homeschoolanguagearts

Hands-On Literature: Make Alice in Wonderland Easy Cupcakes

October 7, 2017 | Leave a Comment
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Alice in Wonderland is probably one of my very favorite children’s books. It’s truly a great piece of literature.

And, while it’s often held up as a young children’s book, I think it’s a fantastic work for older elementary and middle school students to examine.

There are so many great lines in it. Some of my favorites are:

If you're looking for a fun and easy hands on idea to go with learning about Alice in Wonderland, your kids will love these Eat Me Cupcakes. Click here to see how to make them. Yum!

“Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

“I’m afraid I can’t explain myself, sir, because I am not myself.”

And the best line in the entire book: “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” (You could write a graduate thesis about all the possible meanings of that quote.)

Since the book is such a great story, I thought it’d also be fun to add a hands-on literature activity. So we made up some Alice in Wonderland Eat Me Cupcakes!

MORE ALICE IN WONDERLAND ACTIVITIES

How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature

See how to make these with your kids!

Hands-On Literature: Make Alice in Wonderland Eat Me Cupcakes

I’ll admit: I’m not much of a home baker. So I used a few shortcuts, namely, boxed cake mix and prepared frosting. You could always make this from scratch if you wanted.

But I wanted our cupcakes to be fun and that calls for Funfetti baking mix!

I also wanted them to be bright and cheery, so we went with bright blue frosting and hot pink cupcake liners.

Here’s the actual supply list:

One box Funfetti baking mix (You’ll need the ingredients on the box as well: eggs and vegetable oil)
One can Funfetti Aqua Blue Vanilla frosting (I didn’t use the fish sprinkles.)
Colored cupcake liners
White sugar pearls

Just a tip here: I learned (from somewhere) that using an ice cream scoop to divide the batter makes it easier to make the cupcakes even. It totally works.

We baked the cupcakes according to the directions on the box.

And then frosted them with the blue frosting. Now it was time to add the decorations!

And that’s where the sugar pearls come in! We sprinkled a few of them over the cupcakes and, on one of them, we spelled out the words “EAT ME”.

When Alice finishes drinking the potion from the bottle with the label that says “DRINK ME”, she comes across a small cake with the words “EAT ME” spelled out in raisins. After she eats the cake, she starts growing and is soon too big to fit back through the garden door.

That didn’t happen with us, thankfully. And it’s important to discuss why children should never, never, never eat or drink anything just because it’s there. But we knew what was in these, so we didn’t have any reason to hold back.

Baking Alice in Wonderland Eat Me Cupcakes

Chomp! They were so, so good, too.

These were so fun to make and eat! If you wanted to really have an Alice in Wonderland party, you could have a tea party and serve these alongside. Just make sure no one acts too “mad” at teatime!

Looking for more ways to bring literature to life? Try these ideas!

Cheaper By the Dozen Hands-On Literature: Learn Morse Code!

September 17, 2017 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Written by Jen at A Helping Hand Homeschool.

The novel Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey chronicles the adventures of the Gilbreth family. This family, as the title implies, had twelve children! They lived in New Jersey in the early 1900s, and they had some interesting times.

The Gilbreth parents were early efficiency experts, which meant that they studied processes and teaching methods used by businesses and found ways to make them better. Father didn’t just do this for a job, though – he tested his theories by teaching his children! Father taught his children everything from sailing a boat to using a typewriter, and some of his “projects” can be used by kids today.

In the 1830s, a man named Samuel F.B. Morse invented both Morse code and the transmitting system used to send and receive it. The code went through some changes before it became the alphabet we know today. Learn how to make this easy hands-on idea! Click here.

One of these involves learning Morse code! See how we turned it into a hands-on literature activity!

Hands-On Literature: Learn Morse Code!

