Taking It Outside: Having Class Time Outdoors

One of the best things about homeschooling is that your child can learn any time, any where.

We've been fortunate the last few days to have the most beautiful weather imaginable. El otoño is right around the corner, so to celebrate, we cut short the amount of time we spent studying indoors, and took our classroom outside. In fact, moving school outside has some definite advantages.

Messy or big projects are nothing to worry about when you have a yard full of grass or a nice big patio to move around. It's so nice to break free from the confinement of a desk or table every once in a while. And little spills don't create major problems, like stains on the floor!

We generally take one or two breaks during the course of our morning. Sometimes I send the kids out to play and other times I keep toys around for imaginative play. But outside there's time for a quick game of tag, soccer, swinging, tree climbing, bike riding, exploring...the list is endless. And getting the kids back in focus is easier when they don't have to actually go back inside, thereby leaving the beauty of their natural setting.

In addition, I find the outdoor class time to be more inspiring for my daughter. Her observations of our natural world spark her curiosity. For example, when discussing the scientific method, she's much more likely to come up with questions about the world around her than she is when she is sitting at the dining room table or her desk. Story time is also more elaborate. I don't know if it is the fresh air, the sunlight, the movement of wildlife around her, or a combination of it all. But her eyes sparkle and she seems more focused when we spend time learning outdoors.

Changing the setting also helps to make class time a teensy bit more fun. And their involvement becomes more enthusiastic as a result of their happiness to break free from the "normal" routine.

So to liven up your classroom a bit, consider some of the following:

• Spend your reading time snuggled up in the rocker on your front porch.

• Spice up math time by allowing your child to solve addition problems under the big oak tree in your yard... using acorns as counters.

• Explore the concepts of standard and non-standard measurement by letting your son practice measuring steps, flowerbeds, plants, or patio furniture.

• Discuss the idea of an aerial, or "bird's eye," view by having your child draw a map of your yard that includes landscape features.

• Use a hopscotch grid to learn about even and odd numbers.

• Allow your child to lay on a blanket for however long it takes to write a story or poem about whatever comes to their mind.

¿Qué dices? You live in an apartment on the 47th floor? No worries. Get out the backpack and make a field trip to your local park. Your child will love the adventure of it all - especially if you include a picnic lunch!

Winter will be here in the blink of an eye. Take advantage of the time you have now to foster in your child a love of the outdoors. Not only does it awaken the scientist within, but it also paves the road for a healthy lifestyle that embraces physical activity.

Con mucho cariño...

Weekend Links: Flags to Spelling

• Making Spelling A Lot More Fun :: The Homeschool Classroom (These are GREAT ideas that I can't wait to try out!) :: Montessori Spanish

• Flags of the World :: Montessori Spanish

• La mejor escuela :: Orca

• Montessori Monday :: Mi Escuelita Montessori

• Symmetry Sketches :: Jimmie's Collage (This activity can be easily adapted for kids of any age.)

• Repurposed Boxes: Notebook Fun :: Family Economics

• 8 Back-to-School Breakfast Ideas & Recipes :: Simple Bites (I really LOVE this post!)

• Whenever I Can, I Use “Positive Parenting” :: Modern Familia

On-line Educational Videos in English and Spanish

Do you already know about Brain POP? I just found out about this amazing site and was even happier to see that it is available in Spanish (for those of you who are teaching exclusively in Spanish). This website presents animated, curriculum-based videos, games, activities, and lesson plans for a wide range of subjects. Their collection of Spanish science movies alone is incredible.

You might also check out their newsletters, which are archived on the site (at least back through March of 2008).

Brain POP is not free, but they are so confident that you will love their content, that they offer a free 5 day trial period for you to explore the sites on your own. It is a little pricey ($80/yr) but they do offer a monthly payment plan ($7.95) if you choose the "Family" subscription plan instead of the "Homeschool" plan. (It is a $1 extra for BrainPop Español.) I think that if you would actually use it on a weekly, if not daily, basis, then the price may be worth it. If not, be sure to at least stop by and look at the free videos and stuff that they offer.

Here's a breakdown of the sites:

Brain Pop is for middle- to upper-school students.

Brain Pop Español is a Spanish-only learning site.

