Archive for ‘Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers’

  |  
December 10, 2012

The North Atlanta Gem, Mineral, Fossil, & Jewelry Show

This weekend my family and I went to check out The North Atlanta Gem, Mineral, Fossil & Jewelry Show.  I’m so grateful to “Pamela” who took the time to write about it on a local homeschool list last week. When I saw her message, I thought this was something my boys would love, and luckily, the price was right!  It is only $4.00 admission for adults, and children under 16 are free.  We are also lucky that the trade center is only about an hour drive away.

If you’re sad that you missed this show, you’ll be happy to know it’s an annual event.

I think we’ll be going back!  Here are some (not-so-good) snapshots I got at the event. Needless to say, it’s hard to take photographs when you’re trying to rescue fragile items from the clutches of a three-year-old.

A leg bone of a triceratops. The man who found it allowed our boys to touch it!

Those strange things in the middle are dinosaur eggs!

We love shark teeth since we acquired our own collection while visiting Amelia Island this summer.

That’s just too cool.

The three-year-old HAS to touch, touch, touch. He’s just wired that way.

The six-year-old wants one of these.

So much treasure!

Admiring a woolly mammoth’s tusk.

The highlight of the day: the six-year-old picked out an almost fossilized tibia bone of a bison that’s between 11-15,000 years old to call his own!

Have you been on any field trips lately?  Please tell me about it.

Posted in Field trips, Homeschooling, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , ,
November 24, 2012

The Junior Ranger Program

Note: This column was printed in the Barrow Journal on Wednesday, November 21, 2012. 

Ever since I learned about the Junior Ranger Program, I’ve been looking forward to when my son could participate.  Any child age 6-12 can participate, and it’s a great way to get outdoors, explore nature and learn about Georgia’s history.  It’s also a good way to teach about setting goals and working toward something.

In order to participate, all you have to do is pick up a copy of the Junior Ranger Activity Book at any Georgia State Park or Historic Site office.  You can also download the book online in pdf format at http://www.gastateparks.org/JuniorRanger. 

The book has a series of activities for children to complete, and a checklist for an adult to initial when they complete each activity.  Adults can help children with the activities.  There are three levels, and upon completion of each level, children will receive a junior ranger badge to display proudly wherever they want.

Level 1 is recommended for ages 6-7, and they must complete seven of the activities.  Level 2 is for ages 8-10 and requires 10 activities to be completed. Level 3 is for ages 11-12, and they must complete 14 of the activities.  Children may use the same booklet for each level, and the activities they did for their first level can count towards the next, if they want them to.

There’s information in the booklet for parents to read to the children so that they’ll become aware of things to stay away from when they hit the trails, such as poison ivy and venomous snakes. It tells you how to prepare and be safe while exploring the wilderness.  After this, there are several pages of activities for the children to complete.  Each page gives separate instructions for each level of participation.  My son is working on his first badge, Level 1, so the activities are fairly easy.

Some of the activities my son has done so far are identifying Georgia pine trees, taking a guided walking tour, observing wildlife, and visiting a historical site.  He only needs to complete three more activities to obtain his badge.

There are plenty to choose from.  He might identify plant and animal life in a body of water, or go fishing, go on a plant scavenger hunt, visit one more historical site, observe the night sky, or identify at least two nocturnal animals.  If my son isn’t into any of that, there are some other choices too.

With 63 sites statewide and a site 50 miles of every Georgia resident, it should not be hard for any child to participate in this program, especially since participants can take as long as they need to complete the activities.  You don’t have to do the activities in a state park either, although some of the activities such as visiting a historical site might require that.

When completed, all they need to do is present their checklist at any Georgia State Park or Historic Site office, or there’s an address in the booklet to mail the page to.  Participants who mail their page in will receive their badge in 2-4 weeks.

Occasionally there are Junior Ranger day camps or workshops that participants can attend.  These usually happen in the summer, and will be listed on the Georgia State Park and Historical Sites calendar of events: http://www.gastateparks.org/events.

Recently they have also started a Get Outdoors Georgia Gopher Badge too.  This is for kids 7-14 years old, and there’s a separate list of fun requirements for this badge too.  You can download the requirements for this badge here: http://www.getoutdoorsgeorgia.org/downloads/JrRangerGopherBadge.pdf.

If you are interested in this program, you’ll also want to subscribe to the Junior Ranger E-newsletter.  My son receives it at his own e-mail address, and he has fun reading about wildlife, viewing photos and doing some of the suggested activities.

For families able to travel, there’s also a Junior Ranger Program for the National Park Service: http://www.nps.gov/learn/juniorranger.cfm.  I don’t know when we’ll get a chance to visit a national park, but my son has had fun using their on-line Junior Ranger program.  Children can play more than 50 games and learn about our national parks, monuments and historic sites. The website also tracks the children’s progress.

Whether you have some Junior Rangers in your house or not, I hope you get a chance to get outside and experience the healing qualities of nature this holiday season.

Posted in Homeschool Activities, My Newspaper Columns, Nature, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 3 Comments »

Tags: , , , , ,
November 19, 2012

Gift Ideas for Home Educators

Someone’s first Christmas

{Gift Ideas for Children} {Gift Ideas for Homeschoolers} {Gift Ideas for Anyone!}

This is a post I wrote last year, and I’m referring to it as I try to decide what to buy for the children on my list. I thought it might help you too as you get ready for this holiday, gift-giving season! Enjoy!

***

Do you have homeschooled children on your gift list this holiday season?  Or some precocious children who love to learn?

Homeschooling can be expensive or inexpensive, depending on how much parents decide to invest in it.  Curriculums can cost a pretty penny, but a lot of homeschoolers do without and use materials that they can find at the library or in thrift stores.

Still, the best way to get a child to learn is to lay some interesting materials around the house – a book on the coffee table, art supplies in an accessible bin, a game on a low shelf.  If they think that they are discovering it themselves, they are more likely to want to know all about it!  So homeschoolers will appreciate any extra help they can get to offer fun, educational tools to their children.

Here are some ideas they might love:

  • Family Memberships– What venues do they like to go to?  Most museums, zoos, aquariums and other centers have family or individual memberships that will allow a family/person to have free admission and/or discounts at the facility for a full year.  If you know that the family lives close enough to such a place, it might be perfect for them!
  • Art Supplies – I’m not talking about crayons and markers that you can buy at any grocery store (though kids love and need those too), but real art supplies that you can buy at art stores can make a wonderful gift.  If you don’t think it’s worth buying children good quality art supplies, I suggest you read this post at Camp Creek Blog, “In Praise of High Quality Art Materials.”
  • Ask what they need – You may just want to ask what they need.  Do you know what kind of teaching method they are using?  You may find a store that specializes in it.  In addition, for homeschooling families who purchase curriculum, they may appreciate it if you could chip in on the cost because some curriculums can be quite expensive.  Or perhaps there are certain books or other resources they want but aren’t able to afford.
  • Let’s not forget books, especially if there’s a subject the children are interested in or studying.  And remember, gift certificates will be appreciated too!

Here are some cool online stores that may help you find that perfect gift:

Are you a homeschooler with a wish list?  Please tell me what you would like to receive for gifts this year! Or do you know of another cool place to buy educational items?  Do you make them yourself?  Let me know!

