Middle School Archives - Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

3 Inexpensive Screen-Free Games That Make Math Fun

December 5, 2019 By Kris Bales

If you’re looking for inexpensive, screen-free games that make math fun, check out the games from Absolute Zero. From practicing sums of ten to adding positive and negative integers, kids can practice vital math skills, all while having a blast!

I have a confession. When I’m playing games with friends and family, I make every effort not to be the scorekeeper. It stresses me to have people watching and waiting for me to tally their score.

What if I make an addition error? What if I draw a complete blank trying to add two numbers? Yes, I’m a grown adult, and I do possess basic math skills, but that math phobia from my school days is deeply embedded in my brain.

I know others share those math-phobic feelings. That’s why I love products like the games from Absolute Zero! They help kids overcome math anxiety by developing number sense in a fun, stress-free way.

Three Games that Make Math Fun from Absolute Zero

When I was actively homeschooling young learners, I relied heavily on games as a teaching tool. If we could make it a game, we did. And, I strongly preferred board and card games over online or computer-based games because once we turned that screen on, it was always hard to turn it off and get back on track.

That’s why I was so excited to discover the games from Absolute Zero. Created by a mom and math teacher, these games meet four of my main criteria:

They are educational card games that are fun to play
There are games for both older and younger students
There are tips for adapting each game for a broader range of skill level
Each game focuses on skills that kids need to improve number sense

[Read more…]

90’s Boy Bands: The Hot New Curriculum for Homeschoolers

September 26, 2019 By Guest Author

You don’t need to know how to play music to teach guitar in your home school. Moosiko makes learning guitar fun and easy for you and your children.

The following sponsored guest post was written by Dan Mascola, founder of Moosiko.

Okay, maybe they don’t want to learn 90’s boy bands, but I’ll bet your kids want to learn guitar! Moosiko is a new online guitar learning platform. It teaches beginners how to play their favorite songs and build skills on guitar. You can get in on the fun, too, and learn with your students.

Moosiko Online Guitar Lessons for Homeschool

Benefits of Music Instruction

Learning an instrument should be required for any middle or high school (homeschooled or not) curriculum. The benefits of playing music far outweigh the investment. [Read more…]

Explore the World (and Learn Coding!)

August 16, 2019 By Kris Bales

Kids can explore world cultures, hone their writing skills, and learn to code with The Adventurous Mailbox! Learn more with this Adventurous Mailbox review.

Thanks to the Internet and the fact that it’s available 24/7 on devices small enough to fit in our pockets, our big wide world has evolved into a pretty small space. That fact has its pros and cons. One of the cons is that thanks to an emerging world culture, we’re at risk of losing touch with the rich diversity of individual cultures.

The Adventurous Mailbox hopes to change that by exploring the beauty of a variety of countries’ cultures through exciting books and activities. Along the way, kids ages 8-12 will learn the basics of coding, hone their writing skills, and learn about the history, geography, and folklore of the countries they visit.

What Is The Adventurous Mailbox?

The Adventurous Mailbox is an exciting book series and accompanying website that explores world cultures through the eyes of Crameye. Crameye is a young kid from Taiwan who goes on some pretty crazy adventures with his best friend, Neva. Oh, and there’s also Crameye’s kid sister, Buster, and Neva’s little sister, Thor. [Read more…]

13 Hands-On Activities for Kids That Will Make Learning Fun

November 13, 2018 By Kris Bales

Hands-on activities for kids and teens make learning memorable and fun. Try these 13 hands-on learning activities that are versatile enough for any subject.

I still feel guilty. I carefully constructed my see-saw and placed the bucket of plastic army men on one end. Now, I was ready to jump on the other end and watch the bucket spin through the air, army men nestled safely inside, and land a few feet away just like the scenes in cartoons.

Except cartoons defy the laws of physics and gravity. Buckets of plastic army men in kindergarten classrooms do not.

I wish I could remember the name of the little boy I let take the fall for me. I’d apologize for high-tailing it in the other direction while our teacher scolded him for raining plastic army men all over the classroom.

Forever emblazed in my mind, that memory embodies hands-on learning at its finest. (Expect for my innocent classmate.) Activities that engage the body and mind enhance learning and retention. The best hands-on learning activities for kids are open-ended, versatile, and easily adaptable for all ages.

The following activities will work for any age and nearly any subject whether you’re looking for hands-on activities for middle school and high school students or ideas for your elementary kids.

Versatile Hands-on Activities for Kids

1. Build a Map

Increase understanding and help kids visualize history and geography with a 3-D map. Building maps helps kids understand things like why Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt appear mislabeled on a flat map.

Maps help them see the role that geography plays in wars, culture, and civilization. Try some of our favorite hands-on activities with maps such as:

2. Make Costumes

Kids love costumes, simple or elaborate. I’m no seamstress, so when my kids were little, we assembled store-bought costumes or simple, DIY options.

