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Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult STEM Challenge for Medieval Unit Study

August 23, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Your kids will love making this fun pumpkin catapult stem challenge where you’re doing a fall unit study or medieval unit study.

This pumpkin catapult stem challenge will incorporate science, technology, engineering, math, and history into one fun activity.

This is a cool activity that will definitely earn you a lot of cool mom points.

A medieval times unit study is the perfect time to try out this hands-on activity to teach weaponry that was used during the period as well as those STEM skills.

Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study

You don’t have to make yours as large as this one, but I found this pack of huge craft sticks at Hobby Lobby.

So, I thought they would put a fun twist to it.

Instead of using little marshmallow pumpkins, we were able to launch larger decor pumpkins (they are just inexpensive stuffed ones from Dollar Tree).

Also, if your child enjoys history, consider adding the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia and Usborne Encyclopedia of World History.

They both contain wonderful illustrations and information that is easy for children to understand.

And they are a great addition to round out any unit study. 

Medieval Catapult Facts

Before, after, or during your activity give your child some of the research questions below to find in books or online.

  • What are the 4 Types of catapults? trebuchet, mangonel, onager, and ballista.
  • What were catapults used for in Medieval Times? Siege, vaulting things over castle walls
  • What time period is considered Medieval/Middle ages? 500 to 1400-1500 CE
  • What event marked the beginning of the Middle Ages?  The fall of Rome 476 AD
  • What is the hierarchy of feudal society during this time? Monarchs, Lords/Ladies (Nobles), Knights, and Peasants/Serfs

Vocabulary Words for Medieval Unit Study

Then, here are a few vocabulary words for this unit.

Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study
  • Projectile
  • Force 
  • Fulcrum 
  • Lever
  • Peasant
  • Vassal
  • Furlong
  • Squire
  • Clergy
  • Plunder
  • Troubadour
  • Guild

Catapult Science

Next, learn about some of the science of the catapult.

When you draw back the craft/popsicle stick, potential(resting) energy is being built up.

After you release it, it becomes kinetic (moving) energy.

Finally, gravity pulls the launched object back down.

This stem activity shows Newton’s three laws of motion.

Newtons 3 Laws of Motion

  1. Newton’s law of inertia– An object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force.  
  2. Newton’s law of force and acceleration– When an external force acts on an object, it produces an acceleration (change in velocity) in the object in the direction of the force.
  3. Newton’s third law- The law of action and reaction states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

You can try using different objects with different sizes and weights.

Change the thickness of the fulcrum to achieve different results.

And add a measuring tape or yard stick to figure out the various distance. Then, record your information.  

Here is how to put together your own pumpkin catapult stem challenge. You will need:

  • Jumbo craft sticks
  • Rubber bands
  • A large metal or plastic lid 
  • E6000 or hot glue
  • Pumpkins
Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study

If you want to add these fun knights and horses you can grab these Safari Toobs.

They are also great to use in diorama, sensory bins, as models for drawing, and in dramatic small world play.

How to Make a Medieval Catapult

You can paint or use markers to color your popsicle sticks if you like as your first step or keep them natural like this one.

Just be sure to let them dry thoroughly before putting it together.

Starting by making a stack of craft sticks.

I ended up using 14 of the jumbo sticks to create more leverage for the catapult, placing rubber bands securely on each end about 1 ½” from the end.

Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study

Stack two jumbo craft sticks and place a rubber band only over one end, 1 – ½” away from the end.

Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study

Open the two craft sticks that are banded at one end and slip the large stack of sticks through, pushing them about ¾ of the way up close to the rubber band.

Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study

Next, take a larger rubber band and crisscross it over a few times where your two stacks of sticks intersect.

Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study

Use hot glue or something like e6000 (which will take longer to set) to affix your lid to the end of the top craft stick. 

Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study

Press it in place firmly and let it dry all the way. Be sure that you use plenty of glue so that it is very secure to the craft stick.

Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study

To launch you just need to press down on the back and release, 

Let the launching fun begin!

Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study

You are ready to lay siege and launch objects over castle walls ( or at least over the ottoman) in a battle for riches and power.

