A Kid's Guide to London, Paris, Rome, and New York by Lonely Planet Kids

 
Where would you love to travel to? My dream was to travel to London. I was thrilled we were able to go to London on our Make a Wish Trip. So many sweet memories that I love to reflect on.

Today I am featuring the Lonely Planet A Kid's Guide to London, A Kid's Guide to New York City, A Kid's Guide to Paris and a Kid's Guide to Rome.  I have each book with a matching Lego Postcard set.

I am thrilled with this series. They are perfect for kids to learn about a place, take with them on a trip, or to expand their view of the world. Each book is a paperback to keep it lightweight for traveling, is a kid friendly size, and the inside flaps are big enough to bookmark pages of interest.

Each books shares how to get around the city, places to see, parks & green spaces, food, animals, and celebrations! The colorful pictures and engaging text make this a great book for all kids ages 9-12. Younger kids will enjoy the pictures and having the book to read to them.

I highly recommend the Lonely Planet A Kid's Guide To series! They are incredible!

On our Make-A -Wish Trip in London 2019

Repost: Charlotte Mason by Tammy Glasser

Ten years ago I had my friend Tammy Glaser write an article about Charlotte Mason's educational ideas for my blog.  Tammy has committed her life to teaching her kids and others using the Charlotte Mason method.  She is truly inspiring.  I thought we would enjoy a re-post of this article.  

Tammy Glaser is a friend of mine who writes at Aut-2B-Home.  I consider her a great source of all things Charlotte Mason and have shared how her blog changed my life.  I asked her if there was a Charlotte Mason Topic that she would share with us at Ohio Homeschooling.   Enjoy!

Think Clear, Feel Deep, and Bear Fruit Well. 

Trying to understand the ideas of Charlotte Mason, a Victorian Era educator, can be tricky 150 years later. How does her first principle—“Children are born persons”—apply today? Well, children are not products to be standardized, tested, or graded. They are certainly not percentiles. Children are capable of learning far more than we imagine. We find ourselves resorting to praise, stickers, and rewards as we force-feed knowledge to them. We end up narrowing our focus to the boundaries of the three testable R’s to boost standardized test scores. We are tempted to cut out what they need most—the best of history, literature, art, music, nature study, etc. Children long to know, and do not need artificial rewards and prizes if we allow them to “think clear, feel deep, and bear fruit well” as Matthew Arnold put it so eloquently.

 

Think Clear

Children hunger for knowledge when offered in a manner that stimulates the appetite. Unfortunately, oral lectures, textbooks, and worksheets prepared by experts and teachers dull the taste buds. These artificial devices rob children of the opportunity to think. The mind is a living thing that feeds on ideas. It will starve without them. A steady diet of ideas found in well-written books and interesting things will awaken the mind to awe and wonder.

Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham wrote, “Memory is the residue of thought.”  We remember things our minds have pondered. The mind will remember when allowed to observe, think, and share what is known. Children observe by reading, listening to a read aloud, or attending with their senses. They think by processing what they observe, making connections, and asking their own questions. They can share what they know by retelling, reenacting, drawing, building, writing, playing, devising experiments, creating, etc.

How does this look on a practical level? Take science for an example. Some friends and I were on a nature walk with our children. We heard a dull noise in a spot. We had never heard sounds like that. We wondered what it could be, so we followed the noise and discovered frogs! Thousands of frogs. What kind of frogs? We took a picture so that we could find out. Why were they making so much noise in the middle of the day? We had to look that up, too. When we realized there might be eggs, we went back and collected some to watch the life cycle of the frog firsthand. We learned about how to care for them, what to feed them, what to expect, etc. We took photographs, wrote notes in our notebook, and made nature notebook entries, etc. Three months later, we have been finding teeny-tiny frogs on our walk and we wonder if they are kin. The life cycle of a frog is not something we memorized because we lived it.