Posted in Homeschooling, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 4 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , ,
August 29, 2012

GA HB 39: Georgia Homeschooling Law Changes Beginning 2012 / 2013 School Year

{How to Homeschool in Georgia}

Since the deadline for submitting a Declaration of Intent to Homeschool is September 1st, I thought I would repost this column I wrote earlier in the summer.  Last night I submitted our Declaration of Intent to Homeschool on the Georgia Dept. of Education’s website, and it could not have been easier!  Please note that since this is our first year, I have not had to submit attendance forms yet. I sent a query with some questions about that form. I will write more about this and our “back to homeschool” (starting next week) in an upcoming column.

I understand that some homeschoolers are concerned that this online form requires the child’s birthdate. The law states we only have to give their age.  I have read in a Georgia homeschooling e-mail list that the Georgia Dept. of Education should be updating the form at some point to reflect this.  Let’s hope so.

******

UPDATE: Since writing this column, the Georgia Department of Education has updated their website.  All the instructions and online forms (which are very simple!) can be accessed by clicking here.

Note: This column was printed in the Barrow Journal on May 30, 2012.  For information on the homeschooling law for kindergarten in Georgia, see this post.

Some changes have been made to the homeschooling law in Georgia, and they will go into effect July 1, 2012. There are two major changes that homeschoolers need to be aware of.  The first is that they will no longer turn in their paperwork to their local school districts.  Now they will report directly to the Department of Education.

The second major change is that homeschoolers will only be required to turn in attendance forms once a year to the Department of Education.  Currently homeschoolers have to turn in a monthly attendance form to their local school district.  This change will no doubt come as a relief to many homeschooling parents.

I called the Department of Education (DOE) and a spokesperson told me that they hope to have all the instructions and forms on their website by mid-June. (UPDATE: The Department of Education’s instructions and online submittal forms are posted here.)  They will try to make the process as easy as possible, and the forms will be available on their website to submit electronically.  There will be other options for turning in the forms as well.

I’ll wager that the DOE will make the process easy because it’s in their interest to do so.  In the 2010/2011 school year, there were 107,509 homeschooled students in Georgia, and that number may increase in coming years.  This coming fall, my eldest son will be added to that number for the first time.

The spokesperson said they would also find a way to help students who require proof of attendance to apply for a driver’s license at age 16 so that they won’t have to wait until the end of the school year to do so.

With these changes in mind, the following are the requirements that parents or guardians must follow in order to homeschool in Georgia:

  • Parents or guardians of homeschoolers are required to submit a declaration of intent to homeschool within 30 days of establishing such a program and thereafter by September 1 each year.  Compulsory attendance is for children between the ages of six and sixteen, but any child under seven who has been enrolled in public school for 20 days or more will need to submit a declaration of intent to homeschool.
  • The declaration needs to list the names and ages of the students, the address of the home study program, and a statement of the 12-month period that is to be considered the school year.
  • Parents or guardians may teach only their own children, and they must possess at least a high school diploma or GED, but they can employ a tutor who holds a high school diploma or GED.
  • The law states, “The home study program shall provide a basic academic educational program which includes, but is not limited to, reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science.”
  • The home study program must provide instruction each 12 months to the students equivalent to 180 school days with each day consisting of at least 4.5 hours unless the child is physically unable to comply.
  • Attendance records must be kept and submitted annually to the Department of Education.
  • The law states, “Students in home study programs shall be subject to an appropriate nationally standardized testing program administered in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm reference tests…” beginning at the end of the 3rd grade and every three years after that.  The spokesperson at the DOE recommended that parents use a nationally recognized test.  Homeschoolers can find a list of such tests here: http://www.ghea.org/pages/testing/standardizedTests.php. Note that a parent can administer the test after consulting with someone at the test’s publisher, or they could ask a local teacher to administer the test.  The results of the tests do not need to be shared with anyone, and parents need only retain them for their own records.
  • Finally, the home study program instructor needs to write an annual progress assessment report which will include her assessment of the student’s academic progress in each of the subject areas listed above, and parents need to retain these reports for at least three years.  (These annual reports do not have to be submitted to anyone either.)

The spokesperson also stated that the exams and annual progress report are important for homeschooled students because they may be needed in case that student ever needs to enroll in public school (though several homeschoolers have told me public schools have not required these items upon enrollment of their homeschooled child), or they may be used as part of a portfolio for applying to college.  He said that homeschooled students who are considering college should look at the requirements of the colleges they will be applying to and consider those requirements as they proceed in their course of study for high school.

See the following links for more information.

Georgia House Bill 39

Department of Education

Since I’m writing what was related to me by the spokesperson at DOE, I welcome any comments from seasoned homeschoolers Re: their experience homeschooling in Georgia and compliance with the law.

Posted in Homeschooling, My Newspaper Columns, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 2 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , ,
June 1, 2012

GA HB 39: Georgia Homeschooling Law Changes Beginning 2012 / 2013 School Year

{How to Homeschool in Georgia}

UPDATE: Since writing this column, the Georgia Department of Education has updated their website.  All the instructions and online forms (which look very simple!) can be accessed by clicking here.

Note: This column was printed in the Barrow Journal on May 30, 2012.  For information on the homeschooling law for kindergarten in Georgia, see this post.

Some changes have been made to the homeschooling law in Georgia, and they will go into effect July 1, 2012. There are two major changes that homeschoolers need to be aware of.  The first is that they will no longer turn in their paperwork to their local school districts.  Now they will report directly to the Department of Education.

The second major change is that homeschoolers will only be required to turn in attendance forms once a year to the Department of Education.  Currently homeschoolers have to turn in a monthly attendance form to their local school district.  This change will no doubt come as a relief to many homeschooling parents.

I called the Department of Education (DOE) and a spokesperson told me that they hope to have all the instructions and forms on their website by mid-June. (UPDATE: The Department of Education’s instructions and online submittal forms are posted here.)  They will try to make the process as easy as possible, and the forms will be available on their website to submit electronically.  There will be other options for turning in the forms as well.

I’ll wager that the DOE will make the process easy because it’s in their interest to do so.  In the 2010/2011 school year, there were 107,509 homeschooled students in Georgia, and that number may increase in coming years.  This coming fall, my eldest son will be added to that number for the first time.

The spokesperson said they would also find a way to help students who require proof of attendance to apply for a driver’s license at age 16 so that they won’t have to wait until the end of the school year to do so.