Add a few more items to your study to really give it some hands-on fun like this 3d Puzzle Castle or these knight decorations to kick off a new Medieval unit study.

Other Fall Unit Study Resources

  • Fall Homeschool Learning Resources For Middle School
  • Fall Y’all:Pumpkin Pie in a Bag (Easy Homeschool Co-op Idea)
  • Fall Unit Study (Includes Apples, Sir Isaac Newton, Art, and Appleseed)

1 CommentFiled Under: Teach Homeschool Science Tagged With: fall, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, homeschool, medieval homeschool history, middle ages history, science

Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

August 15, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I have a homeschool planner stickers back to school craft. Whether you do this craft for your homeschool planner or do it as part of your homeschool year, it’s fun.

You can have your children prepare their homeschool planner stickers back to school craft as a first day activity.

There are two ways to create your own homeschool planner stickers for your planners, notebooks, and wherever else you want to put them.

Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

First, you or your child can draw them using some fun pens and markers to get a nice watercolor look.

Second, I’m showing you a simple tutorial for creating stickers using free clipart if you prefer not to draw them.

Also, I have a ready made sheet for you which has some basic stickers you can use to dress up your planners or notebooks.

The stickers are perfect for adding color and reminders for things like library trips and co-op meetings.

Choosing the Best Sticker Paper

Before we get started though a quick overview about paper type is needed.

There are several types of sticker paper to choose from and you want to be sure to pick the one that fits best with your intended use.

Look at these different sticker paper types.

Matte Sticker Paper. This is inexpensive and works perfectly for planners and things that won’t get wet or be exposed to much use.

This type of paper is also a better choice if you are going to hand draw your own stickers.

This is what I used for both the hand drawn and printable stickers I’m sharing today..

Second is the Clear Vinyl Sticker Paper.

It’s just a bit more expensive, but these are nice if you want to print stickers and not have the white border around them.

Last is the Waterproof Vinyl Sticker Paper.

It is the cadillac of sticker papers.

This is the type of paper you use if you want waterproof stickers to put on things like water bottles.

I love these and we had so much fun creating them.

Doing a quick google search for watercolor school clip art gave us some great ideas for our stickers.

How to Make Hand Drawn Planner Stickers

One of the best tools to making your own hand drawn stickers are fine line pens.

They give a nice crisp outline for drawing.

They are fantastic to use in your planner or other writing even if you don’t consider yourself an artist. Using these will take your art to a new level.

Next, double ended alcohol markers give your stickers that hand drawn artist look.

Also, the markers give a very saturated water color look when using the brush tip.

Now, look below to look at some of these sticker supplies.

Supplies For Hand Drawn Stickers

You will need:

  • sticker paper
  • fine line pens
  • alcohol markers
  • Scissors or Paper Trimmer
Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

Use a fine line pen to draw a basic shape, a globe, beaker, apple, whatever you need.

Here you can see how much better of an outline I get with the fine line versus a regular marker with a small tip.

Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

Fill them in with the brush tip of the alcohol marker.

Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

Add labels to identify activities to them if you like, such as co-op, library, science labs, etc.

Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

You can either cut them out around the outline or line them up in rows and use a paper slicer to cut them out in squares.

Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

If you want to just use clip art for your stickers, follow these directions below.

Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

How to Make Clip Art Planner Stickers

Here is the easy list of supplies.

  • Sticker Paper
  • Computer and Printer
  • Scissors or Paper Cutter

Open your word processing program and choose insert from the menu.

From the drop down choose Insert then Image.

And either upload from the computer (if you already have clip art downloaded you would like to use), or search the web.

Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

In the search bar type in keywords you would like to find, either broad like school, homeschool, office, etc. or specific like paint, computer, and so on.

This will bring up clip art right in your side bar like this.

Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

Double click the image you like to insert it on the page.

Resize it and move to the upper left corner.

Copy and paste the image to make as many as you like. Repeat with all images you want to use.

Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

If you want to add words to your stickers go ahead and type directly under each picture before you drop to the next line to insert another row.

Fill your page with stickers, you don’t want to waste space or your sticker paper.

Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

Print on to your chosen sticker paper. Then cut out by hand or slice with the paper cutter if you made your stickers in neat little rows with spacing between.