In the 1830s, a man named Samuel F.B. Morse invented both Morse code and the transmitting system used to send and receive it. The code went through some changes before it became the alphabet we know today, but it has been in use for over 170 years. Originally, the receiving machine recorded the “dots” and “dashes” on a paper tape, kind of like an adding machine today.

Soon, though, operators became skilled enough to translate it by ear and just wrote down the message as it came through.

Today, we don’t use Morse code nearly as much as they did in the 1800s. It is still used among amateur radio operators though, and military pilots were required to know it up until the 1990s.

It’s a really fun and easy “language” to learn though, and it’s useful for a lot of things. It’s also really fun to be able to use a “secret code!”

To do this activity, you will need:

3 or more sheets of posterboard – white or light color works best
Permanent markers – 4 different colors
Cardstock “tags” (found in the scrapbook section of a craft store) or notecards – approximately 40
1” book ring or twine, string, or yarn
A journal or notebook

The first step to learning an alphabet like Morse code is to become familiar with it. In Cheaper by the Dozen, Father taught this code to his children (all of them!) over summer vacation. They complained that they didn’t want to study in the summer, so he promised them they wouldn’t have to.

Instead, he made it almost impossible for them not to learn it!

In order to give his children a constant but easy study tool, he grabbed a can of paint and started in the bathroom. He painted the Morse Code alphabet and mnemonic devices all over the walls! Then, he started in on the hallway, the porch, and the other rooms in their summer cottage.

Needless to say, the kids learned it quickly!

Now, I don’t recommend you paint your walls with Morse code, but you can achieve the same result with posterboard and some permanent markers. (I used four different colors: one for the English letter, one for vowels, one for consonants, and one for numbers.)

This way, your child has an easy reference to work with!

However, we also made a pocket version of this reference, a Decoder Booklet. Now, your child has their own decoder that is easy to carry around and use. We used cardstock “tags” that I purchased in the scrapbook section of my local craft store, but you could just as easily use notecards.

To make the booklet, I used one tag for each letter. I wrote the English letter on one side and the Morse code on the other, so it works like a flash card. For the Morse code letters and numbers, I used the same colors as on the poster.

With this Decoder Booklet, it’s easy to take a few minutes throughout the day to self-quiz and to do different activities. We had fun doing spelling homework in Morse code – it requires your child to both think through the spelling word and the code!

Once you and your kids have a handle on Morse code, it’s fun to write messages back and forth! Father and his children did this each day during the summer. He often left them clues to treats and prizes, but occasionally he used the messages to prank them!

Using a journal or a notebook, you and your kids can leave messages for each other – and respond – in Morse code. It’s really fun, and it helps you to learn and use Morse code much more easily!

Additional Morse Code Learning Resources:

Here are some fun and useful resources that you may want to add to this activity:

Learning Morse Code Patterns – If you have an auditory learner in the house, this video is a simple but effective way to learn the patterns for Morse code. It also teaches the phonetic military alphabet!
English to Morse Code Learning – This video lesson gives both auditory and visual cues to help connect the Morse code with the English letter.

Learn even more ways to make literature hands-on and fun for your kids!

How to Transition a Child From Reading to Literature

August 14, 2017 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When I was in 8th grade I had an English teacher who loved words and literary analysis. I picked up her love of words and reading, but not so much her affection for literary analysis. Later in life, my fondness for literary analysis and literature was ignited but my earlier aversion affected how I started teaching reading.

Determined that my boys would not be aliterate, I did some things right and some not so right when I first began to teach reading.

What I should’ve done with my first son was to introduce elements of literature earlier than I did. I’m grateful I didn’t totally mess up my kid because his love for excellent literature is apparent today.

From Reading to Literature

Let me back up first because understanding what is literature and what is reading can be confusing to the non-professional. It was to me.

And because there are so many facets about comprehending what is literature, it can seem almost over the top to grasp.