Sewing your own costumes provides hands-on learning for math skills as your child measures, figures out how much material she’ll need, and cuts out the pattern. Don’t forget to count this as home ec time!

3. Put on a Play or Puppet Show

From writing the script to building the set, kids practice a variety of skills as they prepare a puppet show or play. They learn dialogue, descriptive writing, oral communication, art, creativity, and more.

Performing the play and acting out the scenes they create, reinforces students’ understanding of the people, places, and events they’re studying.

4. Create a Presentation

Oral presentations make a fantastic alternative to written assessments. Preparing the presentation provides an opportunity for kids to review. Presenting it showcases what they learned (and may highlight areas you need to go over again).

Students can assemble an oral presentation with or without a presentation board, or they can try their hand at PowerPoint, a slideshow, or photo journaling.

5. Make a Paper Mâchè Model

Easily add hands-on learning to subjects like history, science, or geography with paper mache models. Build a model of the earth or even the whole solar system.

Way back in the day, my oldest created a paper mache Leaning Tower of Pisa when we studied Italy. I remember my cousin making a model of the Liberty Bell when he was a kid. There are so many creative possibilities!

Think about science models, historic landmarks, or replicas of key elements from a novel for a literature course.

6. Prepare a Themed Dinner

You probably first think of history or geography when considering a themed dinner, but with a little creativity, meals could represent concepts from science, math and other subjects.

Fix pizza and a round cookie cake when studying circumference. Make a pie for Pi Day. Bake an apple pie when you study Issac Newton.

7. Do a Paper Bag Book Report

Toss boring written book reports and try a paper bag book report instead. Kids start with a paper bag and add items that represent some aspect of the book (or a person’s life, a time in history, or an invention). Then, they pull out the items, one by one, and recap the highlights of the book as they explain the significance of each.

8. Make a Lapbook or Notebook

One popular, hands-on method of showcasing what kids have learned is assembling a lapbook. You can make your own lapbooks or try a variety of ready-made lapbook sets.

If your kids aren’t fans of lapbooking (mine aren’t), let them make a story notebook or notebooking instead.

9. Build a Diorama or Model

My kids used to love building dioramas for different biomes (like the ocean or dessert), but you can adapt these little shoebox models for many different purposes.

If dioramas aren’t your thing, try other model options like a construction paper representation of Earth’s layers, a shoebox lid Roman road replica, or an edible cell model. Just don’t drop it!

10. Create Art

Your kid doesn’t have to be an artist, and his projects don’t have to be elaborate. Encourage him to choose something that represents some aspect of the topic he’s studying. He might try a collage of vertebrates if studying mammals or a painting of sea creatures for marine biology.

Kids can make their own cave paintings on paper bags. Let them create a mixed media masterpiece depicting a historical event or famous person or try their hand at sculpting with clay.

11. Write an ABC Book

Don’t skip this idea just because you have high school students! ABC books make a versatile tool for all ages. Use blank board books or homemade books to create an ABC story on any topic. The older your student, the more detail you can require for the book.

Your student can create a math ABC book – A is for angle, B is for base, and C is for circumference.

Try geography – A is for archipelago, B is for beach, and C is for canal.

The possibilities for ABC book topics are endless!

12. Play Games

Games make a fun, low-key way to learn new topics or review concepts. Bingo, matching, memory, or fishing are some of my favorite, easily adaptable, DIY games for almost any subject.

For fishing, tie a magnet to a dowel rod with a piece of twine. Then, put paper clips on index-card “fish” or cut fun fish shapes from construction paper. When kids catch the fish, they have to read or define the word, explain the concept, or answer a question based on what you wrote on the card.

You can also use your imagination, a pack of index cards, and the board from most board games to create your own homemade learning games. Jeopardy is a fantastic game for teens and tweens or try Periodic Table Battleship.

13. Take a Field Trip

We’ve done everything from caves (for geology) to a replica of one of Columbus’ ships (history) to an emergency room (health and safety). We’ve even done an official (as opposed to a homeschool stereotype) field trip to a grocery store.

Heading out to see the things you’ve been studying in person is one of the best hands-on learning activities around. Simple, stress-free homeschool field trip planning tips make a group outing a breeze. Try my field trip ideas for middle school and high school students or get some fantastic field trip ideas for preschoolers.

Hands-on activities for kids and teens make learning fun and memorable – plastic army men and 5-year-old innocent bystanders not required.https://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/encounter-with-a-homeschooler/

What are some versatile hands-on activities that you and your kids enjoy?

Like these ideas? Discover more in my subscriber exclusive, Hands-On Learning, a 54-page e-book with 10 hands-on activities featuring full-color step-by-step tutorials. It’s free for subscribers!

When Your Struggling Learner Refuses to Try

September 13, 2018 By Shawna Wingert

Written by Shawna Wingert of Not the Former Things.

