Conner Prairie - Interactive History Park

Last week, the kids and I took a field trip to Conner Prairie in Fishers, Indiana. As a child, I always enjoyed stepping back in time with a visit to Conner Prairie. That was a field trip experience I looked forward to and was excited to have several teachers who took us to visit the park.

Conner Prairie is an interactive history park - which means you are able to get involved and have a more hands-on experience while learning about the past. Employees within the park are dressed in period appropriate attire and speak as if they are living in that era. This helped to "open up" history for Joey. He began to better grasp the idea that not everyone has lived how we experience life. No cell phones? No computers? No cars or video games? No running water? It was neat to watch as Joey began to process the thought of not having certain possessions or conveniences.

They were able to experience how life was different in Indiana all those years ago. They were amazed that people cooked their meals over a fire. Joey thinks it's neat when I cook our meals over a fire when we're camping and now wants me to cook every meal that way.  Oh dear! 

The kids watched a blacksmith go about his daily work and listened as he explained is trade. They spoke with early settlers to Indiana and got an inside look at what their homes were like.

They were also able to experience a brief moment of how school would have been in those days and what types of toys the children would have owned. Savannah and Joey both enjoyed the simple game of hoop rolling. I loved watching them pick it up with ease and begin having fun.

I'm not sure which experience the kids found most memorable. They've told everyone about their ride in a hot air balloon, joining the military, walking on stilts and going to school.

You can view all of our pictures in the slideshow below.

Conner Prairie is a great place to visit if you're in the Indianapolis area.  It's a fun field trip idea and a nice way to spend the day with your children.  

Conner Prairie also offers fun events and activities throughout the year. I'm looking forward to taking them to the Headless Horseman activities this month!  I loved going to that when I was younger and hope they enjoy it just as much.

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Thanksgiving Turkey Craft

Thanksgiving Craft - Hand Print Turkey Cut Out

This was a fun craft that Savannah (3rd Grade) and Joey (1st Grade) both enjoyed.  At this year's Thanksgiving party for school, wee used several sheets of construction paper to create a turkey masterpiece.

What You'll Need:

• Construction Paper - Red, Yellow, Orange, Brown and White
• Glue
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Googly Eyes

Instructions:

• Trace your child's hand prints (trace two times) on the orange, red and yellow pieces of construction paper.
• Trace your child's foot prints (trace two times) on the brown piece of construction paper.
• Cut out the traced foot prints and hand prints.
• Use the feet to create the turkey's body.  Glue the heals together to form the head.
• Use the hands to create the turkey's feathers.
• Use the orange construction paper to cut out a pair of legs for your turkey.
• Use the red construction paper to cut out a gobble for your turkey.
• Glue pieces together.

I think our turkeys ended up looking a little terrified.  Joe's turkey has an upside down leg and ended up losing his gobble.

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Signs your child needs Summer tutoring

It’s important for all parents to keep an eye on how their children are progressing and developing at school. Parents who see their children falling behind the pace, or who want to give their children the best chance to fulfill their potential, often choose to seek extra tutoring. This simple step can provide a huge boost and dramatically improve any child's future prospects.

In truth, deciding whether a child needs tutoring is often relatively straightforward. Poor test scores, a lack of understanding, and classroom misbehavior should all serve as warning lights. Frequently the situation is actually worsened by the parents, however. They refuse to accept that extra tutoring is the answer, leaving the child to struggle in class, all the while feeling more and more disheartened. It's important to understand that if a child needs a little extra help it is nothing to be ashamed of - many other children are in the same boat, after all.

In many cases, the issues stem solely from a lack of confidence. This can easily hold a child back, and cause a downward spiral to start. If a child lacks self-esteem, they often fear tests and exams. This leads to poor results and report cards, which only serve to lower confidence further. This familiar pattern can then lead to the child rebelling, or refusing to apply effort in class. Tutoring can help a child escape this vicious circle and begin to rebuild his or her confidence. A tutor can tailor activities to the child, and provide the valuable one-on-one feedback that is often impractical in a classroom with 30 other students.