I’m going to speak in broad terms here because it’s important to see the big picture before you know how to transition a child from reading to literature. Teaching a child to read has these elements:

from the time he can sat on your lap, you begin reading aloud;
you teach him to associate symbols, which he later understands are letters with sounds;
you teach him that grouping together more than one letter helps him to blend sounds;
you begin to engage in formal and direction instruction which is phonics;
you continue with assisting him in learning phonics to about the fourth grade if necessary;
while you’re teaching him letter sounds, he cements those sounds by reading them in books, which gives him a purpose for reading;
you progress from early readers to chapter books; and
all throughout the years, you should be very picky about the quality of literature so that you hook an emerging reader on to lifelong reading.

Not focusing just on how to read but fostering a love of it in the early years is the key. That’s a tough enough job.

Here is one of my favorite programs to teach reading!

Switching gears to teaching literature is a gradual process as I’ve learned. It’s my opinion that whether or not you take a literature course in college, you’re not really prepared to know when to introduce all the features of literature to a young child. Of course, if you’re an English teacher that is different.

Before I go further, it’s important to also look at the elements of teaching literature which gives you a starting point in how to teach it. Here are some easy to understand features:

it’s about using good books that inspire readers;
it can effect the lives of people;
it may be praised for its literary value;
it may be famous for its historical value;
it’s about learning genres along with the elements of fiction;
it’s about exposure to a higher level vocabulary;
it’s learning how to extract meaning beyond what the author is stating;
it’s appreciating why literature can move us;
it’s about choosing a method, whether it’s an oral discussion only or part worksheet or part oral discussion to find one that suits your child’s learning style; and
it’s about moving from soft or fun literature to sophisticated literature which may not always be so fun.

As you can see, literature is an immense area to study. Knowing when to transition to teaching literature and not teaching reading is not an exact science.

Taming it doesn’t have to be a struggle if you know what to focus on at which ages or levels.

Now that you have an overview of the difference, here are a few strategies that won’t overwhelm you.

One/ Introduce genre in a natural way and not like I did with a workbook.

Even though I messed up with one child, I still had time to for a do over.

Instead of pulling out a worksheet to match genre types for books which your kids may not have read, simply explain the type of book it is.

As we read together from about third grade on, I saw the need to start explaining the genre and setting.

Now that two of my sons are young adults, I get different opinions from them.

One son critiqued me and wished I was more formal at the time when explaining the type of literature we were going to discuss and to include more worksheets. The second son critiqued me and said he wished there were no worksheets at all.

Teaching literature should take your child’s learning style into consideration but I also remember that I’m doing the teaching. And just because something is forced, it doesn’t mean it’s not good for my sons.

A balance between discussion and workbooks I feel gives a well-rounded approach and I ended up adapting to both learning styles

Two/ Book reports are not always required but you’ll want to determine a standard in how to analyze a reading.

What you would expect from a middle school student is not the same that you would expect from a high school teen.

Instead of doing book reports, take time to discuss the book with them. This means they read and come back to tell what they learned. I know it takes time, but literature is about taking time to let it move you.

In the beginning, they will just want to tell you what the book is about. Believe me after hearing the retelling of To Kill a Mockingbird numerous times, I thought I would lose patience. But seeing expressions on each of my son’s faced as they read it, made each time feel new. Each kid will identify with the protagonist, Scout, whether they agree with her or not. And understanding a six-year-old with a great wit is what drew my sons into learning about the story.

Three/ Analyzing and teaching literature is a gradual unfolding.

I did this part wrong too. When Mr. Senior 2013 started middle school, I thought that instantly he was going to understand things like a figure of speech, the elements of fiction, author’s point of view, and etc.

I needed to slow down and realize that from about middle to high school, analyzing literature is a gradual process. Just like higher level math requires a more mature thinking, so does literature.

Don’t be locked into grades, but evaluate each child’s reading level and comprehension.

If a child can’t read well yet or is still struggling to comprehend, it’s hard to delve into a deeper meaning of a novel.

