Homeschool Games Make Learning Fun

Homeschool games are a great way to build a child's language and math skills without resorting to tedious worksheets and drill. Games also help build strong family relationships, and help children develop sportsmanship, self-discipline and good thinking skills.

When adding games to your home school, look for those that are inexpensive, easy to learn, easy to set up and easily obtainable. You should also buy games that appeal to a wide range of age groups. When you play games as a family, alternate between choosing games for older children and little ones. Adapt the rules to make the game harder or easier so it will be fun for the entire family.

Add variety to your homeschool by buying both cooperative and competitive games. Cooperative games, like puzzles, encourage family members to work as a team to meet a specific goal. Competitive games have a winner and losers. These games help children learn to persevere when they are behind and have fun even if they don't get the outcome they desire.

Don't limit yourself to educational games when choosing homeschool games for your children. Children benefit greatly from traditional games like the following:

• Chess builds mathematical and spacial reasoning skills, and can even improve a student's IQ.
• Trivia questions are great for reviewing factual information. They help children learn to think quickly and more readily recall information.
• Card games are a favorite of both parents and children. They can serve a variety of age levels, and they are inexpensive and easy to find.
• Pen and Paper Games are easy to take on the road for use while riding in the car or waiting in line.
• Board games are every family's favorite. You can purchase used board games at garage sales and thrift stores. Families who are especially crafty can even create their own games.

Make time to play games by scheduling a weekly, family game night on an evening when you have no outside activities. Make special treats, stay up past bedtime, and camp your living room. Homeschool games don't only enhance the learning experience, they create warm experiences that your children will always remember.

Here is some additional information about homeschool games. For homeschool news and monthly activities delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for Carletta's homeschool newsletter.

Used Homeschool Textbooks - 5 Things You Should Know Before You Buy

Homeschooling does not have to cost a fortune! By purchasing used homeschool textbooks, you can reduce your homeschooling cost.

There are many places to find used homeschooling materials online. Some homeschool curriculum providers have homeschool message boards where you can buy or list used homeschool books for sale. You can also find used books at Veg Source, The Swap, Homeschool Classifieds, This Little Piggy Stays Home, and Ebay.

If you would rather buy used homeschooling books in person, check local garage sales, thrift stores, library sales and used bookstores. Half Price books often has curriculum available for sale. You can also contact area homeschool support groups to see if they sponsor book swaps or used curriculum sales for homeschoolers.

In order to truly save money, be wise when making a purchase. Before buying used homeschool curriculum, you should:

1. Know what materials you need. Make sure you know exactly what materials you need for each subject for each child. Don't forget to put teacher's manuals, workbooks and flashcards on your list.
2. Know the exact name, grade level, edition and publisher of each product you want to buy. Check each product carefully before purchasing to make sure you are getting the materials you want.
3. Know the retail price of the materials. In order to make sure you are truly buying at a discount, make sure you know how much the materials would cost if you purchased them new. Write down the maximum amount you will pay for the materials before you begin looking. Include shipping and handling costs in your calculations if you are buying online.
4. Know the condition of the books you plan to purchase. If you cannot view the materials in person or look at pictures of the materials, ask the seller for specific details about the books. Find out if the seller smokes or has pets. Ask the seller if the books have any missing or damaged pages, or pages that contain writing.
5. Know the terms of sale. Make sure you understand the total cost of the products and how the seller wants to be paid. Ask how the items will be shipped and when you can expect them to arrive. Find out the seller's return policy.

Here are some additional tips for buying used homeschool textbooks.

Visit Carletta's website, Successful Homeschooling, to find other ways to lower your homeschooling cost.

How to Create a Math Homework Routine

Most children do not enjoy their math homework because they find math to be a boring subject. However, homework is a very important part of your child's learning. Class time gives your child limited time to learn. Normally, children don't practice what they have learned in school. They must learn how to do their work independently. This can help your child in developing good reading habits. Math is a subject that most students do not like. You have to be very particular while creating a math home work routine for your child.

Parents have to set a particular time for the start of the math homework routine of your child. Children do not want to continue their study after coming back from school. They need a little rest to refresh themselves. Choose a suitable time so that they can also do other activities like plying or watching television. These activities are necessary for the balanced growth of your child. However, you have to monitor the time your child spends watching television or playing games. Help your child in creating a daily timetable so that he saves enough time for his homework. Make sure that you are readily available at that time to assist him or her with homework.

Select a peaceful place in your house where your child can do his homework easily. You can make a specific part of your house as a homework room that can be decorated with math paintings. You have to remove all distractions that may divert your child's attention while he is doing his homework. Frequent disturbances in homework can create feelings of resentment in your child. Make sure that he is taking interest in his homework. If he is not interested in his math homework then try to make it more interesting for your child with the help of your child's teacher.

Create a friendly environment so that your child is motivated to learn more. Encourage your child to boost his confidence. Congratulate him or her when he or she is making progress. Be tolerant of their mistakes. Otherwise, they may lose interest in home work.

