Integrating Home Economics into the Homeschool!

Home Ec... Home Economics... what do you think of when you hear the name?  I think of a classroom full of ovens with girls in aprons burning their cakes. :) Hmmm... would that be circa 1960? You sure don't find those classrooms in our neck of the woods. Sadly, taking care of a home and food preparation are areas often overlooked for young people. But, think about it! We must all live and we must all eat!


Now, lest you think I am Martha Stewart, let me just say that I have often been found lacking myself in the cooking and cleaning department. You might say that I was a bit challenged in both areas when I first married; my husband just simply called me spoiled. I had a fantastic mother who prepared fabulous meals and would allow me to wake up whenever I wanted to on Saturdays. I fondly remember walking out of my room hearing the sound of a vacuum cleaner and sensing the smell of Pine-sol.

I was the child who would love to tackle a page of algebra problems but don't ask me to cut up a chicken! (Thankfully, I can now do both. *grin*) While I worked as a teacher in the classroom, I was out of my house for a great deal of the day. It was not filled with little children from morning to evening so taking care of the house was much quicker, less painful and usually occurred on Saturdays. But, oh my! How that changes when you homeschool. In my home, everyone is responsible for keeping a clean environment and contributes in their own way. Loading the dishwasher, washing clothes, and dusting are all skills that we begin to teach early. I found out a long time ago that I am not Wonder Woman and I don't have to be. There are ten, count them TEN, very capable hands that can work to keep a nice home. But, if it is not exciting for me, it can be pure drudgery for my girls.

Therefore, I have attempted to create a few games to make home economics a bit more fun.

Beat the Song

First is what I call Beat the Song. I simply choose a room and then turn on Pandora. (You could use a CD or any other method of music.) I turn it up and we have to try to get the room completely clean before the song is over, including vacuuming the floors.

Now, there is only one simple rule: All items that are picked up or moved MUST be put where they go! Otherwise, I would have a bedroom floor filled with items found in the living room. Not helping me much! This game has become a hit with my girls, even my preschooler jumps in. You can hear them giggling once it gets towards the end of the song as they dive to pick up the last scraps of paper from the floor.

What's Your Order?

Another game that we have created is What's Your Order? This game allows my girls to practice preparing food as well as service for others. They will prepare a menu of lunch items (whatever we have that day) and then I will act as the customer. One daughter will work as chef and the other as waitress. My third grader will bring me a menu and take my order. She will then tell my sixth grader in the kitchen what I would like before preparing my drink. My "chef" might make me a quesadilla, grilled cheese, or prepare a pizza. She can also whip up brownie cupcakes like nobody's business! My third grader will bring me the food when it is done and then places her own order with her sister. One perk of this process is the communication and cooperation that takes place. It also builds a servant-hood atmosphere as we all seek to help one another without looking for something in return. (Of course, they have been known to slip me a bill including tip. lol)

These are just a couple of ways that I have been seeking to integrate home economics into my homeschool. Do you have any ideas to share that would get kiddos exciting about the mundane tasks of cleaning and cooking? Comment below! I would love to hear them. :)

I am a Guest Blogger on the Other Side of the World!

Technology and blogging consistently amaze me and today is no exception! I have been invited to guest blog for Brooke, a fellow blogger who lives in the lovely country of Australia! How amazing is that?!! You met Brooke during my Blogger Showcase and I love her blog! I am so excited to be a guest with her today.

I have written about something that is near and dear to my heart: MUSIC! In particular, the importance and ease of using music in the classroom!!  I hope you will head on over to her blog at Teachable Moments to check it out. :) Just click the link below:
Happy Blogging! ;)

Fall Fun and a New Technology Resource

Hello, friends!! What a week!! I hope you have all had a fantastic week as mine was great but very busy. The weather has been beautiful and we have had our A/C off and the windows open most of the week. For my Floridian friends, you know this can't be done too often so we are really enjoying it! This is also the time of year that we have a Fall Fellowship at our church. We will be having a volleyball tournament and yummy food so there has been quite a bit of prep going on this week for the day on Saturday. I am very thankful that I was able to fight off the sick minions from earlier in the week. :)

For my post today, I wanted to share with you a great new online program that I have found that is absolutely free!! It can be used for school educators as well as homeschoolers. This week was the first I had heard of it and after a quick registration, my kids got to work! I am loving it!! Want to know what it is?