Let him lounge in the learning to read stage a while longer.

If You Can Read, You Can Teach Literature

Although I didn’t completely turn my son off to excellent literature, I almost made the mistake by several educators which is to make learning about it too mechanical.

With my next sons, I added in hands-on learning in the elementary grades and middle school.

For example, while discussing the setting of a book, my sons drew what they thought a time period looked like.

When we read Winnie-the-Pooh they drew a forest for the Hundred Acre Wood. A simple map brings the setting of the book to life.

More Language Arts Resources

I didn’t know using puppets would be such a great hit with understanding If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Those are just a few tips in such a broad topic but I wanted to dive into sharing with you what worked and what didn’t work for me.

I’m going to continue on this topic by sharing some upcoming posts with tips about teaching your kids to high school.

Would you like to get some more tips? Tell me what kind of help you need the most.

Hugs and love ya,

The Ultimate Guide to Poetry for Multiple Ages (For the Intimidated)

April 22, 2017 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

In creating this ultimate guide to poetry for multiple ages, I’ve recalled my own lack of experience in teaching poetry. Unlike other areas of language arts, poetry can be intimidating to teach.

Taking the abstract to concrete, associating images with thoughts, limited experiences of child and teacher to appreciate figurative language, and comprehending the difference between imagery and metaphor are just a few of the elements that caused me to delay teaching poetry.

The Ultimate Guide to Poetry (For the Intimidated). Like living books, poetry needs to be appreciated first for the ability to move a reader. Rhythm and meter are art forms of poetry. And choosing the right words, a pause or space in between stanzas, and giving life to soulless objects are ways that a skillful poet evokes thoughts, feelings and imagination. Click here to learn how to skillfully teach poetry!

Crippled with my lack of education in understanding the language of poetry, I used prepared lesson plans to teach it in the early years of homeschooling.

Gaining momentum in the middle and high school years to move away from laid out resources and learn alongside my sons, I learned that poetry is similar to my love of reading; it’s more about the experience of reader to language than identifying all the poetry elements.

Like living books, poetry has to be appreciated first for the ability to move a reader.

Rhythm and meter are art forms of poetry. And choosing the right words, a pause or space in between stanzas, and giving life to soulless objects are ways that a skillful poet evokes thoughts, feelings and imagination.

Releasing the Inner Bard

Poetry is now one of my essentials in a reading program.

Although it may seem strange to an avid writer or reader, one point I appreciate more now is that a person is not obligated to share the joy of reading, writing or an emotional connection with a poem.

It can be intrinsic and the reader can possess an inner satisfaction without feeling compelled to tout all of his life’s experiences, positive or negative to the whole world.

Personal views and intimate thoughts about poetry can stay as an inner secret. Or if you want to join the great conversation of the world, a poem can pull you and others into discussing feelings, thoughts and experiences.

Like discussing a great book, agreeing with another person or not when discussing poetry isn’t the point. It’s about the power of moving you to think beyond your own life’s experiences or predetermined cultural values and expressing yourself with profound meaning.

Conversations with others, like reading words painted by a poet, are educational, entertaining, and expand our understanding of them. And reading poetry is like conversations with ones you love, like your children. It’s about speaking the right words in the correct order.

It’s taken me almost my whole journey of homeschooling to grasp those two very different views I can take to poetry. I hope it won’t take you that long to look beyond teaching the elements of poetry and peer into the hidden power of poetry.

Poetry Needs to Be Read Outloud

In this ultimate guide to poetry for multiple ages (for the intimidated), I hope to give you a starting point in reading and writing poetry.

Encourage your children to write poetry. Even the simplest word from their heart is rich with meaning and it is the stepping stone to creative writing. Encourage your children to read poetry outloud. They’ll love the option of keeping an inner secret or delighting others by publicly expressing their emotions through picture words.

General Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides, and Unit Studies

Haiku Writing Lesson
Poetry and Prose Lesson
Traditional Sonnet Forms Lesson
Immigrant Poetry Lesson
Culture Through Poetry Lesson
Line Breaks in Poetry Lesson
T.S. Eliot Biography for Children
Middle to High School: The Odyssey 104 page download.
Shape Poetry 2 page download.
Leaf by Leaf Autumn Poetry Lesson Plan

Writing Acrostic Poems Lesson
Rebus and Rhyme Lesson
Cinquain Poems Lesson
Emma Lazarus Lesson
African-American Poetry Lesson
Shel Silverstein Lesson Plans
Emily Dickinson Poetry Guide
My Book of Poems
17 page download
Sixth Grade Poetry Unit 59 page download.

Printable Poetry Resources

Poetry Memorization Printables
Lyric and Free Verse Notebooking Pages
Ballad Notebooking Pages
Pastoral and Sonnet Notebooking Pages
Printable Motivational Poems
Fall Poetry Printables
Poetic Devices Minibook
Nursery Rhymes Notebooking Pages
Printable Limerick Exercise
Cinquain Poem Printables
Printable Nonsense Poetry
Printable Jumbled Poetry Worksheet
Rhyming Couplets Worksheet
Irony in Poetry Worksheet
Poetry Foot and Line Flash Cards
Simile Poem Worksheet
Poetry Terms Worksheet
Street Sign Poetry Worksheet

Printable Robert Frost Copywork
Poetry Memorization Cards
Narrative Poetry and Haiku Printables
Villanelle Notebooking Pages
Limerick and Nonsense Verse Notebooking Pages
Emily Dickinson Riddle Poem Cards
Printable Limerick Activity
Over the River Poem Copywork
Mother Goose Rhyme Copywork
Printable Five Line Poem Worksheet
Acrostic Poem Printables
Printable Poetry Language Planner
Pirates Acrostic Poem Worksheet
Poetry Vocabulary Match Worksheet
Poetry Alliteration Worksheet
Biography Poem Worksheet
Writing Onomatopoeia Worksheet
Writing a Ballad Worksheet Narrative Poetry Worksheet
Epitaph Poetry Printable Activity
Rhythm and Rhyme in Poetry Printable
Poetry Uses Rhyme Worksheet
Printable Greece Poetry Copywork
Printable Texas Poetry Copywork

Homeschooling Poetry Tips

Charlotte Mason Poetry Homeschool Routine
Haiku Poetry Lesson
Self-Expression Exercises for Kids
Describe the Sky Exercise
How to Write a Diamond Poem
Using Poetry for Family History
Ways to Use Poetry in School

Reasons to Teach Poetry
5 Steps for Studying Poetry
How to Notebook with Poetry
How to Teach Shakespearean Sonnets
Tips for Teaching Haiku Writing
50 Tips for Teaching Poetry
How to Write a Name Poem
Exercising Imagination Activity

Poetry Crafts and Hands-On Activities

Life-Sized Poetry Board Game
Mary Mary Quite Contrary Craft
Poetry Journaling
Historical Poetry Writing
Create a Poetry Scrapbook
Poetry Smelling Game
Throw an Open Mic Poetry Party
Lunch Bag Sestinas Writing

How to Add Fun Teatime To Your Homeschool Poetry Study
DIY Magnetic Poetry Kit
Creating Art Haiku
Picture and Poetry Activity
Poetry Shopping Spree
Poetry Invisible Ink Activity
Jump Rope Rhymes
Poetry Charades Game
Photographic Poetry Activity
Writing Found Poetry
Photograffiti Poetry
Blackout Poetry
Poetry Learning Station Ideas

Poetry Books for Homeschoolers

Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets by Kwame Alexander
Poetry Speaks of Who I Am: Poems of Discovery, Inspiration, Independence, and Everything Else by Elise Paschen
Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem From the Inside Out by Ralph Fletcher
The Random House Book of Poetry for Children by Jack Prelutsky

Here’s a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry by Jane Yolen
Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings by Shel Silverstein

Save

You’ll also want to read How to Easily Add Poetry to Your Homeschool Subjects,
24 Borderline Genius Ways To Relieve Language Arts Boredom and
How To Teach Your Homeschooled Children Shakespeare.
Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved)

Hugs and love ya,

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.

Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

This blog hop is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutual beneficial projects.

Click the image below to visit all the other blog articles from the homeschool moms of the iHomeschool Network.

21 Hands-on Ideas for Homeschool Spelling From a Seasoned Mom

April 3, 2017 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Wanting my sons to love words and spelling as much as I do, I was anxious when I started to teach spelling. And there was plenty I did wrong, but there was a lot I did right. I want to ease your fears by sharing this list of 21 hands-on ideas to teach homeschool spelling because playing with letters and learning sounds in the beginning builds a solid foundation into adulthood.

Holding my sons responsible for their spelling from the time we started doing formal spelling lessons until they graduated high school was key. But good spellers don’t start with formal lessons.

Spelling, like the three Rs, is a skill subject. This means you look for a period of readiness that comes before formal steps. Children need time to explore with letters, sounds and parts of words until they formally put them together. Don’t rush it like I started off doing. That is why it’s called preschool. Pre-reading, pre-math, and pre-spelling come before formal lessons.

Backing up, I put away my formal lessons in Kindergarten to be sure my first son had plenty of time to explore the concept that a symbol or letter represented a sound. Teaching my children after him followed that same pattern.

I’m here to tell you, at the beginning stages it’s not so important to teach letter names as it is the sound they represent.

This doesn’t mean you have to push aside playing an ABC game in spelling, but try to think in terms of how spelling flows into reading.

Reading is partially about memorizing words but strategies for attacking unknown words begins with solid spelling skills.

As you begin applying 21 hands-on ideas to teach homeschool spelling, remember that you’re building a foundation for spelling mastery. And by communicating with your child every day, he has already picked up a lot about spelling through natural interaction with you.

I had wished that mindset was something I valued more at the time, but it’s hard to appreciate that when you feel you may mess up your kids for life. Right?

Although it wasn’t back in covered wagon times when I started homeschooling like my boys think, it was back before more information was available about using a multi-sensory approach.

That is just educational jargon for learning to take information in through more than one sense. Learning hands-on and through sight makes the language of spelling stick.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Write in chocolate pudding. No arguments from the kids – ever. Yogurt works great too.2. Write using candy licorice. Using a clean pair of kid-friendly scissors, my boys cut the shapes of letters and stuck them in white icing on a graham cracker. Yum. That is the way I got their sugar in for the day.

3. Write in salt.

4. Write on a chalkboard.

5. Cut out letters from card stock and spell words.

6. Write with a squirt bottle of water or paint on sidewalk.

7. Write with a paintbrush dipped in paint.

8. Write in shaving cream.

9. Paint on small rocks. The boys also loved this activity. They would play for hours arranging the rocks to spell words.

10. Form words and letters using play-doh.

11. Form words and letters using edible peanut butter dough.

Hands down this was a favorite for my boys. It worked beautifully with each son as they showed readiness. I timelessly used this recipe of powdered milk, peanut butter and honey over and over again.
And unless your kids are allergic to peanut butter dough, you’ll love using this recipe for letters, words and teaching ending and beginning sounds.

12. Match pictures or cards with sounds. Toys and manipulatives always engage young children. Buying a few games and educational learning supplies early, I was able to use them extensively with each child.13. Use music for singing and spelling words. Big books aren’t just for a classroom. My kids fell in love with them at home. I used them for teaching spelling.

We listened to the music, while looking at the letters and singing along R – E – D red.

The wonderful thing about this is that a child can touch the letters, point to them while listening to the words and letters through music. It’s a way to learn through another mode.

