When spring break came, no one knew they wouldn't be returning to school in a week. My wake up call came when Rosa, a little girl I've sponsored for years … called. She needed help getting online to start homeschooling.
After a short conversation, she forwarded a text message sent to her mom. What you need to know is her mom is really her grandmother, who's 80 years old. So I began homeschooling with Skype, to communicate with Rosa who lives 20 minutes away from my house.
For years my hope was to find one or two parents to contribute articles about home schooling. Now I get to write my own homeschooling stories along with thousands of other parents. Our lives have certainly changed.
My goal here is to share resources I'm finding to provide Rosa with a rich learning experience. She's completing all her school assignments. At the same time, I'd like Rosa to learn more about the world around her. So each day I give her an article to read plus a research project on Saturday (yes, we're doing schoolwork on Saturday).
Rosa is 11 years old, in 5th grade and dreams of becoming the best lawyer in Florida! We're on this journey together.
Homeschooling with Skype: May 11, 2020
Rosa's reading assignments (write 3 paragraph story and 5 vocabulary words – definition plus sentence using the word):
- Monday – Take a visual tour of the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Write about the building (roof, how you walk around, etc) and pick 3 pieces of artwork that you like – describe each one, explaining what you like about it.
- Tuesday – Some people are comparing today's pandemic to the great depression. Learn about the Great Depression.
- Wednesday – Pick a new biography, read and answer questions plus … your story and vocabulary.
- Thursday – Read (listen really) to As Fast as Words Could Fly, a fantastic story!
- Friday – Learn How to Save Money, from a piggy bank … to a real bank that pays interest.
- Saturday – Today's research project is learning what's different about a performing arts high school. When writing your story, include answers to the following questions:
- Why do students decide to go to a performing arts high school?
- Can anyone go to a performing arts high school? Is it competitive like college admissions?
- What special classes do you take at a performing arts high school?
- … and here are resources I've already found that will help you with your research:
- Top Performing Arts High Schools in the US.
- Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts – in Lakeland, Florida.
- Davenport School of the Arts – has elementary and middle school enrollment.
Great Resources to Help Kids Learn
- PE resources from Coach Konemann (Rosa's PE teacher)
- Month of fun and creative exercises (PE activity calendar for May).
- Video exercises for grades 3 to 5 and hip-hop workout.
- Slickwords.com … makes it easy to create beautiful memes (example to right) in color, which is especially useful during these trying days.
- Ducksters.com – an amazing website for grades 1 to 8. They have content on history, scien, geography, biographies and practical topics like money.
- StorylineOnline.net – has famous people reading books to kids, simply amazing.
- Lots of fun ideas in USA Today's list of 41 totally free educational resources for kids stuck at home.
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