Homeschooling basically is a kind of teaching method which is parents themselves will educate their children at home. Since education in Korea is quite pricey for our kids (and since the company did not sponsor the school fee) thus we decided to start homeschooling our kids. The ideas came from Kak Ida, an awesome mom..hehehe. Since Nabila is 5 years old now so we dedicate this homeschool especially for her. At the same time, it's really a good exposure for Bella since she is 3 and Sofia and Aman who are 2 years old. Putting into action, Kak Ida is Reading Teacher, Zai is Islamic Edu Teacher and me as Maths Teacher. By the way, the kids really enjoying themselves and as mothers, we enjoy teaching them too!!!
Here are some references on what activities that can be done during homeschooling. This info is copy paste from Mr. Google...
Understanding Numbers
Numbers are used to describe
quantities, to count, and to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Understanding
numbers and knowing how to combine them to solve problems helps us in all areas
of math.
Count everything!
Count toys,
kitchen utensils, and items of clothing as they come out of the dryer. Help
your child count by pointing to and moving the objects as you say each number
out loud. Count forwards and backwards from different starting places. Use
household items to practise adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.
Sing counting songs and read counting
books.
Every culture has counting songs, such as "One, Two, Buckle My
Shoe" and "Ten Little Monkeys", which make learning to count –
both forwards and backwards – fun for children. Counting books also capture
children’s imagination, by using pictures of interesting things to count and to
add.
Discover the many ways in which numbers
are used inside and outside your home.
Take your child on a "number
hunt" in your home or neighbourhood. Point out how numbers are used on the
television set, the microwave, and the telephone. Spot numbers in books and
newspapers. Look for numbers on signs in your neighbourhood. Encourage your child
to tell you whenever he or she discovers a new way in which numbers are used.
Ask your child to help you solve
everyday number problems.
"We need six tomatoes to make our sauce
for dinner, and we have only two. How many more do we need to buy?"
"You have two pillows in your room and your sister has two pillows in her
room. How many pillowcases do I need to wash?" "Two guests are coming
to eat dinner with us. How many plates will we need?"
Practise "skip counting".
Together, count
by 2’s and 5’s. Ask your child how far he or she can count by 10’s. Roll two
dice, one to determine a starting number and the other to determine the
counting interval. Ask your child to try counting backwards from 10, 20, or
even 100.
Make up games using dice and playing
cards.
Try rolling dice and adding or multiplying the numbers that come up.
Add up the totals until you reach a target number, like 100. Play the game
backwards to practise subtraction.
Play "Broken Calculator".
Pretend that
the number 8 key on the calculator is broken. Without it, how can you make the
number 18 appear on the screen? (Sample answers: 20 – 2, 15 + 3). Ask other
questions using different "broken" keys.
Understanding
Measurements
We use measurements to determine the
height, length, and width of objects, as well as the area they cover, the
volume they hold, and other characteristics. We measure time and money.
Developing the ability to estimate and to measure accurately takes time and
practice.
Measure items found around the house.
Have your child
find objects that are longer or shorter than a shoe or a string or a ruler.
Together, use a shoe to measure the length of a floor mat. Fill different
containers with sand in a sandbox or with water in the bath, and see which
containers hold more and which hold less.
Estimate everything!
Estimate the
number of steps from your front door to the edge of your yard, then walk with
your child to find out how many there really are, counting steps as you go.
Estimate how many bags of milk your family will need for the week. At the end
of the week, count up the number of bags you actually used. Estimate the time
needed for a trip. If the trip is expected to take 25 minutes, when do you have
to leave? Have your child count the number of stars he or she can draw in a
minute. Ask if the total is more or less than your child thought it would be.
Compare and organize household items.
Take cereal
boxes or cans of vegetables from the cupboard and have your child line them up
from tallest to shortest.
Talk about time.
Ask your child
to check the time on the clock when he or she goes to school, eats meals, and
goes to bed. Together, look up the time of a television program your child
wants to watch. Record on a calendar the time of your child’s favourite away-fromhome
activity.
Keep a record of the daily temperature
outside and of your child’s outdoor activities. After a few
weeks, ask your child to look at the record and see how the temperature
affected his or her activities.
