Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays everyone!  I hope that you can all enjoy the season and the spirit of goodwill present at this time of year.  I'm really looking forward to taking some time off to enjoy with my family.

Click here for some entertainment and education resources about Christmas for primary school age children.

An Apology & A Link

First of all, I want to apologize to all of you.  I know that I haven't been updating this site very often lately.  Unfortunately, with many demands on my time, this is the thing that has been neglected.  I am tutoring less and writing more this year, and so I simply haven't had as many new lesson plans and resources to post.  Please be patient with me and check back periodically, though, as I'm not giving up on School Without School yet.  Posts are just a bit more spread apart.  There will still be some fantastic homeschooling resources here, and I'll try to be more diligent after Christmas.

Although I am generally tutoring less, I do teach a weekly Sunday School class at my church.  We have been covering the Old Testament this year, and will start studying the New Testament in the new year.  If you are interested in any teaching resources for Sunday School or Bible Study, then click here for my blog with those lesson plans and other resources.

My New Website

I've kept several blogs for a long time, and written for numerous websites, but I've never had my own website.  Now I finally have a professional website up and running.  If you've heard me talk about writing and tutoring, this site will explain it all.  Also, if you need a writer or a tutor, this is the place to look.  Please have a look at my new site, Keri Withington.  If you feel really generous, it would be super if you would share the link with your friends/colleagues.  Thank you!

To visit my new website, click here.

Free Maths Resources on the Internet

Creating your own exercise sheets, quizzes, and tests in math can take a lot of time.  It is really helpful to sometimes use tests created by someone else.  This both saves you time, and also is beneficial to the pupil because it helps them to solve different types of problems or recognize different approaches to similar types of problems. 

Here are two resources that I have used with Year 9 (9th grade) students and found helpful.

"Year 9 Half Yearly Exam Revision-Algebra" This site offers a practice exam focusing on 9th grade level algebra.  This is supposed to be a mid-year assesment, and is really useful for gauging a student's strengths and weaknesses as they study algebra.

"KS3 Bitesize: Maths" This site is an amazing and easy to use resource.  It reviews everything covered in Key Stage 3 Maths (grades 7-9).  There are review sections teaching/reviewing the principle, activities to practice them, and then short tests.

I found both of these sites really helpful, so I hope you will too.

Picture Book Recommendation: Spot, by Eric Hill

If you have a toddler or a child learning to read, the "Spot" books by Eric Hill are fantastic.  These picture books have simple stories and cute pictures (often with flaps to lift).  These are really great and interactive for babies and toddlers.  They're also a good first reader for children first learning to read on their own.  The simple vocabulary and short sentences make it a good choice for early readers.

To find out more about the Spot books by Eric Hill, click here.

Homeschool Share: A Fantastic Resource

If you are homeschooling, you know that it can be difficult to constantly come up with new ideas to make your teaching interesting.  There is a website that can help.  Homeschool Share is a great website and an invaluable resource for homeschooling parents.  Basically, it's a forum for homeschoolers.  There are a ton of free resources with different study units appropriate for different ages (particularly for preschoolers and elementary school, or infants school).  Parents can contribute high quality units that they have created, so their collection is constantly growing.  If you homeschool, I highly recommend checking this site.

To visit Homeschool Share, click here.

Creative Writing Classes at Furzey Gardens

the Lake at Furzey Gardens, August 2010

I am a firm believer in community education programmes and have had some great experiences with it.  I'm particularly excited about the new classes starting at Furzey Gardens.  Furzey Gardens are a beautiful and unique garden in the New Forest in Southern England.  This autumn they are starting to host some creative writing classes.  These will combine a great feeling of community, a fantastic learning and networking opportunity for writers, and an unparalleled setting.  The first workshop is on the 15th of October, 2010.

If you're interested (or know someone who might be), please contact Furzey Gardens.

Lady Gaga

This is not strictly an educational post.  However I do feel that it is relevant here.

If you are homeschooling, you probably spend A LOT of time around your child(ren).  This means not only being in charge of their education, but also being much more involved in their social life, hobbies, entertainment, etc. 

One name that may have come up is of the singer/entertainer Lady Gaga.  I'll let you form your own opinion of Lady Gaga, but here's some information for you.

Here's an article on "What Parents Need To Know About Lady Gaga."

Here's a link to Lady Gaga's Official Website.

Children's Magazines

Never underestimate how useful non-school resources can be.  Just because something isn't labelled as a textbook, it doesn't mean that it can't be educational.  One unexpected tool can be children's magazines.  These can be both a great learning tool and fun.

To find out more about the benefits of children's magazines, click here.

My daughter's favourite magazine is Charlie & Lola.