With these changes in mind, the following are the requirements that parents or guardians must follow in order to homeschool in Georgia:

  • Parents or guardians of homeschoolers are required to submit a declaration of intent to homeschool within 30 days of establishing such a program and thereafter by September 1 each year.  Compulsory attendance is for children between the ages of six and sixteen, but any child under seven who has been enrolled in public school for 20 days or more will need to submit a declaration of intent to homeschool.
  • The declaration needs to list the names and ages of the students, the address of the home study program, and a statement of the 12-month period that is to be considered the school year.
  • Parents or guardians may teach only their own children, and they must possess at least a high school diploma or GED, but they can employ a tutor who holds a high school diploma or GED.
  • The law states, “The home study program shall provide a basic academic educational program which includes, but is not limited to, reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science.”
  • The home study program must provide instruction each 12 months to the students equivalent to 180 school days with each day consisting of at least 4.5 hours unless the child is physically unable to comply.
  • Attendance records must be kept and submitted annually to the Department of Education.
  • The law states, “Students in home study programs shall be subject to an appropriate nationally standardized testing program administered in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm reference tests…” beginning at the end of the 3rd grade and every three years after that.  The spokesperson at the DOE recommended that parents use a nationally recognized test.  Homeschoolers can find a list of such tests here: http://www.ghea.org/pages/testing/standardizedTests.php. Note that a parent can administer the test after consulting with someone at the test’s publisher, or they could ask a local teacher to administer the test.  The results of the tests do not need to be shared with anyone, and parents need only retain them for their own records.
  • Finally, the home study program instructor needs to write an annual progress assessment report which will include her assessment of the student’s academic progress in each of the subject areas listed above, and parents need to retain these reports for at least three years.  (These annual reports do not have to be submitted to anyone either.)

The spokesperson also stated that the exams and annual progress report are important for homeschooled students because they may be needed in case that student ever needs to enroll in public school (though several homeschoolers have told me public schools have not required these items upon enrollment of their homeschooled child), or they may be used as part of a portfolio for applying to college.  He said that homeschooled students who are considering college should look at the requirements of the colleges they will be applying to and consider those requirements as they proceed in their course of study for high school.

See the following links for more information.

Georgia House Bill 39

Department of Education

Since I’m writing what was related to me by the spokesperson at DOE, I welcome any comments from seasoned homeschoolers Re: their experience homeschooling in Georgia and compliance with the law.

Posted in Homeschooling, My Newspaper Columns, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 12 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , ,
May 19, 2012

Homeschool Science Classes at the Sandy Creek Nature Center in Athens, Georgia

I have already written about my five-year-old’s favorite knee-high naturalist class at the Sandy Creek Nature Center in Athens, GA. Now it’s time to write about the other awesome classes they have that are just for homeschoolers!  We’ve been taking the Homeschool Science classes this past year, and we intend to keep taking them as long as we can.  I can’t sing the praises of the staff and volunteers at the nature center enough. They are a wonderful group of people who truly care about educating children.

Homeschool Science classes are once a month and last for two hours each.  There are two separate classes – one class for ages 5-9 and another for ages 10-15.  They are very reasonably priced (at this time: $4 per class for Athens-Clarke County residents and $6 per class for non-residents) and you can sign up for just one or all of them.  Parents accompany the students and many younger siblings tag along too.  Everyone I have encountered there has been easy-going yet eager to learn and help the kids.  Surprisingly, my two-year-old wasn’t too much trouble for me when I brought him along:

Every class begins with indoor instruction/activities and then everyone goes outside for a hike and other activity.  Classes are usually divided into two or more groups, depending on the size, and then they rotate the activities.  Quite a few people enroll in these classes!  

In our last class, we learned about fish, and the whole class got to go fishing! (Complete with safety instructions too.)  Another group went to another area and used small nets to catch critters in the pond.  Then the groups changed places.  The staff and volunteers always make sure that all the kids get to participate and receive any help they might need.  Parents also help as needed.  (I wish I had my camera when my son was fishing for the first time! The photos you see on this page were taken during two other classes.)

If you are a newbie to these kind of classes and have small children, you might find that a two-hour class is quite long!  At least, I felt that way the first couple of times.  I was quite tired at the end.  For some reason, it feels a little easier for me now.  Maybe that’s because I’m physically and mentally prepared.  I make these recommendations for you:

  • Wear comfortable shoes that can get dirty.
  • Pay attention to weather and wear appropriate clothing.
  • Bring snacks/water, but nothing difficult to carry.  Students don’t eat during the class, but I’ve noticed several kids are ready to eat right after class.  My five-year-old doesn’t need to eat, but I usually have to give my two-year-old a snack, if he’s with us.  I keep water in the car for the drive home.
  • I wear a small backpack so that my arms and hands are free.  This makes my life easier all the time – not just during this class!  But I do recommend it for the class.
  • You may want to leave your toddlers at home with a babysitter the first time so that you can see how the class goes, but don’t worry if you need to bring them with you.

Please share where you live and your favorite classes available to homeschoolers.

Posted in Homeschool Activities, Homeschooling, Kindergarten, Nature, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 8 Comments »

Tags: , , , ,
April 28, 2012

Watson Mill Bridge State Park

Note: This column was printed in the April 25, 2012 edition of The Barrow Journal.

Last week we decided to get out into nature again with the boys, and this time we went to one of my favorite places, Watson Mill Bridge.  It’s located three miles south of Comer, Georgia, and I think it’s one of the prettiest places I’ve ever visited in Georgia.

Watson Mill Bridge is the longest covered bridge in Georgia.  It crosses the South Fork River, and it’s 229 feet long.  You can drive or walk through the bridge.  We walked over it and discovered it has that wonderful, musty smell of old, historic wood.

Unfortunately, last year the park lost its state park status due to budget challenges, but the Georgia Department of Natural Resources officials just announced that it will return to state park status on May 1.  They have partnered with Madison and Oglethorpe counties as well as the Friends of Watson Mill Bridge to make this happen.  I’m very happy to learn this.

According to the Georgia State Parks website the bridge was built in 1885 by Washington (W.W.) King, the son of freed slave and famous covered-bridge builder Horace King.  It is supported by a “town lattice truss system held firmly together with wooden pins.”  The site also says that Georgia used to have more than 200 covered bridges.  Now it has less than 20.

The park is a haven to photographers, including me.  My boys wanted to spend most of the time on the shoals below the bridge.  Yep – more rock throwing!  While they played, I had time to photograph the bridge, and I even caught a few worthy images of the boys.  In the shallow part of the water, my five-year-old was thrilled to find dozens of black tadpoles.  We also spied a skink near the river.

tadpoles & I think some eggs too

skink

My husband and I were happy to sit in the shade and let the boys throw as many rocks as they wanted.  I haven’t been to many parks where I could find a place that was very flat and I didn’t feel like I needed to hold onto my two-year-old’s shirt for fear of him falling in the water.

completely in his element

Unfortunately, by the time we were ready to head back to town for lunch, my five-year-old said, “But what about hiking?”  Indeed, we did say that we were “going hiking,” so we obliged him by walking a short distance up one of trails.  There are two of them on each side of the river.  I’m looking forward to when the boys are older and we can go for longer jaunts.

Though I wouldn’t trade these outings with my boys for anything, I fondly remember the days when I could amble down a path and take in the sights and smells of nature.  With two little boys, my mind is constantly alert as to where they are and what they might be touching.  It’s mentally draining.

Yet this is just a season of my life, and there’s also the thrill of watching my boys discover something for the first time.  For example, on the way back to the car, my two-year-old and I were some distance behind my husband and five-year-old. At one point, a female cardinal landed on a branch just above our heads, and my two-year-old noticed her.  We stopped and watched her for a long moment and listened to her song.  I told him she was the “mama cardinal,” and he nodded.  I could see in his expression that he was fascinated, and I’m quite sure I’ll never forget that.