If I had saved all the pencils my sons have snapped in half over the past nine years of homeschooling, I am certain I could build a small cabin in woods with them.

(Both of my boys have a habit of blaming the pencil for their learning struggles.)

Although they are very different learners, both struggle with coping, staying calm and remaining engaged when our schooling gets tough. The truth is, much of the time, and for a variety of reasons, they simply refuse to try.

Nothing makes me more frustrated as a homeschooling mom than when my struggling learner refuses to try.

When Your Struggling Learner Refuses to Try

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This year, I am committed to easing the stress of this resistance. For all of us!

When my oldest son was in public school, much of our life revolved around him refusing to leave the house or get out of the car in the morning to even go to school. And then there was the repeated refusal to complete homework at night.

The seemingly constant resistance was a nightmare and one of the main reasons we decided to homeschool in the first place. But as time has gone on, some of the same issues have resurfaced.

The balking when the books come out.

The shrug when asked by his doctor if he likes being homeschooled.

The pile of broken pencils.

Because I want our learning to be as joyful as possible, and because we typically follow a more interest-led, project-based style of schooling, decreasing this resistance has become a top priority – especially as my boys head into middle school and high school this year.

When Your Struggling Learner Refuses To Try

The best way to address a refusal to try and to engage in learning is to try to understand what is causing it. In my experience, there are five key reasons my sons might resist learning.

1. It’s Boring

How many times have I heard this? If what I am hoping we will study is too easy or just plain dull, it will almost always cause a bit of resistance. I am not sure I blame them.

2. It’s Difficult

If the information is way beyond their grasp and understanding, or if they forgot some of the foundational pieces necessary for learning a new concept (this is an issue particularly with math), my boys will more than likely just refuse to try. It’s not an ideal response, but it is the reality.

3. Rigid Thinking

Rigid thinking is a substantial factor in my oldest son’s success or refusal when it comes to learning. If he perceives something as unnecessary and/or idiotic (his word), he will flat out refuse to spend his time on it. This rigid thinking is part of his learning differences. It is also part of his teenager-ness.

4. Anxiety and/or Fear of Failure

If my youngest is feeling anxious about the learning (or anything else), lessons quickly become strenuous. Sometimes, this is only because he is afraid he will fail and feel discouraged about his learning struggles. Sometimes, the anxiety comes up independent of what we are learning and derails him. Either way, anxiety is a powerful factor in a child’s refusal to learn and try.

If you suspect that your child may have a learning disability, try the free, online learning disabilities test from Lexercise.

5. Physical Concerns

If my children are hungry, sleep deprived or haven’t been outside for fresh air in a while, learning becomes so much more difficult. I understand. When I have had four cups of coffee but forgot to eat breakfast, I start to give up on our learning too.

How To Respond When Your Child Refuses To Try

Now that we have discussed some key factors as to why our children refuse to try, I want to share a little bit about what helps my family get back on track when one more of my kiddos is resistant to learning.

Start Small

Sometimes, the best way to move forward is to take a few steps back. When I notice increased refusals, meltdowns, and overall negativity associated with our learning, my first response is to slow things down. Reviewing past topics to ensure retention serves to increase my children’s confidence in their own abilities. It also lessens the fear of failure and subsequent anxiety.

In the same way, I also shorten lessons, keeping them to about 15-20 minutes max. I try to make it feel as effortless as possible initially until my sons show signs of feeling more equipped to move forward.

Discuss The Value

For my oldest, this is essential. Because he will absolutely refuse to learn something he does not see as valuable, I find the best way to get him back on track is to help him understand why we are studying a particular topic. For example, he struggles to see how he will ever need math in life. He has a calculator on his phone and that is quite enough as far as he is concerned. Once we looked at the requirements for high school graduation in our state, however, he saw the value in his continued practice and learning. He may not enjoy it all the time, but he doesn’t totally refuse either.

Ask For Input

This is one of the best suggestions I have for helping the child who is refusing to learn. I ask him either what he would like to learn (if the current topic is one I am willing to let go) or how he would like to learn it. For example, my youngest struggles with writing but loves creating stories. He suggested that he make up stories and tell me what to write for our creative writing program. I happily accepted the position of scribe.

Take A Break

There are days when it just isn’t working. Rather than force it, sometimes the best response to my sons’ resistance is to take a break. Depending on the day, this might mean a quick trip to grab lunch outside the house, listening to an audiobook in the car, and calling it a day. Other days, it might mean going for a swim in our pool and then getting back to work. It’s effective, and I find that my children are less likely to resist when they have had a chance to breathe and refuel a bit.

All children will, at one point or another, for one reason or another, refuse to try. It is a part of learning their own capabilities and the march towards independence and adulthood. While it can be difficult in the moment, please, let me encourage you, one day, week, or even month does not define an entire homeschool education.

When our children refuse to try, what better place to learn how to manage and cope than at home, with a teacher who loves them!

What works for you when your child refuses to try?