The Rainbow Resource Center Homeschool Blog

Our language skills progress as we grow, mature, and learn. Squiggles turn to letters, to words, to sentences, and before we know it, we are writing essays, papers, and reports! The written word allows us to express our ideas, understandings, and findings to others. As this skill develops for your young students, a new skill needs to emerge in your personal teacher toolbox: the ability to evaluate, assess, and grade our students’ writing. So, where do you start?

Evaluating essays can pose large challenges for parents. For multiple reasons, we can become discouraged and challenged with responding effectively to student writing. What should be “good” for student and parent instead becomes “the bad and the ugly.” Don’t wave the white flag! Evaluating your student’s writing and encouraging them in this process is important, doable, and can provide wonderful results.

In my previous artilcle, we considered the benefits—both practical and experiential—that cooking together as a family offers. Let’s take this a step further and consider how we, as parents, can breathe life into our history and science lessons using the power of food!

Gaps, holes, chasms — call them what you will, but they are a real fear for some parents and something they will avoid if possible. Gaps typically happen when you make a big change. It can be from one math program to another, or it could be from attending school to homeschooling. How do you fill these gaps in understanding?

Cooking together promotes family relationships, self-confidence, and healthy eating habits. Not to mention the practical application of mathematics, vocabulary development, and social skills. I might also add that it is fun! In this two-part series, let’s look at mom and child-friendly ways to incorporate cooking into the homeschool day. 

In this Game Corner, I focus on one game mechanic commonly used in board games and then will feature a few of the games that we offer that use that specific set of game characteristics!

Generations have regaled in the whimsical writings of Theodor Seuss Geisel. On March 2nd, we celebrate beloved children’s author, Dr. Seuss, in honor of his birthday. Without further ado, grab your favorite Dr. Seuss book and join our March unit study to learn about the man, the manuscripts and the message of Theodor Geisel. You’ll find links throughout to family friendly sites for further study!

Officially opening on March 1, 1936, the Hoover Dam is a marvel of engineering and architecture. From the beginning, engineers, and designers sought to improve American lives in the Southwest, but it came at a cost. Whether the story of Hoover Dam is familiar or unknown, rally your children and let’s explore the good, the bad, and the beautiful of this stunning structure.

Considered one of nature’s most huggable mammals, the polar bear is a marvelous creation. At birth polar bear cubs weigh about 16 oz and measure 12” in length. Reaching adulthood, they will stand nearly 10 feet high and weigh around 1,000 lbs., becoming one of the largest known mammals. Together let’s discover more about this magnificent marine mammal!

As home educators, we want our children to learn facts and information. But truly, our goal is not just for them to hoard information, like we’re filling some giant pitcher with water. Very simply put, we learn stuff to apply it in context. We want our children to take that “pitcher of knowledge” and skillfully use the contents to grow things. Learning is, in actuality, using what we’ve learned to discern, analyze, create, build… We want our kids to be excited to say, “I know stuff and I can do things!”