Brain POP Jr is geared for children in grades K- 3.

Brain POP ESL is good for those of you beginning to teach your students/kids English as a second langage. (Man, I wish they had a site for those learning Spanish as a second language!)


Con mucho cariño...

Teacher Resource: The International Children’s Digital Library

Since I discovered this site, I have been so excited to share it with everyone! The International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL Foundation) is rich with a diverse collection of multicultural children’s literature. In this mobile society, ICDL believes that it is every child’s (and family’s) right to have access to books of their native culture “regardless of where they live.” They quote on their website, a 2005 paper published by UNESCO, which states that "Denial to access to information in one's mother tongue is equivalent to a denial of a human right." (YES!!)

Why is it that so many feel that to acknowledge one culture is to deny another? Why can we not embrace both the richness of our heritage AND the beauty of our present society? Why is it wrong to excel at more than one language? Surely this is something to be celebrated rather than punished. Well, apparently the wonderful staff at ICDL feel the same way.

So to provide children around the world with the opportunity to connect with their mother tongue, ICDL is working to create an extraordinary collection of literature from around the world. Currently, the collection has grown to include 4431 books in 54 languages.

They describe their mission as being “to support the world's children in becoming effective members of the global community - who exhibit tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages and ideas -- by making the best in children's literature available online free of charge. The Foundation pursues its vision by building a digital library of outstanding children's books from around the world and supporting communities of children and adults in exploring and using this literature through innovative technology designed in close partnership with children for children.”

Bravo!

So, let’s get you started! This website is a pleasure to explore, full of hidden treasures that will thrill any child or parent. You may begin using their Simple Search interface and simply click on a button to refine your search. You can search by age, language, country, fiction/non-fiction, length, characters, picture vs. chapter books, author, award winning, or collection. They also have special exhibitions that focus on themes and have accompanying activities. (Check out “Strong Women and Girls Make the World Go Round”.)

Now, like I said, the site has books available in almost ANY language, but for our purposes, here is the link to their books in Spanish for children ages three to five. There are 77 books currently available, like El caballito de palo. What a fantastic source of multicultural children’s literature this has turned out to be!

I would strongly recommend the International Children’s Digital Library for ALL families (obviously) for its diversity of children’s books from around the world. How fortunate for all of us to have such a dynamic tool at our fingertips!

And because I love this site so much, I will be incorporating reviews of their books into our sister site, the Latin Baby Book Club, so I’ll let you know when the first one runs. I hope you all enjoy this resource as much as I do!

Con mucho cariño…

El Mundo in Eight Seconds or Less

Because there are a few items that I find indispensable as a teacher and a parent, I’m starting a little series of articles highlighting some of the equipment homeschooling families (or any family with children) should consider investing in.

And somewhere around the top of my Homeschooling Essentials list is a globe or world map. I was surprised and disappointed to discover that geography is no longer a mandatory subject in many schools. Well, it is in ours.

In my effort to broaden my children’s horizons and develop their appreciation of other cultures, I purchased a globe this year. I don’t know how I made it through last year without one. I think it is really important to provide a tool where they can visually explore the world and it’s features.

Already we have used this globe so much! And so will you. You can use it when discussing a wide range of topics including:

• “Show me where we live!”
• The Continents
• Land Formations (try to get a globe with raised relief)
• Earth Science (incl. plate tectonics, volcanoes, fault lines, etc.)
• Astronomy
• Ecosystems
• Gravity
• Foreign Countries
• Directions (North, East, South, West)
• Climate
• Culture
• Ocean Life
• National Parks
• History (Native Americans, conquistadors, settlers, colonies, etc… this list is too big to list here)
• To supplement shows on PBS (i.e., Nature)
• And so on….

And the great thing is that you can spend as much (or as little!) as you like when purchasing one. I got mine for $14.99 at Target. My kids are still very little and I think it is foolish to spend a ton of money on an object that is going to be heavily used, possibly scratched, dented, written on or otherwise. We’ve already had little sticky fingers roaming over it, and I’m glad I don’t have to worry about it. I don’t want to inhibit them from exploring it out of fear that they will ruin it after I paid some ridiculous amount.