Include your child in activities that
involve measurements. Have your child measure the ingredients in a recipe, or the length
of a bookshelf you plan to build. Trade equal amounts of money. How many
pennies do you need to trade for a nickel? for a dime?
Understanding Geometry
The ability to identify and describe
shapes, sizes, positions, directions, and movement is important in many work
situations, such as construction and design, as well as in creating and
understanding art. Becoming familiar with shapes and spatial relationships in
their environment will help children grasp the principles of geometry in later
grades.
Identify shapes and sizes. When playing with
your child, identify things by their shape and size: "Pass me a sugar
cube." "Take the largest cereal box out of the cupboard."
Build structures using blocks or old
boxes. Discuss the need to build a strong base. Ask your child which shapes
stack easily, and why.
Hide a toy and use directional language
to help your child find it. Give clues using words and phrases such as up,
down, over, under, between, through, and on top of.
Play "I spy", looking for
different shapes. "I spy something that is round." "I spy something
that is rectangular." "I spy something that looks like a cone."
Ask your child to draw a picture of
your street, neighbourhood, or town. Talk about where your home is in
relation to a neighbour’s home or the corner store. Use directional words and
phrases like beside and to the right of.
Go on a "shape hunt". Have your child
look for as many circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles as he or she can
find in the home or outside. Do the same with threedimensional objects like
cubes, cones, spheres, and cylinders. Point out that street signs come in
different shapes and that a pop can is like a cylinder.
Understanding Patterns
We find patterns in nature, art, music,
and literature. We also find them in numbers. Patterns are at the very heart of
math. The ability to recognize patterns helps us to make predictions based on
our observations. Understanding patterns helps prepare children for the study
of algebra in later grades.
Look for patterns in storybooks and
songs.
Many children’s books and songs repeat
lines or passages in predictable ways, allowing children to recognize and
predict the patterns.
Create patterns using your body.
Clap and stomp your foot in a
particular sequence (clap, clap, stomp), have your child repeat the same
sequence, then create variations of the pattern together. Teach your child
simple dances that include repeated steps and movements.
Hunt for patterns around your house and
your neighbourhood.
Your child will find patterns in
clothing, in wallpaper, in tiles, on toys, and among trees and flowers in the
park. Encourage your child to describe the patterns found. Try to identify the
features of the pattern that are repeated.
Use household items to create and
extend patterns. Lay down a row of spoons pointing in different directions in a
particular pattern (up, up, down, up, up, down) and ask your child to extend
the pattern.
Explore patterns created by numbers.
Write the
numbers from 1 to 100 in rows of 10 (1 to 10 in the first row, 11 to 20 in the
second row, and so on). Note the patterns that you see when you look up and
down, across, or diagonally. Pick out all the numbers that contain a 2 or a 7.
Understanding and
managing data
Every day we are presented with a vast
amount of information, much of it involving numbers. Learning to collect,
organize, and interpret data at an early age will help children develop the
ability to manage information and make sound decisions in the future.
Sort household items.
As your child tidies up toys or
clothing, discuss which items should go together and why. Show your child how
you organize food items in the fridge – fruit together, vegetables together,
drinks on one shelf, condiments on another. Encourage your child to sort other
household items – crayons by colour, cutlery by type or shape, coins by
denomination.
Make a weather graph.
Have your child draw pictures on a
calendar to record each day’s weather. At the end of the month, make a picture
graph showing how many sunny days, cloudy days, and rainy days there were in that
month.
Make a food chart.
Create a chart to record the number of
apples, oranges, bananas, and other fruit your family eats each day. At the end
of the month, have your child count the number of pieces of each type of fruit
eaten. Ask how many more of one kind of fruit were eaten than of another. What
was your family’s least favourite fruit that month?
Talk about the likelihood of events.
Have your child
draw pictures of things your family does often, things you do sometimes, and
things you never do. Discuss why you never do some things (swim outside in
January). Ask your child if it’s likely to rain today. Is it likely that a pig
will fly through the kitchen window?
There are lots more activities that can be done. Explore yourself and have fun!!!
