I hate to buy home school lesson plans because I don't home school but want to teach my 3 girls during the summer. I have set up an a room in the house for it. My problem is I am not sure where to start or what to teach them. I have g who is 18 months so I know everything with her is hands on. k is 4 and going into pre-k, a is 5 1/2 and going into kinder. I want to teach them all sign language. i would love to start my older two on reading (A has started some in school). Of course I want to do all te subjects though. Any ideas? As a single mom I cant afford all the expensive lesson plans. Is there a place to get free ones or ideas? Thank you!

At the age of your children and with this being just for the summer, have you considered a journey in exploring their world through reading books on science and history with hands on projects?

If you are not going to homeschool for the long run, giving them a sound head start on loving to learn should help with their public/private school experience. Many young children love interactive experiences and visuals so reading to them, watching educational programs and doing hands on activities often works very well.

Check your local library for books, videos and even programs like Hooked on Phonics.

Reading and math are good subjects to be more formal about. There are workbooks, programs and websites that are affordable or free. Workbooks can be found at Barnes and Nobles or Books-a-million.  

Here are some sites you can check out:

The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Reading

Teach Your Child to Read

An Old Fashioned Education

What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know

Thanks for the links Brandy!

Martha, are you working with your children outside of their normal schooling?

Well always encouraged learning with the kids and they are always involved in things like programs at the library, guides etc.     But with all the problems with the school, I decided to enrolled them in the homelearners here for the year. After I came home from holidays, I realized I couldn't deal with the stress of the crap in the school and enrolling them in a diff school wasn't the answer.  Dh said as long as I don't get bitchy with them around all the time lol.

  They call it distributed learning.   so it is with teacher guidence and support..they have a resource library, kids go to school twice a week..stuff like pe for 2mths at a time.  They have camps, crafts, drama, field trips etc so best of both worlds. I think they have enroll your family with an online math program.

 plus you get $1000 from the govt to pay for educational things plus programs like swimming, memberships in science world,art programs etc.  I was going to make an announcement in a couple of days after I had done it.  They are open the next couple of days so will stop by tomorrow. 

I figured in regular life I already do lots of things that count as learning in homeschooling so I am half way there.  They both read all the time, they were in the reading buddies program twice last year.  scouts,guides..esp guides they learn alot. this summer I have/had them in swimming, intro to piano, bible camp (music and crafts),  this week a program what the hay...get to feed and take care of animals at the petting zoo.   plus ds is in taewondo camp and both in an art clay program at the end of the month.  and that was before I decided. doesn't count the trips we did to drumheller, zoos etc museums etc.  the dropin's at the church.  Plus I am going to enrolled them in gems (church guides that her friend goes too) and ds in cadets.  They always do programs at the library.

I did some research and discovered science world and the aquarium has homelearners program days,  there are naturalists clubs etc. The amount of craft kits and things like electric kits, robotic kits we have anyways.  Our community centre has lots of programs.  so just need some discipline to document everything lol and nag the kids into doing the work like writing, math, science. and more effort keeping up with friends.    We haven't told them yet.   so do it for a year and then see.  I want my friend to do it again too lol. 

Martha,

I responded to you in the other post  but I will reply here as well now that I see you are home educating.

I see you mentioned a math program being available. Are you having to supply the other subjects? I don't know what the laws and standards are in Canada. Are you able to use any type of curriculum or are you limited to approved ones?

No it is not limited to any particular curriculum. Just two options..one homeschool and you don't get any money or support from the homelearners centre so you don't have to answer to anyone or the home learners option where you get $1000 per child for funding, get to use the resource library, the centre, go to the classes etc there.  You have to bring a portofio of work 3x a year for reports cards and check in regularly with them. They organize camps, field trips, social stuff so kids are missing out on things they are used too at school .

They did give me a guide of key concepts in each subject by grade that is expected and then what they normally study like what aspects of the country,  gr 3 for example, plant growth, stars and planets  which I knew because dd did that in gr 3.  The only thing that seems to be different is 1 out of the 3 or 4 points seems to be how the native indians view it/dealt with it or how it impacts them.  a bit much for me.  don't mine them learning about the cultures but don't need to drag it in everywhere.   I can see doing how lots of cultures viewed the stars.   The resource library has several styles of math workbooks for example so you can photocopy there and see what works.  Plus our public library has a whole section of resources for homeschool and our other closest library too full of workbooks and other stuff.

so kinda best of both worlds.  I told the kids today that we are doing it.  They seem to take to the idea so far.