Albert Einstein

 Albert Einstein was not only one of the most influential scientists ever to have lived, but also a fascinating individual.  In my experience, young people are eager to learn more about Einstein.  When I asked a Year 9 student what she would like to research (with no limitations), she said that she would like to learn more about Einstein.

A research project on Einstein is a great cross-curricular project.  It develops research and organizational skills, can be used to teach English and essay writing abilities, is obviously applicable to science, and can also be tied in to religious studies and history.  I also required students to give a presentation on their research to develop public speaking skills.

Here is my research assignment on Albert Einstein (could be used for middle and/or high school students): Albert Einstein Research Assignment.

To make expectations clear to the students and grading easier for the parents/teachers, here's a Grade Sheet for the Albert Einstein Research Assignment.

Free Homeschooling Resources

I can not tell you how many times I have found teaching resources on the internet only to discover that you have to pay to use them.  In some cases you have to pay to even join the site or view the resources, so you're not even sure how useful they're going to be.

The good news is that there are lots of good free homeschooling resources on the internet.

If you homeschool, here's a writer who might be of interest to you.  A. Hermitt is a freelance writer who homeschools her kids.  She's written a lot of articles on Associated Content about homeschooling.  I think that her articles about homeschooling high schoolers are the most useful, but she has articles about teaching different age groups from kindergarten to college admission.

To view Hermitt's articles, click here.

Reasons for Homeschooling

I would really be interested to find out why all of you have made the decision to homeschool.  Please comment and share your story.

Gardening For Science

Gardening can be a great tool for homeschoolers.  Increasing amounts of schools are including gardening projects, and families can enjoy gardening together (and learn while they're doing it). 

Gardening is beneficial in a lot of ways, but is especially good for teaching science.  It can be used for students of any age and level and adapted to their needs.  It's a great way to include hands-on and outdoor elements to lessons.

Here's a handout I created for a gardening project that I did with a homeschooled Year 9 student.  Click here for the assignment.

Here's another cool site about science and gardening.

The Tate Modern

One of my favorite museums is The Tate Modern in London.  This amazing museum holds one of the most important collections of modern art in the world.  If you are teaching or living in the area, this is a great place for a fieldtrip with students of any age. 

Modern Art is a great way to get students interested in and involved with art, and they have the chance to see many different styles and mediums in the Tate Modern.  Not only is it useful for teaching about art, it's also a good place to help develop critical and creative thinking skills that will aid students in all subjects.

To visit the official Tate Modern website, click here.

For a field trip assignment for students to complete at the Tate Modern, click here.

The Sex Education Show

Channel 4 (in the UK) recently aired a programme called The Sex Education Show.  This show was not intended to just shock people or to be sexually arousing.  It was designed to be exactly what the title says: sexual education.  A lot of parents have mixed feeling about sex ed. and how much should be taught to children and at what ages.  The Sex Education Show takes a frank look at what teenagers want and need to know, and talks with teens (and their parents). 

Whether or not you agree with the programme's methods, here are the facts.  A recent UK-wide survey found that nearly a third of the youth they talked to had lost their virginity before reaching the age of consent (16).  Scarily, many of these young people also admitted that they don't always use protection when having sex.  Click here for the full study.

According to government statistics updated just this spring, there were almost 40,000 under 18 conceptions in 2008 (the most recent information available).  That means that, in England, at least 4 girls (age 15-17) out of every 100 got pregnant in 2008!  Click here to go to the government's Every Child Matters website for further information.

Sex ed. shouldn't just be about sex, though.  It also encompasses understanding our bodies and elements of relationships.  A good sex ed. programme can help youth to feel more self and body confident.  With rising numbers of teenagers suffering from eating disorders and lack of self-confidence, they need all of the support that they can get.

My point being, if you homeschool, at some point you're going to have to consider the issue of sex education.  There are a lot of resources out there.  If you have teenagers, The Sex Education show might be as much of an eye-opener for you as for them.

To visit Channel Four's The Sex Education Show's website, click here.

Teaching A Geography Unit on China

When teaching geography, I've discovered a constant.  When I ask students where they want to learn about, most of them answer China. 

China is one of the largest and strongest countries in the world, and yet in the Western World most people know relatively little about China.  Students are curious about Chinese culture and history.  Thanks to the children's TV show Ni Hao Kai-Lan, even my four-year-old is curious about China.  (It probably helps as well that she loves Chinese food and is determined to learn to use chopsticks.)