Feel Deep

Children also long to forge with their community and their world. They want to feel connected to someone and something. Finding connections between wide and varied things instills a sense of awe and wonder. Reading living books (classics and the best of modern offerings) sparks more excitement because the boundaries of subjects are blurred. Reading about the life of a person by imagining what their childhood was like, seeing how ideas inspired them, and feeling surprised at life’s twists and turns is far more exciting than a fact-laden paragraph in a textbook. Stories have a privileged status in being stored in long-term memory. http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/summer2004/willingham.cfm

Children feel more connected to their learning with they are allowed to personalize their understanding. They want to discuss ideas rather than listen to a long oral lecture and take notes from a white board. They find drawing and writing in personal notebooks far more satisfying than filling out a multiple-choice sheet. Journals carried from year to year record their growth as persons and are far more likely to become treasured keepsakes than meaningless workbooks.

Every week, we spend over an hour walking a mile-long trail because we stop and study things that capture our attention. I take pictures. At home, we pick one picture of a thing from nature and try to identify its common name and Latin name if we do not already know it. Sometimes, we end up submitting a photo to websites like Butterflies and Moths of North America , Bug Guide , and Project Noah  for help. These free resources are one way to get the whole family involved with citizen science. We draw pictures with watercolor pencils in our nature notebooks, note the common name, Latin name, date and location and write about anything interesting. We also keep a calendar of firsts to record the first Carolina jessamine, wisteria bloom, banana spider, etc. of the season. Our calendar helps us anticipate when to begin looking the following year.

Bear Fruit Well

We often joke about short attention spans—“Squirrel!”—and bemoan how many people are taking medication to address it. How we structure our lessons and organize our day can build the habit of attention. Many and varied short lessons keep the attention fresh as does varying those that require sustained mental effort with those that are light and active. Going outside and exploring the natural world every day also lengthens attention span. Children pay more attention when they can retell and share what they think and imagine. Play, creating, and finding delight builds attention as well.

     For many years, my habit of nature walks was sporadic at best. Another homeschooling friend and I made a pact last fall to walk a nearby wildlife refuge every Friday and enjoy a picnic afterwards, weather permitting. Except for travel and illness, we have kept our promise. We have armed ourselves with bug spray and bottled water on the hottest days and raincoats and boots on the wettest days. We have bundled up on the coldest days and, to be honest, those were the shortest walks ever. On the day of tropical storm Andrea the weather did not look bad enough to skip our walk. We hit the trail even though the nature center was closed and saw foam bubbling out of a tree! I cannot begin to tell you about all the wonders and delightful memories we have forged in the past nine months.

      Next month, my friend and I are opening a school based on a Charlotte Mason philosophy of education. Last fall, we had no inkling of starting a community school for full-time students and co-oping homeschoolers. Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine that the photographs we were taking would don the walls of its website. Those weekly walks, which were hard at first, have become foundational to our lives. We look forward to seeing awe and wonder in the eyes of our students.

Sow an act, reap a habit;

Sow a habit, reap a character;

Sow a character, reap a life.

But first,

    We must sow the idea

    That makes the act worthwhile.

 Tammy is on the far right. Photo courtesy of the Clarendon Citizen from the Article "Harvest Community School to offer education alternative"  

By Tammy Glaser.  Tammy Glaser started a  school called Harvest Community School in South Carolina.  She blogs at Aut-2B Home. The opinions shared are  entirely her own.   

Earl & Worm by Greg Pizzoli

Today I am sharing about the series Earl & Worm by Greg Pizzoli! Look at those cute covers and wonderful illustrations!

As someone who taught kids to read for many years, I was excited to see this delightful series! These sweet stories are great for kids and adults will be engaged with the humor. The books are targeted for kids ages 4-8 with younger ones listening and grade school children independently reading! The illustrations support the text and make it easier for beginning readers to understand the story.

Each book has three stories. These redemptive stories skillfully weave in themes of friendship, kindness, and making the most of every day. They will delight all readers and I highly recommend Earl & Worm by Greg Pizzoli.

I was gifted a copy and not required to write a positive review.


Earl & Worm The Bad Idea and other Stories.

