Articles

School's Out for the Summer by Cindy Wiggers

Now what? What are you going to do with all that free time? "Free time? What is THAT?"� you ask, Since I started home schooling I haven't heard of such a thing! Summer is supposed to be that time of year when you kick back, relax by the pool and bask in the warm rays of sunshine, take a day trip to your local attractions, put the books behind, skip out on the curriculum, and live a little right? Only in your dreams!  Full Article

How Do I Make a Timeline? by Cindy Wiggers

Have you wanted to use a timeline, but never gotten around to it? Perhaps you've never even seen a timeline and now you want to include one in your school. After all, there are many benefits to using a timeline. Among them are creativity, increased memory retention, enhancing kinesthetic learning, improving history comprehension and the list goes on…. If you've always wanted to start a timeline, there's no better "time"� than now. Let me set your mind at ease and give you some basic guidelines.  Full Article

Family Heritage and Timelines by Cindy Wiggers

Have you tried using a timeline yet? Here's a great family project that opens the door to a variety of learning opportunities. It involves exercising and developing research skills, communication, and organization, and promotes family unity to boot. Put your family tree on a timeline.  Full Article

Using Atlases and Almanacs by Cindy Wiggers

We receive lots of questions that students could answer easily for themselves if they had a basic understanding of how to select and use the appropriate atlas or almanac. How well do your students use reference materials? These guidelines and suggestions will help you direct your students to improve their personal research skills and help foster a love for learning.  Full Article

Take a Break from the Books by Cindy Wiggers

Hands-on learning is usually, fun, memorable and a great break from textbook curriculum assignments. However, finding meaningful projects which don't belong a week later in the circular file (you know, the trash bin) or in which we have to find a place to store it is sometimes a real task in itself. Although I can't guarantee you'll have a place to store each of these projects, the fun factor and learning value should outweigh the little storage situation.  Full Article

Integrating Geography—Geography is Everywhere! by Cindy Wiggers

Geography is a subject that is easy to teach and fun to study. All you need is a good atlas, some simple outline maps, and whatever curriculum you are already using for history and science. Science? If you're thinking there may be an error here, let me set you straight—yes, science! You see, geography is much more than simply knowing WHERE a place is located on a map or memorizing states and capitals.   Full Article

Instilling a Love for Learning by Cindy Wiggers

Many of our most meaningful learning experiences were those that occurred as a course of daily life and not from reading textbooks. I was determined that I wanted my kids to love learning and to see that goal fulfilled I discovered I couldn't depend on "canned" curriculums alone.  Full Article

Student Notebooking - Learning at its Best by Cindy Wiggers

Have you ever kept a journal? Were you faithful to it? When you were on a roll with it wasn't it a fulfilling experience? Have you looked back at any past journal and seen your growth since then? Maybe you've never kept a journal, but know someone who does. Did you know that most of what we know today about many of our founding fathers such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and George Washington, we know from their personal journals? Teach your students to keep a journal of their learning and watch their academics soar.   Full Article

Organizing a Local National Geographic Bee by Cindy Wiggers

We are often asked how homeschoolers can participate in the National Geographic Geography Bee. This article outlines infomation on how to set up a local Bee with your community of home school students.  Full Article

Adding Spice to Any Lesson by Cindy Wiggers

Geography is such a great subject to incorporate into just about any other topic of study and many daily experiences. Taking a geography detour with your studies can add delight and depth to many varieties of topics. It helps students get the bigger picture and recognize order in the universe. Here are some ideas and a practical example.  Full Article

Are we stupid? by Don Estes

A recent news report featured headlines from Liberia, Iraq, France and Venezuela. The two men listening, inquired of one another what America had in common with those countries. They concluded their discussion asking each other where in the world those places were located!  Full Article

The Worldview Big Tent by Ruth Beechick

Worldview is the big tent over all that you do in homeschooling. This good news is that you don’t need a special course called worldview. Your mind can pull together instead of fracturing left and right toward all the academics you are trying to teach.  Full Article