Teaching China can be a lot of fun and very interesting.  I taught a Year 9 (Key Stage 3) geography unit on China this year.  Here are a couple of resources that I made:

The Chinese Flag: Students of any age will enjoy getting to make their own Chinese flags, and making it will help them to remember the Chinese flag better.  We made our flags out of construction paper, and then took notes on the history and meaning of the flag on the back.  For information about the Chinese flag, click here.

For a short quiz on China, including the answer key, click here.

Henry Fielding's Joseph Andrews

Joseph Andrews, by Henry Fielding, is sometimes used in high school curriculums, and is often covered in college literature classes.  Here are a few papers on this novel that may help:

"Henry Fielding and the Other"
"Character Analysis Within Fielding's Joseph Andrews"
"The Parable of the Good Samaratin and Fielding's Joseph Andrews"
"Mr. Wilson in Fielding's Joseph Andrews"
"Social Disturbances in the 18th Century-The Cultural Causes for the Development of the Novel"

Free Math Worksheets

If you teach math, you know how tedious it can be to make up your own practice problems and assignments.  Especially if you're teaching something like simultaneous linear equations, it can quickly become time-consuming.  I've looked at a lot of internet resources for teaching math, but KUTA is my fave website for free math resources.  KUTA have free worksheets (with answer keys) for a variety of topics in pre-algebra, algebra 1, algebra 2, and geometry.  This site is a great resource if your teaching about 8th grade up.

Click here to visit the KUTA website, click here.

Maths Quiz on Multiplication

Maths Quiz: Multiplication


You have fifteen minutes to complete this quiz. You may solve the problems mentally (in your head) or on paper, but you may not use a calculator. Good luck.



1) 12 x 6=

2) 2 x 3 x 4=

3) 150 x 2=

4) 11 x 5=

5) 8 x 6=

6) 0.5 x 100=

7) 5²=

8) 3/(4 ) × 2=

9) 15 x 3=

10) -4 x 7=

11) -12 x -8=

12) -2 x 5 x 4=

13) 2.5 x 2.5=

14) 1/2 ×1 1/2=

15) 5 x 7=

Homework Assignment on Natural Numbers

Natural Numbers


1. Give an example of an infinite set.



Give an example of a finite set.



2. What is the difference between even and odd numbers?



3. Draw a number line depicting multiples of three.



4. Write down the next three numbers in each of the following number patterns.

A. 5, 10, 15, 20…

B. 100, 93, 86, 79…

C. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5…



5. What is the value of each of the numerals in the number 3967?

3

9

6

7



6. What is the largest number that can be made with the numerals 2, 4, 7, 9?



What is the smallest number that can be made with the numerals 2, 4, 7, 9?



What is the difference between these numbers?

Weather & Climate

I recently taught a Year 9 unit on weather and climate.  It's a really good thing to study, especially at this time of year, because it's easy for students to observe first-hand and get involved with.  You can study weather at any age.

Here are some resources I created for teaching weather (Click to follow the links to them):

Review Sheet on Weather
Test on Weather
Answer Key for Test on Weather

Writing an Essay: How a Book Can Help

Learning to write an effective essay is difficult at any age.  Obviously, one of the best ways to learn is by doing.  Students get better at writing essays by writing essays.

There is a book that can help as well.  Writing an Essay, by Brendan Hennessy, is a good resource book on writing essays.  This can either be used to teach teens who are first learning to write a serious essay, or it can be used by adults of any age who want to improve their essay writing abilities.

Writing an Essay is very accessible.  It is divided into logical chapters, and include plenty of examples.  There are also summaries and other focus passages that make it easier for students to pick out and learn the key points.

The only drawback to this book is that the tasks are sometimes awkward, and they will be off-putting for teens.  Otherwise, my experience with this book is really positive.  It can be used beginning around year 9.  Encourage students to make the book their own by highlighting in it, writing answers in the margins, etc.  I have worked through the book, chapter by chapter, with a student before, and their essay writing steadily and noticeably improved.  I did set different tasks for many of the chapters, but otherwise just followed Hennessy's structure.

Overall I would definitely recommend Writing an Essay, especially for older teens and adults.

Religious Education: Seminary

One of the advantages to homeschooling is that you can have greater control over your curriculum and what subjects you teach.  Many homeschooling families have chosen to include religion classes, or to incorporate more of their religious beliefs into their studies.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has an established religious education program for its youth aged 14-18 (high school).  Teens in school would normally attend an early morning class before school.  This program has a 4 year curriculum covering The Old Testament, The New Testament, The Book of Mormon, and Doctrine & Covenants.  This program is called seminary, and is organized around the world.

LDS families who homeschool can either do homestudy seminary or attend through their local congregation with other teens.  Although the courses on The Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants are most relevant to Mormon families, the other two years (The Old Testament and The New Testament) could be used by any Christian.  The courses include a lot of resources, including manuals, music, DVDs, etc.  You can buy these even if you're not affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or a lot of seminary resources are available for free.