Free and Fun Homeschool Planner Stickers Back To School Craft

Now you can make all the planner pages you get here truly YOURS by adding special stickers.

Homeschool Planner Stickers Back to School Craft

  • Click here to build your unique free 7 Step DIY Homeschool Planner. This is my original planner which has over 450+ free pages and growing every year.
  • The Ultimate and Beautiful DIY Homeschool Unit Study Planner
  • A Unique Flexible and Beautiful Preschool Homeschool Planner. A planner which can be used for Prek to 1st grade entitled Early Learner Planner.

Other Back to School Crafts

  • Cute Clay Pencil Earrings for Back to School Crafts For Kids
  • DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft
  • Clever DIY Dollar Tree Desk Organizer Back to School Craft
  • Fun Upcycled T Shirt Library Tote Back to School Kids Craft

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Homeschool Planner Tagged With: back to school crafts, curriculum planner, homeschool, homeschool curriculum planner, homeschool planner, homeschool planning, homeschoolplanner, homeschoolplanning, lesson planner, planner, planning

10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum

August 6, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’m sharing 10 homeschool kindergarten curriculum, You’ll love my other tip for kindergarten homeschool curriculum.

Besides homeschool kindergarten curriculum should be both affordable and complete, so you set a strong foundation for learning.

However, it’s hard to know which curriculum is better when you’re just beginning.

There are many choices and you want to have some basic guidelines so you know what is the difference between them.

10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum

In addition, curriculum providers follow different homeschool approaches. Charlotte Mason, workbook, unit study and classical are a few homeschool approaches.

It’s important for you to know a few subtle differences because each family has different circumstances.

For example, some families may only have one child while others may have several children under five years of age.

So your time may be divided when you’re managing more during the day.

In addition, some families prefer to not have all days planned while others prefer plans.

While affordable and complete kindergarten homeschool curriculum varies with opinion, learning at this age shouldn’t.

Learning hands-on, through movement, and playing are three of the things I look for in a curriculum at this level.

Kindergarten Curriculum Supplements

Too, not all curriculum providers supply all the crafts and supplies you’ll need or want.

And if you’re teaching several children under 5 or 6 years of age, you want extra supplies and crafts.

For example, games for kindergarten should be at least half of your day along with reading aloud.

A few board games to get you started for kindergarten are

  • Monopoly Junior Board Game, Ages 5 and up
  • Mouse Trap Board Game for Kids Ages 6
  • ThinkFun Zingo Sight Words Award Winning Early Reading Game for Pre-K to 2nd Grade
  • eeBoo Fairytale Mix Ups Create A Story Pre-Literacy Cards
  • Sum Swamp Game

Also, fill your home with other kinds of writing materials besides pencils.

Children this age need practice with fine motor skills but that doesn’t happen by holding a regular pencil.

10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum

We used crayon rocks quite a bit because they’re fun to do arts and crafts with while strengthening fine motor skills.

Beginner Reading Choices

Also, here are some great books to get your child reading.

Beginner Reading Books For Kindergarten

A homeschooled kindergarten child’s reading diet should still be a mix of repeated texts or phonics readers and beginner readers.

This way your child’s basic reading skills continue to be strengthened while your child’s reading level is advancing.

Starfall Short-Vowel Pals 16 Decodable Phonics Books

These decodable primer books provide beginner readers with practice connecting letter sounds. Set of 16 Short-Vowel Pals: Zac and Cat Zac and the Hat Peg Helps Zac Peg's Egg Hen Mox Jogs Hop, Bend, Stomp Pop! Pop! Pop! Tin Man Sits Fix the Jet Fish and Me Bug in a Jug Get Up, Cub Gus and His Dog Peg and the Box Zig-Zag

Meg and Greg: A Duck in a Sock (Orca Two Read, 1)

Great books for parents to share with kids. Parents read then child reads.

A Duck in a Sock is the first book in the Orca Two Read series designed for shared reading
between a child learning to read and an experienced reader. Inside you'll find four stories that introduce one new phonogram (a letter or combination of letters that represent a sound) in each story: the ck, sh, ch and th phonograms. Each story builds on the previous ones by including words
with the phonograms already introduced. In addition, the series has special features to help a child with dyslexia or another language-based learning difficulty achieve reading success.

