| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
< BACK TO ARCHIVE |
| Date: From: Subject: | 6/10/2010 9:24:17 AM Home School Legal Defense Association HSLDA's Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner Newsletter--June 2010 |
|
---------------------------------------------------------------- HSLDA's Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner Newsletter June 2010 -- Fantastic Field Trips ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---[ Take the struggle out of spelling! ]----------------------------- Are you looking for the best way to teach spelling? All About Spelling brings clarity to spelling, with step-by-step lesson plans, multisensory learning, and built-in daily review. http://www.hslda.org/alink.asp?ID=232 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- By Faith Berens HSLDA Special Needs Coordinator Field trips are fun and motivating learning experiences for all types of learners of all ages. Some of my fondest memories as a classroom teacher are of the fantastic field trips that helped to make learning come to life, motivate and inspire students, and solidify abstract concepts. Experiences such as touring the Folk Life Village Museum (while teaching in Korea), as well as roaming the grounds of the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Virginia both brought to life periods of history we studied. Visiting an aquarium to learn about sharks and a pottery-making tour and class sparked wonder and creativity in students! My 8-year-old daughter is definitely a kinesthetic and hands-on learner! Field trips are a natural way to enhance her curriculum and studies. Who wants to just read about snakes from a book when there are snake hunting adventures available locally? So, on a warm, spring day, we, along with our homeschool support group friends, took off for the Blandy Farm and State Arboretum in Frederick County, Virginia. The day was sunny and warm with the beautiful spring flowers in bloom. After a picnic lunch, the homeschool group attended a hands-on educational program about the various types of snakes native to our state and how to identify poisonous versus non-venomous snakes. The children also got to handle snake skins, pet a milk snake, and create their own felt snakes. Following these activities, we all went for a snake hunt on the beautiful acreage of the arboretum. Peering through cracks in an old, stone wall, we saw some sleeping copperheads! Here are some tips for planning and implementing successful field trips: > When possible, connect field trips to content area studies (such as science units and time periods). > Think theme-based (this works particularly well for global learners and kids on the autism spectrum). > Plan trips based upon your children's interests. > Utilize local resources such as state parks, industries, museums, historical sites, etc. > Make requests of other people to share their knowledge, expertise, and passions. > Check into your local and state homeschool association for field trip ideas and opportunities. > Research ahead of time in order to plan accordingly, estimate time needed, travel directions, handicap accessibility, etc. > Be sure to call ahead and discuss your child's special needs, any necessary accommodations, etc. Most places are very helpful and understanding. > Download, from the destination's website, teacher guides, handouts, and children's activities. Suggestions for Planning Field Trips for Children with Special Needs: Sometimes, I hear from parents that they are hesitant to take their child with ADHD or Asperger's syndrome, for example, on field trips because of their unpredictable and or quirky social behaviors. They are concerned that others (who lack the knowledge of their child's challenges) will not understand or misjudge them. I encourage you not to let these worries or fears deter you from taking your child out for such engaging activities. It offers them a break from the sometimes mundane exercises in the learning day, helps them to gain important skills such as planning, and gives them an opportunity to practice the social behaviors you have been diligently teaching them at home, but yet apply them in new settings. Author and homeschooling mother Sharon Hensley, in her book "Home Schooling Children with Special Needs," shares some helpful things that made taking field trips with her daughter (who is on the Autism spectrum) easier. She suggests going in very small groups, perhaps one or two other families. This is a good tip, as you have others around for support and help. Her second suggestion is to go on "off" days or seasons when venues will be less crowded. And lastly, she usually took her mother along as her "secret weapon"! There is no one like Grandma! Having more hands on deck can definitely enhance the interactions, questioning, and discussion during the learning process. Can't afford to travel? Why not take a virtual field trip? There are many available--you just have to invest some time in searching the internet. It is quite easy to Google search "homechool field trips" as well as "virtual field trips." This year, one of the books we read aloud was "The Family Under the Bridge" by Natalie Savage. My daughter had also enjoyed reading the story of Louis Braille. While we could not afford to travel to France, thanks to the marvels of technology we were able to take a virtual trip! Check out these wonderful tours: Virtual Tour: The Louvre http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=8435 Virtual Tour: Eiffel Tower http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=8436 We found this one courtesy of Home Educators of Virginia's website! The Eiffel Tower website has a children's corner, an interactive virtual tour with lots of labeled photos, an online children's activity book, and teacher materials. The historic diagrams of how the original tower worked are interesting. The website and most of the materials are in both French and English. Field trips are a spectacular way to spice up your homeschooling experience and can ignite new pathways of exploration and motivation for your children. Field trips do not have to be complex or expensive and the possibilities are endless! Happy trails to you... Helpful Articles and Links: "How to Plan a Great Field Trip" http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=8437 Home School Heartbeat: "Take a Trip!" http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=8438 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> "I saved my entire membership fee with one discount" "We've been a Liberty Mutual customer for over 12 years. We called and asked about our HSLDA member discount and they lowered our premium by approx $95 per year...coincidentally the same amount as our HSLDA annual membership fee. Thought you'd want to know!!'" More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1107 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. Box 3000 Purcellville, Virginia 20134 Phone: (540) 338-5600 Fax: (540) 338-2733 Email: info@hslda.org Web: http://www.hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- How To Subscribe: - Subscribe to the HSLDA E-lert Service at our website: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp?Process=Subscribe - Or send an email with name and complete mailing address to: subscribe@hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscription Information: - You subscribed to the HSLDA E-lert Service as: ##ToAddress## - To unsubscribe from the HSLDA E-lert Service send an email from the email address you want to unsubscribe to: unsubscribe@hslda.org - To change your email address or make other changes to your subscription, visit the HSLDA E-lert Service account web page at: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp ---------------------------------------------------------------------- POSTMASTERS: This message is being sent to the most recent address we have for our subscribers. If this is an invalid email address or you have other problems, please reply to webmaster@hslda.org. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: This is considered a private and confidential message from HSLDA to its bonafide HSLDA E-lert Service subscribers. HSLDA cannot attest to the authenticity of copies posted, forwarded, or sent by any party other than HSLDA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Please do not reply or otherwise use this email address; hslda@hslda.org is for broadcast purposes only and is not intended to receive incoming messages. We cannot reply to any email sent to this address. If you have comments or questions, please send email to info@hslda.org or call HSLDA at 540-338-5600. HSLDA members can also email staff directly through the Members website at http://members.hslda.org/contact.asp. Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