If you are homeschooling your teens and want a Christian course of study, this could be a really helpful resource.  Click here to visit the official website for Seminary.  Click here for resources for studying the Old Testament and here for the New Testament.

Here Comes Science

Quirky band They Might Be Giants has a long history of making educational songs.  When I was in high school I passed my AP American history exam partially because of their song about James K. Polk.  Somehow when you put information to music, it becomes easier to learn and remember.  Not many students will enjoy memorizing a poem, for example, but they all know the lyrics to their favourite songs.

They Might Be Giants' newest CD is called Here Comes Science. 

I highly recommend this CD, especially to homeschoolers.  It comes with both a CD and DVD (with animated videos to all of the songs).  Here Comes Science covers a range of science related topics.  I particularly like the song "Meet the Elements"; this video is a great introduction to chemistry.  My teen students really like the two songs about the sun, and it helped them to remember a lot of facts.  What I didn't expect, though, was how much my own kids LOVE this CD/DVD.  My one-year-old, who is a big fan of anything on wheels, gets really excited about the song "Electric Car".  My four-year-old thinks that this is the greatest thing ever.  She can sing along to most of the songs, and has learned a lot about science from it.  Here Comes Science has made her really excited to learn more about science, and has allowed us to discuss a lot of different topics with her.

If you have heard anything else by They Might Be Giants, you'll know that they are definitely quirky and have a distinctive style.  It is a really fun CD though, and a lot of the songs are pretty catchy.  I am so glad that I bought Here Comes Science, and I highly recommend it.  You can either just let your kids watch the DVD, or use individual songs/videos as they fit into your lessons.

Homeschool Project: Going Green

It is becoming increasingly important to learn about "green" issues like climate change and pollution.  With recent events like the BP oil spill, taking care of the environment has become a pressing concern that is, and should be, being addressed in education.

I recently covered this disaster with a year 9 student.  I made my students write a contemporary event paper on it.  I gave one week to write a single page paper explaining what had happened and what the ramifications are.  Then we discussed the oil spill in class.  Click here for good teaching resources on the BP oil spill.

When studying environmental concerns, a really good project can be to "go green" as a family.  It's an easy way to reinforce their schoolwork throughout the rest of the day/week, and to let young people help to make a difference and feel involved.  For some easy tips on how your family can be greener, click here.

Young Adult Book Reviews

One of the hardest and most exciting parts about teaching English to homeschooled teens is picking which books to cover.  You will get guidelines from the curriculum and can take other factors into account (the student's tastes, what you are covering in other subjects, etc.). 

Here are a few book reviews of young adult books that I've read.  There's a wide variety of styles and topics here.  Hope they're helpful to someone.

A Great & Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray
Rebel Angels, by Libba Bray
Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
Peaches, by Jodi Lynn Anderson
The Tarot Reader's Daughter, by Helen Dunwoodie
(Un)arranged Marriage, by Bali Rai
The Opposite of Chocolate, by Julie Bertagna
The Firefly Gate, by Linda Newberry
Guitar Girl, by Sarra Manning
Just in Case, by Meg Rosoff
Remembrance, Theresa Breslin
The Secrets of Love, by Rosie Rushton

Making Grammar Interesting

I find it a common problem that teenagers have poor grammar, but find learning about it boring. Most grammar textbooks, even I admit, are pretty boring.  It can be really hard to get students to pay attention or put any effort into it.


There is, however, one book that I've had success with.  Eats, Shoots, & Leaves is a great book about grammar.  It's not a textbook.  It's an entertaining book that teaches grammar.  No, most students won't want to read it for pleasure, but they do seem to engage with it a lot more than other grammar resources that I've found.

To read my review of the book Eats, Shoots, and Leaves, click here.

If anyone else has a good grammar book for teens, I'd love to hear about it.

Welcome

Welcome to School Without School.

My name is Keri. I work as a private tutor for children and teenagers who, for varying reasons, are out of the mainstream educational system and are being home schooled. As a tutor working closely with the parents of home schooled young people, I have often looked up resources on the Internet. I have also posted material that I have created.

As all of these resources are spread around the web, I decided to start a blog to organize all of this information in one place. I hope to post resources, information, anecdotes, teaching material, reviews of supplies, etc.

My hope is that this site will be helpful to families who home school, tutors, and even teachers.

I would love to get as much feedback as possible from everyone. It would be great to be able to create a support network through here.

So that's my story. Welcome to School Without Schools.

Thanks for stopping by my corner of the internet,
Keri