Usborne My First Phonics Reading Library Collection 12 Books Box Set

Usborne My First Phonics Reading Library Collection 12 Books Box Set (Phonics Readers) (WITH FREE AUDIO ONLINE)

The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!

From #1 New York Times best-selling, award-winning author and illustrator Mo Willems!
Buckle up for twists, turns, and emotional loop-de-loops in the most roller coaster-y Pigeon book ever! The Pigeon WILL be ready. Will YOU!

Bob Books - Set 1: Beginning Readers Box Set |

Many early reader books contain words that are too difficult for a child who has just learned the sounds of the alphabet. Not these books! With only four letter sounds in the first story (M, A, T, and S), children can read a whole book and their confidence grows. Kids love the stories and funny pictures, and can’t wait to read these books to everyone they know!

Biscuit Flies a Kite (My First I Can Read)

For fans of Clifford and Spot, welcome everybody’s favorite little yellow puppy, Biscuit, in an I Can Read adventure!

It seems like the perfect day to fly a kite, until—oh, no!—the wind begins to blow the kite away!

Join Biscuit, that sweet puppy, and his friend Puddles as they put their furry heads together to save the day. Woof woof! Bow wow! 

The gentle and appealing Biscuit books are a wonderful first introduction to reading for little pups, and this My First I Can Read friendship tale is perfect for shared reading in a classroom or at home. Books at this level feature basic language, word repetition, and whimsical illustrations, ideal for sharing with emergent readers. The active, engaging stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey.

25 Irresistible Books That Are Just the Right Level for Beginning Readers

Jumpstart reading success with this big collection of 25 motivating storybooks correlated with Guided Reading Level D. The books features simple text, decodable words, strong picture cues, and two to four lines of text per page to support readers with just a little experience under their belts. Children will laugh, learn, and build confidence with these funny books on their favorite topics—from dogs to dinosaurs, princesses to pizza! Includes a 4-page parent guide. 

Apples and Apricots: The Letter A Book (AlphaBOX Alphabet Readers collection)

This is the first book in the highly acclaimed AlphaBOX Alphabet Readers collection – a gorgeously illustrated series that teaches each letter of the alphabet and its phonetic sound. With Apples and Apricots, young readers will explore the letter A with bright colours, adorable pictures and an arty challenge you can enjoy together

Dr. Seuss's Beginner Book Collection (Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, Fox in Socks)

Books in this boxed set include:The Cat in the HatOne Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue FishGreen Eggs and HamHop on PopFox in Socks   Originally created by Dr. Seuss himself, Beginner Books are fun, funny, and easy to read.

Usborne Beginners History 10 Books Collection Box Set (Stone Age, Iron Age, Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Romans, Vikings, Castles & MORE!)

Great history set of books that an advanced kindergartener could tackle.

(Usborne Beginners Series) Usborne Beginners Science Collection Box Set (10 Books)

This box set includes: Living in Space, Planet Earth, Storms and Hurricanes, Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis, The Solar System, Weather, Your Body, Sun, Moon and Stars and Astronomy.

Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

Next, look at these affordable homeschool curriculum for your kindergartner.

You determine what else you may want to add.

1. Blossom and Root.

One reason Blossom and Root is affordable is because there is a list of books you buy or check out from the library.

So unlike other complete curriculum, you don’t get hard copy books. In addition, the math is light.

For some kids this works great, but for other kids they may need a stand math program.

But I love this curriculum because it’s play based, and nature based.

2. Rod and Staff.

Rod and Staff is a no fluff, straightforward and wonderful program.

It has been around for years and parents who want to add more crafts and play based ideas love this curriculum.

3. Five in a Row

Five in a Row is yet another we’ve used in the early years because I love using beautiful literature from the beginning.

Although your child learns math, you will want to add a solid math program.

4. The Good and the Beautiful.

We used The Good and The Beautiful for part of kindergarten and love their approach and price.

It had just the right balance of hands-on activities with teacher help.

10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum

5. Oak Meadow.

Oak Meadow is another provider that is based on individual opinion regarding price.