The park is 1,118 acres.  There are tent, trailer, RV campsites and 3 log cabin bunkhouses available. Hiking, biking and horse trails are available as well as horse stalls.  There’s also a fun playground and three picnic shelters.  You can find out more about this beautiful park and how to make reservations at http://www.gastateparks.org/WatsonMillBridge

part of the playground at Watson Mill Bridge State Park

You can find more of my resources for parents in Georgia by clicking here.  I’ll be writing about all the places we visit in the future, so I hope you’ll visit me again!  Thank you!

Posted in Field trips, Homeschooling, My Newspaper Columns, Nature, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 2 Comments »

Tags: , , , ,
March 17, 2012

Intentional Reading Using Georgia’s PINES Online Library Catalog

This is a follow-up to my previous post Fostering a Book Time Ritual.

Libraries

I love the library.  What homeschooler does not like the library!?  However, I noticed over the past year that we were not going to the library as much as I had imagined we would when I started to have children.  Play dates, errands, chores…everything piles up, and it’s hard to find time for something extra.  On top of that, we have plenty of books at home.

But then one day I overheard a homeschooling mom say that she would bring a small wagon to the library to carry the books that she and her children checked out.   That image stuck with me, and I asked myself, “Why am I not using our library more?”

We have a wonderful, little library less than a ten-minute drive from our house.  NOTHING ELSE is that close to use!  I have to drive twenty minutes to the grocery store and close to thirty minutes for everything else.  Sometimes I complain about that, but I have no excuses when it comes to the library.

Even though this library is very small (probably no bigger than the downstairs of my house), it has a great selection of children’s books.  But even better, it’s connected to the PINES Online Library Catalog, and libraries throughout Georgia are part of the Pines System.

If you live in Georgia, you need to learn more about this wonderful service.  You can place books on hold through the PINES website, and they will be delivered to your home library at no expense.  You can return them to any library in the PINES system.  This means you get to browse books at more than 275 libraries!  Waiting for the books to arrive may take some time, but I have not had a problem with that.

I also learned that I can checked out up to 50 books on one card! I’m sure systems like this are available in other places, so be sure to ask at your local library!

There are other, larger libraries that we visit too.  We call the Athens-Clarke Library the “big library,” and my boys love to go there.  This is what I have decided when it comes to using the libraries:

  • If you are searching for books on a specific topic, such as “planets” or “weather” or “math” then go to the library and search for the shelf with those books.
  • However, if you are searching for a specific title, go to the Internet and order it through the PINES catalog.  Because I have trouble finding specific titles when I’m at the library.  One of the books the librarian searched for me had been missing from their shelf for over a year.

Intentional Reading/Generating Reading Lists for Your Children

So what books am I checking out for my five-year-old who is a homeschooled kindergartener?  I already explained how he loves non-fiction books in my last post, and I’m using book time to cover certain “kindergarten” topics such as the solar system and the weather/water cycle, etc.

But I’ve decided I wanted to be more proactive about what kind of literature I’m going to chose for him too.  Don’t get me wrong – the best way to start using the library is to go there and let your children pick whatever books they want!  I’m just adding to that.

To get me started, I found two resources that I love:

  • DAWCL or Database of Award-Winning Children’s Literature – Lisa R. Bartle is a librarian who came up with the idea for this wonderful database.  The best part about it is the search parameters.   You can search by age, setting, historical period, ethnicity of protagonist or tale, languages, genre and more!  If you are studying a specific topic, this is a wonderful resource!  I generated a list of multicultural early readers for my son because one of my goals is teaching international education.
  • The second resource is something I had been wishing for: 75 Books That Build Character was put together by Allison McDonald on No Time for Flash Cards.  (I thank Ahimsa Mama for tipping me off to this list….Click on her link for other good reading resources.)  Not only have I been wanting to be more selective about the books I pick for my son, I had also been wanting to find a resource for character building – teaching him how to be good, humble, honest, etc.  So I’ve started ordering a few of these books through the interlibrary loan.  We already read the first title, Shelia Rae, The Brave, by Kevin Henkes, and my son loved it.

I’m sure I could accomplish the same goals just by reading as many books to him as I can get my hands on, and I’ll continue to do that.  But I am a planner/organizer, and as I think about our homeschool mission, it feels good to have goals and lists to work through.

Do you have any resources to share on generating great reading lists for children? 

(And psssst…..There will be a free give-away later next week on my blog for mothers who want to nurture their creativity! So stay tuned!)

Posted in Homeschooling, Kindergarten, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 12 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , ,
February 15, 2012

Hiking at Harris Shoals Park

Harris Shoals Park, Watkinsville, Georgia

Note: This column was printed in the Barrow Journal on February 8, 2012.

Now that the boys are getting a little older, we’re ready to hit the trails.  My husband initiated a hiking ritual for our family, and at Christmas, he and I got some new boots to make it official. This has been a great winter to start hiking as a family because of the mild weather we’re having.

We love going to Ft. Yargo, but one of our goals is to explore as many parks and other wildlife areas that’s not too far away.  Since the boys are still young, we have to ease them into hiking.  Maybe by next year, they’ll be ready for some mountain trails!

Last week we went to Harris Shoals Park in Watkinsville.  The entrance of the park is at Harris Shoals Drive, which is located on Highway 53 between Interstate 441 and VFW Drive.  The small park provides a valuable green space between the interstate and the town of Watkinsville.

There’s a large playground for kids with one of the biggest and best slides around, and the park offers some shelters and BBQ pits for parties.  There’s also a baseball field.  We headed over to the shoals, however, because my boys love the water.

The water that flows over the shoals is Calls Creek and eventually it meets up with the Middle Oconee River.  The shoals are flat rocks that have been there for thousands of years and have been eroded slowly over time.  It’s a picturesque and peaceful place despite the fact that you can hear some of the traffic on the surrounding roads.

It’s easy to walk out onto the rocks and splash in the water or in the case of my boys, throw rocks into the water.  My two-year-old is like a robot when he sees water. He throws rocks and little twigs in the river without even looking up to see their splash!  We literally have to drag him away when it’s time to go.

The flow of the water over the shoals was slowed somewhat when a dam was built upstream for the old Watkinsville Water Treatment Plant.  Take a short walk up the Harris Shoals Nature Trail, and you’ll be able to see the dam.

According to a leaflet that was provided by Christopher Adams for an Eagle Scouts Project this past fall, “The marsh area behind the dam used to be a more prominent creek until dammed up and was used to hold and treat water which was then pumped up to the city….After the water plant was abandoned, the dam area overgrew to the current marsh like condition of today.”

The area is a haven for wildlife.  Up the trail a bit, we found a beaver dam, and I’m not sure if the beavers still live there, but we also found evidence of their presence at a big tree stump which looked as if it had been chewed considerably by the large teeth of a beaver.

As we were walking, we also saw many birds, including a beautiful heron, which took flight at the sound of my children’s chattering and footsteps.  A marsh area like this would also be home for many fish, reptiles and amphibians.  We did see some little fish in the water at a place we stopped to rest while the boys threw more rocks and twigs into the water.