This is a program for K-6 that is aligned with Common Core standards. It creates practice problems for each of the standards and records their level of mastery. As a teacher or parent, you can generate reports and find which strand the child struggles with. I can also assign homework for Math, Reading and Spelling for them to accomplish by a particular due date. For instance, the student may have to complete 4 Math, 4 Reading, and 2 Spelling practices by the end of the week. You can choose which strands you want them to work on as well as type in the spelling words for them to study. I love this new site and the girls have really enjoyed it as well. I have my oldest in 6th completing the 5th grade as a review. So far, I have only found practice for the concepts on the site, not actual teaching; this is still left to the instructor. It is simply a way for the teacher to assign practice for whatever the student is learning and having assessment numbers at your fingertips! Cool, huh? 

One of my girls' favorite features is the classroom wall that we can all post to that resembles a facebook or bulletin board wall. They can also choose a cute avatar and change their mood for the day. We are still exploring the program and I am really impressed with what I have found. 

Have you heard of ScootPad? If so, how do you integrate it into your classroom?

Finish My Work? Today?

Hello, friends! Have you ever had a kiddo that looks at you with wonder when you say they must finish their work? As a public school teacher, I ALWAYS had at least one student who would forget that, "yes, we actually do schoolwork at school!"  Since I have started homeschooling my little ladies, I got to play a bit of tug of war with my middle child which would take FOREVER on an assignment because she would sneak books to read under the table or play with her pencil for eternity and a day! (What can be so fascinating about a pencil I will never know!)

Anyhoo, I thought I would share a technique to help those stragglers finish their work. I have also seen this used for children with disabilities that needed encouragement or for those that struggle with Attention Deficit. Maybe it can help you as well!

It is a classwork completion puzzle. This is what it looks like:

Here's how to use it! The black and white picture is laminated and taped to the student's desk. Small velcro circles are attached to the blue circles. You then cut up the colored picture square on the dotted lines. Laminate these pieces and put the other side of the velcro on the back of these pieces. The student can then earn the pieces throughout the day when they complete what you have specified. For instance, they could receive a piece for finishing Math, Reading, Writing, and Language. After they have earned all four pieces, they receive some type of reward (ie. computer time, extra play, games, your choice). At the end of the day, they turn in their pieces and begin again tomorrow. 

Would you like to try it? I have a classwork completion puzzle pack available here. You can download a girl puzzle and boy puzzle for free! I hope it is a help to you!

Also, if you haven't linked up with the "Wowzers, What a Winner!" Giveaway, just click the link below! Twenty-seven teacher resource creators have teamed up so that 5 winners can be chosen to enjoy educational resource goodies! The winner will be announced on Saturday! Best of luck!

 Have a fantastic day!

New Beginnings

Hi there! My name is Leah and I have embarked on a new journey in bloggersville. Education and learning have been a passion of mine for many years... since I was old enough to hold a book. I was the student who could not WAIT for school to start back each year. I loved everything about a new year including the smell of my brand new textbooks and the sounds of my school hallways. There was nothing more exciting than packing my new backpack with all of my new school supplies. In fact, I would rearrange their placement in my backpack a half dozen times to get it "just right!" Books were my best friends and I wear corrective lenses today because I couldn't put one down once I had started. Darkness was just an inconvenience that could be fixed with a window and a moon or a flashlight under the covers. Okay I admit it, I am still this way. :)

My journey through education has taken a few twists and turns. I began as a student of Elementary Education before receiving my degree and certification for the Florida Department of Education. I worked in the public school system for several years before my health caused me to reprioritize my life. As a result, I became a stay at home mom to two beautiful daughters. During this time, I decided to use the passion I have for learning and my training to teach my own children. I now homeschool my girls and it has been one of the greatest yet most challenging choices I have ever made.

My family has now grown to three beautiful girls and we are preparing for a brand new year! I have decided to create a blog that focuses on techniques and resources the promotes knowledge retention. As I have a K-3, 3rd grader and 6th grader this year, these resources will span many different grades. Perhaps you are a homeschool parent or a teacher, I hope that you can find something that will be useful or interesting. Maybe it will just spark your own creative juices! I have found that teachers are the most creative and resourceful people in the world!

A season of new beginnings is an opportunity to be stretched, to grow, and to change. Though "change" has never been a popular word in my vocabulary (as I am a creature of habit) I have learned that growth naturally equals change. As an elementary teacher or even a mother, I would be so frustrated if a student remained unchanged from the beginning of the year to the end! So, here I am embracing this new season and I look forward to sharing it with you... Leah