Earl and Worm have been friends for a very, very long time, but their friendship had a rocky start. Earl is a happy go-lucky bird who plays saxophone to his plants because they love music in the morning. His neighbor Worm, on the other hand...well, Worm is the exact opposite. She would rather read in silence.

How will these very different neighbors become the very best of friends? With some sweet lemonade, the right shade of paint, and an unfinished poem, and most of all, sharing a little bit about themselves.

Award-winning creator Greg Pizzoli delivers three funny and heartwarming stories that will delight fans of other iconic duos like Elephant and Piggie or Pizza and Taco.

Earl & Worm #2: The Big Mess and Other Stories (Earl and Worm)

Earl and Worm couldn't be more different--but they also are also the best of friends. So when Earl's mess gets out of hand, Worm is sure she can help. And when a lucky penny turns rotten, rain-soaked Earl helps Worm see the sunny side. Through it all, the pair's funny hijinks turn tender . . . and the big mess ends up where they least expect it!

Come along for three giggle-inducing stories that will have kids hooting along soon after they've outgrown Elephant and Piggy.

Homeschool Myths by Becky Boerner Updated

The year is underway, and hopefully you are getting in the groove of home education.  After having the privilege of talking to many home educators in person and virtually through the years, I have found that I am not alone in believing some homeschool myths. Though none of us believe them every day, it is easy to let them slip in.

Myth:  I think his her homeschool day always flows way better than mine.

Fact:  Sometimes his/her day is better than yours, but sometimes yours day is better than theirs.  That sounds so simple, but when you are alone at your house and watching chaos ensue it is easy to believe that myth.  

Myth:  When others homeschool, their children sit around the table and smile up at them, complete their work without complaint, and do what they are supposed to do. 

Fact: Most families' kids are probably like yours and occasionally argue, act stubborn, and maybe even cry about doing their work.  (Of course, I have only heard about other children doing this.☺) Homeschooling is hard and that is okay! 

Myth:  Other people do so many amazing things with their kids all day long, while I am just trying to get through the day! 

Fact:  You do amazing things with your kids.  I have looked at thousands of portfolios and talked to many homeschoolers over the years.  I have never looked at a family that did not do at least one thing amazingly well.  I never cease to be amazed at the creativity and ideas that flow from people.  If you are home educating each day, you are doing something amazing!

Myth:  Home Educated Children are always very grateful that you are home educating them, and regularly tell you.    

 
Fact:  You care about your children and are pouring out your life for them.  They occasionally will say something nice, but they are kids.  How many of us were that grateful to our parents until we left home?  Hopefully we can help cultivate grateful hearts, but know that kids are kids.

Myth:  There is a enough time in your day or week to do everything you want to do plus join a co-op, take a field trip, play a sport, or do a service project.   

Fact: I never ceased to be amazed at the many curriculums, opportunities, and activities that there are to choose from.  You can not do everything.  I challenge families to choose wisely what is most important and make sure there is time for your student to be, read, and learn new things independently.  

Myth:  Students working online at Kahn Academy, an online math program, or "Researching" are doing what they are suppose to do and not just telling you they are.  

Fact:  They are not always doing what they are suppose to do. Really. I have learned checking in, having students show you their work, and getting a report is the best way to monitor this.  

The reason I share the last one is almost every veteran homeschooler I talk to has had this happen at least one time with their student. 

PS  This last one is for those of use with older students.   

Happy Home Educating!  Do any of these resonate with you?  

Becky 

I would love to help you with a consult or coaching.  Let's have a virtual meeting.  

  

Repost: Go play in the leaves!-- Happy First Day of Fall!

Happy First Day of Fall!  I posted this back in 2011.   I am reposting with pictures through the years of fall with my kids.   I did take my own advice!  Hoping you are making some memories this fall!  

---------------------------------

This is one of my favorite times of the year to be homeschooling.  There is something incredibly fun about going outside on a weekday with your kids, and knowing that kids who happen to be in school can not do that. You get to do what so few are able to do. 