My favorite part of the park is the long bridge that crosses through the marsh.  I don’t think I’d want to cross that bridge in the middle of August, but right now it gives an interesting view to marshland.  I bet if you sat on that bridge alone in the early morning, you could watch some wild animals too.

Next time you feel like getting out into nature, drive over to Harris Shoals Park.  Bring a picnic and sit down next to the shoals, and don’t forget to pick up a few rocks to throw in the water too.

Where are your favorite places to go hiking?

Posted in Field trips, Homeschooling, My Newspaper Columns, Nature, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers, Traditions / Rituals / Holidays | 1 Comment »

Tags: , , ,
January 17, 2012

Homeschool Priorities Part 3: Exploration * Nature

The second priority on my list for my boys at ages 5 and 2 is Exploration and Nature.

I’m not aware of many families who don’t love nature and see the value in getting out into it, but unfortunately there must be some reason that a book like Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv is being written.  No, I have not read that book, but it and many others on this list look intriguing.  I hope to read some of them.

I have always loved nature.  I was lucky to have parents who enjoyed getting out into nature, and with them, I’ve traveled to many national parks in the U.S.  My dad loved boating, so we were often on a lake on weekends too.

My husband grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and he and his friends would play in an alleyway.  He said one of their neighbors would be enraged if any of the kids stepped one foot onto the small square of grass that was his front yard.  Fortunately, I had a nice yard as a child, although I have done my fair share of living in apartments too.

Anyway, my husband and I both fell in love with our yard before we fell in love with the house, although we love it too.  We have less than an acre, but it’s still big by our standards, and it has woods with a variety of trees.  So our nature and exploration starts in our own yard.   

Here are some simple things I do to let my boys explore and appreciate nature:

Most importantly, I hope that I impart the wisdom to respect and take care of nature and be very careful with it.  We follow my son’s knee-high naturalist teacher’s advice when turning over rocks and large branches.  Pull it towards you. If there’s an animal under it, doing this will allow that animal an escape route.  It will also keep you safe!

I used to be wary of letting the boys play with sticks, but then I saw this Ted Talk by Gever Tulley, and it gave me a different perspective.  So I give firm rules about playing with sticks.  (And I keep my eyes on them like glue!)  They can’t get too close to each other when they have a stick, and if they don’t follow this rule, the sticks have to be put down.

Once I needed to channel their energy and the stick toting, so with some fast thinking, I started making this little “shelter,” and the boys helped me gather the sticks and build it.

We are also fortunate that we live in rural Georgia, though we’re between the big city and a college town, which supplies us with a lot of culture and art.  We are two hours from the nearest mountain hiking trails, and we’re five hours from the ocean.  But when we can’t travel, we have Ft. Yargo, The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, the Sandy Creek Nature Center and many other parks and places to get us outside.

But wait.  I didn’t mean for “Exploration” to only imply exploration of nature.  I let my boys explore everything as long as it’s safe to do so.  When my five-year-old asks me questions about the human body, I get a book about the human body, a human body model and we also look online.  We explore his questions.

When my two-year-old wants to get into the cupboards, I lock the ones that aren’t safe, and I allow him to crawl into the other ones, pull out the pots, bowls, and whatever else might be in there.  I let him explore the world around him.

My husband and I have taken our boys to museums, aquariums, zoos, parks, and wildlife areas as much as we can.  Together we explore what’s out there.

I don’t consider myself an expert on kids; I’m learning this as I go.  But if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that kids need freedom to explore, and they need nature.  Even if it’s just a small park with some grass they can roll around in.  But my hope for all children is that they can have the whole world.

I could go on and on about this subject, but I would like to hear from you.  Please tell me what you do to encourage your children to explore the world and get into nature.

Posted in A Bit o' Me Philosophy, Homeschooling, Kindergarten, Nature, Preschool, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 10 Comments »

Tags: , , ,
December 7, 2011

Gift Ideas for Home Educators

Someone's first Christmas

Do you have homeschooled children on your gift list this holiday season?  Or some precocious children who love to learn?

Homeschooling can be expensive or inexpensive, depending on how much parents decide to invest in it.  Curriculums can cost a pretty penny, but a lot of homeschoolers do without and use materials that they can find at the library or in thrift stores.

Still, the best way to get a child to learn is to lay some interesting materials around the house – a book on the coffee table, art supplies in an accessible bin, a game on a low shelf.  If they think that they are discovering it themselves, they are more likely to want to know all about it!  So homeschoolers will appreciate any extra help they can get to offer fun, educational tools to their children.

Here are some ideas they might love:

  • Family Memberships – What venues do they like to go to?  Most museums, zoos, aquariums and other centers have family or individual memberships that will allow a family/person to have free admission and/or discounts at the facility for a full year.  If you know that the family lives close enough to such a place, it might be perfect for them!
  • Art Supplies – I’m not talking about crayons and markers that you can buy at any grocery store (though kids love and need those too), but real art supplies that you can buy at art stores can make a wonderful gift.  If you don’t think it’s worth buying children good quality art supplies, I suggest you read this post at Camp Creek Blog, “In Praise of High Quality Art Materials.”
  • Ask what they need – You may just want to ask what they need.  Do you know what kind of teaching method they are using?  You may find a store that specializes in it.  In addition, for homeschooling families who purchase curriculum, they may appreciate it if you could chip in on the cost because some curriculums can be quite expensive.  Or perhaps there are certain books or other resources they want but aren’t able to afford.
  • Let’s not forget books, especially if there’s a subject the children are interested in or studying.  And remember, gift certificates will be appreciated too!

Here are some cool online stores that may help you find that perfect gift:

Are you a homeschooler with a wish list?  Please tell me what you would like to receive for gifts this year! Or do you know of another cool place to buy educational items?  Do you make them yourself?  Let me know!

Posted in Homeschooling, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 4 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , ,
November 20, 2011

Where to take kids on a rainy day in Athens, Georgia

1 2 3 Jump in the Georgia Square Mall

I’ve never been a huge fan of malls, but ever since I had kids, I am more than grateful for them.  Although we prefer the outdoors, sometimes you need a different place to go, especially when the weather isn’t ideal.  Once I wrote about our excursions to the Mall of Georgia in one my newspaper columns.

But the Georgia Square Mall in Athens is more convenient, so we go there sometimes.  My kids love 123 Jump, which is a place with toys and several inflatables.  I like it because it’s low key, quiet (that is, no music playing), and if we go during the week, there’s usually not many other kids there.  

The cost:  $3.50 for 15 minutes, $4.50 for half an hour, and $5.50 for an hour (per child).  What’s nice is that we can pay for half an hour, and then if the kids are having a lot of fun, we just pay an extra $1 for another 30 minutes.

If we’re up to it, the Georgia Square Mall also has a train ride ($3 per person), and a toy store (Learning Express).  My kids are pretty good about just looking in the toy store.

Maybe we just haven’t found them yet, but I don’t know of many other places to take kids in Athens during rainy or cold weather.  The exception is Pump It Up, but we haven’t been there yet. It looks like from their website that you have to book a group to go.  If you are a homeschooler, there is a homeschooling group that goes on the second Friday of every month.  You can join the Athens Homeschooling list to receive updates about that.

