Preschool Phonics Fun

 Here are some quick tips to help teach your child letters and sounds:

Phonics Go Fish- Make or purchase two sets of alphabet flash cards and shuffle. Pass five cards to each player and take turns asking for specific letters. Continue playing like Go-Fish. Extra tip- Use a chip clip to help your child hold the cards.

Sticky Notes- Give your child several sticky notes with a letter written on each. Have your child put the sticky note on objects in your home that begin with the letter on the paper. For example, your child may put a B on the Bed, a P on a Pan, and a T on the television. For beginning readers, you can give your child sticky notes with simple words, such as pot, and have your child stick it on the object.

Scavenger Hunt- Create your own scavenger hunt by hiding clues. This takes some planning but is so worth it. Write simple words or complete sentences on your child's reading level, such as:
(1) Look under the kitchen rug for your first clue.
(2) Open the refrigerator for your next clue.
(3) Look under your bed for your next clue.
(4) Go to the bathtub for your next clue.
(5) Open your reading book for your next clue.
(6) Look in the pantry for your treasure. (Leave a piece of candy or special treat.)

The point of these phonics games is to show you how to make phonics FUN. Research has consistently shown that more learning takes place when games are used. Watch your children run to you when you say, "Let's play a game."

School Choices

When most of us were growing up, our parents had a relatively simple decision to make concerning schools. With few choices available and district boundaries strictly in place, most parents chose the school that was closest to their homes. This is not the case today. Parents are given broad and diverse choices of schools for their children.

I have been in all three facets of education. Even though I taught in public and private school settings, most people assume I would recommend homeschooling to all families since I am currently homeschooling. This is not the case. There is not a one-size-fits-all formula. Each family has different needs. This is why it is imperative to seek the Lord’s guidance to understand His direction for your child.

School Choices by Jan Sheble helps parents choose the best type of schooling for their specific situation, whether that might be public schools, private schools, or homeschooling. Lists of questions in the book help parents determine if they can afford to spend the time and money required for private education or homeschooling.
 
School Choices also gives parents tools to evaluate the quality of public and private schools by asking about accreditation, teacher credentials, and curriculum. My favorite part of this resource is the author's unbiased pros and cons of each of the three educational experiences.

TLC'S TEN SUGGESTIONS

FOR CHOOSING A SCHOOL

Here are some suggestions to help you make a decision if homeschooling is not an option:

DO put your child’s needs ahead of your own wants.

DO find a school that compliments your child’s learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses.

DO take the school’s curriculum and class sizes into consideration.

DO pray individually for each of your child’s school decisions. A family may choose to put their children in separate schools. God knows what is best for each of your children. Trust His guidance.

DO consider the school's means of transportation.

DON’T assume the school you decide on for one school year will be the only school your child will attend for several years. You will be going through many seasons of life. Expect changes to be made to accommodate those seasons.

I speak from personal experience. When God called my son to attend private school after five years of homeschooling, I mistakenly believed that God wanted my son in private school for the rest of his education. I was completely surprised (but thankful) when God brought him back home the following school year. Now when people ask me about my future plans for my children’s education, I only discuss one year at a time.

DON’T expect one type of school experience to be perfect. Each type of school setting has pros and cons.

DON’T choose a school for social positioning.

DON’T assume a private school is automatically better than a public school.

DON’T feel guilty if you place your child in a public school. There are Christian teachers in public schools, too. (I was one of them.) It may make you feel better knowing that ninety percent of Christians send their children to public schools. 

I have a close friend that could not understand why God was leading her to remove her children from a Christian, private school that the family loved and place them in a public school quite a distance from their home. After being obedient to the Lord and not questioning His guidance, she withdrew her children from their existing school and placed them in the public school across town. Several months later God’s purpose was revealed when my friend began a mother’s prayer group that met each week at the public school. Sometimes God may move our children to use us.

If you feel the Lord leading you to homeschool, you will be joining an educational movement that is rapidly growing at a rate of ten to fifteen percent annually. Lisa Whelchel’s So You’re Thinking About Homeschooling introduces fifteen real families and shows how they overcome the challenges of their unique homeschooling situations. This book deals with common questions of time management, teaching weaknesses, and outside responsibilities, as well as children's age variations, social and sports involvement, learning disabilities, and boredom. 

I highly recommend So You’re Thinking About Homeschooling to all families who are considering homeschooling. Lisa Whelchel is one of my favorite authors who writes in a conversational manner. When you are finished reading her book, you will feel like you just had coffee with a friend

Please do not worry over making this decision. Seek God's guidance and He will provide your with direction.   

I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. ~ Isaiah 48:17

Teaching Map Skills

Maps are very distorted so here is a great project to help teach your child how hard it is to flatten a spherical shape without distortion.

• First, blow up a balloon and tie it closed.
  
• Second, draw the outlines of the continents on the balloon with a permanent marker.
  
• Third, untie the balloon and deflate it.
  
• Next, cut off the top and bottom of the balloon and then cut through the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
  
• Last, stretch out the balloon and pin the corners to a cork board or foam board. Discuss how the map looks different when it is flat.

Another way to teach your child locations is to put maps under a clear plastic table cloth on your kitchen table or use pre-made placemats with maps. You will be surprised to learn how much children will learn from consistent exposure.

My children especially enjoy learning about states and countries by using puzzles. I even make it a game by timing them to see who can complete the puzzle the fastest.

For more geography ideas, refer to Homeschooling with TLC in the Elementary Grades and Tutoring Your Elementary Child with TLC.

Have FUN learning about the world together!