Random questions on special interests, typing, iPad apps, good computer games for learning, etc.
- Our 8th grader-to-be loves anything to do with Aviation. How could I utilize his interest in this to teach him more besides finding random internet tid-bits, any ideas?
- If kids have other special interests, what's the best way to pursue those? Around here we love jets, weather, birds, etc. I'm just wondering if you know of any good places to learn more interesting facts about those?
- We're thinking of getting an iPad because I heard there are some amazing apps for teaching. Do you think that's worth the money? Which apps do you recommend?
How do you teach typing? I'll probably just use a computer program that I already have for that, but I'm open to your suggestions. Ohhh, I just found this Spongebob Squarepants Typing
program that they'd probably like!
program that they'd probably like!- Have you heard of the book, Drawing Textbook
, for teaching process drawing? A friend highly recommended that, and I think we'll do it, she said it just takes about 15 minutes a week.
, for teaching process drawing? A friend highly recommended that, and I think we'll do it, she said it just takes about 15 minutes a week.
Stacy says
Mavis Teaches Typing is good. There are lots of “game” style programs to teach typing.
Peggy says
UNIT STUDIES!!! Those special interests make GREAT units! You can cover every subject area other than sequential math in a unit study, and nothing fires the kids up like learning what they WANT to learn about! Get the Dummies book (How to write homeschool unit studies, I believe it’s called) and browse it. If you can write a blog article, you can write a unit.
We “teach” typing by “allowing” the kids a limited amount of time on the computer. They see me touch type and ask why I use all 10 fingers, I tell them, they try it. It takes practice, but eventually they are typing 40+ words a minute (especially when they have only 30 days to write 100,000 words and only 30 minutes of computer time allowed per day!)
RD Shugart says
I recently found this article:
https://www.thehomeschoolchick.com/2011/10/10-more-awesome-ipad-apps-for-homeschoolers/
Not sure if some of these are repeats from the above poster.
Meridith says
Okay, you asked, so here goes. I spend way too much time playing/looking for apps for my kids on the iPad. What can I say; they’re fun.
Please remember, like most things, you get what you pay for. Some of these are expensive (for apps), but cheap when you compare them to a workbook.
Wings – I love the interface and the game aspect of this, but we’ve only been playing it for a week. Math-multiplication and counting
Numbers league – fun to play, but it’s just the same thing over and over. Math-addition with positive And negative numbers
Adding apples and Hungry Fish – both are basic addition and are really cute.
Rocket Math – love this one, all my kids (ages 4-10) get something from this concept wise and it’s fun to design your rocket.
Multiplying acorns – really cute multiplication practice.
Brain pop – a new video every day about various subjects. My four year old gave me lecture about the civil war after watching one several times and used the word, “confederate” correctly. I just about died.
Futaba classroom games – kids can play against each other and you can customize it to what ever subject you want.
Geek Kids Chess – teaches them the rules and basic chess strategy. They can also play games vs. each other or the computer.
Barefoot Atlas – is visually beautiful and my kids enjoy flying around the world and looking at the differ things it highlights. Geography.
For music for under 13s a great website is woogiworld.com. I’m super cheap and I paid to upgrade the music program for my kids. It’s fantastic and they beg to play ear training games.
Meridith says
I love our iPad! My sister bought it for my family and I didn’t know what to do with it at first. I’ll tell you what worked for me. I only put apps on there that I deemed to be educational. There are some fantastic ones. My kids now know every state and its capital (Stack the States). They are learning the countries of the world (Stack the Countries). They are practicing math concepts (too many to list here). My boys are learning the guitar on probably the coolest app ever (WildChords). My oldest can recognize all the presidents by sight and is learning facts about them on Presidents VS Aliens. You do have to do some searching and I try out the apps before the kids use them, but now I don’t know what I would do without my iPad.
Amanda says
You should probably look on someone’s iPad/iPod/iPhone to look at some of the apps you might be thinking about before you spend $500+ on an iPad. There are some regular computer apps that are good for practicing things too…