Although not the cheapest, they are play based and have options for your purchase. This too is all inclusive.

6. Christian Liberty Press.

In addition, Christian Liberty Press is another no fluff straightforward curriculum.

A lot of providers similar to Christian Liberty Press have options for enrolling on line or buying the kit.

Unless you live in a state with restrictive homeschool laws, you should be able to purchase the kit and go your own pace.

7. MasterBooks.

Next, Masterbooks is another favorite. While it’s not only affordable but has options for what you want to purchase.

With their Charlotte Mason approach and gentle fun activities for kindergarten, it’s a great choice

8. Horizons.

Additionally, Horizons is another one we have used and loved.

I wanted everything laid out and had a framework where we could add our own activities.

9. Easy Peasy All In One.

Easy Peasy All In One is a free online curriculum.

If you want to take a slow start to kindergarten while learning the ropes, then having this laid out curriculum will give you a solid boost.

10. Lifepac.

We have used lifepac too for concise worktexts when we needed them.

Not only are they complete, but laid out.

Other Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Resources

You’ll love these other resources

  • Delightful Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Which Promote a Love of Learning
  • 10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum
  • BEST Free Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum With A Gentle Approach (List)
  • 21 Fun All-In-One Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum
  • 15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool
  • 18 Kindergarten Science Homeschool Curriculum For Active Kids
  • Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science – Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study
  • Homeschooling Kindergarten: What Subjects to Teach and For How Long?
  • How to Effortlessly Blend Kindergarten Homeschool Subjects & Life

Moreover, add more of these homeschool curriculum resources.

  • BEST Digital Homeschool Curriculum – Big Ol’ List
  • Big Ol’ List of All-In-One Homeschool Curriculum (a.k.a Boxed)
  • Best High School Homeschool Curriculum Packages (Accredited and Not Accredited)
  • Which One is Really the Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum (a comparison)
10 Affordable and Complete Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum

Leave a CommentFiled Under: How To - - -, Teach Kindergarten Tagged With: boxedcurriculum, curriculum, homeschool, kindergarten

35+ Best Homeschool Curriculum By Learning Style (free printable)

August 1, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I’ve rounded up 35 best homeschool curriculum by learning style. Besides, homeschool learning styles is a continuing learning process as educators.

Especially when we try to sort out what are learning styles, we’re not sure what is really helpful.

Besides, when I chose curriculum I never thought about the homeschool approach or my child’s learning style.

However, I’ve learned homeschool curriculum is organized by homeschool approach.

35+ Best Homeschool Curriculum By Learning Style (free printable)

So, the key to making a better choice for curriculum and not wasting time or money is to understand your child’s learning style.

This doesn’t mean that you’re coddling your children when you try to meet their learning style.

Quite the opposite, we appreciate differences and realize that not all kids learn in the same way.

Isn’t this why most of us are homeschoolers? We’re trying to meet the unique needs of our children.

Styles of Homeschooling

Too, understanding the inextricable link between homeschool learning style with homeschool approach equals success.

Sure, we’re not guaranteed of being successful in homeschooling, but we can increase the odds of success when we dive into understanding learning styles.

In addition, it’s important to know that your learning style by default usually becomes your teaching style.

Then, we inflict our teaching style on our child thinking it’s the best one because we learn through it.

Next thing you know we have no success with our child.

Worst yet some public-school educators and home educators believe the problem with learning is entirely the child’s problem.

35+ Best Homeschool Curriculum By Learning Style (free printable)

As you can see, the more you understand and dig deeper into how each of your children learn, the more success you’ll have choosing curriculum wisely.

Homeschool Approaches

Instead of having all this floating around in your mind and trying to make it connected, look below at how I explain each one.

What is a homeschool approach?

A homeschool approach is the way you’re presenting information to your child. It is the way you’re teaching your children.

It can be formal, informal, through life skills, using curriculum, using a few pieces of curriculum, using no curriculum at all or a mix.

And whether you intentionally chose it or chose it by default, you’re still following a method.

And the homeschool world and educational word creates curriculum based on teaching approaches.

Too, there are many teaching approaches, but these five are the most popular in the homeschool world. Too, I tend to focus on these when helping homeschoolers.

