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“Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country.  He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice.  As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country.”  Noah Webster 1788

In public schools, second grade students write reports about a United States President.  Instead, educate your students about all 44 American Presidents while learning about real American history.  Give your students the assignment to make a book or notebook containing mini reports about each representative of the Executive Branch since the founding of our country.  We purchased a set of fact cards about all the American Presidents.  Each card had a copy of the President’s picture from the White House and some trivial facts listed on the back side.  Utilize your library and credible internet resources for more information.  Have your students write 3-5 sentences about each leader.  You and your learners will grow in knowledge about American history while researching each Presidential administration.

If you enjoy chickens like we do, or even if you don’t, Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins is a cute story about a hen and a fox filled with prepositional phrases.  This is a great little book that teaches grammar in context.  An extension activity might be to make a poster with preposition diagrams using a rectangle and a circle.  The following is a list of prepositions:  (above, over), (under, below, beneath), (next to, by, beside, near), in front of, (in back of, behind), between, in, out, inside, outside, on, off, up, down, through, across, around, and into. Happy learning!

Robert McCloskey wrote and illustrated Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings.  Both stories won awards for their creative illustrations.  Blueberries for Sal  is set in Maine.  Two different mothers are on opposite sides of the same hill with their young child….and so the adventure of blueberry picking begins.  McCloskey utilizes the literary skill of Onomatopoeia to help the reader better participate in the berry picking experience.  Make Way for Ducklings is about a Mallard duck family making a home in the Public Garden of Boston, Massachusetts.  Mrs. Mallard decides to take her eight ducklings (all with rhyming names) for a walk.  Now, things begin to get exciting, but all ends well.  Both books are enjoyable to read and may be combined with activities like visiting a park with ducks or going berry picking at a local farm.

Hard work, American history, and family unity puts this book on my list of favorites.  Hands from large to small are busy being productive.  Journey through a year’s seasons, as an entrepreneurial New England family makes a living on their farm.  The illustrations by Barbara Cooney are fantastic and the story will keep you captivated from beginning to end.

Reading children’s picture books are enjoyable for people of any age.  As a teacher, I have had the privilege to read many wonderful, colorful, and educational children’s books.  Two of my favorite authors over the years have become Margaret Wise Brown and Eric Carle.  Margaret Wise Brown’s books have rhyme, rhythm, and repetition with interesting and fun stories.  Eric Carle’s books often teach with repetition while including Math and Science concepts in a humorous setting.  Some of Margaret Wise Brown’s books that I have enjoyed are:  Big Red Barn, Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, and The Sailor Dog.  Eric Carle has about 40 books in print.  Some of his books that I have taught from are:  Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider, A House For Hermit Crab, and The Very Lonely Firefly.  Check your local library for these books.  If you are able, consider purchasing some for your home library.  Begin reading to your child when they are very young.  Your library may have a reading program for children.  These programs are excellent to demonstrate to your child that there is a world of learning available to them at their fingertips.  You and your children will make new friends and have fun reading, while discovering how to use the library as an educational resource.  Happy reading!

Do you want to home school your child/children?  There has never been a better time to do so.  Home education has many benefits.  With the computer technology available to you and networks of home school families, you have a wealth of support.  One of the many advantages is that you may spend more of the day with your child.  You can give them direct socialization by being available to answer questions that arise during the day and gently guide them toward right living.  In large classrooms, socialization is more indirect in that your child/children are more influenced by their peers than adults.  This is sad, but true.  You have the freedom to choose the curriculum you like.  If you prefer to choose an on-line program, there are outstanding plans available.  Ron Paul has started a home school curriculum http://www.ronpaulcurriculum.com/ and Robinson http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/ has a program as well. If you would like to participate in a group, then check out Classical Conversations  http://www.classicalconversations.com/.  You can educate your whole child.  In addition to seat work,  this may involve cooking with you in the kitchen, gardening and growing healthy food, visiting the library, doing chores, going on field trips to interesting places, visiting the local farm, participating in sports programs, shopping with you and applying Math, Health, Reading, and Economics.  Home schooling offers flexibility.  Scheduling and goal setting are important, but unexpected events do occur in our busy days. If an event arises, you as the parent are available to deal with the situation.   When the situation has been resolved, you can return to your schedule and meet your educational goals.  You get to study subjects thoroughly on your time schedule without interruption from bell schedules.  Subjects can be studied in-depth.  Most textbooks are limited and often superficial in their subject matter.  You can gather all the resources you like to thoroughly research and learn about concepts.  Perhaps, more importantly, you may teach your child the truth about our world without hidden agendas.  Your child will be happy to learn in a comfortable and familiar setting.  Room environment is important, so make your place of learning cheerful and interesting.  Happy teaching!