Summer tutoring is also frequently recommended for children who have high levels of academic talent. The pressure these children feel can be very high, as they are constantly expected to stay ahead of the class, and any slight drop in grades can cause disproportionate levels of concern. In addition, these children often feel under-stimulated in the classroom, and require extra tutoring to excel and display their natural intelligence. Without it, they can settle into a rut, completing schoolwork without any issues, but never really stretching their own capabilities. Private tutoring can ensure gifted children are frequently pushed to make the most of their talents, and inspired to keep learning by studying topics they find interesting and stimulating.

Huntington Learning Centers offer tutoring over the Summer that can make a huge difference to how children view and engage with education. By attending one of the tutoring centers, children can get ahead with schoolwork, cement their understanding of concepts they struggle with, and generally feel happier at school. Many parents wait until a child is struggling before they look for tutoring. While this is a natural reaction, being proactive and acting in advance is beneficial, as it prevents the child from feeling like a failure and falling behind.

Research has shown that private tutoring and the positive effects of a focused program of study can make a real difference in the long term - but it's important to choose a good tutor that the child responds well to and enjoys working with. The effectiveness of any paid tutoring should be monitored as - if there's no discernible difference after three months - it may be worth switching.

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Being a home educator. Time management.

When we decided to homeschool, I'm not sure that I fully realized the amount of work that would be involved. It is not an easy task. The responsibility you carry when you decide to take this route is quite heavy.

In most cases, you are taking on the role of several teachers. It's likely that you'll teach varying grade levels as well as numerous subjects.

This year our subjects include:

:: Math

:: Literature and Comprehension

:: Spelling

:: Vocabulary

:: History

:: Social Studies

:: Physical Education

:: Health

:: Science

:: Art

:: Writing Skills

:: Handwriting

:: Spanish


Each of the above subjects (other than Spanish) are taught to both of my children in different grade levels. Our day is very full.

The day isn't completed by simply breezing through work and checking it off the list. Much time is spent ensuring that the information is sinking in, making sense and retrievable for later use and practice.

If you're a home educating mother, you likely have other responsibilities as well. You're probably the one in charge of managing the house and everything that goes along with that.

:: Cooking

:: Cleaning

:: Laundry

:: Shopping

Being a home educating mother you are also the school nurse, lunch provider, field trip planner, holiday party host as well as the secretary who filters out distractions from outside the classroom. At times it seems that the outside distractions are a never ending stream as some just can't grasp the important and time consuming task of homeschooling.

By choosing the homeschool route you have made a promise to your children and a commitment to their education. Creating a schedule and sticking to it is important. Others may view you as being stingy and strict with your time. That's fine. Your priority during schooling hours is just that... school.

You can be flexible - but don't allow others to consume your every day. It is necessary that friends and family understand time requirements in education and respect you and your children.

Examples: On school days, my mother-in-law makes it a habit to not call any earlier than 1:30pm if she needs to speak with me. My grandmother doesn't visit our home until after that time as well.

It only makes sense that they would be respectful of our schooling hours. They wouldn't walk in to my classroom if I taught in a school outside of my home - or into my children's classroom if the kids were not homeschooled.

On top of our time requirements for school and the necessary work I have to properly manage a home - we also have piano lessons to attend and weekly doctor visits. If that weren't enough, I work from home. Creating and managing my own business has a lot of demands in itself.

I also babysit from time to time when someone needs me. This actually works out very well as I already have arts, crafts and activities that can easily accommodate another child.


My tip:

Set your daily, weekly and monthly schedules. Stick to your schedule. It is easy to become distracted daily and for an interruption to continuously appear. Block the distractions as politely as you can. It will be difficult to catch up if things get out of hand.

Be stingy with your scheduled school time. Others may not like this - but that's okay. Your promise and commitment is to your children. That comes first.

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