Spelling Super Tips

14. Use magnetic letters.

Magnetic letters placed on the refrigerator and at the height of the your child encourages him to learn letters and practice spelling in quick learning spurts. This timeless teaching tips still works in today’s techie world.

15. Write with a magnetized pen to trace over letters.

16. Write using a trace erase board. I had no idea when I purchased the trace erase board how much I would use them through the years. I started using them spelling practice and purchased other pages to insert inside them for other skills. I loved these because I could take them with us.

The kids write on the acrylic face. In other words, unlike slipping a page into a plastic sleeve, your kids always have a hard surface to write on. There is a space between the face and the backboard to insert pages. You can change out the skills. Writing, erasing and practicing kept my kids learning for a long time.17. Use alphabet sound teaching tubs. I bought a set of tubs and used them for several years with each child as they came along. When I bought them they were not as expensive as they are now; I bought mine from Lakeshore Learning. I think this alphabet object set is just as good if you don’t have time to hunt for one or make your own.

Something else you can do is to make your own set. Save small plastic dishes with lids or buy an inexpensive set at a dollar store and collect miniature dollar store toys.

I did this too and it works great although some letter sounds are hard to find.

18. Hole punch letters. This is what I call a two-fer. Not only do your kids work on their fine motor skills more directly, but they learn their letters.

19. Write using stencil sets.

This also was a big hit at my home. Finding a large size stencil is not hard. These Karty Large Alphabet Stencils work great for coloring, placing glue in the area and pouring glitter (uggg, not my favorite, but the kids loved it), tracing and filling in with tiny pom poms, cereal, beans, play-doh or paint.

20. Match letters-the fun way. This is an easy project you can set up at any time.

Instead of drawing lines on a boring page to match lettters get creative to make it hands-on and engaging. For example, I used a slab of play-dough to form a big square. Creating two columns, I placed plastic letters on each side and my husband’s golf tees (he “lost” several that way) above each letter. My boys used yarn to match the letters.

21. Hit a balloon up in the air. This is great for boys because they can hit something and not each other. I know, I used it with each son and it always returned great learning results.

Blow up a bag of balloons, use a marker, and write one letter on each balloon. Your kids can play, hit the balloon in the air while saying the letter or sound. This works great for pretty well anything like numbers, math facts, and cvc words. I know that is beside the point, but when beginning to teach it takes time to get the teaching wheels turning so I’m hoping it will get your creative juices flowing.

Having used numerous spelling programs but without a multi-sensory approach, I was delighted to be able to use All About Spelling when it came out.

It truly is one of the best spelling programs I’ve used and I’ve used many. I know you’ll love how easy All About Spelling makes spelling now.
I hope these tips will help you to teach spelling in a way that make your children become master spellings because they worked for me!

What spelling ideas have worked for your kids?

Do you want to see how this step leads to the next one?

Look here at how early letter writing and spelling blossoms into beautiful writing. Teaching Handwriting When Homeschooling the Early Years Part 1, Teaching Handwriting When Homeschooling the Early Years Part 2 and Teaching Handwriting When Homeschooling the Early Years Part 3.

Hugs and love ya,

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.

Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

homeschoolanguagearts

Hands-On Literature: Make Alice in Wonderland Easy Cupcakes

MORE ALICE IN WONDERLAND ACTIVITIES

Hands-On Literature: Make Alice in Wonderland Eat Me Cupcakes

Cheaper By the Dozen Hands-On Literature: Learn Morse Code!

Hands-On Literature: Learn Morse Code!

Additional Morse Code Learning Resources:

How to Transition a Child From Reading to Literature

From Reading to Literature

Here is one of my favorite programs to teach reading!

If You Can Read, You Can Teach Literature

More Language Arts Resources

The Ultimate Guide to Poetry for Multiple Ages (For the Intimidated)

Releasing the Inner Bard

Poetry Needs to Be Read Outloud