Math can be a dry subject and your child may need some regular breaks in order to stay fresh. Children whose parents assist them in their homework show more interest in math. You must ask your child about his daily homework and check when he finishes his homework. Appreciate their home work and give them rewards to keep their interest in math. Your cooperation with your child makes him or her feel important and they never loose interest in their studies.

You can make your child's homework more interesting by making him realize that what ever he is studying is important for him. You can give him various assignments that can include measuring the length of various things or balancing your checkbook. Tell him where in his every day activities he practically utilizes what he learns in math classes. It will enhance his curiosity to learn more about math. His math home work routine will become a fun-filled activity for him. You can also improve his math by playing math games.

Help your child in every possible way you can. Make sure that your child has all the necessary things like pencils, erasers, etc. so that he may not detract while completing his math homework. You should go through the homework book of your child to see what other resources your child can use to complete his homework. If your child is not showing any improvement in his studies then you can hire the services of a tutor for your child. Professional teachers can help your child improve dramatically in math.

Math Worksheets Center is home to over 8,000 highly quality printable K-12 math worksheets, lessons, quizzes, and homework. See it now: http://www.mathworksheetscenter.com

10 Ways to Make Learning Math More Fun

Sometimes kids find math to be difficult. They do not show interest in simple problems involving multiplication, division, subtraction. Sometimes, mathematics becomes boring for them, simply because they find it hard. However, math should not be a problem for any child. Therefore, we have provided ten ways that will make math easy for children. These are little games and activities that kids like the most.

1. Whenever parents go to the local stores to shop, kids can calculate the tax they have to pay for the groceries that have been purchased. Children can also figure out the total cost of goods, by adding up the price of individual items that they have bought.

2. Dividing a pizza can be a great way to teach math. Kids can divide it among their family members. A good question that you could ask your children is: If your family consists of four members then how many pizza pieces will each person get? This is a simple and interesting activity to make division easy to learn.

3. Kids can calculate the number of pairs of different shoes in the house and then multiply the total number of shoes to the total number of pairs. By this method they can easily learn multiplication. They can choose any thing that you like. For example, they can make groups of chocolate candies. For instance, if each group has four candies and there are three groups then 'What is the total number of the candies'? Children can sort this out by counting them.

4. Children like watching television shows. They can make it more interesting by counting down the time of each commercial break and the time of the show by a stop watch. When the show ends, they can see how much time was given to commercials and how much to the show. This activity will make it easier for children to learn how to subtract things.

5. Kids who are computer literate can play various games that can make mathematics easier for them. These games consist of math drills so that children can easily learn math formulas that they find very boring or difficult to learn.

6. Math is not any thing abstract. It relates to our life in many ways. For example, if you have twelve candies and you have to divide them among four friends, how many does each person get? You will certainly divide them by giving one candy to each of your friends until the candies are finished. This is how you can learn math and have fun.

7. At early stages, you should practice only simple activities. When you have learned basic math skills then you can start slightly more complex activities with cards and pens. Practice only those activities that you are interested in. It will make the learning process much more effective.

8. Help your mom while cooking different recipes. You will learn measurement of various cooking ingredient. If you want to make this activity a bit difficult, take double or half the measurements of your recipe. It will give you a little challenge and a good recreational activity.

9. The things in your house have different shapes and you can learn about them by counting the sides of each shape.

10. You can become a master of mathematics by practicing various activities described here. Drilling helps a lot in math. Keep up a steady progress and increase your level of difficulty every now and then. You have to remain in touch with what you have already learned. If you don't do multiplication or subtraction regularly, they will become difficult for you. Without constant practice, math will become a boring subject for you. Remember math plays an important role in our lives. Our every day life is influenced by Math. There is mathematics in everything ranging from traveling to cooking. Therefore, spend some time practicing math problems every day.

Math Worksheets Center is home to over 8,000 highly quality printable K-12 math worksheets, lessons, quizzes, and homework. See it now: http://www.mathworksheetscenter.com

A Guide to Finding High Quality Homeschool Textbooks and Supplies

As homeschoolers, we naturally want the best home schooling supplies and curriculum for our children. Each child is an individual though and what homeschool textbooks and supplies may be perfect for one child may not be the best fit for another. Luckily, there are lots of options! But, there's no way you could ever test out each option for each child, even if you only had one child.

So, what's a homeschooler to do? What we do best, research! Finding as much information as you can about different homeschool textbooks and supplies will allow you to select materials that are of high quality and that will work for you and your child.

Talk to Other Home Schoolers

This may seem like an easy answer but just because you know and love other homeschoolers, doesn' mean you always know what homeschool textbooks and supplies they'e using, have tried, or would recommend. So, find whomever you know that homeschools and talk to them, all of them.

Because you know these people personally, and their kids too, you can have the added benefit of insight as to what similarities they share with you and your children; and how the home schooling supplies they have liked may be something you and your child might like (or not like) also.

Read Online Reviews

With the wide use of the internet, you can now find a lot of help with your search for the best homeschooling supplies by reading reviews at the various online homeschool textbook stores. There are countless online reviews about curriculum for homeschool on various homeschool forums and message boards, as well as your state or local yahoo group. Many have a designated spot for reviews, or, take matters into your own hands and just get a discussion going about favorite home schooling supplies.