I still remember the first year we homeschooled.  I felt so free.  I was great to have the time with my kids doing something simple.  I treasure those pictures and the memories.

It is easy at this time of year to worry about not getting enough done, are you covering everything you should be covering, and wondering if you are doing all you could be doing.  I recommend you leave those worries inside, and remember that one of the reasons you homeschool is to be with your kids.  Do not let this season slip away.  It will be gone before you know it. 

So my recommendation is to pick up your camera and take everyone outside to play in the leaves.  You won't regret it.

Becky

Where To Go When with Kids by Lonely Planet

 

Have you traveled with kids? OR What are you reading? I almost always travel with kids. I feel like I have gotten better over the years, but there is definitely more planning, extra time, and other factors to consider when taking a trip with kids. I had a friend say it is the ability to anticipate everything while still being flexible is a mom super power.

Where To Go When with Kids by Lonely Planet is out now. This is a fantastic book to help you plan a trip anywhere in the world with kids. The book shares when special events take place, kid friendly places to visit, and the best time of year to travel. I was amazed by all the information included in this beautiful book. I highly recommend Where to Go When with Kids!

I was given a copy and not required to write a positive review.

Blurb: Discover 300 unforgettable travel experiences for families with kids and teenagers in this ultimate trip planner for every month of the year!

From spotting throngs of penguins on South Africa's Boulders Beach in January to seeing Hong Kong's dazzling festoon of lights at the city's seasonal Winterfest in December, Where To Go When With Kids is the comprehensive trip planner of inspiring month-by-month adventures to spark your family's curiosity and create memories to last a lifetime.  Where To Go When with kids by Lonely Planet.

The Redeemed Reader: Cultivating a Child's Discernment and Imagination Through Truth and Story by Janie Cheaney, Betsy Farquhar, Hayley Morell, Megan Saben

 

The Redeemed Reader Cultivating a Child’s Discernment and Imagination through Truth and Story is the book I wish had been around when I started teaching, homeschooling and parenting many years ago! It takes a deep dive into the world of children’s books from picture books through books for young adults, and asks the hard questions about content, where does your faith fit in, and allows you to think through your children’s reading choices. The book also encourages kindness to authors, loving your library, where to donate books, and managing your home library.

I found myself smiling, relating, and joyful while reading The Redeemed Reader Cultivating a Child’s Discernment and Imagination Through Truth and Story.  by Janie Cheaney Betsy Farquhar, Hayley Morell, Megan Saben.The book is thoughtful, well written and not preachy. I will keep it on my shelf for many years to come for the amazing book-lists, and reread to remind myself the importance of story in our kid’s world. I highly recommend and this will be a favorite of 2025 for me.

I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

You might enjoy viewing The Redeemed Reader Web site and book-lists.  

Happy Back to School OR Surviving the First Few Weeks of Home Education by Becky Boerner

 

Happy Back to School!  (But is it really?) 

The advertisements are showing back to school supplies, everyone is excited about pumpkin lattes and school clothes.  But is everyone truly that excited about the start of school? 

I find the first few weeks of back to school very challenging.  Sometimes it seems like no one remembers their math facts, getting work completed in a timely manner is challenging, and I am pretty sure my students have forgotten many important things from last year.  (Remind me why we are doing this again?)

I wanted to share a  few thoughts from someone starting their 21^st year of home education.  Please know I am preaching to myself.  

•    The first 2-6 weeks can be very challenging.  It seems like your students have forgotten everything from last year, still cannot find their clearly marked supplies, and do not remember  how to be efficient.  Grace.  I would encourage you to work consistently on creating good routines, review the routines, and keep making changes to establish a good routine.  Routines are the key to success. They are worth working on the first few weeks as they will make the rest of your year better. Your future self will thank you!  
•  Don’t be afraid to make some changes to your schedule.  That perfect schedule you made in the summer probably will have a few holes or not be executed quite the way you imagined it to.  Don’t give up!  Get feedback from your students and move forward.  What a great life lesson for our students to watch us demonstrate how to adapt and make changes to schedules that are not serving us well.    
• Celebrate the Wins!  Make sure you celebrate completing the first test, finishing work, starting on time, putting supplies away, and simply making it through any day.  Home education is hard work and deserves celebration. 
  
