INEXPENSIVE HOMESCHOOLING
Inexpensive homeschooling during the elementary years requires just a little imagination—and some wall space. My active and bouncy young son has enjoyed these wall boards mainly because he can be active and bounce while learning useful, everyday concepts.
I have used the inexpensive homeschooling idea of wall boards of some sort while homeschooling all five of my children. My oldest child is now in college. In 1995, she wrote out the months of the year for a wall board similar to this one (to your right). And now her brother (ten years my college daughter’s junior) uses these same materials for his calendar. Each day he recites
Through this easy routine, he jumps up and down, smiles a lot, and now thoroughly understands the workings of a calendar and the writing of a date. I remember the first time I asked him to write the date for me. I asked him to keep track of his computer time on a little sheet by the computer that included a column for the date. He looked so surprised and then said, “You mean like I do on the board?” “Yes, dear, like you do on the board. That’s a useful skill to know, isn’t it?”
In 2002, my oldest son (then age 9) used to make books for his younger brother (then age 7) to read. The seven-year-old also had a very hard time remembering the number 8. So my nine-year-old son made a figure-8 race track on paper, and he and his brother would run a little car around the racetrack saying, “8, 8, 8…” while playing together. Siblings are so helpful with inexpensive homeschooling ideas!
In 2007, while my youngest son was visiting his grandmother, his older sister and I made some inexpensive homeschooling manipulatives as a surprise for him. She designed the thermometer as well as the scene with the fishes in the pond.
Since we began this activity, he has also learned carrying with addition, and so now I simply write two problems for him to solve.
You can see his date written at the top of the white board as well as a time. Additionally, I either set the clock and he writes the time, or I write the time on the board and he sets the clock. Some days he wants to do both, and so of course we do!
You’ll also notice a fraction I wrote on the white board: 3 divided by 3. Once or twice a week, I write a fraction on the board and we review what it means:
“The number 3 on the bottom—the denominator—tells what?” “How many parts it has.” Then he picks up the correct home-made fraction manipulative. He continues to tell me, “And the three on the top tells me how many to count. Oh, I should count all of them, right, Mommy?” “Right. So you know now that a fraction that counts all the parts equals the whole thing.” And then we move—literally move bodily—to the place value chart. He selects one green Math-U-See block and places it in the correct house.
On the day when he brings the tenth unit block to the unit’s house, of course it won’t fit. He knocks on the door and someone from the units’ house (that would be me!) says, “No room. Gotta move!” Then he gathers up the units and replaces them with a ten block, which he places in the tens’ house. He also writes these numbers on the chart you see there. Then I ask him to count by ones or fives or tens. Sometimes he starts with five; sometimes I ask him to start with seven and count by tens. I encourage him to use the chart any time he needs it. I want him to succeed, not become frustrated.
And finally, I choose one new addition or subtraction flashcard for him to figure out on his own. He may use the blocks or his charts to figure it out. Once he thinks he’s got the answer, he places that flashcard into a mailbag that is hanging on the board. He delivers the “mail” to me, and we review some math facts for a few minutes each morning. This routine transitions him from moving around to sitting down.
One thing he really enjoys is “Menu!” We printed up a menu together with various words he can read along with prices. He orders for both of us, and I write down the items he orders.
Then he adds up the price. He likes to try to guess if the amount will be more than a dollar or less, and then I figure out the tax for him. This little play-acting gives him a thrill for some reason so we do it often! Once we finish 20 to 30 minutes of moving around with board work and transition using menu, he is settled in for 20 minutes of deskwork each morning—reading and then a formal math workbook page or two. On the days when he is cooperative and loving—which are most days—hugs and kisses abound and he’s off to play while I move to individual deskwork times with my other three children. On the days when he feeds that “monster” Scripture calls the flesh, deskwork provides child-training opportunities as well as times to lead him to the cross. Hugs and kisses still abound, even after intense child-training times.
I pray this little peek into our early elementary morning routine gives you some inexpensive homeschooling ideas to implement in your home and school.
Additional articles related to the theme of Scholarship:
that they may not lose heart. ~Colossians 3:21
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Each day I write a few simple problems on the whiteboard, and he “goes fishing” for the answer. You can see his purple fish (to the left) for the subtraction problem.
For example, if he orders two chocolate milks, he’ll tell me, “Two chocolate milks, please. Ten cents for one, so that would be twenty cents for two.” He’s having fun doubling numbers while we do menu together.