Although snow and sledding aren’t likely something you’re thinking about in the dog days of summer, planning for the upcoming school year might be, and the book Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan would make an excellent study in project-based learning for your family. The book was written in 1942 and still captivates 8-12 year [...]
Archive for the ‘Reading’ Category
Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan Teaches Adventuresome Project-Based Learning
Posted by JenniferN on August 14th, 2012
Posted in Homeschool, Reading 
Tags: Books, homeschool, Literature, Project-based learning, reading, Snow Treasure 
Comments OffA Roald Dahl Summer
Posted by ginac on July 9th, 2012
Rainy day art projects, backyard adventures and culinary experiments are perfect activities for keeping your child’s imagination engaged; and who better to help you than Roald Dahl? James and the Giant Peach The Giant Peach – Grab a magnifying glass and study a peach together! This is a great way for a child to see [...]
Why it’s Important that Tor/Forge Books are Going DRM-Free
Posted by ginac on April 25th, 2012
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a security measure placed on digital material to prevent people from making unauthorized copies of copyrighted material. The problem that occurs, though, is that people comfortable with printed books that have made the shift to ebooks find that DRM protections prevent them from using ebooks the way they currently use [...]
Apple’s Publishing Apps Appeal to Homeschool Authors
Posted by ginac on March 30th, 2012
It’s as if Steve Jobs had homeschoolers in mind when the folks at Apple created the newest version of iBooks. It certainly keeps in step with their mission of magic. iBooks 2 includes the iBooks Author app which may be the coolest thing I’ve seen this year. Granted, it’s barely Spring, but you get the [...]
Posted in Apple, Back to School, Eclectic Homeschooling, Homeschool, iPad, Reading, technology, Writing Tags: Apple, Author, homeschool, iBooks Comments OffNicholas Negroponte on Solve for X: Learning By Themselves
Posted by ginac on February 9th, 2012
Google’s new moonshot thinking initiative, Solve for X, is a TED-like big idea gathering where iconic thinkers’ talks are video recorded and shared freely online. Of particular interest is Nicholas Negroponte’s talk on tablet computing technology innovations that might revolutionize learning in the emerging world. Nicholas talks about amazing innovations for tablet devices. Someday soon, [...]
Posted in Learning Methods, Reading, Science, social change Tags: Android, Constructivist, literacy, Nicholas Negroponte, One Tablet Per Child, Seymour Papert, tablet devices Comments OffApps, Androids, iPads: Using Tablet Computers to Enhance Student Reading
Posted by ginac on February 1st, 2012
As tablet style computers become more common, it is necessary for educators to determine how best to use them in the classroom setting. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the unique advantages tablet-based educational applications (apps) offer in teaching children effective literacy skills. By making effective use of these new and interactive techniques, instructors [...]
Inheritance Series Book 4 Release Date Announced – We’re Celebrating with Free Stuff!
Posted by ginac on November 5th, 2011
Our Giveaway has now ended. Thanks to everyone who participated. Congratulations to Melissa Taylor for winning the Inheritance Book! Enjoy the free Inheritance Series resources we’ve created and curated just for Inheritance Series fans. Get the Inheritance Vocabulary List Inheritance series vocabulary list - Google Doc (web page) Inheritance series vocabulary list - Google Doc (Downloadable [...]
Posted in Activities, Books, Contests, Reading Tags: Books, Brinsingr, Eldest, Eragon, fantasy fiction, giveaway, Inheritance, Inheritance Series, Paolini, reading, Saphira, young adult literature 14 Comments »Learning by the Path of Least Resistance
Posted by ginac on October 31st, 2011
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao-Tzu Humanity has disrupted nature’s path of least resistance by creating cities, structures, roads, and even political systems that defy natural conditions. We [...]
Posted in Eclectic Homeschooling, Interdisciplinary, Reading, STEAM, Unit Study Tags: constrtuctivism, creativity, Homeschooling, Learning, play, Project-based learning, technology, Unschooling, whole learning Comments OffGreat Collection of Literacy Resources for Young Children
Posted by ginac on October 14th, 2011
The Book Chook’s Susan Stephenson has compiled terrific literacy resources in an easy-to-browse format using Scoop.it. Susan is passionate about literacy, and the resources she has curated in this collection reflect her goals of making learning and reading enjoyable for children. Through Susan’s collection, I learned about Youngzine, an online news magazine for school aged children — [...]
Posted in Books, Games, Literacy, Literature, Reading, Writing Tags: Book Chook, Books, childrens literacy, literacy, play, reading, Writing Comments OffFavorite Halloween Books for Little Kids
Posted by ginac on October 5th, 2011
As a young child, my favorite Halloween book was “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”. Even though I read it over and over, I always hoped the Great Pumpkin would show itself at the end of the book. That’s the best thing about good books — they inspire our imaginations. We don’t care for truly [...]