•  Save some work samples.  You will forget all the progress you made at the end of the year if you do not save work to compare.  Start building a portfolio of work samples now. 
• Look for opportunities to smile at your children, laugh with them, and praise them. It is easy to get caught up in all that has to be done. You are also a building lifetime relationships. 

Give yourself plenty of grace, space, and time to work through the first few weeks of home education. It always gets better. 

The work you do in September will benefit you exponentially in the coming month! 

Happy Back to School!  I would love to know your best tips.  

Becky

PS I am always here to help if you need some help working on your schedule, planning for high school, and walking through how to help a challenging student.  See here for my services.  

To make a 40 minute consulting appointment.

For Email consulting 

Godfrey and the Great Cathedral Robbers by Maryann Sciolino

 

Set in medieval England, Godfrey is a nine-year-old stonemason apprentice who dreams of building a grand cathedral. Eventually, Godfrey is given an opportunity to follow his dream but quickly finds trouble as he learns of an evil plot to sabotage the building. It's up to Godfrey to protect the cathedral and save the town. Learn how a young boy discovers strength and wisdom while realizing his dream!

Godfrey and the Great Cathedral Robbers by Maryann Sciolino is a great elementary historical fiction book that takes place during the Middle Ages. The story is sweet and shares about Godfrey who is training to be a stone mason who wants more for his life. I loved how the various trades and roles of people in the Middle Ages were explored.   

The story is perfect for 4–8-year old’s studying Medieval history.   It could be read independently by a seven or eight-year-old and read-aloud to 4–6-year old’s.  It has a beautiful moral and the illustrations support the text.  There are robbers, a gospel presentation, found family, and a great ending. I recommend Godfrey and the Great Cathedral Robbers by Maryann Sciiolino!  

Congratulations to the author for winning second place in the American Christian Fiction Writers of Children’s Fiction Kingdom Kid Lit Contest for 2025 in the published readers and chapter books. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review.

About the Author: Dedicated to creating wholesome alternatives, Maryann Sciolino, wife and mother of five, paused her career as a registered nurse to provide a homeschool education for her children. Her years of researching literature to enhance their education spawned a commitment to create quality reading for young, impressionable minds. Experiencing the time-honored blessings of reading to her granddaughter galvanized her dedication to author a book that supports parents and grandparents training up children to know Jesus. Her first such book, Godfrey and the Great Cathedral Robbers, was inspired by the grace of God and the love of family.

You could have done less . . .

 

As we reflect on the  2024- 2025 school year and get ready for the 2025-2026 year, it is good to rejoice in what we have accomplished.  This is post from earlier on the blog, but I thought it might be nice to read again.  

If there is one thing I hear over and over again from families is "I really could have done more this year."  Sometimes they say this to me before they send in their portfolio, after I complement them on all they have accomplished, or just when they see me out at the Greenhills library.

I have started responding, "Well you know, you could have done less."  Usually that gets me a sort of head tilting confused look. I then say, "Really, you could have done less.  You could have read less books to your kids,  you could have completed fewer math pages, you could have participated in not as many field trips, or had fewer learning conversations."  I tell families, you did have a lot of great learning experiences with your students this year, and you worked hard.

I often joke that I have to have very high self-esteem to look at so many portfolios each year.  I am always fascinated at all families accomplish, and the progress their students make.  I see families who take amazing educational trips to places I have never heard of, utilize community resources in unique ways, read great literature, integrate learning into their lives in so many novel ways, find apps and web sites that are incredible, and find resources I had no idea existed.

What I have learned through the years is that everyone is good at something, but probably not good at everything. You are good at something with your students.  There is something that you can do that someone around you admires you for and wonders how you do it. Are there things you could improve on. . well of course. . we all could. We are all people on a homeschooling journey who are constantly trying to improve, and that is fabulous.  No one wants to be stagnant.  It is good to set realistic goals to improve your home education, but still rejoice in what you have accomplished.