Many homeschoolers also maintain blogs now about what they are doing, and their life as homeschoolers. Some also post online reviews of the home schooling materials they have experience with. This is a fantastic way to benefit from another homeschooler's experience and opinion of home schooling supplies.

Create a Relationship With a Homeschool Book Store You Can Trust

If you are lucky enough, you may, through word of mouth or your own experience, find a homeschool book store that you can trust to only offer the best curriculum for homeschool. This way, you'll know that if they carry it, it's got to be good.

One marker of a good homeschool book store is that it is run by fellow (and usually very experienced) homeschoolers. Most shops that cater to homeschoolers do so because they enjoy and want to help other homeschoolers. They too know that the search for the best homeschool textbooks and curriculm is a very important, and potentially time consuming process. You can benefit from their support and knowledge, and in return, patronize their shops!

Of course no matter how much you research curriculum for homeschool you'll still need to use it to be able to accurately judge the fit between the homeschool textbook and your child. But, if you try to utilize these ideas (and make sure the store has a good return policy!), then you'll make your search for high quality homeschool textbooks and curriculum much more easy and successful!

Author is a freelance copywriter. For additional information on homeschool textbooks and curriculum for homeschool, please visit http://www.homeschoolingbooks.com.

How to Be a Great Homeschool Parent When You Didn't Like School

Some parents hated school and maybe didn't even complete school. Others endured their education but didn't enjoy it. The public school system hasn't really improved over the years, or there wouldn't be so many parents choosing home schooling. How do you home school a child when you didn't enjoy school? Obviously you probably want a better model of learning for your child than what you had. Here are some suggestions for being a great home school parent:

1. Educate yourself. Read books and articles about home schooling. Talk to other successful homeschoolers. How do you know they are successful homeschoolers? Do you enjoy being around their children? Then they have probably done a pretty good job of teaching and relating to their children.

2. Get a support system. Sometimes a good support system can consist of a supportive spouse and a few good home schooling friends. Sometimes you need a home school support group or home school cooperative to get the support you need. Each person is individual and needs a different amount of support. You will need to decide that for yourself. If you join a home school support group, make sure you are able to stay focused on the home school materials you are using.

Sometimes when you hear about what materials others are using, it can be easy to be swayed and switch curriculums just because someone else is using it. Some groups are better than others. Just make sure you evaluate that the group is giving you the support you need without compromising your values. Support groups run best when everyone does their part. Contribute to the group, but don't burn yourself out either.

3. Watch your children. How do they play? What do they like to do? Do they prefer filling out workbooks or creating their own books? What is their learning style? Do they like to be read to while they play or would they rather read the book themselves? Do they need to be shown how to do something or can you just tell them how to do something and they understand? There are many other questions you can ask yourself along these lines that will help you to evaluate how your children learn best and then work with them accordingly.

With the right attitude and support, anyone can be a great home school parent. You know and love your children better than anyone. Sometimes when people had a bad experience in school they are even more determined to provide a great environment for their children.

For more tips on homeschooling, grab your free report "How to Homeschool using the Best Resources" at http://www.homeschool-how-to.com Heidi Johnson specializes in helping families find resources to simplify and improve their lives.

Working and Homeschooling - Essential Information For Work at Home Moms

Working and homeschooling is becoming more popular as many parents need to earn income while educating their children at home. Some parents who work at home while homeschooling need a full time income. Others need supplemental income to pay for homeschooling activities, curriculum and supplies.

Here are five tips for homeschooling and working:

1. Find the right work at home moms opportunity. Think about the needs of your children and how much time you have available. Figure out how much income you need to earn. You may be able to arrange telecommuting in your current position. If that option is not available, consider working in a virtual call center, starting your own business or joining a direct sales organization.
2. Set specific, measurable goals. Set clear goals in the areas of work, homeschooling and family. Know what you want to accomplish and what you will have to do in order to achieve the results you desire. Don't let your aspirations in one area overshadow those in others. Limit work to certain hours to make time for family fun and personal pursuits.
3. Find a curriculum that works for your family. Some moms who work and homeschool prefer prepackaged curricula that offer structure and allow children to work independently. Others prefer a more relaxed homeschooling method that involves learning through everyday life. In addition to finding the right program, teach your child good work habits and time management skills. Set small goals that can be reached independently. Use audiobooks, educational videos and computer programs to supplement direct teaching.
4. Find a schedule that works for your family. You don't have to conduct lessons during typical school hours. Consider teaching during evenings or on weekends, and teach science, history and electives one or two days per week. Schedule your work hours for times when your children are napping or engaged in independent activities. Be flexible. You may have to try several arrangements until you find a schedule that works.
5. Develop a support network. Allow relatives, friends and other homeschool parents to help you with child care and transporting children to and from events. You don't have to be your child's only teacher. Take advantage of educational opportunities at homeschool support groups, museums, libraries, co-ops and other activities.

Here are some additional tips for working and homeschooling.

Carletta Sanders is a working homeschool mom of 3. Visit her website, Successful Homeschooling, to find additional advice for moms who work at home.