If, however, you have older children and would like to go ahead and invest in a good globe, please consider supporting MommyMaestra by purchasing one from our on-line shop (we also have inexpensive versions!)

You could also check out 1-World Globes, which has an incredible assortment (who knew there were so many ways to create a globe?!) Especially take a look at their Junior Geographer Adventure Pack. I think it looks like a lot of fun.

You might also consider checking on Ebay or Craigslist to see if you can find any super deals in your own area.

And for some reading material or activities to go along with it, visit La Libreria.


One note of caution: Be very careful that little fingers do not get pinched or smashed between the globe and the frame. I imagine that would really hurt!! I recommend an inflatable globe for children under 6 with adult supervision.

Con mucho cariño…

Taking Advantage of Opportunities

Oftentimes, teaching your child simply means taking advantage of learning opportunities. For instance, this past week, during a writing lesson, my daughter suddenly asked me if I could teach her to write the way I do.

I was confused at first, but then she went on to explain how she wanted to write “with loops.” After a moment, I realized she was talking about writing in cursive.

Now, beginning cursive is actually scheduled into our curriculum, but it doesn’t start until halfway through the year. However, since her curiosity was piqued, I pulled out a handwriting practice book that I bought last month. I had no idea it would come in handy so soon! She immediately dove in and was over the moon that she was getting the chance to learn something that, in her mind, only adults knew. She has pursued this with wild delight. I have promised to incorporate it into our lessons, and in return, she has promised to continue working hard at the subjects that don’t quite excite her as much.

So the point is that sometimes it is important for us to let our children lead the way. Our role is to encourage and guide them, providing them with the materials and time to explore new horizons. So if this week your son or daughter suddenly proclaims an interest in multiplication or gravity, woodcarving or the island of Cuba – go for it! Even if they only learn just a little bit about the subject, it still paves the way for future lessons.

While using a curriculum can be incredibly helpful for families who homeschool, I think we need to remember not to let one rule over us. A curriculum is simply a tool for us to use, but one that is under our control and changing it around or incorporating other lessons should be encouraged if it benefits our child's learning. Let’s try and remember that the goal is not how much they remember, but rather developing their curiosity and their enjoyment of learning. Don't be afraid to venture "outside the lines."

Con mucho cariño…

Weekend Links: Waldorf to Drawing

Bringing Waldorf to Homeschooling by Donna Simmons :: The Parenting Passageway

And on a related note:
Waldorf Homeschooling: Learning to Let Go :: Simple Homeschool

castle peeps summer camp: diy travel felt board :: maya*made

Children Greet One Another in Spanish and English :: Boca Beth

Organized Team Sports: To Play or Not to Play :: The Homeschool Classroom

What Do You See In Your Child's Eyes? :: Modern Familia

Montessori Monday :: Mi Escuelita Montessori

Free Printables and Games for the Spanish Classroom :: Language Journeys

Mis Canciones Infantiles favoritas. Arroz con leche, Juguemos en el bosque :: Kids Go Bilingual

Chidren's Drawing Stages - 6 Things to Look For :: Planning with Kids

¡Marimba! Animales from A to Z

This post uses affiliate links.

I have a secret passion for abecedarios. (Okay. Maybe not so secret now.) I even love the word – ah-beh-seh-dah-ree-ohs and the way it falls around in my mouth. It sounds like a yummy cereal you eat that is made out of letters. So the point is that I love them, these ABC books. I like them in both English and Spanish and even best is when they come in both languages!

¡Marimba! Animales from A to Z (affiliate link) by Pat Mora is especially great for children like mine who are obsessed with animals and zoos. The story is about how once a year, a little monkey sings the zookeepers to sleep then proceeds to wake up all the animals in the zoo with his little marimba for an energetic fiesta. Before you know it, the iguanas are doing the cha-cha and the manatíes are dancing the mambo while quetzales sell lemonade and ocelotes make piñatas.

Mora comments in an "Author’s Note" at the back of the book how she used 26 cognates (words similar in both English and Spanish) to help English learners and Spanish learners both, discover the similarities in the languages. In addition, the book mentions a large number of Latin dances (such as those I mentioned above) and also foods with ties to the Latin culture.