I think it is important to remember what you are good at and what you bring to your homeschooling world.  Celebrate your student's accomplishments, celebrate your accomplishments and maybe even ask your students what you do well.  I am willing to bet their answers will surprise you.

And  please remember as doubt creeps in. . You truly could have done less.   So celebrate what you did do!

~Becky

Our Friendly Farmhouse by Melissa Ferguson & her children and illustrated by Gretchen Ellen Powers.

Our Friendly Farmhouse written by Melissa Ferguson & her children and is illustrated by Gretchen Ellen Powers. It is beautifully illustrated children’s book telling the story of the Ferguson family’s move to the country, how they built their home and changed their lives.

This is a beautiful children’s books with water color pictures that go perfectly with the text. The sweet story is appropriate for children four to eight years old, and your older kids will be listening in because it is so engaging. The book includes photos of the Ferguson family farm and shares a day in the life of their family.

Our Friendly Farmhouse would be fantastic to read as family, for fun, in a farm unit, comparing and contrasting the different places people live, and as a springboard for talking about big events in your own family. I might read to kids and then create a book or story about your own family.

I highly recommend Our Friendly Farmhouse written by Melissa Ferguson & her children and illustrated by Gretchen Ellen. It will delight you! This will be a 2025 favorite for me.

I was given a copy and not required to write a positive review. 

Melissa Ferguson is the bestselling author of titles including Meet Me in the Margins, How to Plot a Payback, On the Way to Christmas, and The Perfect Rom-Com.

She lives in Tennessee with her husband and children in their growing farmhouse lifestyle and writes heartwarming romantic comedies that have been featured in such places as The Hollywood Reporter, Travel + Leisure, Woman’s World, and BuzzFeed. Join along her journey with over 800,000 other followers at @ourfriendlyfarmhouse.

Instagram: @ourfriendlyfarmhouse
TikTok: @ourfriendlyfarmhouse

What to do with your Whirly Swirly Thoughts by Jennie Allen illustrated by Nadia Gunawan

 

What to do with your Whirly Swirly Thoughts by Jennie Allen illustrated by Nadia Gunawan is a delightful picture for ages 5-8.  The book walks you through all the emotions, thoughts, and feeling you have and what you can do with them.  The story talks about what to do if your thoughts get too big and start to take over, you have a choice on what thoughts stay in your head, and some concrete activities for kids such as being thankful or physical activities.  

I found this book so delightful.  What a wonderful way to talk to kids about their thoughts and start great conversations with them. I love the honesty and beauty of this book.  This would be perfect for elementary health, Sunday School, or to start conversations between parents and kids.  The pictures are stunning, engaging, and add to the beauty of the book.  

I highly recommend What to do with your Whirly Swirly Thoughts by Jennie Allen illustrated by Nadia Gunawan.  This will be one of my favorite picture books of 2025.  

Blurb: As a mother of four and bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head, Jennie Allen knows what it’s like to swirl in a spiral of thoughts, but she also knows we don’t have to stay stuck in toxic thinking patterns—and she wants to pass on this liberating truth to the next generation.

A great gift for teachers, caregivers, or back-to-school celebrations, What to Do with Your Whirly, Swirly Thoughts is a wonderful tool to teach your children thatGod created them and their amazing brains with a plan and a purpose, and He wants to help them use their thoughts and brains for good;
God has given them power over their thoughts; and
even if they’ve been stuck in a swirl of anxious, scary thoughts, they don’t have to stay there!

With whimsical illustrations from Nadia Gunawan and a beautifully decorated cover, this picture book addresses one of the most foundational skills for a happy, healthy life. Surround your children with your love and with tools to combat anxiety and negative thinking.

You Quack Me Up for International Joke Day

Did you know today is International Joke Day? Comet insisted on celebrating International Joke Day by sharing 800 Animal Jokes For Kids : You Quack Me Up published by Tommy Nelson.