Learning Styles Characteristics Matched to Homeschool Approach

Here are the top five homeschool styles and some of the characteristics of learning styles.

1. Unit Study Approach

Unit Study ApproachCharacteristics of Learning Style by Teacher or Student.
•Prefers a mastery approach
•Doesn’t always need detailed lesson plans
• Wants a research-based study on one topic
•Prefers to spend time on subjects which are of interest
•Will add in hands-on activities as needed and as many as needed or prefers to learn the whole topic through hands-on
•Will choose quality books or living books instead of using boring textbooks

2. Classical Approach

Classical ApproachCharacteristics of Learning Style by Teacher or Student.
• Wants a heavy emphasis on classics like ancient languages
• Thrives with a heavy language arts emphasis
• Pursues a chronological approach to learning history
• Wants to spend time learning Latin
• Focuses on learning from Great Minds of the past
• Should learn from ancient books and quality classical literature
• Education should focus on the history of Western Civilization

3. Textbook/Workbook Approach

Textbook/Workbook ApproachCharacteristics of Learning Style by Teacher or Student.
•This is the same approach used in public schools and the only approach most homeschoolers know.
• Instead of choosing an approach, some homeschoolers follow this one by default.
• Children who do well with drill and kill, love this approach.
• Parents and kids who don’t mind testing, deadlines, and don’t think textbooks are boring choose this.
• Families who want to mimic public school at home choose this.

4. Charlotte Mason Approach

Charlotte Mason ApproachCharacteristics of Learning Style by Teacher or Student.
• A gentle approach to language arts.
• There is emphasis on the arts, music, and nature.
• Learning should include forming lifelong habits
• More time should be spent outdoors.
• Literature based learning is one foundation.
• Poetry is important.

5. Unschooling Approach

Unschooling ApproachCharacteristics of Learning Style by Teacher or Student.
• Child led learning. This means if the child is moved to learn something he will.
• Unschoolers vary whether they will use curriculum or not. Some use very little, others use none.
• The fill their learning day with games, books, hands-on ideas, movies or any resource, place, person, or activity which fills their desire to learn whatever subject.
• The idea is that children will learn everything they need to know when they learn naturally and are not pushed.
•This approach recognizes that all kids are different and will learn at their pace meaning there are a variety of resources available.

Which approach do most of your choices in curriculum fall into?

Once you understand that, then you can see if it’s the right choices for your child.

Eventually you can teach your children through a variety of learning styles, but you set them up for success when a curriculum matches the homeschool approach.

Identifying Your Homeschooled Child’s Learning Personality

Finally, after years of putting the pieces together, I have created an online self-paced course on how to identify your homeschool child’s learning personality.

35+ Best Homeschool Curriculum By Learning Style (free printable)

This course will give you solid beginning points and look what you will learn.

YOU WILL LEARN:

  • How to understand the way your child prefers to learn so that you can teach him in a way that he enjoys learning;
  • How to pinpoint your child’s learning personality;
  • A starting point in understanding (barring any special learning challenges or disabilities) and accepting your child’s preferred way of taking in information;
  • Understanding when the learning personality emerges; and
  • Teaching tips for each learning personality to stop the head-butting.

Tapping into the way a child prefers to learn is essential to success.

35+ Best Homeschool Curriculum By Learning Style (free printable)

Printable for Curriculum Matched to Homeschool Approach

Finally, the printable for homeschool curriculum matched to homeschool approach will help you to see what homeschool approach you’re following.

More important, from the list above, you can have a starting point to see how your children and family learn best.

It’s almost impossible to list every curriculum, but I did list some of the major providers and resources homeschoolers are currently using.

This free printable for curriculum matched to homeschool approach is a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my Exclusive Subscriber’s Only Library and you get this freebie too.

This is how you get access quickly.
► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you.
►3) Look for the automatic reply giving you the password to the private subscriber’s area. You should have it soon.

Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages

IF you are already a follower/subscriber, find the MOST RECENT email from me and the password and link to the Subscribers Area are ALWAYS at the bottom of every email.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Determine Learning Styles Tagged With: classical approach, homeschool, homeschool learning styles, homeschoolapproach, unit study approach, workbook approach

How Homeschool Learning Styles Helps You to Accept Each Child’s Differences

July 23, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When I first heard about homeschool learning styles was when my first child was 5 years old. I wanted all the homeschool learning styles tips I could get.