The illustrations by Doug Cushman help convey the rhythm and movement of the story line. Animals dance and leap across the pages with expressive faces. Each opening engages children as it reflects different animals and habitats. But children will enjoy looking for the little monkey playing his marimba (though, personally, I would have preferred him without his stereotypical sombrero) as he appears throughout the book.

Overall, mis niños enjoyed the story, and I did, too. The book is a great way to discuss the similarities in languages. Parents can also easily convince children to get up and dance afterwards. Probably best suited for daytime reads, not so much bedtime.

If you would like to buy your own copy of ¡Marimba! Animales from A to Z, click here (affiliate link). New and gently used copies are available.


Portions of this post originally ran on the LBBC.

GIVEAWAY: BLINGuals Illustrated Flash Cards

I quickly discovered last year that my daughter was a hands-on learner. Sitting at a table doing worksheets was tolerable, but certainly did not elicit much enthusiasm on her part. But give esta niña some tangible items to manipulate and ta-da! Like magic, the lesson comes alive and captures her attention and imagination.

This year we have started off with a lot more manipulatives in our lesson plans and some of them are new to us. A couple days ago, I opened up a new set of bilingual flash cards from BLINGuals. The illustrated cards are English on one side and Spanish on the other. I have found these to be extremely versatile in that they are beneficial for second-language learning, but they are also great for teaching categorization, color learning, spelling practice and reading. 

In the picture above, my daughter was grouping the cards into various categories. And she was able to do so in more than one way. They could be grouped by color, location, function, and other relative categories. This was awesome for me, as one of the topics in both her math and science lessons right now is comparison and categorization. Doing this activity with the cards was a great way to reinforce these concepts.

I also used these during her Spanish lessons to see which words she knew and which ones needed work. I can see that they will be a definite tool for learning to read in Spanish, as well.

I'm also able to use these with my preschooler for color recognition. (The cards can easily be sorted into all your traditional colors: red, pink, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, brown, gray, and black.) And I can see that they will be great to help with learning letter sounds.

You can tell a lot of thought has gone into the design of this product. There are quite a few sets of bilingual flash cards out there (I know because we have a few of them), but I think that one of the reasons that my kids and I are enjoying these so much is because of the illustrations. They are not independent of each other, but rather are tied together in a story book like fashion with a young boy and girl as the main characters. I found my daughter arranging the cards in a certain order to "tell a story." And the English side is surrounded by a blue border, whereas the Spanish side is yellow, which is helpful if you or your kids accidentally drop them all over the floor. They are very easy to sort without having to look at each word.

There are a couple of cards that use Spanish words that I don't (I say "pelota" not "bola" and I use "camión" instead of "carro") but with such a diverse language, I don't find it to be bothersome. I just acknowledged it and then used the word that I preferred.

BLINGuals also offers flash cards in other language combinations. Acutally, they have 15 available languages that you can choose from and you can get your cards in any combination (i.e., French/Spanish?)

THE GIVEAWAY:

BLINGuals has agreed to send one of these great flash card decks to a MommyMaestra reader.

So let's keep it simple. Just leave a comment letting me know how you would use this deck with your kids.

The deadline to enter is August 31st at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) The winner must have a valid United States mailing address.

¡Buenas suerte!


Disclosure: A sample of this product was provided by BLINGuals, but the opinions expressed above are completamente my own.


This giveaway is now closed.

What is Mis Cositas?

Occasionally, I stumble upon a wonderful site that is full, full, full of information and activities that I can use to supplement my curriculum or to create independent weekend/summer projects. If you have not already discovered Mis Cositas, you will be excited with this post.

To fully explain the entire site, I've asked Mis Cositas' creator, Lori Langer de Ramirez, to share the many resources that MC provides to teachers. (Gracias, Lori!) While most of the material within may be targeted towards foreign language (Spanish+) learners, much of it may also be used to support bilingual homeschoolers...

MisCositas.com is a free web resource that offers teachers a variety of materials for teaching languages: Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, Thai and ESL. Available on the site are:

• Over 100 videos for teaching simple vocabulary, "in-flight movies" for fantasy trips, karaoke and cultural clips

• Downloadable thematic curriculum units, complete lesson plans, student worksheets and resources

• Downloadable materials collections with activities, manipulatives and mini-posters

• Over 40 virtual illustrated picturebooks organized thematically in Spanish, French and English

• Annotated lists of vetted links for language teaching

• Authentic realia and games tied to the stories and thematic units

• Daily updates and suggestions on the MisCositas Facebook page or Twitter site

Who can use MisCositas.com?