  
This is the cutest book for kids ages 5-11. My 13 year old and I laughed at many of the jokes together.  he book is filled with knock-knock jokes, riddles, limericks, and tongue twisters. There is also a section on how to write jokes. The layout is nice and easy to read.

I have found that kids love jokes and joke books are a great way to encourage reluctant readers and writers.   It would be fun to take turn reading them aloud to each other.  Kids love to write their own jokes and read them to you! This is a great way to encourage kids reading, writing, and share some smiles.  

So to end with a joke. . . .

How do beavers surf the web?  ...........     They just log on!  

Happy International Joke Day!  

You Quack Me Up

 

National Parks by Lonely Planet

I am so thrilled to share with you two books from Lonely Planet publishers on the national parks. Lonely Planet Kids America's National Parks( 9-12 year olds) and Lonely Planet Kids America's National Parks Activity Book (1-3rd grade) are fantastic books for your kids.

Lonely Planet Kids America's National Parks is a wonderful book filled with 63 different parks across the United States. Each four page spread shares about the park and highlights things to do in the park.

The parks are in alphabetical order making them easy to find. I loved the beautiful pictures and wonderful information provided. My kids have enjoyed looking through the pages and the young man I am tutoring. It would be great if you were planning on visiting the parks, to enhance your studies of US geography, to learn more about the vast landscape of the United Stares, or for pleasure reading. I highly recommend Lonely Planet Kids America's National Parks.

Lonely Planet Kids America's National Parks Activity Book is a fun activity book that includes drawing, word searches, crosswords, finding pictures, and coloring.

The activities are very engaging and were a hit with my tutoring student. The directions are easy to follow and the color pages draw you in. I highly recommend Lonely Planet Kids America's National Parks Activity Book

I hope you travel to the National Parks this summer through these incredible books.

Becky

Affiliate links included.

Why I love a portfolio. . . or Portfolio Review vs. Standardized Test

A question I receive often is “Should I give my home educated student a standardized test at the end of the year, or complete a narrative portfolio assessment"  I usually reply it depends on what kind of information you hope to gain. One way to look at this question is to think “Do you want one picture of one moment in time, or a running movie with many pictures taken over time? “

A standardized test is a “snapshot “of a student at one moment in time.  A standardized test is scored in a consistent manner so you are able to compare your student to a group of students in the same grade who have taken the same test.  You usually receive a percentile ranking which tells you what percentage of the students taking the test your student scored better than.  For instance, if your student was in the 33rd percentile in math then your child scored better than 33 percent of students in the sample group from the publisher who took this test in math.

  

A standardized test is limited in that it is more likely to tell you what your student does not know versus what they do know or have learned this year.  A standardized test also dictates what the publisher feels is important for your student to know.  It does not take into account what your student has learned this past year.

A narrative portfolio assessment is a group of work samples that reflect your student’s growth and progress over the last year.   It consists of many “snapshots” that come together to reflect what your student has accomplished this year.  You, as parent educator, get to showcase what your student has accomplished.

Besides celebrating what your student has accomplished, a portfolio also helps you to plan instruction for the next year.   For instance, you realize you concentrated on learning your math facts, but did not spend as much time learning how to solve word problems.   Next year, you commit to working on more problem solving.  You look at your book list and notice that your student has mainly read adventure stories this past year.  You commit to introducing him/her to biographies, non-fiction, and /or some poetry next year to vary his/her reading diet.   I believe this is time well spent.  You are assessing your student’s needs and planning instruction based on those needs.

A narrative portfolio assessment also gives you a chance to present what your child has accomplished to a certified  teacher.  My hope is that when I review your student’s work I bring a different “set of eyes” to your student’s portfolio.   I try to provide encouragement to parents, insight into your student’s growth, and provide feedback to help you plan future instruction for your child.   My goal is to partner with you to celebrate your student’s accomplishments and encourage you on your home education journey.

Please click here to get started.