Using TV And Videos in our Homeschool
I feel like my life is a constant struggle between feeling like we're really learning through life and exploration and doing actual schoolwork (which none of the boys seems to enjoy).
I try making their learning and lives fun and filled with a multitude of experiences. I want what they are learning about to have meaning and see them brimming with excitement as they share some new fact they've learned.
But in all honesty, some days it's just so much easier (and quicker) to rely on worksheets and curriculum books since they are all laid out and show a nice orderly progression through learning.
Other days I think I'll never waste my time on curriculum books again since we don't use them all that often. I wanted curriculum books so we could make sure we were covering what we're "supposed" to be learning but more often than not I get sidetracked by games, activities and ideas I find through sites like Pinterest.
It's probably a good balance but it still feels disjointed and disorganized to me.
There is no doubt in my mind that my kids are learning.
I see huge jumps in skills and confidence but I still wish I felt more organized. It's never easy to step out-side your comfort zone but I am so glad I did. I tell anyone who will listen how much I LOVE homeschooling.
Much like using read alouds in our homeschool, one way I can usually get my boys pretty excited about learning is to use educational TV shows and vides in our homeschool.
I try making their learning and lives fun and filled with a multitude of experiences. I want what they are learning about to have meaning and see them brimming with excitement as they share some new fact they've learned.
But in all honesty, some days it's just so much easier (and quicker) to rely on worksheets and curriculum books since they are all laid out and show a nice orderly progression through learning.
Other days I think I'll never waste my time on curriculum books again since we don't use them all that often. I wanted curriculum books so we could make sure we were covering what we're "supposed" to be learning but more often than not I get sidetracked by games, activities and ideas I find through sites like Pinterest.
It's probably a good balance but it still feels disjointed and disorganized to me.
There is no doubt in my mind that my kids are learning.
I see huge jumps in skills and confidence but I still wish I felt more organized. It's never easy to step out-side your comfort zone but I am so glad I did. I tell anyone who will listen how much I LOVE homeschooling.
Much like using read alouds in our homeschool, one way I can usually get my boys pretty excited about learning is to use educational TV shows and vides in our homeschool.
We watched two episodes of Timeblazers that we had on DVR, one was all about the history of school. It went from caveman times to ancient Rome up to present day. It was pretty interesting. The second one was all about the stars and the constellations.
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| Photo courtesy of IMDb |
I pulled up Blue World Webisodes and we ended up watching a quick 10 minute video on sea snakes in Australia. It's a site I made sure to bookmark as the boys begged to watch even more webisodes. All of the mini- episodes are about ocean life. It's a really neat site.
There are so many great TV shows, movies, and even educational YouTube videos out there that I am trying to get better about remembering to use these resources on a weekly basis in our homeschool.
My kids pick up so much through watching, listening, and engaging in good quality programming and best of all we have fun together while doing it!
Do you watch much TV in your homeschool? What are some of your favorite educational shows?
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