Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Mike Smith:
This week, we've been talking with Kathy Privrat, the executive director of StudentNewsDaily.com. Kathy, what are some ways that parents can integrate the study of current events with other subjects—such as geography, history, or English?

Kathy Privrat:
That's an interesting question, Mike. These other subjects are naturally integrated into the study of current events. Students should know the location of a country or a state and some background information about it to fully understand the importance of the event. For the daily news articles on our website, I usually use a national or international news story. If international, I ask a general question about the history of the country. The CIA World Factbook website is a great way to get general information on a country's background. It includes historical, political, and religious information, and for most of the daily news articles, I'll ask a question about where the country is located and which countries surround it. This gives students an understanding of where in the world the event took place.

As far as English, current events can be used to build language, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and even provide a writing model. Students can learn by imitating that clear, concise style of news writing. And these are just some examples of how current events tie in with other subjects.

Mike:
Kathy, thank you for being with us this week. And until next time, I'm Mike Smith.