving: Arizona and Nationwide

EVO Swim School
Serving: Gilbert and surrounding areas, Arizona

Aquarium of the Pacific
Serving: Southern California

San Diego Ballet & School
Serving: Southern California

San Francisco Gymnastics
Serving: San Francisco and Marin, California

Little Rascalz Soccer School
Serving: San Diego County and Coronado, California

Summit Ministries
Serving: Manitou Springs, Colorado

Wilton Music Studios
Connecticut

Funtastics Gymnastics & Cheerleading
Serving: Sarasota, Florida

Thompson's Music
A Suzuki Violin, Guitar and Piano Studio
Serving: St. Petersburg, Florida

Seal Swim School
(3 Florida Locations) Lutz, South Tampa and North Pinellas, Florida

Fitwize4kids
Serving: Broward County, Florida

Gulf Specimen Marine Lab
Serving; North Florida /South Georgia

Jump!Zone
Serving: Georgia

THE MATH SET 
Serving: Atlanta, Georgia

Explorations in Antiquities Center  
Serving: Georgia

Suzuki Village
Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Roswell and Alpharetta, GA

Yoga-Yingo
Serving: Boise/Meridian, Idaho

Music Makers…for Life, Inc.
Serving: Illinois
 

Valley adults and children have the opportunity to enroll in a vast array of visual and performing arts classes administered and taught by renowned faculty and students of a world-class university – all year long!

The ASU Herberger College of the Arts is proud to offer non-credit classes in art, dance, music, theatre and digital art to community members of all ages through Herberger College at Large & for Kids. Learn how to play the guitar, manipulate images in PhotoShop or learn Celtic Dance from ASU's highly experienced, educated and talented faculty and students. Only the Herberger College can offer the Valley an arts education program developed and administered by nationally ranked academic programs in all the visual and performing arts. Think of it as college prep for kids or artistic enrichment for yourself.

 

A Heart 4 Learning - Buckeye, Tonopah, Palo Verde, and surrounding areas, Arizona

LeapingFromTheBox - State of Alabama

Long Beach Homeschoolers - Long Beach, California
Gentle Christian Homelearners - Chino Hills, San Dimas, California

East County Homeschoolers - East Lake Worth, Florida
Orlando Area Unschoolers - Central Florida

Secular Home Educators of Augusta (SHEA) - Augusta (encompassing the CSRA), Georgia
Coweta Home Educator's Association - Coweta County (Newnan) and surrounding areas, Georgia
Pickens County Homeschoolers - Jasper, Georgia
Destiny Homeschool Ministry - Henry, Clayton, Rockdale, Dekalb, Spalding counties, Georgia

CENLA First Class Co-op - Pineville Alexandria, Louisiana
Baton Rouge Homeschool Association - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
PALS Homeschool Group - St. Mary Parish area, Louisiana

LDS Homeschoolers in Maryland - Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia
Catholic Homeschoolers in Baltimore- Baltimore, Maryland
South East Baltimore Homeschool Co-op- Baltimore, Maryland
Mid-Shore Homeschool Cooperative - eastern shore, Maryland

Thumb-Area Homeschoolers - Thumb-Area of Michigan

Vicksburg Christian Home Educators - Vicksburg, Mississippi

Park County Homeschool Network - Livingston, Montana

Eclectic Homeschoolers of NH (EHNH) - Rockingham County (And beyond!), New Hampshire

Greensboro Catholic Home Educators - Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina
Wilmington Homeschool organization - Wilmington, North Carolina
Central Home School Group - Charlotte, North Carolina

Collin County Homeschool Playgroup - Collin County (Plano), Texas
ECCHO (Ellis County Christian Homeschool Organization) - Ellis County, Texas
TexasHOPE - Del Rio, Laughlin AFB, Bracketville, Comstock,  Texas

Children of the King - Chesterfield, Virginia

Alive  - Washington state
CHECK- Tri Cities, Washington

WI-LDS-HS (Wisconsin LDS Homeschoolers)- Wisconsin