This site was originally created by a teacher for other teachers to use in a classroom or computer lab. However, people from all over the world have written in about how they use the site in a variety of settings. Parents have used MisCositas.com for homeschooling and for enrichment. Administrators have used the site in after-school clubs and staff development sessions. And anyone interested in learning a language can use the site to enhance their studies.

Who created MisCositas.com... and why?

MisCositas.com is really a labor of love for me. I created MisCositas.com first as part of my doctoral dissertation work in 1996. The first incarnation of the site contained three stories with a few illustrations. Since then, the site has grown to house folktales, original stories, curriculum units, lesson plan ideas, and other materials that I created for use in my own teaching. Now – almost 15 years later – MisCositas.com has grown leaps and bounds! I enjoy hearing from teachers, parents, students, and fellow language learners from around the world – especially when I receive emails with suggestions, ideas for new materials, and just comments about how the site is being used in a variety of settings: homes, schools, libraries, etc. Feel free to contact me with your comments: lori@miscositas.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

-Lori Langer de Ramirez

Creator of MisCositas.com

Los pollitos dicen…pío, pío, pío, pío!!!!

At the beginning of this month, we finished up our 4-H project for the summer.

The incubation project was a great success because mis niños were able to see the (living) fruits of their labor, and mami didn't have to spend any money on this very educational (but fun!) curriculum.

For 21 days we carefully monitored the eggs inside our little incubator, which was set up in a corner of our living room. (See this post for pictures!) Eggs were turned three times a day (more or less - thank goodness chicken eggs are virtually indestructible), water was added daily, and a record sheet was kept. This project really went a long way toward helping my daughter to learn how to tell time. Much better than the activities and worksheets in her lesson plans.

So each morning, she would get up, write down the date, check the temperature (read the thermometer), add water if necessary, and turn the eggs. She then recorded the time, temperature, and added any comments if necessary. She did this again after lunch and before bedtime. (What do you mean a few of the last entries of the day look like mami's handwriting? Of course I woke her up at 11 pm to turn the eggs and record the day on the days she forgot!)

We "candled" the eggs every few days with a flashlight to see which eggs were fertile and watch them develop. Did you know that one of the first things you can see inside the egg is the chick's eye?!? And it was SO amazing to see the veins spider-webbing inside the egg.

And on day 21...

A pipped egg (accompanied by lots of loud "Pío, píos!")

My kids quickly set up camp so as not to miss a minute of the action (well, okay, at least one of them did)...

 

And before we knew it, we had them popping out all over the place...

Mira...

 

 

¡¡Que pollitos tan preciosos!! Pobrecitos, they were so TIRED after hatching!

 

So if any of you are interested in trying this fantastic project this coming year (or next summer), talk to your local 4-H club, or start your own club. All you need is 5 kids to do so. 

 

Or just try it on your own. Here is a fantastic website with lesson plans and activities related to hatching chicken eggs. And you can purchase your own incubator at Home Science Tools (which is now my favorite on-line store in the world!) and you can even buy fertile eggs there :) They are quail eggs. I can't even imagine how much cuter a tiny, little quail chick would be, can you?!

 

Con mucho cariño!

Weekend Links: Family Happiness to a Free Map

There's a lot going on out there this week! If you follow MommyMaestra on Facebook, you will have seen a couple of these links and several others. 

The Pursuit of Family Happiness :: Modern Familia

19 Everyday Helps for a Smoother Homeschool Year :: The Homeschool Classroom

Why Does a 30 Something Feminist Care about Dora the Explorer :: Ms. Magazine (This was a very good article)

Video of the Week: At the Zoo :: Spanglish Baby

Using Sandpaper Letters :: Homeschool Parent (excellent post!)

Should You Give Your Child an Allowance? :: Money Saving Mom

The September Issue of Scholastic's Bilingual Newsletter

Opportunities & Freebies:

Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Reading Incentive Programs

Free World Map from World Vision Summer Fest