It’s not in Athens, but if you’re willing to drive to Gainesville for a special day, you may enjoy the Interactive Neighborhood for Kids museum, which is also indoors.

If you know of other places to take kids on a rainy day around Athens, please let me know in the comments!  

Posted in Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 5 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , ,
November 9, 2011

Knee-High Naturalist Class at the Sandy Creek Nature Center in Athens, Georgia

This autumn, my five-year-old and I have been enjoying the knee-high naturalist class at the Sandy Creek Nature Center.  It takes place every other Wednesday from 3:30-4:30p.m.  Children ages 3-5 are eligible and must be accompanied by an adult. Click here for more information.

In the class the children have met and touched several live animals, and many times we go outside too.  My son was in his element during the “creep walk” when we waded through a stream in search of critters!  We’ve learned about the cardinal directions and how to use a compass and also about recycling, just to name a few of the activities.

 

“Miss Sarah” is a wonderful teacher/facilitator.  Her patience and ability with kids is amazing, and once she talked an extra twenty minutes with just my son after class because he had questions about snakes!  (Thanks, Sarah!)

 

I took a lot of good photos during one of the classes, but I don’t want any parent to be mad at me, so I’m only sharing photos of the backs of heads of the other children.

 

Below my son is awaiting to get his jar filled with compost in hopes of creating a mini bug habitat in a jar.

 

We have also been attending the Homeschool Science classes at the Nature Center, and we love those classes too.  If I take any photos during one of those classes, I’ll be sure to share.

What classes/activities do your children enjoy around town?

Posted in Homeschooling, Kindergarten, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 9 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , ,
July 12, 2011

Picnic at the William Harris Homestead

The other day I took my boys for a picnic at the beautiful William Harris Homestead in Monroe, Georgia.  It’s something that I don’t do nearly enough.  I have written before about my connection to the Homestead.  It’s also a place that I love to photograph, and I’m planning to do a another round of photos soon with my new camera.  I posted more of these pictures on my photo blog, if you care to see them, but I thought I’d put a few here because the Homestead is a wonderful place for homeschoolers (or anybody!) to visit.  It is a wonderful way to learn about life in the 19th century, and it’s open to the public on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month from 10-2p.m.  You won’t want to miss Heritage Day either.  It is coming up on September 24, 2011!  Click here for more information about that.

The flowers are just stunning at the Homestead right now!

My eldest son was too busy picking green beans for me to take his picture, but my youngest was “trapped” in my viewfinder when he climbed into this big, wooden crate!

Posted in Field trips, Homeschool Activities, Photography, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 2 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , ,
July 6, 2011

Interactive Neighborhood for Kids (INK) Museum in Gainesville, Georgia

We had a great time today at the INK Museum in Gainesville.  It was our first visit, and I’m sure we’ll be returning many times!  We met some homeschoolers we know there, and since it was homeschool day at the museum, the admission was half price ($4).  (First Tuesday of every month is homeschool day.)  My youngest was free because he is (just) under two.  You can view the website at http://www.inkfun.org/.

Above is a photo of my four-year-old’s favorite room: the music room.  There’s also a real fire engine, police car, and airplane to sit in. My youngest loved the airplane, and I think he would have sat in it all day, if we let him.

This is the ultimate place to play make-believe!

They also have a children’s size grocery store, which was a huge hit with my kids, and there’s also a vet clinic, bank, radiologist clinic, playroom, toy trains and much, much more.  If you live in this area and have kids, you must go.

 

 

 

 

Posted in Field trips, Homeschool Activities, Homeschooling, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 2 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , , ,
June 30, 2011

How to Homeschool Kindergarten (with information on the law in Georgia)

Note: Below is a summation of the law regarding Kindergarten.  To read about the full homeschooling law in Georgia, read this post.

I explained in this post why I would delay sending my four-year-old to Kindergarten this fall, if I were going to send him to public school.  However, in our “home school” I’ve decided to officially consider him a Kindergartener, starting in June 2011.  (UPDATE June 2012: I’ve decided to consider him a Kindergartener this year too since that is what he’d be if he were in school.  I explain why more in this post.)  This is because I feel he’s ready for a higher level of learning.

First, some legal information pertaining to the law in my home state of Georgia, U.S.A.:

According to the law in Georgia, I don’t have to officially declare that we’re homeschooling until my child is six years old.  Sending in a Declaration of Intent for Kindergarten is not necessary UNLESS my child has already been enrolled in school for 20 or more days.

Here is an excerpt of the law: “20-2-690.1 Compulsory Attendance: a) Every parent, guardian, or other person residing within this state having control or charge of any child or children between their sixth and sixteenth birthdays shall enroll and send such child or children to a public school, a private school, or a home study program that meets the requirements for a public school, a private school, or a home study program …”

The kindergarten (5 yr old) “exception”: Georgia Code 20-2-150: “Eligibility for enrollment” states … “(c) All children enrolled for 20 school days or more in the public schools of this state prior to their seventh birthday shall become subject to all of the provisions of this article, the provisions of Code Sections 20-2-690 through 20-2-701, and the rules and regulations of the State Board of Education relating to compulsory school attendance even though they have not attained seven years of age.”

According to the Georgia Department of Education, many homeschooling parents send in a Declaration of Intent to their local school district because they think that kindergarten is compulsory.  Therefore, do not send in a declaration of intent for kindergarten unless your child has already been attending a public school.

To read this full law, click here.

So I’m very excited to have a Kindergartener in my house!

Yes, I know it’s the beginning of summer, but what I love about homeschooling is that I can teach my child something specific when I feel he’s ready to learn it.  More importantly, however, I believe learning happens all the time, and even when he’s playing and exploring his world, he’s learning.  When he’s interested in something, we can learn more about it.  So even though it’s June, we’re doing homeschool.

There’s no right way to homeschool a child in Kindergarten.  I don’t believe it’s necessary to purchase curriculums.  Mostly what children need at this time is to play and interact with the world around them.  For example, I wrote a column about how important it is for children to play make-believe.  You can read that here.

I don’t think Kindergarten has to look too much different from preschool.  I have written several posts about our preschool, which you can access here.  All of that still applies to Kindergarten.  (And the best update for you to read regarding homeschooling at this young age is “Setting Our Homeschool Priorities for Two Boys, ages 5 and 2.”)