And 20+ years later there is still mixed science about how much difference learning styles really makes.

Today, I’m sharing how understanding homeschool learning styles of not only my children, but myself was a positive experience.

Besides, the brain is such a fascinating machine and there is much to know about we learn.

How Homeschool Learning Styles Helps You to Accept Each Child's Differences

Nobody can really be labeled with one hundred percent accuracy. We’re always learning and changing.

So, I will share how learning styles helped me to accept differences in my children.

And now that my children are young adults, I’m glad I trusted what I know about my children and educated myself about learning styles.

Further, I will help you to sort out terms because it’s not necessary to speak educationalese to have a starting place.

Homeschool Style

First, this is the biggest point that helped me to understand learning styles.

And that is to move away from what a lot of educational institutions as well as universities identify as learning styles.

Without making this overly technical, a lot of professionals will write and speak about modalities.

It simply means how children or adults prefer to take in information.

Then, scientist and researchers have classified learners into kinesthetic (hands-on learner), auditory or visual.

How Homeschool Learning Styles Helps You to Accept Each Child's Differences

Also, some of that long standing research has changed to include one more group which is reading/writing. It is called the VARK model.

It stands for Visual, Auditory, Reading/ Writing, and Kinesthetic modalities for learning by (Fleming and Mills, 1992). 

However, the three major ones focused on for years are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. As you can see right away this may or may not be helpful.

Because I was not a public-school educator prior to homeschooling, it was not helpful.

Beginning Point for Types of Homeschool Styles

Hence expanding on how these learning modalities help us teach at home is more important than understanding all the scientific in/outs.

So, instead of focusing on just the components of modalities, focus on your child’s learning personality. What is his learning personality?

This expanded view opened a whole another view of how to teach.

Switch from just learning style to learning personality. Again, this encompasses all the things that make your child unique.

In other words, look below on how I expanded the profile of each of my children to go beyond modality.

  • What is his interest?
  • Is he an introvert or extrovert?
  • Does he naturally flock toward others or prefer long periods alone?
  • Are interests nature based (not because you expose them to him), technologically oriented, or just prefers to read a book about all of it?
  • Does he prefer to just build instead of talk about it?
  • Is he competitive almost defiant?
  • How about inventing? Is that all that matters? His inventions?

These are a few of the questions I started asking myself about each of my children. I added these to their preferred way of taking in information or learning style.

In addition, I examined how I learned and taught my children. With my first child, I had no problem teaching him.

However, my second son came along and all that changed.

I wasn’t sure I was cut out to teach him because none of my tips with my first child seemed to work with him.

Then started my research to learn how to expand learning styles to learning personalities.

One of the best books to this day although it’s older is Discover Your Child’s Learning Style: Children Learn in Unique Ways – Here’s the Key to Every Child’s Learning Success.

And here is their free pdf for an assessment.

Identifying Your Homeschooled Child’s Learning Personality

Finally, after years of putting the pieces together, I have created an online self-paced course on how to identify your homeschool child’s learning personality.

This course will give you solid beginning points and look what you will learn.

YOU WILL LEARN:

  • How to understand the way your child prefers to learn so that you can teach him in a way that he enjoys learning;
  • How to pinpoint your child’s learning personality;
  • A starting point in understanding (barring any special learning challenges or disabilities) and accepting your child’s preferred way of taking in information;
  • Understanding when the learning personality emerges; and
  • Teaching tips for each learning personality to stop the head-butting.

I have my course on my sister site How to Homeschool EZ by Tina Robertson.

How Homeschool Learning Styles Helps You to Accept Each Child's Differences

And look at these other resources about learning styles

  • Homeschooling: Learning Styles – What’s the Difference anyway?
  • What Are the Top 5 Homeschool Styles

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Determine Learning Styles, Homeschooling Tagged With: classical approach, homeschool, homeschool learning styles, homeschoolapproach, learningstyles, unit study approach, workbook approach

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