For our “Kindergarten” I am adding a few things:

  • We’ve started Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, which takes only 20 minutes a day.  (UPDATE: You can read about our experience and my review of the book by clicking here.) I wish I could say that I did extensive research on reading programs and decided that this would be the best program according to my child’s learning style, but the reason I picked it is much more mundane than that.  Another homeschooler who I admire very much said it worked well for one of her children, and then I found the book used on Amazon for about $10.  For that price, I thought I would try it, and if it didn’t work, I would either wait awhile or look into other programs.  I’m happy to say that we’ve completed 1/4 of the lessons, and my son is doing very well, and he’s enjoying it!  I’ll write more about why I like it and our schedule for it in a future post. I’ll also be able to tell you if we continue to like it.  (Click here for my follow-up post, “How I’ve Taught Kindergarten Reading.”)
  • I have looked over the class curriculum for our local school’s Kindergarten class (which isn’t easy to read, so I won’t share it here), and I have also consulted my favorite reference when it comes to a typical course of study: World Book Typical Course of Study.  (UPDATE: World Book has removed this page from their site, but someone found it here also.  I’m grateful that someone copied the pages before Worldbook took them down even though you have to click a hundred links to see it all! )  I mentioned this reference in my preschool posts too.  This is a not a list that I’m going to stress over or feel like I have to check everything off on.  I’m just using it as a guide.  For example, I see that Kindergarteners might begin to learn about the earth, moon, stars and planets.  I know that my son was interested in learning about space in the past and enjoyed looking at some library books about it.  So I’m going to keep a look out for other books and activities related to this subject.  There’s a lot on the list that my son has already learned about, but some of it gives me ideas and opens my eyes to what he might be interested in and what he might be ready for, so that’s how I’ll use it.  (See my Table of Contents for a list of my kindergarten posts.)
  • The World Book list gave me one of my ideas that I’m going to implement starting in July.  It says that Kindergarteners learn the meanings of holidays, traditions and customs.  We have read books about most of the holidays over the past couple of years, but I haven’t gone in depth about the origins or meanings of most holidays.  He’s ready for this, and I think he’ll enjoy it, so I’m going to make a point to build a lesson around each holiday.  I have already found some books about Independence Day.  This will double as a history lesson and his introduction into the history of his country, the United States of America. (See my Table of Contents for posts about holidays, traditions and rituals.)
  • I’m going to be on the look out for simple ways to introduce more math to him.  (Click here for my follow-up post, “Homeschooling Kindergarten Math.)  Lately he’s been interested in counting to 100, and he’s starting to “get it,” but I thought it would help him to see the numbers on a board.  So I went by a teacher’s store in Athens and found a poster with the numbers from 1-100. He loves it and has already counted the numbers twice.  He noticed the pattern in the numbers too, which is what I was counting on (pun intended). (I thought about making my own poster, but the one I found ($2.50) didn’t cost much more than a poster board and pen, and it saves me time.)
  • We also picked up an inexpensive map of the U.S. and a poster about plants (my son is really into planting right now).  (See my follow-up post, “A Kindergarten Child-led Project: Seeds, Planting, Gardening.”) I’ll talk about these in future posts, and I’ll be sure to write about our other Kindergarten activities over this next year.  (So I hope you’ll subscribe to my blog!)
  • In addition to this, we’ll continue to go on field trips, explore the world and make up projects according to my son’s interests!  We also use project-based homeschooling, and you can find a list of our projects on my Table of Contents.

I also wrote a newspaper column on this topic for The Barrow Journal, and you can read that by clicking here.

Please share your plans for Kindergarten!  

Posted in Homeschooling, Kindergarten, My Newspaper Columns, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 11 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , ,
June 21, 2011

Just for Fun: Our Trip to Anna Ruby Falls

a dusky salamander (probably)

Yesterday, for Father’s Day, we drove up near Helen, Georgia and went to see Anna Ruby Falls.  This is a great trip for kids, though, fair warning, it can be a bit touristy. (Yesterday there were a lot of people, but we’ve been there mid-week and it was very quiet.)  The trail to the falls is about .5 mile long, but it’s all uphill, so it seems a little longer.  It’s all paved too, which makes it stroller (and wheelchair) accessible.  I think that Smith Creek, which runs along the path, is even more beautiful than the falls.

Yesterday I had my 50mm with me, which is my smallest and lightest lens, and that is why I like to take it on day trips.  It’s perfect for getting up close to the flora and fauna, which is what I wanted to focus on this time. (Last year I had my wide angle and got some beautiful images with it.)

My son loves to look for the salamanders that can be found along the trail.  We only saw one yesterday.  (Maybe all the people scared the others away?)  One of my dearest friends is a herpetologist, and she told me this salamander is probably a “dusky salamander,” but she’d have to hold it in her hand to identify it properly.

Ahem.  I don’t have any good photos of my husband or kids, but that isn’t exactly my fault.  They just weren’t in the mood to get their pictures taken.  But I’m thankful that I have a wonderful husband and father who was willing to watch the boys and help them throw rocks and sticks into the water while I rambled along with my camera.  (After all, it was father’s day.  That means he gets to watch the kids, right? lol)

We love getting out into nature and taking hikes, and we’re looking forward to when the boys get older and can go on other day hikes.  There are so many in the North Georgia Mountains!  As much as my four-year-old loves it, however, his favorite part was going to the gift shop at the visitor center and getting a keepsake.  In this case, he picked out some toys that represented the life-cycle of frogs.  So that was educational!

Yes, it was a good day and “field trip.”

Lucky us, the rhododendron was blooming!

Posted in Field trips, Photography, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 2 Comments »

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
June 4, 2011

Snake Day

Note: There will be no Snake Day in 2012 due to ongoing construction at the Sandy Creek Nature Center. It will return next year!!

We had an awesome time at Snake Day today!  (This takes place every year in early June at the Sandy Creek Nature Center.)  My son met his friend, and they had a great time looking at all the snakes….

….and some other creatures….My son said this monitor alligator was his favorite.  It’s a cousin to the komodo dragon.

And, oh yeah, getting to touch an alligator was a high point too.  My son can be shy, but when it comes to animals, he isn’t afraid of anything.

Can’t wait for next year!

Posted in Field trips, Homeschooling, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | 1 Comment »

Tags: , , , , , ,
May 26, 2011

Free places to take kids in Athens, Georgia

Above is a photo of the Kugel at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, which I wrote about in my column.  My son loves to spin it and point to Georgia.

Recently I realized that some local friends who live here in Barrow County had never been to my son’s hot spots over in Athens, which is a short, 30-minute drive away.  So I wrote a column about our favorite places to go, and they also have FREE ADMISSION.  You can click here to read the column, or you can just go straight to the websites of these places, which I’ve listed below for you.  If you live around here, you don’t want to miss these places.

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia:  http://www.uga.edu/botgarden

For Memorial Park, Bear Hollow Zoo, which is next to each other, and then also the Sandy Creek Nature Center, you need to go to http://athensclarkecounty.com/ and type in the name in their search box.  It will take you to the page that tells you where and what these places are about.

Please tell me what your children’s hot spots are!

Note: If you are looking for other places to take your kids in Georgia (whether free or not), take a look at my Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers page.  I am writing a column about each outdoor area and state park that we visit.  It also includes information on indoor activities or field trips specifically for Georgia homeschoolers.

Posted in Field trips, Homeschooling, My Newspaper Columns, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
April 20, 2011

The Best Part of Homeschooling: the Field Trips

The best part of homeschooling is the field trips!  There are countless venues and opportunities out there where children can explore and do hands-on learning.  Once I met a homeschooling family that went only one place for their vacations.  Though there’s many places I could visit again and again, it baffled me that they would do that while homeschooling.  There are so many places to take kids, if you are able!  As homeschoolers, especially, I believe we should take advantage of historical sites, national parks, and the wonderful venues that cities offer us.

We are very lucky that we live within driving distance to a large city.  My in-laws are visiting right now, so last week we all went to the Georgia Aquarium.  My 4-year-old is obsessed with ocean animals.  Though it’s an expensive venue, we have been able to get some very good coupons in the past, so we’ve taken him a few times.  With my in-laws, we realized it might be a better deal to go ahead and get a family membership, especially since we are thinking of taking my son there for his upcoming 5th birthday too.  (Shh!  Don’t tell!)  So it wasn’t planned, but we took the plunge.  They also offer some homeschool classes there, so I’m hoping we can take advantage of those next Fall.

I do my best to visit free places, but when my child loves and is so interested in something like this, I think it’s worth it.

My four-year-old was in heaven.  He had to go to the area where he could touch sting rays, sea urchins, star fish and other sea creatures about three times!  I think my 20-month-old is finally at an age where he could benefit from the stimulation too.  It was a fascinating experience for all!

Where are your favorite places to take your kids for some fun, learning and wonderment?

Posted in Field trips, Homeschool Activities, Homeschooling, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers, Unschooling | 4 Comments »

Tags: , , , , ,
January 31, 2011

Homeschool Field Trip to the William Harris Homestead

The William Harris Homestead is near and dear to my heart.  It was my great aunt’s vision to restore her husband’s family’s ancestor’s farm and use it for heritage education.  Due to her hard work, it is on the National Register of Historic Places, and now over 40,000 school children have toured the Homestead.  It boasts a log house, smoke house, salt house, corn crib, barn, cemetery, and natural spring.  Everything sits in its original place.  It’s such a peaceful and beautiful place.

A few years ago, I spent some time photographing it, and I also organized a homeschool field trip there in 2010. The field trip at the Homestead is fabulous.  Here’s a description:

“Take a tour through the William Harris Homestead to learn about the lives of Georgia’s early white settlers in the 19th century.  The Homestead is on the National Register of Historic Places, and it boasts a log house, barn, smoke house, cemetery, natural spring, and other out buildings that are standing in their original places. Participants will be divided into four groups and rotated through four units as follows 1) log house with spinning wheel/loom demonstration, 2) the cellar, candle-making, herb garden and cemetery, 3) a Civil War interpreter will talk about daily life as a soldier, and 4) natural spring, a talk about the Native Americans who inhabited the area at the time, and a hay ride.  Participants will also view a live, sheep-herding demonstration!”

You can read more about the field trip and my experience organizing it in the column I wrote for the Barrow Journal.  Click here to read that. And if there is any homeschooler out there interested in participating in one of these field trips, be sure to e-mail me at writetospabis (at) gmail (dot) com.

But you don’t have to participate in a field trip to see the Homestead.  It’s open to the public on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10-2pm. It’s just a 45 minute drive from Athens, located near Monroe, Georgia.

Posted in Field trips, Homeschooling, My Newspaper Columns, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , ,
January 30, 2011

Article on Homeschooling in Atlanta

This post was originally published on February 2, 2010.

Thanks to someone who posted it on a homeschool e-mail list I belong to, I was able to read this informative article on Access Atlanta entitled, “Home schooling breeds new culture of learning.”  It talks about how many Atlanta venues are offering homeschool days and discounts to homeschoolers.  It also offers some nationwide and state statistics on homeschooling, which I found very interesting.  I thought you might like to read it too.

Click here to read the article.

Posted in Homeschooling, Homeschooling in the Media, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , ,
January 29, 2011

Pumpkin Patch


This was originally published on October 17, 2009.

I took my crazy little man to a homeschooling field trip yesterday.  Unfortunately, there were many visitors at the farm, and I didn’t know who was who, so I only met two of the other homeschoolers!  (One I already knew.)  Oh well…maybe next time!

But we had a great time despite some chilly weather!  He got to pet some farm animals, watch the pig races, ride a cow train, and, of course, pick a pumpkin.  He also got to wear his new jacket…next time I’ll remember to roll the sleeves up!

(FYI:  This was his response when I asked him to smile.)

If you live near Athens, Georgia and want to go pick your own pumpkins (or strawberries or blueberries), you can visit Washington Farms too. I know there are other places around this area that also let you pick your own fruit.  If we try others, I’ll be sure to write about them in future posts.

Posted in Field trips, Homeschool Activities, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , ,
January 25, 2011

Georgia Homeschool Groups

Below I’m listing a few of the e-mail groups that I have found in this area, but if you don’t live in my area, just google “homeschool groups” and your state or city.  Keep looking because I’ve found that digging has paid off.  Also, by joining a couple of e-mail groups, I have found other groups through recommendations.

I am not a member of all of these groups anymore.  Either I don’t have time or the activities are too far for me to drive.  But I learned so much about homeschooling by following all of these groups for a while, and then I picked the few that were most beneficial for me to keep subscribing to.  I highly recommend that beginning homeschoolers do the same.

As I find more groups or resources, I’ll add them to this page.  Feel free to e-mail me at writetospabis (at) gmail (dot) com if you have a group you’d like to get the word out about.  I’ll add it here.

Creative Home Educators – North Georgia – Very active group.  Mostly made up of families in the Atlanta area.  I also like their statement about including homeschoolers of all spiritual beliefs. (They also have a large spin-off group for Gwinnett.)

Creative Home Educators – South Georgia – Same group but for South Georgia.  Unfortunately, it’s not as active.

P.E.A.C.H. (Parent Educator’s Association for Children at Home) – Primarily for Gwinnett County.  There’s so much going on in Gwinnett County that I almost wish I lived there!

Athens GA Homeschooling

Barrow Co. Homeschoolers

Walton Co. Homeschoolers

Athens Cooperative Experience (ACE) – This group’s e-mail list is reserved for active members only.  (Update: As far as I know, this group is on hiatus.)

Secular Homeschoolers of Georgia (SHOG) – For families who choose secular homeschooling.

Walton County Secular Homeschoolers – For secular homeschoolers in and around Walton County.

2012 UPDATES

Here are a couple more newer groups that people have shared with me:

  • I created a secular homeschool group to fill a need in Warner Robins, Macon, Centerville, Byron, Perry, Bonaire, Kathleen, Fort Valley and surrounding areas. The group will provide non-religious homeschooling support for families in central Georgia. The group is informal and will offer regular park play days and local field trips. Please pass this info along. If anyone is interested in joining please email me and I will send information. Membership is free and all homeschoolers are welcome. We only require that everyone monitor and be responsible for their children at events, be courteous and respectful, and refrain from posts, discussions, and obvious displays of religious beliefs on the forums and at events. Thanks!  Our Facebook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/260972897313367/
  • Alpharetta Inclusive Homeschoolers meets in Alpharetta and Cumming for regular Wednesday Park Days.  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlphaHome/

Another note about signing up for homeschool listservs – you may want to create filters to sort these messages because these groups can fill up your inbox in an instant!  I cannot possibly read every message, nor do I contribute much to the discussions yet.  But they are a great source of information to keep on hand, if you are thinking about homeschooling.

It’s also important to keep in mind that you can always create a group of your own by meeting people through existing groups or perhaps posting a notice at your local library.

You can also read the newspaper column I wrote for the Barrow Journal titled, Doing Research on Homeschool Groups in Georgia. It has similar information.

Posted in Georgia Homeschool Groups, Homeschooling, My Newspaper Columns, Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , ,
  |  
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 186 other followers

%d bloggers like this: